Tag: NBA

Former Pistons coach Van Gundy: ‘Really lost’ about future

ESPN News Services

Former Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy says he is feeling “lost” after not finding another coaching job since parting ways with Detroit at the end of last season.

In an interview with the Real Talk Basketball with Rex Walters podcast published Friday, Van Gundy said he was still hoping to coach again but that no opportunities are presenting themselves.

“If I could get a job [for next season], I had planned to coach. Now, I really don’t know,” Van Gundy said. “I’m really lost right now. I don’t have an idea. My wife wants me to retire.”

If he doesn’t coach, Van Gundy, 58, said he is considering media opportunities or teaching at the college level.

“I want to do something, but if I’m not coaching, I don’t want to work too hard,” Van Gundy said. “If I’m going to be grinding, then I want to coach. If I’m not going to be coaching, I want to be semi-retired, at least. I really don’t know.”

The Pistons and Van Gundy parted ways after a 39-43 season in which they missed the playoffs for the second straight year. He was replaced by former Toronto Raptors coach and reigning NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey.

Van Gundy, who has also coached the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, has a career record of 523-384.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24349831/stan-van-gundy-admits-feeling-lost-coaching-job

Basketball Without Borders: One of these kids could be the next Thon or Giannis

Andy Withers
KweséESPN Senior Editor

“It’s not just a job. We have to have fun with it, and we definitely do.”

Khris Middleton is forthright when asked about the visible sense of fun and enjoyment among the NBA players on the opening day of the 2018 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Indeed, the smiles of the NBA players at the American International School in Midrand were every bit as broad as those of the boys and girls they had travelled all this way to coach and mentor.

The Milwaukee Bucks swingman has been involved previously in international coaching programs, in the Philippines and Australia, where he headlined the Basketball Without Borders Asia camp in Melbourne three years ago, and he says NBA players recognize the need to give back to the game that makes them headline attractions.

“This isn’t a job for us,” Middleton says of his attendance of the program that officially ’embodies Nelson Mandela’s’ legacy and belief that sport can inspire and change the world.’

The 16th Basketball Without Borders Africa camp showcases 78 of the top boys and girls from 29 African countries.

“Each and every one of us has been through something. We’ve been scouted, we’ve been around NBA players, NBA cultures that’s helped us get to that next level, so it’s very nice to be in a position where I can do the same,” Middleton says. “We have to give back. We have to try to grow the game. We have to try to make the game better than it was when we came in … it’s a great job to have to try to spread the game, to spread joy, to help anybody out.”

Middleton has never before been to Africa, but he knows a little about the continent as he knows so well the stories of Milwaukee Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker. The Greece-born Antetokounmpo is the son of immigrants from Nigeria, while Maker made his way to the NBA from the war zone in South Sudan via Australia, the Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia, and Canada.

“Giannis is definitely proud about his Nigerian heritage, with his mother and father being from there and immigrating to Greece, and … Thon’s a guy who’s bounced all over the world. Thon’s been through a lot, and he came out alive.

“Looking at these kids and knowing that one of them could be the next Thon Maker or Giannis Antetokounmpo is great,” Middleton says.

Not lost on Middleton is the fact that 28 previous Basketball Without Borders alumni have gone on to play in the NBA, including 2018 Team World teammate Danilo Gallinari and Team Africa’s Pascal Siakam and Joel Embiid.

“To talk to the kids and get everybody interactive and going, that’s what it’s about,” Middleton says. “This game can help to shape so many people, stay out of trouble, make new friends, it’s nice to be here.”

Middleton knows he’s here to coach and mentor, for community outreach and to build places to live. But there’s also the small matter of bragging rights at the third NBA Africa Game to be played in Pretoria on Saturday.

Team Africa is yet to taste success, and Middleton doesn’t want to be on the first losing Team World roster on his first visit to Africa.

