Новости за 13.06.2023

No Ceilings: 2023 NBA Draft “Green Room” Invites so far (via @DraftExpress) | #NBADraft • Victor Wembanyama • Brandon Miller • Scoot Henderson • Amen Thompson • Ausar Thompson • Cam Whitmore • Jarace Walker • Anthony Black • Taylor Hendricks • Gradey Dick • Bilal Coulibaly • Cason Wallace • Nick Smith Jr. • Dereck Lively • Kobe Bufkin • Jalen Hood-Schifino • Jett Howard • Jordan Hawkins • Keyonte George
Source: Twitter

The conversation in the NBA when it comes to how to build a championship-level team often comes down to which way of doing so is better: going big in free agency or building one through the draft?

Interviewed by SportKlub, the Serbian national team head coach Svetislav Pesic confirmed Nikola Jokic’s participation at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. “Jokic is on the representative list, as the other candidates”, the 73-year-old former Barcelona head coach said.
Source: EuroHoops.net

The Denver Nuggets won the 2022-23 NBA championship after beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the Finals.

Shams Charania: Seven-year NBA vet and former No. 6 pick Ekpe Udoh is joining the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff under Quin Snyder, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Udoh also won a EuroLeague championship in 2017.

Brandon Miller is ready for his close up. The Alabama product is in town for his private workout with the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday afternoon, per league sources, and his session should give the franchise’s talent evaluators a better idea of who they should go with at No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft next week. Miller, along with Scoot Henderson, is on the Hornets’ radar and there’s been little clarity over the last few weeks about which player they like best.
Source: Charlotte Observer

Kelly Iko: I think it’s closer to a pipe dream because the Bucks have expressed an intent to re-sign him. He makes a lot of sense for that core. The Rockets understand this reality. Houston may not be the most attractive place for Brook if he’s trying to compare the level of contention and long-term security. That’s why the Rockets have several succession plans. For example, if Lopez re-signed with Milwaukee, they’d pivot to guys like Clint Capela, Myles Turner, or Kristaps Porzingis. The same goes for their wing targets. Читать дальше...

Michael Scotto: It begins with James Harden, Houston’s top free agent target. With that said, there are rumblings the Rockets don’t want to give him a max contract. For Harden, he’s weighing returning home to Houston for family reasons, the chance to have other veterans join him in free agency with all their cap space, and playing with Houston’s young core players versus having the chance to remain with the MVP Joel Embiid and an Eastern Conference where he’s already on a top-four contending team. Читать дальше...

Kelly Iko: When you talk to Houston, you get both sides of the equation. You have guys in the organization that are pretty confident in him returning and others who are skeptical and have their doubts. When you talk to people close to Harden, there are those that say he’s coming back and others that say wait a minute. When you talk to players on the current Rockets roster, there are players that believe he’ll come back, and others are skeptical. The common denominator is James is keeping things close to the vest. Читать дальше...

Kelly Iko: I know that Nick Nurse was in Houston maybe a week and a half ago and met with Danuel House and James Harden. I know everyone saw the press conference where he kind of ducked the question about James when he said he’s a winning player and he’d love to have him in Philadelphia. When you look at it from a basketball perspective, staying with the MVP and a Final-winning coach makes a lot of sense. But, when it comes to James, one thing I’ve learned being around him for so long is there... Читать дальше...

Michael Scotto: Should Harden not come to Houston, the Rockets are expected to have interest in Lakers restricted free agent Austin Reaves, I’m told. Kelly Iko: Reaves is a guy they like a lot.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

So instead of a podium or stage, it was in the musty bowels of Ball Arena, towels strewn across the floor, training gear being loaded for one final time, where, almost fittingly, Haslem described a career that had come to a close with the Denver Nuggets celebrating and the Heat taking no consolation in consolation. “Oh, man, honestly, I wanted to get the win, but I’m proud of my guys, proud of my team,” Haslem said, opening his remarks as if there still was more to inspire, even though there wasn’t. Читать дальше...

“This was a historic run. I don’t know how you can say he’s not the best big man ever, really,” Michael Porter Jr. said after Game 5. “He’s one of the all-time best basketball players. I don’t care what anyone says. I think he’s one of the all-time best players to ever play this game.”
Source: Michael Pina @ The Ringer

Michael Scotto: If the Rockets keep the fourth pick, there are a few candidates to keep an eye on at that spot, including Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, and Cam Whitmore. From what I’ve heard, the Rockets will take a serious look at Amen Thompson with the fourth pick if they keep it. He’s considered one of the top defenders in this class, which Houston would welcome after having the second-worst defensive rating in the league last season (118.6).
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and The Athletic’s Rockets writer Kelly Iko share new intel surrounding NBA Draft and free agency targets for the Rockets, KJ Martin’s future, and more.

The Denver Nuggets just won the NBA title in which the average age of their Top 3 players – Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon – was just 27 years and 170 days the day the Finals came to an end.

As champagne flowed and cigar smoke filled the Nuggets’ home locker room, Bruce Brown couldn’t help but revel and soak in the moment. “I want to stay,” he told The Denver Post. “Look at us,” he said. “Celebrating the Finals, winning the Finals. This is what you come to the NBA for, to win at the highest level.”
Source: Mike Singer @ Denver Post

On all counts, mission accomplished. The kid who was put through any and all tests his Dad could devise to prepare him for this path stood tall. He shone. “It’s an amazing feeling,” Murray said in the aftermath of a 14-point, eight-assist game in which he still managed to hit critical shots at critical moments. “It’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get back to this point. Everyone on my team believed in me, believed I could get back to myself and we proved a lot of doubters wrong.” Was it worth the wait, he was asked? Читать дальше...

Vinny Benedetto: “It’s good,” Nikola Jokic says, summing up the emotions of winning the title like only he could.
Source: Twitter @VBenedetto

Brady Hawk: Jimmy Butler asked about how much he’s been affected by his ankle after the second round: “Zero. My ankle’s fine. We just didn’t win, there’s no excuse. They beat us.”
Source: Twitter @BradyHawk305

Rudy Gobert: Happy for the Nuggets, beautiful Team basketball all year around. Failed over and over in the previous years, didn’t quit on their guys. And Nikola Jokic will finally get the respect he deserves! 👏🏽🏆
Source: Twitter @rudygobert27

NBA Communications: The 2023 #NBAFinals MVP and recipient of the Bill Russell Trophy, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Source: Twitter

Dustin Dopirak: Nikola Jokic: “The job is done. We can go home now.” That’s pretty much the defining quote of his existence right there.
Source: Twitter @DustinDopirak

Anthony Chiang: FINAL: Nuggets 94, Heat 89. The Heat’s improbable and historic playoff run is over. The Nuggets are NBA champions for the first time.
Source: Twitter @Anthony_Chiang