Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Utah Jazz add Dell Demps and Keyon Dooling to coaching staff

The Utah Jazz have hired Dell Demps and Keyon Dooling, adding them to their coaching staff.

“I was fortunate to work with Dell to begin my career as a head coach in professional basketball and I know he will delve into his role on the bench,” said Head Coach Quin Snyder. “He has an incredible work ethic and commitment to his craft. His vast experience both as a player and in front office roles brings a unique perspective that will be invaluable to our team. We’re excited to welcome him to the Jazz.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Coach Snyder again,” said Demps. “I have always had tremendous respect for Quin and the Jazz organization. I look forward to joining this talented coaching staff and working with our players. My wife Anita and I couldn’t be more excited to make the move to Utah and become a part of a tremendous community.”

Demps joins the Jazz after most recently serving as senior vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to his time with New Orleans, he spent five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, including three seasons as the General Manager of the Spurs’ NBA G League affiliate. Before joining the Spurs, the Long Beach, Calif., native worked for the New York Knicks from 2003-05 as a scout and was later promoted to Director of Pro Player Personnel. Demps also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Mobile Revelers in the NBA Development League from 2001-03, helping the Revelers capture the 2003 league championship.

As a player, Demps had an eight-year career across the globe, playing for three seasons in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic. In addition, he played professionally in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), Philippines, France, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and Venezuela. He was a four-year starter at the University of the Pacific, also earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

“Keyon is a fantastic addition for us on multiple levels and someone I’ve always had tremendous respect for since our time at Missouri where we formed a close bond that has continued throughout the years,” said Snyder. “He’s a natural leader who was a captain on multiple teams in the league and I have no doubt that the way he approached the game as a player will translate to the work he puts in with our roster on the court.”

“I am so appreciative of the opportunity to join Coach Snyder’s staff,” said Dooling. “Every former player who loves the game would leap at a chance like this. Player development has always been a cornerstone of Coach Snyder’s programs and I couldn’t be more excited to get on the court and embrace that process with this next generation of players. My wife Natosha and I look forward to our family calling Salt Lake City home.”

A native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dooling comes to the Jazz after most recently working as the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) wellness counselor and mental health advocate, spending eight years on the NBPA Board in various leadership roles. Since Dooling retired from the NBA, he has become an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, certified life coach and author, releasing his autobiography entitled, “What’s Driving You? How I Overcame Abuse and Learned to Lead in the NBA” in June of 2014.

Dooling had a 13-year NBA career after being drafted in the first round (10th overall) in the 2000 NBA Draft. He owns career averages of 7.0 points, 2.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per contest with the Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies. He spent two seasons playing at the University of Missouri, where in 1999-00 he played for Snyder.

Dwight Howard plays well as Lakers starting center in Game 4 vs. Nuggets

Dwight Howard did big things as the Lakers’ starting center yesterday. The OC Register:

After Game 1, Dwight Howard joked (probably) that he was so committed to keeping Nikola Jokic in his sights this Western Conference Finals series that he was considering meeting the Serbian 7-footer right outside his room in the hotel that both teams are staying.

Now, after Thursday’s start, Howard might invade the Nuggets’ slumber, too.

In his first start these playoffs (and just his third this season), Howard to help set the tone as the Lakers rebounded in a big way from a poor performance on the boards in their Game 3 defeat Tuesday, when they were also lost the battle on the glass, 44-25.

“We knew what he could do in this matchup,” said Lakers Coach Frank Vogel of Howard, who is plus-30 in the 66 minutes he’s played through four games this series, which the Lakers lead 3-1 – but which is otherwise tied, scoring-wise, 439-439.

“We like to try to start the series with the lineups that we play throughout the season, and then you feel out the series,” Vogel added via Zoom video conference.

Pieces of Lakers court autographed by Kobe Bryant up for auction

We all miss Kobe Bryant. And as time goes on, don’t be surprised to see an increased amount of Kobe-related items going up for sale or auction. On that front, here’s the Los Angeles Times on two pieces of basketball court that would be pretty awesome to own:

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016, before declaring “Mamba out!” and calling it a career.

It was a special night in team history. And one fan can own a unique piece of it.

Before leaving the Staples Center floor for the final time as a player, Bryant autographed two portions of it — the parts decorated with the two jersey numbers he wore during his career, Nos. 8 and 24.

The signed No. 24 portion has been installed at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo. The signed No. 8 portion is available to the highest bidder through Heritage Auctions.

As sports collectibles go, owning a piece of an NBA team’s basketball court, autographed by a legendary player, and knowing that the item is real and is verified authentic, is very cool.

And another quick note, even though we literally already said this above: we miss Kobe.

