Tag: Bobby Marks

OKC Thunder news: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked 10th in ESPN’s Top 25 under 25 power rankings

Is SGA being ranked 10th for the best players who are under 25 years old too high, too low or just right?

ESPN released its latest future rankings on the top 25 players in the league who are under 25 years old on Tuesday. ESPN NBA Insiders Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Mike Schmitz all conducted the list based off of future potential.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is 23 years old, came in ranked 10th on the list, which is the same spot he was ranked in last year’s edition of the rankings.

“Despite regressing from 42% beyond the arc in 2020-21 to 30% this season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a career-high 24.5 PPG without sacrificing his playmaking before being shut down by ankle soreness in late March.

Though Gilgeous-Alexander showed the ability to stretch his usage to a career-high 31%, ideally that will go down with more help next season as Oklahoma City’s rebuild starts to round the corner.”

The nine players ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander in reverse chronological order were: Darius Garland, Bam Adebayo, Zion Williamson, Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished his fourth season averaging 24.5 points, five rebounds and 5.9 assists in 56 games.

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OKC Thunder Power Rankings: Franchise ranked 24th in ESPN’s future power rankings

The Oklahoma City Thunder come in ranked 24th in ESPN’s latest future power rankings that projects the next three seasons.

ESPN recently released its latest NBA future power rankings and has the Oklahoma City Thunder 24th.

The rankings were decided by a panel of ESPN Insiders Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre Snellings and Tim Bontemps.

The article projects how the team will perform in the following three seasons, in this case, that would mean how the Thunder will look like for the 2022-23 season, 2023-24 season and 2024-25 season. The rankings are determined by five key components: players, management, money, market, and draft outlook.

The Thunder’s ranking represents a four-spot jump from its October 2021 ranking.

“If the FPR was based solely on draft picks and the front office, Oklahoma City would be in the top 10. Unfortunately, because the rankings are weighted heavily toward how the existing roster will project out, the Thunder sit at No. 24. The positive is that Oklahoma City has 19 first-round picks in the next seven years and up to $32 million from the end of the season to June 30 to use in a trade. The downside is that outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Josh Giddey and Tre Mann, the roster is filled with development projects and average role players. — Marks”

In terms of where the Thunder ranked when it came to the five categories used to create the power rankings, the franchise was 30th in players, tied for sixth in management, second in money and 28th in market and first in the draft.

Which makes sense — outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, the team really doesn’t have a whole lot of star potential. It’s not surprising to see the front office ranked so highly. Thunder general manager Sam Presti is regarded as one of the best in the league. The team’s payroll is filled with nothing but rookie contracts and small veteran deals sans Gilgeous-Alexander’s impending extension. Oklahoma City being a small market has been a point beaten to death over the years. And the Thunder own an historic number of draft picks, so it being first is not shocking.

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Ben Simmons files grievance to challenge nearly $20 million withheld to him by 76ers

Adrian Wojnarowski: Reporting with @RamonaShelburne and @Bobby Marks: Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has filed a grievance to challenge the nearly $20 million of salary withheld to him by the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Story soon on ESPN. …

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Reporting with @RamonaShelburne and @Bobby Marks: Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons has filed a grievance to challenge the nearly $20 million of salary withheld to him by the Philadelphia 76ers this season. Story soon on ESPN. – 8:16 AM
Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Friday NBA content …
Ben Simmons sticks with Nike after a hard (and presumably more lucrative) push from New Balance: marcstein.substack.com/p/ben-simmons-…
April Fools’ playoff thread that gives you the opportunity to be bold and/or foolish with your NBA title pick: marcstein.substack.com/p/lets-be-apri… – 6:00 PM
Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Nets guard Ben Simmons resumes workouts in hopes of Playoff return
sportando.basketball/en/nets-guard-… – 2:57 PM
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
The latest on the potential ramp up of Nets three-time All-Star Ben Simmons: pic.twitter.com/p7LbIc6KHU – 2:20 PM

Mike Mazzeo @MazzNYC
Deleting my April Fool’s joke but it would be nice if the Nets actually told the truth about Ben Simmons among other issues for once. Their fans deserve transparency – 1:50 PM
Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Ben Simmons likely to miss start of playoffs nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/01/rep… – 11:48 AM
Joe Vardon @joevardon
The Brooklyn Nets don’t have the time, stability, or Ben Simmons to set big-picture goals. The Milwaukee Bucks, on the other hand, have everything they need — most notably Giannis. But a first-round matchup between then could be closer than you think. theathletic.com/3223202/2022/0… – 10:05 AM
Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
The Nets’ Ben Simmons sticks with Nike after a serious flirtation with becoming a New Balance endorser, league sources say. My story: marcstein.substack.com/p/ben-simmons-… – 9:19 AM
Joe Vardon @joevardon
Ben Simmons is not close to playing for the Nets. He most likely won’t be ready for the start of the playoffs, if Brooklyn even gets there. But if they do make it, the Nets could very much be the most dangerous low seed in history, ⁦@The Athletic⁩ theathletic.com/3223202/2022/0… – 9:00 AM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
This series would be incredible if Ben Simmons still played basketball – 10:13 PM
CBS NBA @CBSSportsNBA
Joel Embiid, JJ Redick discuss 76ers fans’ relationship with Ben Simmons: ‘They wanted him to shoot the ball’
cbssports.com/nba/news/joel-… – 2:06 PM
Bill Simmons @BillSimmons
Mannix’s MVP intangibles case for Embiid was solid. I’m still leaning Jokic but some good points here. The Ben Simmons soap opera wasn’t a picnic. pic.twitter.com/ImsVqySl29 – 7:50 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
“What I was told from someone familiar w/ the situation was that the back thing got tweaked during during his 1st times and days on the court with Steve Nash….”
@Jake Fischer offers intel on Ben Simmons back flare up.
Plus a Jalen Brunson FA nugget.
bit.ly/3IJFLA0 – 2:56 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
“There were so many times I thought I’d really lose it.” @Joel Embiid opens up on Ben Simmons, the Sixers season and the pursuit of his first MVP. @SInow Daily Cover: https://t.co/wC8qh8VGP2 pic.twitter.com/tjfCpTCTM0 – 9:14 AM

