The Daily Dose: Dose: Stephenson to Clippers
Game 6 of the NBA Finals takes place Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers will attempt to force a Game 7 after being rolled by Stephen Curry and the Warriors in Sunday’s Game 6 by a score of 104-91. It’s hard to imagine the Warriors losing two straight games at this point, but anything is possible. Aside from the Finals, there are some things to discuss around the league right now.
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Lance Stephenson shipped to Clippers
Stephenson’s free agent signing with the Hornets will go down as one of the worst in recent memory. He never fit in with his new team, coaches or fans, and averaged just 8.2 points on 38 percent shooting, along with 2.1 turnovers. He also shot just 63 percent from the free throw line and a remarkably bad 17 percent from downtown. You read that right – he hit 18 of 105 3-point attempts last season. Sure, he also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, but after racking up 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and shooting 49 percent with a 3-pointer per game in his final season with the Pacers, this season was an unmitigated disaster.
A move to any team would have been a blessing for Stephenson, but I’m not sure that he’ll find things any easier after being traded to the Clippers for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes on Monday night. Stephenson likes to have the ball in his hands and he’ll be the fourth or fifth wheel, likely playing with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford. In other words, I’m not making early plans to draft Stephenson this October.
Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes moving to Charlotte
While many fans think the Clippers need to blow it up and start over, I’m not one of them. However, I also think that Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes were integral pieces of their puzzle, and don’t see Stephenson as a great fit in L.A.
Hawes could end up making some noise at power forward in Charlotte and would also be a hot fantasy pick up if Al Jefferson goes down at some point. But something tells me that Michael Jordan may regret locking into three more year of Hawes’ contract.
As for Barnes, it sounds like he will be released and become an unrestricted free agent, as the Hornets seem to be intent on rolling with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Gerald Henderson on the wings. Barnes has tried for the big payday several times in his career and I think he’s an underrated NBA player. He’s tough, sticks up for his teammates, plays defense and does the dirty work, and should be highly sought after this summer.
LeBron James says “I’m the best player in the world”
While that statement will rub his haters the wrong way, it’s hard to argue with him. He’s built like Karl Malone, has the speed of Isiah Thomas, and while he still doesn’t have the killer instinct of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, he’s closed the gap in that department considerably. He’s also got a solid jumper, gets all the calls (including his mysterious, floating pivot foot), is built like a tank, and can play through almost any injury. His tendency to sit out late-season games hurts his fantasy stock a little, but as we’ve seen in the Finals, when he’s left on an island by himself, he can still put up some crazy numbers. And while it doesn’t seem possible at this point, there’s still a chance he can will his team to a Game 6 win at home, as well as a Game 7 win in Oakland. Stay tuned.
Stephen Curry favorite to win MVP (obviously)
If the Warriors win the title, Curry will almost certainly be named MVP, and is currently the favorite in Vegas. Andre Iguodala really seems like the only other candidate for the award for GSW, which means if the Dubs can win one of the next two games, Curry will be taking home the hardware.
On a side note, Curry was treated for dehydration after Game 5, but will be fine for tonight’s game.
Mike Malone to coach Nuggets
The Nuggets have reached an agreement to hire Mike Malone as their new head coach. Malone last coached in Sacramento and was unceremoniously fired from that job, despite his team exceeding expectations early last season. The Nuggets are in rebuilding mode, so Malone will have his work cut out for him.
Joel Embiid could miss entire season
Embiid missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury and he recently suffered a setback, which can now be considered ‘major.’ If Embiid is going to miss another season, and it sounds like he will, the Sixers may need another five years to recover after placing a huge chuck of their future in his hands (and feet). This should also mean that Nerlens Noel becomes the man in Philly, and a full breakout should be expected for the upcoming season.
Hawks not likely to bring back both Millsap and Carroll
It doesn’t sound like the Hawks are going to be able to keep both Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll, and I’ve heard Greg Monroe’s name kicked around if Millsap leaves Atlanta for free agency. The Hawks have about $23 million in cap money and both Millsap and Carroll are going to command around $10 million per season. As a Hawks fan, I could live with Monroe and Carroll in the starting lineup next season, but would still rather see them keep both players. It just doesn’t look like that’s a realistic expectation at this point.
Kyrie Irving should be ready for training camp
It sounds like Kyrie Irving’s fractured kneecap should be nearly healed by the start of training camp in October. Irving had a great season, but was also pretty beat up, even before suffering his fateful, final injury. His ability to stay healthy throughout entire regular seasons will continue to be a big issue with him going forward, especially next year after coming off such a serious injury. But he gained some serious confidence this year, put up some big numbers next to LeBron, and should still be one of the better fantasy point guards in the league. But there will be plenty of risk, along with potential reward, in using an early draft pick on him.
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