No. 1: Warriors’ Kerr still out indefinitely — Golden State has enjoyed its
11-day layoff, kicking back and preparing for the Western Conference semifinals
while it waited for the winner of the Utah Jazz-LA Clippers series. As Game 1 of
Jazz-Warriors looms tonight (10:30 ET, TNT), Golden State may be rested but it
will still be without coach Steve Kerr. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com has more on
how Kerr’s health is faring of late:
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr will continue to have medical tests and
procedures this week at Stanford. He remains out indefinitely.
Kerr has been sidelined by symptoms, including migraines and nausea, related to
complications from the back surgery he had almost two years ago.
Assistant coach Mike Brown will continue to act as head coach of the Warriors
for Game 1 against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, as he did for Games 3 and 4 of the
Warriors’ first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“I think the way we look at it is plan on him [Kerr] not coming back,” Warriors
forward Draymond Green told reporters. “That’s the way we’re approaching this
thing … Mike Brown is our coach, we have the rest of our staff, and that’s who
we’re rolling with.”
…
“We’re gonna hope and pray that Steve gets better and can get back,” Green said.
“But at the end of the day, his health is more important than anything … We
know how bad he wanted to be here and how bad we would love for him to be here.
But at the end of the day, he needs to take care of what he has to take care of.
“And whether that’s this year or next year, then you know, we’re ready. But
we’re gonna approach this entire thing as ‘Steve isn’t coming back.’ And that’s
our approach for this entire playoffs until we hear otherwise.”
* * *
UPDATE, 7:08 p.m.: After making it more than clear he plans to play in Game 2,
Markieff Morris has been listed as a starter in tonight’s game.
No. 2: Morris says he’ll play in Game 2 — The Washington Wizards were at a
disadvantage in Game 1 of their series with the Boston Celtics after Markieff
Morris went down with an ankle injury in the first half. He missed the rest of
the game and the Celtics dominated as the game went on in a 123-111 romp. Morris
says he’s doing better and vows he’s going to play in Game 2 tonight (8 ET,
TNT), writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post:
Markieff Morris has needed round-the-clock treatment after spraining his left
ankle during the Washington Wizards’ 123-111 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game
1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday afternoon. However, Morris
announced he will be ready for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
“I’m playing tomorrow. It’s final,” Morris said with conviction Monday
afternoon. “There’s nothing the doctors can say to me for me not to be able to
play.”
Morris attempted a jump shot in the second quarter and landed on the foot of
Celtics forward Al Horford. Morris immediately was in great pain and gingerly
left the court. When asked if he felt Horford had undercut him — a dangerous
play in which a player moves his foot to the landing spot of his opponent —
Morris responded: “I’m not sure. I’m [going to] ask him though.”
“I’ve looked at it a couple times,” Morris said about the replay of the injury.
“It’s not really that pretty so, couldn’t really watch it too much.”
Although Morris made his declaration to play in Game 2 while his ankle received
shocks from an electronic muscle stimulator, he still sounded bold and clear.
Wizards Coach Scott Brooks, however, expressed much more reticence while
discussing Morris’s status.
He’s had treatments all day yesterday and last night and same thing this
morning. Just see how he feels game to game,” Brooks said. “I don’t want to make
any call on anything right now. I just know he’s going to get treatments all day
today. I’m sure he’s going to do the same thing tomorrow.
“It’s a sprain and our medical team will all get together and do what’s best for
him,” Brooks said, “but right now he’s out until we see how he feels tomorrow.”
* * *
No. 3: Ainge amazed by Thomas’ resilience — Pick either of the on-court
storylines Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas has endured — a slow start in the
first-round vs. Chicago, getting a tooth knocked out in Game 1 of the East semis
vs. Washington — and it would be something for a player to overcome. Yet those
trials pale in comparison to Thomas losing his sister and attending her funeral
as the playoffs were going on. None of what Thomas has endured has been lost on
Celtics president Danny Ainge, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
The loss of 22-year-old Chyna in a car accident has perhaps made peace
unattainable, but the Celts have taken measures to make the logistics less of an
issue.
And through it all — playing with grief, returning from Washington at 4 a.m.
Sunday and leading the Celts to a Game 1 win over Washington in a 1 p.m. tipoff
— Danny Ainge has gained even more respect and admiration. If that were
possible.
The Celtics president of basketball operations was on the chartered jet out of
Chicago following the series-clinching win against the Bulls with Thomas, his
wife, Kayla, and son, Jaiden.
