Author: Inside Hoops

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Will the 2020-21 NBA season start on Christmas?

Here’s the Fort Worth Star Telegram reporting on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s take on fitting the puzzle pieces together regarding how the rest of this season may play out and when the 2020-21 season might begin:

Mark Cuban believes the NBA can still salvage its 2019-20 season, despite it being suspended for two months and counting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dallas Mavericks owner pointed to Dec. 25 as the start date for next season and then said you just have to work backward for a potential timeline to resume this season. Most teams, Cuban said, would not be playing an extended schedule as there’s a limited number of teams that would advance through the playoffs.

That, he said, would give the league more leeway as to a hard deadline to resume this season.

“How much of an offseason do we need for the draft, workouts and guys to rest?” Cuban said during an interview on ESPN 103.3 FM on Monday. “Worst-case — we kind of squished the schedule and started late July, early August. That’s just me speculating. Go play a few warm-up games to finish out the season and finalize playoff positioning, then play the playoffs.”

Even without the coronavirus pandemic reshaping much of the world’s schedule, it was possible that future NBA seasons were going to start later in the year. The current suspended-play situation only seems to increase that possibility.

At this point, we’re all playing a waiting game that revolves around health and safety above everything else.

Pelicans reportedly plan to reopen practice facility soon

One by one, teams are taking steps towards reopening their practice facilities, but just so individual players can take advantage. As individuals. While physical-distancing. And not yet working together as a team. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune with an update:

The New Orleans Pelicans are planning to reopen their practice facility in Metairie on May 18, a source confirmed.

Earlier this week, the NBA began allowing teams to open their doors in municipalities where stay-at-home orders have been lifted. Louisiana’s stay-at-home order runs through Friday. The Pelicans plan to start allowing players in for individual workouts three days after it is set to expire.

NBA practice facilities have been shuttered since March 20. Even though players are being let back in, there are strict regulations on what they’re allowed to do. According to a memo the NBA sent out, no more than four players are allowed inside practice facilities at one time. Only one staff member can work with each player, and that staff member can’t be a head coach, a front-of-bench coach or a front office executive. Anyone with a temperature above 99.1 degrees is not allowed to enter.

Hopefully there are some video cameras at some of these workouts, to at least give us some basketball to watch. Even if it’s just one player’s shooting drills or something.

Wizards reportedly offer refunds for postponed games

Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting that won’t be a surprise, that the Wizards are offering fans some options regarding the batch of regular season games that were postponed:

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is preparing those around the league for games without fans and perhaps beyond the 2019-20 season, if and whenever it resumes. So, it should be no surprise the Wizards are taking steps to reimburse fans who have already paid for tickets.

The team sent out an email to season ticket holders explaining a new policy which will credit people for the remaining games this season for a plan next year. That can be taken as a refund if the ticket holders decide not to renew next season, or if they do renew then an additional three percent credit is added.

We aren’t keeping track of exactly which teams have done this already, but some have, and certainly the rest likely will soon.

The remainder of the 2019-20 NBA regular season remains postponed, not canceled, but with each passing day the likelihood of the season being completed diminishes. Perhaps the playoffs will still be played. We’ll see.

A few workouts recently resumed at NBA facilities

Here’s the New York Post reporting on a tiny step in the right direction:

The new normal at NBA practice facilities began Friday, featuring temperature checks at the door, latex gloves and an outfit in a bag.

The Cavaliers were among the first teams to open back up for voluntary workouts after the league was suspended March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Four players — Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic — went to the facility, where they were met with plenty of new precautions as they took the first step back after nearly two months off.

There’s still a very long way to go. But taking baby steps is the responsible way to go right now.

On the NBA career of Josh Jackson

Here’s the Arizona Republic on young Josh Jackson, who had just started to put up some real numbers when the NBA season was put on hold in mid March:

Josh Jackson never reached his full potential in his two seasons in Phoenix, but he showed signs of doing so for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

After a lengthy process of having to prove himself by playing in the G-League, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft got the call up in January and found himself on the floor when the game was on the line for the Grizzlies (32-33)…

Jackson, 23, averaged a career-low 10.4 points in 18 games, but the 6-8 wing shot a career-best 43.9% from the field. In March, he averaged 16.6 points on 47.5% shooting (38.2% from 3) in five games before the NBA season was put on hold March 11 after Utah Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 207 pounds, Jackson, when NBA play eventually resumes, definitely needs to continue showing growth if he wants to solidify his place in the league.

Knicks may be interested in RJ Hampton for 2020 NBA draft

The Knicks drafted RJ Barrett in the lottery last year. Will they take another RJ in the 2020 NBA draft? here’s the New York Post reporting:

According to a source, RJ Hampton, who skipped college to play in New Zealand, is another point-guard-type under consideration by the Knicks if they select between sixth and 10th in the draft currently slated for June 25.

NBA insiders believe the speedy 6-foot-5, 19-year-old combo guard has been under the radar as a top-10 player because the Dallas native played on the other side of the world and saw his season cut short by a hip injury.

Leon Rose strongly pursued Hampton as a client when Rose was a superagent for Creative Artists Agency before accepting the Knicks’ presidency. Now Rose could join forces with him in a different manner in pairing Hampton with shooting guard RJ Barrett.

