Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Russell Westbrook a passionate observer for Rockets in Thunder series

The Disney NBA bubble is a close-knit experience. The closest thing to fans in the stands are players on the sidelines. It’s an obvious time for guys on the bench, especially inactive players, to show even more enthusiasm and support for teammates than usual. Here’s the Houston Chronicle with an observation on Rockets guard Russell Westbrook:

Russell Westbrook is out with a strained quadriceps muscle, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking it easy on the sidelines.

In the first two games of the Rockets-Thunder series, Westbrook has been active in the Rockets’ bench area not only cheering on his teammates, but berating the referees, talking to coaches about strategy and giving his teammates pointers during timeouts…

There’s no timetable for Westbrook’s return and he hasn’t been cleared to work on the court during practice.

The Rockets won again today, this despite a below-average scoring output from James Harden. The Rockets did it as a team, with seven players scoring double-digit points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 31 points in the loss for OKC.

Nuggets guard Monte Morris analyzes screens set by Jazz center Rudy Gobert

The art of setting screens is tricky business. There’s a fine line between what’s legal and illegal. And making the right call on each instance is one of the many difficult aspects of a referee’s job.

The Nuggets and Jazz are currently playing a first-round playoff series. Here’s the Denver Post reporting what Nuggets guard Monte Morris had to say about screens set by Jazz center Rudy Gobert:

Jazz center Rudy Gobert is a prolific screener, both in terms of sheer volume and effectiveness. A review of Denver’s Game 2 loss showed that he was involved, either directly or indirectly, in half of Utah’s 20 3-pointers.

When asked about it Thursday, Nuggets point guard Monte Morris said he felt some of them were illegal.

“He does a good job at setting screens,” Morris said. “I don’t think all of them are legal, so I mean, the ref can’t call all of them, but we gotta get into the ball and fight through them and not wait on what the ref’s going to do.”

The series is tied 1-1. This after Utah’s 124-105 Game 2 win yesterday. In the victory, Gobert shot 7-of-10 for 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a lot of screens.

Clippers partner with CAA Sports to sell naming rights for Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center

The LA Clippers today announced that it has formed a global partnership with CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to bring to market the naming rights for the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, the future home of the franchise.

According to the Clippers, “the privately-financed IBEC project will include a world-class 18,000-seat facility, uniquely designed to prioritize fan comfort and ease, player experience, home court advantage, and community. The campus in Inglewood will serve as a hub to bringing the organization together, with the new team practice facility and corporate offices. The project, expected to break ground in summer of 2021, will open for the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Clippers one-of-a-kind basketball arena reflects the team’s commitment to being environmentally-friendly and energy efficient, while providing the City of Inglewood with the largest community benefits package ever connected to a sports venue.”

“We are proud to work alongside the visionary ownership and management team of the LA Clippers, to bring to market the naming rights for their new arena in the city of Inglewood,” said Paul Danforth, CAA Board Member and President, CAA Sports. “Steve’s vision for ‘the best home in all of sports,’ combined with the dynamic Clippers franchise and explosive growth of the NBA worldwide, makes this a singular opportunity for a marketer to plant its flag in the sand in the vibrant capital of sports, media, and entertainment.”

“We are thrilled to partner with CAA on this endeavor, as we work together to identify a corporate partner who shares our values and embraces our vision for what this campus will mean to the Clippers community,” said Gillian Zucker, Clippers President of Business Operations. “We have set an ambitious goal to provide disproportionate value to a naming rights partner by having them in-place before a shovel hits the ground in Inglewood. This aggressive timing will provide a unique opportunity to incorporate our partner’s brand into the design of the construction and deliver their own personal touch to this amazing facility.”

Sixers look bad in Game 2 loss to Celtics

On Wednesday, the Celtics put up a convincing 128-101 Game 2 win against the Sixers to take a 2-0 first round playoff series lead.

NBC Sports Philly:

The Sixers were up against the odds heading into their first round matchup against the Celtics. No Ben Simmons, a team that failed to gel all year long, and tough recent postseason history against the Celtics? Not ideal.

