Inside Hoops – Page 1092 – NBA Blog

Paul Millsap exit interview

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution interviewing Hawks forward Paul Millsap. THe Hawks put up a good fight in the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs but lost in seven games to the Indiana Pacers.

Q. You said after Game 7 that while many believe this team overachieved, you believe it underachieved. After some reflection, do you still feel that way?

A. I knew you were going to bring that up. I do, man. Looking over the season, the things that we’ve been through, the struggles we had to live with, it was definitely a great season for us. We were able to accomplish a lot, as far as style of play and the way we want to play. But I’m always going to look ahead and say we could have done this, we could have done that.

Q. What are your summer plans?

A. Right now, take a little time off to relax my body, definitely relax my mind. And then get back going. My thing over the years is to continue to get better. I know I have some things I have to get better at, I want to get better at. It’s going to be a long summer but I’m up for the challenge.

For more, hit the link above to the original source.

Mike Woodson still focused on NBA coaching

Here’s New York Newsday reporting on former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson:

As the Knicks continue pursuing Steve Kerr to be their new coach, their old one is hoping to get back in the game.

Mike Woodson, whom the Knicks fired April 21, said he wants to coach next season.

“My interest right now is still coaching,” Woodson said during a phone interview promoting his golf tournament in Las Vegas in July. “I enjoy doing it. I’ve been doing it for the last 20-plus years and I love the NBA.”

Woodson still has one season remaining on his Knicks contract, but he said he doesn’t want to take a year off. The Lakers, Jazz and Warriors have openings. But it doesn’t appear Woodson is a candidate for them at this point.

Utah Jazz executive Bob Hyde will retire

Here’s the Deseret News reporting on the Jazz:

One of the top executives of the Utah Jazz organization and Fanzz stores will be retiring after the NBA draft.

Executive vice president Bob Hyde will retire from his positions as the Jazz’s chief financial officer and Fanzz president at the end of June after working for the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies for the past 30 years in various capacities.

The Jazz are expecting Hyde to continue to provide his capologist input on a part-time basis or as a consultant.

Shelly Sterling wants to keep the Clippers

Here’s ESPN.com reporting on the Los Angeles Clippers, whose ownership saga is not going to end anytime in the near future:

Clippers co-owner Shelly Sterling confirmed Wednesday that she intends to keep ownership of the team in her family, despite the NBA’s move to oust her estranged husband, Donald Sterling, who was banned for life by commissioner Adam Silver last week in the wake of racist remarks he made that were published by TMZ.

Shelly Sterling has been a co-owner of the Clippers with her husband since 1981 and is one of two alternate governors. The other, team president Andy Roeser, began an indefinite leave of absence Tuesday. The team is owned by a family trust.

“Commissioner Silver made it clear, that when he announced sanctions against Donald, that the NBA was taking no action against me or my family,” Shelly Sterling said in a statement given to ESPN.

She has hired attorney Pierce O’Donnell to represent her interests as the NBA moves to terminate her husband’s ownership of the team.

LeBron James, Method Man will have roles in movie called `Trainwreck`

Here’s Hollwood Reporter with LeBron James movie news:

NBA star LeBron James and hip-hop musician Method Man are heading toward a Trainwreck.

The Miami Heat player and Cliff Smith (better known as Method Man) have nabbed roles in Judd Apatow’s upcoming comedy Trainwreck. They’ll star alongside Amy Schumer (who wrote the screenplay), Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, John Cena and Mike Birbiglia.

James is already in business with Universal, the studio that is distributing Trainwreck. Universal recently acquired rights to a feature based on the high-school years of the Miami Heat star. The project is based on a pitch by Frank E. Flowers, with Terence Winter and Rachel Winter attached to produce with James and his manager, Maverick Carter.

Jamal Crawford wins 2013-14 NBA Sixth Man of Year award

The news of this year’s Sixth Man award winner has been out for a while, but the actual official NBA announcement just came in this morning.

