SB Nation Denver: All Posts by Steve von Horn

NBA Draft Combine 2013: Victor Oladipo's vertical stands out in athletic testing results

2013-05-17T17:38:01Z

Day 2 of the 2013 NBA Draft Combine featured athletic testing drills for top prospects and NBA hopefuls, and some of the players who failed to post prototypical physical measurements on Thursday responded by excelling in strength and agility testing. Indiana guard Victor Oladipo certainly wowed some observers with his vertical jump numbers. Here's a rundown of some of the numbers for top prospects, via Chad Ford on Twitter.

Victor Oladipo raised a few eyebrows on Thursday when he measured 6'4.25 tall with shoes, but he left no doubts about his elite athleticism on Friday. The 21-year-old defender recorded a 33-inch standing vertical leap and an eye-popping 42-inch max vertical. Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore also posted top-notch numbers, including a 32-and-a-half-inch standing vertical and a 42-inch max vertical. Both players fared well in the sprints and agility drills, too. They are currently projected to be top-10 picks in the upcoming draft.

The raw athletic numbers still aren't the end-all-be-all in the draft process, of course, as some of the best athletes at the combine have failed in the NBA due to holes in their game:

42-inch vertical for Victor Oladipo. Others w/42 or better, via @draftexpress: N. Robinson, Claxton, Shumpert, Ewing Jr., Selby, Farmar.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) May 17, 2013

Some guards didn't fare as well in the tests. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope only registered a 29-inch standing vertical and 34-and-a-half-inch max vertical. Archie Goodwin posted a 30-inch standing vertical and 36-inch max vertical.

Visit our 2013 NBA Draft section for more coverage

The big men also performed the same tests, and interesting results emerged from that process as well. Rudy Gobert's freakish length impressed scouts on Thursday, but his 25-inch standing vertical and 29-inch max vertical were low numbers for a big man. By contrast, Cody Zeller impressed observers as he reached 35-and-a-half inches on his standing vertical and 37-and-a-half inches on his max vertical. Zeller actually tested out as one of the best athletes at the combine, according to Ford.

Power forward Tony Mitchell from North Texas opened eyes with his max vertical leap when he cleared the rack and hit 38 inches -- tops among power forwards.

More from SB Nation:

Hawks considering Ettore Messina as head coach, according to report

2013-05-17T14:15:35Z

Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry is giving "significant consideration" to hiring CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina as the team's next head coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. No NBA team has ever hired a European-born coach as a head man, so the move would be an historic one for the league.

Messina has won four Euroleague Championships and two Coach of the Year awards. He previously worked in the NBA on Mike Brown's staff with the Lakers in 2011-12, and he is reportedly "intrigued with the chance to be a global trail blazer in the NBA." He and Ferry have discussed the possibility of the hiring, but Stan Van Gundy is still the team's top target.

For more on the Hawks' offseason, visit Peachtree Hoops

Head coach Larry Drew is technically still under contract as the coach of the Hawks, but Ferry has been active in searching for someone to replace him when his deal expires on June 30. Ferry interviewed former head coach Nate McMillan for the job on Wednesday, and he has granted Drew permission to talk with other teams.

This isn't the first time Ferry has taken interest in Messina. When Ferry was the GM of the Cavaliers, he sent Mike Brown overseas to study Messina's offense in action.

More from SB Nation:

• Sacramento's new owners will completely change Kings

Spurs vs. Grizzlies schedule, 2013 NBA Playoffs: Series begins on Sunday

2013-05-17T13:38:17Z

The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies are the two Western Conference teams left in the 2013 NBA playoff bracket, and Game 1 of their Conference Finals series is set for Sunday, May 19, at 3:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio. The Spurs were in the Western Conference Finals last season, while the Grizzlies are wading in uncharted waters. Every game will be broadcast exclusively on national telecasts -- in this case, ABC or ESPN -- and the dates and times have been pre-determined for all seven games.

For more on this series, visit: Grizzly Bear Blues Pounding the Rock

Tim Duncan will have his hands full with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, while Tony Parker will need to find an edge against Mike Conley if the Spurs hope to make it back to the NBA Finals with their aging core group of star players.

