Author: Inside Hoops

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Timberwolves coaching search really begins after NBA Draft Lottery

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting:

Officially, open season for finding a new Timberwolves coach began nearly a month ago, when the team announced Rick Adelman’s retirement.

In reality, it won’t truly start until Tuesday night.

That’s when the NBA holds its annual draft lottery, its annual game of luck in which the Wolves have less than a 1 percent chance to leap from their 13th overall draft position into the top three or lose their pick altogether to Phoenix because of a prior trade arrangement.

By then, Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders will know if his team finally has beaten the lotto odds — and very long ones at that — for the first time in the franchise’s 26-year history.

By then, he also will know much better just what kind of roster he will have to offer a prospective coach … or himself.

Spurs wonder if Serge Ibaka still might play in WCF series

Here’s the San Antonio Express-News blog reporting:

Spurs wonder if Serge Ibaka still might play in series

Oklahoma City announced on Friday that forward Serge Ibaka, one of the NBA’s best shot blockers and defensive anchors, will miss the remainder of the playoffs with a calf strain.

The Thunder followed that up by telling the media on Sunday that Ibaka would not travel with the team on their flight to San Antonio in advance of the Western Conference Finals, which begin Monday.

And still, the Spurs remain skeptical to the point of paranoia.

“I don’t really believe it,” said point guard Tony Parker, who has been cleared to play in the opener after straining his left hamstring in the second round. “I’ll believe when I see tomorrow he is not on the court. It’s hard to believe. We’ll see tomorrow.”

Timberwolves may now be open to trading Kevin Love

kevin love

Throughout most of last season, Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders and owner Glen Taylor remained steadfast in their stance that they would not consider trading Kevin Love.

They were determined instead to convince the All-Star forward that he should sign an extension to remain after next season.

With the NBA draft lottery coming up this week and an increasing concern that Love will leave for another team after next year, that stance has softened, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The Timberwolves are now open to the idea of trading Love if the right deal comes along.

The people requested anonymity because the team has not made any final decisions on Love’s future in Minnesota. A likely asking price would include a high first-round pick in this year’s draft and a solid veteran or two who would come in and contribute right away to a team that is lacking in veteran leadership.

— Associated Press

Pacers beat Heat 107-96, take 1-0 East Conference Finals lead


Paul George scored 24 points, David West had 19, and the Indiana Pacers protected their home court with a 107-96 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Indiana led wire-to-wire and never even gave the Heat a chance to tie the score after starting the game with a 5-0 lead.

Game 2 is Tuesday in Indiana. The home team has won all five meetings this season.

Dwyane Wade scored 27 points and LeBron James had 25 for the two-time defending NBA champions, who lost for only the second time in 10 playoff games.

Indiana had a 30-point first quarter for the first time since Feb. 27, extended the lead to 19 in the third and Miami couldn’t get closer than nine the rest of the way.

For months, people wondered what happened to the Indiana team that dominated the first half of the NBA season.

On Sunday, those Pacers suddenly reappeared.

— Associated Press

The Heat committed 26 fouls compared to 15 for the Pacers. The worst of it, of course, was a flagrant by Mario Chalmers on Watson with 9:22 left in the game. Chalmers first hit Watson with a common foul as Watson drove the basket. The Heat’s starting point guard then pushed Watson into press row, which was located on the baseline.

Chalmers was assessed a flagrant foul for the unnecessary shove and Watson was awarded four foul shots. His free throws gave the Pacers a 15-point lead.

An 18-foot turnaround jumper by Lance Stephenson put the Pacers ahead by 13 points with 7:37 to play and Indiana led by double digits for the remainder of the game.

— Miami Herald

It didn’t take 30 minutes of basketball Sunday for all five Pacers starters to reach double figures in scoring, and each starter made an impact in his own way.

Hill knocked down shots early. West punished the Heat inside on mismatches, ignoring his trusted jump shot to bully his way into the post. Paul George picked off shots in the flow of the offense, and Lance Stephenson provided crucial buckets in a big second quarter in particular. Miami struggled all game with Hibbert, who was never dominant but always present, scoring and rebounding consistently.

Starters combined to score 94 of Indiana’s 107 points in Game 1.

— Indianapolis Star

Knicks may trade Raymond Felton this summer

Here’s ESPN New York reporting on the Knicks:

Knicks may trade Raymond Felton this summer

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson recently told point guard Raymond Felton that he will look to trade him in the offseason, a league source said.

Felton has two years remaining on a four-year, $15 million contract with a player option in the final season, so it may be difficult to find suitors for him.

But Jackson told Felton in a conversation the two had during exit interviews last month that he would explore trade possibilities involving the 29-year-old.

“He was pretty honest with him,” the source said. The conversation was first reported by SNY.tv.

Miami Heat arena agreement reached

Here’s the Miami Herald with some Heat arena news:

The Miami Heat would receive $42 million in subsidies to play at the AmericanAirlines Arena for an extra five years and end a profit-sharing arrangement in favor of $23 million in payments to Miami-Dade’s parks department, under a deal reached by Mayor Carlos Gimenez and owner Micky Arison.

Miami-Dade would retain its ability to profit from the arena’s naming-rights agreement once the current deal with American Airlines expires in 2020, though the arrangement includes a provision to resolve disputes over how much of that sponsorship windfall would go to the county and how much would stay with the team, Gimenez said Friday.

While Arison was seeking a 10-year extension through 2040, Gimenez said the proposed deal only secures the team through 2035 out of fear the higher subsidies would cut into hotel taxes needed to pay off massive payments due from the 2009 Miami Marlins deal. Under the proposed agreement, Miami-Dade’s current $6.4 million subsidy to the Heat would increase by $2 million a year between 2031 and 2035.