June 2018 – Page 7 – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Update on the Clippers pursuit of their own arena in Inglewood

We’re all used to the Staples Center being the home of both the Lakers and Clippers. It’s certainly practical for anybody in Los Angeles with easy access to LA Live. But Clipper fans may have to learn directions to Inglewood if Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gets his way. Here’s the the Los Angeles Times with an update:

Under a big white tent on a dirt field that was a few feet south of where the Rams are constructing their new stadium, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Inglewood city officials held a news conference Tuesday during which they expressed their desire to introduce legislation in the quest to build a basketball arena there.

The legislation, AB 987, will provide shortcuts for approval if the proposed project faces challenges under California’s primary environmental law governing development. A similar bill, SB 789, failed to gain traction last year.

The Clippers play at Staples Center, which is owned by AEG, and share the arena with the Lakers and Kings.

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Jodie Meeks will reportedly stay with Wizards

We are now in a crucially important period of the basketball offseason: Awaiting the draft, but also seeing which players enter free agency. Some will do so automatically because their contract has officially ended, but with others it’s by choice, either by the player or the team. In the case of the Wizards, here’s the Washington Post with an update on Jodie Meeks:

In an expected move, Washington Wizards guard Jodie Meeks exercised the player option of his contract for the 2018-19 season, according to league sources. Meeks’s return will signal a hit to the salary cap while also ensuring the Wizards will be shorthanded to start next season.

With Meeks, the Wizards have 10 players under contract. The sharpshooter is expected to earn $3.45 million next season and though his individual income appears meager compared to the team’s core players John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter Jr., the cumulative amount will push the team’s 2018-19 salary past $124 million.

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Steve Kerr expects contract extension talks to go smoothly

Head coach Steve Kerr is obviously having great success with his star-filled Warriors team. There’s no reason to even think that the two sides won’t continue together. Here’s the SF Chronicle with the latest on upcoming contract extension talks between the two sides:

“We’ll get that done pretty quickly,” Kerr said Monday. “I don’t think there will be much to it. It should happen relatively quickly.”

Kerr and Golden State began to discuss an extension last summer, but Kerr opted to wait a year for final discussions to be sure he was healthy enough to make a long-term commitment. Now, after coaching every game in the Warriors’ run to the 2017-18 NBA championship, Kerr is ready to sign an extension.

“Whenever he wants to start, we’ll figure it out,” general manager Bob Myers said. “I think the nice thing is we developed a camaraderie and we feel like he wants to be here. We want him here. We’ll work it out.”

Kerr, 52, rebuffed an offer from the Knicks in May 2014 and signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the Warriors.

Abdel Nader undergoes wrist surgery

Last Friday, June 8, Boston Celtics guard/forward Abdel Nader underwent a right wrist arthroscopy and ulnar osteotomy. The purpose of the surgery was to correct lingering issues stemming from a fracture he suffered way back in high school.

Nader should be able to return to basketball activities in around 2-3 months. The team thinks he’ll be at full strength for the start of training camp.

In the 2017-18 regular season, Nader played in 48 games and averaged 3.0 points in 10.9 minutes per outing.

In the 2018 playoffs, he played in 11 games, and averaged 1.1 points in 3.0 minutes per outing.

The 6-6, 230-pound Nader is 24 years old and was drafted 58th overall in the 2016 draft. He played college basketball at Iowa State.

Pistons to hire Dwane Casey as head coach

The Detroit Pistons announced today an agreement with Dwane Casey to join the organization as Head Coach. Casey, who will be formally introduced at a news conference in Detroit next week, is expected to start immediately with player meetings and staff development starting this week.

“Dwane is one of the most successful and highly respected coaches in our league,” said Pistons Owner Tom Gores. “He’s a great communicator and a leader who will connect with our players and accelerate their growth. Having spent many hours with Dwane over the last few weeks, I’m confident he is the right person to get us to the next level.

“In our meetings he displayed great insight into what this roster can accomplish, and great passion about our city and the team’s role in bringing people together,” Mr. Gores said. “He’s an outstanding man with impressive character. He embodies our culture and will be a great representative for our franchise.”

Mr. Casey, who led the Toronto Raptors to 59 wins in the most recently completed season, is a finalist for the NBA’s 2018 Coach of the Year Award, which will presented on June 25 at the league’s awards dinner in Los Angeles. Last month, he was named the Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

“I am excited and honored to join the Detroit Pistons, a franchise with a championship history and a roster that is ready to win now,” Mr. Casey said. “Tom really won me over with his vision for the team and the city. He clearly wants to deliver for the fans in Detroit and I believe in the strength of his leadership to do so.