But no one could’ve predicted the absolutely listless effort they put forth on Wednesday night in the second game of the series.

After taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter, the Sixers were outscored by 29 points in the second and third quarters combined, and looked more like a lottery team than a playoff participant. The Celtics got whatever they wanted, and the Sixers looked helpless.

In the win for the Celtics, Jayson Tatum hit 8-of-12 from three-point range in finishing with 33 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kemba Walker scored 22 points. Jaylen Brown added 20, plus five rebounds.

For the Sixers, Joel Embiid put up 34 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Richardson scored 18. Tobias Harris grabbed 11 rebounds, but shot just 4-of-15 for 13 points.

Al Horford, coming off the bench, was not a factor.

A huge difference was three-point shooting. The Celtics hit 19-of-32, while the Sixers only hit 5-of-21.

Philly is without Ben Simmons, while Boston is missing Gordon Hayward.

On key injuries in the Pacers vs Heat series

We made it. The playoffs tip off today. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting on the injury situation ahead of the start of the Heat vs Pacers first round playoff series:

The Heat could be without one rotation player entering the series. Forward Derrick Jones Jr., who was expected to play off the bench, has not practiced since sustaining a neck strain in Friday’s loss to the Pacers to close the regular season. Rookie guard Gabe Vincent (right shoulder sprain) and rookie forward KZ Okpala (personal reasons) might also be unavailable for the start of the playoffs.

For the Pacers, they are without a starter. All-Star center Domantas Sabonis left the bubble and has not returned because of left foot plantar fasciitis. Also, Jeremy Lamb, who was a key contributor before his February injury, remains out because of a torn ACL. Warren is dealing with plantar fasciitis, but he said Sunday that he will be ready to play in Game 1.

The Pacers and Heat were incredibly close in the standings this season, with Indiana finishing 45-28 and Miami 44-29.

But Sabonis is definitely the best player on either team’s injury list.

Game 1 is tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET, televised on TNT.

Former Bulls coach Jim Boylen speaks

The Bulls a few days ago said goodbye to head coach Jim Boylen. Although no one really knew when the move was coming, it isn’t a surprise that it did happen. Here’s NBC Sports Chicago reporting:

“I loved every minute of working for the Bulls, even the hard ones,” Boylen said in a phone conversation with NBC Sports Chicago. “And I invested myself fully in every aspect of the job.”

Until Friday. That’s when new executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas fired Boylen, ending his five-season stint with the organization that featured three-plus seasons as Fred Hoiberg’s associate head coach. Boylen’s tenure in the big seat concluded with a 39-84 record.

“Artūras was very respectful. I understand why he would want to have his own guy. I really enjoyed getting to know him and (general manager) Marc Eversley,” Boylen said. “I’ve got 13- and 15-year-old girls that miss their dad. So I’m going to do a little carpooling and just prepare myself for the next opportunity.” …

“Jerry and Michael (Reinsdorf) and (former executive vice president) John (Paxson) asked me to bring more discipline to the practice facility and practice floor,” Boylen said. “My marching orders were for us to practice harder, play harder and defend better.”

The Bulls finished this shortened season with a 22-43 record. The team has an intriguing young nucleus, but the team’s only reliable scorer is Zach LaVine. Players like Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter Jr. all have talent and potential, but it’ll take time — certainly more than one season — as well as a great coaching staff, to help the squad grow into winners.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is a big fan of Nuggets center Nikola Jokic

It’s always fun to hear how NBA players and coaches talk about guys on other teams. Here’s the Denver Post reporting Gregg Popovich’s words about Nuggets start center Nikola Jokic:

Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is more ornery than complimentary and more evasive than honest.

That’s why, even after Nikola Jokic’s 25-point, 11-assist clinic against the Spurs on Aug. 6, his postgame testimonial came as such a shock.

“He’s like a reincarnation of Larry Bird,” said Popovich, who two years ago scoffed at the suggestion Jokic was revolutionary.