The winner of the series will take on the Eastern Conference representative in the 2013 NBA Finals, which are set to start on June 6. The Miami Heat will take on either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 1

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET Sun., May 19
TV, streaming info: ABC

Game 2

Time: 9 p.m. ET Tues., May 21
TV, streaming info: ESPN

Game 3

Time: 9 p.m. ET Sat., May 25
TV, streaming info: ESPN

Game 4

Time: 9 p.m. ET Mon., May 27
TV, streaming info: ESPN

Game 5 (TBD)

Time: 9 p.m. ET, Wed., May 29
TV, streaming info: ESPN

Game 6 (TBD)

Time: 9 p.m. ET, Fri., May 31
TV, streaming info: ESPN

Game 7 (TBD)

Time: 9 p.m. ET, Sun., June 2
TV, streaming info: ESPN

More from SB Nation:

• Chris Copeland sparks Knicks' win | Longform: Copeland's story

• German NBA prospect Dennis Schroeder impresses

• Flannery: What's next for OKC Thunder?

• GIFs: Knicks survive, Spurs move on

• Longform: Basketball and chaos in Europe

Kings sale to be announced Friday

2013-05-17T13:06:57Z

The Kings franchise will stay rooted in Sacramento as the Maloof family has agreed to sell their controlling stake in the team to a Sacramento-based group of investors led by Vivek Ranadivé, the Jacobs family, Raj Bhathal, Mark Mastrov and others. The official announcement of the deal is expected to come on Friday, and a press conference has been scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. If the NBA approves the deal in the near future, escrow could close by the end of May, according to a Sacramento Bee report.

Ranadivé called the deal "the start of a new era" for the Kings during an interview after the Warriors' Game 6 loss to the Spurs on Thursday night. He said the two sides "just need to sign some papers and finalize everything" at this point, and noted that the $347 million sale price for the Maloofs' share floated in reports is "about right," which fits with the NBA-record $535 million valuation for the franchise.

The Maloof family is reportedly eager to "turn the page" and sell to the local group of investors, and Ranadivé promised "[w]e'll make sure [the Maloofs] get the exit they deserve." Ranadivé is prepared to pay $200 million for his stake in the team, and he will serve as a managing partner for the franchise, according to the same Sacramento Bee report. San Diego investors Paul, Jeff and Hal Jacobs would serve as vice chairmen of the franchise on a rotating basis.

More from SB Nation:

• Sacramento's new owners will completely change Kings

NBA playoff scores: Warriors eliminated, Knicks survive

2013-05-17T12:05:16Z

It was a strange night in the 2013 NBA Playoffs on Thursday. The Indiana Pacers played without George Hill (concussion) and looked incompetent on offense for most of the evening, as Carmelo Anthony carried the New York Knicks to an ugly Game 5 win. Gregg Popovich benched Tim Duncan down the stretch, but the San Antonio Spurs still knocked off the Golden State Warriors and advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face the Memphis Grizzlies. Here's a rundown of the action from Thursday night.

Spurs 94, Warriors 82 | San Antonio clinched series, 4-2

The Warriors and Spurs alternated wins in the series for the first five games, but the Spurs finally broke the trend in Game 6 and eliminated Golden State. San Antonio did a solid job of managing the pro-Warriors crowd at ORACLE Arena at the outset of the game. The Spurs outscored Golden State in each of the first two quarters and limited Stephen Curry (22 points for the game) and Klay Thompson (10 points) to a combined 8-for-20 shooting in the first half.

Tim Duncan started the game strong and scored 13 of his 19 points in the opening 24 minutes, even though Popovich elected to bench him in the final period due to defensive matchups. Harrison Barnes helped to keep the Warriors afloat in the first half as he scored eight of his nine points in 18 first-half minutes. He was never quite the same after taking this brutal fall in the second period:

Barnes returned and played the entire third quarter, but he was eventually taken out of the game after suffering from a headache. A team spokesman confirmed after the game that Barnes underwent concussion tests at halftime and was cleared to return to the game.

For more Game 6 reaction, visit: Golden State of Mind Pounding the Rock

Nothing was easy for the Spurs in this series, so of course Golden State made a few runs in the second half. In fact, the Warriors started attacking Duncan in pick-and-roll situations, and Popovich was forced to play his star big man fewer han five minutes in the fourth period of a tight game. The comeback attempts from the Warriors were always met with a solid response, as noted in the Pounding the Rock recap:

With ten minutes to go on the fourth, the Warriors cut the lead to three with a Thompson three pointer and the momentum seemed to be swinging. But Splitter found Ginobili on a backdoor cut for an easy two when the team needed a bucket the most. Lee futilely tried to take over but kept firing blanks, and the Spurs started hitting jumpers as if they were the game one Warriors, while getting lucky bounces on their own rim. Nothing was easy in this series, so of course the Warriors cut the deficit to two once again with 4:52 to go. But Parker's shot picked the perfect moment to wake up, and with a three pointer from the right corner built a five point cushion. With Ginobili dishing the ball and Parker and Leonard hitting shots, it was evident the Spurs were going to prevail, and after both coaches emptied their benches in the final minute, they did.

