Saints

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports agency business for over a decade.
In the second entry of the series, Babcock outlines his summer internship at high-powered sports agency Wasserman Media Group before the 2006 NBA Draft. 
When I was 22 years old, I was an intern at Wasserman Media Group's sports agency in Los Angeles, California. The internship not only had me doing typical intern-type tasks, but most importantly to me (because I had ambitions of being a coach), it had me working on the court daily with the company's newest clients &mdash; Shelden Williams, Brandon Roy, JJ Redick (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-dunker-spot/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-105-young-man-the-three" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who guested on The Dunker Spot this week</a>), Jordan Farmar and Joel Freeland &mdash; as they prepared for the 2006 NBA Draft. It was an exciting summer!
At that time, I was admittedly horrible with basic tasks in the office that were typical responsibilities asked of interns. Besides being a ball boy, working basketball camps and helping out at the NBA Draft Combine a few times, I had never had a real job before, as I'd always been busy being a basketball player. Anyway, my low-point while at Wasserman as an intern was being made responsible to send basketballs via FedEx for the agency's players and designated coaches to use at a pro-day workout in Florida that NBA scouts would attend.
I sent the basketballs out just fine. However, I sent them "ground," and they didn't arrive until days after the workout had happened. Greg Lawrence, who was in charge of managing the interns at Wasserman, had every reason to let me have it on that one, but fortunately for me, he didn't &mdash; thanks, Greg! In all honesty, I had some growing up to do. Luckily I did, eventually.
Despite my challenges in the office, I was right at home on the court, which was the main reason I was there from my perspective. I assisted Dave Joerger in working out and preparing all of Wasserman's new clients for the NBA pre-draft process. (Joerger was a D-League head coach at the time and eventually became the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. He's currently an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers).
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Former NBA player and current Wasserman agent BJ Armstrong (<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-rex-chapman-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-41-episode-40-bj-armstrong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who was recently a guest on The Rex Chapman Show</a>) also worked with the players occasionally. Darren Erman volunteered to help us with the workouts as well. (Erman, a corporate lawyer at the time, went on to have a successful career as an NBA assistant coach, and he is currently an assistant coach for the New York Knicks). An impressive group of coaches &mdash; I was lucky to have had the opportunity to work with them.
I worked on the court with the coaches and players a lot, but I spent a lot of quality time with the players off the court too. We routinely had lunches and dinners, and watched NBA playoff games together. I became close with Shelden, "B-Roy," and JJ; I got along with Jordan Farmar too, but because he had already lived in L.A. &mdash; being from there and attending UCLA &mdash; he wasn't around as much as the other guys, so I didn't get to know him quite as well. But, all in all, we had a great group of guys, and we had a good time together.
After 15 seasons in the NBA, JJ concluded a successful career and is now a rising star in the media. But in 2006, his fame was at its peak. A star at Duke, JJ generated a ton of media attention and was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was treated like a rock star anywhere he would goShelden (JJ's teammate at Duke) once told me that fans would regularly avoid getting autographs from him and his teammates if JJ had already signed the item. Supposedly, if anyone else would sign the memorabilia, it would decrease the value. Think about that for a minute. Shelden was a consensus first-team All-American and one of the top NBA prospects in the country while at Duke!
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While in Los Angeles, JJ and I had a couple of nights out on the town (with the approval of his agents and my bosses, of course). One night, we went to an exclusive nightclub in Hollywood. We stood in a long line just like ordinary people; me, who was not famous, and JJ, who looked like the typical college frat boy. After standing in a hopeless line, I decided to talk to the bouncer to see if I could somehow get us in; I told him I was with JJ Redick. Within moments, we were taken into the club and seated at a table next to reality TV star Kristin Cavallari and former boxer and heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
Hanging with JJ was a lot of fun.
After a month or so of us establishing a steady daily routine with the players, agent Thad Foucher let Coach Joerger and I know that he had a client named Joel Freeland from England who would be joining our workouts. Thad decided to have Joel enter his name in that year's draft. We needed to get him polished up for a showcase workout that we would be hosting the following week &mdash; every team in the NBA would be in attendance.
Every player we worked with up to that point was well-known. Joel was from England and played for a small team in Spain, so he was virtually unknown by NBA folks. However, at 6-foot-10, Joel was athletic and skilled for a player his size. After working with him, Coach Joerger and I agreed that he was a worthy prospect. Thad knew this already, of course; he wouldn't have signed him otherwise. We thought Joel might make a big splash at the showcase workout, and he did.
Following the workout in front of the entire NBA, Thad called me into his office and explained that Joel's draft stock had suddenly erupted, and he had more teams wanting to bring him into workout than days left until the draft. Therefore, he needed to be aggressive in organizing his schedule. It was the first time Joel had visited the United States, so Thad asked me to accompany him as he traveled around the country visiting different NBA teams. I essentially served as Joel's manager from that point until draft night. I remember vividly walking out of Thad's office to call my dad to tell him the good news. I was so excited to get that opportunity.
Before I knew it, Joel and I were off to Portland for his first team workout with the Trail Blazers. Joel and I shared a hotel room, and the team gave him per diem to cover his dinner. We ate at the hotel that night and had breakfast there the following day. While Joel was at the Blazers' practice facility for his workout, I stayed at the hotel killing time because the team didn't allow me to attend. Following his workout, we flew back to L.A. for one day so Joel could work out for the Lakers. Altogether, the trip to Portland was pretty uneventful for me. However, our journey was just getting started. Our next stop was Phoenix.
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When we landed in Phoenix, we were greeted by a car service: a gentleman in a black suit and tie with a fancy black car. He took us to the hotel, where Joel and I were given our own rooms at The Ritz Carlton. I felt like I was big time. Upon settling into our hotel rooms, the Suns' director of player personnel at the time (and current executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans), David Griffin, called to invite Joel and I to dinner at a steakhouse within walking distance from the hotel. He also asked me to attend the workout the next day. I must say that I am very appreciative of the first-class treatment David and the Suns gave me considering I was just a young guy trying to find my place in the business. "Griff" is undoubtedly a class act.
After a terrific trip to Phoenix, Joel and I continued our hectic travel, making stops in Houston, Dallas and Memphis. Aside from the Suns, no other teams allowed me to attend the workouts. Although it was perhaps a bit overzealous, it didn't stop me from trying.
While we were in Memphis, I casually walked into the practice gym with Joel and quietly took a seat, hoping no one would take too much notice of me where I could watch the workout. Shortly after I sat down, Ryan West, a scout with the Grizzlies and the son of the general manager and Hall-of-Fame player Jerry West, told me he wasn't sure if I'd be able to stay for the workout, but that he'd check.
Ryan and I were friends, and his dad and my uncle Pete had a close relationship, so I thought maybe I'd get the Griff/Suns treatment. The next thing I knew, Jerry was making his way toward me. My heart began to race; it wasn't that big of a deal to me whether I watched the workout or not, but the fact that "The Logo" was about to speak to me &mdash; that was a big deal!
As he approached me, he stuck out his hand and introduced himself; a really classy man with such an incredible presence. I'm not even entirely sure what I did or said. I'm not even sure if I responded at all initially. Ironically, I choked when meeting "Mr. Clutch." Anyway, the rest of our brief conversation went something like this:
Jerry West: Matt, would you like to watch the workout?
Me: Yes, I would like to, but it's not that big of a deal if it's an issue.
Jerry West: Do you speak to your father? (My dad worked for another NBA team).
Me: Well, of course, I do but...
(And before I could finish&hellip;)
Jerry West: It's nice to meet you, but we will have to ask you to wait for Joel in the locker room.
And that was my experience meeting Jerry West.
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Following the Memphis trip, we made our way to New York so Joel could work out for the Knicks the morning of the NBA Draft. Because I planned to pursue coaching jobs for the following season, the NBA Draft was when my internship would wrap up, as I prepared to attend Summer League in Las Vegas to hunt for coaching opportunities in July.&nbsp;
So just like that, my time with Wasserman was suddenly coming to an end &mdash; but first, we needed to see how the draft unfolded.
Although I was just an intern who had only known these players for a few months, we collectively put some real work together and created a bond. I cared about those players &mdash; I was invested. I especially cared for Joel, who quickly became like a little brother to me during our travels together as he chased his dream to play in the NBA.
So, our moment of truth was upon us. NBA Commissioner David Stern approached the podium, and the NBA Draft began. I anxiously watched, waiting to hear our guys' names called. Here's how it played out:
<ul>
<li>Shelden Williams &mdash; drafted No. 5 overall by the Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li>Brandon Roy &mdash; drafted No. 6 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li>JJ Redick drafted No. 11 overall by the Orlando Magic</li>
<li>Jordan Farmer drafted No. 26 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li>Joel Freeland drafted No. 30 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers</li>
</ul>
All of our players were selected in the first round (yes, even my "little brother," Joel Freeland)! I couldn't have been happier for all of the guys, especially for Joel, who played in the NBA for several years and had an incredibly successful career overseas.
The night of the 2006 NBA Draft, Shelden Williams, Brandon Roy, JJ Redick, Jordan Farmar, Joel Freeland, their families, the Wasserman agents and I celebrated the fruits of our labor. It was undoubtedly a great night and a terrific summer, which I will never forget.&nbsp;
Little did I know at that time that it was just the beginning of my involvement in the sports-agency business.
Stay tuned for the next entry of this series: "My past life as a sports agent: The 2006 NBA Draft." 
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/my-past-life-as-a-sports-agent-going-to-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the last entry of this series</a>: "My past life as a sports agent: "Going to California."
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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Matt Babcock recounts his summer internship at high-powered sports agency Wasserman Media Group before the 2006 NBA Draft.