“When I think of revolutions, I think of people like Che Guevara, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin,” he said in December 2018. “I don’t really think of Jokic as revolutionary, so I think you’re a bit hyperbolic there. But he is one heck of a player.”

The Nuggets in the first round will face a short-handed Jazz team that will be without forward Bojan Bogdanovic for the duration of the the playoffs due to injury, and point guard Mike Conley for at least a game or so, as the team waits for him to return from Ohio following the birth of his son.

Pelicans fire coach Alvin Gentry

New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin announced today that Alvin Gentry has been relieved of his head coaching duties.

“I’m grateful for and appreciative of Alvin’s commitment to the organization and, most importantly, the local community,” said Griffin. “The City of New Orleans is richer because of his presence here. These types of moves are often about fit and timing, and we believe now is the right time to make this change and bring in a new voice.”

“I want to thank Alvin for his contributions to the Pelicans and the New Orleans community,” said Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson. “We believe that making a head coaching change is necessary at this time. I truly appreciate Alvin’s leadership, dedication and perseverance through some challenging circumstances over the past five seasons. He will always be a part of our Pelicans family, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future. Our intention moving forward is to find the right head coach that will guide this Pelicans team to compete for championships. That is what our fans deserve.”

Per the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “this season, the Pelicans got off to a 6-22 start. They lost 13 consecutive games, a franchise record, before rebounding. They were a popular pick to make the Western Conference play-in tournament entering the eight-game seeding round inside the Walt Disney World bubble, but they lost four of their first six games and were eliminated from playoff contention with two games still remaining in the restart.”

Gentry was named head coach of the Pelicans on May 30, 2015. He compiled a 175-225 (.438) regular season record in five seasons with New Orleans, earning one playoff berth in 2018 and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals. The Pelicans finished the 2019-20 season with a 30-42 record.

More from the Times-Picayune: “The Pelicans’ inconsistent effort, turnover-prone ways, poor defense and crunch-time struggles were all factors in their up-and-down season. They ranked 29th in turnover percentage and had a 13-28 record in games that were within five points at any point during the final five minutes. They finished with a 30-42 record, their fourth losing season in the past five years.”

Peja Stojakovic steps down as Sacramento Kings Assistant General Manager

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Peja Stojakovic has stepped down as Assistant General Manager.

“It has been a great joy and honor to work in the Kings front office for the past five years,” said Peja Stojakovic. “I want to thank the organization and especially the incredible fans around the world for the support over the years. Sacramento will always be home to me and I wish the franchise nothing but the very best.”

“We are deeply appreciative to Peja for his contributions and commitment to the Kings and to the city of Sacramento both as a legend and as an executive,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “Peja is a pillar of the community and he will always remain a part of our Kings family. We wish him and his family all the best in the future.”

Since 2015, the former Kings standout has served in various front office executive roles, including as Assistant General Manager for the past two seasons and prior to that as Vice President of Basketball and Team Development.

Vlade Divac steps down as Sacramento Kings GM; Joe Dumars named interim replacement

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Vlade Divac has stepped down as General Manager. In the interim, Joe Dumars has been named Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and will immediately assume General Manager duties.

“This was a difficult decision, but we believe it is the best path ahead as we work to build a winning team that our loyal fans deserve,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “We are thankful for Vlade’s leadership, commitment and hard work both on and off the court. He will always be a part of our Kings family.”

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager for the Kings,” said Vlade Divac. “I want to thank Vivek for the opportunity and recognize all of the incredible colleagues who I had the great pleasure of working with during my tenure. Sacramento and the Kings will always hold a special place in my heart and I wish them all the best moving forward.”

The team will work with Dumars to develop a long-term strategy for the organization’s basketball operations structure, to include a search for a permanent General Manager. No further personnel decisions will be made until a new General Manager is in place.

“Joe has become a trusted and valued advisor since joining the team last year, and I am grateful to have him take on this role at an important time for the franchise,” said Ranadivé.

In June 2019, Dumars was named Special Advisor to the General Manager and has over 30 years of NBA experience both as a player and front office executive in addition to an extensive executive business background.