“There’s been some comments about the game, and how [Team Africa] haven’t won yet, so Team World we have to do a great job to try to hold that streak and make it 3-0. We can’t lose this game.”

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24257645/nba-africa-game-basketball-borders-khris-middleton-interview

Photo: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Chauncey Billups says he’s ready to run NBA team

Associated Press

DETROIT — Chauncey Billups is still eyeing the chance to run an NBA team.

The former Pistons standout was back in the Detroit area Friday night as part of the BIG3 — entertainer Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league of former NBA players — which made a stop at Little Caesars Arena.

Billups had talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers last year but did not join their front office. When Detroit overhauled its organization this year, he seemed like a potential fit, but that didn’t happen either.

“My desire is to one day run a team, be in a front office and try to build a champion,” Billups said. “I know that I will, and I know I’m going to do a good job. When that opportunity presents itself, and it’s a good opportunity, I’ll be ready to go.”

The Pistons were run by Stan Van Gundy — their coach and president of basketball operations — for the past four seasons, but they moved in a different direction this offseason. Dwane Casey was hired as Detroit’s new coach, and Ed Stefanski came on board as a senior executive.

“I thought Stan did a good job. Stan is a very good coach, but sometimes you just need a new voice,” Billups said. “Coach Casey obviously has been a very good coach the last few years. He’s really ascended to the top of the ranks in the league. Whatever happened in Toronto presented an opportunity for him to come here.”

In one offseason, Casey has been fired by the Toronto Raptors, hired by the Pistons and named NBA Coach of the Year.

Billups is still viewed fondly in Detroit after leading the Pistons to the NBA title in 2004. The team played at The Palace of Auburn Hills back then. The Pistons played their first season at downtown Little Caesars Arena in 2017-18.

“It’s always good to be here. Everybody knows how much I love the city, love the fans. Obviously, I never had the opportunity to play in this building. I wish we would have. I wish we played in the city when we were here,” Billups said. “But The Palace was good to us. The city was good to us, the fans. So it’s always good to be back here. I’m such a big Pistons fan. … I’m excited for the team for next year. The East is wide open, and I’m excited for the team. New coach, new everything.”

As for Friday’s BIG3 competition, Billups’ team — the Killer 3s — lost the night’s opening game as Metta World Peace was ejected. That was an unusual development in what Billups said should be a lighthearted league.

“We’re doing this for fun,” Billups said. “It ain’t that serious. So that’s kind of my message. We’re out here to just have fun, compete, have a good time, enjoy the fans of Detroit, enjoy every single city that we go to, and go home to our family and chill and relax. That’s what this thing is all about to me.”

World Peace was the most infamous participant in the brawl between the Pistons and his Pacers at The Palace in 2004. On Friday night, he punted the ball away early in the game and was tossed — although it was a bit of a shank.

“I told him in the locker room, ‘If you was going to kick it, you should have put it in the top row or the top deck at least,'” Billups said. “It was a weak kick.”

Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24096485/chauncey-billups-ready-run-nba-team

Former Spartan Jackson drops 29 in Summer League debut

Associated Press

Jaren Jackson Jr.’s summer league debut couldn’t have gone much better.

The same can’t be said for Trae Young.

Jackson, the fourth pick in the NBA draft, outshined No. 5 overall pick Young in their first NBA action. The 6-foot-10 Jackson had 29 points and shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat Young’s Atlanta Hawks 103-88 on Monday night in Salt Lake City.

Jackson hit his first two 3-pointers and was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the first half, including a buzzer-beater from midcourt to give his team a 47-41 lead. The 18-year-old Jackson showed the shooting stroke that made him a 40 percent 3-point shooter in college and scored 12 straight points during one stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Grizzlies pull away.

“I definitely felt hot at different spots during the game. If kind of felt surreal a little bit,” said Jackson, the team’s highest-drafted player since Hasheem Thabeet, who was No. 2 in 2009.

While Jackson was doing just about everything right, Young was having a miserable debut.

