Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Nuggets must find way to win Game 3 vs Lakers

The Nuggets came within one Anthony Davis jumpshot at the buzzer of tying their Western Conference Finals playoff series with the Lakers 1-1-. But Davis’ shot went in, so the Lakers are up 2-0. Here’s the Denver Post on the Nuggets’ situation:

Down 2-0, the Nuggets are in must-win territory. Despite their previous escapes, a loss in Tuesday’s Game 3 will all but start their chartered flight home.

Once the pain subsides and sober heads prevail, the Nuggets will take a fresh look at what happened. They’ll see 19 turnovers, including many that were unforced. They’ll see breakdowns on the defensive glass, which can’t happen against a team of the Lakers’ caliber. They’ll notice hesitation on the offensive end, a non-starter when the team’s best player is also the most unselfish.

But they’ll also see an unbending will that stormed back from 16 points down in the second half to take the lead late. And they’ll see a second-half defense reminiscent of the one that saved the Nuggets six times so far in elimination games this postseason. Maybe most importantly, and the reason why the Nuggets aren’t buried yet, is the film will show a dogged fight from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, whose 31 points in the second-half bested Davis and LeBron James’ 28.

The Nuggets definitely need more from starters not named Jamal Murray or Nikola Jokic. In the Game 2 loss, shooting guard Gary Harris shot 1 for 6, small forward Jerami Grant did grab three steals but had just seven points and no rebounds, and Paul Millsap did grab eight rebounds but only scored six points.

There are no NBA games tonight. Game 3 of this series is tomorrow, and the Celtics vs. Heat series resumes on Wednesday.

Gordon Hayward upgraded to Questionable for Celtics vs Heat Game 3

Playing in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, the Celtics lost Game 1 in overtime, then were outscored 37-17 in the third quarter of a five-point Game 2 loss.

Boston needs a boost. And according to the league injury report as of Friday afternoon, they may soon have one in the form of Gordon Hayward. The forward, who has been out with a right ankle sprain, has been upgraded to Questionable for Game 3.

Players coming off of injury often play limited minutes, so if Gordon does step onto the court it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be out there for long, nor that he’ll be at his best. But it would certainly be a positive development.

Game 3 is Saturday night. And then the squads have a few days off, with Game 4 not until Wednesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wins 2019-20 NBA MVP award

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the 2019-20 NBA Most Valuable Player.

This is the second straight NBA MVP Award for Antetokounmpo, who becomes the 12th player to earn the honor in consecutive seasons.

A native of Greece, Antetokounmpo is the first player from Europe to be selected as the NBA MVP more than once. Antetokounmpo, 25, also joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players to win multiple NBA MVP awards by the age of 25.

Antetokounmpo was previously named the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He joins Michael Jordan (1987-88) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) as the only players to be selected as the NBA Most Valuable Player and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. (The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award was first presented in the 1982-83 season.)

Antetokounmpo received 85 of 101 first-place votes and earned 962 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as well as the NBA Most Valuable Player Award fan vote. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James received the other 16 first-place votes and finished in second place with 753 points. Houston Rockets guard James Harden (367 points) finished in third place, followed by Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić (200 points) in fourth place and LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (168 points) in fifth place.

Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote. The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA MVP Award or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.

In games played through March 11, Antetokounmpo averaged 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.04 steals and 1.02 blocks in 30.9 minutes in 57 games. During that time, he ranked third in the NBA in both scoring average and rebounding average. Antetokounmpo also shot 54.7 percent from the field and sank 83 three-pointers, which is 31 more threes than he made in any of his previous six seasons.

Behind Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee posted an NBA-leading 53-12 record in games played through March 11, a mark that included an 18-game winning streak Nov. 10 – Dec. 14. The four-time NBA All-Star selection helped the Bucks excel on both ends of the court as they led the league in net rating (outscoring opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions), scoring offense (118.6 ppg) and defensive rating (101.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) in their first 65 games of the season.

Antetokounmpo was honored as the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October/November, December and January, in addition to being named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times. He was also voted as a starter to the NBA All-Star Game for the fourth consecutive season, serving as a team captain for the second year in a row.

