NBA News Blog – Page 177 – NBA Blog

Steve Clifford once again named head coach of Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today the team has named Steve Clifford head coach. Clifford, who previously served the team’s head coach from 2013-2018, returns to Charlotte, where his 196 wins ranks second in franchise history, sitting just 11 behind Allan Bristow.

“We are pleased to welcome Steve back to our franchise,” said Kupchak. “We believe that his previous experience and coaching philosophy make him the best coach for our team. Steve has a proven track record of improving defenses and is detail oriented. He has a history of maximizing players’ talent and working with them to develop and expand their skill sets. Steve is committed to playing with the same offensive pace that our fans are accustomed to seeing the last few years. We are confident that he will be able to help our young players continue to grow as we look to take the next step as a team.”

Clifford has more than 20 years of NBA coaching experience and more than 35 years overall, including eight seasons as a head coach with the Hornets (2013-2018) and Orlando Magic (2018-2021). He spent the 2021-22 season as a consultant for the Brooklyn Nets and Head Coach Steve Nash. Clifford has a career record of 292-345 as a head coach, including a 196-214 mark in his previous five seasons in Charlotte. His teams have made the playoffs in four of his eight seasons and finished in the top 10 in both points allowed and defensive rating on five occasions.

“I’m happy to be returning to Charlotte, and I want to thank Michael Jordan, Mitch Kupchak and Buzz Peterson for this opportunity,” said Clifford. “This is an exciting young team with a lot of talented pieces. Charlotte is a great city and I know first-hand the passion that Hornets fans have for this franchise. I can’t wait to get back to town and start working with our players.”

In Clifford’s first season in Charlotte in 2013-14, the team went 43-39, a 22-win improvement over the previous season, and finished fourth in points allowed and fifth in defensive rating after ranking 29th and 30th, respectively, one season earlier. In 2015-16, he led the Hornets to a 48-34 record and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, posting the franchise’s best record since 1999-2000.

Clifford also helped turn around the Hornets’ offense during his first run in Charlotte. After ranking in the NBA’s bottom 10 in both points per game and offensive rating in his first two seasons, the team improved to ninth in offensive rating and 11th in points per game in 2015-16. That season the Hornets were one of only four teams to finish in the top 12 in points per game, offensive rating, points per game allowed and defensive rating. The Hornets remained in the top half of the league in both offensive categories for each of Clifford’s final two seasons, increasing their scoring average by 14.0 points per game and their offensive rating by 9.3 from 2014-15 to 2017-18.

In his first season in Orlando in 2018-19, the Magic posted a 42-40 record, a 17-win improvement over the previous season, and ranked fifth in points allowed and eighth in defensive rating after ranking 21st and 18th, respectively, in 2017-18.

Prior to becoming an NBA head coach, Clifford spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Knicks (2000-2003), Houston Rockets (2003-2007), Orlando Magic (2007-2012) and Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13). From 2003-2013, his teams made the playoffs in nine of 10 seasons, including five straight playoff appearances, three straight Southeast Division titles and a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals during his tenure with the Magic alongside Stan Van Gundy. Additionally, Clifford spent 15 years coaching at the collegiate level before joining the New York Knicks.

Efe Abogidi signs with G League Ignite

Forward Efe Abogidi, an NBA Academy graduate and standout at Washington State, has signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today.

“NBA Africa offered me a platform to begin my journey, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that NBA Academy and Washington State provided me,” Abogidi said. “It is with gratitude and excitement that I join NBA G League Ignite and begin my career as a professional basketball player.”

Abogidi joins NBA G League Ignite after playing two seasons at Washington State. As a sophomore in 2021-22, he appeared in all 37 games (29 starts) and averaged 8.1 points and team highs of 5.8 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in 20.8 minutes. A Pac-12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention selection, the 6-10 Abogidi ranked second in the conference in blocks per game. He also tied for the team lead with three double-doubles, including a career-high 21 points and 14 rebounds against Washington on Feb. 23.

In 2020-21, Abogidi averaged 8.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.33 blocks in 24.4 minutes in 27 games and earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. He ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game.

A native of Nigeria, Abogidi earned a scholarship to attend NBA Academy Africa, an elite basketball training center in Senegal for the top prospects from throughout Africa and the first of its kind on the continent, in January 2017.

In June 2017, Abogidi transitioned to the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, which serves as the NBA’s hub for top prospects from the league’s academies. Abogidi is the first NBA Academy Africa alumnus to sign with Ignite and the third NBA Academy graduate overall, following India’s Princepal Singh (NBA Academy India; NBA Global Academy) and Australia’s Dyson Daniels (NBA Global Academy).

