This year’s end-of-season awards are making for some interesting conversations among NBA pundits.
Dennis Schroder might be the king of scoring off the bench in the NBA, but a panel of 20 ESPN experts gave Montrezl Harrell of the Los Angeles Clippers the nod as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
Obviously, those polled — Kevin Arnovitz, Jerry Bembry, Nick DePaula, Nick Friedell, Kirk Goldsberry, Andrew Han, Chris Herring, Andrew Lopez, Tim MacMahon, Jackie MacMullan, Bobby Marks, Dave McMenamin, Kevin Pelton, Omar Raja, Jorge Sedano, Andre’ Snellings, Marc Spears, Eric Woodyard, Royce Young and Ohm Youngmisuk — merely gave their opinion on the matter, but they represent an interesting focus group.
The league announced last week that the end-of-season awards will only take performance through March 11 into account, as the NBA’s position is that doing so will give players not competing in Orlando an equal opportunity to get some votes.
When the announcement was made, many — including us — thought that Schroder’s chances of walking away with the award improved. Among qualifiers, he’s the leading bench scorer in the league. His 19 points, 3.6 rebounds and four assists per game are excellent numbers even for a starting guard, much less a reserve.
With respect to team record, the Thunder will enter play on July 30 at 40-24, good for fifth in the Western Conference. That’s where Harrell has him beat.
Harrell — who averages 18.4 points, seven rebounds and 1.6 assists per game — is one of the more important rotation pieces on the 44-20 Clippers. He has a cumulative plus-minus of plus-4.1 on the season, slightly higher than Schroder’s plus-4. Their record is good for second in the Western Conference, and when award races are close, the winner is typically the player whose team fared better during the regular season.
In the end, of the 20 experts polled, Harrell received nine votes, while Schroder received votes from seven: Bembry, Goldberry, Marks, Raja, Snellings, Woodyard and Young. Lou Williams, also of the Clippers, was the only other players to receive votes from the 20-person panel, picking up the other four.
On an interesting side note, 17 of the 20 panelists picked Giannis Antetokounmpo for League MVP, with the other three choosing LeBron James.
Again, their opinions aren’t binding in any way, but in short order, we’ll find out if their prediction rings true with respect to whether Schroder will walk away with the trophy.
2020 free agency isn’t expected to be as eventful as 2019. This isn’t just because of the lack of star power on the market, but also because most teams are going to operate over the salary cap. Most of these over-the-cap teams still have plenty of …
2020 free agency isn’t expected to be as eventful as 2019. This isn’t just because of the lack of star power on the market, but also because most teams are going to operate over the salary cap. Most of these over-the-cap teams still have plenty of flexibility due to the amount of space they have relative to the luxury tax. This allows them to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE), currently projected at $9.8 million. These teams are also well below the projected hard cap to participate in sign-and-trades.
There are a select few teams that are already set to be in the luxury tax in 2020-21 or close to it that are going to be limited with ways to make moves. These franchises will likely be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception (T-MLE), currently projected at $6 million, and don’t have young players or draft picks with much trade value to shake things up. These teams may end up doing the least amount of transactions this summer due to their lack of flexibility.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
The Sixers have the highest payroll heading into 2020-21 at $146.9 million. They also are $8.1 million over the luxury tax which would give them a $12.9 million luxury tax bill. With four players set to earn at least $27 million next season, the Sixers will be locked into their current roster. Thankfully, they already have 11 players under contract and a likely first-round pick from Oklahoma City.
The biggest issue with the Sixers may be their foundation. After deciding to let Jimmy Butler go, they went all-in on an Al Horford-Joel Embiid frontcourt for the next four years. The pairing may already be proven unsuccessful as head coach Brett Brown began experimenting mid-season with starting lineups that don’t include Horford. The soon-to-be 34-year-old has $69 million guaranteed over the next three seasons. Despite his talent and leadership, most teams are set at center, and his contract is probably too tough a pill to swallow for teams that could use him.
If they decide to move on from him, they probably won’t get much of a return, but it could open up a ton of flexibility. They could also look to trade Tobias Harris if they want value with flexibility, but it’ll be hard to replace him with a player of his caliber. Unless the Sixers can trade one of their most expensive players to reduce payroll, they’ll be set with the T-MLE as their largest means for improving their roster. That could be enough to address their need for a backup point guard. They do have a large stash of second-round picks over the next four drafts they can trade, but those are best suited for minor trades. Unless the Sixers make a big salary-reducing trade, they’re likely looking at a summer full of incremental moves.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Assuming the Lakers re-sign Anthony Davis, they will have few moves they’ll be able to follow up with to improve the roster. With Davis back on a maximum contract, his starting salary will push them far over the cap. They will have to make excellent use of their mid-level exception because that is going to be their best shot at adding talent.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($8.5 million), Avery Bradley ($5 million), JaVale McGee ($4.2 million), and Rajon Rondo ($2.7 million) all have pending player options this summer. Aside from Rondo, the other three players might have cases to decline their options. This is mostly due to the Lakers’ lack of flexibility this summer, making it extremely difficult to replace these players if they leave. If the luxury tax isn’t an issue, the Lakers would be wise to give each player slight raises.