The Los Angeles Clippers’ Jamal Crawford is the winner of the 2013-14 NBA Sixth Man Award as the league’s best player in a reserve role, the NBA announced today. Crawford, who came off the bench in 45 of the 69 games in which he appeared, led all NBA reserves in scoring, averaging 18.6 points. Additionally, Crawford accounted for 3.2 apg and 2.3 rpg in 30.3 mpg for a Clippers team that went 57-25 and earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Crawford, who also won the award in 2009-10 while with the Atlanta Hawks, joins Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf as two-time winners. Crawford amassed 57 first-place votes and 421 total points from a panel of 125 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

Taj Gibson of the Chicago Bulls finished second with 395 total voting points (49 first-place votes). Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs finished third with 138 points (nine first-place votes). Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) finished 4th, Reggie Jackson (Oklahoma City Thunder) 5th, Vince Carter (Dallas Mavericks) 6th, and D.J. Augustin (Chicago Bulls) 7th.

In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Crawford tallied double-figure scoring efforts in 15-of-16 January games, as the Clippers posted a 12-4 record. On Jan. 25, Crawford poured in 37 points and handed out 11 assists in a 126-118 win over the Toronto Raptors. For the season, he posted 20-plus points 29 times and 30-plus points six times. The Clippers were 31-14 (.689) in games in which Crawford appeared off the bench.

Stan Van Gundy might be a Warriors coaching candidate

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel blog reporting on Stan Van Gundy and the Golden State Warriors:

Although he stresses he’s happy not coaching, former Orlando Magic and Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy appears to be leaving the door at least slightly ajar for a possible return to the NBA as coach of the Golden State Warriors.

Asked Thursday morning on 740 AM’s “Open Mike” show if he’s talked with the Warriors about their vacant head-coaching job, Van Gundy answered, “I have not met with them or anything else. There have been calls to gauge interest, and until you get a chance to actually talk to somebody, it’s even hard to say if they’re interested or if I would be [interested]. So we’re not at that point of even sitting down and talking yet.”

On Tuesday, the Warriors fired Mark Jackson after three seasons as their head coach.

Although TNT commentator Steve Kerr has been mentioned as the leading candidate for Golden State’s job opening, Van Gundy also has been mentioned as a potential candidate.

Video: Roy Hibbert steps up in Pacers-Wizards Game 2

Wednesday in Indiana, the Pacers beat the Wizards 86-82 to tie their second-round playoff series at one win apiece. In the victory, Pacers center Roy Hibbert, who has famously struggled in the playoffs as well as for much of the second half of the NBA regular season, stepped up and shot 10-of-13 for 28 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes. Here are some Game 2 Hibbert video highlights:

Andrew Bynum is no longer with the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday center Andrew Bynum will miss the remainder of the NBA Playoffs and will not be with the team.

“We want to thank Andrew and our medical staff for trying to get the issues with his knee resolved,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “We wish him the best in the future.”

Bynum was signed as a free agent Feb. 1, and played in just two games with averages of 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.

R.C. Buford wins 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award

San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the recipient of the 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today.

Buford assembled a roster this season that featured six players averaging double figures in scoring and eight players averaging 20 or more minutes. The Spurs clinched homecourt advantage for the 2014 postseason by virtue of having posted the league’s best record at 62-20 (.756). San Antonio was the only team to record 30-plus wins both at home (32-9, .780) and on the road (30-11, .732), and the 2013-14 campaign marked the 15th consecutive season that the Spurs posted 50-plus wins – an NBA record.

The longstanding trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been fortified in recent years with the additions of Boris Diaw, Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills (third seasons with the team), as well as Danny Green and Tiago Splitter (fourth seasons with the team). Buford added Marco Belinelli this past offseason, who fit seamlessly into the rotation, with averages of 11.4 ppg (fifth on the team) and 25.2 mpg (fourth on the team).

Buford becomes the third Spurs Executive to win the award, joining Angelo Drossos (1977-78 season) and Bob Bass (1989-90 season). The Spurs tied the fifth-longest winning streak in NBA history this season, when they peeled off 19 consecutive victories between Feb. 26-April 2.

In his 23rd year with the franchise, Buford has previously held the positions of Assistant Coach, Head Scout, Director of Scouting and Vice President/Assistant General Manager before being tabbed with his current title as Spurs General Manager in July, 2002. Buford also holds the overarching title of President of Sports Franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, presiding over the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars, the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros and the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League, in addition to the Spurs.

Buford totaled 58 points and received nine first-place votes from a panel of his fellow team basketball executives throughout the NBA. The Phoenix Suns’ Ryan McDonough finished second with 47 points (five first-place votes) votes and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Neil Olshey finished third with 34 points (five first-place votes). Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.