Young, who averaged 27.4 points last season for Oklahoma, missed all nine shot attempts in the first half, including six 3-pointers. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year, whose draft rights were swapped with the Dallas Mavericks for No. 3 pick Luka Doncic, struggled to recover after air balls on his first two shots and finished with 16 points on 4 of 20 shooting.

He was 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.

GRIZZLIES 103, HAWKS 88

Kobi Simmons had 19 of his 21 points in the first half and finished 8-of-13 from the field for the Grizzlies, while second-round pick Jevon Carter chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.

Tyler Dorsey led the Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Omari Spellman, one of Atlanta’s three first-round draft picks, had a solid showing with 11 points and six rebounds. Their other first-round pick, Kevin Huerter, did not play because of a wrist injury.

JAZZ 92, SPURS 76

Georges Niang scored 17 points, while first-round draft pick Grayson Allen had 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Jazz. Tony Bradley had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White led the Spurs with 22 points and seven rebounds.

San Antonio’s top draft pick, Lonnie Walker IV, struggled in his debut, limited to seven points while shooting 3-of-16 from the field.

WARRIORS 79, HEAT 68

Kendrick Nunn had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors in a game played in Sacramento, California.

Warriors first-round draft pick Jacob Evans did not play because of a bruised toe sustained in practice last week.

Derrick Jones Jr. had a big game for Miami with 24 points and 11 rebounds, including a monster two-hand dunk after slashing down the lane. Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 14 rebounds.

KINGS 98, LAKERS 93

Marvin Bagley III showed why he was the No. 2 pick, turning in a strong debut with 18 points and six rebounds for Sacramento on the Kings’ home floor.

Harry Giles made a successful debut after being held out of last season with knee injuries. Giles, the 20th overall pick in 2017, was 6-of-10 from the field and finished with 13 points and three rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Frank Mason III had 16 points, including a key 3-pointer late to help seal the win.

Josh Hart had 23 points for the Lakers before being ejected from the game with 1:04 left and his team trailing by four after picking up his second technical for disputing a call. Rookie Moritz Wagner had 23 points and seven rebounds.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23981528/jaren-jackson-jr-memphis-grizzlies-scores-29-summer-league-debut

Top photo: Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

Greek Freak to be on cover of ‘NBA 2K19’

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is the cover athlete for the “NBA 2K19” standard-edition video game.

The two-time NBA All-Star known as the “Greek Freak” is the first international player to be featured on the cover.

Antetokounmpo said he has “worked hard to earn recognition in the NBA and being on the cover of NBA 2K19 is a dream come true.”

He also tweeted that he was “honored” to be the first international player to be on the video game’s cover.

“NBA 2K19” will be available Sept. 11.

LeBron James was previously announced as the cover star for the “NBA 2K19” 20th anniversary edition, which will be available on Sept. 7.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23976935/giannis-antetokounmpo-milwaukee-bucks-cover-nba-2k19-game

Pistons agree to deal with former Wolverine Robinson III

Free-agent small forward Glenn Robinson III has agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, a source told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears.

The contract has a team option on the second year, the source said.

The deal can’t be officially announced until Friday but Robinson tweeted Sunday that he was headed back to Michigan, where he played collegiately for two seasons with the Wolverines.

Robinson, 24, was limited to 23 games for the Indiana Pacers last season after he suffered an injury to the medial and lateral ligaments in his left ankle during a Sept. 29 practice. He underwent surgery in October and didn’t make his season debut until late February.

The 2017 NBA Slam Dunk champion, he blossomed into a solid contributor the previous season for Indiana when he averaged a career-high 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. Robinson shot .392 from the 3-point line, converting 49 of his 125 attempts.

At the time of his injury last season, he was shooting .412 from 3-point range, making 14 of his 34 attempts.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23966202/glenn-robinson-iii-agrees-join-detroit-pistons

Beilein: Offer from Pistons would have been tough decision

Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — John Beilein said he was never offered the Detroit Pistons’ coaching job.

