Category: General NBA insight

General NBA insight

NBA Players Union statement on NBA return to play plan

The NBA Players Association likes what the NBA has come up with so far in their plan to resume play in late January at Disney Wide World of Sports with most of the league’s teams, but there’s clearly more that needs to be worked out.

Their statement today as as follows:

“The Board of Player Representatives of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has approved further negotiations with the NBA on a 22-team return to play scenario to restart the 2019-20 NBA season. Various details remain to be negotiated and the acceptance of the scenario would still require that all parties reach agreement on all issues relevant to resuming play.”

In-development Timberwolves would benefit if season continues

The NBA is currently deciding how to proceed regarding resuming play, possibly as early as mid or late July. It sounds increasingly likely that at the very least, we’ll hopefully get a 2019-20 postseason.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune:

If the Wolves are part of a restart, though, the main benefit would be a chance for the revamped Wolves — who dramatically made over their roster a month before the shutdown, adding D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and a host of other players — to play together and gather momentum toward next season.

We’re all rooting for NBA play to resume. Which will only happen if the world in and out of sports becomes more and more safe.

Three Bulls players who could benefit from the NBA resuming the 2019-20 season

NBA play has been on hold since mid March. In the next week or two, we could get word on if the 2019-20 season will resume, possibly by late July. Here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on some Bulls players who might benefit from regular season play resuming, as opposed to being cancelled:

Three Bulls that would most benefit from a restart:

1. Coby White — The rookie is unbeaten as the starting point guard, earning the nod against Cleveland just before the coronavirus shutdown hit the NBA. Five to 10 more games could at least show the new front office that White does have solid enough point guard skills that they could look at a different position when the draft does take place.

2. Lauri Markkanen — Last we left the 7-foot enigma, he was unhappy with the current structure of his own organization. That was reported by multiple media outlets, including the Sun-Times. A big part of that structure has changed in the front office, however, and more could be on the way with the coaching staff.

3. Otto Porter Jr. — The veteran forward makes the Bulls better when he plays. The record and stats back that up. The problem is he has seldom played since being acquired last season, and needs to start showing some reliability.

The Bulls were nowhere near a playoff team this season. But one idea being floated around is a play-in tournament that might give all 30 squads a shot at the postseason.

Dwyane Wade has some advice for NFL quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

Advice on being a pro athlete from retired NBA star Dwyane Wade is worth listening to. Even if it’s for a guy who plays football. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting:

The three-time champion wasn’t drafted to “save the franchise,” but expectations certainly changed after the Heat’s first title in 2006. Throw in the two that he won in the early 2010s and there’s an argument that Tua Tagovailoa should strive to emulate Wade rather than Dan Marino.

But greatness can easily be hindered if you get caught up in the glitz and glamour of Miami. In a recent conversation with ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, Wade advised 22-year-old quarterback to focus on winning first rather than what the city has to offer.

“Put your head down and go to work. The city of Miami is going to be there, the nightlife is going to be there, the endorsements and all of those things — get your money but don’t let those things take away from your main goal and purpose,” Wade told ESPN. “… Football right now for you in that city is the most important thing. Everything else will come as you win”

Famed Miami nightlife is both a gift and a curse. Depending on how much you take advantage of it, and when you have to wake up for work the next day.

Pelicans just outside playoffs in NBA West

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Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune on the Pelicans’ situation, which right now involves missing the playoffs unless the regular season does resume. Which it might, unless the league decides to go straight to the playoffs. Unless, of course, the remainder of 2019-20 gets cancelled. All of those options are on the table, for now.

The Pelicans — who at 28-36 are in 10th place in the Western Conference — are rooting for anything that doesn’t involve going straight to the postseason. They trail the Memphis Grizzlies, who are in eighth place, by 3½ games.

Earlier this month, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said he is hopeful that his team would get enough games “to do some damage in.”

“We want to play meaningful games, and if we can be put in that position, we’d be grateful,” Griffin said. “I think it will be difficult for the league to have us come back into the facility and get ready for – let’s call it a month to get physically ready, and then play only a week or two weeks of games. So I think unless they’re able to give us a full schedule, they won’t have us come back.”

