Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Gabe Vincent wins 2019-20 G League Most Improved Player award

Sioux Falls Skyforce guard Gabe Vincent yesterday won the 2019-20 NBA G League Most Improved Player award. The winner is decided in a vote by the G Legaue’s 28 head coaches and general managers.

In his second G League season, Vincent (6-foot-3, 200 pounds, UC Santa Barbara) put up 20.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 31 outings. He hit a G League-leading 4.2 three-pointers per game, and shot 40.3 percent from three-point range.

Vincent’s first 20 games of this G League season were played as a member of the Stockton Kings. His final 11 games with the Skyforce, who are the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat, who signed Vincent to a two-way contract on January 8, 2020. He played in six NBA games for the Heat this season.

In the G League, Vincent scored at least 30 points six times this season. Three of those performances came in December, when he averaged 24.9 points and shot 49.1 percent from the field with Stockton. He scored a career-high 35 points against the South Bay Lakers on Dec. 17 and matched that total against the Canton Charge on Dec. 21, making nine three-pointers in each game.

The Skyforce started the season 10-13 before adding Vincent to its roster. Sioux Falls went 9-2 with him in the lineup and finished 22-20 overall. The NBA G League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on June 4. The regular season was suspended on March 12 and had been scheduled to conclude on March 28.

Vincent spent the entire 2018-19 NBA G League season with Stockton. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 24 games.

Raptors 905 guard Paul Watson and Santa Cruz Warriors guard Mychal Mulder finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2019-20 NBA G League Most Improved Player Award.

Nuggets players begin mandatory coronavirus testing

Most teams around the league — specifically the 22 that have been invited by the NBA to resume the 2019-20 season at Disney in Florida — will be going through something similar to what is described below by the Denver Post:

Tuesday marks the most formal operations the NBA has seen since the coronavirus abruptly forced a stoppage in play more than 100 days ago.

All Nuggets players and staffers will undergo mandatory coronavirus testing beginning Tuesday, which includes a high-sensitivity PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and a high-sensitivity serology/antibody test. Players, team staffers and even Nuggets officials who aren’t planning on traveling to Orlando to resume the season must undergo the testing.

PCR testing (nasal swabs) will be conducted every other day for the duration of the season, in addition to daily health monitoring such as temperature checks. The antibody test will be repeated in the event of a positive test.

It’s crunch time. We’re now in a crucial period. It’s certainly quite possible that over the next few days, some players likely will test positive for coronavirus. If it’s managed correctly, such results won’t hinder the league’s attempt to resume play in late July as planned.

Raptors preparing to resume NBA season

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday that they will prepare for a resumption to the 2019-20 NBA season in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Raptors are one of 22 teams the NBA is including in their plans to play a handful of regular season games leading into what will hopefully be a full 2020 playoffs.

Select players and staff will depart from Toronto today. The Raptors will remain in the Fort Myers area until entering the NBA Campus at Disney, near Orlando, in early July for the remainder of the season.

In keeping with NBA and team safety protocols, there will be no group workouts during this phase of return to play, and strict protocols have been designed to ensure this initial level of access will take place in a safe, controlled, and healthy way.

Group workouts will only begin once teams have reported to the NBA Campus at Disney.

Wizards forward Davis Bertans reportedly will not rejoin Wizards in Disney quarantine bubble

As the NBA attempts to restart play in late July at the single-site location of Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, individual players must decide if they want to be involved. Presumably, most do want to play — or else the Players Union likely would have stated so by now. But certainly some players on the 22 teams the NBA is including in their return-to-play plan, for various reasons, may not want to participate. Here’s the Washington Post reporting:

Washington Wizards forward Davis Bertans, the team’s best three-point shooter and its prized upcoming free agent, will not play in Orlando when the NBA season resumes July 30.

Bertans has opted to end his season after the long hiatus from playing, according to several people with knowledge of his plans.

Bertans, who has not practiced for months since the NBA shut down in mid-March amid the coronavirus pandemic, felt that attempting to come back and play would “not be the smartest thing to do,” according to a person familiar with his mind-set. Bertans, 27, is expected to be one of the top players in the upcoming free agent class and is the Wizards’ highest priority to re-sign.