The other obstacle preventing the Lakers from improving their roster is their lack of trade assets. Kyle Kuzma and their 2020 first-round pick isn’t a package that is going to net them the impact player they seek. After trading their draft equity over the next five drafts for Anthony Davis, their trade flexibility has run dry. The Lakers are most likely looking at running back their 2019-20 roster, which is good.
HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Rockets might not be considered among the league’s most unflexible teams if it weren’t for their self-imposed luxury tax restrictions. The past two seasons saw the Rockets not utilize the full mid-level exception amounts or maximize trade opportunities in pursuit of avoiding the tax. With the maximum salaries of James Harden and Russell Westbrook increasing each season, and potentially a lower luxury tax than the current $139 million projection, look for the Rockets to once again continue bargain-hunting. Regardless, being just under $10 million below the luxury tax with only nine players on the roster does put them in a tough position. They’ll still be pushing up against the tax if they get to the 14-player roster minimum, which presumably would eliminate using even a small portion of their mid-level exception.
The Rockets could alternatively use their mid-level exception and reduce salary with a trade later. The player that could be traded to increase their flexibility could be Eric Gordon. He just signed a veteran extension with the Rockets for the maximum amount he was eligible for. Still, the 31-year-old guard will be earning an average of $18.2 million over the next three seasons. That could quickly turn out to be a negative-value contract. Regardless of their tax plan, it would make sense to get a good trade package for Gordon while his value is relatively solid. They could replace his production with someone who earns less than he does while opening up a lot of flexibility.
BROOKLYN NETS
After signing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan last offseason, the Nets capped themselves out for the foreseeable future. They further invested in their depth by extending Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Taurean Prince. The Nets are now projected to be $4.7 million above the luxury tax with the current roster locked in for next season.
The Nets’ top priority after hiring a new coach will be re-signing Joe Harris. Because they’re already in the tax, they will likely be limited to the T-MLE instead of the NT-MLE. This is to so they won’t be subjected to the hard cap, allowing them to go deeper into the tax to re-sign Harris. The Nets have Harris’ full bird rights and seeing how the Nets are already in the tax, other teams could test their willingness to spend by making Harris big offers.
Fortunately for the Nets, they already have 14 players on their roster including the 2020 pick Philadelphia owes them. High spending likely isn’t an issue for them, and it doesn’t seem like they have any contract that is considered negative-value that they’re dying to get off of. Their lack of flexibility can bite them if the team is struggling next season. With most of the core earning at least $10 million locked in for at least the next two seasons, they’ll have a hard time retooling the team via trade without losing value.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Like the Nets, the Clippers also maximized their spending in 2019 and have invested in their core for next season as well. The Clippers only have 10 players on the roster for next season and have the mid-level exception for improving the roster. Without any real trade assets on the roster, the Clippers must prioritize re-signing their top free agents in order to keep as much talent as possible.
They’re $25 million below the projected luxury tax but could easily surpass that amount if they re-sign both Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris. The Clippers have Harrell’s full bird rights, so they can spend as much as needed to retain his services. Clippers have Morris’ non-bird rights but it allows them to re-sign him to up to a four-year deal with a maximum starting salary of $18 million. Seeing how the Clippers won’t be able to replace both players easily, look for them to re-sign both players despite it pushing them into the tax.
If the Clippers let both free agents go, they’d still be over the cap. There is no pathway for them to create cap space without trading one of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George, or gutting their roster. As talented and cohesive as their role players have been, they are unlikely to net the Clippers a significant upgrade in a trade. After trading all their chest of first-round picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder, they’re all out of assets and trade flexibility.
Los Angeles Clippers big man Patrick Patterson was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. Listen to the interview above or read the transcribed conversation below.
What was your reaction when the NBA announced that they were suspending the season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus?
Patrick Patterson: Initially, it was disbelief. There was also a little bit of anger just because, being an athlete playing in the NBA, you want to compete. You want to play the game that you love and you want to be out there as much as possible, so there was a little bit of anger and a lot of disbelief, a lot of questions. “Why?” “How?” Obviously, “What’s next?” It took me a while actually to get around to, “Okay, are those guys alright? Is anyone else infected with the virus? What’s the next move for them? Are they going to be stuck there, quarantined, or do they get to fly back? What about their families?” It took me a while to get around to the virus itself and the players and individuals and families and fans that were around them and have been around them. But initially, man, I would say – just like a lot of people – it was just a whole bunch of disbelief and questions and a little bit of anger.
With the NBA lifestyle, you’re traveling so much and interacting with many different people. Were you concerned that you could be at risk?
PP: Yeah, definitely, especially when we were playing for a while and the virus was talked about and, all of a sudden, the NBA puts out a statement saying that players can no longer really interact with the fans on a personal level – no slapping hands or grabbing markers to autograph items. They said, “Maybe just fist-bump.” So, there was a little bit of worry during that time period as far as, “Okay, maybe a fan could actually have it and then you could contract it if you tried to take a picture with them or put your arm around them or if they handed you an item to sign.” They could’ve handed you a marker with a card or a piece of paper or a shirt, and a lot of guys high-five fans before and after the game, so there was a little bit of concern going on.
