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Lon Babby will transition to position of Phoenix Suns Senior Advisor

The Phoenix Suns have announced today that President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby will be transitioning to the position of Senior Advisor as of August 1, 2015. At that time Ryan McDonough will lead the Basketball Operations Department from his position as General Manager with continued support from Assistant General Managers Pat Connelly and Trevor Bukstein. All three individuals will take on increasing responsibilities within the organization and are signed to multiyear contracts.

As Senior Advisor, Babby will provide strategic counsel and input to the Basketball Operations Department as well as to the entire Suns organization. He will continue to play an active role in contract negotiations and salary cap management. Babby will continue to be based in Phoenix and as part of his new role will spend at least 50 percent of his time working on Suns matters.

“I am grateful that Robert has accommodated my wish to reduce my work load, while remaining a vital part of the Suns organization. At this stage of my career, I welcome the flexibility that comes with this new role, a flexibility that will enable me to do other things that are important to me both personally and in the community. I feel particularly confident in making this transition because of the quality of leadership in place within the organization,” said Babby.

Managing Partner Robert Sarver on the transition: “Lon has served the Suns well for the last five years. I am pleased that he will remain with the Suns and continue to bring his expertise and value to the organization.”

Babby joined the Suns organization in August of 2010 after a storied 35-year career as a practicing attorney with DC-based Williams & Connolly, LLP. Named one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers” for sports and media law by Washingtonian magazine, one of the “20 Most Influential Agents” in the nation by Sports Business Journal and one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports by The Sporting News, the well-regarded player agent entered player representation in 1994. At that time, he had long been involved in sports representation on the team side, first with the NFL’s Washington Redskins (1977-84) and then MLB’s Baltimore Orioles (1979-94.)

Babby hired McDonough in May 2013 and the two, along with Head Coach Jeff Hornacek, orchestrated the biggest turnaround in the NBA in 2013-14 (from 25 to 48 wins). Following that season, McDonough was runner-up for the NBA Executive of the Year Award and Hornacek was runner-up for the NBA Coach of the Year Award.

Matthew Dellavedova stepping up for Cavs in NBA Finals

Matthew Dellavedova stepping up for Cavs in NBA Finals

Here’s the Northeast Ohio Media Group reporting on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova, whose role has greatly increased due to Kyrie Irving’s playoff-ending injury. The Cavs won Game 3 last night in Cleveland and lead the Warriors 2-1 in the NBA Finals:

Matthew Dellavedova stepping up for Cavs in NBA Finals

Matthew Dellavedova is one fearless, hard-nosed son of a gun. The mark he has made in these Finals has been nothing short of amazing. The Cavaliers’ backup point guard has completely overshadowed the league’s MVP, Stephen Curry, and it hasn’t even been close.

Dellavedova is doing it with a relentless drive and determination that’s overpowering the long-range marksmen. The second-year player went for a postseason career-high of 20 points in a Game 3 win over the Golden State Warriors to put the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the series…

J.R. Smith and Brendan Haywood were on the bench marveling at what Dellavedova was doing out there last night. While Dellavedova was locking down his man defensively, stepping in and hitting a 25-footer, knocking down clutch free throws, throwing alley-oops to LeBron James in transition and diving for loose balls, the two agreed during the game that this guy’s story needed to be told in detail…

Dellavedova isn’t the fastest, the quickest, the most athletic, but he’s getting the job done and giving the Warriors fits in the process.

Lakers draft workouts continue

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News blog reporting the latest on Lakers NBA Draft workouts:

Only two hours earlier, the Lakers worked out a prized prospect that might pave the way for a once storied franchise to return to prosperity.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Lakers worked out a player that might not even become available in the NBA Draft.

Duke freshman center Jahlil Okafor intrigued the Lakers as a possible No. 2 pick with his size, post play and eagerness to wear purple and gold. Murray State sophomore guard Cameron Payne intrigued the Lakers as a possible prospect should they somehow climb up in the NBA draft after their No. 2 pick and before their 27th and 34th selections.

Cavs take 2-1 NBA Finals lead

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a 2-1 NBA Finals lead vs the Golden State Warriors. Here’s CSN Bay Area reporting on last night’s Game 3 in Cleveland:

Unlike Game 2, this game could not be hung on Stephen Curry but on the support staff. Unlike Game 2, this wasn’t a triumph of the Cleveland defense because it gave up 36 points in the fourth quarter of a game it had seemingly salted away.