Popovich elected to go small and use Tiago Splitter as the team's only big man for most of the fourth quarter. Tony Parker made the decision pay off, as he scored 10 points in the final stanza and shot 2-of-5 from the field to salvage an otherwise rough night (13 points, 3-of-16 shooting).

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Spurs and Grizzlies is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in San Antonio.

Knicks 85, Pacers 75 | Indiana leads series, 3-2

Pacers point guard George Hill complained of a headache and failed concussion testing prior to Game 6, so Indiana was forced to roll with D.J. Augustin. Seth Rosenthal of Knicks blog Posting and Toasting summed up the effect of that move nicely in his game recap:

Just an hour or two before game time, the Pacers revealed that George Hill had suffered a concussion in Game 4 and would not be available. His absence registered on both ends of the floor, with the rest of the Pacers collapsing into the void. The stubbier, far less menacing D.J. Augustin was left to guard the top of New York's pick-and-rolls, which resulted in far more breakdowns and far more Pacer teammates stranded out of position. Augustin and a gaggle of other under-qualified Pacers were asked to handle the ball, making them extra discombobulated and more susceptible to turnovers. Paul George torched the Knicks as the ball-handler on plenty of possessions, but also made his share of errors in that role. Sam Young played more than usual, too. That's always good. So, yeah, a relatively shallow opponent being down one of their most troublesome players helped the Knicks a bunch.

For more on this series, visit: Posting and Toasting Indy Cornrows

Carmelo Anthony carried the Knicks offense and scored a game-high 28 points in 12-of-28 shooting, while Chris Copeland gave the Knicks a big boost off the bench with a very efficient night (13 points, 3-of-4 on threes). It wasn't a great game by New York, but Indiana did everything they could to help the Knicks extend the series.

The Pacers couldn't buy a bucket for most of the contest. They shot 36.2 percent from the field, committed 19 turnovers and received just 10 points from the bench players. The starting backcourt of Augustin and Lance Stephenson combined for 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Paul George (23 points) and David West (17 points) led the way for Indiana, but they needed 35 field goal attempts to pot 40 points. When Indiana did manage to get some easy chances at the free throw line, they squandered those opportunities and hit just 57.6 percent (19-of-33) of their freebies.

Game 6 in Indiana is scheduled for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

More from SB Nation:

• Chris Copeland sparks Knicks' win | Longform: Copeland's story

• German NBA prospect Dennis Schroeder impresses

• Flannery: What's next for OKC Thunder?

• GIFs: Knicks survive, Spurs move on

• NBA votes to keep Kings in Sacramento

Jerry Sloan not interested in Bucks' coaching job, Scott Skiles' agent drops the hammer

2013-05-17T01:31:48Z

John Hammond and the Milwaukee Bucks will have to move on to Plan C in their search for a new head coach, it seems. Top target Stan Van Gundy withdrew himself from consideration earlier in the week, and now Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Sloan has sent out a clear message that he's not interested in the job. Sloan met with the Bucks last week to discuss the position, but on Thursday veteran agent Keith Glass -- who is advising Sloan in his search -- told David Aldridge of NBA.com that Sloan won't be the next Bucks head coach:

"The bottom line is, Jerry doesn't really feel it's the right fit for him right now," Glass said Thursday. "He's interested (in coaching again). He's in Chicago now watching the Pre-Draft. And his name keeps popping up with every job, and he hasn't applied for anything. He had a real nice meeting with them. They came to see him on his farm (in downstate Illinois). They had a great meeting just in terms of liking each other. (Bucks general manager) John Hammond said 'I wish I could have stayed and watched the game with him.' It's just not the right fit for Jerry, from Jerry's point of view. That's not a negative thing; that's just the reality."

We all know the Bucks aren't exactly a prime landing spot for a proven head coach. It's part of why we were excited about the prospect of someone like Van Gundy or Sloan signing on; we wanted the Bucks to lure in someone out of their league. But what was it that caused the veteran coach to scratch Milwaukee off his list? That's where it gets interesting.

