The following infographics show the Net Rating, Offensive Rating and Defensive Rating for all eight teams in the Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
Golden State Warriors vs. Utah Jazz
San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets
Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
Will Barton is uninterested in signing an extension with the Denver Nuggets this offseason and will opt for free agency in 2018.
Barton will be entering the final year of his three-year, $11 million contract in the 17-18 season.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, players who are on three-year contracts are eligible to sign an extension after the second-year anniversary of the pact. With 8 percent increases, Barton was looking at roughly a four-year, $39 million extension.
In Barton's first two full seasons with the Nuggets, he averaged 14.4 points and 13.7 respectively and shot a career-high 37 percent from 3-point range in 2016-17.
The Milwaukee Bucks made a risky pick for Thon Maker in the 2016 NBA Draft that was perhaps made easier by how quickly Giannis Antetokounmpo developed.
"Now if you’re talking about the Giannis connection, I think Giannis’ rapid improvement had probably made that pick easier to sell because immediately everyone started trying to compare the two, even though that really wasn’t a part of our decision," said John Hammond.
Hammond talked about what led the Bucks to select Maker.
"We loved his length. We loved his ability to shoot the ball. With the game moving to where it is today, can he be a stretch big? We’re still hoping that Thon can be that player consistently as he moves forward. But more than anything with Thon was then when we had the chance to get to know him, we just fell in love with him as a person. I loved (director of scouting) Billy McKinney’s line on Thon. When Thon left us after the draft workout, Billy said, “You can be guaranteed that player is going to become the very best he can possibly become because he’s going to work that hard.” He’s never going to leave anything on the table. He’s always going to give you 100 percent and give himself 100 percent and give himself the best opportunity to become a player someday in this league."
Dwight Howard expressed displeasure with how his first season with the Atlanta Hawks ended.
Howard was often on the bench during the end of the Hawks' games against the Wizards.
“It was very difficult,” Howard said Saturday. “I want to play. I want to be out on the floor. I want to make a difference. I want to make an impact, and I can’t do that on the bench.”
Howard denied suggestions that matchups reduced his time on the floor.
Howard said he and Mike Budenholzer will discuss the situation during the offseason.
“That’s something that we have to talk about,” he said. “I can’t give you details here.”
Howard was healthy this season but sometimes didn't fit with the Hawks on offense.
“It hurts,” Howard said. “I’m sure if you wrote the best stories in the world and nobody read your stories and they told you to stop writing and you saw somebody else’s story that wasn’t as good as yours, I’m pretty sure you’d be pissed, too. That’s how it is in basketball.”
Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Kevin Pelton of ESPN (@kpelton) preview the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The two break down Spurs/Rockets, Cavs/Raptors (25:17), Celtics/Wizards (43:45) and Sunday’s Game Seven between the Clippers and Jazz (57:08).
Sponsored by Seat Geek (https://seatgeek.com/).
Vince Carter plans on continuing his career next season. Carter has had remarkable longevity, evolving into one of the game's better veteran wing role players.
Carter will be a free agent this summer.
"I said to myself 'I want to play 15 years'. I don't know where I got that from. And the I got to 15 years and I kept going. I never capped it, but at the same time I've had a lot of players remind me of things I've said," said Carter about how he kept telling fellow players he would retire after two more years.
"I'm still saying 'two more years and I'm done.'
"I sit here today and I think of when I was younger, at that 25 and the season was over, I felt awful.
"I could play three more rounds of basketball right now."
There were 88 players who made their NBA debut this season, which is the highest total in modern league history.
During the 05-06 season, there were 85 debuts as the previous high.
With more teams utilizing the D-League, there have been a great number of opportunities given to rookies.
That number doesn't even include Ben Simmons, who missed the entire season.
Dante Cunningham will decline his player option with the New Orleans Pelicans for the 17-18 season to become a free agent.
Cunningham's player option for 17-18 was worth $3.1 million.
Cunningham averaged 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 25.0 minutes over 66 games this season with the Pelicans.
The Chicago Bulls have until June 30th to fully guarantee the $13.4 million contract of Rajon Rondo.
The Bulls have yet to give Rondo any indication about his guarantee.
“Of course,” Jimmy Butler said when asked about if he preferred the Bulls to guarantee Rondo for next season. “He’s been huge for us this year, molding the young guys and getting in the film room. The way he plays the game, getting everyone involved, I love playing with him and D-Wade.”
While Rondo struggled early in the season, the Bulls played better down the stretch of the regular season with him and they also won two road playoff games at Boston before he was injured.
Dwyane Wade plans on meeting face-to-face with Jimmy Butler in the coming weeks to discuss their futures with the Chicago Bulls.
Wade has a player option for the 17-18 season worth $23.8 million. Wade signed a two-year deal with the Bulls last summer.
“That’s far away,” Wade said about his option decision. “I have time.”
Wade will also meet in the coming weeks with the front office to gauge their plans for the offseason.
Chicago could conceivably trade Butler this summer, or look to retool around him and either Wade or Rajon Rondo.
"I have a great luxury where I don't have to ring-chase, but I can. Or I can be a part of passing down my knowledge. Either way," said Wade on Saturday.
Basketball Wiretap RSS Feed