My past life as a sports agent: The 2006 NBA Draft

BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock presents a series that will peel back the curtain from his time as a sports agent, giving a glimpse at some of his personal experiences working in the sports-agency business for over a decade.
In the first entry of the series, Babcock outlines his move to Los Angeles to begin his lifelong dream of working in basketball.
In the spring of 2006, I packed up my car, moved out of my apartment in Tucson, Arizona, and hit the road. In my rear-view mirror was the University of Arizona and my unavailing playing career; however, I wasn't looking back. In my mind, I was destined to follow in the footsteps of my dad and uncles &mdash; working in basketball. It was time for me to turn the page and start my next chapter.
On the other end of that road trip was a summer internship in Los Angeles where I'd be working at one of the biggest agencies in all of sports: Wasserman Media Group. At the helm of the agency's basketball division was famous sports agent Arn Tellem, who is now vice chairman of the Detroit Pistons.
(Before becoming a sports agent, Tellem worked as general counsel for owner Donald Sterling and the San Diego Clippers. Tellem was also instrumental in the team's move to Los Angeles in 1984. In addition, my uncle, Pete Babcock, had been the vice president of basketball operations for the Clippers while they were in San Diego. So my family had a long-standing relationship with Tellem dating back to the early 1980s before I was even born. Likely due to my family's relationship with him, I was offered a summer internship at Wasserman &mdash; and of course, I accepted).
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Having previously worked in the agency business for over a decade, many people ask me how I got started. Many assume I went to law school and had a sophisticated, well-thought-out plan to pursue a career as a sports agent. Well, that wasn't the case at all. Contrarily, I had always wanted to work directly for an NBA team, even as a child. I thought I'd start my career as a coach and eventually transition into scouting &mdash; just like my dad did. I'll elaborate on all of that later.
While working for Wasserman, I had typical intern-type responsibilities, like sending faxes to teams or making airport runs for players and staff members. However, Bob Myers and Greg Lawrence (both agents) explained that my primary responsibility would be to assist in player workouts on the court and helping prepare their new clients for the NBA pre-draft process. It was the perfect starting point for a young, aspiring coach.
I was ready to begin my career working in basketball &mdash; a dream come true. But there was a big problem: where was I going to live? It was a paid internship, but like most internships, it was only entry-level pay, and L.A. is a costly place to live. My dad worked in the NBA for years and my family did well, but I assure you I was not on any "gravy train." I needed help!
To some people's surprise, although I grew up in an NBA family, I was never given access to much money to spend on my own. Still, I have greatly benefited from my family's connections within basketball, especially early on in my career. My first stop in L.A. might have been the best example of that.
After tapping into my family's network and trying to find somewhere to stay for the summer, our family friend, Sam Goldfeder &mdash; an agent for Excel Sports Management and, ironically, a competitor of Wasserman's &mdash; graciously offered to let me stay in his mother-in-law's guest house for the summer &mdash; free of charge!
So I drove my car west on the I-10 across Arizona and into California. Cell phones didn't have GPS yet, so I grabbed my printed MapQuest directions and made my way into the L.A. area. Before I knew it, I was in Beverly Hills &mdash; one of the world's most prestigious neighborhoods. I passed the Beverly Hills Hotel, and it dawned on me that I was at the final steps of the directions:
<ul>
<li>Head east on N Crescent Dr toward Sunset Blvd.</li>
<li>Sharp right onto Sunset Blvd.</li>
<li>Slight right onto Benedict Canyon Dr.</li>
<li>The destination will be on the left.</li>
</ul>
Sam hadn't told me any details about the house or the setup other than that I would simply be staying in the guest house. I was relieved and thankful that I had a place to stay, but I was still curious to see where I'd be living for the summer.
When I finally pulled up to the house, I couldn't believe it &mdash; the place was incredible! It was like a house I imagined where a movie star would have lived. Eyes wide open, I pressed the button at the security gate, and an unfamiliar voice answered, "Hello?" I responded by telling the person who I was and that I was supposed to be staying in the guest house for the summer. Subsequently, the gate opened, and I pulled my car into the wrap-around driveway.
I was greeted by several women who worked for Sam's mother-in-law at the house. They said they would make me dinner, buy groceries and have my dry cleaning taken care of whenever I needed it. They then showed me to the guest house in the back. The whole situation was a bit surreal. I felt lucky, and I was lucky! It was perfect!&nbsp;
I was a young, 22 year-old kid who was fresh out of college, set to spend the summer living in the heart of Beverly Hills among the rich and famous &mdash; all while working for one of the biggest agencies in the sports industry. Finally, after a disappointing playing career that weighed on me heavily, I had a chance to start fresh and pursue my ambitions of having a presence in basketball &mdash; separate from my family.
The following day, I began my first day at Wasserman and my first day working in basketball. With high hopes, I had a world of endless possibilities ahead of me.
Stay tuned for the next entry of this series: "My past life as a sports agent: The 2006 NBA Draft." 
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.babcockhoops.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BabcockHoops.com</a>.
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To begin his eight-part series, Matt Babcock tells the story of his move to L.A. to begin his lifelong dream of working in basketball.

My past life as a sports agent: 'Going to California'

This past week, the Tampa Bay Pro Combine was held in Wesley Chapel, Florida, hosting 36 draft-eligible prospects, 24 of which had an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA scouts. BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock also serves as executive director of the combine.
Last year, Darryl Hepburn launched the inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine. The event proved to be a success as we saw four participants play in the NBA in their rookie seasons: Terry Taylor (Indiana Pacers), Brandon Williams (Portland Trail Blazers), Micah Potter (Detroit Pistons) and Jordan Goodwin (Washington Wizards).
Thanks to title sponsor Florida's Sports Coast, Adam Thomas and Consuelo Sanchez, the event returned for a second year with hopes of helping more players find success as they transition from college to the pros. Last Friday, we wrapped up the event. Here is a recap of the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine:
Arrival
Last year, we had nearly 50 players come to the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. However, we decided to change things this time around, bringing in a smaller group &mdash; 24 draft-eligible prospects &mdash; to participate in two days of simulated pre-draft workouts. Another big difference was that the workouts would be in front of NBA scouts and executives this year. We also welcomed 12 additional prospects to participate in some workouts and games. All in all, we had 36 players visit Tampa.&nbsp;
As we prepared our list of potential invites, we looked to put together a talented group of players with pro-potential, primarily fourth- and fifth-year seniors coming out of college who would be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. We targeted players from all over the country. We brought players to Tampa from various schools, including Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oregon, Providence, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Washington State, West Virginia and more.
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Ready to get going - Let&rsquo;s run it. 🏀🏁<a href="https://twitter.com/deemintz1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deemintz1</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/_davwarr3n?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_davwarr3n</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/BallForever_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallForever_</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/fulkerson_john?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fulkerson_john</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/AbuKigab?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbuKigab</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/JericoleHellems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JericoleHellems</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/Mark_Smith_13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mark_Smith_13</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TampaBayProCombine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TampaBayProCombine</a> <a href="https://t.co/5z7XKUqMiS">pic.twitter.com/5z7XKUqMiS</a>
&mdash; Tampa Bay Pro Combine (@_TBPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TBPC/status/1518974087460184065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The players arrived throughout the day on April 25, and we arranged rides to our event hotel, the brand new Residence Inn in Wesley Chapel. We provided them with Adidas gear and had dinner before going to our rooms. A good night's sleep was in order as the next two days were important since the players would be showcasing their talents in front of NBA scouts. A lot was on the line!
NBA Sessions
The next day, April 26, NBA scouts from a wide variety of teams arrived at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus and sat along the sideline as trainers from Yo Murphy Performance warmed up the players for our first "NBA session." Shortly after, Coach Bob MacKinnon had the players and our staff huddle up, shouting out his signature "1, 2, 3&hellip; hard work!" before we broke off for the first workout.
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That day, the first group of six players started things off right. You could feel the intensity in the gym immediately. It was clear that the players and coaches were there with a purpose. After a series of shooting drills and skill work, MacKinnon directed the group as they transitioned into competitive play, starting with 1-on-1 and finishing with 3-on-3. I don't think there is any denying that the workout was challenging and competitive. The remaining groups matched the same level of competitiveness over the two days.

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As executive director of the Tampa Bay Pro Combine, I'm responsible for inviting the players and convincing them to come. All of the young men that came to Tampa trusted me when I told them that we were putting together a platform that would help them gain exposure as they pursued their dream of playing professional basketball. Being able to contribute to helping them get closer to accomplishing their goals is beyond rewarding for me.
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Many players helped themselves those first two days, including Michael Flowers from Washington State, Noah Horchler from Providence, Nate Johnson from Xavier and Davion Warren from Texas Tech, just to name a few.
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Three-Point Shootout
After a couple of intense days working out in front of NBA teams, we put together an optional workout on April 28, which was light, and then former NBA player Shelden Williams interviewed a number of the guys throughout the day for BasketballNews.com.
In the afternoon, we gave guys plenty of time to relax, with many of them even taking advantage of Tampa's beautiful weather by lounging at the pool of the Residence Inn and enjoying the sunshine. Later that night, we had some fun. The facility hosted a local high school All-Star game and had one of our players, Taze Moore from the University of Houston, do some dunks at halftime &mdash; he put on a show!
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To finish up the night, we held a Three-Point Shootout. The participants included Jalen Adaway (St. Bonaventure), Michael Flowers (Washington State), Noah Horchler (Providence), Nate Johnson (Xavier), Davion Mintz (Kentucky), and Cole VonHandorf (Fairmont State). Mintz started hot in the first round, but it wasn't enough as Flowers ultimately won the shootout.
Double-Header
Our last session on the court was on April 29, with some 5-on-5 play. We had three-time NBA champion and current BasketballNews.com writer and podcaster James Posey and former college standout player at Arizona and South Florida Jesus Verdejo coach the teams in both games.&nbsp;
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The first game was competitive from start to finish, ultimately seeing Team 1 win over Team 2, 100-92. Davion Mintz and Davion Warren led Team 2 in scoring with 24 and 22 points, respectively. Team 1's Amadou Sow won game MVP, scoring 26 points and grabbing an impressive 12 rebounds.
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Team 3 started fast on Team 4 in the second game, leading 26-11 after the first quarter. Kalob Ledoux and Ronaldo Segu led Team 4 in scoring, with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Meanwhile, West Virginia's Malik Curry scored 24 points, earning himself MVP honors.
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Thank You, and Good Luck
To cap off the week, our title sponsor, Florida's Sports Coast, and their manager, Consuelo Sanchez, hosted our entire group at Chuck Lager in Wesley Chapel for dinner to celebrate the successful week before everyone flew back home the following day.
That's another year in the books for the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. As our players set out to make the next steps in the pre-draft process and their respective careers, I'd like to wish everyone the best and thank them for allowing us to play a small part in their journey. Thank you to all of our staff and partners who worked so hard to make this past week happen!
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BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock shares an outlined recap of the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine.