“I never really had to make the decision,” the Michigan coach said. “That would have been a tough one.”

Beilein is now looking ahead to another season of college basketball after briefly emerging as a candidate for the Pistons. Not long after the news broke about Beilein’s talks with Detroit, he said he would be back at Michigan. The Pistons eventually hired Dwane Casey earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Beilein held a news conference to talk about the offseason. He led Michigan to the national title game this year before falling to Villanova, so the possibility of losing Beilein to the NBA was a jolt to Wolverines fans.

Mark J. Terrill/AP

“I was not offered the job by the Pistons,” Beilein said. “We certainly had some mutual interest. I think they had a great candidate in Dwane Casey.”

Beilein said he was intrigued by the possibility of coaching in the game’s top league.

“I love coaching basketball a lot, and you’re watching the NBA playoffs, and you’re seeing what guys are doing, and you’re looking, like, they’re running stuff that we run,” Beilein said. “I don’t know if they watched us or I watched them. You can see, boy, if you have really highly skilled players — [Boston Celtics coach] Brad Stevens kept telling me, ‘I’m having a blast.’ When you hear those words, and your season’s over — so that was appealing.”

With the Pistons’ search behind him, Beilein can prepare for the 2018-19 season with the Wolverines. Michigan announced Tuesday that the team will go on a tour of Spain from Aug. 17 to Aug. 26 that will include exhibition games.

The Wolverines lost star big man Moe Wagner early to the NBA, but some key players return from what was one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Charles Matthews, Zavier Simpson, Jordan Poole and Isaiah Livers will be joined by what is expected to be a strong group of new recruits.

So Beilein has plenty to look forward to at the college level, and he indicated there might not be any more flirtations with the NBA.

“I think that I ran that race, and you can’t run that race too many times,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done, but I was really impressed with everybody in that organization, and I’ll be rooting for them like I always have.”

The other intriguing bit of recent news that at least partially involved the Michigan basketball program was Chris Webber’s appearance with Wolverines football coach Jim Harbaugh on Ann Arbor’s WTKA radio last week. Harbaugh asked Webber to be an honorary captain for the football team next season, and Webber sounded amenable to the idea.

A return to Ann Arbor by Webber — even if it’s for football — would be a big deal. He led the Michigan basketball team to the Final Four in 1992 and 1993, but a federal investigation revealed that a booster gave Webber and three other players more than $600,000 while they were student-athletes, and the NCAA forced the school to dissociate from them until 2013.

“There was five or six years where I was limited what I could say about that era. Since the ban’s been off, I’ve reached out to Chris several times,” Beilein said. “I continue to do that, and we’re going to continue to try and build bridges and just really work at making sure there’s a lot of healing going forward.

“I want every player that ever played here to feel like he’s a part of that building, including Chris and anyone else.”

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/23919902/michigan-coach-john-beilein-says-was-never-offered-detroit-pistons-job

Pistons coach Dwane Casey wins NBA’s Coach of Year honors

ESPN News Services

Dwane Casey was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year on Monday night for a season in which he led the Toronto Raptors to their best regular season, only to be fired after they were ousted for a third straight playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Casey, who has since been hired as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, led Toronto to a team-record 59 wins this past season and the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but he lost his job after the Raptors were swept by the Cavs.

“Once you get fired, it’s not a good feeling when someone, after you have a franchise record [in wins] and then you still get let go, that’s the uneasy part,” Casey said. “Say, OK, something must be wrong with me. But the opportunity in Detroit has given me more enthusiasm, and I’m excited to get going again. Again, a lot of it goes with Tom Gores, the owner; he’s exciting and excited to get another chance in Detroit.”

Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics and Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz also were up for the award.

The Raptors’ record improved in six of seven seasons under Casey.

