Inside Hoops – Page 641 – NBA Blog

Yes, Lonzo Ball still hopes to play for Lakers

Many NBA Draft prospects intentionally avoid mentioning a favorite team, or who they hope to play for. Not Lonzo Ball. He hopes to be a Laker, and has no problem stating that to the world. Here’s ESPN.com with more:

After an individual workout in front of Lakers brass — which included Magic Johnson, the player he patterned his game after — point guard Lonzo Ball reiterated his desire on Wednesday to play for his hometown team.

“Of course,” Ball answered during an eight-minute media session that followed the workout. “It’s home.”

Ball also said that if the Lakers pass on him, he would play for any team.

“I’ll go to any team and just do what I do,” Ball said. “Play basketball.”

No, Ben Simmons is not a point guard, says Larry Brown

Here’s CSN Philly reporting on the Sixers, whose best young talent is center Joel Embiid and injured guard Ben Simmons, who like Embiid missed his rookie season but is expected to be active this year. Simmons is the height of a big forward, yet has crazy ball-handling and passing skills. So should he be used as a point guard, thus creating constant matchup problems for the opposition? That’s up for debate:

After missing his rookie season with a Jones fracture in his right foot, the Sixers will try the 6-foot-10 Simmons at point guard in 2017-18.

Brown believes that would be a mistake.

“He’s not a point guard,” Brown said Monday on 97.5 The Fanatic’s Midday Show. “Everybody that’s saying that is ridiculous.

“I watched that kid at Montverde. He’s a point guard when he gets the ball in the half court. He’s a point guard if he gets the ball off the board because he’s such a willing passer and so good with the ball, but if he’s going to have to back it down and bring the ball up against little guys, it’s going to take away from what he’s capable of doing. Whoever is saying that is a moron.”

Charles Oakley rejects plea deal

Here’s the NY Post with the latest on the Charles Oakley legal saga stemming from the incident in Madison Square Garden:

Ex-Knick Charles Oakley refused a plea deal Friday for allegedly assaulting two Madison Square Garden security guards during a televised scuffle at a basketball game in February.

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Lipes offered Oakley an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal — a deal that wouldn’t require him to admit any guilt. If the baller stayed out of trouble for six months, the case would be dropped.

But his lawyer, Alex Spiro, standing beside the 6-foot-8 retired forward, rejected the offer and opted to go to trial instead. Judge Joanne Watters set a trial date of Aug. 4 in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Oakley had been heckling Knicks owner James Dolan, who was sitting nearby, during the Knicks’ Feb. 8 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, sources said at the time.

Warriors fan wins national spelling bee

There was all sorts of winning going on in the Warriors fan world yesterday. Here’s the Bay Area News Group reporting on the competition that surely has you on the edge of your seat each year: The National Spelling Bee.

Ananya Vinay couldn’t watch the Warriors start the NBA Finals against the Cavaliers, but she had her own victory to celebrate.

Vinay, a 12-year-old Warriors fan, won the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night while Golden State downed Cleveland to take a 1-0 advantage in the Finals.

“Go Curry” she said when asked about her Warriors fandom.

Also, Vinay’s little brother wore a Curry T-shirt — to the joy of Dub Nation.

Warriors beat Cavs in NBA Finals Game 1

The Warriors beat the Cavs 113-91 Thursday in Oakland to take a 1-0 NBA Finals lead. Some quotes from the web are below:

To kick off a matchup that has been anticipated since the Cavaliers escaped Oracle Arena with the Larry O’Brien trophy 347 days earlier, Golden State sent a statement: It is much improved from the group that squandered a 3-1 lead to Cleveland.

The biggest difference for the Warriors, of course, is that they now have a do-everything future Hall of Famer who thrives on the biggest stages. Durant poured in 23 of his game-high 38 points in the first half Thursday, adding eight rebounds and eight assists to finish with a near triple-double.

Stephen Curry overwhelmed Cleveland with a sterling third quarter on a night he finished with 28 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Because Golden State was at its ball-moving best, he and Durant feasted on open looks. The Warriors had more assists (31) Thursday than the Cavaliers had field goals (30).

By the start of the fourth quarter, the most-hyped NBA game of the year was rid of suspense. It was the type of thorough pummeling that only underscored why few have given Cleveland much of a shot in this series. Though he scored 28 points, LeBron James piled up eight of the Cavaliers’ 20 giveaways. Tristan Thompson, one of the league’s elite role players, was a non-factor on a night he totaled zero points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.

— San Francisco Chronicle

The Cavs committed 12 turnovers in the first half — seven by LeBron James. They were slow on the defensive glass, allowing the Warriors 11 offensive rebounds in the first 24 minutes. To put that in perspective, Golden State had only five offensive rebounds the entire game on Christmas Day when the Cavs beat the Warriors, 109-108, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Golden State took 61 shots in the first half compared to 43 by the Cavaliers. Despite those lopsided numbers, the Cavs were down only eight, 60-52, in a building in which they know they can win.

