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Ayton averaged 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 31 minutes per game in the Lakers’ first-round series, mostly out-playing Rockets center Alperen Şengün. Nikola Jokić, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jayson Tatum and Şengün were the only other players to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first round. “DA’s had a great season. He was instrumental in us getting past Houston,” Redick said. “I think his … his, like, baseline of who he is every day for the last two, two and a half months has been awesome. And I know his teammates, certainly the staff, we’ve all embraced him all season long. Again, he’s the person that changes our ceiling the most.”
“You can’t hear yourself. It’s definitely the “Thunder” for a reason,” Ayton said. “Their fans are thunderous. You know, you can hear the floor shaking, the bleachers, you can’t even hear a play call. And you gotta be super dialed in.” If all of this sounds hard, it’s because it is. But that was always the appeal to Smart and Ayton with the Lakers, a place where the spotlight is as big as the expectations, one where it’s too difficult to disappear. “This is the playoffs, so everybody can do more, everybody has another level,” Ayton said.
Make no mistake, the toughness, the drive, the refusal to give in to an injury that would keep most players out for weeks, that was more Jordan than any turnaround jumper or soaring dunk could ever be. “I mean, nobody expected him to play,” said guard Mike Conley, who scored 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. “Just his level of commitment to the game, not only to the game, but to his teammates. That just showed a lot.”
Donovan isn’t the only widely respected, veteran head coach who’s hoping for a return to the sidelines, though, as league sources say Tom Thibodeau is also very interested in a comeback. The 68-year-old was fired from his Knicks post last summer but is looking for the right fit for his coaching future again. And yes, league sources say, that includes the prospect of a Bulls reunion if the Reinsdorfs and new executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham, who was hired away from the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, had interest.
Per league sources, new Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins signed a long-term deal with a salary that is well north of $10 million annually. Jenkins isn’t the highest-paid coach in the league, as that honor goes to Golden State’s Steve Kerr at $17.5 million annually (for now, as he continues to contemplate whether to return). Miami’s Erik Spoelstra is second (approximately $15 million). And Jenkins, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach who was once a Bucks assistant in Antetokounmpo’s early days, is up there now.
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As league sources said on Monday, the Trail Blazers have cast a net so wide that the list of candidates could be almost 20 coaches long and, in the end, will consist of names procured by both Dundon and general manager Joe Cronin. What’s more, league sources say, there is no clear messaging as of yet about a possible timeline on the hiring. And while Dundon has pushed back on the notion that he’s cutting corners as a matter of what he believes is good business, the proof will be in the paycheck.
Even if the Blazers go with a coach with no previous head-coaching experience, it shouldn’t be tough to top what is believed to be the lowest head-coaching salary in the league, that of the Sacramento Kings’ Doug Christie ($2 million annually).
At the core of Bickerstaff’s coaching philosophy is his understanding of people. Bickerstaff’s emotional intelligence allows him to approach each new relationship differently, rather than coming into his position with a one-size-fits-all method. Since being at the helm in Detroit, Bickerstaff has cultivated relationships with his players and assistant coaches that help illuminate them. “He truly cares about people,” Luke Walton, a former NBA player and head coach who is now an assistant in Detroit, told The Athletic during a January shootaround. “Players are extremely intelligent on when they’re being bullsh–ted or when people actually care. He truly does (care), and the players recognize that. … He tells us every year going into the season, ‘Our job is to make these players feel invincible, and we’ve got to put them in the best position for them to succeed.’ “Between taking the time to get to know them, talking to them, caring about them and then giving them the belief on the court to do what they’re capable of doing, it’s just a great combination. Especially for a young team that was trying to build something after a pretty rough year before we got here.”
“He’s super supportive of all of us outside of just basketball,” Cade Cunningham told The Athletic. “Everybody feels like they can call him to talk about if they have problems with their girlfriend or if they need something for their kids. He’s just a very selfless and supportive person. Having somebody like that who cares about you on the court and wants you to be great on the court, but then also actually cares about your life and your well-being off the court is huge.”
Considering Ujiri’s hefty Raptors salary (reportedly more than $15 million) was known to be a significant factor in his Toronto departure last June, the widely held belief here is that it cost Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont a pretty penny to bring him to town.
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I was told by a Bulls employee who was on a Zoom call with Graham that his early enthusiasm is palpable, which is certainly a step up from Karnišovas, whose enthusiasm was consistently negligible. Karnišovas rarely deigned to talk to the Chicago media, but in his defense, when he did, he usually made the situation feel worse. Donovan was the real face of the organization during his six years, so it would be a nice change of pace to hear from the person making decisions.
The Timberwolves had six players finish with double figures in scoring, and the team countered a historic effort from Wembanyama, whose 12 blocks were the most in a playoff game since the stat became official in the 1973-74 season. Julius Randle led the Wolves with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr., who started in place of Edwards, added 16 points and five rebounds.
In the initial days after the injury, Edwards was told it would take a minimum of two weeks before he could think about playing again, league sources told The Athletic. But Edwards wasn’t hearing it. He started rehabbing as quickly as possible, working in a pool to reduce the impact, talking to specialists and team medical personnel about the best courses of action and even using a hyperbaric chamber over the last few days, something he had been reluctant to do earlier in his career.
Suggs, who has four guaranteed years remaining on his contract at descending salaries, could be a trade candidate as Orlando seeks to address its roster deficiencies and clean up its long-term cap sheet. But despite his rugged defense, his injury history might limit his attractiveness to potential trade suitors.