June 2015 – Page 8 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Danny Granger exercises contract option to stay with Suns

Logical move, since Granger’s value is low right now

Danny Granger exercises option to stay with Suns

Phoenix Suns forward Danny Granger has exercised the one-year player option on his contract for the 2015-16 season.

Granger, a 10-year NBA veteran and one-time All-Star, was acquired by the Suns from the Miami Heat in a trade on Feb. 19, 2015. The 6-9 wing out of the University of New Mexico holds career averages of 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 586 games with the Indiana Pacers (2005-14), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-14) and Miami (2014-15).

LeBron did a ton in Finals, but lacked help

With Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao (remember him?) out, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by leBron James, were good but not good enough to handle the best team in the league this season, the Golden State Warriors. Last night in Cleveland the Warriors won the NBA championship in six games. Here’s the Northeast Ohio News Group reporting:

James put in game-highs of 32 points and 18 rebounds to go with eight assists in 46 minutes. He had to fight and claw for each statistic. He was 13-of-33 from the field. After scoring his 12th point, James became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career postseason points.

Andre Iguodala led the Warriors with 25 points. His insertion into the starting lineup in Game 4 changed the dynamic of the series. Stephen Curry registered 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Eight of his points came in the final quarter.

For the vanquished Eastern Conference champs, it was an incredible postseason run considering the loss of Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Q was electric and sheer pandemonium for two and a half quarters. But the noise subsided when it became clear that Warriors were not going to let up in the Cavaliers’ final home game of the season.

“If we want to play another day and live to fight for the championship, we need to win today,” Cavs coach David Blatt said before the game. “So it’s about survival right now, and that’s what you’re looking for.”

They didn’t play like they were in survival mode early on. Golden State got out to a quick 15-point lead in the opening quarter. The Cavs went with their normal Finals lineup with Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov in the front line, only to see Iguodala take repeated open midrange jumpers off of the pick-and-roll game against the overmatched Mozgov.

Andre Iguodala wins 2015 NBA Finals MVP

The Warriors won the NBA championship last night. And although the award could easily have gone to guard Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala was named winner of the 2015 NBA Finals MVP award. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting:

All season long, Andre Iguodala had to answer the same questions over and over: How did he feel about not starting? How did he feel about coming off the bench? As an Olympic gold medalist and former All-Star, didn’t it bother him to sit?

Iguodala, true to his nature, never once bristled at the line of questioning. Never once did he give any indication of frustration. Instead, he patiently recited the company line: The team comes before any one individual. He was willing to do whatever the team needed to win.

In the NBA Finals, Iguodala’s patience and maturity paid huge dividends for the Warriors. Tasked with defending the best player in the world, Iguodala turned in the performance of a lifetime. Iguodala slowed down LeBron James just enough for the Warriors to win their first title in 40 years. And Iguodala found enough life in his legs to provide a real spark on offense, too.

After scoring a season-high 25 points in Tuesday night’s title-clinching win, Iguodala was named the NBA Finals MVP.

Bulls hire Jim Boylen as associate head coach

Chicago Bulls name Jim Boylen associate head coach, under Fred Hoiberg

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Jim Boylen has been appointed associate head coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff.

“I am very excited to add Jim to our staff as our associate head coach. His track record speaks for itself with nearly 30 years of coaching experience and three NBA championships on his resume,” said Hoiberg. “His work ethic and attention to detail will help our team every day, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare for next season.”

Boylen comes to Chicago with 29 years of coaching experience, including 17 years of service in the NBA. The East Grand Rapids, Mich. native spent the last two seasons on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. Boylen entered the NBA in 1992-93 with the Houston Rockets, where he broke in as the team’s video coordinator/scout. Following four seasons in that role, he was promoted to assistant coach on Rudy Tomjanovich’s staff. In addition to his stints with the Spurs and Rockets, Boylen has also served as an assistant coach with Golden State (2003-04), Milwaukee (2004-05) and Indiana (2011-13).

“We are fortunate to be able to add someone with the credentials that Jim has,” said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. “He will be a big asset to Fred and our players.”

Following a collegiate career at the University of Maine, where he earned First Team All-North Atlantic honors and was runner-up to Reggie Lewis for conference player of the year in 1986-87, he began his coaching career as an assistant coach under Jud Heathcote at Michigan State. In 2005, after 13 seasons in the NBA, he returned to East Lansing, where he served as Tom Izzo’s top assistant. In March of 2007, after two seasons in his second stint with the Spartans, he was named head coach at the University of Utah. Boylen spent four seasons with the Utes and guided them to a record of 69-60 and a trip to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Draymond Green, Matthew Dellavedova tussle in Finals Game 5

Draymond Green, Matthew Dellavedova tussle in NBA Finals Game 5

In case you haven’t heard, both Draymond Green and Matthew Dellavedova are aggressive on the court. And when aggressive meets aggressive, things are going to get interesting. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting:

Draymond Green hopped off the floor hoping to hear a whistle but really wanting a piece of Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova.

Yes, Delly once again found himself in the middle of a play that might easily be construed as “dirty.”

This one occurred with 5:55 left in the second quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals Sunday night at Oracle Arena. As both players hustled toward the rim for a possible rebound, Dellavedova, while tumbling to the floor, subtly used his left arm to hook Green’s right arm, resulting in Green also going down, on top of Dellavedova.