Recapping the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine

Following last year's inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine, several participants &mdash; including Terry Taylor, Brandon Williams, Micah Potter and Jordan Goodwin &mdash; turned their dreams into reality by signing deals and playing in the NBA in their rookie season.
Now, the Tampa Bay Pro Combine is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/tampa-bay-pro-combine-returns-with-24-nba-draft-prospects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back for another year</a>, and our new group of participants is looking to find the same level of success. The TBPC will be held from April 26 to April 29 at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
We are providing 24 draft-eligible prospects an opportunity to audition in front of NBA scouts, compete in a slam-dunk contest and three-point shootout on April 28, and play in a doubleheader on April 29.
NBA scouts and personnel will be allowed to attend workouts on April 26 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST and April 27 from 9:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST.
Here is the list of participants:
Alex Barcello, BYU
Evan Battey, Colorado
Luka Brajkovic, Davidson
Savion Flagg, Sam Houston State
Michael Flowers, Washington State
John Fulkerson, Tennessee
John Harrar, Penn State
Noah Horchler, Providence
Nate Johnson, Xavier
Abu Kigab, Boise State
Kimani Lawrence, Arizona State
Kalob Ledoux, Santa Cruz Warriors
Davion Mintz, Kentucky
Taze Moore, Houston
Justyn Mutts, Virginia Tech
Tyler Polley, UConn
Taz Sherman, West Virginia
Jaylen Sims, UNC Wilmington
Mark Smith, Kansas State
Amadou Sow, UC Santa Barbara
Au'Diese Toney, Arkansas
Davion Warren, Texas Tech
Marcus Weathers, SMU
Jacob Young, Oregon
In addition to the 24 invitees, we will also be welcoming 12 additional draft-eligible prospects who will participate in workouts and games. Our video partner, <a href="https://event.veo.co/">Veo</a>, will record the action and distribute it via BasketballNews.com's YouTube channel, and <a href="https://instatsport.com/basketball">InStat</a> will also provide video and data from the event.
The 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine is presented by Florida's Sports Coast.

The 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine will be held from April 26 to April 29 at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine announces list of participants

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in Friday night and earn the West&rsquo;s No. 8 seed for the playoffs.
The Pelicans made the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, guided by first-year coach Willie Green, a former Clipper. They&rsquo;ve been without Zion Williamson all season because of a foot injury.
The Clippers were dealt a huge blow earlier in the day when Paul George entered the league&rsquo;s health and safety protocols. They&rsquo;d already been without Kawhi Leonard all season while he rehabbed an ACL injury. He watched from the bench early in the game.
CJ McCollum added 19 points for New Orleans, which will play No. 1 seed Phoenix in the first round. Game 1 is Sunday in the desert.
Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson each had 27 points for the Clippers.
The Pelicans shot 57% in the first half and were better on the boards, in the paint and off the bench. They led by 16 in the second quarter before the Clippers cut their deficit to 56-46 at halftime.
The Clippers roared back in the third, outscoring the Pelicans 38-18. They opened with a 20-2 run that had the crowd on its feet. Jackson scored 10 points and Morris added six in the spurt.
Robert Covington started the third in place of 7-footer Ivica Zubac and his three-point play gave the Clippers a 75-62 lead, their largest of the game.
Ingram scored five of the Pelicans&rsquo; final 12 points to send them into the fourth trailing 84-74.
That&rsquo;s when New Orleans staged a rally of its own.
After the Clippers scored to go up by 13 points, the Pelicans ran off 11 straight points and then McCollum hit a 3-pointer to tie it, 88-all.
Rookie Trey Murphy hit his second 3-pointer of the quarter for another tie at 94-all.
That sparked a 10-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 101-94 lead, capped by Murphy&rsquo;s 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and went in.
The Clippers twice closed within two in the final 1:17, but they missed 2 of 4 free throws and Jackson and Morris missed shots down the stretch to see their season slip away.
The Clippers, who made the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history last year, also were missing Luke Kennard. The league&rsquo;s 3-point percentage leader didn&rsquo;t play because of a sore right hamstring that kept him out of the loss at Minnesota on Tuesday in the team&rsquo;s first play-in game.
TIP-INS
Pelicans: They had won the season series, 3-1.
Clippers: Hadn't missed the playoffs since 2017-18 season. ... Nicolas Batum and Terance Mann started in place of George and Kennard ... Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said Leonard &ldquo;continues to progress with his rehab,&rdquo; but there is no timetable for his return.
UP NEXT
The Pelicans were 1-3 against the Suns this season.

In a hotly-detested play-in contest, the New Orleans Pelicans fought their way into a first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.

Pelicans earn 105-101 win over Clippers, claim No. 8 seed

This year, HBO introduced "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," a limited series about the Showtime Lakers and their success in the '80s.
Now, the Clippers are getting a show of their own.
A six-episode miniseries chronicling the Donald Sterling saga will air on FX. The show will be based on <a href="https://30for30podcasts.com/sterling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's 30 for 30 podcast &ldquo;The Sterling Affairs&rdquo;</a> by Ramona Shelburne, who will be an executive producer on the TV series.
Laurence Fishburne is set to play Doc Rivers and Jacki Weaver is set to play Shelly Sterling, according to <a href="https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/fx-sterling-affairs-series-laurence-fishburne-doc-rivers-jacki-weaver-shelly-sterling-1235224284/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety.</a>&nbsp;Gina Welch is a writer and executive producer on the series.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Gina Welch has done a tremendous job of adapting this story for FX, showing the historic resolve and grace of Doc Rivers and the Clippers players during this shocking event,&rdquo; said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX. &ldquo;Building on Ramona Shelburne&rsquo;s groundbreaking reporting, Gina, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson delve even deeper into this pivotal moment in modern sports.&rdquo;
Sterling was widely regarded as the worst owner is all of pro sports, and he was recorded making racist comments to his mistress, V. Stiviano.
"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people," Sterling told Stiviano after she posted a photo with Magic Johnson. "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want [but] the little I ask you is... not to bring them to my games."
As punishment, the NBA banned him for life (selling the Clippers to the highest bidder, Steve Ballmer) and fining him $2.5 million (the maximum amount allowed per the league's constitution).
It's unclear when the Sterling miniseries will air on FX, but it is currently in pre-production.

A six-episode limited series chronicling the Donald Sterling saga will air on FX. Laurence Fishburne will reportedly play Doc Rivers.

FX announces limited series about Clippers' Donald Sterling saga

The story of college basketball can be traced largely from the base of Mount Oread on the campus of Kansas, where the inventor of the game was also the school&rsquo;s first coach, and across the heartland and down Tobacco Road to North Carolina, where so much of its history has been made.
Among those coached by Dr. James Naismith, who famously tacked up those peach baskets at the Springfield YMCA, was an irascible youngster named Forrest Allen, who would later go simply by the nickname &ldquo;Phog.&rdquo;
Phog Allen would later take over the Jayhawks and coach a young man from southeast Kansas named Dean Smith, who delivered him a national championship before beginning his own coaching career.
Smith would become a Tar Heels&rsquo; legend during his tenure in Chapel Hill, leading North Carolina to a pair of national championships. And one of his disciples, that dadgum Roy Williams, would not only lead the Jayhawks to four Final Fours but the Tar Heels to three titles of his own.
On and on it goes, the ties binding two of college basketball&rsquo;s bluebloods forming a rich tapestry over time, and another layer to come Monday night when the schools square off for the national championship at the Superdome.
&ldquo;Both teams are as blue as you can get when you talk about bluebloods,&rdquo; said Kansas coach Bill Self, whose Jayhawks are chasing a third national championship. &ldquo;But to play a Carolina program that&rsquo;s intertwined with Kansas history, in large part because Coach Smith played at Kansas and won a national championship in &rsquo;52 and then he goes on and is thought to be as good a basketball coach that&rsquo;s ever coached the sport over a period of time &mdash; I think that&rsquo;s special. &rdquo;
Self has his own ties to the Tar Heels.
He was just an eager young college student trying to make a buck as a camp counselor at Kansas in the early 1980s when he caught the eyes of the Jayhawks&rsquo; coach. It turned out to be Larry Brown, who two decades earlier had played for Smith and the Tar Heels before embarking on his own coaching career as an assistant in Chapel Hill.
&ldquo;So I&rsquo;m very proud to be a part of this game,&rdquo; Self said.
So is his North Carolina counterpart, Hubert Davis, who also played for Smith in the late 1980s and early &lsquo;90s. After his own college career, and more than a decade spent in the NBA, Davis returned to North Carolina as Williams&rsquo; assistant, then was picked to take over the Tar Heels when the Hall of Fame coach retired last spring.
Davis ruefully remembers playing against Williams and the Jayhawks in the 1991 national semifinals, when he went 9 of 16 from the field and scored 25 points in a losing effort. Kansas later lost to Duke in the title game.
&ldquo;Prior to us winning the national championship in 2017, from 1991 to 2017, I had watched that game at least once every year. It was the best team I ever played with,&rdquo; Davis recalled Sunday. &ldquo;And we really felt like we had a chance to win the national championship and we came up short. And that was a game that Coach Smith got two technical fouls and got kicked out, and it was an emotional game and an emotional end to a season.&rdquo;
Davis still considers that 79-73 defeat in Indianapolis &ldquo;the toughest loss that I&rsquo;ve ever experienced in my entire life.&rdquo;
&ldquo;And playing at Carolina, the thing, for me, that I always wanted was to cut down those nets as a player,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and we were so close and weren&rsquo;t able to be able to have that experience.&rdquo;
Davis ultimately had that experience as an assistant coach, though never at the Jayhawks&rsquo; expense. Kansas has won four of their six meetings in the NCAA Tournament, including a second-round matchup in 2013 with Davis in his first year on the Tar Heels&rsquo; bench.
And then there&rsquo;s Williams, who retired a year ago Friday after a Hall of Fame career. His first 15 seasons came at Kansas, along with a very famous &ldquo;no thanks&rdquo; when his alma mater first came calling for him to come home in 2000.
Three years later, Williams couldn&rsquo;t disappoint Smith a second time and returned to save a program in turmoil. He spent the next 18 seasons in Chapel Hill and claimed the national titles that had eluded him in his stellar tenure in Lawrence.
&ldquo;I loved it, loved the people, loved the players, loved Allen Fieldhouse, and I wanted them to win every single game,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But (Monday) night&rsquo;s a little different.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s been attending UNC games all season to support Davis and his former players after &ldquo;pushing so hard&rdquo; for Davis to be his successor. That includes Saturday&rsquo;s win against Duke here at the Superdome.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen people on Bourbon Street and they say &rdquo;Rock Chalk!&rdquo; and I&rsquo;ll say, &rsquo;Go KU&rdquo; because that is my love for that school, and that&rsquo;ll never change,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s a different story tomorrow night, and it&rsquo;s an uncomfortable one for me.
&ldquo;But at the same time, the connections with Coach Smith and myself and KU and the relationship we&rsquo;ve had over the years between those two great basketball program is something that&rsquo;s extremely special. And Roy Williams is extremely flattered to say that I was able to coach at both schools.&rdquo;
Despite their intertwined history and all the games they have played &mdash; 6,394 to be exact &mdash; Monday night will be just the 12th meeting between them. This will be the sixth postseason meeting to come in a regional final or later.
By comparison, the Jayhawks have played Kentucky 34 times.
The first meeting between the Tar Heels and Jayhawks was a triple-overtime NCAA title game in 1957, with UNC capping an unbeaten season by outlasting Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53. After Davis&rsquo; painful loss in &rsquo;91, the Tar Heels won a rematch in the national semifinals on the way to Smith&rsquo;s second championship.
But the Jayhawks have won the past three meetings, all in the tournament, most notably in the 2008 Final Four on the way to Self&rsquo;s lone national title.
Most of the players that ultimately will decide the latest showdown between the historic programs know only of the past through stories and memories. Some of them weren&rsquo;t even born when Williams was coaching at Kansas, let alone Davis playing for the Tar Heels, and it&rsquo;s been up to their coaches to instill upon them the importance of this moment.
Kansas and North Carolina for the national championship.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve told them this: The best experience that I have had as a player, hands down, was going to the Final Four,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;I told them, &lsquo;I played 12 years in the NBA and that was my finest as a basketball player, finest moment, just being part of the Final Four.&rsquo; I was trying to convey to them how special it is to be here. Now that they&rsquo;re being able to experience it is great.&rdquo;

