Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson playing limited minutes at beginning of NBA restart

Zion Williamson played limited minutes Thursday. Everyone would have loved to see him out there longer, except Pelicans brass, who are focused on keeping the big guy healthy and letting him build up momentum during the NBA restart. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune reporting:

It was hard not to notice the similarities between Zion Williamson’s professional debut and his performance Thursday in the first game of the NBA’s restart in Kissimmee, Florida.

In each game, he played four short stints at the start of each quarter. Even though his minutes were limited, he put up impressive scoring totals. On Jan. 22, he had 22 points in 18 minutes. On Thursday, he scored 13 points in 15 minutes…

On Friday, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin cleared the air on why Williamson was used so sparingly in New Orleans’ 106-104 loss to the Utah Jazz.

“I appreciate the fact that everyone wants him to play 40 minutes every night,” Griffin said. “I can promise you he’s not going to. No mistakes were made (Thursday) with how this was handled other than by me coming forward and expressing this in the clearest way possible. This isn’t complicated. He will not play significant minutes in the next game, and he may not in the following game. This is all about the ramp-up time. He didn’t get the benefit of the things that his teammates got for those 13 days. This is going to take some time.”

Nuggets will be missing multiple starters Saturday in game vs Heat

On Saturday, the Nuggets will face the Heat at 1 p.m. ET, with the game televised nationally on ESPN. Here’s the Denver Post reporting:

Denver will be down starters Gary Harris (right hip muscle strain) and Will Barton (knee soreness), while point guard Jamal Murray (left hamstring tightness) is questionable for the opener. Nuggets reserve Vlatko Cancar was also listed on Friday’s injury report with a left foot fracture.

After arriving late to Orlando, Harris missed all three of the team’s scrimmages.

Leading Scorers

Heat (PPG)
Jimmy Butler 20.2
Bam Adebayo 16.2
Goran Dragic 16.1
Kendrick Nunn 15.6
Duncan Robinson 13.3

Nuggets (PPG)
Nikola Jokic 20.2
Jamal Murray 18.8
Will Barton 15.1
Paul Millsap 12.0
Jerami Grant 11.6

Clippers to face a motivated Pelicans squad Saturday

The Clippers face the Pelicans tomorrow. Here’s the OC Register with some thoughts on LA:

Now, on the heels of their bubble-opening 103-101 loss to the Lakers, Doc Rivers’ squad shouldn’t expect the New Orleans Pelicans to accommodate the Clippers in their search for rhythm and cohesion ahead of the playoffs in mid-August.

No, the hungry, high-octane Pelicans have good reason to be disruptive.

New Orleans (28-37) is one of five teams chasing the eighth and final playoff spot, held currently by Memphis, which has a four-game lead on the Pelicans. And after dropping their bubble opener 106-104 against Utah on Thursday, the Pelicans will have even less room for error in their remaining seven seeding games.

Veteran coach Alvin Gentry has his Pelicans believing they can insert themselves into the postseason picture.

“I think we’re in a good place,” New Orleans center Derrick Favors told reporters, via Zoom, a couple days before the restart.

Leading Scorers

Pelicans (PPG)
Brandon Ingram 24.2
Zion Williamson 23.1
Jrue Holiday 19.6
JJ Redick 15.0
Lonzo Ball 12.3

Clippers (PPG)
Kawhi Leonard 26.9
Paul George 21.2
Lou Williams 18.7
Montrezl Harrell 18.6
Marcus Morris Sr. 17.1

Knicks officially hire Tom Thibodeau as new head coach

The New York Knicks announced today that Tom Thibodeau has been named the 31st head coach in franchise history.

“Tom Thibodeau is a proven winner who gets the most out of the players and teams that he has coached,” said Leon Rose, president, New York Knicks. “He will bring leadership, accountability and a hard-working mentality to our organization. We are excited to bring him back to New York and look forward to collaborating with him and his staff toward a successful future.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to this historic franchise as head coach and work alongside a talented front office that I have great trust in and respect for,” said Thibodeau. “I know what New York is like when the Knicks are successful and there is nothing comparable. I look forward to being a part of what we are building here and can’t wait to get to work.”

