NBA players love their bowling, Chris Paul being the most famous among them… actually, I suppose Andrew Bynum is the most famous NBA bowler for all the wrong reasons.
Andre Drummond found a way to make it all funny. Well done sir.
Minnesota reportedly moving to trade Jimmy Butler after ownership demands it
Associated Press
Jimmy Butler met with Tom Thibodeau Tuesday and asked for a trade, specifically to the Clippers/Nets/Knicks. Thibodeau wanted no part of that, and he along with GM Scott Layden have shot down any other team that called, and not in a “we’re not doing that.. but what would you offer?” way, but in an “I’m hanging up now” way. Part of that may be smart negotiation tactics, but the more significant factors are that right now offers the trade offers are lowball, plus Thibodeau realizes his job on the line and this team is not as good without Butler.
So owner Glen Taylor has stepped in and laid down the law — he told Thibodeau and Layden to get on with a trade, ideally done by next Tuesday before the first day of training camp, according to multiple reports. From Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Against the displeasure of Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau, owner Glen Taylor has mandated that a deal needs to be negotiated to trade disgruntled All-Star forward Jimmy Butler in the next several days, league sources told ESPN….
Thibodeau has been willing to coach the Timberwolves through the dysfunction that has surrounded his star players, but Taylor has sided with Butler and agreed that the four-time All-Star should be away from the Wolves for the foreseeable future, sources said.
So far, few franchises, if any, are engaged in serious conversations with the Timberwolves on Butler, sources said. The list of organizations interested in talking further with Minnesota is significant, league sources said: Brooklyn, Detroit, Houston, the LA Clippers, Miami and Philadelphia are among the teams interested in probing for deals.
The problem is those initial offers will be lowball ones, in part because there are real concerns about Butler’s durability, while he is just 29 he has a lot of Thibodeau miles on him. The Timberwolves can put the offers they get in front of and his agent, see which teams he would consider re-signing with as a free agent next summer, then using that to get a better deal out of them. But to get all that done by Tuesday seems rushed and like it would lead to even a worse deal.
Even so, within a week Butler could be somewhere else in the league, once again
76ers invite Emeka Okafor to training camp (on non-guaranteed deal)
Getty Images
Emeka Okafor was back in the NBA last season at age 35, after having been out of the league for four years trying to recover from a neck injury. He earned that chance going through the G-League, averaging 6.8 points on 61.2 percent shooting, plus pulling down 8 rebounds a game in 20 minutes a night, with a PER of 18.6, for the Delaware 76ers.
That was enough for the New Orleans Pelicans to call him up when DeMarcus Cousins went down, and Okafor got into 26 games. He played solid defense, and while he wasn’t putting up counting stats (4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds a game) he was a steadying presence, and he had a PER of 18.6.
Then this summer, no team offered him a new contract.
Until now, the 76ers — and new GM Elton Brand — are going to bring him in on a training camp deal.
It’s a longshot Okafor makes the roster, the Sixers have 14 guaranteed contract and that does not include T.J. McConnell. Which means the roster is pretty much set. They also have Joel Embiid as the starting center and Amir Johnson behind him, plus some small ball lineups they will roll out.
However, have a good camp and another team looking for a backup center may notice.
Karl-Anthony Towns agrees to sign five-year, potentially $190 million extension with Minnesota
Associated Press
It was a matter of when, not if.
Back in July, the Timberwolves had offered Karl-Anthony Towns a five-year max contract extension — which could be worth $158 million or, if he was named to an All-NBA team again next season, $190 million. Towns used his leverage and reportedly told management he can’t coexist with Jimmy Butler and reportedly would not sign the new deal until the Butler situation is resolved. Although everyone knew he eventually would sign, he was not leaving that much money on the table.
Minnesota is now working on a Butler trade — ordered by owner Glen Taylor — so Towns is stepping up to be the franchise’s face, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN but that Towns confirmed on Twitter.
Again, for Towns that is a $158 million extension, unless he makes an All-NBA team again (he was third team last season) or is named MVP, then that jumps to $190 million. Making another All-NBA team is certainly within reach.
Towns’ agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports, informed the organization of Towns’ intention to sign the extension on Saturday night, sources said. The Timberwolves report for media day on Monday and begin training camp on Tuesday.
In a statement, Towns said: “On June 25, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On September 22, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015.
“I promise to the fans, my teammates and the organization to keep the vision of the man who drafted me, Flip Saunders, alive and treat his dream of winning with respect and dignity. To the fans from Day One and the Timberwolves fans, this is for you. Thank you for believing in me.”
Towns, at age 23, is one of the best centers in the game. He was the No. 1 pick out of Kentucky in 2015 and the next year was named Rookie of the Year. Last season he averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, the Timberwolves were 13.1 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the court, and he was a key reason the Timberwolves made the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons. Towns is one of the best post-up scorers in the NBA, he shot 72.3 percent at the rim last season, but also added three-point range and took 23 percent of his shots from deep and hit 42 percent of them. He is an offensive force.
