Latest news with #LAClippers
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former No. 1 pick Blake Griffin offers advice to Player of the Year Cooper Flagg
Former No. 1 pick Blake Griffin offers advice to Player of the Year Cooper Flagg Blake Griffin entered the NBA with high expectations as the No. 1 pick in 2009, and the former 13-year veteran recently offered some advice to likely top pick Cooper Flagg. Griffin was the Player of the Year and the clear choice to be the top pick in the draft after a stellar two-year run at Oklahoma. Though Griffin missed his first year due to a knee injury, the former All-American was the Rookie of the Year and an All-Star the following season. After living up to the hype to begin his career with the LA Clippers, Griffin is an ideal person to offer Flagg advice as he heads into the NBA. Griffin, speaking with Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win, preached patience, with the draft less than four weeks away. Just enjoy it. It sounds sort of cliché, but it all goes by so quickly. You'll only experience this draft process one time. Soak it in and don't get too weighed down with all the other stuff. All the people around you will take care of all that. Just enjoy every single moment. Remember, this is just the beginning. As a young guy, you want everything right away. You want to get to everything. But your career is a marathon. Enjoy it. Appreciate all the hard work you've done to get to this point. Know that it continues. Flagg led Duke to the Final Four, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. He became the 22nd player in program history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. The 18-year-old knows a thing or two about expectations himself after entering this past season with high hopes as the consensus top recruit in the class of 2024. He was highly touted out of the Montverde Academy and eventually established himself as the face of the sport. Flagg is considered a lock to be selected with the first pick by the Dallas Mavericks and projects as the next generational player the organization can build around. Like Griffin, Flagg will have a highly anticipated rookie campaign next season.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Underrated 2025 Free Agents: Amir Coffey Is The NBA's Best Kept Secret
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Amir Coffey #7 of the LA Clippers celebrates his basket and a ... More foul from Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Intuit Dome on January 04, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by) USER IS NOT PERMITTED TO DOWNLOAD OR USE IMAGE WITHOUT PRIOR TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) With the 2024-25 season nearing its conclusion, it is time to start looking ahead to the offseason. In this article series, we will take a look at under-the-radar options in the 2025 Free Agency Pool. For the sake of simplicity, we are going to focus primarily on unrestricted free agents. In their grueling seven-game series with the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers played nine guys meaningful minutes. None of those minutes were allocated to Amir Coffey, though. Heck, Coffey didn't even check in during garbage time, making him the only active player not to see a single second of action in that series. So, why on Earth is Coffey being coined as 'The NBA's Best Kept Secret?" Before the All-Star break, Coffey was a fixture in the Clippers' rotation – averaging 25.9 minutes per game (51 games). However, after a busy trade deadline, Coffey started to fall in the depth chart, getting just 20.1 MPG after the break (21 games). He averaged a season-low 18.9 MPG during the month of March. This wasn't because Coffey was bad. Rather, the reinforcements the Clippers added were just really good (his untimely knee injury didn't help matters either). All nine of the guys who played ahead of him were consistent starters/high-level bench players as recently as 2023-24. Specifically, the Clippers had a logjam on the wings. Kawhi Leonard and Bogdan Bogdanovic were obviously going to play. And then they also had to fit in Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. – the former being one of the best perimeter defenders on the planet (99th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus), and the latter was fresh off starting every playoff game for the 2024 Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks. That's all without mentioning Nicolas Batum – one of the most reliable complimentary players of the last decade-plus. As for not playing garbage time, that was likely a sign of respect from head coach Tyronn Lue and his staff – not wanting Coffey to pick up an unnecessary injury that could mitigate his earning potential in free agency. Being stuck in one of the most crowded wing/forward rooms in the entire league shouldn't be held against Coffey. When he did get an opportunity, he proved to be a quality two-way role player in his own right. In his career, Coffey has taken 800 3-pointers and converted on 38.4% of them. He's also hit 83.7% of his free throws. Those are two promising indicators of his aptitude for spacing the floor for his high-usage teammates. Coffey is also a good midrange shooter (78th percentile efficiency in 2024-25), which gives him a legitimate counter to when teams try to deploy the fly-by closeout against him. This makes his lack of a true drive game far more palatable. Defensive impact metrics like DEF EPM don't look too fondly upon Coffey. However, Coffey is an athletic wing with good size (6'8), and it seems that he excels in areas that are harder for stats like EPM to pick up on. According to BBall Index, Coffey's 2024-25 season ranks in the 96th percentile in their database in Off-Ball Chaser Defense (chasing guys around off-ball screens) and the 93rd percentile in Overall Coverage Versatility. Amir Coffey. He may not generate a ton of steals or blocks, but it does seem like Coffey is a valuable team defender. At the very least, he is an average defender for his position. Imagine how much better off a team like the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors would have been with a wing they could trust to hit shots and be a neutral on defense. A player like Coffey would have easily garnered 15-20 minutes of playing time per game on either of their playoff rotations. Based on reporting around the situation, it seems improbable that the Clippers will try to retain Coffey, which means that he'll be a free agent in every sense of the term this offseason. By using my formula for estimating production value, Coffey looks like a player who should get roughly 2.7 million dollars in 2025-26. That is right around the veteran minimum for a player of his level of experience (2.9 million). There is a chance that a team that really sees the vision with Coffey offers him something close to the Bi-Annual Exception (5.1 million), but given how he fell out of the rotation and how tight money is under the new CBA, it seems unlikely that he signs for much more than that. Regardless, Coffey is a low-end starter/high-level bench player that one lucky team is going to land for pennies on the dollar. Now, it's all about which NBA team identifies this diamond hidden in the rough first.
