NBA Teams – Page 674 – NBA Blog

Timberwolves basketball staff hirings

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced additions to the team’s basketball staff for the 2016-17 NBA season, naming Noah Croom as Assistant General Manager, Brian Pauga as Director of Player Personnel and John Carideo, Jim Eyen, Drew Nicholas, Scott Roth and Jim Todd as Scouts. The team also named Matthew Duhamel as Director of Athletic Therapy, Pierre Nesbit as Assistant Athletic Trainer and Troy Sutton as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach.

The team also announced the following staff have been appointed to various positions within the organization: Calvin Booth as Director of Pro Personnel, Matt Bollero as Pro Personnel Scout, David Crewe as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach/Assistant Athletic Trainer, Emmanuel Rohan as Director of Basketball Administration, Todd Checovich as Manager of Basketball Operations and Rachel Saunders as Manager of Team Services.

Croom comes to Minnesota after serving as Legal Counsel and Agent for Goodwin Sports Management (GSM) since 2002. Prior to joining GSM, Noah held positions at Latham & Watkins, a New York City based law firm, the National Basketball Association and the Vancouver Grizzlies. He served as Assistant General Manager and Legal Counsel for the Grizzlies, where he negotiated all player and coach contracts and represented the team in its dealings with the NBA league office.

Pauga spent the last nine seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, including taking over as Director of Scouting in 2012 and General Manager of the NBA D-League’s Austin Spurs in 2013. He started with the Spurs as a Basketball Operations Intern in July 2007 before earning a promotion to Basketball Operations Assistant in 2008. Before joining San Antonio, he worked as a student manager with the Michigan State men’s basketball team from 2003-07, including the Spartans’ 2005 Final Four squad.

Carideo has served as a Scout for NBA teams since 2001, including stops with the Denver Nuggets (2001-09), Charlotte Bobcats (2009-10) and New Orleans Pelicans (2010-16). Before joining the NBA, Carideo spent time as the Head Coach for the Trenton Shooting Stars of the IBL and was an Assistant Coach for various IBL and USBL teams, including winning the 1999 USBL Championship with the Atlantic City Seagulls.

Eyen has more than 26 years of NBA experience with over 30 years of combined coaching, consulting and scouting experience. He most recently served as an Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2014-16, his second stint with the Lakers. He has also coached with the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.

Nicholas won the NCAA National Championship with Maryland in 2002 and reached the Final Four twice in his collegiate career. He played professionally for 10 years internationally, including winning the Euroleague Championship in both 2009 and 2011. His international career saw him play in a number of countries, including Greece, Italy, Russia, Spain and Turkey before his retirement in 2013. Since retiring as a player, Nicholas has served as an analyst for a variety of media outlets and coached youth basketball.

Roth returns to Minnesota as a Scout after playing for the Timberwolves in 1989-90, the team’s inaugural season. As a coach, he has served as an assistant on five NBA coaching staffs: Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, Memphis/Vancouver and Toronto as well as stints with four different national teams. Roth had a three-year NBA playing career with stops in Minnesota, San Antonio and Utah before playing internationally until 1994.

Todd has worked as an Assistant Coach for six different NBA teams over 15+ years, most recently as an Assistant to Mike Woodson with the New York Knicks from 2012-14. Todd’s career has also included stops with the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.

Duhamel joins Minnesota as Director of Athletic Therapy after spending six years with the Minnesota Vikings as an Assistant Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist. Prior to his time with the Vikings, he worked as an Intern with the New England Patriots’ medical staff. Duhamel earned his undergraduate degree in Athletic Training from Northeastern University where he worked with the football and men’s basketball teams, before earning his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Boston University.

Nesbit begins his first season with the Timberwolves as Assistant Athletic Trainer. Prior to coming to Minnesota, he most recently worked as a Seasonal Assistant Athletic Trainer for the New England Patriots during the team’s run to the 2016 AFC Championship Game. Nesbit received his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Purdue University in 2013 before graduating from Auburn University with a Masters of Education in Exercise Science with an emphasis in Biomechanics in 2015.