Maybe most importantly for Minnesota, he hasn’t missed a single game in three seasons. Age and durability were the reasons that if it came down to Towns or Butler, Towns was going to be the choice of the Timberwolves. Towns signing this extension is not good for the standing of coach/GM Tom Thibodeau, who is not on the same page with Towns.
That said, the pressure is on Towns to step up his game now, particularly on defense. Using ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus (a flawed stat but one that provides a good snapshot) Towns was one of the weaker defensive centers in the league, playing at a current Dirk Nowitzki level. Towns was better last season as a shot blocker for stretches, but he was inconsistent, he is unfocused on that end, bites on pump fakes too much, and he is often slow to recognize the play and get over to protect the rim despite his physical tools.
In the playoffs last season, the Rockets’ Clint Capela completely outplayed Towns.
Towns is getting paid to step up and lead this team now, especially with Butler on his way out the door. Minnesota was counting on the same thing out of Andrew Wiggins after his big contract extension, and he regressed last season and has shown little passion or willingness to put in the work needed. Butler and others want to lump Towns and Wiggins together, but Towns has put in the work and is a professional, it’s not a correct comparison. However, the pressure is now on Towns to take that to the next level.
Warriors big man Jordan Bell ready for second season
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — First, his right forearm cramped turning his arm into the shape of a V as his hand bent back, and Jordan Bell could not move it for several minutes as he sat in the bathtub as he recovered post-workout. He yelled for his girlfriend’s help. The cramp briefly released, then quickly returned. Soon, his quads, calves, hamstrings, biceps, hands and feet followed suit.
Then, Bell blacked out. He came to and his girlfriend got him into bed, and he doesn’t remember anything but waking up there.
“I just got cramps everywhere, all at once,” he recalled after a workout at Warriors headquarters this week. “The pain was just so much, I blacked out.”
It was terrifying – “very,” Bell said. He realized he had pushed his body to the brink of physical exhaustion after one especially grueling mid-August day with far from enough food and fuel. He did his cycle class, weights and conditioning, then a couple hours of open gym in Los Angeles – his regular routine all summer to get ready for his second season with NBA champion Golden State.
He’s feeling great now with training camp set to begin Tuesday.
Just chalk that scary experience up to another key learning moment in Bell’s evolution to rising star with the Warriors alongside All-Stars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and, now, dominant big man DeMarcus Cousins.
“There’s a confidence to him. I think he was confident when he came in but he’s a little more seasoned, which is good, which is what you want in a second-year player,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said of Bell. “The thing about playing as deep as we did, the best you can give players that are young is experience, because you can’t simulate an NBA Finals game, you just can’t. You can talk about it but he’s actually gotten to experience that and that’s much more than any of us can do to get him ready for his second year. I think there’s a seriousness to him, which is good to see. He’s a fun guy but I think he senses he’s going to have a good opportunity this year.”
Bell’s dynamic play in the post will be even more important now with three centers from last season departed – Zaza Pachulia signed with Detroit, JaVale McGee joined the rival Lakers and David West retired – and Cousins is still recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon that required surgery and ended his season in late January.
And Bell spent the summer taking his fitness and game to another level. He often forgot to eat, just wanting to get home and into bed.
Then he learned his lesson with the blackout episode, likely dehydrated, too – another in many key growth opportunities for the Warriors’ second-round draft pick out of Oregon last year.
In Golden State’s fourth game, he threw the ball off the backboard to himself and slammed it home for his own alley-oop. In a blowout win no less.
Rookie mistake? Maybe. Growth moment? For sure. Even if Curry and Durant could only watch in awe and delight, their mouths agape.
Bell tossed the ball off the glass then dunked during a 133-103 victory at Dallas last Oct. 23. Coach Steve Kerr spoke to Bell afterward and warned him he might face some retaliation the next time against the Mavericks.
Now, Bell is ready to take on a greater role as the Warriors chase another championship as the NBA’s team to beat out West. He’s also treating himself to a new smartphone at long last this season, his other one cracked on draft day a year ago. Though the old one will find a special place in his trophy case.
“I know my role is going to be more extended just because of the bigs we have this year,” he said. “Whether it’s starting, whether it’s playing more minutes or sixth man, whatever it is, I just know I’m going to have a big role and I think the work I put in this summer is going to have me ready for it.”
Bell’s troublesome ankles are strong and healthy, too. He was out with a sprained left ankle for 14 games from Jan. 20 through Feb. 24 before working his way back into Kerr’s deep rotation while continuing to deal with ankle issues. After being inactive for six games early, he had emerged as a starter for 11 games before the injury as Kerr went with a more up-tempo lineup.
It took time for Bell to find his groove again. He wound up averaging 4.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists while playing 14.2 minutes in 57 games with 13 starts. Kerr realized early on he needed to create ways to get Bell minutes. While the rookie needed to learn, he would do so by making mistakes and strides on the court next to so many greats.
Then Bell impressed everybody as he handled the load of helping defend James Harden. Bell earned key minutes as the Warriors went on to a repeat championship and the franchise’s third title in four years that sent Golden State into dynasty status.
“Great energy, great speed and athleticism. He’s a good playmaker,” Kerr said. “We’re thrilled with the way he’s played and his future here.”