“It was a good trip,” Ainge said after yesterday’s practice. “We were trying to
get Isaiah to sleep on the way out, because we knew it would be a long day. So
we didn’t talk much. We just talked a little bit about the game and talked a
little bit about Chyna, but most of it was him sleeping, trying to get as much
rest as he could.”
Assistant coach Jerome Allen took a commercial flight out to the services
Saturday morning, and that night Ainge was the one who went commercial and gave
up his seat on the private plane to Allen on the way back to Boston. Everyone
could have fit, but not in a way that would have allowed them room for rest.
“I wanted Isaiah and Jerome to get as much rest as they could for the game,”
Ainge said. “I flew back commercial. I think I got back a little earlier, but
they were more comfortable and able to stretch out and sleep on their plane.”
But even with the accommodations the Celtics have made, there is no way to fully
comprehend how Thomas has been able to play through this emotional pain — let
alone the fact he went for 33 points and nine assists Sunday in the Game 1 win
against the Washington Wizards while sleep-deprived.
Ainge has witnessed a lot in more than 30 years around the NBA. But this?
“I’ve seen a lot of people go through a lot of challenges and adversity in life,
and I think what makes Isaiah’s situation really hard is, I mean, he’s under
such a microscope already as a person,” Ainge said. “Everything is public — from
right when he finds out to everyone knowing every detail of how he’s mourning
and how he’s dealing with his issues. That’s hard in its own right, just to deal
with everything so public. But I think it’s been amazing how well he’s dealt
with everything and how he’s tried to inspire his teammates and not miss any
games and just to fight through it the best way he can. I think it’s been very
impressive, even all the way up to speaking at his sister’s funeral. He did a
great job. He’s done magnificent in every facet.”
* * *
No. 4: Presti ‘hopeful’ Westbrook will sign new extension — Just a summer ago,
Russell Westbrook signed a contract extension to stay with the Oklahoma City
Thunder. Thanks to the new NBA collective bargaining agreement, Westbrook is
eligible to sign a longer-term extension, something he said he hasn’t thought
much about yet. The Thunder front office has and GM Sam Presti discussed that
and more yesterday, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com:
With another summer of uncertainty on the horizon, Thunder general manager Sam
Presti is “hopeful” the franchise can sign point guard Russell Westbrook to a
new long-term extension.
“The rules are that you can’t have that conversation until July 1, and you know,
when that time comes, we’ll sit down, we’ll have conversations with him about
what that opportunity presents,” Presti said Monday at his end-of-season
availability. “And you know, we’re obviously hopeful that he remains really
excited about being a part of this organization for the remainder of his
career.”
Because of changes in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, Westbrook
will be eligible for a Designated Player Extension — a five-year, $217 million
“supermax” that will make him the highest-paid player in league history. Last
summer, Westbrook signed a three-year, $85 million extension with the Thunder
one month to the day after All-Star Kevin Durant departed for the Golden State
Warriors.
Westbrook has a player option on the final year of that contract, though,
enabling him to enter unrestricted free agency next summer. Should he turn down
the Thunder’s extension offer this summer, alarm bells will sound and the
franchise will have to look at other options, which would include trading the
potential MVP winner. That is a move, however, Presti said he hasn’t considered.
“Let’s not think so far ahead,” Presti said. “Let’s just see where the
information takes us. I understand the question. I think the biggest thing is,
we had that conversation with Russell last year, and you know, he was really
clear, and it worked itself out. So before we get all the way down the road on
what if, what if this happens, what if that happens: Again, that’s one of those
things where we’re talking about a very complex question, a very complex
situation with a lot of moving parts, and looking for, like, a simple answer to
that.”
“So let’s just have the conversation, see where it goes,” Presti added. “I think
everybody knows how we feel about him. He’s a transcendent player. I think he’s
a futuristic player. I think he’s a tremendous competitor, and we’re fortunate
to have him. We’ll have a conversation, and hopefully it goes our way.”
* * *
SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: Stephen Curry is dedicating the Golden State Warriors’
playoff run to the memory of a young fan … The Houston Rockets nailed 22
3-pointers last night … Ranking the free-agent point guards in this year’s
class … The Utah Jazz have built a team ready to contend for years to come out
West … Jazz forward Derrick Favors (back) is questionable for Game 1 tonight
… The results of the Big3 League draft are in … The Oklahoma City Thunder
have decisions to make about Andre Roberson and Nick Collison this summer …
