Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Kings 2020 NBA draft glance

Here’s the Sacramento Bee with a glance at the 2020 NBA draft, currently scheduled for June 25 but subject to change due to the global coronavirus pandemic, with the Kings in mind:

The Sacramento Kings have a lot to consider between now and the 2020 NBA draft. Questions are more plentiful than ever with the season on hold, including where the team’s first selection will end up.

It appears Sacramento’s first-round pick will be in the lottery. The exact position of the draft slot would be determined by chance. All teams that fail to make the playoffs will have a shot at picking at the top of the draft, with the best odds going to the teams with the worst records.

As it stands, Sacramento would have a 1.3 percent chance at the first overall pick and a 6.2 percent chance of landing in the top four. It’s also possible the teams behind the Kings in the standings could jump into the top four, bumping Sacramento down. The current chance the Kings pick 13th is 7.6 percent and the chance they fall to 14th is about 0.1 percent.

Orlando Magic practice facility likely opening soon for individual workouts

Here’s the Orlando Sentinel with an update on the magic:

The Orlando Magic did not reopen team facilities Tuesday for voluntary individual player workouts amid the coronavirus pandemic as they had tentatively planned last week.

The team now plans to reopen Wednesday, but even that is subject to change, according to a team spokesman.

The Magic delayed the works while they wait for COVID-19 test results for players and staff who will be on hand for workouts, according to the spokesman.

Pacers reportedly taking small steps towards using practice facility

Some NBA teams are taking small steps towards increasing the use of their training facilities, in very limited fashion.

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on the Pacers:

The Indiana Pacers are starting to get players back at St. Vincent Center, a league source tells IndyStar, though most staff hasn’t been cleared to enter the building.

A return to business as usual is still a ways off, as are full practices.

“Full team activities will not resume without express permission from the NBA, and only in compliance with the executive orders issued by the State and the City or other clearance,” the Pacers said in a recent statement. “After consulting with the Mayor’s Office and their subsequent discussion with health officials, players can begin regulated individual therapy and training … while adhering to government and NBA guidance on social distancing and other health guidelines for COVID-19 prevention. Currently, we are following testing guidelines laid out by the State of Indiana.”

Will the 2020-21 NBA season start on Christmas?

Here’s the Fort Worth Star Telegram reporting on Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s take on fitting the puzzle pieces together regarding how the rest of this season may play out and when the 2020-21 season might begin:

Mark Cuban believes the NBA can still salvage its 2019-20 season, despite it being suspended for two months and counting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dallas Mavericks owner pointed to Dec. 25 as the start date for next season and then said you just have to work backward for a potential timeline to resume this season. Most teams, Cuban said, would not be playing an extended schedule as there’s a limited number of teams that would advance through the playoffs.

That, he said, would give the league more leeway as to a hard deadline to resume this season.

“How much of an offseason do we need for the draft, workouts and guys to rest?” Cuban said during an interview on ESPN 103.3 FM on Monday. “Worst-case — we kind of squished the schedule and started late July, early August. That’s just me speculating. Go play a few warm-up games to finish out the season and finalize playoff positioning, then play the playoffs.”

Even without the coronavirus pandemic reshaping much of the world’s schedule, it was possible that future NBA seasons were going to start later in the year. The current suspended-play situation only seems to increase that possibility.

At this point, we’re all playing a waiting game that revolves around health and safety above everything else.

Pelicans reportedly plan to reopen practice facility soon

One by one, teams are taking steps towards reopening their practice facilities, but just so individual players can take advantage. As individuals. While physical-distancing. And not yet working together as a team. Here’s the New Orleans Times-Picayune with an update:

The New Orleans Pelicans are planning to reopen their practice facility in Metairie on May 18, a source confirmed.

Earlier this week, the NBA began allowing teams to open their doors in municipalities where stay-at-home orders have been lifted. Louisiana’s stay-at-home order runs through Friday. The Pelicans plan to start allowing players in for individual workouts three days after it is set to expire.

NBA practice facilities have been shuttered since March 20. Even though players are being let back in, there are strict regulations on what they’re allowed to do. According to a memo the NBA sent out, no more than four players are allowed inside practice facilities at one time. Only one staff member can work with each player, and that staff member can’t be a head coach, a front-of-bench coach or a front office executive. Anyone with a temperature above 99.1 degrees is not allowed to enter.

Hopefully there are some video cameras at some of these workouts, to at least give us some basketball to watch. Even if it’s just one player’s shooting drills or something.