No timetable on a Will Barton return for Nuggets

The Nuggets, who will face the Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference Finals, will remain without the services of Will Barton. Here’s the Denver Post with a report:

It’s been nearly a month since Nuggets wing Will Barton left the “bubble” to continue rehabilitation of his right knee, and there remains “no timetable” for his return, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told The Denver Post.

Barton left Aug. 19 in search of a second opinion due to the knee issue that had lingered and had led to soreness in other areas of his body, a league source told The Post.

Barton was the third-leading scorer for the Nuggets this regular season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

The Lakers in these playoffs remain without guard Avery Bradley, who was one of a small handful of players who elected not to participate in the league restart at the Disney NBA bubble.

Game 1 between the Nuggets and Lakers is tomorrow at 9PM ET, televised on TNT.

Raptors and team president Masai Ujiri not talking contract extension yet

The Raptors won the championship last season, had an excellent regular season despite widespread predictions of a drop-off, and fell one win short of a trip to the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s the Canadian Press via the Toronto Star on the front office:

Raptors president Masai Ujiri said he hasn’t had any contract discussions with team owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment since the club’s season ended last week.

Ujiri’s contract has one year left.

The team recently announced an extension for head coach Nick Nurse. A similar announcement for Ujiri is certainly expected as well. The only question is when.

Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez has role in new Adam Sandler basketball movie

The latest Timberwolves news isn’t the usual. Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune on a fun development:

Timberwolves forward Juancho Hernangomez won’t be present at the team’s voluntary group workouts the next two weeks. But Hernangomez isn’t injured, nor he is staying away because he’s a restricted free agent. Instead, he’s filming a movie…

A team spokesperson said Hernangomez is filming Adam Sandler’s latest project in Philadelphia. Netflix is producing the film called “Hustle.” It revolves around a basketball scout who searches for talent overseas.. Lakers forward LeBron James is also listed as a producer on the movie.

I haven’t looked into the storyline for this movie beyond much more than the quick description above, but anything involving Adam Sandler and basketball, I’m definitely watching.

ESPN hires Vince Carter as an NBA and college basketball analyst

ESPN has hired eight-time NBA All Star and Olympic gold medalist Vince Carter to a multi-year contract. The 2000 NBA Slam Dunk contest champion will serve as an NBA and college basketball analyst, appearing on pillar ESPN studio shows including NBA Countdown, The Jump, Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter with special appearances on College Game Day.

Additionally, Carter will serve as a game analyst for both NBA and ACC men’s basketball games.

Carter previously appeared on several ESPN platforms as a guest analyst prior to his recent retirement.

Carter, the only player in NBA history to play 22 seasons, was drafted in 1998 by the Toronto Raptors where he was named Rookie of the Year (1999), NBA All-Rookie first-team (1999), All-NBA third-team (2000), All-NBA second-team (2001) and an All-Star for five consecutive years (2000-2004). After he was acquired by the New Jersey Nets in 2004, Carter continued his NBA success with three additional All-Star trips (2005-2007). Carter played for a total of eight NBA teams throughout his career, which expanded across four different decades. Carter was the scoring leader on the 2000 United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team where the USA defeated France to win the nation’s twelfth Men’s Basketball Olympic gold medal. Carter officially retired from the NBA after the 2019-20 season.

During his three-year college career at the University of North Carolina, Carter led the Tar Heels to consecutive ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament titles and NCAA Final Four appearances. The emerging star was named second-team All-American and third-team All-ACC in 1997, and first-team All-ACC in 1998. Carter’s number 15 jersey was honored by the Tar Heels in 2000. While playing in the NBA, Carter continued his coursework at North Carolina and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2001.

