New Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says first up is film-watching

Former Thunder head coach Billy Donovan recently landed the Chicago Bulls’ head coaching job. Chicago Sun-Times on him as he settles in to his new job:

Billy Donovan is about to do his best to make this roster excuse proof.

There will be no more, ‘’They took away my mid-range,’’ “This new offense has been a big change,’’ or “My arms are sore from practice pushups,’’ coming from players.

The new Bulls head coach isn’t into making players change their strengths to fit his system. Instead, he will build a system that fits what this roster does well.

Refreshing?

Well, more like actually just what a good coach does.

“The first thing I’ll do is watch a lot of film,’’ Donovan said recently, when discussing the transition he will be making in his new gig. “I think being in the league for five years, even though we’re playing in the West, you’re playing Chicago twice so you have a feel for some of those guys. But I also think too, one of the things I’ve always felt like is important when you’re building out different things offensively is I think you’ve got to spend time with players to let me hear from them how do they want to be used. How do they feel like they’re most effective? What are things they feel most comfortable doing? How can you take advantage of their skillset and their offense? And I think you go through that with the players and talking to them and getting their opinions and their thoughts.

“And then you build out from there of how you want to play.’’

Beyond Donovan and the Bulls, it would be fascinating to learn more about how players say they feel they should be used and what coaches actually do with them. It’s safe to say that most NBA players have a firm understanding on what they’re best at on a basketball court. The hard part comes after they’ve named their obvious best attribute or two.

Donovan has a tough job ahead of him. The roster he’s dealing with needs work.

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday wins 2019-20 Teammate of the Year Award

NBA players have selected New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday as the recipient of the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.

The award, presented annually since the 2012-13 season, recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

More than 250 NBA players submitted their votes for the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award through confidential balloting conducted by the league office. NBA players determined the winner from among the 12 nominees who were selected by a panel of league executives.

Holiday received 53 of 267 first-place votes and finished with 1,041 total points. Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (806 points; 48 first-place votes) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Korver (796 points; 26 first-place votes) finished in second and third place, respectively. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.

In addition to Holiday, Harris and Korver, the other finalists were Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig, Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, Toronto Raptors forward-center Serge Ibaka, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.

Holiday, 30, has spent the last seven seasons with New Orleans after playing his first four seasons with Philadelphia. The 6-3 guard was selected as an NBA All-Star in the 2012-13 season and named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017-18 and 2018-19. In the 2019-20 season, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.62 steals in 61 games across regular-season games and seeding games.

In July, Holiday announced that he would use the remainder of his 2019-20 season salary to start a social justice fund with his wife, Lauren, a former player for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Justice Impact Fund is designed to address socioeconomic inequalities across communities in New Orleans, the Los Angeles area and Indianapolis. Jrue and Lauren are Los Angeles and Indianapolis natives, respectively, and Jrue’s two brothers, Aaron and Justin, both play for the Pacers.

Will Suns target Fred VanVleet, Jerami Grant in free agency?

The Suns failed to make the playoffs this season, but won all eight of their games in the Disney NBA bubble, have a talented young core, and have every reason to be excited for next year’s prospects. Here’s the Arizona Republic mentioning two players they might want to consider targeting in free agency this offseason:

Around $20 million a year.

That’s what the Toronto Raptors could pay point guard Fred VanVleet to stay in O Canada and still have a “maximum salary slot for 2021,” the Toronto Star wrote last month.

Up to $16 million a year.

That’s how much Denver Nuggets power forward Jerami Grant could command as he can opt out of his contract, The Denver Post reported last week.

Phoenix is reportedly interested in both, but probably couldn’t land the two even if they made major moves starting with trading Kelly Oubre Jr.

And some more on VanVleet:

Talent should translate, but you’re asking someone who can be a starting point guard for several teams, including the one he’s on, to play behind veteran Ricky Rubio.

Could see VanVleet finishing games, though. He’d allow Booker to play off the ball and make teams pay for doubling Booker.

Wonder if Rubio would be willing to come off the bench?

Suns free agents this offseason include Aron Baynes and Dario Saric. When healthy, Baynes definitely helped. He’ll turn 34 years old this December, so if he does return it would likely be on a short-term contract.

The rest of the core roster — Booker, Rubio, Kelly Oubre, Deandre Ayton and friends — will be back.

The team is on the rise.

Sacramento Kings hire Alvin Gentry as Associate Head Coach

The Sacramento Kings have hired Alvin Gentry as Associate Head Coach.

“I’m excited to add Alvin’s valuable experience and leadership to the team,” said Walton. “His veteran coaching perspective will be a great addition and I look forward to working with him again to continue developing our group.”