There'll be another layer added to these school's rich histories when Kansas and UNC square off in the national championship in NOLA.

Tar Heels, Jayhawks enter NCAA title tilt with common roots

In a critical conference matchup, the Tennessee Volunteers got their first win against an AP Top-5 team since 2019 by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats, 76-63. Santiago Vescovi led all players with 18 points as the Thompson-Bowling Arena was rocking in Knoxville.
Kentucky (21-5, 10-3 SEC) is currently projected a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has looked the part recently, including a huge win against Kansas in Lawrence. West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe is a favorite to win NCAA Player of the Year, while freshman TyTy Washington is shaping up to be a potential lottery pick in this year&rsquo;s NBA Draft, averaging 12.8 points per game.
The Volunteers (19-6, 10-3 SEC) entered this one with the No. 6 ranked defense in the country, per KenPom. They are led by a young backcourt of potential first-round pick Kennedy Chandler, Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler, all of whom play with tremendous vision and unselfishness. Chandler is averaging 13.1 points and 4.8 assists per game.&nbsp;
The teams traded leads for roughly the first eight minutes before things got chippy at the 13:45 mark, when a scuffle ensued by the visiting bench. Chandler and Vescovi took over around the halfway mark and started shooting lights out from deep. The Volunteers took a 46-32 lead into the break behind 15 points from Chandler and 14 from Vescovi. Tshiebwe led the Wildcats in scoring with 8 points in the first.
Davion Mintz got things going early in the second half for Kentucky, as the Wildcats would cut the lead to 53-45, but Zeigler answered the call and would help the home team pull away again; he ended up with 14 points, 4 assists and 4 steals off the bench. As talented as the 'Cats are, they simply could not keep up with the Vols, as they hit a 3-minute scoring drought in the last 4 minutes of the game.&nbsp;
Tshiebwe was the lone bright spot among Kentucky starters, posting 13 points and 15 rebounds. Mintz and Jacob Toppin posted 11 points each off the bench for the 'Cats. Chandler produced 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Tennessee senior and fan favorite John Fulkerson posted 14 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.&nbsp;
Kentucky will look to bounce back and gear up for its first Final Four appearance in seven years. Tennessee is currently projected as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but could see that change to a No. 3 after this big win.
UPCOMING&nbsp;
Kentucky will visit Alabama on Saturday.
Tennessee visits Arkansas on Saturday afternoon.
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In a critical conference matchup, the Volunteers got their first win against an AP Top-5 team since 2019 by defeating the Wildcats.

Kennedy Chandler scores 17 as No. 16 Tennessee beats No. 4 Kentucky

The Little Guy From Bendigo doesn&rsquo;t quite roll off the tongue like Just A Kid From Akron, but like LeBron James, G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels is trying to make his hometown famous.
It&rsquo;s apropos that Daniels is channeling his childhood hero, though his country neighborhood in Victoria, Australia is more rural and smaller than that of LeBron&rsquo;s well-known abode in Northeast Ohio. It&rsquo;s also located on another continent in another hemisphere, a place that many people in the United States have never heard about.
From news articles to funding to general support, Daniels has felt the love from his local community. So what better way to return the favor than to make it to the NBA?
&ldquo;I try not to take it as pressure, but I'm trying to do everything to get Bendigo and Australia on the map,&rdquo; Daniels told BasketballNews.com in a Zoom video interview. &ldquo;Just be the best version of me I can and do my best."
He&rsquo;s chosen to do that with the Ignite in America, as opposed to committing to college or signing with the popular National Basketball League Next Stars program close to home, a route he was extremely close to picking.
&ldquo;I was almost certain on it before I got offered to go play on the G League Ignite squad. I was almost certain on going to the NBL,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's obviously a very good pathway as well. We've seen it with [Josh] Giddey and a few other players.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think just the overruling factor was talking, having a few Zoom calls with [former Ignite] head coach Brian [Shaw] and [G League president] Shareef [Abdur-Rahim], and them telling us about the development you're gonna get on and off the court. You're gonna be busy all day doing basketball things and helping to get better life skills and stuff like that. But yeah, I think I made the right decision and I'm ready to get started."
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Just over a week ago, Daniels made the trek to America to begin a new chapter of his basketball journey in California. He&rsquo;ll be one of the standout prospects joining the likes of Michael Foster, Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, MarJeau Beauchamp and Fanbo Zeng as a part of a highly-regarded Ignite squad.&nbsp;
In one of his first workouts following his arrival, Daniels got to exchange pleasantries with Jason Hart, the team&rsquo;s new head coach following Shaw&rsquo;s departure to the Los Angeles Clippers.
&ldquo;It was good to catch up with him,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's the first time I've ever seen him in person, but he believes in me. You've gotta earn your playing time, so when training [camp] starts, I'm gonna put in [the work] and I'm gonna make sure I earn it."
Fans and even front office decision-makers may be unfamiliar with Daniels and his skill set, as there&rsquo;s little film and box-score research that can be done on the 18-year-old. For some, that unknown factor might be cause for hesitation. Daniels, however, sees that as a golden opportunity to show what he&rsquo;s made of.
&ldquo;I try not to get in my head [and be] too involved in the mock drafts and things like that, but I guess being there, people haven't really seen me as much as some of the other guys,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;That's good for me, and I'm just here to show 'em that I'm gonna put in the work and try to get my name up top once they see me more. But yeah, ultimate goal is to go No. 1.&rdquo;
Daniels describes his game as &ldquo;unlike anyone else&rsquo;s.&rdquo; He doesn&rsquo;t model it after anybody, instead taking bits and pieces from multiple pros. Using his favorite NBA player, Russell Westbrook, as a blueprint, Daniels emulates a similar mentality. He likes to interrupt passing lanes and intercept the ball to get out into transition as his fellow Aussies, Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle, often do.&nbsp;
Defense leading to transition chances, he relays, is a signature tool in his arsenal.
&ldquo;That's how I generate a lot of my offense. I like to think of myself as just 'smart' defensively, being able to get steals, being able to guard 1-through-4, some 5,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;Get steals, play smart, rotate and generate offense then. But I'm a playmaker, I'm a big point guard, 6-foot-6, so I like to make plays off the dribble for my teammates and myself. Get into lanes and use my floaters is one of my keys.&rdquo;
Basketball News Lead NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock provided his own scouting report on Daniels:
Dyson Daniels has positional size, can create with the ball in his hands and is a terrific slasher and capable outside shooter. He has a lot of upside and is a high priority on our watch list for this upcoming season.
Once Daniels acclimates to the Ignite environment in Walnut Creek by getting to know his teammates and running through a few practices, he&rsquo;ll set more short-term objectives for himself. For now, he&rsquo;s been in the gym with trainer Jordan Lawley in L.A. to address some areas of his game that can be refined.
&ldquo;Just become a more consistent shooter, just tweaking a few things in my shot preparation that I need to do better,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;But I'm sure that's gonna come. It's come along nicely already. But that, and then tightening up my handle. I'm a bit taller [of a] point guard... some of those little guards can get in underneath you, so I'm sure that's what's gonna happen this year in the G League. Just tightening up my handle and being ready for anything are some things I'm trying to improve on.&rdquo;
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While he may have solid size and length now, it wasn&rsquo;t always that way for Daniels. Now at 6-foot-6, he argues that having to pick up skills when he was little helped him become the player he is now.&nbsp;
Daniels remembers being a small six-year-old kid playing point guard for a Division III team in a U-10 league, erratically sprinting on the floor and turning the ball over frequently. But from the day he touched a basketball, Daniels knew he was &ldquo;made for it.&rdquo; He would watch the NBA, NBL and any other hoop programming that would hit his television screen.
His father, Ricky, played two years at NC State and starred for the Bendigo Braves when he was younger. While his mom, Brikitta, has gotten Dyson right in terms of manners and keeping him in line, Ricky has helped Dyson from a young age in the backyard.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Both my parents have helped me a lot just to become the person I am,&rdquo; Daniels said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really good to have them and I get pointers off them... My biggest support system is my family, my close friends, close coaches and things that I have like that.&rdquo;
Daniels never stopped progressing, though, and began to make Division I teams in his pre-teens. Once that started happening, it caught the eyes of coaches near and far.
When he was 15, Daniels followed in his dad&rsquo;s footsteps by joining the Braves for a season at home in 2019. It was his first taste of semi-professional basketball, and matching up with bigger bodies was advantageous. But Daniels&rsquo; stock began to soar as soon as he moved to Canberra with the NBA Global Academy later that year.
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He&rsquo;s thankful for the entire staff, from NBA international director of basketball operations Chris Ebersole and content/program development lead Marie-Laurence Archambault in New York, to the coaches, trainers and everybody involved for the chance to be a part of the program. Competing in tournaments in Europe and America was paramount to his development, and he learned crucial off-the-court lessons in addition.
"I've changed so much &mdash; the person I am, the confidence I have now, the coaching that I was able to get there was phenomenal. We had the [Centre of Excellence] coaches as well. Going in there as well [at 6-foot-2], I was a little scrawny kid. Coming out, I've got a much bigger body... I had a huge growth spurt, 6-6. That helped me 'cause I was a point guard and already had those skills; it helped me, being 6-6, to still being a point guard.
&ldquo;So just building my body, building my life skills, building my basketball. They've helped me be able to see the floor better. I think IQ's something I've always had, but they've helped me to use it more and use it to my strengths. I've just learned so much from them.&nbsp;
Daniels is poised to become the second player in NBA Academy history to be drafted. The first was fellow Aussie Josh Giddey, whom he&rsquo;s been tight with since the duo&rsquo;s U-12 days playing for Victoria. They keep in touch and congratulate one another on their successes, so Daniels was thrilled when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected Giddey at No. 6 in the 2021 NBA Draft.
&ldquo;It was huge, man. I've known Josh for a while and seeing him put in the work when I was with him in the NBA Academy and then, get the opportunity to play in the NBL with the [Adelaide] 36ers and he excelled there, and he deserves every bit of it. It was really good seeing him [get drafted] and it was really good being able to play alongside him as well. That's my boy and I'm happy for him.&rdquo;
The progression for Daniels at the Academy paid off this past February, as the Australian senior national team brought him in to be a part of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. In his only game, Daniels led the team over New Zealand with 23 points, 6 steals, 4 assists and 3 rebounds.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
🇦🇺 17-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/DysonDaniels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DysonDaniels</a> put on a show for the Boomers in their win over New Zealand <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIBAAsiaCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIBAAsiaCup</a> 📊 23 PTS | 4 AST | 3 REB | 6 STL <a href="https://t.co/5iuKo09tK7">pic.twitter.com/5iuKo09tK7</a>
&mdash; NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA_AU/status/1363271752948744193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&ldquo;That was really big for me as well. Being able to play for the Boomers in the Asia Cup Qualifiers at such a young age, some people don't get that opportunity,&rdquo; Daniels said. So obviously to be able to play, but to be able to have a really good game, that got me world looks and it helped me get to [be noticed]. [I'm] grateful for the opportunity from Adam Caporn to be able to play for the Boomers."
His momentum didn&rsquo;t stop there, either. He was a critical contributor for the Boomers&rsquo; U-19 squad in FIBA Basketball World Cup play, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.3 steals over seven games.
Spending time with the Boomers, Daniels has developed a relationship with former NBA veteran Matthew Dellavedova. It&rsquo;s ironic because he remembers being eight years old attending a Peak event where both ended up doing basketball drills together. Fast-forward to today, and they&rsquo;re teammates representing Australia, and Daniels gets advice from the champion guard when he asks for it.
The Little Guy From Bendigo hasn&rsquo;t done too bad for himself, and the fun part has just begun. Daniels is preparing for his first season at the professional level, which is step one toward Daniels finding himself in NBA threads come this time next year.
&ldquo;I always want to be in the gym. I always want to be the best I can. I'm sure some people have them about 'em as well, but I don't want anyone to outwork me. I want to be the hardest worker there is,&rdquo; Daniels said.
&ldquo;It's a great feeling. I think in terms of feeling ahead of people, I wouldn't say I do. There's options for everyone that they can choose, like what they want to do with their careers and that. But choosing a professional career for me, I think was the right choice, and I'm ready for it. So yeah, I'm ready to get started and I'm very excited for it.&rdquo;