Newsweek
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
James Harden Expected to Opt Out of Clippers Contract: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After letting nine-time All-Star forward Paul George walk in free agency last summer, the L.A. Clippers shocked the world, enjoying a surprisingly robust 2024-25 season. The Clippers notched a 50-32 record and secured the Western Conference's No. 5 seed, ultimately falling in seven games to the Denver Nuggets in a hard-fought first round playoff series battle. It's about as positive a finish as the team could have reasonably expected, given how questionable things were looking heading into the year. Six-time All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard missed the start of the regular season with a lingering knee injury. Even when he did return to the fold in January, he looked a bit shaky. More L.A. Clippers News: Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard Reacts to Return Following Severe Injury By the final month or so of the season, however, Leonard started to resemble his 2019 Finals MVP-era self, giving fans hope the team could make a playoff run. But the big three reasons the Clippers managed to win 50 games this past season stemmed from three other players: promoted shooting guard Norman Powell — who made a serious case for Comeback Player of the Year honors — starting center Ivica Zubac, and point guard James Harden. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Russell Westbrook #4 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball against James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers during the first quarter in Game Six of the Western Conference First... INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Russell Westbrook #4 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball against James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers during the first quarter in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome on May 01, 2025 in Inglewood, California. More Photo byHarden, in particular, looked better than he had in years during the regular season, now fully in command of the club's offense. Across 79 regular season bouts, the 11-time All-Star averaged 22.8 points on .410/.352/.874 shooting splits, 8.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds a night. The 6-foot-5 Arizona State product regular play has likely earned him a raise, although his erratic performance in the playoffs (par for the course for Harden) could temper just how lucrative that raise winds up being. Harden has a $36.3 million player option in 2025-26. In a new preview piece for the Clippers' offseason, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron unpacks what could be a major summer of change. Gozlan also recently hosted The Athletic's Clippers beat reporter, Law Murray, on his official podcast. On the pod, Gozlan and Murray revealed what the anticipated fate of Harden would be this summer. "As discussed on the podcast, Harden is expected to decline his player option and command some type of raise," writes Gozlan. "The Clippers probably want to align his contract with Kawhi Leonard's." More L.A. Clippers News: Ben Simmons Signing With Clippers Following Nets Buyout Leonard inked a three-year, $149.5 million contract extension with the Clippers during the 2023-24 season. The deal will expire after 2026-27, when Leonard will be 35. Harden will be 37 that season. "One structure that could make sense is a two-year deal in the $80 million range, maybe $90 million at the highest range," Gozlan opines. "A two-year, $80 million deal could start as low as $38.5 million on the first season." Harden once again struggled to score consistently in the postseason. He had an 11-point night (on 3-of-9 shooting) in a 131-115 Game 5 defeat. In a 120-101 closeout Game 7 loss to Denver, Harden scored just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, although he did manage to dish out 13 assists and grab five rebounds. "Harden is already 36 years old [he's actually 35, but will be 36 before the 2025-26 season starts], so under the CBA, he cannot sign more than a three-year deal with other teams. However, 35 and 36-year-olds with Bird rights can still sign for up to four years with their previous teams. This opens up the possibility of both sides going three or four years, but any salaries beyond the second year are unlikely to be fully guaranteed." More L.A. Clippers News: Paul George Holds No 'Ill Will' Towards Fans After Treatment in Return to Los Angeles Kevin Durant, James Harden Lead All-Star Cast for NBA Docuseries Clippers 'Embarrassed' After Game 7 Meltdown vs Nuggets For the latest Clippers and NBA news, be sure to check out Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nikola Jokić on if the Nuggets could win a title with their core: 'If we could, we would'
Nikola Jokić didn't mince words when asked if his Denver Nuggets could still win a title with the core from the 2023 championship team. After besting the LA Clippers in seven games to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, Denver fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in another Game 7 on Sunday. Following the defeat, a reporter asked The Joker if he felt the Nuggets are still contenders. The journalist also noted the back-to-back full series and injuries to Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. "I mean, we didn't, so [we] obviously can't," Jokić said. "If we could, we would win it. I don't believe in those 'If, if,' stuff. We had the opportunity; we didn't win, so I think we can't." Advertisement Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists while shooting 57.6% from the field as the Nuggets went 50-32 in the regular season. The Nuggets' playoff run also came after head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth were fired three games before the postseason. Despite their second-round exit, Jokic is a finalist for the NBA MVP award alongside the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Forbes
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Denver Nuggets Star Aaron Gordon Could Miss Rest Of Playoffs: Report
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 12: Aaron Gordon #50 of the Denver Nuggets celebrates a three pointer ... More against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on December 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon could miss Sunday's Game 7 with the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, ESPN's Shams Charania reported. 'He could very well miss the remainder of the playoffs,' Charania said. 'It's becoming physically improbable to play through this Grade 2 hamstring strain, and it's just difficult timing for Aaron Gordon.' Gordon participated in a walkthrough on Sunday, per ESPN, and interim coach David Adelman said the team would wait and see how Gordon was feeling Sunday. He is listed as questionable on the NBA injury report. Gordon won an NBA title with Denver during the 2022-23 season and has hit several huge shots during these playoffs – a buzzer-beating putback dunk in Game 4 against the LA Clippers and a 3-pointer with three seconds left in Game 1 against the Thunder.. He is averaging career playoff highs of 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The Nuggets are 5-0 this postseason when Gordon scores at least 20 points, and his seven assists in Game 6 are tied for the most in any game of his playoff career. Game 7 is set for 3:30 ET Sunday.
