Basketball

NEW YORK – Andre Drummond didn’t respond directly to my question about what he hoped to get from training with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer. “What?” Drummond gasped. I wasn’t sure whether he heard me. He was, after all, walking from the Millennium Broadway Hotel to Times Square Studios for the lottery while we talked. But he also might have seen the question as dumb. After all, why train with Olajuwon for reasons other than refining post moves? I repeat the question with an implied, “You know, specifically.” “Obviously, get a better offensive set and use my quick speed and my feet to my advantage,” Drummond said. I still have much of the same skepticism about how much Olajuwon will help Drummond, but I’m becoming more optimistic. Drummond moves extremely well for his size, and and even if Olajuwon doesn’t turn Drummond into a great, or even good, post player, better footwork could help in a lot of ways. Just as when the news broke, I remain impressed with Drummond’s initiative, especially once he confirmed the Pistons didn’t urge him to approach Olajuwon. “It was my idea to look and seek him out,” Drummond said. “I’m glad that he accepted the offer and wanted to work with me when the time’s right.”

It’s a little tough to predict where the Clippers’ coaching search might lead because hiring a coach is a task owner Donald Sterling takes on personally. He has for a long time. He was the guy charmed by Vinny Del Negro and hired him when the basketball operations people wanted to go another direction (and…

Welcome to another edition of Casual Friday Sixers Links. Quick things: No Sixers links last week, sorry. Too busy building my Sam Hinkie shrine. Draft season is upon us. Keep an eye out for our LB Big Board series. Want to share some Sixers thoughts with the LB community? Write a FanPost. Do a good job on it and we may even promote it to the front page. I'll even link to it in this weekly links post too. You'll be famous! Go like the LB Facebook page! Follow LB on Twitter. We changed our handle from @Philly76ersBlog to the more aptly named @Liberty_Ballers! Follow all of our wonderful writers on Twitter:Mike Levin (@Michael_Levin) Tanner Steidel (@tsteidel) Derek Bodner (@derekbodner)Dave Rueter (@wheresbenrivera)Justin F. (@JustinF_LB)Brandon Lee (@BrandonLeeSBN)Roy Burton (@TheBSLine)Rich Hofmann Jr. (@rich_hofmann)Mike Baumann (@MJ_Baumann)Sean O'Connor (@soconnor76) BEST OF LIBERTY BALLERS: Hinkie Looks To Bridge Analytic DivideH3LL0 MY N4M3 15 54M H1NK13A Very Important Letter to the Sixers from 6-Year-Old [Michael Levin]All I can say is... Pank. Behind The Scenes At The NBA Draft Lottery: Sixers EditionRoy infiltrated the lotto on behalf of LB to acquire intel. Got some good quotes from Josh Harris in there. No, I Do Not Want the Sixers to Re-Sign Andrew BynumIn which Andrew Bynum is a cookie. And he crumbles. What Can You Do To Ensure The Sixers Land A Top Three Pick?The Sixers got stuck with the 11th pick because you did all these things WRONG. Finally. The Sixers have a plan! SIXERS LINKS: Shot Selection Round-Up: Part 2 - Hickory-HighHEY did you know the Sixers (used to) take bad shots? "This season’s worst shot selection belongs to the Philadelphia 76ers [...] we can estimate that their shot selection may have cost them as many as seven wins this season." Spike Eskin: Why To Like The Sixers Hire Of Sam Hinkie, And Why To Question Those Who Don’t - CBS PhillySome encouraging Hinkie endorsements here. Why Moultrie Saw More Minutes Towards the End: The True Story - FanPost by iladelphiaBump n' grind. The New Found Value Of Second Round Picks To The Sixers - FanPost by JakePavorskyHopefully Hinkie can find some players in the second like the Rockets have done in the past. Debunking the "analytical" GM myth: What we can expect out of Hinkie - FanPost by XsagoA very thorough look at Hinkie here. Basically a FAQ: Hinkie edition. --------------------------------------- REMINDER - RULES OF THE THREAD: As long as you keep it clean (no cursing and please remember to bathe before threading) and respectful, it's fair game. It's your thread - use it as you see fit.Now, discuss! Happy Friday!