Spencer Davies chats with Dyson Daniels about the upcoming G League Ignite season, his development in Australia and more.

The Little Guy From Bendigo: Dyson Daniels is unlike anyone else

LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; The Los Angeles Clippers on Friday re-signed free agent Nicholas Batum, who revived his career during last season&rsquo;s pandemic-shortened schedule.
He signed his new contract in his native France during a livestream on the team&rsquo;s Instagram account. With Batum locked up, the team has retained all of its free agents who helped lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in franchise history.
The 32-year-old forward averaged 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 67 games while shooting 40% from the field last season.
In the playoffs, Batum had similar averages while playing 29 minutes a game.
&ldquo;Nico is a terrific player, a selfless teammate and a consummate professional, who lifts us in a lot of different ways,&rdquo; said Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations. &ldquo;He fit in perfectly from the beginning, and we&rsquo;re grateful he&rsquo;s chosen to return.&rdquo;
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-mens-basketball-usa-gold-977454b20123f22d0aff09cbe53b84cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Batum played for France </a> in the Tokyo Olympics, losing to the United States in the gold medal game, 87-82.

The Clippers are running it back; after re-signing Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers also came to terms with Nicolas Batum.

Clippers re-sign Nic Batum to complete free agent signings

Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones was the guy who would routinely hold court at his locker a half-hour before games and engage in all sorts of conversations in his playing days. Books he was reading, what the financial markets were doing, current events, political matters, the nuances of the NBA&rsquo;s collective bargaining agreement. It was all fair game.
He was smart. He knew it, too.
These days, the rest of the NBA &mdash; if they didn&rsquo;t know previously &mdash; has figured that out as well.
The eight general managers left in the NBA playoffs all had success stories to tell long before their postseason runs of 2021 started. For the team that winds up winning the NBA title, it&rsquo;ll be a breakthrough since none of the remaining franchises have won a championship since 1983. And for the winning GM, it&rsquo;ll be another breakthrough -- since none of them have won rings in their current capacities either.
&ldquo;I took this job saying this would be a challenge for me to help young guys who are here in Phoenix, trying their hardest to see success and to live their dream,&rdquo; Jones, a three-time NBA champion as a player in Miami and Cleveland, said recently on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak3_PCD13bQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former NBA guard Rex Chapman&rsquo;s podcast</a>. &ldquo;That became my motivation. So, when we started the work of changing the culture, it was more like, &lsquo;Hey, this isn&rsquo;t about us going to try and find the players that can get us back. It&rsquo;s about taking the players we have and helping them move forward.&rsquo;&rdquo;
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The structure of front offices differs a bit from team to team; GMs simply have more power in some places than others. But the role is vital, no matter how it gets defined in each city.
Atlanta&rsquo;s Travis Schlenk built through the draft, then spent on free agents last summer and this season made the tough call to fire Lloyd Pierce and promote Nate McMillan. Now, the Hawks are in the second round.
Brooklyn&rsquo;s Sean Marks swung for the fences and landed Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, then got Steve Nash to coach them.
Elton Brand in Philadelphia is with a team that kept Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons together, surrounded them with shooting, brought Daryl Morey in basically to mastermind matters and hired Doc Rivers to coach.
Utah's Justin Zanik has been a right-hand man for Jazz Executive Vice President Dennis Lindsey for some time, and now has a more hands-on role in decisions like the trade for Mike Conley &mdash; a key part of this team finishing with the NBA's best regular-season record.
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Michael Winger with the Los Angeles Clippers, a team with Lawrence Frank running the front office, has been widely regarded around the league for a decade over his salary-cap management techniques.
Jon Horst in Milwaukee already has been Executive of the Year, and that was before he got Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign his supermax and acquired Jrue Holiday.
Denver GM Calvin Booth has worked with Nuggets President Tim Connelly for years and is finishing his first year with a club that now has an MVP in Nikola Jokic and is clearly in a championship-aspiration window that should last a few years.
And Jones, all he did was hire Monty Williams to coach, then swung a deal for Chris Paul. The Suns are on their best run in 11 years as a result.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s so important for a coach to have a really good relationship with the front office, because if that&rsquo;s not there, then whatever you&rsquo;re trying to do isn&rsquo;t going to work,&rdquo; 76ers coach Doc Rivers said this season.
There are 22 teams already in their offseason, so for the final eight teams and their GMs things are apparently working.
It shouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise. They all got some good educations along the way.
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There are ties to Pat Riley; Schlenk, like Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, started in the Miami video room and Jones was part of the Heat for years. There are ties to Gregg Popovich; Marks won a title as a player in San Antonio and another there as an assistant.
Some learned from the best in their fields; Brand went to Duke where he learned from Mike Krzyzewski, Winger broke into the sports world learning from renowned agent Ron Shapiro, and Zanik&rsquo;s first job out of college was with agent Mark Bartelstein.
And there are rise-up-the-ladder stories; Horst won a pair of national titles at the relatively unknown USCAA level in college, and Booth was a 3.3-point-per-game scorer yet still carved out a 10-year NBA playing career.
A month or so from now, one of them is going to have his hands on the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy. If the Suns pull it off, Jones &mdash; who has to be a frontrunner for executive of the year &mdash; would have his fourth championship in 10 seasons, for three different franchises, in two different jobs.
Makes sense. After all, his nickname is Champ. Kevin Love called Jones in an Instagram post after the 2016 championship run with the Cavaliers &ldquo;the best teammate I ever had.&rdquo;
&ldquo;In order to lead,&rdquo; Love wrote, &ldquo;sometimes you have to learn to follow.&rdquo;
___
Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at treynolds(at)ap.org&nbsp;

There are eight teams left standing in the NBA playoffs, and each of the general managers deserve credit for building a contender.

Examining the NBA GMs who assembled the remaining playoff teams

Spencer Davies talks with Patrick Patterson about the Clippers' title aspirations, roles throughout his career and his love for Kentucky.

One-on-One: Patrick Patterson opens up as Clippers begin playoff run

Today, the Detroit Pistons and Martin Lawrence announced the launch of a Martin-themed Pistons merchandise line. Nearly 30 years after the iconic Martin show premiered with the city of Detroit as the backdrop, Lawrence and the Pistons have reunited for this limited-edition collaboration showcasing Detroit&rsquo;s love for Martin, and Lawrence&rsquo;s love for the city the TV hit took place in. The line will be available this Friday, May 14th, exclusively on <a href="https://www.pistons313shop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pistons313shop.com.</a>
Items in this drop include jerseys, hats, shorts, sweatshirts, T-shirts and more. From the famed Martin intro text to widely quoted lines and scenes from the show, this merchandise collection blends together the look and feel of the Martin show with Detroit Pistons basketball.
Lawrence - a massive basketball fan himself - was thrilled with the idea of a partnership and voiced his love for both the merchandise line and the city of Detroit itself.
&ldquo;Detroit has always shown me so much love and always shows up for me,&rdquo; said Lawrence. &ldquo;From stand-up tours to fans on the street Detroit has felt like home. It&rsquo;s an honor to be part of something that means so much to me to this many years later.&rdquo;
&ldquo;With the city of Detroit as the show&rsquo;s backdrop, Martin became must-watch TV in the 90&rsquo;s,&rdquo; said Mike Zavodsky, Chief Business Officer of the Detroit Pistons. &ldquo;Martin&rsquo;s love for the Pistons in the show translated into passion for the team &ndash; the fact that he has a ring from the 2004 team is proof of that. We&rsquo;re thrilled to partner with Martin to introduce a merchandise line that pays homage to both Martin and the show&rsquo;s Detroit roots.&rdquo;
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The Pistons announced a limited edition merchandise line with Martin Lawrence today.