— News Herald

Durant shook LeBron to the ground for a slam, powered through Irving for another layup — his first eight makes were all at the rim — and then forced his way to the free throw line a few times late in the first half, putting up 23 in the first 24 minutes. He finished with a game-high 38 — finally busting out his 3-point shot late to cap the huge night.

But Steph Curry never had to get hot from 3 because he just stayed hot, carrying over his scorching stroke from the last round to plant six of his 11 threes on Thursday, giving him an NBA-high 59 made 3s in 13 playoff games. Kevin Love is the next closest shooter, with 41 makes in 14 games.

— Bay Area News Group

Steve Kerr not ready to return to coaching yet

The Warriors are doing just fine — okay, way better than fine — so far in the 2017 NBA Playoffs. They’re 12-0 and will play the Cavaliers on Thursday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But they remain without head coach Steve Kerr. Here’s the San Jose Mercury News with the latest update:

Steve Kerr made a surprise appearance in front of reporters after the Warriors’ practice on Monday, filling in for his fill-in, Mike Brown, who was out with the flu.

Kerr updated his own health status in an 11-minute interview with reporters, saying he’s still unsure whether he will coach Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Cavaliers on Thursday night, though it sounds unlikely.

“No. As of right now, I would not coach Thursday night,” Kerr said. “But it’s still up in the air. Waiting for that ‘ahhhhhh’ (moment). It’s coming.”

It sounds like Kerr has set a deadline for himself, saying he doesn’t want it to be a night-by-night decision about whether he can return to the sideline throughout the Finals. He wants to make a firm decision, either way, before Game 1 tips off.

Good year for Bradley Beal under new deal

Here’s CSN Mid Atlantic reporting on Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal, who became a very well-paid player one year ago and lived up to most expectations this past season:

Beal signed his new deal, a five-year contract worth $128 million, last July. It was a max contract for a guy who had never made an All-Star team and who had battled injuries, including last season when he only played in 55 games and only started 35. Naturally, some wondered if he was worth the money because of his problems staying healthy through four NBA seasons.

But in his first year under a new contract, Beal achieved newfound durability. He had some minor issues here and there, but managed to play 77 out of the Wizards’ 82 games and then appear in all of their 13 playoff games.

“If anything, I’m proud of that. I’m happy for myself, being able to be healthy for a full year,” Beal said. “Being able to be on the floor, man, that’s all I wanted. Just being able to be here. I knew if I was healthy that I would have a successful year. I had that opportunity this season.”

Matt Barnes thinks he has a few more NBA seasons left to play

The Warriors will face the Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. Warriors reserve Matt Barnes is still a hard-nosed competitor, but up there in age. Is retirement on the horizon? Not just yet. Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting:

At age 37, Warriors forward Matt Barnes is a case study in persistence. The former second-round pick from UCLA has played for nine teams.

As he prepares to end his 14th season with his first career Finals appearance, the question for Barnes becomes: Could he cap his last professional basketball game by hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy?

“I think I’ve still got a little bit left in the tank,” Barnes said of retirement. “Obviously, I’d like to come back here and finish up here, but I feel like I’ve got another year or two left in the tank.”

No surgery for David Lee

David Lee, who averaged 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game for the Spurs this past regular season, and 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game in the playoffs, will be able to recover from his latest injury without the need for surgery, reports the San Antonio Express News:

Spurs forward David Lee will not need surgery to repair his injured left patellar tendon, his agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed Saturday.

Lee suffered the injury in the first quarter of Game 3 of the West finals against Golden State and did not play in Game 4…

Lee, 33, has a player option on his $1.6 million salary next season.

Isaiah Thomas hopes to avoid surgery

Playing without injured star point guard Isaiah Thomas, the Celtics were recently eliminated in five games by the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Thomas, in recovery, must still figure out if surgery is a necessary option for him. Long-term health is in mind. Here’s the Boston Herald with the latest:

The goal now is to return to what Thomas calls an “MVP” level, and he hopes to get there without surgery, though that remains a possibility. He also wants to play until he’s 40 years old.

“I’ve only seen one (doctor) but we’ve sent the information to a few of them,” he said. “I’m just waiting to hear back. We’re really waiting on the swelling to go down to see what the No. 1 option is. And then we go from there and attack that, whatever it may be. (Surgery is) not the No. 1 option right now but it could be once the swelling goes down. They want to let it die down a little bit then take another MRI once everything is down and it’s back to normal.

“We’ll go from there. Hopefully I don’t have to have surgery but I know that is an option.”

Thomas added that he doesn’t know how long he played with a tear in his hip, but that he had hip issues prior to suffering the injury on March 15 against Minnesota.