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump. “We don’t feel like we have a championship team [at the moment]; It’s pretty obvious, we lost in the first round,” said Grousbeck. “We have to see who is with us, we have to see what offers there are for people, we’ve got to decide what to do. It might be a multi-year plan. We’ve never intentionally lost games and we don’t intend to trash things now. We’ve got players — [Rajon] Rondo, [Avery] Bradley, [Jeff] Green, [Jared] Sullinger, Brandon Bass, the younger guys are not going to let us win the lottery anyway. That’s a good roster. We hope that Paul [Pierce] and [Kevin Garnett] are back with them and we hope we can reload along the way. “I don’t know what will happen, I’ll know more about the plan in early July. At the moment, we just have to see what the options are.” ESPN Boston I love Wyc Grousbeck.  He’s a hands-off owner but he’s not uninvolved.  He hires people for jobs, sets the parameters, and lets them do what they were hired to do.  Behind every successful team, generally, is a good ownership group.  And the Celtics have been pretty successful over the past five years. But there’s also a little bit of wordsmanship here from Wyc. No, he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.  But he knows what he’s willing to do and not do.  He knows how much he’s willing to spend and he knows what’s more likely to happen. It’s like when Chuck takes a date out with a strict $25 cap on the night.  He doesn’t know what’s going to happen… but after hitting the Wendy’s dollar menu and the second-run theater…. we can pretty much guess what’ll happen (or what won’t, more accurately). So Wyc’s spending parameters will set the tone for the summer.  Do the Celtics want to be a taxpayer for next season’s team?  Or do they want to save a few bucks now, and possibly a lot more in the long run when they avoid a repeater tax, by operating under a self-imposed hard cap of whatever the tax line is? One minor complication, and it’s very minor, is the actual setting of the tax line.  That’s done in July.  A decision on Paul Pierce has to come by June 30.  The tax line last year was $70,307,000.  Chances are good that increased revenues over the past season will bump that line up, giving the Celtics a little bit more wiggle room.  However, considering the Celtics are currently committed to $76 million, the new line won’t make THAT big of a difference in the decision-making. But it could influence some decisions.  Some things that weren’t palatable before might become so after the line is set.  We will have to wait and see how that all plays out.  So Wyc isn’t lying when he says he doesn’t know because other people, as in the players the Celtics pursue and teams with which they pursue trades, will have to say yes or no.  But I’ll bet if he ventured a guess, he could get pretty close. One thing that we know isn’t happening is Doc Rivers coaching the Brooklyn Nets.  They asked for permission to talk to him, and the Celtics said no. Reached late Thursday, Ainge refused to comment on the Nets’ interest in Rivers and reiterated that he expects him back on the Celtics’ bench next season. “Doc has told me he’s coming back,” Ainge said bluntly. “I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward.” I’d like to say that will end speculation about Doc’s future, but it won’t.  I know Doc hasn’t come out and said it himself, but the guy is taking a little break from the media and trying to be a normal multi-millionaire enjoying the spoils of being rich person.  He was in Boston yesterday… so we’l