Detroit Pistons partner with Martin Lawrence for limited edition merchandise

My name is Matt Babcock and I was recently hired to be the lead NBA Draft analyst for BasketballNews.com. In this role, I will be responsible for managing the day-to-day efforts of covering the NBA Draft, in addition to evaluating prospects at various levels.&nbsp;
Prior to joining BasketballNews.com, it&rsquo;s possible that you may have seen me or my work at Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports HQ or Babcock Hoops. It&rsquo;s also possible that you might have seen or heard me as a guest on your favorite podcast or publication, as I have been heavily involved in the sports media world over the last few years. Here&rsquo;s the funny thing: it was never my intention to become a media member, so I&rsquo;d like to tell you about my unorthodox path that has led me to this point of my career.
From a broader scope, my story really began before I was even born because, essentially, I am just an extension of my family. The fact of the matter is that I would be remiss if I failed to mention my family&rsquo;s basketball story before I shared my own.
In 1962, my grandfather retired from the Air Force and moved his family to Phoenix, Arizona. It was there that my uncles (Pete and Rob) and my dad, Dave, all became standout players at Maryvale High School, played at colleges in the Phoenix area and ultimately became coaches at nearby high schools and universities -- none of which is all that atypical. However, much credit can be attributed to my oldest uncle, Pete, as he was the one that took my family&rsquo;s involvement in basketball to an entirely different level.
In the mid-to-late 1970s, my uncle Pete was a high school basketball coach in Phoenix. Although he enjoyed coaching at the high school level, he had lofty dreams of one day working in the NBA, as he detailed in an article that he wrote for Babcock Hoops:
&ldquo;I loved coaching high school basketball, but I knew that I wanted to work in the NBA somehow. I had no idea how to get there and I had no contacts in the league to ask for help. I decided to study the NBA on my own by recording as many games as I could. I broke down the tapes by charting offensive sets and out of bounds plays. I wrote evaluation reports on players and built files on each team. At the end of the season, I decided that the teams would know best if my reports and files were worthwhile. I sent a report to each team with a cover letter that simply stated I was a high school coach in Phoenix, Arizona, and if they thought there was any merit to my reports, I would like to volunteer to scout for them. Some never responded to my letter, some wrote back and said &lsquo;Thanks, but no thanks&hellip;&rsquo; and then I received my break. The New Orleans Jazz responded that they would allow me to work for them without compensation. Former NBA player and Hall-of-Famer Elgin Baylor was the head coach, and veteran NBA executive Bill Bertka was the general manager. I was elated and eager to prove myself.&rdquo;
My uncle Pete turned that opportunity with the Jazz into a 42-year NBA career. He went on to work for the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, San Diego Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a general manager for more than 20 years, was the director of the NBA Draft Combine, served on a number of high-profile committees and won a championship ring. I could keep listing off his accomplishments, but I think you get the point -- his dreams became a reality.&nbsp;
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/pete45-1_lg.jpg" alt="Pete Babcock and Jerry Krause" width="594" height="AUTO" />Pete Babcock with Jerry Krause
My uncle Pete&rsquo;s success opened the door for my uncle Rob and my dad to follow in his footsteps, with me and my cousins after them.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/gettyimages-50951320-1_lg.jpg" alt="Rob Babcock" width="594" height="AUTO" />Rob Babcock
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/456700_10101538049563242_655866478_o-1_lg.jpg" alt="Nate Babcock (left), Matt Babcock (center) and Chris Babcock (right)" width="594" height="AUTO" />Nate Babcock (left), Matt Babcock (middle) and Chris Babcock (right)
Unfortunately, my uncle Rob passed away almost two years ago after a courageous battle with cancer. However, that was not before he had a 28-year career in the NBA that saw him serve in various front-office positions with the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors, where he was the general manager. His two sons (my cousins, Chris and Nate) currently serve in coaching positions with the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, respectively.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/dave_babcock-1-1_lg.jpg" alt="Dave Babcock with Zaza Pachulia and Ersan Ilyasova" width="594" height="AUTO" />Dave Babcock with Zaza Pachulia and Ersan Ilyasova
After 15 years of being a college coach, the youngest Babcock brother, my dad, Dave Babcock, is about to wrap up his 24th year working in the NBA, and 23rd year working with the Milwaukee Bucks. He is currently the Director of Player Personnel for the Bucks, and yes, he played an integral role in the team drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Well, that&rsquo;s my family&rsquo;s story, but what about me? My personal story within basketball is not nearly as linear as my dad&rsquo;s, uncle&rsquo;s or cousins&rsquo; journeys. Let me explain.
I became obsessed with the game of basketball from the time I could remember, and made a lifelong commitment to the game internally at a young age. My entire life has subsequently been consumed with chasing short and long-term goals that I have set for myself, all within basketball. My self-identity has always revolved around whatever my current role was at the time. I went from being a coach&rsquo;s son and an NBA kid to a player, and then, a coach. However, in 2007, my career trajectory of following in my family&rsquo;s footsteps went awry, and my new identity would be something no one -- including myself -- ever expected. I became a sports agent. &nbsp;
I was only 23 years old, but I was working as an assistant coach for Virtus Bologna, a top professional basketball team in Bologna, Italy. After only a short while overseas, I became homesick. I decided to leave the team prematurely to accept a position with Excel Sports Management, a sports agency in Los Angeles, California (now in New York). The job was an entry-level position that would set me on a completely new path, a path to become a sports agent.
The next thing I knew, I woke up one day and 10 years had passed. Memories flashed in front of my eyes of my career in the agency business. I thought of being a young junior agent sharing a condo with Marreese&nbsp;Speights in Las Vegas, managing Ron Artest (a.k.a. Metta World Peace) and Andrew Bogut&rsquo;s marketing, getting certified by the NBPA and FIBA, signing my first NBA player in Jodie Meeks, starting a basketball division of a prominent hockey agency, negotiating Jordan Mickey&rsquo;s second-round contract with the Boston Celtics (the most lucrative contract for a second-round pick in NBA history, at the time) and starting my own agency, Babcock Sports. I also thought of many of the other friends and memories that I made along the way.&nbsp;
Although I had many great times, I also thought about many of the hard ones as well. A business notorious for being cut-throat and crooked, the stress of being an agent wore me down. After 10 years, I looked in the mirror and questioned my place in the world.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m not one to usually have regrets, as I generally look at every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow; however, at that moment, I regret ever leaving Italy and dramatically changing the course of my career. I asked myself, &ldquo;Is it too late for me to get back on track?&rdquo;&nbsp;
At some point or another in my life, I have been exposed to just about every angle of basketball. However, in large part due to the vantage point I was given to see my dad&rsquo;s job on a day-to-day basis, I have always had a particular affinity for the NBA Draft. It was clear to me that I wanted to carve out a career that would have me evaluating NBA Draft prospects.&nbsp;
While I was still an agent, I verbally agreed to leave the agency business to become a college scout for an NBA team. Although the opportunity would have required me to take a bit of a step back financially, I looked at it as an opportunity to recreate myself and get back on track to follow in my family&rsquo;s footsteps.&nbsp;
The assistant general manager of the organization said his boss was on vacation, and that when he returned, the team would call me to get my contract finalized. Two weeks or so had passed, and the assistant general manager called. He said, &ldquo;Matt, I have bad news: I have been demoted, and I might be getting fired. Unfortunately, we will not be hiring you.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Well, it was back to the drawing board for me.&nbsp;
Not too long after that call, Lawrence Frank of the Los Angeles Clippers called me for an informal interview for a scouting position they were looking to fill. The call didn&rsquo;t go well. He questioned my experience, how well I knew the upcoming prospects and pretty much told me he wasn&rsquo;t interested. He did me a favor, though, as it was a wake up call. I came to the realization that perhaps the basketball community did not view me as an &ldquo;NBA lifer&rdquo; and &ldquo;true basketball guy&rdquo; quite like I viewed myself. I became fearful that I was only looked at as an &ldquo;agent&rdquo; -- and that didn&rsquo;t sit well with me.&nbsp;
That was my trigger point. I knew I had to make a drastic move. After speaking to my wife and family, I decided to relinquish my certifications as an agent, dissolve my agency and help all of my clients find new representation.
I was out.&nbsp;
But what would be next?
Well, the truth is I didn&rsquo;t really have a sophisticated plan in place, but I knew I needed to gather as much pertinent information on prospects as I could and gain exposure simultaneously. I was prepared to do whatever I needed to do to learn the players and create value for myself.&nbsp;
I called my friend, Ryan Blake, the owner of Marty Blake &amp; Associates, a scouting service that his dad Marty had started for the NBA years ago. I asked him if I could scout for him for the season; I told him that I didn&rsquo;t need any compensation, but if he could provide me media credentials to games, I would send him reports. He agreed.&nbsp;
I spent the following months driving to as many games as I could and using whatever frequent flyer points I had saved from my time as an agent to see as many NBA prospects as I possibly could. I loved it, but I must admit that I had some tough days and nights during that time, where I questioned if I had made a mistake leaving the agent business. I was working for free with no clear end in sight. I had several NBA teams call me that were interested in hiring me (some even showed significant interest), but nothing ever came to fruition -- so I kept grinding.
Following that college season, I received a call from an old friend, Jake Fischer, a journalist with Sports Illustrated at the time. To my surprise, he and his editor were interested in having me write a series of articles about the NBA pre-draft process from an agent&rsquo;s perspective. l had pretty much zero experience with formal writing, but I agreed to their offer. Although I had received some media credentials via Marty Blake &amp; Associates, Sports Illustrated was my real entry point into the media. I wrote a handful of articles for Sports Illustrated and really enjoyed it. The feedback was surprisingly great, too. To be published in Sports Illustrated, a magazine whose covers could be found all over my bedroom walls as a kid, was just incredible!
But while the experience with Sports Illustrated was great, I still needed to figure out my long-term plan.&nbsp;
After getting a decent lay of the land in the scouting and media world, I decided to launch Babcock Hoops, a basketball website with an emphasis on the NBA Draft. I&rsquo;m pretty sure that my family thought I was nuts, but I went for it anyway. I got some of my friends involved, including Luca Desta, Jeff Feld, Jason Fillippi and Matt McKay Jr., all of whom had NBA scouting experience and were figuring out the next steps in their careers. The concept that I put together was for my guys to use the platform to get access to players and games, so that they could stay informed and also get exposure, all while they searched for their next landing spot. In return, they provided me information and content.&nbsp;
Well, the plan worked. Luca Desta was snagged up by the Lakers within months as a college scout, Jeff Feld was tabbed as general manager of the Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix&rsquo;s G League affiliate) and Matt McKay Jr. successfully launched Pro Insight, a high school scouting database and service.&nbsp;
Before I knew it, I started to get a lot of attention. Interview requests came left and right, and our group started to get credentialed to all different types of exclusive games and events. I gradually stopped thinking about working for an NBA team so much, and instead, began focusing on building my career as an NBA Draft Analyst.
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Over the last few years, I had been a guest on Alex Kennedy&rsquo;s podcast on HoopsHype several times, and he requested quotes from me for articles he wrote on various NBA topics, somewhat regularly. He and I became friends during that span. Prior to the 2020 NBA Draft, Alex called me and told me that he was leaving HoopsHype to become the Chief Content Officer for a new startup basketball website called BasketballNews.com. He asked if I would have interest in running their NBA Draft coverage. I agreed to contribute to the site on a temporary basis while we figured out if doing something more involved made sense.
During that time, Scott Hale, the CEO of BasketballNews.com, and I had a chance to get to know each other. A basketball junkie, like myself, Scott and I have bonded over some epic conversations about hoops, business and life. It became apparent to me that Scott is an ambitious visionary and my kind of guy.
When discussing our potential partnership, Scott intently asked me, &ldquo;What do you want out of this?&rdquo; I told him, &ldquo;I want to be the best.&rdquo; From there, it was clear we were on the same page.
The rest is history.