But exactly like Game 2, James made the game revolve around him – this time, going 14-for-34 with 12 rebounds and eight assists in 46 minutes. Exactly like Game 2, the Cavs seemingly got the game by the thorax only to let it wriggle away in a desperate fourth quarter. Exactly like Game 2, the Warriors could not elevate their 3-point game from liability to weapon.

And exactly like Game 2, it did not occur to the Warriors that desperation was called for until it ended up being too late again. Not by a lot, but by enough.

“We’ve had times throughout season where we were out of sync and just gutted it out,” Andre Iguodala said, trying to softpedal the problem. “We just haven’t been able to find our own rhythm yet. It’s weird but not weird that we’ve started slow but gotten into our flow eventually. I think they’re a great team, very underrated, and they’re just taking it to us right now.”

Men`s NCAA basketball shot clock now 30 seconds

NCAA basketball shot clock now 30 seconds, plus more rule changes

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel on Monday approved a package of proposals and areas of focus for officials in men’s basketball to improve the pace of play, better balance offense with defense and reduce the physicality in the sport.

The NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee made similar recommendations before the 2013-14 season, and it felt the changes improved the game. But after gaining some positive traction, the balance between offense and defense again tilted toward the defense last season. Scoring in Division I men’s basketball dipped to 67.6 points a game last season, which neared historic lows for the sport.

The key areas officials will focus on in the upcoming season are:
• Perimeter defense, particularly on the dribbler and strictly enforcing directives established before the 2013-14 season.
• Physicality in post play.
• Screening, particularly moving screens and requiring the screener to be stationary.
• Block/charge plays.
• Allowing greater freedom of movement for players without the ball.

Pace of play

With an eye on reducing inaction, the panel approved several proposals to improve the pace of play. The most significant is reducing the shot clock to 30 seconds. The shot clock was last reduced for the 1993-94 season when it went from 45 seconds to 35.

Teams will also have one fewer team timeout (only three can carry over instead of four) in the second half. Officials will focus more on resuming play quickly after a timeout and will issue a delay-of-game warning when a team does not comply and a one-shot technical foul on subsequent violations.

The rest of the package designed to improve the pace of play includes:
• Adjusting the media timeout procedures to allow a timeout called within 30 seconds of a break (at the 16:30 mark) or at any time after the scheduled media timeout becomes the media timeout.
• Removing the ability for a coach to call timeout when the ball is live.
• Allowing a total of only 10 seconds to advance the ball to the front court (with a few exceptions).
• Reducing the amount of time allotted to replace a disqualified player from 20 to 15 seconds.

Restricted-area arc

The panel also approved the expansion of the restricted-area arc from 3 feet to 4 feet. This arc would be effective in 2015-16 for Division I and 2016-17 for Divisions II and III. Moving the arc a foot farther from the basket is part of a continued focus on reducing the number of collisions at the basket.

Games in the 2015 Postseason NIT were played with the 4-foot arc on an experimental basis.

When compared to the 2013 NIT, which had the same block/charge standards as the 2015 event (aside from the 4-foot arc), the number of block/charge plays decreased from 2.77 per game to 1.96 per game.

Faking fouls

During the use of a video review to see if a possible flagrant foul occurred, the panel approved a rule that would allow officials to penalize players who fake fouls. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Rules Committee felt that players trying to draw fouls by deception is a growing issue.

Other NCAA basketball rule changes

Other proposals approved by the panel include:
• Allowing officials to use the monitor to review a potential shot clock violation on made field goals throughout the entire game.
• Making Class B technical fouls (hanging on the rim and delaying the resumption of play, for example) one-shot technical fouls. Previously, two shots were granted for these types of technical fouls.
• Eliminating the five-second closely guarded rule while dribbling the ball.
• Removing the prohibition on dunking in pregame warmups and at halftime.

Experimental rule

The panel also approved an experimental rule to allow players six personal fouls, instead of five, in the 2016 postseason tournaments other than the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

— Via the NCAA

Willie Cauley-Stein as confident as anyone in 2015 NBA Draft

Willie Cauley-Stein as confident as anyone in 2015 NBA Draft

Here’s the Denver Post reporting on a high-rated prospect in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft:

Among the tattoos on the right side of Willie Cauley-Stein’s neck is one famous phrase.

Hakuna Matata.

No worries.

It’s a large part of how he views the pre-draft process.

