Latest news with #NBA-worst
New York Post
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Burning Knicks questions Mike Brown has to answer at first presser
On Tuesday, the Knicks will introduce new coach Mike Brown to the media. Below are some questions The Post's Zach Braziller expects him to have to answer: There's a championship-or-bust expectation for this team now from the fan base and seemingly the front office. Is that your expectation as well? The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years under former coach Tom Thibodeau, and have won at least a round in the playoffs each of the previous three seasons. Yet, they moved on from Thibodeau — the franchise's most successful coach in over two decades — after falling two wins short of the NBA Finals. They brought back their entire core, and added quality depth pieces in guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Guerschon Yabusele. They will enter next season the co-favorite in the East with the Cavaliers. Anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals would be considered a disappointment. They are supposed to win big. What kind of pressure is that for you? Brown has big shoes to fill. Thibodeau was a personal favorite of superstar guard Jalen Brunson and took the Knicks from irrelevance to being contenders. Several players, from Brunson to Mitchell Robinson to Josh Hart, improved under Thibodeau's watch. The decision to move on from Thibodeau drew some criticism, and Brown's hire was hardly celebrated. Brown, it should be noted, hasn't won a round in the playoffs in 13 years. He is expected to go far next spring. He has plenty of doubters. The team's offense stagnated in the second half last season, posting an offensive rating of 112.3, which was No. 22 in the league. It wasn't much better in the playoffs: A 112.7 rating, ranking seventh among postseason teams. How do you get the offense back among the team's elite? Expect more ball movement and additional 3-point attempts. Those were hallmarks of the Kings offense under Brown, at least in his mostly successful first two seasons in Sacramento (he was fired 31 games into his third year). The season prior to his arrival, the Kings were 21st in 3-point attempts. In Brown's first season, they jumped to sixth and then third. Similarly, the Kings delivered the fourth-most passes and third-most assists in the NBA in Brown's first season and second-most passes and seventh-most assists in his second year. Jalen Brunson was a particular fan of Tom Thibodeau. NBAE via Getty Images After two strong seasons with the Kings that included the postseason, the team wasn't playing as well last year. What do you think happened in Sacramento this past season? Last summer, after leading the Kings to back-to-back playoff berths, Brown received a contract extension through the 2026-27 season. But a terrible start cost him his job. Sacramento pulled the plug with the Kings in the midst of a five-game losing streak and sitting at 13-18. At the time, the Kings had lost an NBA-worst nine contests after leading in the fourth quarter. Their assist percentage, seventh in the league in 2023-24, was 24th, and their defensive rebounding percentage fell from first to eighth. They were particularly bad in the fourth quarter, with a minus-1.8 NET rating and 111.9 offensive rating, ranking 19th in the NBA at the time of the firing. The move didn't change much. Sacramento wound up going 40-42, and lost in the opening round of the play-in tournament to the Mavericks. What's happening on and off the Garden court Sign up for Inside the Knicks by Stefan Bondy, a weekly exclusive on Sports+. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters How do you plan to build this team's depth? This was one major complaint of Thibodeau, that he relied too heavily on his starters and didn't utilize his reserves nearly enough. The Knicks were last in bench scoring during the regular season last year at 21.7 points (the Lakers were second to last at 26.2). Brown will have the benefit of quality reserves in Clarkson and Yabusele, which was a shortcoming of the Knicks' most recent roster. In Brown's two full seasons with the Kings, his bench was productive, ninth in scoring in 2022-23 and 12th in 2023-24. Jordan Clarkson provides the Knicks needed depth. Getty Images On Monday, the Knicks announced their summer league roster. There weren't any surprises. Last year's draft picks, Pacôme Dadiet, Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti, are on it, along with this year's second-round selection, Mohamed Diawara. Another interesting name is big man James Nnaji. The Knicks acquired his rights from the Hornets as part of the three-team Karl-Anthony Towns trade last offseason. The Nigerian was drafted by the Hornets with pick No. 31 in 2023, but opted to stay in Europe the past two seasons. Now, he is intent on playing in the NBA with the Knicks next season. Their summer league opener is on Friday against the Pistons at 6 p.m.
Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Jazz hire away longtime Celtics exec Austin Ainge
The Utah Jazz hired longtime Boston Celtics executive Austin Ainge as their new president of basketball operations on Monday. Ainge, 43, worked in the Boston front office for 17 years, most recently as an assistant general manager, and is the son of Jazz CEO and alternate governor Danny Ainge. 'We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new President of Basketball Operations,' said Jazz governor Ryan Smith. 'Austin is one of the brightest minds in the NBA -- his 17 years with the Celtics have given him incredible insight into every part of an organization. I've known Austin for 15 years, and I've watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative, and strategic basketball executive who's ready to lead this organization.' Justin Zanik will remain in his role as Utah's general manager and will work together with Austin Ainge and head coach Will Hardy moving forward. 'I couldn't be more excited about the bright future of this organization,' Austin Ainge said. 'I look forward to partnering with Ryan and Ashley Smith and our other leaders within the Utah Jazz and will utilize my experience over the last 17 years building a championship-caliber organization. I have lived this my whole life, constantly studying teams, talent, chemistry and the selflessness necessary to win. I look forward to bringing that to Utah and am excited to give Jazz fans a lot to cheer about as we build our program back up.' In his time with the Celtics, Austin Ainge also worked as director of scouting and player personnel and served as head coach of the NBA G League's Maine Celtics (2009-11). His efforts helped Boston reach the Eastern Conference finals six times and capture the 2024 NBA championship. 'We are thrilled for Austin as he embarks on his new journey with the Jazz,' said Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. 'He's clearly ready for this next step, and I know how much he's looking forward to leading a team. He's obviously very bright and has experienced success as a player, coach and executive at various levels of the game. On top of that, he leaves no stone unturned -- he's a strategic thinker that's motivated and is an extremely hard worker. We will miss him in Boston, but could not be happier for Austin and his family.' Austin Ainge is already a familiar name for basketball fans in Utah. As a two-time team captain at BYU, he appeared in 101 games from 2003-07 and helped the Cougars win two Mountain West Conference titles and make three trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Jazz finished with an NBA-worst and franchise-worst 17-65 record in 2024-25, missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season. Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oklahoma City Thunder's Sam Presti named NBA Executive of the Year
Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti has been named the NBA Executive of the Year, the league announced on Tuesday. Presti got 10 first-place votes, ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Koby Altman and Trajan Langdon of the Detroit Pistons. Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, who made the most impactful move of the season with the blockbuster trade for Luka Dončić, finished sixth in voting. But he received a contract extension in April and was promoted from general manager to his current position. (And for anyone who may have been wondering, Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who traded Dončić, was not among the 13 executives who received votes.) Sam Presti earns executive of the gets a second and third place vote. — Steve Popper (@StevePopper) May 6, 2025 Presti finally won the award after finishing as runner-up in 2010, 2020 and 2024. He has been the Thunder's general manager since 2007, going back to the franchise's final year as the Seattle Supersonics. During his tenure, the team drafted superstar talent including Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, while also executing major trades, such as acquiring Paul George from the Indiana Pacers and Chris Paul from the Houston Rockets. He later traded George to the Los Angeles Clippers, which provided Oklahoma City with its current star and MVP candidate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Presti's many deals also allowed the Thunder to stock up on first-round draft picks, which have been used to build around Gilgeous-Alexander with players including Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Under Presti's roster construction, in addition to hiring head coach Mark Daigneault (2024's NBA coach of the year), the Thunder developed into a team that finished with the NBA's best record this season at 68-14. Affirming excellence was a trend among voters for the Executive of the Year award. Altman was the runner-up after the Cavaliers finished with the top record in the Eastern Conference at 64-18, and Rockets GM Rafael Stone built a team that was second in the West at 52-30. The one turnaround artist receiving recognition was Langdon, who hired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and oversaw the Pistons' revival from last year's NBA-worst 14-68 to a 44-38 record this season, avoiding the play-in mix as the No. 6 seed in the East. The Thunder resume their second-round NBA playoff series versus the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Oklahoma City trails 1-0 in the series with Game 2 scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET in OKC.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jazz sign coach Will Hardy to long-term extension after team finishes with worst record in the NBA
The Utah Jazz believe Will Hardy is the right person to lead the franchise back to prominence. The team announced a long-term extension with Hardy on Monday. Hardy's extension is reportedly for six seasons, keeping him with the Jazz through the 2030-31 NBA season, per ESPN's Shams Charania. It's a bold move for the Jazz, which finished with an NBA-worst 17-65 record last season. Despite that, Utah feels good about Hardy's ability to lead and develop talent. 'Will is an incredible teacher, communicator, and partner, " Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said. 'He's invested in individual development and development for us as a team. I'm not sure there's anyone better in the league in investing in our group. He got players to believe in their own development and take charge of it.' Hardy received high marks for his ability to connect with players. Near the end of the season, he received a vote of confidence from Walker Kessler, who praised Hardy for his intelligence and said the coach "actually cares about people. He's checking in on people off the court too." Hardy spent time as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for five seasons before joining the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. He spent just one year in Boston, as the Jazz swooped in to hire him as their head coach. Hardy was hired by the Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season. He has an 85-161 record in three seasons with the team, good for a .346 winning percentage. The team's poor performance last season, gives it a decent chance to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Jazz have a 14 percent chance of earning the top pick — which is tied with the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets for the highest odds at winning the first pick. The Jazz have never held the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jazz sign coach Will Hardy to long-term extension after team finishes with worst record in the NBA
The Utah Jazz believe Will Hardy is the right person to lead the franchise back to prominence. The team announced a long-term extension with Hardy on Monday. Hardy's extension is reportedly for six seasons, keeping him with the Jazz through the 2030-31 NBA season, per ESPN's Shams Charania. Advertisement It's a bold move for the Jazz, which finished with an NBA-worst 17-65 record last season. Despite that, Utah feels good about Hardy's ability to lead and develop talent. 'Will is an incredible teacher, communicator, and partner, " Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said. 'He's invested in individual development and development for us as a team. I'm not sure there's anyone better in the league in investing in our group. He got players to believe in their own development and take charge of it.' Hardy received high marks for his ability to connect with players. Near the end of the season, he received a vote of confidence from Walker Kessler, who praised Hardy for his intelligence and said the coach "actually cares about people. He's checking in on people off the court too." Hardy spent time as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for five seasons before joining the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. He spent just one year in Boston, as the Jazz swooped in to hire him as their head coach. Hardy was hired by the Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season. He's compiled an 85-161 record in three seasons with the team, good for a .346 winning percentage. This story will be updated.