Jayson Tatum, Brad Stevens discuss Game 4 Celtics first half struggles vs. Heat

The Celtics dropped Game 4 to the Heat last night, and now trail 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s Boston.com with quotes on head coach Brad Stevens and star forward Jayson Tatum:

The Celtics, who outscored the Heat by double digits in the first halves of Games 2 and 3, were sloppy from the get-go. Boston committed 11 turnovers in the opening 24 minutes, causing them to have their lowest first-half point total of the playoffs, and trailed the Heat 50-44 at halftime.

“I thought our first half we looked, for whatever reason, we didn’t look crisp,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the game. “And obviously that showed itself in our shooting numbers. I thought we were lucky to be at 50-44 at halftime, to be candid.

“For whatever reason, our first half wasn’t as good as it’s been.”

Jayson Tatum failed to score in the first half, missing all six shots he took and failed to make it to the free throw line.

“I wasn’t aggressive enough,” Tatum said of his first half performance. “I didn’t score in the first half, that’s unacceptable. I know I have to play better. That’s what I’ll try to do.”

Turnovers also wrecked the Celtics in Game 4. They had 19, with six coming from Tatum, with four from Marcus Smart and another four from Jaylen Brown. The entire Heat team had just eight.

A positive for the Celtics is, they did step up nicely in the second half. They just need to put it all together for the length of a full game. Which has been tough against a Heat squad that the entire world clearly underestimated.

Mike D’Antoni may be frontrunner for Sixers head coaching job

The Sixers have a talent-filled but chemistry-challenged roster that is in need of a new head coach after they recently parted ways with Brett Brown. Here’s Philly Voice with a look at one of the top candidates: Mike D’Antoni, who recently became a coaching free agent after his contract with the Rockets ran out.

Strengths: His most recent stint as the head coach of the Houston Rockets was another huge success in a revolutionary offensive career, with D’Antoni’s Rockets owning the highest regular-season win percentage (.682) of any team in the Western Conference over the last four seasons. D’Antoni’s arrival ushered in a run of super-powered offenses in Houston, who were scoring healthily before he arrived but took things to another level with D’Antoni. His track record of super-charging players on offense is terrific, and would fill a need for a Sixers team in need of a jolt.

Weaknesses: D’Antoni has had trouble when he has been asked to adapt to personnel that doesn’t fit cleanly into his idea of how basketball should be played. The 2012-13 Lakers, for example, were a disaster of comical proportions. His Knicks tenure, save for a brief renaissance when Amare Stoudemire first signed there, was a complete disaster. D’Antoni and Joel Embiid seem like oil and water, and Ben Simmons only seems to be a fit if he’s unleashed as a downhill rim-running threat, which is not really possible with this roster.

The latest intel: The rumors have been coming fast and furious on D’Antoni, who appears (at least at this moment) to be the frontrunner.

2020 NBA Draft Combine has been reformatted and rescheduled

The NBA announced today that the 2020 NBA Draft Combine will been reformatted, and will be conducted both in NBA team markets and virtually.

It will take place in phases, beginning September 28 and continuing through early to mid-November. The goal of the reformatted Combine remains the same: to help provide NBA teams evaluate draft prospects.

“NBA Draft Combine is an essential part of the pre-draft evaluation process,” said Byron Spruell, President, NBA League Operations. “While the circumstances surrounding this Combine are unique, we’re excited to creatively deliver a valuable experience for our teams, who have remained flexible through the process, and for prospective draftees who are just beginning their NBA journeys.”

NBA Draft Combine 2020 will give players the opportunity to participate in league and team interviews, both conducted via videoconference from Sept. 28 through Oct. 16. Players will also take part in an individual on-court program consisting of strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, shooting drills and a “Pro Day” video, all conducted in October at the NBA team facility nearest to a player’s home or interim residence. Medical testing and examinations will be performed by NBA-affiliated physicians in the same market.

The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and will air on ESPN. The date remains subject to change as circumstances warrant.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray putting on impressive basketball show in playoffs

Everyone knew that Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was a good NBA player. But what he’s done in the playoffs has opened a lot of eyes. Here’s the Denver Post (via the OC Register on what he’s been doing:

Maybe you didn’t believe it when Jamal Murray reeled off 142 points across three spellbinding games in the first round playoff series against Utah.

Or perhaps you weren’t swayed by his 40-piece in Game 7 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round that sealed Denver’s second 3-1 comeback in as many rounds.

But if you somehow still didn’t believe that Murray’s growth was real, that his ascension to stardom hadn’t arrived, let Tuesday night’s Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals sink in. Denver’s emotional heartbeat saved the Nuggets’ season. He wanted to right what he felt was Sunday night’s wrong.

“We feel like we should be up 2-1 right now, to be honest,” said Murray, after dropping 28 points, dishing 12 assists and hauling in eight rebounds in Denver’s 114-106 Game 3 win.

There has been even more pressure on Murray and star center teammate Nikola Jokic in these playoffs due to Will Barton being out with a knee injury. If you were going to name the next best player on the squad after those first two, it’s Barton. The latest is, there’s no timetable on Barton’s return, and therefore there is no reason to think he’ll suddenly be activated in this postseason.