Gentry brings more than 35 years of coaching experience to the Sacramento bench. He most recently served as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, where he guided the team to 48 wins during the 2018-19 regular season – the third most in team history – and a trip to the NBA Playoffs, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for only the second time in franchise history.

Prior to New Orleans, Gentry was the Associate Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, helping lead the team to the 2015 NBA Championship. Alvin has also previously served as head coach for the Miami Heat (1995), Detroit Pistons (1997-2000), Los Angeles Clippers (2000-2003) and Phoenix Suns (2008-2013). In 1,105 games, Gentry has garnered a career record of 510-595 (.462).

With Gentry at the helm of the Suns, he guided Phoenix to the 2010 Western Conference Finals following a 54-28 regular season record – the fourth best in Phoenix franchise history – and led the NBA in scoring with 110.2 points per game.

The Shelby, North Carolina native was a point guard at Appalachian State, where he earned a degree in management (1977) prior to his coaching career.

Lakers beat Heat 102-96, take 3-1 lead in NBA Finals

LA Times: “In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers found a way. They had just enough to come out ahead 102-96 and take a 3-1 series lead over the Heat in the best-of-seven series and are now one win away from securing the franchise’s 17th championship. James led the Lakers, scoring 28 points, eight assists and 12 rebounds, while Davis scored 22 points, with four assists and nine rebounds, distinguishing himself with his stifling defense on Miami star Jimmy Butler. James and Davis each made eight of 16 shots attempted. The importance of this game wasn’t lost on the Lakers. They were on edge after their Game 3 loss Sunday, unhappy with how that game unfolded. Just in case, James wanted them to know just how important it was to him.”

Miami Herald: “Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James seemed to control the second half of Game 4, with 20 points on 5-of-8 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists during the final two quarters. He scored only eight points on 3-of-8 shooting in the first half. James finished Los Angeles’ victory with 28 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and six turnovers. Five of his six turnovers came in the first half. The Lakers’ second star was also very good in Game 4. Big man Anthony Davis recorded 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks in the win. Davis and James combined for 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the second half.”

Miami Herald: Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler followed up his historic 40-point Game 3 triple-double performance by almost picking up another triple-double. He finished Tuesday’s loss with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, 10 rebounds, nine assists and three steals, as the Lakers used Davis and James to defend Butler for most of the game.

Miami Herald: “Adebayo was relatively effective in his return Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes. On the defensive end, Adebayo took on the challenge of guarding Davis during stretches. But Adebayo was quiet in the fourth quarter, with two points on one shot, one rebound and zero assists in the period.”

Miami Herald: “This is the Heat team that steamrolled Indiana in the first round of the playoffs and then eliminated Giannis Antetokounmpo and No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the second. The Lakers with LeBron and A.D. were supposed to dominate fifth-seeded Miami, which didn’t even make the playoffs the year before. And that was before starters and key players Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic were lost to injuries in the series. Dragic remains out with a foot injury, tearfully, as he described it Tuesday. Adebayo played well in his return, though surely not 100 percent.”

OC Register: KCP, as he’s known to Laker Nation’s resident fans and critics, finished with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. That offensive production included a couple of big buckets late that helped L.A. wrestle a hard-fought victory away from the Miami Heat in the bubble at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. With the Lakers leading only 90-88 and about 3 minutes left, Caldwell-Pope sprinted to the corner in transition, ready and awaiting LeBron James’ pass, which he caught, shot and converted for one of his three corner 3-pointers of the night. “That’s really one of my specialties,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I’m always running from end to end, corner to corner.” Moments later, Caldwell-Pope let the Lakers breathe yet easier when he got Duncan Robinson to bite on a fake at the top of the key, blew past the Heat guard and flew all the way to the rim for a soaring and sensationally timed layup off the backboard that made it 95-88 with 2:02 to go.

OC Register: With two minutes left in the fourth game of the NBA Finals, Caldwell-Pope found himself with the ball and Miami’s Duncan Robinson guarding him. That invited Caldwell-Pope to burst to the bucket and put the Lakers up by seven, and then Davis and Rajon Rondo expanded that cushion. The Lakers now lead, 3-1, with this 102-96 win. Like the steamfitters and stampers and fabricators that they resembled, they took a shower after they worked. “We don’t really have a third scorer,” Kyle Kuzma said, after he and the rest of the Laker bench outscored Miami’s reserves 27-14 and had 14 rebounds. “Our scorers are AD and LeBron, and then the rest of us play team basketball. Any of us can step up at any time.”

Isaiah Thomas aims for return to NBA

Guard Isaiah Thomas was a big deal for a while. And then injuries struck, and lingered on and on. And soon he became an afterthought. But that’s not he way he wants to be remembered. And he’s ready for a comeback. Here’s Boston.com reporting:

Isaiah Thomas told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski he has “no more pain” after undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure five months ago and is hoping to contribute to an NBA roster this upcoming season.

