- The homophobic comment will (not wrongly) get most of the attention, but as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports, that’s not all Hibbert said in his postgame press conference: “Hibbert wasn’t done raising eyebrows. He was later asked about finishing so low (10th) in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. “Y’all mother (expletive) don’t watch us play throughout the year to tell you the truth,” Hibbert said. “So that’s fine. I’m going to be real with you, and I don’t care if I get fined. We play and we’re not on TV all of the time and reporters are the ones that are voting and it is what it is. And I don’t make it, that’s fine. I’m still going to do what I have to do.” Hibbert has never had a problem speaking up over the lack of respect the Pacers have received nationally.”
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri's starting to clean house: Well-regarded scout Maury Hanks has been let go, source tells Y! Ujiri will hire own guys.@WojYahooNBAAdrian Wojnarowski
- Here’s something about another Pacer, this time David West, from Zak Keeler of the Indianapolis Star: “Frank Vogel could see it in David West’s pale face and wilting jump shot. He saw it each time West lumbered up and down the court, the usual fervor that had defined his game nowhere to be seen. West woke up Saturday with a fever north of 100 degrees, sat out the morning shootaround and missed all seven of his shots in the first half. He was sapped, and his coach knew it. “I need to get you out,” Vogel told his power forward midway through the second quarter. West shook his head. He wasn’t coming out. Not on this night. Not with the season on the line. “We’ve come too far for me not to play,” West would say later. “I wasn’t 100 percent, but I had to play.” “
- Both McMillan and Cheeks have met with Tom Gores in LA. Both have met with the team three times #Pistons@vgoodwillVincent Goodwill
- Negotiations between the Grizzlies and Lionel Hollins appear to have hit a bump in the road, as Memphis has allowed Hollins to discuss his future with other teams. As Sam Amick of USA Today reports, “The Memphis Grizzlies have told coach Lionel Hollins that he is free to talk to other teams before his contract expires at the end of this month, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports… The Grizzlies are eyeing Memphis assistant Dave Joerger as a possible replacement for Hollins and are confident that he could help retain the “Grit and Grind” culture that has become such a fabric of the team and the town.”
- More on Hollins’ sudden availability, this time coming from Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com: “The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers each have interest in Hollins, but no team has formally requested permission to speak to Hollins yet, a source familiar with the situation said Sunday… ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported in early April that Grizzlies management wants to retain Hollins, even after the coach’s initially angry reaction to the late-January trade of Rudy Gay to Toronto. Yet it remains to be seen how much Memphis is willing to spend to keep him.”
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has more on what looks like a Hollins-Grizz split: “Since the analytics-driven new ownership group of Robert Pera took over control of the franchise this season, there’s been dramatic conflict between management and Hollins. Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien has given vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger significant latitude in constructing the roster and a philosophy. Management wants a coach willing to buy into the analytic movement, using those mechanisms to make roster, lineup and system decisions. Hollins has resented what he considers undue interference by management, and has stood by his track record and success in maintaining productivity with a roster of diverse and difficult personalities. During the Grizzlies’ playoff run, tensions turned to a confrontation when Hollins exploded during a practice session upon finding Hollinger had walked onto the practice court and engaged forward Austin Daye during a shooting drill, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports. With the team watching – and with a motive to show his players that he was completely in charge on the floor, sources said – Hollins loudly questioned Hollinger about what he was doing, and why he believed it was appropriate for a management official to intrude on what’s considered sacred territory for a coach and team, sources said.”
- Asked two sources with direct knowledge of Grizzlies-Hollins talks if they believe he's coached his final game there. Both answered: "Yes."@WojYahooNBAAdrian Wojnarowski
- Asked a few execs what David West will be worth this summer. Consensus is a three-four year deal at $11-13 mill per year.@ChrisMannixSIChris Mannix
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Dan Malone just finished his third year as a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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