NBA Bric-a-brac

Pacers hire Nate McMillan. My guess is that Vogel wanted a big time raise and Bird didn't feel like Vogel was the guy he wanted to give big money to, figuring there are lots of coaches (that would take less money) that would love to coach Paul George and could finish 6th in the East. A team built around Paul George is a good place for any coach to start and McMillan is a legit NBA coach. Back in the day it was McMillan's coaching that helped Seattle lay the groundwork for drafting Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. (Ha!) If he could lure Durant and Westbrook to Indy (though preferably not in the way he brought them to OKC), that'd be worth the big money.

Blazers extend Coach Terry Stotts (3 yrs/$15m, I think). Good move. I think Stotts (along with Brad Stevens) is the premiere coach for taking B talent and getting A- results. That's a legit skill and he's got it. He did just as well with the Aldridge/Matthews/Lopez/Batum lineup as he did with their lower priced replacements. He has risen a great deal in my estimation over the last coupla years, I'm beginning to think he's one of the best coaches in the league.

Karl-Anthony Towns wins Rookie of the Year. Yup, easy call. Might see the Wolves back at this ceremony again next year. Whoever they pick up on draft night will have a great launching pad into the league. (I think Buddy Hield is their ideal; if they get the #1 pick, they oughta consider trading down for Hield)  

Wow! The draft lottery ended exactly the way it was supposed to (I'm guessing that's never happened before): 1 Sixers, 2 Lakers, 3 Celtics, 4 Suns, 5 Wolves, 6 Pelicans, 7 Nuggets, 8 Kings, 9 Raptors, 10 Bucks, 11 Magic, 12 Jazz, 13 Suns, 14 Bulls