Abogidi joins guard Scoot Henderson on Ignite’s roster for the 2022-23 season, which will be the third season for the program. Ignite’s alumni include six NBA Draft picks, including three from the 2022 NBA Draft in fellow NBA Academy graduate Dyson Daniels (No. 8, New Orleans Pelicans), MarJon Beauchamp (No. 24, Milwaukee Bucks) and Jaden Hardy (No. 37, Sacramento Kings to Dallas Mavericks). Jalen Green (No. 2, Houston Rockets) and Jonathan Kuminga (No. 7, Golden State Warriors) were top-10 picks in the 2021 NBA Draft.

With 10th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Wizards selected Johnny Davis

The Washington Wizards selected Johnny Davis from the University of Wisconsin with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and selected Yannick Nzosa from Unicaja (Spanish ACB) with the 54th overall selection.

“Johnny proved his scoring capability and showed the ability and willingness to defend at a very high level at Wisconsin,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “His versatility, toughness and extraordinary basketball IQ stood out during our evaluation process and we’re excited to have him join our team.”

Davis (6-5, 196) earned the Big Ten Player of the Year accolade after averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31 games as a sophomore with the Badgers in 2021-22. Davis scored in double figures in all but one game, topping 20 points in 16 games, as he improved his scoring average by 12.7 points per game in his sophomore season. He also averaged 24.1 points in eight games against top-25 opponents.

In addition to his Big Ten Player of the Year honor, Davis also earned the 2022 Lute Olson National Player of the Year, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year, was a consensus First-Team All-American and was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award. He was also selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week three times and was the Naismith National Player of the Week for the week on January 10. The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native also won a Gold Medal with USA Basketball at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia.

With the 54th overall pick, the Wizards selected Yannick Nzosa (6-10, 200), a Congolese center who spent the past two seasons with Unicaja in the Spanish ACB. In 68 total games with Unicaja, Nzosa has averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting .534 from the floor. An 18-year-old with a 7-4 wingspan, Nzosa played for Stellazzurra Basketball Academy in Rome to begin his amateur career.

With 9th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Spurs selected Jeremy Sochan

The San Antonio Spurs yesterday selected forward Jeremy Sochan with the ninth overall pick along with guard Malaki Branham with the 20th overall pick and guard Blake Wesley with the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

It was the first time in franchise history the Silver and Black had three first round picks.

Sochan, 6-9/230, is the highest draft pick by the Spurs since they selected Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in 1997 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old played one season at Baylor University where he helped lead the Bears to a 27-7 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sochan was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.27 steals while appearing in 30 games. A native of England, Sochan averaged 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in four games across the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Sochan became the youngest player in Polish Men’s National Team history when he competed against Romania in a FIBA EuroBasket qualifier in February 2021 at the age of 17.

Branham, 6-5/180, played one season at Ohio State University where he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the Kyle Macy Award winner and to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-America Team. The former Buckeye averaged 13.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 32 games while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and finished second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage at 83.3 percent. Prior to Ohio State, Branham was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 2021.

Wesley, 6-5/185, played one season at University Notre Dame. In 35 games, he led the Fighting Irish in scoring with 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 29.4 minutes as a freshman. He finished with the fourth-most points (504) by a freshman in Notre Dame program history. The first-year guard helped the team to a first round NCAA tournament win over Alabama on his way to All-ACC Second Team and ACC All-Rookie Team honors in 2022. Wesley became the first Fighting Irish player selected in the first round since Jerian Grant in 2015 and Notre Dame’s first player to leave for the NBA draft after one season.

With 8th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pelicans selected Dyson Daniels

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Dyson Daniels with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Daniels, 6-8, 199, averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals for NBA G League Ignite during the 2021-22 season. Daniels joined Ignite from the NBA Global Academy Australia.

Daniels represented the Australian national team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

With 7th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Trail Blazers selected Shaedon Sharpe

The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday selected guard Shaedon Sharpe with the seventh pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Sharpe, 19, joins the Trail Blazers from the University of Kentucky. A guard out of London, Ontario in Canada, Sharpe (6-6, 200) averaged 24.1 points and 6.0 rebounds during his final season at Dream City Christian Academy in Glendale, Arizona in 2020-21.

In 2019, Sharpe led Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, posting averages of 13.0 points (68.0% FG, 33.3% 3-PT, 60.0% FT), 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in six games.

He will wear No. 17 for the Trail Blazers.

With 6th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pacers selected Bennedict Mathurin

Via NBA.com/pacers:

On the way into the NBA Draft Lottery last month in Chicago, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin and his agent.

Mathurin’s agent told Buchanan that they thought he could be a great fit in Indiana. After the lottery unfolded and Indiana received the sixth overall pick, Mathurin chatted with another high-ranking Pacers staffer — head coach Rick Carlisle.

“It was obvious from our end that he viewed this as a great fit,” Buchanan said “…It was likewise on our end. It just felt right.”

Sure enough, the Pacers selected Mathurin with their first pick on Thursday night.

The 6-6 guard averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game last season as a sophomore for the Wildcats. Mathurin, who turned 20 on Sunday, was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American.

