Inside Hoops – Page 193 – NBA Blog

Charlotte Hornets exercise team option on forward Jalen McDaniels

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has exercised its option on forward Jalen McDaniels for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

McDaniels appeared in 55 games during the 2021-22 season, accruing averages of 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game in his third season in the NBA. He shot .484% from the field and .380% from 3-point range, setting new single-season career-highs.

Selected with the 52nd pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Charlotte, McDaniels has averaged 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest with the Hornets in 118 career games. He made 31 appearances with the team’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, during his rookie season in 2019-20 and averaged 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 32.0 minutes per game.

TV ratings for the 2022 NBA Draft

Per ESPN, TV viewership ratings for the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday, June 23 were up 33 percent from last year, according to Nielsen. The first round across ABC and ESPN averaged nearly four million TV viewers (3,988,000), up 32 percent from last year’s NBA Draft first round, which also aired on ABC and ESPN.

Overall, the 2022 NBA Draft averaged 3,047,000 viewers for both rounds (round two aired on ESPN only). The first round of the NBA Draft across ABC and ESPN was the most-watched program for June 23 across all of television and in all key demos. The event peaked with 4,500,000 viewers at 8:15 p.m. ET.

Longtime Dallas Mavericks executive Keith Grant announces retirement

Longtime Dallas Mavericks executive Keith Grant announced his retirement today after 42 seasons. The Mavericks assistant general manager confirmed that the 2022 NBA Draft was his last duty as a full-time member of the Dallas front office.

“Keith Grant is an NBA legend with a heart of gold,” Mavericks Governor Mark Cuban said. “He did so much for the Mavs, and he made our organization and our community better. I can’t express enough appreciation for everything that KG has done for this franchise.”

The Oklahoma City native began his tenure with the Mavericks in the fall of 1980 prior to the start of the team’s inaugural season. In 1984, he moved to the scouting department and prior to the 1986-87 season was promoted to advance pro scout where he was integral to the Mavericks 55-27 record and the team’s first-ever Midwest Division title.

From 1990 to 1994, Grant served as the club’s director of scouting before being elevated to the position of director of player personnel in 1994 and eventually becoming vice president of basketball operations in July of 1996.

Grant was promoted to his current title of assistant general manager in 1998 and held the title through four Western Conference Finals appearances (2003, 2006, 2011, 2022), two NBA Finals runs (2006, 2011) and the Mavericks’ first-ever World Championship in 2011.

“When I reported to work in September of 1980, I could have never imagined the 42-year ride that awaited me,” Grant said. “I have so many people to thank for this incredible journey. Thank you to the various ownership groups, the coaches, the players, the NBA and all the individuals who worked alongside me behind the scenes. There are too many people to name, but they all played a role in the success of the Dallas Mavericks. Lastly, I would also like to especially thank my family for putting up with my job, the hours and the inconveniences, yet never complained and always supported me.

“There are no words to express all this organization has meant to me and my family. I have unbelievable memories that can never be taken away.”

Grant will remain as a consultant to the Mavericks and General Manager Nico Harrison.

“Keith is not only instrumental to the success of the organization, but he has also meant a lot to me in my first year with the Mavs,” Harrison said. “He has provided me with amazing support and guidance since day one. KG is an incredibly selfless person who always put the success of the Mavericks first.”

Sixers trade Danny Green, David Roddy to Grizzlies for De’Anthony Melton

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired De’Anthony Melton in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the trade, Philadelphia sent draft rights to the No. 23 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft (David Roddy) and Danny Green to Memphis.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Danny Green for everything he gave the Sixers organization over the last two seasons. He was a veteran leader, consummate professional on and off the court, and made us all better. I wish him continued success in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the court.

Heading into the draft, we had a goal of strengthening our rotation and believe we accomplished that by acquiring De’Anthony Melton. He is a young, tough and talented two-way player who can impact the game on multiple levels. We think he will thrive here and we’re excited to add him to our roster,” Morey said following the trade.

Last season with Memphis, Melton averaged career highs across the board with 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 22.7 minutes per game. His average of 1.4 takeaways per contest led the NBA among players who played in 25-or-fewer minutes per game and also ranked within the league’s top-15 overall. Over the past two seasons, Melton has raised his three-point shooting percentage to .388, a significant jump from the .294 mark he posted in his first two career campaigns.

Melton has seen action in 235 career games with Memphis and Phoenix, averaging 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 20.7 minutes per contest. Since his NBA debut in 2018-19, Melton has 309 steals, making him one of two players with at least 300 steals in fewer than 6,000 minutes over that span.

Originally selected by Houston with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Melton was traded to Phoenix prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. He spent his lone collegiate season in his home state with the University of Southern California and posted 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals in 27.0 minutes per game. The Trojans posted a 26-10 regular season record in Melton’s time with the program, earning an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and reaching the second round.

