SB Nation Dallas: All Posts by Kevin Zimmerman

• Kevin Durant donates $1 million to tornado relief

Chris Paul was 'not a fan' of Vinny Del Negro, according to reports

2013-05-21T20:08:55Z

One piece of the Los Angeles Clippers' decision not to re-sign Vinny Del Negro was point guard Chris Paul's refusal to back his head coach, reports CBS Sports' Ken Berger and Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

All along, it was widely believed that the Clippers would put a great deal of weight in Paul's opinion in the matter, and Paul's apparent lack of confidence in Del Negro might've been one of the biggest keys to the Clippers' decision, which was reported by Wojnarowski on Tuesday.

As a free-agent-to-be, Paul's decision to stay with Los Angeles appears likely, though the team certainly helped themselves by deciding not to re-up on Del Negro, who went 128-101 in three seasons with the Clippers. The decision also wasn't helped by Del Negro's failure to coach his talented squad past the first round of the playoffs this season -- they lost in six games to the Memphis Grizzlies despite winning the first two games of the series.

For more insight on the Del Negro firing: Visit Clips Nation

Paul will certainly be in touch with Donald Sterling and the Clippers' front office as they search for a new head coach.

Berger reports that Paul thinks highly of Golden State Warriors assistant Mike Malone, who coached Paul with the Hornets. Wojnarowski's sources said that Memphis coach Lionel Hollins is a target for the Clippers.

Paul's former coach, Byron Scott, is also without a job and could be a candidate, USA Today's Sam Amick reported. Amick also lists Jeff and Stan Van Gundy as candidates, as well as former Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry and former Portland coach Nate McMillan.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: A lottery conspiracy for every team

• Howard vented to GM about D'Antoni

• O'Donnell: The mysterious Rudy Gobert

NBA Draft Lottery history: When the worst has won

2013-05-21T13:00:05Z

Drama has been a piece of the NBA's pre-draft preparations since the NBA Draft Lottery moved to a weighted system in 1990. The league made the change to avoid the practice of tanking, but the result has been about the entertainment value of luck.

The Orlando Magic, with their league-worst record, have a 25 percent chance of the ping pong balls handing them the first overall pick in the 2013 draft, but history shows there should be little confidence that they'll get it. The Charlotte Bobcats (19.9 percent), Cleveland Cavaliers (15.6 percent), Phoenix Suns (11.9 percent) and New Orleans Pelicans (8.8 percent) all have solid opportunities for the balls to bounce in their favor. So do the rest of the 14 lottery squads.

More: Complete NBA Draft coverage

Here's a look at the best and worst of the NBA Draft Lottery, along with the number of times each team has won.

The best top picks

While there are no guarantees in the lottery, the ability of NBA teams to smell out superstardom once they earn the top pick is more than chance.

Shaquille O'Neal went first to the Magic in 1992, Tim Duncan went first in 1997 and LeBron James did the same in 2003 -- all three are more than locks to make the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Allen Iverson became a cultural icon after the Philadelphia 76ers took him first in 1996, and Yao Ming became the face of basketball in China after the Houston Rockets picked him in 2002. Chris Webber (1993), Dwight Howard (2004), Derrick Rose (2008) and Blake Griffin (2009) all established themselves as perennial All-Stars.

So in the 23 years of the lottery, a good chunk have turned into franchise-defining players or at least consistent All-Stars.

The worst top picks

There are varying levels of bad picks when the entire field of a draft class is concerned.

Kwame Brown was infamously the Washington Wizards' selection in 2001 by then-executive Michael Jordan, and three years earlier the Clippers picked bust Michael Olowokandi. More recently, 2007 top pick Greg Oden failed to get on track with the Portland Trail Blazers after knee injuries struck him.

Others such as Joe Smith (1995) and Andrew Bogut (2005) have been established NBA players, but not All-Stars.

More-than-acceptable top picks

These picks are All-Stars but not franchise cornerstones. Derrick Coleman was the first overall pick in the inaugural year of the lottery and had an extended NBA career with one All-Star appearance, as did Kenyon Martin (2000), who is still in the league. Larry Johnson (1991), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Elton Brand (1999) all made multiple All-Star games.

John Wall, the first pick in 2010, appears to have All-Star level talent and could grow into a multiple-time All-Star, and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving -- though only having played two seasons -- made the All-Star game in his second year and in time could prove he belongs in the category of elite first-overall picks.

The biggest surprises of the lottery

The biggest leap to the No. 1 pick was in 1993. After picking O'Neal the year before, the Magic won the lottery despite having the 11th-best odds. They used the selection on Webber and immediately traded the forward to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway, who became a four-time All-Star for Orlando.