Then, with your teammates, you’re with them every single day, hours upon hours. They’re around their families and you don’t know where they go; they hang out with different people, so there was always that chance of them getting it and handing it over to you. I think the big thing was once it came out that there are people who are asymptomatic and can get the virus and not experience any symptoms whatsoever and feel completely healthy but they technically still have it in them and the ability to spread it, I think the worries just went through the roof after that.
Because the season may resume at some point soon, players are being told to stay in shape from home. Unless you have an in-home court or gym, you’re sort of limited in what you can do (and most players don’t have either of those). What have you been doing to work out at home?
PP: It’s been a challenge. During the offseason, guys have the ability to go to different gyms to work out with their trainers and play pick-up basketball with other athletes. And, on top of that, you have your strength-and-conditioning coach that you’re with all the time in the facility. You have your circle around you that you trust and know that you can work out with whenever you want. Now, for me, I live in an apartment, so it’s difficult to set up situations where I can get all of that. Thankfully, the team sent out a few items that can help me with my workouts and I moved all of my cars out of the garage and I’ll do an hour workout in the garage with all of the items that I have. I mix in runs in certain areas in L.A. that have hills. I’ll mix in yoga sessions in the garage; I go on YouTube and type in yoga and then do a yoga session. That’s really all I can do right now. Some people I know have a gym and an actual basketball court in their home, but I don’t have that. I actually thought about hitting up Lou [Williams], Kawhi [Leonard] or Paul [George] and being like, “Hey, can I borrow your court for a little bit?” or, “Can I borrow your gym just to get a workout in?” For a lot of those guys in the upper echelon who have the large homes with a court and a large gym in them, it’s easier for them to stay in shape just because they have all the equipment. But, for me, it’s just trying to get things that can help me stay in shape and stay ready for whenever we do get that call to come back.
Since most players don’t have access to a court or gym, players could be at a higher risk for injuries if this stoppage goes on for a while and then the NBA tries to resume the season quickly. An NBA strength-and-conditioning coach recently told me that he’s concerned about players getting injured when they return. Do you agree that’s a concern?
PP: Yeah, that’s definitely on my mind. I could’ve sworn I heard something on ESPN or the radio – I can’t remember – but someone said that these playoffs are going to be the best playoffs that have ever happened in the NBA, like, “You give these guys two or three months to rest their bodies and heal up and then unleash them back on the court, it’s gonna be amazing!” I’m like, “No.” Right now, with the virus and everything going on, certain guys have courts and have better opportunities to stay fit, stay in shape and fix their bodies. But for everyone else, you can’t really go work out, you can’t go to the gym, you can’t go to certain facilities to do what you do. And some guys may fall into that mindset or routine, like, “Okay, tomorrow I’m gonna workout.” Then, it’s, “The next day, I’m gonna workout.” Or, “I’m just gonna do a little bit now and then I’ll do more tomorrow,” but then you don’t do anything tomorrow.
There’s a lot more free time, there’s a lot more ability to not work out, to not train, to not do what you do every single year to make sure your body is strong and healthy. And, during this time, there could be a number of guys who are just being lazy, who are just sleeping in and playing video games, who are not working out so they’re putting on pounds, losing muscle and strength and mobility and durability in their muscles and bones and joints. And then, next thing you know, the season starts back up again and they give us a couple weeks before we go to [finish the] regular season or we go straight to the playoffs, and guys’ bodies aren’t nearly the same as they were before the stoppage began. So, there is concern. I do have concern for myself and other guys across the league who may not take this break seriously and try to rest a little too much or who don’t have the equipment and everything that they need to get stronger, stay ready and stay prepared.
For sure. You mentioned that the Clippers sent you some equipment to help you work out at home. I know some teams have sent treadmills or exercise bikes or weights to players. Some teams are sending different workouts to the players as well. What exactly did the Clippers send you?
PP: Yeah, so everything is different for different teams. Some teams have sent out treadmills, like you said. I’ve heard of teams sending ladders and I’ve heard of teams sending ellipticals. I’ve heard a number of things that certain guys across the league have gotten from their team and their own strength coach. For me, personally, I’ve received ladders, weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, BOSU balls, benches, boxes, jump-ropes… I have pretty much everything that I need – of course, minus a treadmill. But I basically have everything that I need.
As far as what we do as a team, I want to say three-to-four times a week, our strength coach puts us all in a Zoom session and every morning around, like, 10 a.m. there will be some type of hour-long workout. We all just sign in on the Zoom session and our trainer is right there, leading a workout for an hour. That’s what we do. I’m not sure what everyone else does, but I feel like there’s some type of set-up across the league that allows guys to at least get in an hour-long workout with equipment that has been sent from the team and with either their strength coach or a yoga instructor – if they have a yoga instructor on the team. I know guys who are doing yoga sessions to keep their body mobile and their joints good and their muscles loose. The Clippers have done a great job, a solid job, getting us the equipment that we need to set up in our homes so we can stay in shape and stay ready to the best of our abilities.
Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
Hopefully, this virus will get contained soon and things can start returning to normal. The NBA is obviously hoping to resume the season and crown a 2020 champion. What are the Clippers telling you guys when it comes to the possibility of the season resuming?
PP: Everyone from the Players’ Union to the coaching staff to the people within the Clippers organization seem to be confident that the season will continue at some point this year. Whether that’s in the summer or whether that’s in August, at some point the season will begin and they will finish it. How the season will finish off and play out is a big question – whether you get a little bit of training camp and regular season and then playoffs, or a little bit of training camp and you go straight to the playoffs [remains to be seen]. The playoffs could be the best-of-three or the best-of-five or whatever it may be; it could be shorter. No one really knows. But the number one thing right now that I seem to be getting from everyone is that the season will commence at some point, just no one really knows when. Things seem to be changing, of course, with the virus and the virus’ ability to affect others and the population. People [are still] getting sick right now, so no one knows when it’s going to begin. But I think the important thing for us in the NBA, as far as our job goes, is that it will commence at some point.
What does a typical day look like for you right now?
PP: Man, I wake up usually around 10 a.m. and have some breakfast. I do a little hour or hour-and-a-half workout, whether that’s strength-and-conditioning or going on a run or yoga; I mix it up every other day. I have lunch, then I’m writing, reading, playing video games or watching TV shows or movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, whatever it may be. Then, I have dinner and then I do the same thing until I fall asleep with video games and TV. And then, literally, the same thing the next day. Every day is basically the exact same right now. I’m trying to stay home as much as possible, so the only time I really leave the house is to grab groceries (and I’m careful with that whole process) or to go for some type of run somewhere in my neighborhood.
What shows have you been watching? I know everyone is talking about “Tiger King,” so I watched that. I finally saw “Billions” too.
PP: Man, the amount of shows that I have watched during this time is incredible. Of course, “Ozark.” I think everyone was waiting on that to finally drop, so I watched that. “Tiger King.” I found a show called “Kingdom.” “Altered Carbon.” “The Stranger,” which I finished last night. “On My Block.” “The Sinner.” I even watched “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” That’s what the quarantine is doing to me right now (laughs). There’s so much stuff that I’ve watched. One of my friends told me to watch “Righteous Gemstones,” which is on HBO NOW. There was another one on HBO, “The Outsider,” which I watched. I’m literally flying through shows, it’s incredible.
I’ve been so impressed with the NBA players who are donating to nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, paying the arena employees who are out of work and so on. In some cases, the players have stepped up way more than the billionaire owners. How proud are you to see the NBA community making a difference?
PP: Oh, I’m very proud of my NBA brotherhood stepping up and helping out those who are less fortunate, [helping] the workers, having meals sent out to families that need food, being a part of food drives and donating to people who are in a position to get food to people. I think the guys in the NBA are doing a great job. A little bit goes a long way. It doesn’t matter how much you donate, but if you do, trust me, it goes a long way. I’m very proud of those guys. My wife got us to help and donate to animal shelters where, obviously, a lot of pets and animals are hanging out and don’t have the ability to have a roof over their heads and a meal every single day and, with the virus, there can’t be a lot of workers and people around them so we wanted to help out L.A. dog shelters and donate to them to help out the animals and hopefully get animals into homes. People are home right now and can’t do anything and you’re alone and bored. What better thing to cheer you up right now and occupy your time than a dog? So my wife and I helped out with that. Shout out to guys in the NBA, NFL NHL or WNBA [who stepped up] and anyone who isn’t an athlete who helped out the people in their neighborhood and their district. I just think it’s big that we all come together and help out each other in some type of way.
Also, the NBA donated $50 million and they made a huge impact when they decided to suspend the season. I think that caused many other sports leagues and businesses to shut down, which probably saved lives.
PP: I agree. The NBA stepping up and doing something like that most likely had a positive effect on the outcome of this situation. If they didn’t do anything and waited another couple of days or even a week, who knows where we would be right now?
As viewers, we’re all missing basketball because we want a distraction now more than ever. But, as a player, you’ve played basketball just about every day since you were very young. How much are you missing basketball and five-on-five right about now?
PP: Oh, I’m missing it so much, like crazy. I’m talking to a couple of guys who retired and obviously it’s not the same level – it’s a different feeling – but I’ve just been talking to guys who retired and are no longer playing the game that they love and just trying to get feedback and advice. Once they retired and they knew they weren’t playing anymore, what was their mindset? What did they do? What were their next moves? How did they wake up every single day to do something [else]? I’m just trying to apply what [they’ve told me] in the conversations that I’ve had with them because although basketball will resume at some point, people always talk about life after basketball. I think right now is a big opportunity for guys across the league to, of course, stay in shape and stay focused, but also to look at different aspects of life like, “Okay, if this was the end of my basketball career, what would I do?” Would you still be working out as much? Do you think you’d have a plan in order to generate income or keep yourself busy and take care of your family? For me, it sucks and I want to play. I love basketball and I’ve played my whole life. But, right now, I’m thinking about life after basketball too. What can I do to make myself more comfortable with that day when it finally comes? So, that’s just the whole mindset that I’m trying to put myself in right now, just trying to stay away from, “Man, I can’t play the game I love…” [Instead], I’m getting in the mindset of, “Alright, what can I do now to solidify myself later on down the road – whenever that day comes?”
