Player Notes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Teague averaged 14.6 points and 7.2 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting in 2012-13.
Recommendation: It's hard to believe Teague has already been in the league for four years, but the former Wake Forest star made major strides this season - his second as the team's starting point guard. Teague's free-throw shooting improved dramatically (75.7 percent last season to 88.1 percent this season) and though it's still a work in progress, his 3-point percentage (35.9) improved as well. Teague is a restricted free agent this offseason and, like many of the current Hawks, will likely have to wait until later in the summer to learn his fate, as the team is expected to pursue both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. Should the team acquire Paul, Teague would have to sign elsewhere - but if not, expect the Hawks to match any reasonable offers he receives.

Smith turned in yet another solid statistical season in 2012-13, leading the Hawks to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Recommendation: Smith's season averages (17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists) were, for the most part, right on par with his career numbers and he failed to score in double figures just seven times. He shot 46.5 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc but regressed noticeably at the charity stripe (63.0 percent in 2011-12; 51.7 percent this season). At 27 years old, Smith is in the prime of his career and ranks among the league's elite forwards. As an unrestricted free agent this offseason, he'll draw plenty of interest and will likely seek a long-term, maximum contract. The Hawks could be the team to offer him that deal, but it appears they will first try their luck in acquiring Chris Paul and/or Dwight Howard.

Korver continued to show he's one of the top 3-point marksmen in the league, as he shot an NBA-best 45.7 percent from beyond the arc in 2012-13.
Recommendation: While Korver knows his role as a shooter, he turned in perhaps his best overall season, averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists to go along with 10.9 points per game. He started a career-high 60 contests and, while still a poor defender and prone to fouling, compensated with his unbelievably efficient shooting. Korver set an NBA record this season by making at least one 3-pointer in a ridiculous 77 consecutive games. His contract expires this offseason and he should receive plenty of interest around the league. Atlanta is sure to want him back but could opt to save some cash and instead go with second-year man John Jenkins as their primary perimeter shooter.