Player Notes

Jackson intends to continue his career next season, USA Today reports.
Recommendation: Jackson was abruptly cut by the Spurs just six days before the end of the regular season. The decision was clearly a mutual one, though, as he holds great respect for San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. Even at 35 years of age, Jackson has something left in the tank, after averaging 6.2 points (on 37.3 percent shooting), 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 treys on 19.5 minutes in 2012-13. Expect him to latch on elsewhere as a modest wing threat next season.

Ginobili scored just nine points and turned the ball over eight times in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat.
Recommendation: Ginobili finally came through for the Spurs in Game 5 with 24 points, but he followed it up with an absolute dud in Game 6. Although he scored six of his nine points in the fourth quarter, Ginobili will be best remembered in this game for turning the ball over in the final seconds of overtime and missing a free throw at the 28-second mark of the fourth quarter. If the Spurs lose Game 7, he will likely go down as the biggest goat from one of the most memorable games in recent NBA history. Of course, he may have some competition there from Kawhi Leonard, though Leonard played reasonably well in overtime after missing a crucial free throw in the final 20 seconds of regulation.

Duncan finished with 30 points (13-21 FG, 4-5 FT) and 17 rebounds in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat, but he he didn't score a single point in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Recommendation: Duncan scored 25 in the first half and another 5 in the third quarter, before the Heat finally found a way to shut him down when it mattered most. Even with the slow finish this was arguably Duncan's finest game of the postseason, though we suspect that he won't be satisfied with his performance given the end result.

Leonard compiled 22 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, and three steals in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat.
Recommendation: Leonard broke the 20-point barrier for the first time this postseason and threw down a highlight-reel dunk over Miami's Mike Miller. He scored five points in the fourth quarter and another four in overtime, but also went 1-for-2 from the line with 19 seconds left in a situation where hitting both free throws would have given the Spurs a four-point lead. Leonard's missed free throw came back to haunt San Antonio when Ray Allen hit a game-tying three-pointer with less than six seconds remaining to send the game in to overtime.

Chalmers scored 20 points and sunk four of his five three-point attempts in Tuesday's Game 6 win over the Spurs.
Recommendation: Chalmers scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half, but did hit a big three-pointer to pull the Heat within seven points at the start of the fourth quarter. Only Lebron James played more minutes for Miami, while Norris Cole didn't make it off the bench. We wouldn't expect to see much (if any) of Cole in Game 7, so look for Chalmers to take on a heavy workload again.

James recorded a triple-double in the Heat's overtime win against the Spurs in Game 6 on Tuesday. He finished with 32 points (11-26 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 10 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and a block in 50 minutes.
Recommendation: James picked up his intensity near the end of the game and did so while playing the entire second half and overtime. He lost his headband during the second half and played the rest of the game without it. James' triple-double was his 11th career postseason triple-double.

Hansbrough finished the 2012-13 season averaging 7.0 points (43.2 percent from the floor and 72 percent at the foul line) with 4.6 rebounds in a career-low 16.9 minutes.
Recommendation: Hansbrough experienced a further drop in playing time during the 19-game playoff run, as the team's weak bench was a non-factor in the postseason. He appears to have become less important to the team's rotation than he had been the past few years, but still, we expect the Pacers to extend a qualifying offer to Hansbrough and retain him for another season.

Westbrook has rid himself of crutches, as he continues his rehabilitation from surgery on April 27 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, The Oklahoman reports.
Recommendation: The development is a significant one, as Westbrook's range of motion is likely improving by the day. It remains to be seen the next step in the recovery process, but he should reach full health well before training camp begins in the fall.

Hibbert finished the postseason averaging 17.0 points on 51.1 percent shooting with 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 19 games for the Pacers. He really took off in the playoffs after showing inconsistent offense from October to April, and he did so while averaging more minutes per game.
Recommendation: The Pacers would like to see the confidence on display during the playoffs carry forth to next season. More importantly, though, Hibbert needs to make shots more consistently. A seven-footer can't be flirting with 40 percent from the field, as he was doing much of the season.

Andersen will likely be back in the Heat's rotation for Tuesday's Game 6 against the Spurs, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Recommendation: During the first three games of the series, Andersen averaged 12.7 minutes nightly, but coach Erik Spoelstra trotted out small-ball lineups in each of the past two contests, which have kept him glued to the bench. Andersen's energy in the frontcourt has been quite valuable during Miami's playoff run, as he has tallied six points, 2.3 boards, and 0.7 blocks per tilt when he has taken the court in the series.

Hill finished the 2012-13 season averaging 14.2 points (44.3/36.8/81.7) with 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in a career-high 34.5 minutes.
Recommendation: When the Pacers were a .500 team early in the season, Hill and David West carried the Pacers. Hill was never supposed to be the team's third leading scorer, but Danny Granger's knee injury and Roy Hibbert's offensive malaise forced him to look for his shot more often. With a healthy Granger in 2013-14 and perhaps a more confident Hibbert, Hill won't be asked to carry as heavy a scoring load. But he's still more of a combo guard, so we're not expecting 7-to-8 assists per game.

Miller is the logical candidate to be moved to the bench, if Miami changes up its starting lineup, Yahoo! Sports reports. When asked about it, coach Erik Spoelstra said, "We'll find out."
Recommendation: Considering the Spurs were able to counter punch effectively in Game 5 with a small starting five featuring Manu Ginobili, perhaps the Heat are contemplating a more traditional lineup, with Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen experiencing a modest bump in playing time. After getting blanked, scoring-wise, in his two starts, Miller could move back to the bench, from which he knocked down 10-of-11 three-pointers during the first three contests of the finals.

Green may not find as much daylight from three-point range during Tuesday's Game 6 in Miami, ESPN.com reports. The Heat's Chris Bosh said, "...he won't be open tonight. We'll see how he shoots with somebody always on him."
Recommendation: Instead of focusing on Tony Parker, whose crisp passes and deft drives generally spur a series of events that lead to open looks, Miami will now keep a defender on Green, seemingly at all times. The Heat's previous scheme allowed numerous open looks from deep, and Green took advantage, hitting an NBA-record 25 treys in 38 attempts. With more attention paid to Green, time will tell who prospers on the Spurs, but the entire backcourt -- Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Gary Neal -- figures to pick up the slack.

Stephenson is expected to play a role off the Pacers' bench next season if Danny Granger (knee) returns to full health, the Indianapolis Star reports. Indiana coach Frank Vogel anticipates a healthy Granger being a starter, which knocks Stephenson back to the bench.
Recommendation: Stephenson enjoyed his finest season as a pro in 2012-13, taking advantage of increased playing time because of Granger's knee injury. He was a key cog in the Pacers' playoff run, when he averaged 7.6 rebounds. Can he be as effective in shorter minutes off the bench? What will be asked of him as a reserve? The Pacers had a pretty weak bench for much of the season and could really use a reliable scorer. We're not sure Stephenson's ready for that.

Mills played 58 games during the regular season, averaging 11 minutes per game.
Recommendation: Mills played in a limited role for the deep Spurs' bench. He was behind fellow guards Nando De Colo and Cory Joseph for playing time. For the season, he averaged 5.1 points (on 46.9 percent shooting) and 1.1 assists. He's a contributor for three-pointers when given minutes but is often overlooked due to the Spurs' depth. Mills has a player option for the 2013-14 season that he's likely to accept to remain in San Antonio.