Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Spencer Dinwiddie onto Team Nigeria?

Here’s some interesting international basketball news, via the New York Post:

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is planning to acquire a Nigerian passport to play for Nigeria in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, according to The Athletic.

Dinwiddie, who was not among the 44 players who were announced as finalists for spots on Team USA, can be eligible to play for Nigeria if he is successful in his quest for a passport. He confirm The Athletic’s report with a simple reply on his Twitter page.

“Well now y’all know lol,” Dinwiddie tweeted.

Dinwiddie had a good season for the Nets in 2019-20, and for many weeks was considered a contender to make the All-Star team.

Anthony Davis reportedly selling his house in Los Angeles

Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News with some NBA-related real estate news:

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis, scheduled to become a free agent this summer, has listed his contemporary Mediterranean-style home in Westlake Village.

The asking price is $7.995 million.

Set atop two-plus acres in guard-gated North Ranch Country Club Estates, the five-bedroom, 15,815-square-foot house was built in 1996 and recently expanded and remodeled.

And more from the New York Post:

Dealt to the Lakers last summer, the 27-year-old Chicagoan can become an unrestricted free agent after the season if he declines his player option for 2020-21. Back in January, Davis turned down a maximum contract offer from the Lakers worth $146 million over four years, as he would be eligible for a larger contract with the Lakers by first becoming a free agent. The Lakers at the time maintained optimism they would be able to retain Davis, according to USA Today, while the superstar has danced around questions about his future.

And the Los Angeles Times:

The contemporary Mediterranean mansion sits behind gates with a guesthouse and a $1-million infinity-edge swimming pool complete with dual waterslides, a baja deck and a spa. But perhaps even more impressive: an attached basketball gymnasium featuring its own viewing box.

Custom-built in 1996 and later expanded, the roughly 16,000-square-foot house features a two-story entry with a curved staircase, a wood-paneled office and a movie theater. The kitchen is equipped with two islands. There are five bedrooms and seven bathrooms including a multi-room master suite.

The house is a bit small for our tastes, but feel free to place a bid if you don’t mind a cozy lifestyle.

Could Cole Anthony be the right pick for Knicks?

Here’s the New York Post reporting on guard Cole Anthony, who is going pro after one season at UNC:

The Knicks need a point guard and there is a highly rated one who lives just a few subway stops from the Garden. It could be a perfect match, one that Cole Anthony — the son of former Knicks guard Greg Anthony — would welcome.

“It would be pretty cool,” the Upper West Side native and one-and-done former North Carolina star told The Post in an exclusive interview. “I was a fan for a good amount of time. I do like the Knicks. I think they definitely can use a guard, a good scoring point guard. If that happens, it would be pretty cool to play in front of my little brother.” …

If the Knicks did take Anthony, he would join a young core that includes RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox. A lot of pressure would come with staying home, expectations to get the once-proud franchise back on track. But Anthony has dealt with pressure for most of his life, as the son of Greg Anthony and an elite recruit dating back to his freshman year of high school.

The draft is scheduled for June 25.

UNC guard Cole Anthony declares for 2020 NBA draft

Here’s the Raleigh News and Observer reporting a story that won’t come as a surprise: North Carolina freshman guard Cole Anthony, son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, is going pro:

Anthony, 6-3, 190 pounds, led the Tar Heels last season with 18.5 points and 4 assists per game. His brief college career got off to a hot start. He scored 34 points in UNC’s season-opening win against Notre Dame. The Tar Heels started the season 6-3.

But injuries, and the team’s lack of on-court chemistry, led to the Tar Heels’ struggles.

Anthony missed 11 games in the middle of the season after having surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. During that stretch, the Tar Heels went 4-7.

Their style of play changed dramatically after. Anthony was the primary ball handler, and without him, the Tar Heels had to spread the ball around more. When he returned Feb. 1 after missing those 11 games, UNC”s new style of play clashed with the old one. The Tar Heels lost seven consecutive ACC games and Anthony shot 38 percent from the floor.

Anthony remains a projected upper lottery pick. His final stats for his one college basketball season were 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 38% FG and 34.8% from three-point range.

The 2020 draft is scheduled for June 25.

We may see Devin Booker play a bit more PG for Suns

Here’s Arizona Sports reporting on the Suns backcourt, which features Ricky Rubio at point guard and scoring star Devin Booker at shooting guard:

So, on a team where its net rating went from 3.8 when starting point guard Ricky Rubio was on the floor to a team-worst -6.5 when he was off, you’d surely want to fill in some of those spot minutes with Booker in control, especially with the inept backup point guard play, right?

Nope. The Suns’ top lineup in minutes featuring Booker without Rubio, Elie Okobo, Ty Jerome, Tyler Johnson or Jevon Carter played a total of six minutes. (And let the record show they scored 21 points in those six minutes).

There, of course, was a reason for this. Booker got worn down by those minutes with the burden of the entire offense on him, and preserving Booker over a full season was a priority for [head coach Monty] Williams.