Sutton enters his first year with Minnesota as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach after most recently serving as the Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Northwestern University over the last four years. Sutton’s professional experience also includes time at Ohio State University, Arizona State University and Ohio University. Sutton received his Bachelor of Science in Sport and Leisure Studies from Ohio State University in 2004 before earning his Master of Science in Health and Human Sciences from Ohio University in 2005.

Timberwolves hire Andy Greer and Rick Brunson as assistant coaches

The Timberwolves on Sunday announced additions to the team’s coaching staff for the 2016-17 NBA season, naming Andy Greer and Rick Brunson as Assistant Coaches, Peter Patton as Shooting Coach, Daisuke Yoshimoto as Special Assistant to the President of Basketball Operations and promoting Vince Legarza to Player Development Coach. Ryan Saunders will also continue in his capacity as Assistant Coach.

Greer joins the Timberwolves after spending last season as an Assistant with the Toronto Raptors under Dwane Casey. Before joining the Raptors, Greer spent five seasons on Head Coach Tom Thibodeau’s staff in Chicago. Greer’s NBA resume also includes Assistant positions with the Memphis Grizzlies (2007-09), Houston Rockets (2003-07) and New York Knicks (2001-03), and Scout for the Portland Trail Blazers (2009-10).

Brunson is entering his third season coaching under Coach Thibodeau, previously serving as an Assistant Coach in Chicago from 2010-12. He got his start in the NBA coaching ranks as an Assistant with Denver in 2007 before stops in Chicago and Charlotte (2012-13). A nine-year NBA veteran, he played with seven different teams from 1997-2006, including playing in New York (1998-2000) and Houston (2005-06) when Thibodeau served as an Assistant Coach.

Legarza is entering his second season with the Timberwolves, originally joining the team prior to last season as Player Development Assistant/Player Development Video Coordinator. A San Francisco native, he spent two seasons in the Atlanta Hawks’ Basketball Operations/Player Development departments before coming to Minnesota. Prior to joining the NBA ranks, Legarza spent five years playing at Miami University, including serving as Captain of the squad for three seasons.

Patton has been teaching basketball for over 20 years, including learning the craft of shooting under San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach Chip Engelland. A four-year graduate at DePaul, Patton never missed a game in college and set the DePaul single-season three-point percentage record as a junior (54.1%), a mark that still stands.

Yoshimoto joins the Timberwolves after spending last season in Denver as Video Coordinator. Before joining the Nuggets, he spent four seasons in Chicago as Video Coordinator under Thibodeau. Prior to starting his career with the New Jersey Nets, Yoshimoto served as Video Coordinator for the Ukraine National Team under the direction of Head Coach Mike Fratello.

Suns add four to training camp

The Suns on Sunday signed center Gracin Bakumanya (pronounced Gra-SOH BAH-koo-MAHN-yah), forward Derek Cooke Jr., guard Shaquille Harrison and forward Derrick Jones Jr., bringing the club’s roster to 19 players.

Bakumanya, a 6-11, 220-pound center, went undrafted in 2016 as an international early entry candidate. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the 19-year-old played the 2015-16 season with Antibes Espoirs, the training center for Antibes Sharks of LNB Pro A, the top-tier league in France. He averaged 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 30 games with Antibes Espoirs, in addition to playing in two games with Antibes’ Pro A team. At NBA Summer League 2016, Bakumanya saw action in two contests with Houston.

Cooke, a 6-9, 220-pound forward, spent the 2015-16 season with the Suns’ NBA D League affiliate, then the Bakersfield Jam. In 47 games with the Jam, he averaged 4.8 points and 7.0 rebounds, including 3.1 offensive boards which tied for sixth in the league, in 23.4 minutes. Cooke was also a member of the Suns at NBA Summer League 2016, appearing in three games in Las Vegas. Prior to going undrafted in 2015, Cooke played three seasons at the University of Wyoming where he helped the Cowboys to a Mountain West Conference tournament title and NCAA tournament berth in 2014-15. As a senior in 2014-15, he averaged 8.1 points on 72.0 percent shooting and 5.8 rebounds.

Harrison, a 6-4, 185-pound guard, went undrafted this past summer following a successful four-year career at the University of Tulsa. A starter in all 133 games in his four years, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals for his career, finishing second in program history with 461 career assists and third with 244 steals. As a senior in 2015-16, Harrison averaged career-highs of 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists as he was named the American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year. Harrison earned All-AAC Second Team honors in both his junior and senior seasons at Tulsa.

