NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
General NBA insight
The 2023-24 NBA regular season will begin on Tuesday, October 24 and will end on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
The 2023 In-Season Tournament starts Friday, Nov. 3 and culminates with the Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9.
The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament for the playoffs will take place from Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, April 19.
The 2024 NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 20.
The 2024 NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 6.
Per the Detroit Free Press:
Last season, the Detroit Pistons’ season was largely derailed with Cade Cunningham’s season-ending shin surgery.
But Cunningham has reportedly fully recovered, and the third-year guard will play for the USA Select Team in Vegas next month. Clips have emerged on social media of Cunningham playing with other pros this summer.
What does the return of Cunningham, the Pistons’ lead guard, from injury mean for the logjam in the backcourt on the roster?
There is a nice mix of veterans with Monte Morris and Alec Burks, and youngsters Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes and Marcus Sasser.
Both Burks and Morris provide savvy and experience. Burks shot 41.4% from beyond the 3-point line last season, averaging 12.8 points per game. His role off the bench won’t change.
Via the SF Gate:
He bought himself a little bit of breathing room. The Poole contract may have been one of the very worst in the NBA, and by getting the team out from under it, Dunleavy may have enabled the Warriors to avoid future steep penalties that come with the “second apron” cap line in the new collective bargaining agreement, which is two steps beyond the already punishing luxury tax threshold. (Poole’s enormous four-year extension kicks in this season, while Paul’s contract is not guaranteed past this year.)
So even if these are the twilight years for this Warriors era, Dunleavy has already bought himself significant goodwill with owner Joe Lacob. The Athletic reported Wednesday that the goal was to be able to be under the second apron within a year, and this trade appears to set up the Warriors to get there on schedule. ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks came to the same conclusion, leading his instant trade analysis with, “Blame the second apron,” and explaining that this trade gets the Warriors under the second apron for much of the next half-decade.
FROM THE NBA PLAYERS UNION:
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation is delighted to announce the addition of Ricky Rubio, Grant Williams, and Jalen Rose to its Board of Directors.
Ricky, Grant, and Jalen join a dedicated team, including CJ McCollum (President), Andre Iguodala (Director), Chrysa Chin (Director), Serge Ibaka (Director), and Tamika L. Tremaglio (NBPA Executive Director). The Board of Directors provides strategic oversight to the NBPA Foundation to expand both current and former NBA players’ philanthropic footprint globally.
“Ricky, Grant, and Jalen each bring unique experiences and perspectives, both on and off the court, which will undoubtedly enrich our Board,” said NBPA Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “Their contributions to their communities demonstrate a commitment to positive change, aligning with our core mission. We are thrilled to have them join us in our pursuit of creating meaningful change worldwide.”
Ricky Rubio, currently playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has had a distinguished career in both European and American basketball. Born in El Masnou, Catalonia, Spain, Ricky made his EuroLeague debut at 16 and was a first round NBA draft pick in 2009. In 2018, Ricky started the Ricky Rubio Foundation, which supports individuals and families impacted by cancer both across the United States and Spain. His foundation’s work also includes supporting underprivileged youth and research toward understanding and curing lung cancer.
Grant Williams, a Forward with the Boston Celtics, joins the board bringing in fresh insights from his current NBA experience. Williams also currently serves as the First Vice President on the NBPA’s Executive Committee. In 2022, Grant started the Grant Williams Family Foundation, which focuses on financial literacy, mentorship, and education access in Charlotte, North Carolina. He will serve the NBPA Foundation’s Board as Vice President.
Jalen Rose, a studio analyst appearing on various ABC/ESPN shows brings with him a rich background in sports commentary and analysis. Rose, who played in the NBA for 13 years and was a member of the University of Michigan’s legendary “Fab Five”, brings his extensive knowledge of the game and entertainment industry into his new NBPA Foundation Board role. A philanthropist who truly gives from the heart, Rose established a foundation in 2000 to give back to the communities where he lived and played basketball. His most substantial outreach initiative to date is the establishment of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy. Founded in 2011, the Academy is an open enrollment, tuition-free public charter high school in his hometown of Detroit.
“We are thrilled to be part of the NBPA Foundation and its mission of driving positive change through the power of partnership,” said Rubio, Williams, and Rose in a joint statement. “We are committed to leveraging our collective influence and the platform of professional basketball to make a lasting impact on our communities.”