“I’m confident that this team has the pieces in place to compete at a very high level,” Mr. Casey added. “There is a lot of talent, a solid core and some exciting young players eager to get better. We’re getting to work right away on the things that will make us all successful.”

Casey, 61, has served as a head coach, associate head coach or assistant coach in the NBA for 23 of the past 24 years. He has coached in two NBA Finals (1996 and 2011) and three NBA All-Star games (1996, 1998 and 2018).

Casey most recently served as head coach of the Toronto Raptors from 2011-2018 where he compiled a 320-238 (.573) regular-season record and led the Raptors to a franchise-record five consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals. The all-time winningest coach in Raptors history, Casey led Toronto to the franchise’s first 50-win season in 2015-16, recorded 50-plus wins in each of the last three seasons and posted a franchise-record 59 wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference in 2017-18. Toronto won four Atlantic Division titles during Casey’s tenure. He was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month five times, and last February, became the first coach in Raptors history to be selected to coach in the NBA All-Star game.

Prior to his appointment with Toronto, he served as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2005-07. Casey’s 2005-06 squad finished in the NBA’s top 10 in fewest average points per game and lowest opponent field goal percentage.

Casey began his NBA career as an assistant coach with the Seattle Supersonics where he served from 1994-2005 under NBA head coaches George Karl, Paul Westphal and Nate McMillan. Promoted to associate head coach in November 2000, nine of his teams in Seattle finished above .500 with five winning 50 or more games. The 1996 squad won the Western Conference Championship after finishing the regular season with a franchise record 64 victories.

He also spent three seasons (2008-11) as an assistant with Dallas under Rick Carlisle where he directed the club’s defense and helped lead the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA Championship. Dallas posted a 162-84 (.659) mark during that span, winning 50 or more games in each of his three seasons with the team. His defensive unit held opponents to 96.0 points per game (6th in the NBA) and .450 percent shooting from the field (8th in the NBA) during the 2010-11 regular season.

In 14 seasons as an NBA assistant, Casey’s teams registered a 689-427 (.617) mark with eight campaigns of 50 or more wins. His teams qualified for the playoffs in 11 of those 14 seasons.

Prior to the NBA, Casey spent five seasons as a head coach in the Japanese Basketball League and worked with the Japanese national team. In the summer of 1998, he helped to guide Japan to its first appearance in the FIBA World Championship, which marked a first for Japan in over 30 years.

A native of Morganfield, KY, Casey played collegiately at the University of Kentucky. During his junior season, the Wildcats amassed 30-2 record and captured the 1978 NCAA Championship. As a senior, he was named team captain and won Kentucky’s all-academic award.

Tyronn Lue intends to return as Cavs coach

If Tyronn Lue has his way, he’ll be coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers again next season. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Tyronn Lue confirmed to reporters after Friday’s series-ending Game 4 loss in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors that he intends to return as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers next season.

Lue, who guided the Cavs to their first championship in franchise history after being elevated from associate head coach to the head coach midway through the 2015-16 season, when David Blatt was dismissed, has three years remaining on the five-year, $35 million contract extension he signed in the summer of 2016.

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Dwane Casey might become next Pistons coach

Will former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, recently let go by the team after years of success, become the next head coach of the Pistons? Maybe. Here’s Michigan Live with an update:

After dropping a strong hint Friday on ESPN’s First Take that he will be coaching the Detroit Pistons, Dwane Casey tapped the brakes a bit shortly after on another of the network’s shows.

Casey, appearing on The Jump with Rachel Nichols, said nothing is finalized with the Pistons but spoke glowingly of the organization and praised the roster.

“I had a couple of great meetings, one with the management, with Ed Stefanski, who’s a great GM, a great guy, he’s a main reason why the job is appealing, along with (Blake Griffin) and also Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson,” Casey told Nichols.

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Eric Glass to coach Heat summer league team

Summer leagues are next month. It’s too early to dive in fully, but here’s some quick info on the Heat, as reported by the Palm Beach Post:

Eric Glass’ ascension on the Heat bench will continue this summer.

The Heat confirmed that Glass will lead the organization’s summer-league teams in Sacramento and Las Vegas this year. The 34-year-old Glass follows in the footsteps of Heat assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Juwan Howard and Dan Craig as head of the team’s summer program — Quinn coached the Heat’s summer-league team last year, Howard led the summer program in 2016 and Craig coached the summer rosters from 2013 through 2015.

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Atlanta Hawks name assistant coaching staff

The Atlanta Hawks today named Melvin Hunt, Chris Jent, Greg Foster, Marlon Garnett and Matt Hill as assistant coaches on head coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff.