Thomas pieced together one of the more memorable individual runs in Celtics history in 2016-17, averaging 28.9 points per game and willing the team deep into the playoffs. He pushed through a lingering injury as much as he could yet was ultimately ruled out for the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics then traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in a deal for Kyrie Irving, and Thomas has never been the same since the setback he suffered in a March 2017 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since that season, he’s played a total of 84 games in four years with four teams.

He believes he’s recharged and is poised for a bounce-back season, calling it “like night and day” since he had the procedure to fix a bone-on-bone issue that bothered him for three years.

If Thomas is truly healthy now, then he’s surely worth signing to a non-guaranteed contract, as a scoring option off the bench.

LeBron, Lakers had turnover problem in NBA Finals Game 3

NBA Finals Game 4 is Tuesday night. Here’s the OC Register with some LeBron James-related analysis from Game 3:

LeBron James, who walked off the court early Sunday night in frustration, said having lost once wasn’t exactly a call to urgency for the Lakers — he’s tried to stay in that mode for the entire series.

“Until the series is completed, I kind of stay on edge, stay locked in on the job at hand,” he said. “Obviously, no one wants to ever lose. You hate that feeling, especially when you know you didn’t play your best, and I definitely wasn’t at my best last night from an individual standpoint.”

The mistake James highlighted was 20 team turnovers, eight he gave up himself. Miami scored 17 points off those giveaways. While James called them “careless,” Coach Frank Vogel was careful to give credit to the Heat for making the Lakers work on their ball movement.

“We were careless in some situations, but I think they took four charges throughout the game, they fronted the post, forced us to make difficult post entry passes,” he said.

Examining how Lakers defense may change in NBA Finals should Heat get Bam Adebayo back

If the Heat get Bam Adebayo back, they should play better against the Lakers in NBA Finals Game 4 and beyond, right? That’s a perfectly logical assumption. And it’s probably true. But to look at things from a different angle, here’s the LA Times:

From the Lakers’ perspective, they have a more effective and traditional defensive unit when Miami Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo plays in the NBA Finals.

Adebayo hasn’t played in the last two games and called himself “day to day” because of a neck injury, leaving him uncertain for Game 4 on Tuesday night against the Lakers at AdventHealth Arena. His teammate, guard Goran Dragic, said Monday he was unsure when he would be able to play again after missing Games 2 and 3 with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

At 6 feet 9, Adebayo plays closer to the basket than his backups, and that allows the Lakers to play to their defensive strengths with the physical 6-10 Dwight Howard and the long-armed 6-10 Anthony Davis at center.

Adebayo has the ability to initiate Miami’s offense, but he doesn’t venture outside very much to score, which allows the Lakers to protect the basket better.

Finals Game 4 is Tuesday night.

Status of Bam Adebayo upgraded to questionable for NBA Finals Game 4

There’s a hint of good news coming in the form of an injury report today. Here’s the Miami Herald on it:

The chances of Bam Adebayo returning for Game 4 of these NBA Finals rose on Monday afternoon when the Miami Heat upgraded his status from doubtful to questionable. But Heat guard Goran Dragic said he’s unlikely to play in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday – he’s listed as doubtful – and that there’s no timetable for his return.

Adebayo (neck strain) and Dragic (torn plantar fascia in left foot) did not play for the second consecutive game Sunday after exiting Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers because of their injuries.

Adebayo said he hasn’t been told by team doctors and coaches if he will be permitted to play in Game 4 on Tuesday (9 p.m., ABC). But hours later, the Heat upgraded him to questionable.

We’re calling it a hint of good news, because there’s no way to know exactly how close Adebayo is to being 100 percent. Hopefully for the Heat he’s ready to go. His exact status may not be known until just before game-time.

Heat center Bam Adebayo hopes to play soon

The Heat need health, and quickly. Sure, they won NBA Finals Game 3 vs. the Lakers last night, but they still face a seriously uphill battle right now. Getting Bam Adebayo back for Game 4 would be a really nice boost. Here’s the Sun Sentinel with the latest on their two main injured players:

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo said Monday he is hopeful for a return to the NBA Finals as soon as Tuesday night’s Game 4, with teammate Goran Dragic with a far less optimistic outlook.

The two have missed the past two games of the best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Lakers, after being injured in Wednesday’s Game 1 loss. The Heat then also lost Friday’s Game 2, before rallying behind Jimmy Butler’s 40-point triple-double to win Sunday’s Game 3.

Adebayo has been out with a neck strain, Dragic with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot.

The Heat can’t expect Jimmy Butler to put up monster games like yesterday’s 40-point triple-double. They need Adebayo back, and soon.

Adebayo’s status for Game 4 might not be known until tomorrow afternoon, or even just before it begins.