“A lot of the same core guys have been there and they grew,” Casey said. “That’s a regret you have that we made it to the Eastern Conference finals, but we couldn’t get over the hump to get to the Finals to try to win a championship. So that’s always a regret. But, again, I can still hold my head high from what we had and what we grew from, and nobody can ever take that away.”

Last month, Casey also was named winner of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, which is voted on annually by the league’s 30 head coaches.

“I have no regrets,” Casey said. “I’m excited about the new journey in Detroit with the group we have there. So can’t look in the rearview mirror. Winston Churchill said success is measured by failure, failure, and then come back with enthusiasm, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Other awards handed out at the NBA Awards show in Santa Monica, California:

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert of the Jazz

The center was the leading vote-getter for the league’s All-Defensive first team. Gobert anchored a Jazz defense that ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.

He beat out Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Joel Embiid of Philadelphia.

“Defense to me is something that, when you watch a game, you don’t really pay attention to defense unless you’re very — unless you’re a specialist,” Gobert said. “People watch the points, they watch the highlights. But the defense I think helps the offense. I think when you’re a very good defensive team — it’s very rare a team wins a championship when you’re not a very good defensive team.

“I think when you’re a very good defensive team you give yourself a chance every night, on the road, at home, it’s a big factor and something to build on.”

Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams of the LA Clippers

The guard became the first player to average at least 20 points for the first time in his 13th season or later.

He led the league in fourth-quarter points and scoring average.

He beat out Houston’s Eric Gordon, last year’s winner, and Fred VanVleet of Toronto. Williams kissed his two young daughters on his way to the stage after becoming the Clippers’ third winner in the past five years.

“I go out on the floor. I play as hard as I can and I live with the results,” Williams said. “It’s extremely exciting to be recognized for it. To have an opportunity to win a Sixth Man, this being my second in my career, being one of the guys that go out there night in and night out, that’s in that lane.

“You’ve got the Jamal Crawfords, Eric Gordons, VanVleet, we’re like special teams, and we go out there and try to do the best we can for our respective games and turn the course of how games go. So to be recognized for that tonight is an amazing accomplishment.”

Most Improved Player: Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers

The guard averaged 23.1 points in his first season with the Pacers.

He earned his first All-Star berth, too. Oladipo also led the league in steals for the first time. He beat out Clint Capela of Houston and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets.

“I put in a lot of work, obviously it was a great season,” Oladipo said. “I’m blessed and thankful. Sometimes you get to points in your life where you do surprise yourself. But at the end of the day I’m thankful. It’s only the beginning for me and the Pacers organization, so I’m looking forward to the future.”

Lifetime Achievement Award: Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson

Robertson received the award from presenters Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

After Barkley mentioned last year’s recipient Bill Russell, Boston’s Hall of Fame center flipped his middle finger in Barkley’s direction.

Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players, which Robertson said was his most important assist.

Backstage, Robertson commended the activism of today’s players, although he wondered why more white athletes aren’t speaking out.

“The only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said. “This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It’s all around.”

Robertson went on to say he hopes “the whites and the blacks get together, even with the football,” a reference to NFL players who have taken a knee or sat in silence during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

Information from ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and The Associated Press was used in this report.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23908106/ex-raptors-coach-dwane-casey-wins-nba-coach-year-honors

Interview: Rod Beard, Detroit News Pistons reporter, June 12, 2018

Pistons beat writer Rod Beard joined us to discuss the Dwane Casey hiring and the latest on the GM search.

0:00-2:06 – How the Pistons convinced Casey
2:07-3:30 – Casey a players coach, SVG not?
3:31-4:44 – Casey’s coaching style
4:45-6:00 – Can he elevate play of younger guys?
6:01-7:26 – What went wrong in Toronto?
7:27-8:32 – What does a successful Dwane Casey tenure look like?
8:33-10:21 – Latest on GM search
10:22-11:15 – GM candidates
11:16-12:31 – Draft preparation