More on this storyline

Adrian Wojnarowski: The grievance – which will now go to an arbitration process – was shared with the team, NBA and National Basketball Players Association late this week, sources tell ESPN. The NBPA is supporting Simmons in the attempt to reclaim his salary. -via Twitter @wojespn / April 2, 2022

Rob Pelinka says Malik Monk is ‘hopefully a part of our future’

As the Lakers’ roster is currently constructed, L.A. will be able to re-sign Monk only by either offering him 120% of the veteran minimum (roughly $2 million) — which he has outplayed — or using the taxpayer’s midlevel exception, estimated to be worth around $6.3 million, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks. “The partnership has been a win from both sides,” Pelinka says. “Both for the Lakers, in terms of the productivity he’s had for us and then I think on his side, just showing people what he can do in big moments in big games. … He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.”

Rob Pelinka says Malik Monk is ‘hopefully a part of our future’

As the Lakers’ roster is currently constructed, L.A. will be able to re-sign Monk only by either offering him 120% of the veteran minimum (roughly $2 million) – which he has outplayed – or using the taxpayer’s midlevel exception, estimated to be …

As the Lakers’ roster is currently constructed, L.A. will be able to re-sign Monk only by either offering him 120% of the veteran minimum (roughly $2 million) — which he has outplayed — or using the taxpayer’s midlevel exception, estimated to be worth around $6.3 million, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks. “The partnership has been a win from both sides,” Pelinka says. “Both for the Lakers, in terms of the productivity he’s had for us and then I think on his side, just showing people what he can do in big moments in big games. … He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.”

Source: Dave McMenamin @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Dave McMenamin @mcten
New feature: In a season known for what’s gone wrong for the Lakers, Malik Monk is something that’s gone right. I sat down with the high-flying guard to track his career to this point and spoke to the Lakers to see what they see for him in the future es.pn/3ieBA4u – 8:16 AM
Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Lakers’ starters vs. Minnesota:
Dwight Howard
LeBron James
Austin Reaves
Malik Monk
Russell Westbrook – 7:32 PM
Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Starters at Minnesota: Westbrook, Monk, Reaves, LeBron and Howard. – 7:31 PM

More on this storyline

“We’re very loyal people,” Marcus says. “The Lakers were calling him nonstop once free agency opened. So we don’t forget about that. On the other side, it is a business. … But I would love to see him in a Laker uniform.” Monk would too. “It’s a beautiful experience, man,” he says. “I love it.” -via ESPN / March 18, 2022
Bobby Marks: Unless the Lakers clear salary in the offseason, the $6.3M tax ML is the max they can sign Malik Monk as a FA. -via Twitter @BobbyMarks42 / February 6, 2022
Harrison Faigen: LeBron says that he and Jason Kidd would talk last year about Malik Monk a lot. “Is there a way we can snatch this guy from their roster?” LeBron would wonder. This summer, the Lakers made it happen. -via Twitter @hmfaigen / January 5, 2022

Bobby Marks says he’s worked with LaMelo Ball ahead of NBA draft, refutes poor interview report

An unlikely source stepped up to defend LaMelo Ball in ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who has worked with Ball in the pre-draft process.

LaMelo Ball came under fire in recent weeks after a report from the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell indicated Ball was slipping in the draft due to poor interviews. The report was the first indication of any kind of Ball’s pre-draft process and has since led to a host of other rumors.

Interestingly, that report was refuted in some capacity by an unexpected source in ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The former general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, Marks now serves as the cap guru for ESPN. Along with that, though, Marks helps prepare draft prospects for team interviews in the pre-draft process.

On the latest episode of The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe, Marks revealed that Ball was one of those prospects he worked with this year. Marks also pushed back against the notion that Ball would be a headache for a franchise.

“…Rick (Bonnell) wrote a report about LaMelo and how he hasn’t interviewed that well and it certainly could be true and I’m sure it is because Rick has great sources and stuff like that. But I spent a lot of time with LaMelo. He’s one of my, I guess, stable of prospects I’ve helped prepare for the draft. So, I’m going to go out on a limb on LaMelo Ball here. He is an 18-, 19-year old kid who has not had much structure in his life but loves to play basketball, right? That is one thing you can not take away from this kid that he loves to play basketball.

So, I get it. Maybe he didn’t interview well with Charlotte and maybe he didn’t want to be there and stuff like that but, certainly you can do your game study on him, but from a personality standpoint, I don’t think there’s a risk at all if Charlotte takes him at three that this kid’s going to come here and be a pain in the you-know-what there.”

First, it’s interesting that Ball and his team sought out Marks to work with ahead of the draft. Ball certainly needed help, as do most draft prospects, in preparing for interviews with teams. While not extrapolating too much from one decision, it’s encouraging that Ball is seeking out help for areas he needs help in.

Second, it’s also noteworthy that someone like Marks, who still has sway around the league and whose voice matters, back Ball’s character. Many see LaVar’s personality and assume his children are the same. In reality, LaMelo, and his older brother Lonzo for that matter, could hardly be different. Both are relatively quiet players who keep to themselves and work hard on their game.

The team that can look past the preconceived notions about Ball will almost certainly find themselves a point guard with the talent and potential to be a franchise-changer in the future.