Category: General NBA insight

General NBA insight

Eric Gordon wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year award

Eric Gordon wins NBA Sixth Man of the Year award

During tonight’s inaugural NBA Awards on TNT, Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year as selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He is the first player in franchise history to receive the award.

In his first season with the Rockets, Gordon came off the bench in 60 of his 75 games played after starting 398 of 417 career games entering 2016-17. He finished second on the team in scoring with 16.2 points per game and had the third-highest scoring average (16.3 ppg) of any reserve with at least seven appearances this season.

Gordon ranked fourth in the NBA with 246 3-pointers made this season after not having more than 141 in a season prior. He set the NBA single season record for the most 3FGM by a reserve with 206, breaking the previous mark of 179 by Mirza Teletovic in 2015-16. Gordon also became the first player in Rockets history to win the 3-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend.

Over a 21-game span from Nov. 27 through Jan. 5, Gordon averaged 4.6 3-pointers made on 47.1% shooting. He hit at least three 3FGM in each of the first 13 games of that stretch, tying for the third-longest streak in NBA history.

The Rockets were 35-7 in games in which Gordon scored at least 15 points, including 17-2 when he scored 20 or more. He averaged 17.6 ppg on 43.6% shooting (41.3% 3FGs) in wins compared to 13.4 ppg on 34.3% shooting (28.4% 3FGs) in losses.

D-League officially renamed to G League

Beginning today the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the NBA’s minor league, will officially become the NBA G League.

Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will feature 26 teams, an expansion of four teams since last season, 22 of which are owned and operated by NBA franchises.

For the first time this coming fall, NBA teams can sign up to two “two-way” players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow “two-way” players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

The NBA G League has more than tripled in size since it debuted with eight teams during the 2001-02 season. Last season, nearly 1.5 million fans attended games, marking the eighth straight year the league has surpassed 1 million fans.

For the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will unveil new on-court uniforms and collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) on programs to enhance player sports performance and recovery. Gatorade will begin to incubate its latest product and equipment innovations into NBA G League locker rooms, and teams will have the opportunity to collaborate with Gatorade to help players maximize their athletic potential and on-court performance.

“This is a pivotal moment for the NBA G League,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. “The league is experiencing unprecedented success both on and off the court, and our partnership with Gatorade is helping to drive momentum and create exciting opportunities for innovation, sports performance and player development.”

Forty-four percent of players on 2016-17 end-of-season NBA rosters had NBA G League experience, while 65 percent of players selected in NBA Draft 2016 spent time in the NBA G League last season, including more than half of the first-round picks.

NBA Players Union issues statement on Phil Jackson

NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts released the following statement regarding the recent comments by Knicks President Phil Jackson on Carmelo Anthony: “We voiced with the Commissioner today our view on the inappropriate comments by Knicks President Phil Jackson. If players under contract cannot, under threat of league discipline, speak openly about their desire to be employed elsewhere, we expect management to adhere to the same standards. The door swings both ways when it comes to demonstrating loyalty and respect.”

That’s the end of the statement.

To catch you up with what the Players Union is referencing, the New York Post yesterday reported that “in a wide-ranging 49-minute press conference, Jackson said he made his intention clear in his “not-contentious” exit meeting with Anthony, who has a no-trade clause in his contract that has two years and $54 million remaining. “We have not been able to win with him on the court at this time,’’ Jackson said in his first remarks to the local media since Sept. 23. “I think the direction with our team is he’s a player who will be better off somewhere else and using his talents somewhere where he can win or chase that championships.”

Paul George and Chris Paul named NBA Players of Month

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and LA Clippers guard Chris Paul today were named the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in April.

George averaged an NBA-high 32.8 points and added 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists as the Pacers went 5-1 in April to clinch a playoff spot for the sixth time in seven seasons. He scored at least 30 points in four of six games, including a season-high 43 points in a 135-130 double-overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 2. The 26-year-old forward shot 54.8 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three-point range for the month. He also finished third in the NBA in steals with 2.17 per game. George and the Pacers will visit the Cavaliers on Saturday, April 15 for Game 1 of a first-round postseason series (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

Paul led the Clippers to a 5-0 month behind averages of 21.2 points, 9.8 assists (fourth in the NBA) and 5.0 rebounds, helping LA clinch the fourth seed in the Western Conference and secure home-court advantage against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. The 31-year-old guard shot 54.4 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range and went 22-for-22 from the free throw line in April. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 98-87 road win against the San Antonio Spurs on April 8. The Clippers, who have made the playoffs a franchise-record six consecutive seasons since acquiring Paul, will host the Jazz in Game 1 on April 15 (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Here is a recap of April for George and Paul:

Paul George, Indiana Pacers
April 4 vs. Toronto: Notched 35 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a 108-90 victory against the Raptors.
April 6 vs. Milwaukee: Finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a 104-89 win over the Bucks.
April 12 vs. Atlanta: Made five three-pointers on his way to 32 points and added 11 rebounds in a 104-86 victory over the Hawks.