That’s really smart. I feel like the players who struggle in retirement are the ones who never thought about life after basketball and then they’re suddenly thrown into it. Planning ahead is so important and a number of retired players have given that advice on this podcast, so I love that you’re doing that. What do you want to do after basketball? Hopefully that’s not for a while, but do you know what you’d want to do next?
PP: Yeah, hopefully that’s not for at least another five years. But yeah, for me, I love movies – I’m huge on movies – so me and a good friend of mine that I’ve known for quite some time plan on starting our own production company and creating and producing our own films and TV shows. Our ultimate dream and ultimate goal is to get [a film] into South by Southwest, TIFF or the Sundance Film Festival and maybe a huge company picks it up or maybe it goes to a theater or at least gets to Hulu or Netflix or some type of streaming network. That’s the ultimate goal. That’s the ultimate dream. The past couple of years, I’m just trying to piece by piece put that together. And now, like I said, during this whole situation, I feel like this is as great an opportunity as any to actually put the hard hat on and focus a lot more on that.
Speaking of movies, you do a thing called Lockdown Movie Night where you watch a movie on Netflix with your Instagram followers and do a Q&A while everyone watches the film. How did that come together?
PP: I used to do this thing during the year called Pat Presents and get a movie before it was released in theaters and pick 100-to-200 fans and all of us would just get together in a movie theater and sit down, have some snacks and watch the movie. Then, I’d take pictures, sign autographs and talk to them afterward. I used to do that, like, once a month. Since this situation has happened and I can no longer do that, now we’ll watch a movie via Netflix – all 50 of us at the same time. We all jump in a chat room, talk back and forth about the movie, what everyone’s been up to, our families and they can ask me questions about the season and just whatever comes to mind. Then, once the movie is over, we hold a quick Q&A – about three-to-five questions – and whoever gets the questions, right, I’ll send them a little care package with some Clippers stuff, some autographed stuff and some memorabilia. I’ll send it their way. It’s something that I started doing last week. I’ve had two and the third one will be tonight (4/10). I hold it on my Instagram (@pdpatt) and anyone who wants to be a part of it can just comment under the post and I just randomly pick the fans and send them a quick DM with the link and then we all just hang out and watch a movie on Netflix.
That’s awesome. What’s your favorite movie of all-time?
PP: For me, it’s tough, so I usually do it by genre. My favorite drama of all-time is “Gladiator.” My favorite horror movie of all-time is the original “Nightmare on Elm Street.” My favorite comedy is a toss-up between “Superbad” and “Step Brothers.” My favorite thriller would be “Se7en” with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Action is the toughest one because there’s like crazy good action movies every single year, from Marvel to even one of the Fast and Furious movies (I think it was 5 or 6, I can’t remember which one it was). There are just so many great action movies that come out every year, it’s hard for me to pick one. For sci-fi, either the original “Alien” movie or the original “Blade Runner” or “The Matrix,” which is solid as well. I have to do it by genre since I’m a huge movie fan, a huge movie buff, so it’s hard for me to only pick one.
Let’s talk about the season a bit. Your Clippers were 44-20 and one of the top teams in the NBA before the season was suspended. Is it even more frustrating that this happened during a season when you are potentially so close to competing for a championship?
PP: Oh, yeah. I haven’t been in this type of situation as far as my chances to win a championship since one of my years in Toronto, so it’s tough, especially like right now since we just acquired Marcus Morris and were working him into the system. Everyone was getting more comfortable with each other on the court – Joakim Noah, Reggie Jackson. We were just getting all these new additions to the team and starting to gel and figuring each other out and figuring out what we need to be and what we need to do and starting to gain some momentum and then next thing you know, at the snap of a finger, and we’re where we are now. Then, it’s like, “Okay, back to the drawing board again once this whole ordeal ends.” But being in one of the best situations I’ve had in my life as far as chances to make it to the Finals and having great guys on my team that I genuinely enjoy being around every single day – from Lou [Williams] to Pat [Beverley] to ‘Trez [Harrell] to JaMychal [Green] to Paul [George] to Kawhi [Leonard] and the list goes on and on, all of those guys are such fun, great guys to be around – having to take a step back from all that right now sucks. It definitely sucks, which is why I’m eagerly waiting for it to all start back up again.
The Clippers entered this season with a lot of new players – and two new focal points in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – and then continued adding more players throughout the year. Was it tough to get everyone on the same page and develop chemistry?
