Inside Hoops – Page 754 – NBA Blog

For a rookie, Justise Winslow playing big role for Heat

Game 7 of the Heat-Raptors series is Sunday afternoon. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on a key Heat coaching decision from the series:

Justise Winslow figures the last time he played center was in high school. Maybe even earlier.

But there he was on Friday night, during an elimination game in the Eastern Conference semifinals taking the opening jump for the Heat as they tried to keep their season alive against the Raptors.

And as he has throughout the season, the rookie showed the kind of moxie that has earned him praise from teammates and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who said he and Winslow shared a laugh after the coach opted not to play the former Duke standout in Game 3 of the series, a game Toronto won 95-91.

Since that decision, Winslow has responded with a 9-point, 4-rebound performance in Game 4, an 8-point, 7-rebound performance in Game 5, and then a 12-point, 3-rebound performance in Game 6, his first career postseason start and a game the Heat won 103-91 to force Sunday’s deciding Game 7.

Thunder reach West Conference Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the 2016 Western Conference Finals after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 113-99, Thursday night, winning the second-round series 4-2. The third-seeded Thunder will now play the first-seeded Golden State Warriors in Oklahoma City’s fourth Western Conference Finals appearance in the past six seasons.

The Thunder and Warriors will face off starting on Monday, May 16, in Oakland at 8 p.m. (CT) followed by Game 2 on Wednesday, May 18, at 8 p.m. (CT) at Oracle Arena.

The series will then shift to Oklahoma City for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 will take place on Sunday, May 22, at 7 p.m. (CT) and Game 4 on Tuesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. (CT) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. If necessary, Games 5, 6, and 7 will be played at alternating sites beginning with a road contest on Thursday, May 26, followed by Game 6 in Oklahoma City on Saturday, May 28, and concluding with Game 7 in Oakland on Monday, May 30. The game times for Games 5, 6 and 7 will all be 8 p.m. (CT).

The defending champion Warriors will be considered the favorites in the series, but OKC poses a very respectable threat. And from an entertainment perspective, the point guard matchup of Russell Westbrook versus Stephen Curry makes the series must-watch. Kevin Durant against anybody is also top-notch viewing. It’ll be interesting to see who Golden State sticks on Durant. It could be Harrison Barnes for some stretches but Draymond Green for others. Like the point guard matchup, Green against Durant would also be must-watch — at least when Durant’s the guy with the ball.

We’ll of course post more on the series this weekend.

DeMarre Carroll day-to-day with wrist injury

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday tests taken following Wednesday’s game on forward DeMarre Carroll’s left wrist were negative. Carroll left Game 5 versus Miami in the third quarter with a left wrist contusion.

He will be treated symptomatically and is questionable for Game 6 on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Carroll has averaged 9.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 31.5 minutes in 12 playoff games this season. In five games versus the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, he has averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 35.7 minutes in five contests.

Scott Skiles resigns as Magic coach

Scott Skiles has resigned as head coach of the Orlando Magic, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. The search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

“After much thought and careful consideration, I and I alone, have come to the conclusion that I am not the right head coach for this team,” said Skiles. “Therefore, effective immediately, I resign my position as head coach of the Orlando Magic. I realize this type of decision can cause much speculation. The reality though is in the first sentence. It is simple and true. Any other rumors are pure conjecture.”

“I sincerely apologize for any unintended consequences that may adversely affect anyone associated with this decision,” Skiles continued. “The Magic are a world-class organization that employs world-class people. I wish them nothing but great success. I will always be thankful, especially to the DeVos family, for the opportunity.”

“While we understand it was a challenging season, we reluctantly have accepted Scott’s (Skiles) resignation,” said Hennigan. “We appreciate Scott instilling a culture of accountability and certainly wish him and his family well.”

According to ESPN.com, “While philosophical issues appear to be the central reason Skiles resigned, sources tell ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst that he was also unhappy that an option year in his contract was not picked up. Skiles’ contract with Orlando was set to run through the 2017-18 season with a team option for 2018-19. In what can now be interpreted as a split with the organization, Skiles was not with the Magic delegation interviewing draft prospects at the combine in Chicago Wednesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel.”

Skiles, 52, became the 12th head coach in Orlando Magic history on May 29, 2015. He has an overall NBA regular season record of 478-480 (.499) as head coach with Phoenix, Chicago, Milwaukee and Orlando. During his 14 seasons as a head coach, his teams have reached the NBA Playoffs six times.

During his first season with the Magic (2015-16), Orlando finished with a 35-47 record, which was a ten-game improvement from the 2014-15 campaign, the fifth-largest increase season-over-season in franchise history. The Magic went 9-6 during November, marking their first winning month since March 2012, then an Eastern Conference-best 10-5 during December. Skiles was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December 2015, marking the fourth time he has won the monthly honor (Jan. 2005, Apr. 2006, Feb. 2010).