The Knicks have nine players on guaranteed contracts signed through the 2020-21 season, but only one guaranteed contract for 2021-22.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra discusses his career

Here’s the Miami Herald reporting what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had to say to Ernie Johnson via the NBA’s Twitter feed:

Spoelstra addressed other topics in a wide-ranging interview with Johnson:

▪ He said this week marks his 25th anniversary with the Heat after joining the team as an intern to help with the 1995 draft.

Pat Riley was hired as Heat coach and president that summer and Spoelstra said “the only reason I survived that turnover was it was September, and they just needed somebody to cut tape” and didn’t want to train someone from the outside.

“I had a one-year leeway to prove myself,” he said. “Twenty-five years later, they haven’t found a way to get rid of me.”

▪ How did Riley tell him he was being promoted to head coach in 2008?

“It would be like you imagined, a Godfather scene,” Spoelstra said. “He brought me in on a Saturday, after we won 15 games. … The lights were down. I sat on the other side of the desk. I could barely make out his face; he could see me.

“He said, ‘I’m done. You’re ready for it. This will be like you’re in a bird’s nest and I’m going to push you off the branch and you are going to have to figure out how to fly. You have enough experience, you’ve worked for great people. This is happening. Take a couple days to get your S-H-I-T together and Monday is the press conference.’”

Spoelstra’s story is pretty fantastic. His rise up the Heat ranks would make a great documentary.

Bulls hire Pat Connelly and JJ Polk to front office jobs

The Chicago Bulls have hired Pat Connelly and JJ Polk, naming Connelly as Vice President of Player Personnel and Polk as Assistant General Manager.

Connelly will primarily be responsible for the structure and processes of the scouting department.

Polk will primarily be responsible for strategic planning and salary cap management, in addition to being involved in all player personnel matters.

“Pat and JJ both bring valuable experience that will enhance our basketball operations department,” said Arturas Karnisovas, Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations. “I know that the skills these two possess will be an asset in building out our program. JJ’s expertise with cap management and negotiations will help us be creative in our deals and contracts, while Pat’s great eye for talent, global contacts and networking capabilities will organize our scouting department in a productive way. Combined, these two basketball minds will help increase functionality and implement our vision of moving this program forward.”

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, “the Bulls announced last week that Marc Eversley was named general manager, bringing the number of front office hires to three for Karnisovas. Expect that number to grow, as the plan all along has been to build out each department in the front office, as well as adding depth to each one.”

Connelly was most recently the Director of Pro Personnel with the Denver Nuggets, a position he held for one season in 2019-20. Prior to his time in Denver, Connelly spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant General Manager from 2013-18 and seven seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2006-13. He joined the Wizards as a part-time advance scout and worked his way to Director of Player Personnel, becoming one of the team’s top scouts for college and international play. Prior to his time in the NBA, Connelly was a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team at Baylor University from 2004-06, where he also earned a master’s degree in speech communication. He earned his undergraduate degree in business from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2002. Connelly spent one season as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse’s staff for the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League in the 2003-04 season, helping guide the team to the league title.

Polk joins the Bulls after spending 10 seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, most recently as Executive Director of Basketball Administration. He was initially hired to the Pelicans as the Director of Player Contracts and Basketball Administration, working two seasons in that role from 2010-12. Before joining the NBA, Polk practiced law at Bryan Cave LLP for six years as an associate in the Real Estate and Banking Practice Group. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. As an undergraduate at Rice University, Polk earned a political science and managerial studies degree. He played professional basketball in Sweden, Latvia and China from 1997-2000.

Catch up with the Utah Jazz through VP Dennis Lindsey

Here’s the Salt Lake Tribune with an update from Utah Jazz VP Dennis Lindsey:

Lindsey also cited the synergy between the player development/health performance side and the bench coaches. Individual players have been evaluated, as have collective units. He noted that, with no playoffs ongoing and no Chicago combine to attend, he personally has been doing a deep dive into video and statistical work — that is, when he’s not on one of the myriad general managers’ calls or board of governors’ calls that are increasingly taking place…

As for whether it’s even a worthwhile endeavor at this point to try to salvage anything of the 2019-20 campaign, Utah’s key decision-maker is of the opinion that it is.

“As far as my opinion, whether the league should try to come back, it’s overlaid simply by, ‘Can we come back safely?’ If the health permits, then let’s try to come back,” Lindsey said. “I’m all for naming a champion, even if it’s a truncated champion. Those teams that are in the midst of playoff chases and championship chases, we want to compete and name a champion.”

The NBA’s decision on how to handle the remainder of the 2019-20 season and of course the playoffs, comes down to input from doctors, science and health professionals as much as it does anyone else.

Nuggets practice facility to be made available for players

Progress is being made on the NBA player workout front. On an individual level, that is. Not on a team level just yet. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Beginning Friday, the Nuggets’ practice facility will be available to players for voluntary individual workouts, a league source confirmed, but it’s unclear how many players will take advantage. A significant portion of the players aren’t currently in Denver.

If they do choose to take advantage – the first tentative step toward a potential return-to-play – there will be rigorous rules in place at the Pepsi Center practice court. No more than four players will be permitted at the facility at any time, and for any individual workout, only one team staff member can work with the player.

The fate of the currently-suspended NBA season will probably be known in the coming weeks. There’s no deadline for the NBA to make a decision, but conventional wisdom suggests more will be known sometime in May.