Jones, a 6-7, 190-pound forward, went undrafted in 2016 after playing one season at UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels’ second-leading scorer in 2015-16, he averaged 11.5 points on 58.9 percent shooting and 4.5 rebounds in 30 games during his freshman season. Jones recorded four double-doubles at UNLV, including a career-high 26 points to go with 10 rebounds against Chaminade at the Maui Invitational. The 19-year-old was named the 2015 Southeastern Pennsylvania Player of the Year following his senior season at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa.

Big expectations for Mavs this season

On paper, the Mavericks look pretty nice on both ends of the floor coming into the 2016-17 season. New small forward Harrison Barnes on offense is still learning his way, but on defense both he and new center Andrew Bogut know what they’re doing. Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram with more:

Bogut and Barnes won an NBA title with Golden State in 2015, and were part of the Warriors’ contingent that set a single-season league record with 73 wins last season before ultimately losing to Cleveland in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks signed Barnes to a four-year, $94 million contract in July and acquired Bogut in a trade.

In effect, Bogut will replace Zaza Pachulia and Barnes will replace Chandler Parsons in the Mavericks’ starting lineup. Pachulia (one year, $2.9 million) and Parsons (four years, $94 million) eventually signed free-agent contracts with the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively.

“Zaza and Chandler gave us a real nice presence at the center and small forward positions,” said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations. “But I think it was imperative for us to be younger and a little bit more athletic and defensive minded, and that’s certainly something that both Harrison and Andrew Bogut bring to the table.” …

Barnes (6-8, 225) will also have a refreshing change in that he’ll finally escape the shadows of Warriors’ All-Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The Mavericks are banking on that escape propelling Barnes — who won an Olympic gold medal last month — and his game to a new level.

Lots of pressure on Goran Dragic this season

With Dwyane Wade gone and Chris Bosh still out indefinitely due to health concerns, there’s every chance in the world for point guard Goran Dragic to rise up and do big things. Considering how young the rest of the squad’s key players are, Miami needs Dragic to exceed all expectations. Here’s the Miami Herald with more:

Goran Dragic made it clear from the start that when the Miami Heat traded for him 19 months ago he was only around to support Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, not step on their toes.

Dragic, 30, obviously doesn’t have to worry about playing backup singer to anyone on the Heat anymore. With Wade, a 12-time All-Star, gone to Chicago in free agency, and Bosh, an 11-time All-Star, out for the foreseeable future after failing a physical this week in his continuing battle with blood clots, the Heat is as much Dragic’s team now as it is Hassan Whiteside’s.

“I’m ready,” Dragic said Saturday afternoon between signing autographs and taking photos with fans who lined up by the dozens at the Heat store inside Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater to meet the 2014 All-NBA third team point guard.

Victor Oladipo has big Thunder goals

The Thunder are a very different team coming into this season. Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka are gone, and Victor Oladipo and a lot of question marks are in their place. Russell Westbrook is a star, and the team has some capable big guys. As for Oladipo, there’s an opportunity for him to do big things, even as he shares the backcourt with Westbrook. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting:

“I don’t just want to be a three-point shooter. I don’t just want to be a defensive stopper,” Oladipo said at Thunder media day. “I want to be one of the best players in this league, and in order to do that, you have to affect the game on both ends and do multiple things.”

For two seasons, Andre Roberson started 135 regular season games for the Thunder as the heir to Thabo Sefolosha at shooting guard. While Roberson provides length and athleticism on defense at 6-foot-7, he’s a below-average perimeter shooter and shot creator, scoring just 22.8 percent of his baskets unassisted last season. In contrast, Oladipo scored 51.5 percent of his baskets unassisted last season, which would have ranked fourth on the Thunder behind Westbrook, Cameron Payne and Dion Waiters.

Defensively, Oladipo could improve simply by playing with better teammates. Roberson and Adams proved to be elite defenders in the postseason. Westbrook, when focused, can be a terror. Westbrook thinks he and Oladipo can be the best defensive backcourt in the league. Oladipo agrees…

Last season, Oladipo’s shooting struggles came mostly as a bench player, a role that saw him shoot 27.1 percent from 3 over 20 games. But in 52 games as a starter, Oladipo shot 36.8 percent from 3-point range.