Jimmy Butler will reportedly represent Bulls at Draft Lottery

The Bulls finished 42-40 this past regular season and failed to qualify for the playoffs. A profound disappointment. Their leading scorer was shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who in 67 games played averaged 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals in 36.9 minutes per outing. Butler is also the team’s most valuable asset should management decide to make big trades, blow this whole thing up and rebuild the squad from scratch. Will it happen? Here’s the Chicago Tribune with the latest:

It might be time to hold off on those Jimmy Butler trade rumors.

In a sign of commitment not present at management’s season-ending postmortem, the Bulls have asked their two-time All-Star to represent the franchise on the dais at the May 17 NBA draft lottery, sources said.

Butler, who has been working out in Los Angeles, is headed back to Chicago soon. He then is scheduled to travel to New York and join longtime media relations official Matt Yob, who will be the Bulls’ presence in the lottery’s backroom.

The Bulls, sitting 14th as the non-playoff team with the best record, have just an 0.5 percent chance at the top pick and a 1.8 percent chance to move into the top three.

LeBron James says Stephen Curry deserved to win MVP

Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting comments from Cavs superstar LeBron James, who has no objection to Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry winning another league MVP award:

“I think he definitely deserved it,” said James, who finished third behind the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard. “Look at Steph’s numbers. He averaged 30, he led the league in steals, he was 90-50-40 and they won 73 (games). Do you have any debate over that, really, when it comes to that award?

“But when you talk about most ‘valuable’ then you can have a different conversation, so, take nothing away from him, he’s definitely deserving of that award, for sure.”

Rockets reportedly interview Kenny Smith for head coach job

The Rockets have lots of major roster decisions to make. The team was good enough to just barely qualify for the playoffs, but then were quickly sent packing and looked ready for vacation before their first round sweep at the hands of the Warriors was even complete. The team’s future is confusing. They are nowhere near being a serious playoff competitor, yet as long as a super offensive talent like James Harden is on board, an absolute full rebuild is difficult and unlikely. Oh, and they need a head coach. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

The Houston Rockets interviewed Jeff Hornacek and Kenny Smith for their vacant head-coaching position Tuesday, according to a source.

So far, the Rockets have interviewed David Blatt, Sam Cassell, Chris Finch, Mike D’Antoni, J.B. Bickerstaff, Hornacek and Smith. Bickerstaff pulled his name from consideration for the position last week.

The team has plans to interview Charlotte assistant coach Steven Silas and also has interest in Frank Vogel, who was fired last week as Pacers head coach.

Kent Bazemore hopes to stick with Hawks

Small forward Kent Bazemore averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.8 minutes per game for the Hawks this regular season. He started 68 of the 75 games he played in. Will Bazemore remain on the squad? Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting:

In 2013, the Hawks signed [DeMarre] Carroll to a $5 million contract. He started at small forward for two seasons before leaving last summer to play for the Raptors on a four-year, $60 million deal.

In 2014, the Hawks signed [Kent] Bazemore to a $4 million contract. He replaced Carroll in the starting lineup this season. Now, he enters unrestricted free agency.

According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, players who sign contracts for less than four years are not eligible for extensions. They must enter free agency at the conclusion of their deal. Last summer, Paul Millsap and Carroll both were unrestricted. Millsap returned and Carroll left.

“I would love to return here,” Bazemore said this week during an exit interview following the Hawks’ playoff loss to the Cavaliers. “I think the past two years I’ve taken a tremendous leap. Not only my professional year but personally. I’m growing more into myself and figuring out life. This place as a special place in my heart. I grew up right up the street in North Carolina. Super close to home. Not close enough. Has its perks here. The weather is great. Golf is great. God is great.”

Shaun Livingston regrets Game 4 ejection

Here’s the San Francisco Chronicle reporting on Warriors guard Shaun Livingston, a fantastic contributor to the squad and a key member of the supporting cast who was needlessly ejected last game. Fortunately, Stephen Curry came back that same day and steadily rose to the occasion, helping Golden State secure a dramatic overtime win to take a 3-1 series lead:

Shaun Livingston was back to his usual calm and introspective self on Wednesday morning, two days after the first ejection of his 12-year career.

The Warriors’ backup point guard joked that he did some yoga and meditation and will listen to some soothing music after getting two technical fouls in the second quarter of Monday’s Game 4 victory at Portland.

“You don’t ever want to leave your brothers out there, so I was wrong for that,” Livingston said following the Warriors’ shootaround. “Definitely, it was a mistake on my behalf to get ejected. I lost my cool. I made a mistake.

“Intentionally, I was going for the technical. I wasn’t going for the ejection.”

Do not expect a Knicks, Carmelo Anthony trade

The Knicks finished 32-50 last season. For vast improvement to be expected, major roster changes would probably have to take place. Will veteran star forward Carmelo Anthony still be the heart of the team? Seems likely. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

Carmelo Anthony gave an assurance he won’t waive his no-trade clause this summer.

Anthony spoke for 15 minutes Thursday, at a TechCrunch conference at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, about Melo7 Tech Partners, the company he started a year ago that invests in tech start-ups, then took questions from a couple of business-news outlets.

When asked by Yahoo Finance if he will be on the Knicks next season, Anthony said, “Oh, yeah, you’ll see me here for the Knicks. Absolutely.”