PP: Yeah, we went a long time without having a full roster, a healthy roster, where every single individual suited up for the game. We’ve had guys in and out; we’ve had games without Kawhi, we had a whole bunch of games without Paul to start the season, Pat went down, Lou had something, ‘Trez had something, Sham (Landry Shamet) had something… It just felt like there wasn’t really one game where we were fully healthy or we at least had everyone suited up and available to play. We had guys in and out lineups, which I think is a good thing, ultimately, in the long run just because we’ve had opportunities and chances to play with different lineups and different people out there on the court, so different guys have been in game-time situations [together]. As the season progressed and guys started getting healthy and getting back out there on the court and we were acquiring guys here and there steadily throughout the season – just great additions to the team – everyone was just having a good time with each other, having fun out there on the court and just joking in the locker room. It was a good process. It was a roller coaster, up and down, losing some games that we should’ve won, having situations with guys getting hurt that you don’t want to get hurt and you wanted them out there as fast as possible, but I think, ultimately, at the end, we all came together and we were all on the same page and focused and ready to make a solid push toward the championship.
How much communication have you had with your teammates at this time?
PP: We talk every day. There’s always at least someone talking in the group chat, so we’re all connected via our iMessage and there seems to be communication with at least two people every single day. Someone will send a meme. Someone will send some type of update with the COVID-19 crisis going on in the world. Of course, right now, there’s that Players Only NBA 2K challenge going on. ‘Trez is playing and Pat played the other day, so [we’re discussing that]. There’s constant communication going on with us. Even though we can’t be around each other, guys are still talking and checking up on each other’s families and making sure everyone’s working out and staying ready.
What’s it like playing with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and does that duo make life easier for everyone around them?
PP: Yeah, it makes everything easy. I’m very blessed to have Paul, and Kawhi as teammates. They’re great guys, great family men. They care about the team. They care about winning and they always care about doing the right thing. For me, it makes my job easier and definitely more fun, being out there on the court playing alongside them. And then, of course, you throw in Lou Williams, who’s arguably one of the best sixth men to ever play the game – I have him and Jamal Crawford [as the best] – and then ‘Trez and his ability to score at will and just be dominant out there on the court and all those guys, it makes stepping out there on the court and my job a lot easier and more fun.
The Clippers and Lakers were widely regarded as the two best teams in the Western Conference and both were being picked as possible champions. What’s it been like to experience that Clippers-Lakers rivalry firsthand?
PP: It’s nothing but pure entertainment seeing the fans and the people all throughout the city of L.A. Right now, everyone knows L.A. is a Lakers town, it’s Laker city. We’re hoping we can change that, obviously, with the championship this year. But this is pure entertainment, man. The fans make it enjoyable with the bickering back and forth and the banter and just the energy. Whenever you step on the court against the Lakers, whether they’re the home team or we’re the home team, you just know that it’s going to be a tough, hard-fought game with a lot of passion behind each and every play. So, it’s just entertainment. It’s just pure joy and pure entertainment.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell will compete in a tournament to be televised on ESPN.
NBA players, the league and their partners are coming up with creative ways to compete and entertain people amid the need to social distance and keep people inside in order to flatten the curve of the spread of coronavirus. Players were some of the first most well-known people to get the virus, but now many of them are looking to do something competitive with their time: enter the player’s only NBA 2K tournament.
Brooklyn Nets star and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant is the biggest player of note competing in Friday’s 2K tournament. Durant also tested positive for the coronavirus, as did fellow competitor Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. All players will play as themselves in a 1v1 tournament. Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell, who is due to be a free agent, will also participate in the tournament along with his Clippers teammate Pat Beverley, Atlanta’s Trae Young, and Portland’s Hassan Whiteside.
.@NBA2K's "Players-Only" tournament will air starting this Friday on @ESPN. Here are the brackets – who do you think is gonna take it all? pic.twitter.com/51ltOfjeqR
Don’t bother waiting until June to find out. We’ve got you covered right here.
We’re just beyond the midway point of the NBA season and riding through the All-Star break. At this moment, as we said before, it still feels like we know almost nothing about the league.
That won’t stop me from dropping some way too early awards picks for this season, though.
We’ve been without basketball for a week — what else are we supposed to do? Now is the absolute perfect time to drop off some hot takes that will undoubtedly have to be walked back come June. That’s what it’s all about, am I right?
With that being said, let’s jump in.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The 2019-20 NBA MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
In a season where it feels like the “no brainer” decisions have come few and far between, this feels like the biggest one of them all. Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to go back-to-back as MVP.
It’s as simple as it gets. He’s the best player on the best team that has a chance to win 70 games this year. The argument starts and ends there. Had James Harden averaged 40 points per game this season? There’s a conversation to be had. Otherwise, the only conversation to be had is about who the runner-up is.
The 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant
It took everything in me not to come in with the hottest take possible and make Zion Williamson’s case, but I won’t do it. It just isn’t right. Ja Morant is the correct answer. The Grizzlies aren’t a playoff team without him.
Williamson’s numbers make a great case alone, but the problem is he just hasn’t played enough. He’s got 10 games under his belt and the Pelicans have 27 total left. His max this season if he plays every game is 37, which isn’t even half a season. The only thing that could possibly bolster his case is the Pels snatching a playoff spot – but Morant and Memphis appear to have that on lock.