“I see myself as the No. 1 player in the draft, but it is what it is,” said the 7-foot, 240-pound former Kentucky standout. “You can just take it day-by-day, put in the work and the draft is going to be the outcome of whatever the draft is.”

Is he mad at not being mentioned in the same breath with former Wildcats teammate Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke star Jalil Okafor, the first two players expected to be chosen.

“You can’t get mad about it,” he said. “You just gotta work for it.”

Latest on Celtics and Kevin Love

Here’s the Boston Herald reporting the latest on possible Celtics target Kevin Love — if he enters free agency:

Latest on Celtics and Kevin Love

According to all sources, Danny Ainge still has affection for Love, but it’s not nearly the borderline obsession that was in play last summer.

Times change. Rosters change. The old flame doesn’t necessarily burn as brightly.

While all Celtics/Love talk may be rendered moot anyway if the Cavaliers present him with a big-money extension, the general circumstances here make it perhaps even more of a longshot that he plays his 2015-16 home games in Boston. The major difference is that last year Ainge was doing everything he could to avoid the deeper rebuild that came when he didn’t get Love and was fated to trade away Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. (And as it turned out, the Celtic president of basketball operations was in many ways fortunate to be able to find palatable deals for those two.)

Pistons physical therapist Arnie Kander to resign

The Detroit Pistons announced today that Arnie Kander has informed the organization of his intent to resign as physical therapist effective June 30. Kander has served as a member of the Pistons’ training staff since 1992 when he was named the club’s first strength and conditioning coach.

“Arnie is an innovator who helped define the art of physical training for athletes in our league,” said Tom Gores, Principal Owner of Palace Sports & Entertainment, the Detroit Pistons and Chairman and CEO of Platinum Equity. “He’s been a great Piston for more than two decades, and on a personal level he’s been a friend who helped our transition into ownership. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

“Arnie Kander has been a valued member of the Detroit Pistons for many years – contributing to the development of numerous players while also overseeing injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation,” said Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Stan Van Gundy. “We appreciate the commitment he has made to the organization over 23 years and his efforts throughout the last year during our transition. We certainly wish Arnie the best in his future endeavors.”

A 1987 graduate in physical therapy from Wayne State University, Kander began his career as the sports coordinator at Crittenton Fitness Institute. He then moved on to Rochester Knee and Sports Therapy where he worked as a staff therapist. Kander began his association with the Pistons while working at Rochester Knee and Sports.

“The Detroit Pistons have been a huge part of my extended family and I’ll forever cherish the relationships and friendships that have been built both inside and outside the organization over the years,” said Kander. “I’m also grateful to both Mr. Davidson and Mr. Gores for the opportunity and support they provided during my 23 years with the team. It’s been an incredible run filled with many great memories along the way. I look forward to spending time with my family and the next chapter life brings.”

Kander’s interest in strength and conditioning began during his career as a professional dancer with the Virginia Ballet Company from 1983-86. While working with the Pistons, Kander designed recovery and workout programs for all players and worked with many of the area’s finest amateur athletes.

The Detroit Pistons’ training staff is headed by Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer Jon Ishop with assistance from strength and conditioning coach Anthony Harvey and assistant strength and conditioning coach Jordan Sabourin.

DeJuan Blair got few minutes from Wizards this season

DeJuan Blair spent most of this season watching from the bench

Here’s the Washington Post blog reporting on Wizards backup forward/center DeJuan Blair, who played a very small role on the team this season:

DeJuan Blair got few minutes from Wizards this season

Logging just 29 game appearances, he averaged 1.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 45.6 percent shooting in 6.2 minutes. Now entering the second portion of his three-year deal, Blair’s days as a Wizard appear to be numbered as the team has made clear its intentions of playing faster and smaller.

The high point for Blair came during a Feb. 5 loss in Charlotte, when Seraphin and Gooden were inactive and the bench was depleted. Blair played a season-high 15 minutes, scoring four points, grabbing five rebounds and setting a vicious screen on an unsuspecting Hornets player.

“I just try to bring physicality to the team, to the game, and I think I did my part,” Blair said at the time.

He also saw time against his former team, Dallas, in a Dec. 30 blowout loss, recording nine points on 4-for-6 shooting and five rebounds. But across the final 31 regular-season games, Blair was “DNP-Coach’s Decision” in 17 contests. What’s more, the 26-year-old did not see action in the playoffs.