According to New York Newsday, “the Knicks interviewed other former head coaches: Kenny Atkinson, Mike Woodson, Mike Brown, Jason Kidd and Mike Miller, who finished up the season as the Knicks’ interim coach. The Knicks also conducted interviews with five assistant coaches – San Antonio’s Will Hardy, Orlando’s Pat Delany, Chicago’s Chris Fleming, Philadelphia’s Ime Udoka and Dallas’ Jamahl Mosley.”

Thibodeau, 62, holds a career coaching record of 352-246 (.589) over eight seasons with Chicago and Minnesota. His .589 career winning percentage is 11th best in NBA history among coaches who have coached at least 500 games. He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for the 2010-11 season and coached the Eastern Conference in the 2012 NBA All Star game in Orlando, FL.

He most recently served as head coach and president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading the franchise to a 97-107 (.475) regular-season record over three seasons (2016-19). Ending a 13-year playoff drought in 2018, Minnesota won 47 games during that season, which was the team’s largest win total since the 2003-04 season.

Thibodeau’s first stint as a head coach was with the Chicago Bulls where he spent five seasons (2010-15) guiding the team to a 255-139 (.647) record. He led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA in back-to-back seasons (2010-11 and 2011-12), and to five consecutive trips to the postseason, including the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010-11. The 2010-11 team won 62 games, which were the most by a Bulls team since their championship season of 1997-98 and was one of three 50-plus win seasons under his tutelage. During his time with the Bulls, Thibodeau set a franchise record with an 86 consecutive-game streak without losing more than two games in a row and led the NBA in close-game winning percentage at .626 (66-40).

In his eight seasons as an NBA head coach, Thibodeau’s teams ranked in the Top-10 in opponents points per game, five times, twice leading the NBA. His defenses ranked in the Top-10 in defensive rating, four times, twice leading the league, while his teams ranked in the Top-10 in offensive rating, three times, including twice in the Top-5.

Prior to becoming a head coach in the NBA, the New Britain, CT-native was an assistant coach in Minnesota (1989-91), San Antonio (1992-94), Philadelphia (1994-96), New York (1996-03), Houston (2003-07) and Boston (2007-10). In his 28 seasons as an NBA coach, his teams have advanced to the postseason 19 times, including three trips to the NBA Finals (1999, 2008, 2010) and an NBA championship with Boston in 2008.

He began his coaching career with his alma mater, Salem State, as an assistant coach for three seasons (1981-84) before he was promoted, serving as head coach for one season (1984-85). After his time at Salem State, Thibodeau was an assistant coach at Harvard University for four seasons (1985-89). He played four seasons at Salem State (1977-81) and helped lead the Vikings to consecutive Division III national tournaments (1980–81). In 1980, he led Salem State to the league championship and the school’s first NCAA Tournament bid.

Warriors reportedly seeking to raise funds

Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting on what the Warriors may be doing to keep their money right:

It remains unclear exactly how much financial damage the coronavirus pandemic will inflict on the Warriors, and the NBA in general.

“Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has informed fellow owners of a deal he’s considering with Goldman Sachs to raise up to $250 million to manage coming expenses,” sources recently told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

But Golden State’s ownership group might end up going in a different direction.

“On Tuesday, Warriors sources relayed that the deal has not yet been agreed to and alternate options are being explored, including cash calls and other measures,” The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss writes. “Right now, the Warriors are ‘looking for the best deal,’ which makes them sound more like a powerful lender than a desperate borrower.”

In unrelated news, we recently raised $20 in capital and invested in a large pizza. It was quite tasty.

Pistons buy Northern Arizona Suns G League team from Phoenix Suns

The Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns and the NBA G League today announced that the Pistons have agreed to purchase the Northern Arizona Suns from the Phoenix Suns. The rebranded team is expected to play in a new arena currently being constructed on the campus of Wayne State University beginning in the 2021-22 season.

“I’m excited to welcome Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons as NBA G League owners,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “It’s always bittersweet for a team to relocate, and I thank Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns for their time in this league and the fans in Northern Arizona for their ongoing commitment to the team. I’m sure the fans in Detroit will welcome the team with open arms and I look forward to watching NBA G League basketball at Wayne State for seasons to come.”

Pistons owner Tom Gores said the NBA G League will be good for the Pistons organization and the community.