But after year one of locking Point Book away in the basement, Williams wants to bring him back upstairs next season.

“Anything I would like to explore would probably be putting Devin at the point guard position a bit more than I did last year,” he said on a conference call Thursday. “I think he’s at a point in his career where he’s making the right plays consistently.”

After a hot start to the season, the Suns were 26-39 when the league was put on hold in mid March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Booker averaged 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while Rubio put up 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists per outing.

Some Miami Heat player notes from the season

Had the global coronavirus pandemic not put a stop to things, today was to be the final day of the 2019-20 NBA regular season.

The Miami Heat were having an excellent season, and while Jimmy Butler is their most well-known player, plenty of other guys share the credit, including do-it-all first-time All-Star forward Bam Adebayo, and talented young guards Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro. Here’s the Miami Herald with some notes:

Adebayo: If this is the end of the regular season, Adebayo will join Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists before turning 23.

Robinson: No player other than Steph Curry has ever hit as many three-pointers in a season at such a high rate of accuracy. Let that marinate for a minute.

Nunn: With 972 points, Nunn scored more in his first 62 games than any other undrafted player during the common draft era (post-1966) except Connie Hawkins (1,494).

Herro: Among players with at least eight clutch three-pointers this season, only Joe Harris shot better than Herro on threes in clutch time, among all NBA guards this season.

With games on hold, if the regular season was declared over but the playoffs to begin, the Eastern conference No. 4 Heat would be playing the No. 5 Pacers in the first round.

Devin Booker has selected the organizations who will receive his NBA 2K tournament win money

Here’s the Arizona Republic reporting which organizations Devin Booker has chosen to support thanks to his recent video game touranment win:

Phoenix Suns all-star Devin Booker will split the $100,000 grand prize for winning last week’s NBA 2K Players Tournament between #FirstRespondersFirst and Arizona Food Bank Network, the Suns announced Wednesday.

Booker defeated teammate Deandre Ayton in the finals Saturday to win $100,000 to give to his charity of choice in support of coronavirus relief efforts.

#FirstRespondersFirst provides “essential supplies, equipment and resources for the protection of frontline healthcare workers” while Arizona Food Bank Network is “a non-profit organization serving five regional food bank members across the state of Arizona and a network of nearly 1,200 food pantries and agencies.”

Veteran forward Trevor Booker announces retirement from NBA

Forward Trevor Booker has announced his retirement from the NBA, calling it a career by tweeting out the news in video format Tuesday evening.

He played in the league between 2010-18, and wasn’t on a squad last season or the currently-suspended one.

Overall, Booker averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, spending the most time on the Wizards, and also playing for the Jazz, Nets, Sixers and Pacers.

Booker has famously been involved in business, for years. Fans can expect to keep hearing his name on that front.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ mother Jacqueline passes away due to complications from COVID-19

The Minnesota Timberwolves today issued the following statement regarding the passing of Karl-Anthony Towns’ mother Jacqueline Towns:

“The Timberwolves organization is incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Jacqueline Towns due to complications from COVID-19. In the four-plus years we were fortunate to know Jackie, she became part of our family. Her passion for life and for her family was palpable. As Karl’s number one fan, Jackie provided constant and positive energy for him and was beloved by our entire organization and staff at Target Center as she supported her son and the Timberwolves. The League, teams, and players have come together in their support of Jackie and Karl and we are grateful for our NBA family. We would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who cared for Jackie during her illness and all of Karl’s fans who sent their support this past month. Our deepest condolences go out to Karl and his family during this difficult time.”

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Karl-Anthony Towns first revealed his mom’s battle with the virus in late March via an Instagram video in an effort to spread awareness about the potential severity of the virus and the need for everyone to take proper safety measure to minimize its impact.

In the days after Jackie and Karl Towns Sr., Towns’ father, first had symptoms of the virus, Towns watched as his mother’s condition continued to get worse. Her cough worsened and her fever was constant.

“She was deteriorating in front of our eyes,” he said.

In that video, Towns shared that his mother was on a ventilator and in a medically-induced coma.

Kansas guard Devon Dotson declaring for 2020 NBA draft

Here’s KSHB in Kansas City with info on a draft prospect going pro:

Calling it his “ultimate dream,” Kansas sophomore Devon Dotson will forgo his final two seasons of college eligibility and declare for the NBA Draft.

Last season, Dotson led the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game, and was named Big 12 Player of the Week three times. The Charlotte, N.C., native was also a Consensus All-America Second Team and Wooden Award All-American.

Speaking to ESPN.com, Dotson said: “I can bring elite speed, explosiveness and change of pace to an NBA team early. I believe with the additional spacing that the NBA game provides, I will be able to put pressure on the defense with my speed and strength,” he said. “Also, I believe that I will be able to initiate offense in the open court with my ability to changes ends quickly. Lastly, my toughness, speed and quick feet also translates well on defense allowing me to stay in front of opposing point guards.”

The 2020 draft is scheduled for June 25.