Wizards reportedly offer refunds for postponed games

Here’s NBC Sports Washington reporting that won’t be a surprise, that the Wizards are offering fans some options regarding the batch of regular season games that were postponed:

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is preparing those around the league for games without fans and perhaps beyond the 2019-20 season, if and whenever it resumes. So, it should be no surprise the Wizards are taking steps to reimburse fans who have already paid for tickets.

The team sent out an email to season ticket holders explaining a new policy which will credit people for the remaining games this season for a plan next year. That can be taken as a refund if the ticket holders decide not to renew next season, or if they do renew then an additional three percent credit is added.

We aren’t keeping track of exactly which teams have done this already, but some have, and certainly the rest likely will soon.

The remainder of the 2019-20 NBA regular season remains postponed, not canceled, but with each passing day the likelihood of the season being completed diminishes. Perhaps the playoffs will still be played. We’ll see.

A few workouts recently resumed at NBA facilities

Here’s the New York Post reporting on a tiny step in the right direction:

The new normal at NBA practice facilities began Friday, featuring temperature checks at the door, latex gloves and an outfit in a bag.

The Cavaliers were among the first teams to open back up for voluntary workouts after the league was suspended March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Four players — Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic — went to the facility, where they were met with plenty of new precautions as they took the first step back after nearly two months off.

There’s still a very long way to go. But taking baby steps is the responsible way to go right now.

On the NBA career of Josh Jackson

Here’s the Arizona Republic on young Josh Jackson, who had just started to put up some real numbers when the NBA season was put on hold in mid March:

Josh Jackson never reached his full potential in his two seasons in Phoenix, but he showed signs of doing so for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

After a lengthy process of having to prove himself by playing in the G-League, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft got the call up in January and found himself on the floor when the game was on the line for the Grizzlies (32-33)…

Jackson, 23, averaged a career-low 10.4 points in 18 games, but the 6-8 wing shot a career-best 43.9% from the field. In March, he averaged 16.6 points on 47.5% shooting (38.2% from 3) in five games before the NBA season was put on hold March 11 after Utah Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 207 pounds, Jackson, when NBA play eventually resumes, definitely needs to continue showing growth if he wants to solidify his place in the league.

Knicks may be interested in RJ Hampton for 2020 NBA draft

The Knicks drafted RJ Barrett in the lottery last year. Will they take another RJ in the 2020 NBA draft? here’s the New York Post reporting:

According to a source, RJ Hampton, who skipped college to play in New Zealand, is another point-guard-type under consideration by the Knicks if they select between sixth and 10th in the draft currently slated for June 25.

NBA insiders believe the speedy 6-foot-5, 19-year-old combo guard has been under the radar as a top-10 player because the Dallas native played on the other side of the world and saw his season cut short by a hip injury.

Leon Rose strongly pursued Hampton as a client when Rose was a superagent for Creative Artists Agency before accepting the Knicks’ presidency. Now Rose could join forces with him in a different manner in pairing Hampton with shooting guard RJ Barrett.

The Knicks have nine players on guaranteed contracts signed through the 2020-21 season, but only one guaranteed contract for 2021-22.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra discusses his career

Here’s the Miami Herald reporting what Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had to say to Ernie Johnson via the NBA’s Twitter feed:

Spoelstra addressed other topics in a wide-ranging interview with Johnson:

▪ He said this week marks his 25th anniversary with the Heat after joining the team as an intern to help with the 1995 draft.

Pat Riley was hired as Heat coach and president that summer and Spoelstra said “the only reason I survived that turnover was it was September, and they just needed somebody to cut tape” and didn’t want to train someone from the outside.

“I had a one-year leeway to prove myself,” he said. “Twenty-five years later, they haven’t found a way to get rid of me.”

▪ How did Riley tell him he was being promoted to head coach in 2008?

“It would be like you imagined, a Godfather scene,” Spoelstra said. “He brought me in on a Saturday, after we won 15 games. … The lights were down. I sat on the other side of the desk. I could barely make out his face; he could see me.

“He said, ‘I’m done. You’re ready for it. This will be like you’re in a bird’s nest and I’m going to push you off the branch and you are going to have to figure out how to fly. You have enough experience, you’ve worked for great people. This is happening. Take a couple days to get your S-H-I-T together and Monday is the press conference.’”

Spoelstra’s story is pretty fantastic. His rise up the Heat ranks would make a great documentary.