“This is another important investment in our franchise and in the city of Detroit,” said Mr. Gores. “Having an NBA G League team near our new performance center will be an advantage for our front office, our coaching staff and our young players. It will also generate more economic activity in the area and serve as a catalyst for additional development.”

The Pistons current “hybrid” affiliation with the Grand Rapids Drive will continue through the 2020-21 NBA G League season. The Phoenix Suns will continue to operate the Northern Arizona Suns for the 2020-21 season.

In May 2019, the Pistons announced a multi-faceted partnership with Wayne State University, including an NBA G League team to play in a new arena that the school is constructing for its men’s and women’s basketball programs less than two miles from both Little Caesars Arena and the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center.

In addition to playing games on the school’s campus, a move that will generate revenue and usage of the new facility, the organization will work with Wayne State administrators to create programs and internship opportunities for students in fields like sports marketing, community relations, physical therapy, rehabilitation and sports and entertainment business operations.

The NBA G League serves as the NBA’s developmental league preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and front- office staff for NBA positions while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Playing with 28 teams for the 2019-20 season, the NBA G League is a proven developer of talent. A record 42 percent of NBA players to start the 2019-20 season had NBA G League experience, a number that rose to 57 percent when the season concluded on March 11.

Thunder forward Abdel Nader out with concussion

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Abdel Nader sustained a concussion during last night’s 98-84 scrimmage victory against the Boston Celtics and he has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Nader will now begin the NBA-mandated Return-to-Participation Protocol. This process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom-free behavior before resuming basketball activities. There is no predetermined timetable to complete the protocol, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

In 48 games (five starts) this season, Nader is averaging 6.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game.

Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis leaves Disney NBA campus for foot treatment

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis will leave the NBA campus in Orlando to receive medical treatment for plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Sabonis’ availability to return to the campus in Orlando is yet to be determined.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Sabonis hadn’t participated in practices in about eight days, and sat out the Pacers’ scrimmage on Thursday. Speaking to local media Wednesday, he said his foot had been bothering him since he arrived in Indiana, and it flared up once the team started playing 5-on-5 upon arriving in Orlando. Nate McMillan called it “day to day.”

A look at Utah Jazz lineup combinations in first NBA scrimmage

In NBA scrimmage action Thursday, the Suns beat the Jazz, 101-88. Donovan Mitchell got buckets in the loss, hitting 5-of-8 FG, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, for 17 points. It was the first game for either team in a long time. Here’s the Deseret News reporting on the various lineups the Jazz played around with:

The Jazz started the game with the expected unit of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Royce O’Neale and Joe Ingles.

From there, more of the expected with Jordan Clarkson and Georges Niang being the first subs to enter the game and later Tony Bradley giving Gobert some rest. But, when O’Neale committed his fourth foul in the second quarter, Jazz coach Quin Snyder had to zag a little and go with a smaller lineup.

Mitchell, Conley, Clarkson, Ingles and Gobert closed out the first half. That lineup with Bojan Bogdanovic in place of Clarkson is a familiar one for the Jazz, playing a total of 236 minutes together during the regular season. With Clarkson instead of Bogdanovic, Thursday was the first time the group had played in a game together.

The Jazz will be without one key player for the remainder of the season: Bojan Bogdanovic, who had season-ending wrist surgery a few months ago.

Sixers center Joel Embiid has been working on his fadeaway jumper

Sixers center Joel Embiid is already a dominant low-post player, and per the report below he spent some of the NBA play stoppage time working on his fadeaway jumpshot. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

In addition to his work on passing out of double-teams, Embiid said the other thing he’s been working on during the hiatus since the season was suspended on March 11 was his fadeaway jumper — and he is very pleased about its progress.

“My fadeaways look great,” he said with a smile. “I’ve been working on them the past 2½ months, six times a week, just trying to perfect my game in any ways that I can, and I’ve been happy about that. It is something I’m going to need a lot, especially when other teams double me every single possession. I can’t let that dictate the way I play.

“So, sometimes you have to make the right play, and sometimes pass it, and if I feel like I have an opportunity to be myself and dominate, then that’s a shot I’m going to get. So that’s what I’ve been excited about.”

If Embiid truly has developed a mean fadeaway, it’ll make him even harder to guard, and that’s saying a lot.