We recognize that our basketball players are young and healthy, so they will get vaccinated or have the opportunity to get vaccinated when it’s their turn. So we won’t be jumping the line there. As it relates to some of our coaches and older individuals, some of them are in categories that allow them to get vaccinated. But that will bear out the way that the local hospitals, departments of public health, are rolling out the vaccine and setting up the prioritization.
We recognize that our basketball players are young and …
April 14, 2021 | 9:05 am EDT Update
The biggest reason why is because Capela has played at an All-Defense level, and he should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, alongside guys like Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons, Bam Adebayo and Myles Turner. The Hawks are 6.7 points worse defensively when Capela sits this season. “I think he’s been probably one of the most consistent guys on the defensive end of the floor for us,” Nate McMillan said. “He has been helping us all season long. He’s not only been helping in blocking shots and rotating to the basketball, but rebounding at an elite level. What he’s been doing now, he’s been doing it all season for us. What we are trying to do is not have to have him clean up on the perimeter where we’re guarding and not keeping the ball in front so that he can stay attached to his man and rebound the basketball. With the adjustment for a center in today’s game, you’re not defending low-post or post-up players a lot in this league. You’re out on the perimeter having to help defend these quick guards in pick and rolls and make adjustments to get back to a shooter that can spread the floor. The consistency has been there all season long.”
When opponents do drive on him and try attacking at the rim, they’re only shooting 50.2 percent against Capela. That’s sixth-tenths of a percentage point worse than Gobert, who’s seen as one of the favorites in the DPOY race. I, myself, questioned before the start of the season if Capela was going to be as good as the Hawks talked him up to be and what they, frankly, needed him to be because of the center depth. He was never this good for the Rockets, but he’s been a godsend for this organization after having arguably the worst center depth rotation last season. Capela is not only third in the NBA in blocks, first in rebounds, but he’s also second in DRAPM, second in DRPM and second in defensive RAPTOR, all advanced metrics that Gobert ranks first in. This story isn’t about why Capela should win the award, only how he needs to be in the conversation. As someone who voted for the league’s awards last season, Capela would be on my ballot with Gobert and Simmons; and he would be on my second-team All-Defense.
When Sandiford-Artest watches Doncic, he’s as fascinated as much by his savvy as his skill, readily admitting that he would have had his hands full trying to slow down the Mavs’ star. “Luka, I mean, that kid is special,” Sandiford-Artest said. “I’m not going to lie to you, [defending him] would have been tough. What impresses me most is he’s a veteran at [22] years old. The way he sees it and feels it, he’s someone that I would have had problems with, because he would have been thinking ahead. He’d have been thinking steps ahead. He’s not one-dimensional.
At this moment, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Allen drops into a defensive stance. He pretends to shade Doncic to the supersized point guard’s left. “Go right. Do whatever you’re going to do,” Allen yells, sliding as he speaks. “You going to drive and lay it up? All right, I’m going to contest. Can you step back going right? OK then! You’re going to have to do everything to that right side. And what if you try to come back? I’m right here, motherf—er. I’m taking it! “You can’t get discouraged with prolific players. They’re going to score, but your job is to contain it and cut it down.
“If I can be a little physical with him and make him work a little bit more, a lot like [defending] Steve Nash. Now when it comes time to finish plays, maybe he’s not as geared to finish the plays quite like he was in the beginning, because he’s being pressured a little bit. Now he has to worry about what I’m doing from the standpoint of making him work, work, work while he has the ball and bringing it up the floor. “It’s not something comfortable. Yes, he can do it. But does he want to do it? Probably not.”
April 14, 2021 | 6:56 am EDT Update
Bulls to pursue Lonzo Ball?
Though the Knicks made a very light push for Ball at the March 25 trade deadline, the Bulls did a lot more of the talking with Pelicans general manager David Griffin. If Ball were to leave, Chicago would be the Knicks’ top competitor, according to sources.
Because of luxury-tax concerns, the feeling around the league is the Pelicans may pass on matching any offer over $20 million per season with rookie lottery-pick point guard Kira Lewis and combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the fold. The Post reported Ball has the Knicks on his radar. His father, LaVar, had hoped Ball’s youngest brother, LaMelo, would be drafted by the Knicks last November — wanting him to play amid the bright lights of New York City.
The Dallas Mavericks received calls before the March 25 trade deadline regarding backup guard Jalen Brunson, but they were not interested in dealing the ex-Villanova star. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst relayed that news on his Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM Wiretap). “By the way, I heard that around the trade deadline the Mavericks got some calls about Jalen Brunson. And it basically like ‘Luka’s obviously untouchable and Jalen is pretty much untouchable. If you’re going to offer LeBron, we’ll listen.’ “He’s being viewed as a foundational core piece going forward.”