Via the Denver Post:
Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth is more interested in doling out credit than taking any.
The first-year GM knows the foundation of his team’s success was laid well before he took over last summer, and in some instances, before he even arrived as the assistant GM in 2017.
That shouldn’t, and won’t, minimize the shrewd work Booth did in putting the finishing touches on what could be a championship roster. His peers recognized his contributions when he finished tied for third in executive of the year voting. But, as an executive who prides himself on learning from the past, Booth is savvy enough to understand what he inherited.
He saw firsthand what former team president Tim Connelly did in helping construct the foundation of a championship roster, building the culture from the ground up before his abrupt departure to Minnesota last summer. Even a version of the Kentavious Caldwell-Pope trade, which Booth ultimately executed shortly after assuming the job, was under consideration before Connelly left Denver.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors has won the 2022-23 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, as administered and selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). Named after the NBA’s second commissioner, the honor is presented annually by the PBWA to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.
Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, was one of four finalists for the 2022-23 award, along with Los Angeles Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel, LA Clippers forward Paul George and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams.
The finalists were chosen by a committee of PBWA members from nominees submitted by NBA teams. The winner was determined by a vote of the entire PBWA, which is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA regularly for newspapers, magazines and online news outlets.
“Few athletes have as great a reach or as powerful a platform as Steph Curry, and he has used it to the fullest to benefit others,” said PBWA President Howard Beck. “The members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association salute him and the other nominees for their exemplary work.”
Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Zion Williamson was a one-man offense in his final game of the season.
In a Jan. 2 tilt against the Philadelphia 76ers, Williamson scored 26 points in 28 minutes. He took 12 shots. He made 10 of them. Despite dealing with a thicket of defenders inside, he converted 10 of 11 paint attempts.
Then in the third quarter of that game, Williamson came up limping.
The Pelicans ranked eighth in points scored per 100 possessions in the NBA at the time of Williamson’s injury. After he got hurt — a right hamstring strain that would knock him out for the remainder of the season — their offense cratered. Williamson was unable to play in the final 45 games. The Pelicans ranked 25th in points scored per 100 possessions in this stretch.
The Pelicans fell from third place to ninth place in the West without Williamson. They failed to advance out of the NBA play-in tournament, as they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West’s Nos. 9-10 matchup.
The 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals on TNT will be played on May 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, with all games at 8:30 PM ET.
The 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals on ESPN or ABC will be played on May 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, with all games at 8:30 PM ET.
More specific information coming soon. The above is what’s official so far.
Via ESPN.com:
Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid was named to the All-NBA first team for the first time in his career as the league unveiled all three of its All-NBA squads Wednesday night, while LeBron James extended his all-time record to 19 selections.
Embiid was joined on the first team by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry headlined the second team with his ninth selection. He was joined by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.
James, who has now made an All-NBA team for 19 straight seasons, missing out only in his rookie year, led the third-team selections, along with a pair of Sacramento Kings — center Domantas Sabonis and guard De’Aaron Fox. They were joined by Portland Trail Bla
The NBA announced today that Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski, the all-time wins leader in NCAA Division I men’s basketball and a six-time gold medalist as head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team, has been appointed Special Adviser to Basketball Operations.
In his new role, Krzyzewski will provide counsel to the league office, NBA team executives and other leaders across the league on a host of issues related to the game. He will begin in this consulting capacity by attending a meeting of NBA general managers next week in Chicago.
“We are honored to have Coach K join the NBA family and share his vast experience and expertise with the league and our teams,” said NBA President, League Operations Byron Spruell. “As a preeminent coach and renowned leader who cares deeply about the game of basketball, he is uniquely suited to drive discussions and offer insights about the present and future of the NBA.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to deepen my connection to the NBA and participate in conversations about further strengthening the league and the game,” said Krzyzewski. “Even in my retirement from coaching, my passion for the sport has never been higher. This role will enable me to stay engaged with basketball at the highest level.”
Krzyzewski joins the NBA one year after completing a storied 47-year career as a college basketball head coach, including 42 seasons at Duke (1980-2022) and five seasons at his alma mater, Army West Point (1975-80). He went 1,202-368 (.766) overall and 1,129-309 (.785) with the Blue Devils, making him the winningest men’s coach in NCAA history and at one school.