NBA News Roundup: Las Vegas mayor confident about expansion team, Pat Riley wants Kyle Lowry to be in better shape and more | June 7th, 2022
NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently refuted rumors of possible expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. Silver explained that there were no concrete discussions on the subject. However, Las Vegas' mayor is very confident about landing a team.
Meanwhile, Miami Heat president Pat Riley held his end-of-season news conference. One of the topics discussed by Riley is the conditioning of Kyle Lowry. The one-time champ missed 19 games in the regular season and 10 in the postseason.
Here is the latest NBA news roundup for June 7th, 2022 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Darvin Ham believes in Russell Westbrook
The LA Lakers have a new head coach in Darvin Ham. The team introduced him to the media on Monday, with a few players present. One of those players was Russell Westbrook, who struggled in his first season in Hollywood. Westbrook is expected to opt in to his $47 million deal next season.
Ham will have to maximize Westbrook's declining skills to make him more effective. An effective Westbrook could do wonders for the Lakers. Ham also had nothing but praise for the former MVP during his introductory news conference. He told reporters that Westbrook still has a "lot left in the tank."
"Don't get it messed up, Russell Westbrook is one of the best players our league has ever seen and there's still a ton left in the tank," Ham said. "I don’t know why people tend to try to write him off."
Pat Riley wants Kyle Lowry to work on his conditioning
Kyle Lowry had a good first season with the Miami Heat. Lowry averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 63 games. He missed a bunch of games due to injuries, including a few in the NBA playoffs. He played just 10 out of their 18 postseason games.
In his season-ending news conference, team president Pat Riley issued a challenge for Lowry. Riley wants his starting point guard to be in better shape and have improved conditioning next season. Lowry, who is already 36 years old, is known for his stocky build and low center of gravitiy.
"The bottom line with me, and for me, as far as hoping you can get the most out of a player, is that you have to be in world-class shape," Riley said. "You just have to be. That is something, as you get older, there is a point of diminishing returns. He definitely is going to have to address that. It will be addressed."
Quin Snyder comments on his future plans
Quin Snyder stepped down as the head coach of the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Snyder spent eight seasons in Utah, compiling an overall record of 372-264. He led the Jazz to the postseason for six straight years from 2017. However, the Jazz never made it past the second round.
As for his future plans, Snyder is not in a rush to find a new team. He told reporters on Monday that he would love to spend some time with his family. The 55-year-old coach knows that he'll be spending Halloween with his daughter. Snyder has four children with his second wife, Amy.
"I don't know what I'm going to do next year, as far as coaching," said Snyder. "I know I'm going to be at Halloween with my daughter. That's the silver lining of me stepping down now."
Las Vegas mayor confident about possible NBA team
NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke to the media last Thursday. One of the topics Silver talked about was the rumored league expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle. The commissioner denied the rumors and pointed out that the expansion is not being discussed at the moment.
However, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is confident about the possibility of an NBA team being in Sin City. Las Vegas already has NHL, NFL and WNBA teams. Goodman told 13 Action News about her positive attitude regarding the expansion.
"I really do believe NBA will be among the next," Goodman said. "We certainly have the WNBA. That was why that was there, a sort of 'Let's see how they do,' and they've done remarkably well."
Tracy McGrady praises Jayson Tatum, compares him to Kevin Durant
The future of the league is in good hands, with young stars like Jayson Tatum slowly taking over. Tatum led the Boston Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 in just his fifth season. The 24-year-old star also helped the Celtics sweep Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
Tatum and Durant are among the best players in the world today. Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady is a fan of Tatum, who he believes has the same potential as KD. McGrady told NBC Sports Washington that he sees the St. Louis native winning multiple MVPs and championships in his career.
"I think he can be really good," McGrady said. "We're talking KD status. I think the kid has the potential to be that good. He's already showing glimpses of that in his young NBA career. I think he has the ability to win multiple championships, be an MVP of the NBA. I think he has that ability."