Carter attended Mainland High School in his hometown Daytona Beach, Fla where he led Mainland’s basketball team to its first state title in 56 years. He was named Parade All-American, McDonald’s All-American and Florida’s Basketball Player of the Year in 1995. In 2007, Carter was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Sacramento Kings hire Monte McNair as General Manager

The Sacramento Kings have hired Monte McNair as General Manager. In this role, McNair will be responsible for all decisions made in the Kings basketball operations department and serve as the team’s top basketball executive reporting to the owner and chairman. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Monte is one of the NBA’s top basketball minds who has played an instrumental role in building several winning teams in Houston,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “I am excited to bring his extensive experience and vision onboard to lead our basketball operations department, and it is my pleasure to welcome Monte and his family to Sacramento.”

“I am thrilled to join the Kings organization and honored to shape the franchise’s bright future for the team’s loyal fans,” said McNair. “I would like to thank Vivek for this opportunity and look forward to becoming a part of the Sacramento community.”

A native of Oak Park, California, McNair returns to his home state from the Houston Rockets, where he has held the title of Assistant General Manager since 2018. Prior to that, McNair led the analytic efforts of the Rockets basketball operations department where he worked closely with Houston’s coaching staff to provide on-court strategy and analysis along with opponent preparation.

During his time in Houston, the organization has reached the NBA Playoffs over the course of eight consecutive seasons, including two trips to the Western Conference Finals, while amassing seven seasons with 50+ wins.

Over his 13 years with the Rockets, McNair was involved with all aspects of player evaluation, including trade, free agency and the Draft. He began his career in Houston as a Basketball Operations Senior Analyst in 2007, was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations in 2013 and became Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2016.

Before joining the Rockets, McNair worked as a sports programmer and researcher at STATS LLC. McNair played football at Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science.

Sacramento Kings name Joe Dumars as Chief Strategy Officer

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Joe Dumars has been named Chief Strategy Officer. In this new role, he will continue to report to the owner and chairman, and help drive strategy across the organization’s entire portfolio of activities, including business, basketball, new ventures, entertainment and real estate.

“Joe’s business acumen along with his deep experience in the league will serve as a valuable resource across the organization,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “He has achieved proven results in the corporate world on top of many notable accolades as a player and basketball executive, and I am excited to have him serve in this position.”

“I want to thank Vivek for this opportunity and look forward to supporting both sides of the business as we work together to build the successful future that this franchise and community deserves,” said Dumars.

In June 2019, Dumars joined the Kings as Special Advisor to the General Manager, most recently serving as Interim Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.

2019-20 All-NBA teams announced

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James have been unanimously selected to the 2019-20 All-NBA First Team.

James has set the NBA record with his 16th All-NBA Team selection, which includes a record 13 selections to the First Team, two to the Second Team and one to the Third Team. He passed 15-time All-NBA Team selections Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and James both received All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 500 points each. Named to the All-NBA Team for the fourth time, Antetokounmpo has earned his second First Team honor.

The 2019-20 All-NBA First Team also features Houston Rockets guard James Harden (474 points; 89 First Team votes), Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis (455 points; 79 First Team votes) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić (416 points; 59 First Team votes).

Harden and Davis have been voted to the All-NBA First Team for the sixth and fourth time, respectively. Dončić is making his All-NBA Team debut in his second season. He is the first player selected to the All-NBA First Team in either his first or second season since Duncan in 1998-99. Dončić, 21, also becomes the sixth player named to the All-NBA First Team at age 21 or younger, joining Kevin Durant (2009-10), James (2005-06), Duncan (1997-98), Rick Barry (1965-66) and Max Zaslofsky (1946-47).

The 2019-20 All-NBA Second Team consists of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (372 points), Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić (311), Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (284), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (199) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (168).

The 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (153 points), Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (147), Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (110), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (61) and Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (56).

Siakam, Tatum and Simmons join Dončić as first-time selections to the All-NBA Team. Paul and Westbrook have been voted to the All-NBA Team for the ninth time each. Lillard and Leonard have earned their fifth and fourth All-NBA Team selections, respectively. This marks the third All-NBA Team honor for both Butler and Gobert and the second for Jokić.

The All-NBA Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded five points for each vote to the All-NBA First Team, three points for each vote to the Second Team and one point for each vote to the Third Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position where they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the All-NBA Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.