Also, Nate Babcock has been added as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.

“When we set out to assemble a staff, we were looking for A-plus talent and A-plus people, and that speaks to the individuals we added,” said Pierce. “These coaches embody what we’re looking for in terms of character and credibility, and will help us grow our program and our organization. They will be great teachers and mentors for the players they’ll be working with and great representatives for the Hawks.”

Hunt comes to Atlanta from the Dallas Mavericks, where he spent three seasons on Rick Carlisle’s staff. Prior to Dallas, Hunt was with the Denver Nuggets for five years, including serving as interim head coach for the final 23 games of the 2014-15 campaign.

Before his arrival in Denver, he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers to one of the most successful runs in franchise history, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2007, the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009, and winning a franchise-best 66 games in 2008-09. Hunt was also part of the Eastern Conference All-Star coaching staff in 2009.

Hunt spent one season (2004-05) with the Los Angeles Lakers following five years with the Houston Rockets (1999-2004), where he gained experience as a video coordinator, scout and assistant coach.

He has also coached on the collegiate and high school levels, beginning his coaching career at Temple (TX) High School before serving as an assistant coach at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio.

Hunt played four years at Baylor (1987-91), where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Education. He played professionally in the Caribbean and Mexico.

In his second year with the Hawks, Jent has also spent time on the coaching staff of the Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04), Orlando Magic (2004-05, including a stint as interim head coach), Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-11) and Sacramento Kings (2013-14) as well as his alma mater, Ohio State University. He was head coach of the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA G League in 2015-16.

A 10-year pro as a player, Jent was a member of the 1994 NBA Champion Houston Rockets and also played for the New York Knicks during the 1996-97 season. He additionally spent five seasons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and played overseas in Australia, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Jent grew up in Sparta, NJ before playing four seasons for the Buckeyes, which included three consecutive NCAA tournament trips.

Foster spent the last four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach, after serving as player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.

Before entering the NBA coaching ranks, Foster worked two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso, his alma mater.

Selected with the 35th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, he played in 656 career games in 13 NBA seasons, including 33 games with the Hawks during the 1992-93 season. Foster also played for Washington, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minnesota, Utah, Seattle, the LA Lakers and Toronto.

Foster is a native of Oakland, CA, where he played in high school (Skyline) alongside Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton.

Garnett spent the last two seasons with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant Coach/Player Development Coordinator after working with the San Antonio Spurs as a player development and quality assurance assistant. He spent 2014-15 as head coach at Union Academy in Monroe, NC.

He entered coaching following a lengthy playing career, including time with the Boston Celtics (24 games in 1998-99), and internationally in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Iran, Puerto Rico and Slovakia. He was also a member of the Belizean National Team in 2013.

A Los Angeles native, Garnett played collegiately at Santa Clara, where he teamed with Pierce and two-time NBA MVP and Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash. Garnett was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 ppg as a senior in 1996-97.

Hill spent the last six seasons with the Orlando Magic, where he was most recently an assistant coach. He began his career with Orlando as Video Analyst/Opposition in 2012, and was later promoted to Manager of Advanced Scouting/Player Development.

He played at the University of Texas from 2006-11, where he earned his degree in corporate communications, after a decorated high school career at Southeast High School in Lincoln, NE. Following his senior season, he was named Nebraska’s Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year.

Babcock spent the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets as Video Coordinator. Prior to that, he was with the Orlando Magic and was an assistant coach with the Erie BayHawks.

He has also been an assistant coach at Grand Valley State (MI), and a graduate assistant and special assistant at Michigan State.

A Minnesota native, Babcock earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Wisconsin-Eau Claire and received a Master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State.

Babcock’s father, Rob, is a former NBA General Manager and his brother, Chris, is a player development coach with the 76ers. His uncles, Pete and Dave, are longtime NBA executives, with Pete having served as Hawks’ General Manager from 1990-2003.

Kevin Durant says he will stay with Warriors next season

The Warriors were an amazing team, then they added Kevin Durant, and now they’re a bit too amazing to handle. Though, most Warriors fans probably don’t mind. he team currently has a 3-0 NBA Finals lead against the Cavs. Kevin Durant has been fantastic. And will reportedly remain with the Warriors next season, per the Mercury News in reference to what Durant said on ESPN:

Durant’s current contract — a two-year $51-million deal he signed last summer — contains an opt-out clause after the first year. In April, ESPN reported that Durant would opt out and then sign a new deal with the Warriors as a free agent. Durant, 30, gave up almost $10 million in salary last summer so the Warriors could afford to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston on the roster.

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