The 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Look, we don’t normally see a player win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season — only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon have done it. But this would be completely and absolutely warranted for Giannis.
The Bucks have the NBA’s best defense by far. Their 101.7 defensive rating is a full three points better than the Raptors’ second ranked defense (105.2). Antetokounmpo is their best rim protector by opponent field goal percentage within six feet of the rim.
Would you like another take to go along with this one? If he pulls this off he could retire the very next day and be considered a Hall of Famer.
Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
The 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year: Split between Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell
Y’all aren’t going to make me choose between one or the other. I’m sorry. We’ve had co-Rookie of the Year’s three times before — why can’t we do it here?
It makes too much sense. They’re second and third in bench scoring behind Oklahoma City’s Dennis Schröder (19.3 points per game) who has a great case himself. But Williams and Harrell are playing on the third best team in the West and have one of the most formidable pick-and-roll combos in the league today. They both deserve to be rewarded for that.
The 2019-20 NBA Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram
Ingram’s career has been filled with a bunch of turmoil. He arrived following Kobe Bryant’s final season as the No. 2 overall pick with big expectations – and he underperformed in one of the biggest markets.
He finally starts to come into his own in year two, but LeBron James comes in year three and takes the ball out of his hands. (Rightfully so, by the way. It’s LeBron freaking James.) Then, he has a blood clot issue that cuts his season short just as he hit his stride and is traded to the Pelicans in the summer.
This year he blossomed and became a first time All-Star. The Pelicans sure are happy with the way that Anthony Davis trade turned out.
Photo by Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
The 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year: Taylor Jenkins
The Grizzlies are supposed to be a high lottery team. Instead, they’re a playoff team and their best player is a rookie point guard. As special as Morant is, Jenkins should get credit for putting that whole thing together.
Plus, man, that Andre Iguodala situation got hairy. And, somehow, he skated through all of that without a peep. Reward this man.
The Celtics head coach made sure to throw one final jab at Williams after getting dunked on by Montrezl Harrell.
Boston Celtics rookie Grant Williams had a forgettable moment on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers and his head coach made sure to throw a jab at him after the game.
The play happened during the second overtime as Williams was matched up with Montrezl Harrell. The Clippers forward caught the ball just outside of the post with Williams close on him. Harrell took a few dribbles and then blew past Williams to get to the rim.
Williams was a step late defending Harrell, which allowed him to have an easy path to the rim. Harrell cocked the ball back and completely jammed it in over Williams.
The Celtics would have the last laugh, though, after pulling out the 141-133 win over the Clippers as All-Star Jayson Tatum led the way with 39 points while Marcus Smart added 31 points. Even though the Celtics won, Stevens made sure Williams didn’t forget about getting posterized, via Jay King of The Athletic.
Brad Stevens: “We had to check to make sure Grant was still alive after Harrell dunked all over him.”
As the NBA All-Star break approaches, teams around the league have a few more games to survive before finally getting to rest. An East vs. West clash on Tuesday between the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers should be a very interesting matchup. Both teams are quite talented and are looking to climb up the standings.
The Clippers are within striking distance of their rivals, the Lakers, for the top spot in the Western Conference. They enter the week just three games back and are playing some good basketball heading into the break. With seven wins in their last 10 games, they could improve a bit in their consistency, but overall the new-look Clippers are right where they need to be for a second-half run. One worrying sign for Los Angeles could be Kawhi Leonard’s workload. The league’s seventh-highest scorer has already sat out 13 games this season due to injuries and fatigue.
For the Sixers, the situation is a bit more pressing. Everyone knows they have the talent to compete with any team in the league, but their performances and results this season have left a lot to be desired. Despite a current two-game winning streak, Philadelphia is just 5-5 in its last 10 games. Head coach Brett Brown has received the dreaded vote of confidence from general manager Elton Brand. However, if the Sixers don’t start living up to their potential in the second half of the season, some changes are likely to be made.
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Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook leads the NBA in drives per game this season.
Since trading lead big man Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks, the Houston Rockets have taken small ball to new heights, using P.J. Tucker, who usually plays as a hybrid forward, at center.
And with the Rockets’ new system in place, Russell Westbrook has arguably benefited the most. Ahead of the Rockets’ game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Celtics coach Brad Stevens praised Westbrook for his driving ability, one of the best attributes of his game.
The Rockets and Celtics will tip off at 9:30 p.m. EST in Boston at TD Garden.
“(James) Harden draws so much attention, when you are scrambling out, you gotta guard a guy that’s a jet engine flying into the paint,” Stevens said. “It’s just hard. It’s tough. He’s really good.”
Brad Stevens on Russell Westbrook (@russwest44): “Harden draws so much attention, when you’re scrambling out and you guard a guy that’s a jet engine flying into the paint, it’s just hard. It’s tough. He’s really good.” pic.twitter.com/aLii1s6dfZ
Westbrook has had perhaps his best stretch of the season over the past 10 games, using his ability to burst into the lane for easy buckets. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Westbrook has scored 234 points in the paint the past 10 games.