Glass officially represents Scott Skiles, and we all know how things ended with Skiles in Milwaukee. He grew tired of the roster flaws and didn't think the team was built to compete. He and Hammond entered the 2012-13 season without a contract extension, and he made it clear at the outset of the year that he wasn't looking to return on a new deal. Skiles and the team eventually agreed to part ways on Jan. 8. Hammond received a three-year extension on Jan. 24. Glass certainly understood the situation well, and he made some subtle comments that probably carried through the theme that Skiles had been delivering behind the scenes (via NBA.com):

"Jerry probably is a lot like Scott, in that the working conditions and where the team is (contender-wise) are important," Glass said. "For Jerry to go to a place that's going to take years to build-and I'm not talking about Milwaukee, I'm talking about anywhere-that's just not right for him. They have to be able to compete. Jerry is a competitor, and he wants to compete and teach."

Even if the Bucks are planning to spend big money to reshape the roster during the offseason, it's becoming clear that the prime coaching candidates don't have much confidence in the scheme.

It's back to the drawing board for John Hammond. Milwaukee's GM said he wanted to be thorough at the outset of the search, but I doubt this is what he had in mind. Kelvin Sampson, J.B. Bickerstaff, Steve Clifford and Nate McMillan have already interviewed for the job, so perhaps Hammond will tap into that group again for a second interview.

The good news is that it's perfectly acceptable to call your Plan C your original and unquestioned Plan A when you eventually make the hire and have the big press conference. The bad news is we have no idea where Hammond will go from here, because the two most accomplished candidates on his list have flat-out turned his team and his plan down.

Note: Hammond's reaction to the news is priceless (cc: unklchuk):

Bucks GM John Hammond says Milwaukee was "honored" that Sloan even met with the team: "He's Jerry Sloan."
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) May 17, 2013

NBA Playoffs schedule 2013: Knicks, Warriors facing elimination on Thursday

2013-05-16T19:05:33Z

The tension is rising in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks face a do-or-die Game 5 situation on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the Indiana Pacers. Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors can't afford to stumble in their Game 6 matchup versus the San Antonio Spurs. The Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies both advanced to the Conference Finals on Wednesday night, so the final four could potentially be set by the end of the evening. Here's a look at the TV schedule and tip times for Thursday.

Pacers vs. Knicks, Game 5 (8 p.m. ET, TNT) | Indiana leads series, 3-1

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson has started to tinker with the lineup, and after a poor showing in Game 4 there is a strange atmosphere surrounding the team in New York. Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith have struggled in the series, but it's not like the Pacers are unbeatable. Ian Levy of Pacers blog Indy Cornrows provided an excellent breakdown of Indiana's offensive deficiencies and weaknesses earlier in the week.

For more on this series, visit: Posting and Toasting Indy Cornrows

At Knicks blog Posting and Toasting, they aren't impressed with Woodson's decision making during this series:

Let's break down Mike Woodson's strategy in the series thus far. He went with the regular lineup for the first two games of the series. The Knicks scored 95 and 105 points, respectively, for an average of 100.0 points a game, which is exactly their regular season average. Their averaged 109.6 points per 100 possessions - a scant 1.5 points below their regular season average, and nearly 10 points more than Pacers opponents averaged during the regular season. After a thorough beat-down in Game 3, Woodson decided to throw the script out the window and improvised a new starting lineup, one that had yet to start a game this season.

The idea was terrible on a number of levels.

If the Knicks managed to pull out a win on Thursday, Game 6 would be on Saturday night in Indiana.

Spurs vs. Warriors, Game 6 (10:30 p.m., ESPN) | San Antonio leads series, 3-2

The Warriors and Spurs have alternated wins in this series, and if the pattern holds it means Golden State is due to emerge victorious in Game 6. Things won't be that simple, but Stephen Curry and the Warriors have to like the fact that they will be back at home with the ORACLE Arena crowd for the must-win contest.

For more on this series, visit: Golden State of Mind Pounding the Rock

The game preview at Warriors blog Golden State of Mind has taken the form of an emotional pep talk (a non-ironic ode to Mark Jackson, perhaps?), while the Spurs-centric preview at Pounding the Rock focuses on how the team can get back to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2007-08.

If the Warriors win Game 6, the winner-take-all Game 7 will be played on Sunday afternoon in San Antonio.

More from SB Nation:

• No stopping the Heat