We’re now already in late June, which means if other players don’t plan to participate, chances are their wishes will become public very soon, likely in the next few days.

Klay Thompson recovering from injury, now reportedly training without restriction

Warriors guard Klay Thompson’s comeback from injury continues. Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting:

Klay Thompson has reached the next phase of his return.

The Warriors star guard has been training without restriction on his knee and has been ramping up workouts over the past few weeks, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Friday, citing sources.

Per Slater, Thompson’s knee was medically cleared a few weeks ago and he has been running, jumping, dunking and doing everything he’s permitted to do during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He’s been going through his diligent shooting workouts but has yet to return to the Warriors’ San Francisco facility since it reopened. Thompson instead has been working out in Los Angeles and in Oakland.

The Warriors’ season, which Thompson compeletely missed, is over. With a 15-50 record, they were one of the eight teams the NBA did not include in its plans to resume the season this summer.

Warriors forward Eric Paschall says Stephen Curry never stops moving

Everyone knows that Warriors guard Stephen Curry is an awesome player, but it’s always fun to hear the precise wording other players choose to use when discussing him and other greats. Especially when it’s a teammate sharing their particularly unique perspective. Here’s NBC Sports Bay Area reporting:

Eric Paschall didn’t get to share the floor with Steph Curry a lot during his rookie season, as the Warriors star played just five games after breaking his non-shooting hand in October.

But that doesn’t mean the Villanova product didn’t get an up-close look at how true greatness works and operates. In the mere five games that Paschall played with Curry, he was able to see what makes the Warriors star so hard to defend.

“He does not stop moving,” Paschall told Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck on “The Full 48.” “It’s kind of crazy, like, you just see him like, move, move, move, move, move. It kind of messes you up because you’re not used to it especially as a rookie but when you play with him you start to understand where he’s going and what the plays are. I felt like I ended up getting an understanding and seeing what it’s like to play with him and it’s pretty fun.”

Eyes will be back on the Warriors during the 2020-21 offseason. It’ll be a pivotal free agency period for a squad that is back to revolving around famous trio Steph, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, plus Andrew Wiggins, who was acquired last season. Paschall was a big bright spot for the Warriors last season, and should certainly be in the rotation going forward. But more roster work is needed heading into 2020-21 if the team aims to be true championship contenders once again.

Nuggets staff partake in Juneteenth march

This year, Juneteenth is finally getting the increased attention that it clearly deserves.

Here’s the Denver Post with an off-court Nuggets report:

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, assistant general manager Calvin Booth and other team staffers took part in a silent Juneteenth march through Denver on Friday.

The holiday commemorates the day — June 19th 1865 — when the last enslaved African Americans in the U.S. learned of their freedom.

For the first time, the NBA is joining the commemoration by treating it as a holiday and granting all league office employees paid time off. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment treated it as a holiday as well, and Malone encouraged members of the organization to participate.

New Detroit Pistons general manager is Troy Weaver

The Detroit Pistons hired Troy Weaver as their new General Manager today.

“Troy is an outstanding executive with an exceptional track record for identifying and developing talent,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “In talking with Troy, he’s got both the skill and temperament to lead, and the confidence and creativity to work collaboratively with others. We’re excited for him to take the reins as General Manager of the Pistons at this important moment. Ed and the team have done excellent work creating flexibility with our roster and establishing a clear direction. Troy comes aboard to help take us to the next level.”

Weaver, 52, joins the Pistons after spending the past 12 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), including the last three-plus years as the club’s Vice President of Basketball Operations. Previously, he served eight seasons as Vice President/Assistant General Manager with responsibilities that included coordinating player-personnel matters, NBA Draft preparation, free agency planning and summer league roster construction.

Per the Detroit Free Press, “Weaver’s reputation for spotting talent in the NBA draft and facilitating an environment to help young players develop stands out. The Pistons will potentially have a top-five draft pick and more than $30 million in cap space, so Weaver will have ample opportunity to reshape the roster this offseason.”