BasketballNews.com's Matt Babcock shares his family's history in basketball and his journey from NBA agent to NBA Draft analyst.

Matt Babcock: Let me introduce myself

When a team hits the reset button, there is no singular goal.&nbsp;
The obvious focal point is development, as their young talent gains invaluable experience on the floor against legitimate professional competition and an unfamiliar roster jells with one another. Wins are few and far between usually because of it, which means it&rsquo;ll more-than-likely take a bit of time to build winning habits back up and get back into (or stay in) the postseason hunt.&nbsp;
Unlike many teams after moving on from (multiple) star players, the Los Angeles Clippers didn&rsquo;t really have to go through a rebuild; the franchise simply retooled. First, in the summer of 2017, they shockingly traded Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets for seven players, including Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley. Then, they brought in Danilo Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets. Finally, before the following season&rsquo;s trade deadline, LA dealt Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Avery Bradley.
Just like that, Lob City was out and a new breed was in. Under the same coaching staff led by Doc Rivers, 2017-18 and 2018-19 saw perhaps the most enjoyable year-and-a-half of Clipper basketball than we&rsquo;d seen in quite some time. Guys were just on the same page. Williams enjoyed All-Star-caliber efforts as the league&rsquo;s best sixth man. Harris and Gallinari put together the best scoring campaigns of their respective careers. Harrell broke out as a ferocious competitor who only needed an opportunity, and Beverley set the tone as far as the culture. Not to mention, they had a then-blossoming rookie in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who was impressing in all facets with his mature skill set. It was all clicking.
But with a star-studded free-agent class then on their minds, the Clippers began to change things around in the middle of that 2018-19 season. Tobias Harris was in a contract year and expected to be paid for the best year of his career (did he EVER), so the team traded him, Marjanovic and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala.&nbsp;
That would be the first of many dominoes to fall in LA. With plenty of roster room and cap space, Jerry West and Lawrence Frank went to work by signing reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and acquiring an All-Star in Paul George to pair with him. They had to part ways with Gilgeous-Alexander, Gallinari and an unheard-of amount of first-rounders to acquire George (and land the package deal), completely mortgaging any kind of future they had; but to their credit, the job got done to give Steve Ballmer&rsquo;s ball club a win-now, championship roster&hellip; on paper.
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Pick things up on Dec. 3, 2020 -- that joyous, tight-knit Clipper group seems like a distant memory. The team parted ways with Rivers and will continue his career in Philadelphia, while his lead assistant and 2016 NBA champion head coach Tyronn Lue will take over the reins of a reportedly divided bunch. Harrell hopped to the other locker room and will play at Staples Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. JaMychal Green jumped at the opportunity to sign with the Denver Nuggets, who stormed back from a 3-1 playoff deficit to defeat the Clippers just a few months ago, citing that their heart made it an easy decision to choose them over his former team. The Athletic&rsquo;s Jovan Buha wrote<a href="https://theathletic.com/2222210/2020/12/02/kawhi-clippers-chemistry-nba-title/?source=user-shared-article&amp;redirected=1"> an article</a> about how the Clippers&rsquo; culture eroded due to preferential treatment that Leonard and George received (such as letting them determine the practice schedule and when to sit out games, giving them personal security and trainers, etc.).
It all seems like a mess in Clipperland right now, and by no means is the story over with; Year 1 rarely goes swimmingly when a team of stars links up for the first time, and I firmly believe they&rsquo;re going to be better this upcoming year. However, when considering what happened to the Clippers, is it possible we could see a similar situation arise with the Brooklyn Nets?
Hear me out.&nbsp;
We all know how awful it got for the Nets after the early 2010s. Aside from late-round firsts and seconds they would acquire later, there was no path to a rebuild once the post-Boston Celtics holdover era was over because every draft pick was essentially out of the picture. It was damn near impossible for the Nets to not only bring in NBA talent, but also develop their own since there wasn&rsquo;t a whole lot of promise outside of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams (Lopez lasted the longest and was gone after the 2016-17 campaign). For a significant period of time, Brooklyn&rsquo;s roster was filled with journeymen, cast-offs and undrafted young guys. They simply had no chance.
Until head coach Kenny Atkinson came along.&nbsp;
Then-newly-acting general manager Sean Marks found a way to bring in some fresh faces without draft capital to help Atkinson as much as he could in the 2016 offseason.
In exchange for Thaddeus Young, Brooklyn got a rookie Caris LeVert back from the Indiana Pacers. The franchise took a shot by signing Joe Harris (who had played just 56 total games) to a multi-year contract. Trevor Booker was a well-respected veteran who brought toughness to the locker room. In December of that season, the Nets brought in a recently-waived Spencer Dinwiddie, who hadn&rsquo;t been able to stick with the Detroit Pistons or Chicago Bulls.&nbsp;
That set the foundation for the next offseason, when they traded for D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov on draft night, ending Lopez&rsquo;s career in Brooklyn and sending Kyle Kuzma with him to the Los Angeles Lakers; the team also selected Jarrett Allen at No. 22 in 2017 with a pick that used to belong to the Washington Wizards. DeMarre Carroll was acquired from the Toronto Raptors to provide leadership and a steady presence on both ends of the floor; Allen Crabbe came aboard via a separate trade with the Portland Trail Blazers soon after.&nbsp;
Regardless of the talent on the roster, Atkinson always got the most out of his squad. While you can look at the Nets&rsquo; record over his first two seasons with a perplexed expression as much as you want to (48-116), those players bought into what he was selling. They were playing hard, they were playing tough and they were playing together.
Like the Clippers, maybe the most fun seasons we saw in Brooklyn happened almost organically in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Russell ascended to All-Star heights and consistently ignited Barclays Center, firing off clutch shot after clutch shot and taking a major step with his vision. Harris took a massive leap, becoming the NBA&rsquo;s top three-point shooter in the second year of his contract. Dinwiddie exploded onto the scene with his aggressiveness as the Nets&rsquo; second-highest scorer. LeVert showed us flashes of brilliance before (and after) his foot was dislocated. Allen wowed the world with his hops and refusal to let the opposition score in the paint. Treveon Graham earned playing time with his hustle and commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Unsung heroes like Carroll, Crabbe, Shabazz Napier, Ed Davis and Jared Dudley (acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 2018) really set a great example for the team to follow. Brooklyn made it to the postseason that second year, which was the culmination of a long road back.
When I thought of the Nets, I didn&rsquo;t think of a team that tanked its way back to relevancy; I thought of a team that kept digging itself out of a never-ending hole and refused to falter -- regardless of the position it was originally left in. But things changed in the blink of an eye when the 2019 offseason came about.
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With the team environment and outlook revamped -- and plenty of cap space to boot -- Brooklyn struck gold, landing Kyrie Irving as a free agent and Kevin Durant in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors (Russell, Napier and Graham went back in the deal). They added DeAndre Jordan as well. They also acquired Taurean Prince from the Atlanta Hawks for Crabbe and then-rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who was flipped to the New Orleans Pelicans). In came more veterans at small prices afterward: Wilson Chandler, Garrett Temple, Lance Thomas and Iman Shumpert a few weeks into the season.
The team at its core was completely altered, unarguably for the better from a talent standpoint -- however, a far cry from what Atkinson was used to and a whole lot more pressure, despite Durant&rsquo;s Achilles injury keeping him out for all of last season. He still had Irving (albeit a banged up one) who only played 20 games in his debut campaign with the Nets. But true to his nature, Atkinson trudged along with the newer pieces, trying to make it work; it just didn&rsquo;t. On March 7, Marks announced that Atkinson had mutually agreed to part ways with the team.&nbsp;
Now, on Dec. 3, the Nets have brand-new leadership in the building. Steve Nash, a respected Hall-of-Fame player and basketball mind, is going to take hold of a roster full of high expectations. He&rsquo;ll have his former Suns coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni and teammate Amar&rsquo;e Stoudemire with him to help the transition, as well as long-time NBA assistants Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughn (who coached the team at the end of last season).
With a recovered Durant and a fresh Irving, there shouldn&rsquo;t be any major issues with the roster; it&rsquo;s literally built to win. For all intents and purposes, this Brooklyn team has a good mix of veteran specialists and up-and-coming players and big-named staff&hellip; on paper. We get so excited about these colossal transactions because it&rsquo;s like a video game, where you can pair up your favorite superstars with each other and stack a bunch of 90-overall guys. It works in a simulation scenario every time, but in reality you have to factor in chemistry and personal relationships, and that takes a while to establish. This isn&rsquo;t to say it can&rsquo;t work (look what the new-look L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat were able to do in Year 1 last season); this very well could be the next great team in the league in due time. But the Nets should take heed because those Clippers were in almost this same exact spot last year.
Which brings me to my point: I know you&rsquo;re supposed to cash-in on assets and young guys can only get you so far in this league. You&rsquo;re in this business to win championships and put fans in the stands. It&rsquo;s run by stars who make the show worthwhile on the court. With that, though, comes sacrifice, right or wrong; it can range anywhere from accepting lesser roles to destroying what you built to get there to handling stars who want preferential treatment.
Should Jarrett Allen be coming off the bench for DeAndre Jordan? All due respect to DJ, who&rsquo;s paid his dues, but no -- not at the expense of an athletic, developing big man who could start for literally any team in this league. But Allen knows what&rsquo;s coming because of where the team is at now.
You&rsquo;re probably thinking, &ldquo;Who cares how Allen feels? He&rsquo;s not a star,&rdquo; and you&rsquo;re correct with the second statement.&nbsp;
My gripe is with the first question, one that most franchises forget to ask when they enter the spotlight with their big acquisitions -- leaving behind the players who got them there.