The only other player to accomplish the feat in the last 20 seasons is Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal. According to NBA.com, Westbrook leads the NBA in drives per game at 20.3. He ranks third in points in the paint behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Montrezl Harrell.
Over the last 10 games, Russell Westbrook has scored 234 points in the paint, something only Shaquille O'Neal has done in a 10-game span over the last 20 seasons.
Capela didn’t play his last three games in Houston because of a heel injury. In moving toward small ball, Westbrook and the Rockets have had more space to drive and create an assortment of mismatches. Westbrook is averaging 33.5 points in his last four games, along with 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
This season Westbrook ranks second on the Rockets in scoring behind James Harden, and he and Harden are tied for first on the team in assists per game, with both averaging 7.3.
John Mooney has made his mark as one of the top power forwards in Notre Dame history, and now, he has a chance to make his mark on the position nationally. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has named Mooney one of 10 nominees for this …
John Mooney has made his mark as one of the top power forwards in Notre Dame history, and now, he has a chance to make his mark on the position nationally. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has named Mooney one of 10 nominees for this year’s Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Recent winners of the award include Zion Williamson, Deandre Ayton and Montrezl Harrell.
This is the sixth year the Malone Award, which honors the top power forward in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, has been given out. A watch list of 20 candidates was determined in October, and the remaining 10 finalists will be cut to five in March. The winner will be announced at the College Basketball Awards on April 10 along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five.
Mooney is the only ACC player on the list. However, players can play themselves on and off the list at any point during the season.
HoopsHype examines the Los Angeles Clippers’ biggest needs as we approach the trade deadline, as well as specific players they could target.
The Los Angeles Clippers, just past the midway point of the 2019-20 season, sit at 31-14, No. 3 in the West and boast the league’s No. 5 net rating (+6.2), all while only having their two big acquisitions from the summer, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, together for 18 games. In those 18 outings, the Clippers have been at another level, winning 14 times and dropping just four.
Even so, Leonard’s ongoing load management and George’s inconsistent health this year do bring some concern that Los Angeles could lag behind the NBA’s other top contenders in the chemistry department, an issue that is reportedly already starting to sprout, according to a report from The Athletic.
The upcoming trade deadline could be a way for the Clippers to bolster their rotation and stymie potential roster weaknesses.
ROSTER NEEDS
As veteran reporter Marc Stein mentioned on Thursday, the lack of consistent game action for Leonard and George this year could force the team to seek out additional wing depth on the trade market.
Doesn't guarantee that they'll make a deal, of course, but the Clippers are said to be concerned about their lack of muscle up front compared to the Lakers' length as well as the ongoing health issues Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are battling
What’s more, L.A.’s 35.6 three-point shooting percentage as a team for the season ranks a mediocre 15th league-wide, so whatever wings the Clippers do look at should be of the floor-spacing variety.
Besides on the perimeter, L.A. could also stand to upgrade their frontcourt rotation, where they have just four reliable bigs, only one of whom is anything more than just a decent role player. So an upgrade at big man could also benefit the Clippers, who have an in-town rival loaded in the frontcourt.
POTENTIAL TRADE CANDIDATES
As far as players who the Clippers could put up on the trade block in hopes of strengthening their team, pretty much anyone not named Leonard or George could probably be had for the right price.
That might seem cruel, considering the team won 48 games last season and built a strong culture that helped them land the two superstar wings in the first place, but it’s well-established that owner Steve Ballmer and executive Jerry West don’t mess around when they think they can swing a move that will help the Clippers’ chances.
For what it’s worth, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley would probably be pretty expensive if another team came calling, so they’re probably the two safest L.A. players who aren’t Leonard or George.
The two guys who rival teams likely would covet most in a potential deal are productive big man Montrezl Harrell and second-year 2-guard Landry Shamet; the former is averaging over 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench but is a pretty so-so defender. Plus, the fact he’s in a contract year and set to get paid this summer could convince L.A. to move him now as opposed to losing him for nothing in the offseason.
Meanwhile, Shamet is a low-maintenance player shooting 41 percent from three for his career and signed to a team-friendly contract through 2021-22, making him a desirable asset to opposing franchises.
POTENTIAL TRADE TARGETS
Based on reports, it’s obvious the Clippers are trying to address what they feel are their biggest needs, in the frontcourt and on the wing.
On their roster, the only trade restriction Los Angeles possesses is that JaMychal Green would need to approve of any trade, which could make him difficult to move.
Besides that, the Clippers cannot reacquire Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander since they traded them within the last 365 days. No need to fret about that anyway, as the Oklahoma City Thunder would probably shut down any trade talks for the latter option anyway.
DRAFT ASSETS
Although they owe three future first-round picks to the Thunder as part of the Paul George deal (2022, 2024 and 2026, specifically) as well as other potential pick swaps, the Clippers can still offer teams their 2020 first-rounder in any theoretical trade, which could come in handy.
They also have a cupboard full of second-round picks to sweeten up potential offers.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