Chris Paul, LA Clippers
April 1 vs. L.A. Lakers: Recorded 29 points, 12 assists and four rebounds in a 115-104 win against the Lakers.
April 5 vs. Dallas: Registered 22 points, 11 assists and three rebounds in a 112-101 win over the Mavericks.
April 10 vs. Houston: Contributed 19 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in a 125-96 victory against the Rockets.

Other nominees for the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Houston’s James Harden, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and Utah’s Gordon Hayward.

Season over for Sixers guard Sergio Rodriguez

The NBA regular season ends Wednesday, and the Sixers will wrap things up with yet another player unable to be on the floor. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

76ers reserve point guard Sergio Rodriguez will miss the remaining three games of the season with a left hamstring strain.

Rodriguez has already missed six games with the injury. The Sixers’ remaining games are against the Milwaukee Bucks (Saturday) and Indiana Pacers (Monday) at Wells Fargo Center before facing the New York Knicks (Wednesday) at Madison Square Garden.

Kevin Durant could return as early as Saturday

Here’s the Bay Area News Group reporting on the Warriors, who could have Kevin Durant back in action by next weekend:

The Kevin Durant Return Watch will continue for at least two more games after Sunday’s game at Oracle Arena against the Washington Wizards, as coach Steve Kerr ruled the All-Star forward out of the Tuesday’s home game against Minnesota and Wednesday’s road contest at Phoenix.

That puts Saturday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans as the most likely date of Durant’s long-awaited return. That would give him a three-game regular-season tuneup for the NBA playoffs. Then again, Kerr joked Sunday that could be up in the air as well.

NBA player notes, March 6, 2017

Some interesting NBA player notes from the past week:

Brook Lopez, Nets: The 7-foot center last week became the second player in team history to score 10,000 points. Buck Williams is the franchise leader with 10,440 points.

Alan Williams, Suns: He has recorded a point-rebound double-double in each of his last three games and four of his last five, all off the bench. During Phoenix’s current three-game winning streak, the 24-year-old forward is averaging 13.7 points and 13.3 rebounds.

Tobias Harris, Pistons: The 24-year-old forward is averaging 16.7 points and shooting 51.5 percent from the field in 24 games off the bench, his predominant role since late December.

Jaylen Brown, Celtics: The No. 3 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is averaging 13.2 points (on 54.5 percent shooting) and 5.2 rebounds in his last six games.

Jusuf Nurkic, Trail Blazers: Acquired Feb. 13 in a trade with Denver, the 7-foot center from Bosnia and Herzegovina is averaging 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in six games with Portland.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Wizards: He has scored 27 points twice in his last three games, making 6-of-7 from three-point range in the first of those big outings (March 1 at Toronto) and 8-of-10 in the second (March 5 vs. Orlando).

Utah Jazz: With Sunday’s overtime victory at Sacramento, Utah improved to 11-2 with a starting lineup of George Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert.

— Via NBA News

Good upcoming national TV NBA games

Some of the good upcoming nationally televised NBA games this week:

Wednesday, March 8: Celtics @ Warriors, 10:30 p.m., ESPN – On April 1 of last season, Boston defeated Golden State 109-106 to snap the Warriors’ NBA-record 54-game home winning streak in the regular season.

Thursday, March 9: Spurs @ Thunder, 8 p.m., TNT – San Antonio, which has clinched a playoff berth for the 20th straight season, begins the week needing two victories to extend its NBA record for consecutive seasons with at least 50 victories to 18.

Saturday, March 11: Warriors @ Spurs, 8:30 p.m., ABC – The two teams with the NBA’s best records meet for the first time since opening night, when San Antonio handed Golden State the first of its three home losses this season. The Warriors start the week with a 2½-game lead over the Spurs for first place in the Western Conference.

Sunday, March 12: Bulls @ Celtics, 3:30 p.m., ABC – Bobby Portis, who recently became Chicago’s starter at power forward, is averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in his last eight games.

Sunday, March 12: Cavaliers @ Rockets, 9 p.m., ESPN – Houston leads the NBA with 930 three-pointers made, which is only three behind the 2014-15 Rockets (933) for the second-highest single-season total in NBA history. Cleveland, meanwhile, ranks second this season with 807 three-pointers made, including an NBA regular-season-record 25 against Atlanta on March 3.

— Via NBA News

NBA 40-point games info

Russell Westbrook’s streak of scoring at least 40 points may have ended at four consecutive games on Sunday in Dallas, but the Oklahoma City guard is still leading the way in one of the most prolific seasons for 40-point performances in NBA history.

The league through Sunday, March 5 has produced 83 40-point games in 2016-17, which is already the sixth-highest single-season total ever and the second-most over the last 25 years. The NBA is on pace for 109 40-point games this season, which would edge the 2005-06 season (108) for second place on the all-time list.

The NBA record for most 40-point games in a season is 142 in 1961-62, when Wilt Chamberlain posted 63 on his own. This season, Westbrook leads with 13 and Houston’s James Harden has nine.

Westbrook and Harden are two of the 30 players who have scored 40 or more points in a game this season. The NBA single-season record for most players with at least one 40-point game is 32, set in 2008-09.

— Via NBA Newsletter