In 1990, the second overall pick went to the Seattle SuperSonics despite them having the 10th-worst record. The Sonics took the opportunity to nab point guard Gary Payton, who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame.

And the best steal for the No. 3 pick was in 1999, when the Charlotte Hornets and their 13th-worst record jumped up the selection board to grab Baron Davis.

The history of the lottery

The worst team has won the NBA Draft Lottery three times in 23 tries.
The third-worst and fifth-worst teams have won the lottery the most times (five) in the lottery era. The Cavaliers select third and the Pelicans pick fifth this year.
The team with the least likely odds to win the NBA Draft Lottery was the 1993 Orlando Magic, who had the 11th-best chance to win. The seventh-, eighth- and ninth-worst teams have all won the lottery once since 1990.

Team by record	# of wins (since 1990)
Worst	3
2nd-worst	4
3rd-worst	5
4th-worst	0
5th-worst	5
6th-worst	2
7th-worst	1
8th-worst	1
9th-worst	1
10th-worst	0
11th-worst	1
12th-worst	0
13th-worst	0
14th-worst	0

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Defense is the way to win cheaply

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

NBA Draft Lottery 2013: Time, TV schedule and more

2013-05-21T12:00:10Z

NBA teams will learn where they'll be picking in the 2013 NBA Draft on Tuesday. The ping pong balls will decide their fate at the NBA Draft Lottery, which begins at 8:30 p.m. ET and airs on ESPN.

The Orlando Magic have the best shot of landing the No. 1 overall pick with a 25-percent chance, but the teams with lesser odds have could get lucky bounces of the balls as well. In order, the Magic are trailed in chances of winning the lottery by the Charlotte Bobcats (19.9 percent), Cleveland Cavaliers (15.6 percent), Phoenix Suns (11.9 percent) and New Orleans Pelicans (8.8 percent), but all 14 lottery teams are in the mix.

More: Complete NBA Draft coverage

The lottery hasn't been won by the team with the worst record -- and thus the best chances -- since 2004, when the Magic used their pick to select Dwight Howard.

While the 2013 draft doesn't have the likes of a Howard, there's still something to be said for having a choice of whom to pick. Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel is widely considered the first overall pick despite his continued recovery from a torn ACL, and he is joined by Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore and Georgetown swingman Otto Porter atop the draft class.

Indiana's Victor Oladipo, UNLV's Anthony Bennett, Michigan's Trey Burke and UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad are among the second-tier players eligible in the draft.

Each of the 14 lottery teams will be assigned four-number combinations based on their record with 1,000 possible. Teams with the most likely odds to win the first overall pick will have more potential combinations assigned to that pick. For example, the Magic and their 25 percent shot at winning will own 250 of the lottery combinations for the first pick.

The first through third picks will be selected by the lottery system, and the remaining 11 lottery teams will follow in order of their records and any previously-decided tiebreakers.

Time: Tuesday, May 21, 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Odds to winning

Team (record)	Number of combinations	Percent
Orlando (20-62)	250	25
Charlotte (21-61)	199	19.9
Cleveland (24-58)	156	15.6
Phoenix (25-57)	119	11.9
New Orleans (27-55)	88	8.8
Sacramento (28-54)	63	6.3
Detroit (29-53)	36	3.6
Washington (29-53)	35	3.5
Minnesota (31-51)	17	1.7
Portland (33-49)	11	1.1
Philadelphia (34-48)	8	0.8
Toronto (34-48)	7	0.7
Mavericks (41-41)	6	0.6
Utah (43-39)	5	0.5

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: Saying goodbye to the Knicks

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

• Shabazz is the next Harrison Barnes

Dwight Howard not considering Clippers, per report

2013-05-20T17:10:55Z

Dwight Howard will go over his options as a free agent this summer, but if he leaves the Lakers it won't be for the rival Los Angeles Clippers, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. She reports there are "multiple reasons" for Howard not to sign with the Clippers.

Quickly, any possibility of Chris Paul and Howard playing together with the Clippers has been thrown out of the window. The two All-Stars reportedly had discussed playing with one another when Howard was with the Magic and Paul was with the Hornets but things never worked out as Howard waffled in his decisions, as Yahoo! Sports detailed last year. Furthermore, Yahoo! reported that Howard didn't see himself fitting with the Clippers because he didn't see how he'd fit alongside forward Blake Griffin.

Either way, for the Clippers to acquire Howard and keep Paul would be difficult considering their cap limitations and the inability to work out a trade with the rival Lakers.