The Clippers' culture attracted Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to LA but their arrival ultimately changed things. The Nets should take heed.

The Nets should tread carefully, learn from Clippers’ mistakes

Carmelo Anthony, a future Hall Of Famer who currently ranks 15th on the NBA&rsquo;s all-time scorers list, was out of the league for a full year. It seemed as though the entire basketball world was convinced that he could no longer contribute to an NBA roster. Some wondered if Anthony had played in his final NBA game, bringing an end to an outstanding career.
Then, opportunity presented itself. A series of injuries plagued the Portland Trail Blazers and &lsquo;Melo got his chance to prove all of the naysayers wrong. He could silence the multitudes campaigning for him to retire, the commentators who suggested he was done and should bow out gracefully. He was given a chance at redemption and he has taken full advantage of it.
This season, Anthony has continually knocked down game-clinching shots in the final minutes of one-possession, must-win games. He's shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range in the bubble (including the postseason). He&rsquo;s been a vital piece of the puzzle for the Blazers, averaging 15.1 points per game in Orlando. Anthony has received high praise from everyone in the Portland organization, including Damian Lilard.
&ldquo;He should have been here three years ago,&rdquo; Lillard <a style="color: #d8d8d8;" href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2903604-damian-lillard-blazers-wouldve-made-2019-finals-if-they-had-carmelo-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said after the Blazers&rsquo; play-in victory</a> over the Memphis Grizzlies. &ldquo;I feel like we could have been in the Finals last year if we had him.&rdquo;
In Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony exploded for 13 points in the third quarter, showing an array of offensive moves (including post-ups against LeBron James, short jumpers, three-pointers, fast-break dunks and pick-and-pops). He finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds and four steals. Even his defense received praise, as ABC and ESPN announcer Mark Jackson stated live on air, &ldquo;People who killed Carmelo Anthony for his defense were wrong.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Carmelo not having a job never made any sense to me," former head coach Stan Van Gundy told me <a href="https://www.fli.tv/stan-van-gundy-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on my show The Rematch</a>. "People are dying for scoring in this league and he is one of the best scorers in our game, and he couldn&rsquo;t get a job? And he couldn&rsquo;t at least be that bench scorer that all the contending teams need?&rdquo;
So, how did everyone get it so wrong about Carmelo? What exactly happened? 
Were people too quick to accept a series of misconceptions about his attitude and willingness to take on a lesser role? Were Anthony&rsquo;s failed stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets misinterpreted? Were teams scared off because his former coaches slandered him? Was there too much of a reliance on analytics? 
The answer may very well be all of the above. 
Let&rsquo;s start with the widely accepted notion that &lsquo;Melo was stuck in the netherworld of a once-dominant superstar &ndash; past his prime, unable (or unwilling) to adjust his role for the good of the team and against the unfamiliar idea of coming off the bench. Although this was the prevailing narrative, his public statements and actions didn&rsquo;t support this theory. Remember, he came off the bench during his time with the Rockets. 
While &lsquo;Melo did voice his disapproval about being a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder and stated that he was still capable of being a starter, he accepted the role that was given to him. I don&rsquo;t know a player who ever existed that didn&rsquo;t believe he was capable of a bigger role than the one given to them by their coach. What did the media expect Carmelo to say? &ldquo;Yeah, I&rsquo;m washed up. I simply don&rsquo;t have it anymore. I&rsquo;m not the player that I once was.&rdquo;
When discussing his season in OKC, Anthony <a style="color: #d8d8d8;" href="https://es.pn/2HX7Rwl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ESPN</a>: &ldquo;I was willing to accept that challenge in that role (coming off the bench), but I think I bring a little bit more to the game as far as being more knowledgeable and what I still can do as a basketball player.&rdquo;
Nowhere in there did &lsquo;Melo express that he wasn&rsquo;t willing to accept a reserve role if that&rsquo;s what was given to him. But of course he is going to feel that he still can contribute as a starter. He&rsquo;s Carmelo Anthony! A future Hall of Famer. A top-15 scorer in NBA history.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/Carmelo_3_lg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="AUTO" />
This brings us to the disastrous Houston stint that resulted in the Rockets waiving Anthony after 10 games. Make no mistake, the Rockets were struggling as a team. But, for some reason, the majority of the blame was directed at Anthony &ndash; someone who was coming off of the bench and playing a reduced amount of minutes.
This really shouldn&rsquo;t have been surprising after what happened in New York, when head coach Mike D&rsquo;Antoni blamed the Knicks&rsquo; struggles on Carmelo. In fact, many people around the Knicks organization have confirmed that D&rsquo;Antoni was the one who gave the ultimatum: &ldquo;Either &lsquo;Melo goes or I go.&rdquo; The Knicks chose &lsquo;Melo. Now, did Anthony happily accept D&rsquo;Antoni&rsquo;s plan to move him to power forward? No. But it was D&rsquo;Antoni who quit on the team, not Anthony. (How D&rsquo;Antoni got another job after that, I will never know, but I digress).
Another damaging factor for Anthony was George Karl&rsquo;s tell-all book, which supported the notion that Carmelo was a selfish teammate and introduced a new caveat as he questioned his overall character. 
&ldquo;Carmelo was a true conundrum for me in the six years I had him," Karl <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2017/01/10/george-karl-book-excerpt-furious-george-carmelo-anthony-jr-smith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in his book</a>. "He was the best offensive player I ever coached. He was also a user of people, addicted to the spotlight and very unhappy when he had to share it.
&ldquo;He really lit my fuse with his low demand of himself on defense. He had no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy. My ideal &mdash; probably every coach&rsquo;s ideal &mdash; is when your best player is also your leader. But since Carmelo only played hard on one side of the ball, he made it plain he couldn&rsquo;t lead the Nuggets, even though he said he wanted to. Coaching him meant working around his defense and compensating for his attitude.&rdquo;
Karl basically described Anthony as lazy and a bad teammate, which are some of the worst accusations that you can make against an NBA player. And once those accusations are floated around the league, especially from a head coach, they begin to spread like wildfire. There&rsquo;s no question that this was damaging to Carmelo&rsquo;s overall reputation. 
Why would Karl stoop to such a low level, criticizing his former player just to sell a book? Very good question.
It&rsquo;s also important to note that Karl has had major issues with just about every star player he has coached, including Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, the late Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Todd Day, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Iguodala and Ray Allen (just to name a few). Whoever heard of a coach actually having issues with Ray Allen? It seems as though once Karl&rsquo;s coaching days ended, he resorted to slandering his former players for profit. Unfortunately, this character assassination further contributed to Anthony&rsquo;s tarnished reputation among NBA circles.
Anthony&rsquo;s reputation took yet another hit after the overall condemnation from the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, who won 11 rings as an NBA head coach and led two of the greatest dynasties the sport has ever seen. Jackson repeatedly showered Anthony with criticism after he took the reins in the Knicks&rsquo; front office. Jackson, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, lambasted Melo in private and in public.
Jackson <a style="color: #d8d8d8;" href="https://nypost.com/2017/04/14/phil-jackson-tells-the-world-its-time-for-carmelo-to-go/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the press</a>, &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve not been able to win with him on the court at this time. I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talents somewhere where he can win or chase that championship."
The reality was, Jackson simply wanted to blow up the Knicks and create his own roster, so he could say that he rebuilt the entire organization himself. He wanted to unload Carmelo&rsquo;s contract and started leaking things to the media, while &lsquo;Melo stayed above it all and remained professional. For a long time, Jackson&rsquo;s apparent strategy was to antagonize &lsquo;Melo into lashing out through the media and losing his cool, which would then cast &lsquo;Melo as a &ldquo;problem&rdquo; - thus justifying his desire to trade him. But &lsquo;Melo never took the bait. While Jackson&rsquo;s stint in New York resulted in nothing but more frustration for an already disgusted Knicks fan base, the situation was also damaging to &lsquo;Melo&rsquo;s reputation. 
But with all of this behind him, the entire basketball world is now praising and appreciating &lsquo;Melo. Here&rsquo;s what fellow Syracuse royalty Lawrence Moten and John Wallace had to say about Carmelo&rsquo;s comeback story:
&ldquo;I always had faith in him, it was just about him getting on the right team,&rdquo; Moten told me. &ldquo;The other teams tried to change his game instead of letting him do what he does best. Portland is allowing &lsquo;Melo to be &lsquo;Melo, and that&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s working.&rdquo;
&ldquo;So happy for our &lsquo;Cuse brother,&rdquo; Wallace added. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s always been clutch, just look at his career. He always wants the big shot, and he has the best shooting percentage in NBA history with at least 10 made FGs [in clutch time]. [It&rsquo;s] good to see him block out the haters and focus on himself. Now, he&rsquo;s better because of it.&rdquo;
Sure, Moten and Wallace possess a bit of Syracuse bias, but everyone knows what &lsquo;Melo has been through, which makes his success even sweeter. This is his redemption story, and it&rsquo;s been a joy to watch him knock down big shot after big shot for the eighth-seeded Blazers.&nbsp;
As Chiney Ogwumike <a style="color: #d8d8d8;" href="https://twitter.com/chiney321/status/1294743185806114816?s=21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> after Anthony&rsquo;s game-sealing shot in the play-in game versus Memphis: &ldquo;We can learn a LOT from Carmelo Anthony&hellip; Stay ready. Keep grinding. Know your value. Find your tribe. Understand your role. Never give up.&rdquo;

Carmelo Anthony was written off and his name was dragged through the mud, but now he's a key contributor for the Blazers. Etan Thomas breaks down his comeback.