The league is currently examining a plan to resume action possibly in July, possibly, in a single location: Disney Wide World of Sports, in Orlando. A decision on that should come in the next few weeks.

A look back at the 76ers trade for Wilt Chamberlain

Here’s NBC Sports Philly with their take on what might be the best trade in 76ers team history:

Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash to the San Francisco Warriors for Wilt Chamberlain:

Shaffer retired shortly after the trade, while Dierking and Neumann both had some solid NBA years left. Neither player, however, was in Chamberlain’s stratosphere. Chamberlain averaged 27.6 points, 23.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists in three-plus seasons as a Sixer, winning the championship in 1967. He probably shouldn’t have been dealt for anything less than multiple All-Stars — or perhaps an All-Star and a heap of first-round picks — but the Warriors were struggling financially and gave up a player who’d led the league in scoring for five consecutive seasons.

It would be cool for more Wilt footage to pop up someday, somehow.

Some strengths of draft prospect Isaiah Stewart

Here’s NBC Sports Washington listing some strengths of 2020 NBA draft prospect Isaiah Stewart, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward originally form Rochester, New York who averaged 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds shooting 57% FG in one season for the Washington Huskies:

One of the strongest built players in this draft class, Stewart is a bruiser on the boards and on the block. He was a force in college, bullying his way to the rim with little resistance. His game is currently best-suited for the interior, as he lacks an outside shot. But he has been effective at every level of basketball so far playing that style, and his high motor will help his chances in the NBA.

Stewart is one of the best rebounders in this class, averaging 8.8 per game including 2.8 on the offensive end. He was a bit inconsistent in that area, however. Seven times he grabbed five or fewer rebounds in a game, while 10 times he had 11 or more. He had 19 boards in a game against Oregon in January.

The draft is scheduled for June 25, but the date is very subject to change due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Knicks legend Willis Reed holds a special place in team history

Everyone knows that center Willis Reed is one of the most important players in New York Knicks history. But there’s also one very specific accomplishment that separates him from the team’s other former greats. Heres’ the New York Post:

The 1 and only… Knick to win MVP of the NBA Finals: Willis Reed

The Time: May 8 1970; May 10, 1973.

The Background: The Knicks, despite being a charter member of the NBA, had never won a championship despite being in the Finals three straight years (1951, ’52, ’53), losing twice to George Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers and once to the Rochester Royals (featuring a point guard named Red Holzman). The Knicks also lost NBA Finals trips in 1972, ’94 and ’99).

Clyde Frazier deserves a very honorary head-nod here, as the article goes on to point out.

New Yorkers look forward to the day when it isn’t just Reed who has won this honor.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens wants players staying one week away from game shape

Here’s Boston.com with an update from Boston Celticvs head coach Brad Stevens:

As the NBA’s hiatus continues due to coronavirus, Brad Stevens and the Celtics are just waiting for their numbers to be called.

The coach of the Celtics, appearing Monday on Kentucky coach John Calipari‘s “Coffee with Cal” show, said he’s encouraging his players to be “a week away from their best shape” in the event that NBA commissioner Adam Silver decides to lift the league’s suspension that came down on March 11.

“In an ideal world, I don’t think there’s any question, everybody associated with all these teams, especially with all of us that are in playoffs, we want to play,” Stevens said.

John Wall on what Michael Jordan would average in the NBA today

Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting on what Wizards guard John Wall thinks Michael Jordan would put up in today’s NBA:

Everyone has their take on the subject, and while some think Jordan would be just another guy today, people like John Wall believe he’d be even better than he was when he rattled off two separate three-peats.

“Imagine someone averaging 37 [points] when you’re getting beat up, no [defensive] three seconds, hand checks,” Wall said in an interview with 247 Sports. “Now, if you hit somebody like that you get suspended 10 games.

“Jordan’s averaging 45 and whatever else he wants,” he said. “You can’t touch nobody. You can’t hand-check. No hand-check, you playing 6’6 guys at center. The league is totally different. Like, I’m not knocking it, but if you can’t score right now and get a bucket one-on-one, you don’t belong in basketball.”