For more Dwight Howard trade rumors visit: Silver Screen and Roll Clips Nation

On Sunday, it was reported by CBS Sports' Ken Berger that Howard would indeed take his free agency process slowly rather than commit to re-signing with the Lakers. The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are two potential suitors for the All-Star center, who had a disappointing year for the Lakers in 2012-13. Houston has the ability to sign a max player with a few small moves to free up cap space, and Dallas could also chase after the big man with a few moves of their own -- Dirk Nowitzki mentioned Howard by name in talking about the Mavs' free agent targets.

While the Texas teams could offer less-lengthy contracts than the Lakers, they both have a distinct advantage over either Los Angeles team. Howard could save millions of dollars because he wouldn't have to pay state income taxes in Texas. Berger estimated the savings to be a total of $10 million over the course of his entire four-year deal.

In general, Howard leaving the Lakers appears to be a possibility considering the tied-up financial situation. Compounding the Lakers' chances are Kobe Bryant's Achilles injury and the rocky season that saw them barely make the playoffs and then get swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the postseason.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Defense is the way to win cheaply

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

Bryan Colangelo to remain with Raptors in business role, according to report

2013-05-20T16:17:02Z

Bryan Colangelo will be out of a job as the Toronto Raptors general manager, but he will remain with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in a non-basketball capacity, according to the Toronto Star's Doug Smith. Although it is unclear what his job description will entail, Colangelo is expected to have a more "corporate" role with the Raptors' ownership group.

The Raptors, who have been taking their time to shift about their front office staff, have been chasing after Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri to take Colangelo's spot and lead their basketball operations, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Ujiri is a former front office executive who worked under Colangelo as an assistant general manager for two years before leaving in 2010 for the Nuggets.

More: Raptors news at Raptors HQ

Colangelo has been in limbo with one year left on his contract. New MLSE executive Tim Leiweke has been mulling over his decision to find new leadership, and this weekend it even appeared likely that Colangelo could remain at his current post.

The former executive of the Phoenix Suns joined the Raptors in 2006.

More from SB Nation:

• Ziller: Defense is the way to win cheaply

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

Zach Randolph held in check in Game 1

2013-05-20T11:00:07Z

Zach Randolph was pushed around. It's hard to believe, but it happend in the Memphis Grizzlies' 105-83 Game 1 loss to the San Antonio Spurs to open the Western Conference Finals.

The Grizzlies All-Star and leading postseason scorer at 19.7 points per game missed his first seven shots and only saved himself from a scoreless performance by tipping in a missed bucket early in the fourth quarter of the blowout. Randolph finished with two points on 1-for-8 shooting.

"They front us. They pressured the ball. They pushed us out of the box," teammate Marc Gasol said of the Spurs after the game. "They did a lot of things."

More: Grizzly Bear Blues Pounding the Rock

San Antonio certainly jostled the Memphis big men in the paint. Randolph didn't get many touches, and Gasol only got his outside of the paint and in face-up situations. The Spurs picked their poison and let Gasol take contested jump shots, but neither he nor Randolph got easy looks at the rim. Gasol went 7-for-16 for 15 points on Sunday.

"Obviously (Randolph's lack of offense) hurt us because we only scored 83," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We do need him to play a little bit better."

Hollins wasn't so quick to place much more blame on Randolph, however. He pointed out that point guard Mike Conley went 5-for-12 and Gasol could've played better.

"It's going to be important for a number of people to step up and make shots if they're going to pack it in," Hollins said.

Memphis' Quincy Pondexter was about the only bright spot, going 6-for-11 from the field and scoring 17 off the bench. But with the Spurs' own bench pumping out great production from Matt Bonner, Gary Neal and Manu Ginobili, it wasn't nearly enough.

The Grizzlies' inside-out game was missing the inside, and it went poorly.

Memphis shot 43.2 percent from the floor, and the offense never clicked. Meanwhile, the Spurs' big men controlled the glass close to a draw, especially on the offensive boards. The Grizzlies didn't get an offensive rebound until reserve forward Ed Davis tipped in a miss with 5:22 left in the second quarter.

But all the indications of the San Antonio's defense and the lack of offensive production by Memphis came back to Randolph.

"We tried to make it hard on him," Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "Obviously he is their best scorer. He's a beast inside.

"He had an off night," Parker warned, "but I've been knowing Zach for a long time -- we were in the same draft."

More from SB Nation:

• Flannery: Saying goodbye to the Knicks

• Can Nerlens Noel play in the middle? | More combine coverage

• Shabazz is the next Harrison Barnes