The waiting is the hardest part. At least that’s what the Celtics’ brass must feel like about their coveted head coach. A week after Danny Ainge confirmed to The Boston Globe that Doc Rivers would be returning to the Celtics’ bench next season, we’re still waiting for a direct word from the head coach himself. Wyc Grousbeck chimed in yesterday on the situation on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, reiterating Danny’s comments, while also treading somewhat carefully. “Our indications are that Doc is coming back. Typically — and it’s similar to Kevin Garnett, as an example — everyone is tired, burned out and frustrated (after the season ends); losing to the Knicks is something I never wanted to experience in my life,” said Grousbeck. “Everybody gets time to unwind and decompress. I expect Doc will help Danny with the draft workouts, to be in the war room June 27, and over the free agency period after that.” And on Danny’s comments about Doc, Wyc had this to say. “I think Danny really spoke for him. They had been in communication and I think Danny went ahead and said it. I respect Doc too much to speak for him at this point; I hope he’s back. I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t, but he can change his mind on Labor Day. I hope he doesn’t do that.” So this all sounds fine and dandy, except for the same somewhat troubling issue that Rivers still won’t come out and say he’s back publicly. Throw in the revelation that other teams are pursuing Rivers’ (hello, Brooklyn Nets) and the Celtics are denying those teams permission to talk to Doc and things get a bit more interesting…or worrisome if you are a Celtics fan. So this all begs an important question: Why is Doc making the Celtics wait on a public confirmation of his return next season? And is there anything to be concerned about here? I present to you, a theory on Doc’s motives. Imagine you are Rivers right now. You’re one of the highest paid coaches in the league. According to Jackie MacMullan’s sources, other teams are after you, not only to run their team on the floor, but off the floor as well (hello, Orlando Magic). You are also signed to a long-term coaching deal, in essence limiting your flexibility in looking at other options. According to the terms of the deal, Doc can’t coach elsewhere during the duration of the deal, without Celtics’ approval….and likely compensation from another team. While picturing this though, it’s important to keep in mind how Rivers might view this Celtics’ team at a crossroads right now. Doc heads into this offseason with a bit of uncertainty surrounding his roster for next season, in the sense that he doesn’t know what it will look like come October 2013. The veteran Hall-of-Famer he has been through everything with in Boston is on the trading block. Kevin Garnett could be following him out of town as well, or walking away to retirement, if The Truth is no longer by his side. If Danny Ainge has his way, he’d trade both of those guys right now, for a package of first round picks and/or young players on cheap contracts with promise, in hopes of reloading the Celtics’ for the future. While these moves may be attractive to the long-term future of the Celtics, just how attractive are they to Doc Rivers? Without KG and Pierce, Doc would be forced to coach a roster featuring Rajon Rondo coming off an ACL tear, Jeff Green, and a variety of youngsters and overpaid veterans in supporting roles. We all know Rondo is no picnic to coach and Doc was yelling at Green probably more than anyone on the roster not named Fab Melo. With these guys at the helm, the Celtics would still be a playoff team, but probably one guaranteed for an early round exit. So tell me, just how excited would Rivers be to coach a crew like this, assuming KG and Pierce are out of the picture? Doc isn’t really crazy about coaching young guys to begin with, unless your name is Jared Sullinger. A couple years ago, after signing his contract extension, Doc sounded ready to take the rebuilding plun

NEW YORK –  Andre Drummond got screwed in All-Rookie voting. Lawrence Frank screwed him by not playing him more. And the voters screwed him by not realizing, even in limited minutes, Drummond still contributed more overall than some of the players who made the All-Rookie first team. But don’t bother talking to Drummond about making the second team instead. “I’m not worried about first and second,” Drummond said. “I’m just worried about winning games. “I’m just not worried about all the extra stuff. I’m worried about basketball games and trying to get to the playoffs.”

You get this sense with the Warriors — guys like playing there now. You could feel the team chemistry when you watch them play. They liked each other, they were having fun together. And that was fun to watch. Carl Landry wants to stay a part of that. But the NBA is a business. Landry…