Mathurin will add to Indiana’s impressive collection of young talent on the perimeter, forming a formidable trio with 22-year-old Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte, the 13th overall pick in last year’s draft.

With 5th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pistons selected Jaden Ivey

The Detroit Pistons yesterday selected Jaden Ivey with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Ivey, 6-4, 195, averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 31.5 minutes over 36 games for Purdue in 2021-22. Ivey garnered consensus All-America Second Team honors and was both a 2021-22 All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten-All Tournament selection in his sophomore campaign. He became the fourth Big Ten player in the last 30 years to record at least 600 points, 175 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocks in a season, joining Draymond Green, Frank Kaminsky and Evan Turner. The South Bend, Ind. native was selected as a 2021-22 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year finalist and helped lead Purdue to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

In his freshman campaign, Ivey was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team after totaling 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.7 steals in 24.2 minutes through 23 games. His scoring average was the sixth-highest by a Boilermaker freshman in school history. He became the second Big Ten freshman (Miles Bridges) since 1992-93 to average minimums of 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists with at least 12 blocked shots in conference games, and was one of three freshmen nationally to do it against conference opponents in 2020-21 (Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley).

Ivey is the son of Niele Ivey, the current women’s basketball head coach at Notre Dame and a former WNBA player who suited up for the Detroit Shock in 2005. His father, Javin Hunter, was born in Detroit and attended Detroit Country Day prior to playing for the Baltimore Ravens as a wide receiver in 2002. His grandfather, James Hunter, also played in the NFL as a defensive back for seven seasons with the Detroit Lions.

Ivey is the third top-five selection for the Pistons since 1995 (Cade Cunningham and Darko Milicic) and the first player selected in the NBA Draft Lottery from Purdue since the 1994 NBA Draft (Glenn Robinson).

With 4th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Kings selected Keegan Murray

The Sacramento Kings last night selected Keegan Murray from Iowa with the fourth overall pick in NBA Draft 2022, according to General Manager Monte McNair.

Murray joins the Kings after averaging 23.5 points (.554 FG%, .398 3PT%, .747 FT%), 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 31.9 minutes per game in 35 games (all starts) during his sophomore season at Iowa (2021-22). Murray led the Hawkeyes to a NCAA Tournament appearance, while earning All-Big Ten first-team honors (2021-22).

When the season concluded, Murray ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (23.5) and first in total points (822) and field goals made (307).

A 6-8, 215-pound forward, Murray earned consensus All-American first-team honors (2021-22), Karl Malone Power Forward of the year (2021-22), Finalist for the 2021-22 Wooden award and Naismith Trophy, and was the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2022). The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native set the Big Ten Tournament scoring record with 103 points in four games and was the second player in Division I history to amass at least 800 points, 60 blocks and 60 three-pointers in a season.

Rockets and Timberwolves complete trade of late 2022 draft first round selections

The Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired the draft rights to the 26th pick forward Wendell Moore Jr. from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to the 29th pick guard TyTy Washington Jr. and future second round picks in 2025 and 2027.

Moore Jr., 6-5, averaged 13.4 points (ranking second on Duke), 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists (fourth in the ACC) and 1.3 assists per game in his junior season at Duke. In his career, Moore Jr. averaged 45.9% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. He recorded the fifth triple-double in Duke history with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Army on Nov. 12, 2021. Moore Jr. nearly tallied a second triple-double on Nov. 22, 2021 where he registered 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in 34 minutes of action against The Citadel and was named ACC Player of the Week following the performance.
In 2020-21, Moore Jr. was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the second straight season, playing all 24 games for the Blue Devils. Over the final 19 games, Moore Jr. started in 15 and averaged 11.2 points per game to close out the season. He notched his first double-double of the season on Feb. 9, 2021 against Notre Dame, where he finished with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting and added 10 boards.
Prior to the 2020-21 season, Moore Jr. was named one of 11 players nationally to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player Development Coalition, a diverse collection of Division I men’s basketball student-athletes that provide valuable prospective and feedback on college basketball issues.
As a freshman, Moore Jr. played in 25 games (11 starts) and averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Moore Jr. erupted for a career-high 25 points on Feb. 25, 2020 at Wake Forest, connecting on 15-of-16 from the line, a Duke freshman single-game record and becoming the first freshman to reach the feat since Grayson Allen on March 17, 2016. In the same game, he set a Duke record for fewest field goal attempts (eight) in a 20+ point scoring game.
Washington Jr. averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in his one season at the University of Kentucky. The 21-year-old freshman led the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.35-to-1) and ranked ninth in the SEC in assists. On Jan. 8, 2022, Washington Jr. dished out a league-high 17 assists against the University of Georgia, breaking John Wall’s single-game assist record at Kentucky. The five-time SEC Player of the Week was named to the 2021-2022 All-SEC Second Team and All-Freshman Team.