It was a splendid wrestling move sneakily executed on the basketball court. Green wanted a foul on Dellavedova but officials instead ruled a double foul, one being assessed to each player.

Leandro Barbosa steps up in Finals Game 5

Leandro Barbosa steps up in Finals Game 5

The Golden State Warriors lead the Cleveland Cavaliers three games to two in the 2015 NBA Finals. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting on Warriors guard Leandro Barbosa, who did nice things off the bench Sunday:

Before the fourth-quarter outburst, before Stephen Curry’s money threes clinched Game 5, before nearly 20,000 fans gave the Warriors a resounding have-a-ball-in-Cleveland sendoff, there was Leandro Barbosa.

On a second team that saved the Warriors throughout the season, Barbosa emerged as Sunday’s mightiest sub, scoring 13 of the bench’s 17 points — hitting four of five field-goal attempts, including his only three-point shot, and all four of his free throws…

Barbosa is the oldest Warrior (32), the most postseason-tested (95 games) and the only one to reach a conference finals before this year (twice with Phoenix). He and backup point guard Shaun Livingston came aboard in the offseason, providing a deeper roster for coach Steve Kerr, who can use either in long stretches without getting headaches.

Barbosa had a nine-point second quarter, and his 13 points (matching his total in the first four games) in 17 minutes — all in the first three quarters — kept Curry and Klay Thompson, who got in foul trouble late in the third period, fresh for the fourth.

Joel Embiid health update: injury not healing as quickly as hoped

Joel Embiid health update on his injured foot

Bad Philadelphia 76ers news has emerged tonight. The team, which openly spent the past few seasons rebuilding, has a lot of hopes and dreams resting on the shoulders of Nerlens Noel (seems good but not great just yet), Joel Embiid (has not played yet and spent entire rookie season injured) and other players that don’t exist yet because they’re in the form of draft picks. And now a key member of that list is not healing as quickly as hoped.

The following is a statement from Sixers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie, regarding center Joel Embiid:

“As part of the conservative approach focused on the long-term health, recovery and care of Joel, we have been closely monitoring his progress, regularly evaluating his status and adjusting our plans accordingly.

“Recently, Joel and Sixers personnel traveled to Los Angeles for a series of routine exams with a number of physicians who have been actively involved throughout this process. During his visit with Dr. Richard Ferkel, a standard CT scan on Joel’s right foot revealed less healing than anticipated at this point.

“Our priority remains providing Joel with every opportunity to ensure he has a long and successful NBA career, and as such, these findings cause us to pause and reassess his current activities. Together with Joel and his representatives, we will continue to consult with the experienced team of doctors who have been an integral part of his evaluations, while also engaging in dialogue with a broader set of experts and specialists.

“Discussions regarding the appropriate next steps are currently ongoing and we will share an update once it becomes available.”

Hornets badly need 3-point shooters

Hornets badly need 3-point shooters

Here’s the Charlotte Observer letting you know just how bad Hornets 3-point shooting is (and has been):

To say the Hornets’ 3-point shooting was bad last season would be overly kind. It was awful. As in historically awful.

The Hornets shot 31.8 percent from the 3-point arc last season, last among 30 NBA teams. But that really doesn’t convey how bad it was. Over the last decade of NBA basketball, only eight teams shot as bad or worse from 3-point range. So they were tied for 291st among the last 300 NBA teams to finish a season in 3-point accuracy.

Granted it’s not good to be last at anything, but 3-point percentage is a pretty significant NBA statistic. If you were last in steals or last in offensive-rebound percentage, you’d try to improve but you wouldn’t necessarily conclude that’s a back-breaker. This was a back-breaker.

It’s no coincidence the top two seeds in this season’s Eastern and Western Conference playoffs – the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers – finished in the top five in 3-point percentage during the regular season. The Clippers were the only one of those teams not to reach the conference finals, and they blew a big series lead to the Houston Rockets.

Bucks reportedly have interest in Brook Lopez

Bucks reportedly have interest in Brook Lopez

Here’s ESPN NY reporting on Bucks free agency, which reportedly will include Nets center Brook Lopez as a target:

The Milwaukee Bucks intend to pursue Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez this summer, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Lopez, 27, is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

Nets general manager Billy King has said retaining Lopez and forward Thaddeus Young is his No. 1 priority this offseason. The Nets can ill-afford to lose Lopez because they don’t have the salary-cap means to replace him in free agency.

Because the Nets hold Lopez’s Bird rights, they are the only team that can offer Lopez a five-year, max contract.

Fatigue playing role in NBA Finals

Fatigue playing role in NBA Finals

Here’s the News Herald reporting on the 2015 NBA Finals, where the Warriors and Cavaliers bringa 2-2 tied series to Oakland Sunday night:

It’s just human nature.

The Cavaliers have a shortened rotation, are playing heavy minutes and have experienced some bumps and bruises. Fatigue — mental and physical — is obviously a factor in the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers scored the first seven points of Game 4. Warriors coach Steve Kerr was forced to call time out with 9:43 remaining in the first quarter.

As the players came toward the bench, Kerr told them, “Don’t worry. They are playing seven players in their rotation for 48 minutes. That will wear them down.”

The Warriors ended up blowing out the Cavaliers, 103-82, to knot the series at 2-2. The series shifts to Oakland, Calif., for Game 5 on June 14 at Oracle Arena.