“It’s an honor for me to join a franchise with the history and tradition of the Detroit Pistons,” said Weaver. “I’m excited for the challenge of building this team into a consistent winner and assembling the pieces to compete at a very high level. We’ll get to work right away, evaluating opportunities and installing systems that will make us all successful.”

And per the Detroit News, “Weaver is regarded for his decisions in player personnel, which starting in his first season with the Thunder in 2008, as he pushed for drafting Russell Westbrook with the No. 4 pick in the 2008 draft. At the time, Westbrook wasn’t projected as an elite NBA prospect, but Weaver identified him as a breakout star.”

Ed Stefanski, Senior Advisor to Tom Gores, noted that Weaver’s experience over multiple years in Oklahoma City and around the NBA make him a great fit to help move the Pistons franchise forward.

“Troy’s basketball knowledge and experience will help this organization in all facets of strategic planning and roster development this coming season and beyond,” said Stefanski. “He has a good eye for talent, is a great communicator and is team oriented. I look forward to working with him as we focus on achieving our collective goals.”

Red Claws guard Tremont Waters wins 2019-20 G League Rookie of Year award

Maine Red Claws guard Tremont Waters has been named the 2019-20 NBA G League Rookie of the Year, the G League announced today. The award, voted on by the league’s 28 head coaches and general managers, recognizes the first-year professional who most significantly contributed to his team’s success during the season.

Waters (5-10, 175, LSU), a two-way player with the Boston Celtics, averaged 18.0 points, 7.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.89 steals in 36 games for Maine. He ranked sixth in the NBA G League in assists per game and 14th in steals per game. Waters registered 10 games with at least 20 points and seven assists, including a season-high 33-point, seven-assist performance in a 155-131 road win over the Greensboro Swarm on Nov. 27.

Behind the 22-year-old Waters, the Red Claws finished in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-14 record. Waters was named the NBA G League Player of the Month for November and earned a spot on the 2019-20 Midseason All-NBA G League Team in the Eastern Conference.

Boston selected Waters in the second round (51st pick overall) of NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm after he averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.91 steals as a sophomore at LSU in the 2018-19 season. Signed to a two-way contract last July, Waters has appeared in 10 games with the Celtics this season.

Waters is the fourth Maine player to be selected as the NBA G League Rookie of the Year, joining Abdel Nader (2016-17), Tim Frazier (2014-15) and DeShawn Sims (2010-11).

Waters appeared in 36 of Maine’s 42 games this season. The NBA G League canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season on June 4. The regular season was suspended on March 12 and had been scheduled to conclude on March 28.

Salt Lake City Stars forward Jarrell Brantley and South Bay Lakers forward Devontae Cacok finished second and third, respectively, in voting for the 2019-20 NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award.

Knicks head coaching job candidates

The Knicks need a new head coach. Whoever gets the job will be in a rebuilding situation, and presumably focused primarily on developing young talent, because that’ll be a more realistic goal than one that involves racking up lots of wins. It’s a high-profile job, regardless of the players on the roster. New York City and the Knicks will always be in a spotlight.

Here’s the New York Post:

Leon Rose and the Knicks are widening their net for prospective head coaches, adding fresh names to an experienced pool that has grown to seven known candidates.

Having already been linked to established names such as favorite Tom Thibodeau, former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, interim coach Mike Miller and former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, they are now planning to interview a trio of assistant coaches: Ime Udoka of the 76ers, Pat Delany of the Magic and Chris Fleming of the Bulls, according to The Athletic and ESPN…

The 62-year-old Thibodeau, who previously coached the Timberwolves and the Bulls, is considered the front-runner for the job.

The Knicks this past season were led in scoring by forward Marcus Morris (19.6 PPG), forward Julius Randle (19.5 PPG) and rookie shooting guard RJ Barrett (14.3 PPG).

The team’s primary young talent is Barrett and center Mitchell Robinson.

Expect the Knicks to at least attempt big moves in the free agency department. Many of the team’s best players last season were on short-term contracts. Much of the roster is subject to change.