Doc turned down the team presidency of the Orlando Magic. So he probably wants to go coach Joe Johnson, Marshon Brooks and Kris Humphries, right Brooklyn?Jackie MacMullan, still killing the game on ESPN Boston, uncovered a couple of fascinating nuggets in this must-read story on Thursday. According MacMullan, Doc Rivers was actively pursued by the Brooklyn Nets despite being under contract with the Celtics. Not only that, but last offseason he turned down an offer to be team president by his hometown Orlando Magic.From ESPN Boston:In fact, team and league sources confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was contacted by the Brooklyn Nets, who wanted to speak to Rivers about their vacant coaching position. Ainge, according to those sources, denied the Nets permission to talk with his coach, who has three years and $21 million remaining on his contract.[...]Last season, the Orlando Magic offered Rivers the job of team president, which would have entailed everything from schmoozing with corporate sponsors to running the front office. Though he had previously insisted he had “little to no interest” in running a franchise, the financial windfall and unilateral power that would come with such a position (not to mention the proximity to his home base) gave him some brief pause. Ultimately, Rivers rebuffed the Magic and determined he wasn’t done coaching.It’s interesting that the Nets covet Rivers enough to request an interview despite his current contract status, but it’s potentially more telling/interesting that Rivers turned down the position with the Magic. Team presidents make a LOT of money (like, CEO of large companies money) and the Magic were clearly aware of the draw they would have, playing in Rivers’ hometown. Yet Doc turned them down.Don’t get me wrong: Rivers makes a LOT of money. $7 million a year is more than all but a few of the highest paid professional coaches make, and it’s certainly an attractive position for him. And as we all know very well by this point, the connection Doc has forged with the Celtics is very real, as evidenced KG’s refusal to waive his no-trade clause and Doc’s emotional post-game press conference this year after the Celtics lost to the Knicks and last year after they fell to the Heat.Still, it speaks to Rivers’ loyalty that he is willing to turn down a hometown job offering him more money than most of us (all of us, even?) can even imagine. I have no sources in my ear telling me anything about whether or not Doc will continue coaching the Celtics. But given this story and the tendencies toward loyalty Rivers has shown in the past, I’ll be very surprised if he isn’t on the bench in Boston next year, regardless of what the roster looks like. Follow Tom on Twitter: @Tom_NBA.

by Jonathan Santiago & James Ham “Long live the Sacramento Kings”.  That was the message of yesterday’s massive celebration taking place at Cesar Chavez Park.  Cowbell Kingdom was there and caught up with new Kings owners Mark Mastrov, Paul Jacobs, Phil Oates and Dave “Deuce” Mason of CBS Sports 1140 at yesterday’s event.  Listen down below. Excerpts Mark Mastrov It’s amazing because you look at what we’ve done in the last four months.  I mean Burkle and I started off and then we slowly brought Vivek in quietly and then it evolved into the Jacobs family and Andy Miller and Chris Kelly and Raj (Bhathal) and everybody else.  But when you look at the people around us, it’s an amazing group of brain power with the diversity of experiences that are going to add a tremendous value to this franchise. Paul Jacobs The thing the fans need to know is that they’re the one who kept the team in Sacramento.  The league didn’t want to move the team when they knew that these fans had the passion that they had, the excitement that they had.  Sacramento supported the team and that’s why we’re here.  Sure we’re a new ownership group and we came in and put some money in, but it was really the fans that made the team stay here and that’s what this day is about. Phil Oates As a community, it’s thrilling because we need jobs in this community.  We need this to be a place where people are moving to, not away from.  And I think with this energy of this downtown arena, with the whole great feeling that it brings to this town, knowing that people, tremendous people of power are coming from San Diego and Los Angeles, the Silicon Valley, it means Sacramento is going to live long past me and into the lifetime of my grandson who’s due on Monday and past to his grandson. Deuce Mason This new ownership group is all about the fans…They’re gonna be in Sleep Train for the next three years and they will make the most of it.  They’re gonna do great with what they have.  Then you go to the new arena, it’s going to be even more amazing.  That’s what I’m so excited for.  I have so much belief in this new ownership group.  This isn’t just some “oh we’re doing this for fun”.  They are doing it because they believe in this community. Can’t see the audio player? Listen here. Music Credit: Ronald Jenkees – Guitar Sound Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS.

Nerlens Noel, the big man from Kentucky, was the first off the board this year by a sizeable margin. Still, this is the first year in a while that the first pick on StR's draft board hasn't won by a landslide. When a choice comes up, pick who you'd want the Kings to pick given all the players remaining. Note: THIS IS NOT A MOCK DRAFT. This is draft board, a list with the order of prospects you'd like to see the Kings pick. In other words, if we were the Kings front office, when our pick came up, we'd take the top name left on our board. So pick your choice, not who you think Geoff Petrie GM To Be Named Later or anyone else would choose in a slot. Explain your choice in the comments, and lobby for who should be added to the next pick's choices. This poll ends at 5 AM tomorrow. The next one will be begin shortly thereafter. We will go roughly 20 picks deep. Poll At #2 on the StR Draft Board, I select: Otto Porter Ben McLemore Trey Burke Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett C.J. McCollum 5 votes | Results