Roddy (6-5, 255) was named the 2021-22 Mountain West Player of the Year and USBWA District VIII Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.16 steals and 1.06 blocks in 31 games while shooting a conference-best 57.1% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range during his junior year at Colorado State. The 21-year-old Minneapolis native helped lead the Rams to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2013 and the highest seed (No. 6) in program history.

Green (6-6, 220) has competed in 819 regular season games (709 starts) and has averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 25.3 minutes while shooting 42.1% from the field and 39.9% from 3-point range in his 13-year NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. The 34-year-old has won NBA championships with the Spurs (2014), Raptors (2019) and Lakers (2020) since he was selected with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of North Carolina.

Steve Clifford once again named head coach of Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today the team has named Steve Clifford head coach. Clifford, who previously served the team’s head coach from 2013-2018, returns to Charlotte, where his 196 wins ranks second in franchise history, sitting just 11 behind Allan Bristow.

“We are pleased to welcome Steve back to our franchise,” said Kupchak. “We believe that his previous experience and coaching philosophy make him the best coach for our team. Steve has a proven track record of improving defenses and is detail oriented. He has a history of maximizing players’ talent and working with them to develop and expand their skill sets. Steve is committed to playing with the same offensive pace that our fans are accustomed to seeing the last few years. We are confident that he will be able to help our young players continue to grow as we look to take the next step as a team.”

Clifford has more than 20 years of NBA coaching experience and more than 35 years overall, including eight seasons as a head coach with the Hornets (2013-2018) and Orlando Magic (2018-2021). He spent the 2021-22 season as a consultant for the Brooklyn Nets and Head Coach Steve Nash. Clifford has a career record of 292-345 as a head coach, including a 196-214 mark in his previous five seasons in Charlotte. His teams have made the playoffs in four of his eight seasons and finished in the top 10 in both points allowed and defensive rating on five occasions.

“I’m happy to be returning to Charlotte, and I want to thank Michael Jordan, Mitch Kupchak and Buzz Peterson for this opportunity,” said Clifford. “This is an exciting young team with a lot of talented pieces. Charlotte is a great city and I know first-hand the passion that Hornets fans have for this franchise. I can’t wait to get back to town and start working with our players.”

In Clifford’s first season in Charlotte in 2013-14, the team went 43-39, a 22-win improvement over the previous season, and finished fourth in points allowed and fifth in defensive rating after ranking 29th and 30th, respectively, one season earlier. In 2015-16, he led the Hornets to a 48-34 record and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, posting the franchise’s best record since 1999-2000.

Clifford also helped turn around the Hornets’ offense during his first run in Charlotte. After ranking in the NBA’s bottom 10 in both points per game and offensive rating in his first two seasons, the team improved to ninth in offensive rating and 11th in points per game in 2015-16. That season the Hornets were one of only four teams to finish in the top 12 in points per game, offensive rating, points per game allowed and defensive rating. The Hornets remained in the top half of the league in both offensive categories for each of Clifford’s final two seasons, increasing their scoring average by 14.0 points per game and their offensive rating by 9.3 from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

In his first season in Orlando in 2018-19, the Magic posted a 42-40 record, a 17-win improvement over the previous season, and ranked fifth in points allowed and eighth in defensive rating after ranking 21st and 18th, respectively, in 2017-18.

Prior to becoming an NBA head coach, Clifford spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks (2000-2003), Houston Rockets (2003-2007), Orlando Magic (2007-2012) and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13). From 2003-2013, his teams made the playoffs in nine of 10 seasons, including five straight playoff appearances, three straight Southeast Division titles and a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals during his tenure with the Magic alongside Stan Van Gundy. Additionally, Clifford spent 15 years coaching at the collegiate level before joining the New York Knicks.

Efe Abogidi signs with G League Ignite

Forward Efe Abogidi, an NBA Academy graduate and standout at Washington State, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.

“NBA Africa offered me a platform to begin my journey, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that NBA Academy and Washington State provided me,” Abogidi said. “It is with gratitude and excitement that I join NBA G League Ignite and begin my career as a professional basketball player.”

Abogidi joins NBA G League Ignite after playing two seasons at Washington State. As a sophomore in 2021-22, he appeared in all 37 games (29 starts) and averaged 8.1 points and team highs of 5.8 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in 20.8 minutes. A Pac-12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention selection, the 6-10 Abogidi ranked second in the conference in blocks per game. He also tied for the team lead with three double-doubles, including a career-high 21 points and 14 rebounds against Washington on Feb. 23.

In 2020-21, Abogidi averaged 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.33 blocks in 24.4 minutes in 27 games and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. He ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game.