Jeremy Lin in spotlight for Nets

Entering the upcoming season, center Brook Lopez is considered the best player on the Nets. But on a global level, new point guard Jeremy Lin will get the most attention. Here’s the New York Post with more:

Jeremy Lin isn’t just the Nets’ new point guard, but their biggest (only?) drawing card and most fascinating figure, one whose reach and interests go beyond basketball.

Harvard-educated and socially conscious, he has more than 3 million Facebook fans, 2 million Twitter followers and 500,000 subscribers on YouTube. A superstar in Asia, he is in the top five among NBA players in an index score by MVPindex, which calculates follower counts, engagement and online sentiment.

Oh, and the Nets aren’t just expecting marketing, but leadership.

“He came off the bench in Charlotte and did a heckuva job, but this is a different deal. Now, you’re the quarterback, the Eli Manning,’’ [new head coach Kenny] Atkinson said. “There’s a different level of responsibility. It’s new to him.”

Phil Jackson has opt-out option after the season

This was the biggest Knicks summer in years. Roster moves were made with the clear intention of winning now. And while Phil Jackson is expected to run things for years more, he actually can elect to opt-out after this upcoming season should he choose to move on. Here’s ESPN NY with more:

“The proof is in the pudding” was a phrase Jackson used on Friday when asked to assess his presidency thus far. “Fiscally, I’ve been very responsible as a president,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve really had an opportunity to do a lot with the personnel, but we’ve been successful in getting it to a position where we can operate as a basketball team. That’s been our first goal and to eat some dung in the process, we had to do that and live with it.”

If the Knicks struggle this season — or even if they don’t — there will likely be plenty of speculation about Jackson’s future in New York. He has an opt-out in his clause after the season. Jackson said on Friday he hasn’t thought about the option.

“I’ve just been going straight ahead. That really hasn’t been an item for me to think about,” Jackson said. “The fact that I had a clause put in the contract, that in case there was a lockout, that it might be a way to step away from the team or a job that doesn’t have any work action going on for a period of time. So that was one clause. That hasn’t affected what I’m doing now.”

New Kings arena is high-tech

These are just some of the details (see article for more), but the new Kings arena in Sacramento sounds like all sorts of fun. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Golden 1 Center, built for an eye-popping $557 million, will be one of the most high-tech sports facilities anywhere. Fans will speed through “smart turnstiles” to enter and tap their cellphones to find their seat. Tweeting and posting photos to Instagram should be a breeze; the arena comes with enough bandwidth to support a stadium four times as big. And don’t worry about getting a headache from staring at the world’s largest indoor video scoreboard; it was designed by a Walt Disney Co. engineer to minimize eye movement.

Opening with a pair of Paul McCartney concerts Oct. 4 and 5, the downtown arena is an extension of Ranadive’s worldview. An electrical engineer by trade, he is fascinated with the newest, greatest and most advanced. Golden 1 is state of the art, and then some…

Even the stuff that seems low-tech at first blush fits into Ranadive’s obsession with bigger and better. Take the 40-foot-high aircraft hangar doors that loom over the arena’s main entrance, which can be left open during games and concerts. Though the Kings haven’t decided when to deploy them – plenty of details have to be worked out first – Ranadive loves the idea of several thousand spectators watching an event from the exterior of what Ranadive calls the world’s first “indoor-outdoor arena.”

Pelicans sign guard Quinn Cook

The Pelicans yesterday (Saturday) signed free agent guard Quinn Cook. The team’s training camp roster now stands at 20.

Cook, 6-2, 179, spent his first professional season with the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League. Appearing in 43 games (37 starts), Cook averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.7 minutes per game, en route to earning All-NBA D-League Third Team and NBA D-League All-Rookie Team Honors, and being named a D-League All-Star and the 2016 NBA D-League Rookie of the year.

A four-year letterwinner at Duke, Cook held career averages of 10.9 points, 3.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 143 games for the Blue Devils, helping the school capture the 2015 NCAA National Championship as a senior in 2015.