Thankfully for Denver, Murray has done an awesome job at helping make up the difference.

Chicago Bulls hire Billy Donovan as head coach

The Chicago Bulls have hired Billy Donovan as the team’s head coach.

Donovan, 55, comes to the Bulls having spent the last five seasons manning the sidelines for the Oklahoma City Thunder. While in OKC, his teams amassed a record of 243-157 (.608) and made five consecutive trips to the playoffs. His winning percentage ranks 16th (min. 100 games) in NBA history, and trails only Nick Nurse (.721), Steve Kerr (.709) and Gregg Popovich (.675) among active coaches. He is also one of only four active first-time head coaches in the league (along with Rick Carlisle, Kerr and Erik Spoelstra) to lead their teams to the playoffs in each of their first five seasons as a head coach.

“We are very pleased to welcome Billy and his family to the Chicago Bulls. The success that he has sustained over the course of his coaching career puts him on a different level,” said Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas. “We feel his ability to help his players reach their potential, both individually and collectively, will mesh well with our roster. Whether as a player or as a coach, he has won everywhere his career has taken him, and we hope that will continue here in Chicago.”

In 2015-16, his first season with the Thunder, he guided the team to a record of 55-27 (.671), as it claimed the Northwest Division title and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Donovan’s 55 wins put him in select company, as he became just the third first-year head coach over the previous 15 seasons to win 55 or more games in his first season. On April 5, 2017 at Memphis, the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 103-100 for Donovan’s 100th career victory in the NBA. With the win, he became the first NBA head coach to win 100 or more games in his first two seasons after coming straight from the collegiate level. He claimed his 200th career coaching win on Oct. 27, 2019 versus Golden State.

“I want to thank Jerry, Michael, Arturas and Marc for the opportunity to coach the Chicago Bulls. I also want to thank them for the time and effort they put into this hiring process. I’m excited to partner with Arturas as we work together on behalf of this historic franchise,” said Billy Donovan.

Prior to his arrival in Oklahoma City, Donovan enjoyed a storied 19-year stint as the head coach at the University of Florida. While in Gainesville, he coached his teams to an overall record of 467-186 (.715). His term with the Gators was highlighted by back-to-back National Championships in 2006, and again in 2007. The consecutive titles marked the first time a men’s program won two straight basketball championships since Duke in 1991 and 1992. He also led the Gators to the Final Four in 2000 (losing in the NCAA Championship Game) and 2014, while making 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and two appearances in the NIT.

The Gators enjoyed sustained success under Donovan, as his teams posted 16 straight seasons with 20 or more wins, three campaigns with 30 or more wins, 17 consecutive trips to the postseason and six SEC Championships. In 2014-15, at the age of 49 years old, he became the second-youngest coach in NCAA history (Bobby Knight, 48-years old) to post 500 wins. Before arriving in Gainesville, Donovan’s first experience as a head coach came in 1994 at Marshall University. In two seasons with the Thundering Herd, he posted a record of 35-20 (.636).

Donovan has also enjoyed success with USA Basketball. From 2012-14, he served as the head coach of USAB’s U18 and U19 National Teams. Over that time, his squads compiled a record of 19-0 and claimed three gold medals during national team competition.

A native of Rockville Centre, New York, Donovan played four seasons at Providence (1983-87). His senior season, he averaged 20.6 ppg and helped lead the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. For his efforts, he earned Southeast Regional Most Outstanding Player honors, and also was named to the 1987 All-Big East first team, the 1987 Big East All-Tournament team and was an honorable mention All-American. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the third round (68th overall) of the 1987 NBA Draft and played a total of 44 games with the New York Knicks in 1987-88. In 1999, he was inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame.

Ticket resale news developing in Michigan

Anyone who keeps up with the world of ticket reselling / scalping would be interested in a story developing in Michigan, as reported by the Detroit News:

Michigan crept closer Tuesday to repealing the state’s ban on ticket scalping as a years-long effort to reform the law gained steam.

State House lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday that would repeal a Michigan ban on ticket scalping while preventing software or practices that interfere with a venue’s ticket sale efforts.

The two bills will advance next to the Senate, where the upper chamber will vote on whether it concurs with changes to the legislation it originally approved in January.

Michigan’s ban on reselling event tickets at prices above face value has been in place since 1931.

Celtics guard Romeo Langford undergoes wrist surgery

Boston Celtics guard Romeo Langford underwent surgery today to fix the scapholunate ligament in his right wrist.

He will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA playoffs.

Langford has played little in these playoffs, and isn’t a part of the team’s core playoff rotation. He has played one minute in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, and a total of seven minutes in the second round against the Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics are currently down 2-1 to the Heat in the series. Game 4 is Wednesday night.