A native of Nigeria, Abogidi earned a scholarship to attend NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Senegal for the top prospects from throughout Africa and the first of its kind on the continent, in January 2017.

In June 2017, Abogidi transitioned to the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, which serves as the NBA’s hub for top prospects from the league’s academies. Abogidi is the first NBA Academy Africa alumnus to sign with Ignite and the third NBA Academy graduate overall, following India’s Princepal Singh (NBA Academy India; NBA Global Academy) and Australia’s Dyson Daniels (NBA Global Academy).

Abogidi joins guard Scoot Henderson on Ignite’s roster for the 2022-23 season, which will be the third season for the program. Ignite’s alumni include six NBA Draft picks, including three from the 2022 NBA Draft in fellow NBA Academy graduate Dyson Daniels (No. 8, New Orleans Pelicans), MarJon Beauchamp (No. 24, Milwaukee Bucks) and Jaden Hardy (No. 37, Sacramento Kings to Dallas Mavericks). Jalen Green (No. 2, Houston Rockets) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7, Golden State Warriors) were top-10 picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.

With 10th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Wizards selected Johnny Davis

The Washington Wizards selected Johnny Davis from the University of Wisconsin with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and selected Yannick Nzosa from Unicaja (Spanish ACB) with the 54th overall selection.

“Johnny proved his scoring capability and showed the ability and willingness to defend at a very high level at Wisconsin,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “His versatility, toughness and extraordinary basketball IQ stood out during our evaluation process and we’re excited to have him join our team.”

Davis (6-5, 196) earned the Big Ten Player of the Year accolade after averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31 games as a sophomore with the Badgers in 2021-22. Davis scored in double figures in all but one game, topping 20 points in 16 games, as he improved his scoring average by 12.7 points per game in his sophomore season. He also averaged 24.1 points in eight games against top-25 opponents.

In addition to his Big Ten Player of the Year honor, Davis also earned the 2022 Lute Olson National Player of the Year, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year, was a consensus First-Team All-American and was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award. He was also selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week three times and was the Naismith National Player of the Week for the week on January 10. The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native also won a Gold Medal with USA Basketball at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.

With the 54th overall pick, the Wizards selected Yannick Nzosa (6-10, 200), a Congolese center who spent the past two seasons with Unicaja in the Spanish ACB. In 68 total games with Unicaja, Nzosa has averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting .534 from the floor. An 18-year-old with a 7-4 wingspan, Nzosa played for Stellazzurra Basketball Academy in Rome to begin his amateur career.

With 9th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Spurs selected Jeremy Sochan

The San Antonio Spurs yesterday selected forward Jeremy Sochan with the ninth overall pick along with guard Malaki Branham with the 20th overall pick and guard Blake Wesley with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

It was the first time in franchise history the Silver and Black had three first round picks.

Sochan, 6-9/230, is the highest draft pick by the Spurs since they selected Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in 1997 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old played one season at Baylor University where he helped lead the Bears to a 27-7 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sochan was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.27 steals while appearing in 30 games. A native of England, Sochan averaged 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in four games across the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Sochan became the youngest player in Polish Men’s National Team history when he competed against Romania in a FIBA EuroBasket qualifier in February 2021 at the age of 17.

Branham, 6-5/180, played one season at Ohio State University where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the Kyle Macy Award winner and to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team. The former Buckeye averaged 13.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 32 games while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and finished second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage at 83.3 percent. Prior to Ohio State, Branham was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 2021.

Wesley, 6-5/185, played one season at University Notre Dame. In 35 games, he led the Fighting Irish in scoring with 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 29.4 minutes as a freshman. He finished with the fourth-most points (504) by a freshman in Notre Dame program history. The first-year guard helped the team to a first round NCAA tournament win over Alabama on his way to All-ACC Second Team and ACC All-Rookie Team honors in 2022. Wesley became the first Fighting Irish player selected in the first round since Jerian Grant in 2015 and Notre Dame’s first player to leave for the NBA draft after one season.

With 8th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pelicans selected Dyson Daniels

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Dyson Daniels with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Daniels, 6-8, 199, averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals for NBA G League Ignite during the 2021-22 season. Daniels joined Ignite from the NBA Global Academy Australia.

Daniels represented the Australian national team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

With 7th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Trail Blazers selected Shaedon Sharpe

The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday selected guard Shaedon Sharpe with the seventh pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Sharpe, 19, joins the Trail Blazers from the University of Kentucky. A guard out of London, Ontario in Canada, Sharpe (6-6, 200) averaged 24.1 points and 6.0 rebounds during his final season at Dream City Christian Academy in Glendale, Arizona in 2020-21.

In 2019, Sharpe led Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, posting averages of 13.0 points (68.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 60.0% FT), 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in six games.

He will wear No. 17 for the Trail Blazers.