Player Notes

Young sprained his ankle in Game 2 against the Heat on Friday. He played 10 minutes and had one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) with two rebounds.
Recommendation: Young provided a few minutes of defense on LeBron James. If he can not play as the series goes back to Indiana, the shallow Pacer bench could be even less effective.

George had 22 points (9-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT) with six assists in the win over the Heat on Friday.
Recommendation: George had a vicious dunk near the end of the third quarter and was able to get himself open at times. He is looking more and more like a future superstar in the NBA.

James led the Heat with 36 points (14-20 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 5-7 FT) with eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the loss to the Pacers on Friday. He did have two crucial turnovers in the late stages of the fourth quarter.
Recommendation: James played very efficiently and battled on the boards. He did not receive much support in the loss and the rest of the Miami players hit just 37.8 percent of their field goals. It will be interesting to see if the league's MVP can raise his game in Indiana.

Smith has fluid buildup in his left knee that may have contributed to his poor shooting performance in the playoffs, the NY Post reports.
Recommendation: Smith is supposed to get the fluid drained from his knee in the near future and should be fine after that. It is suggested that draining the knee and resting it for a short period of time should relieve any stiffness or swelling. Smith is expected to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has said he wants to remain a Knick, but it'd be somewhat surprising if Smith isn't able to spin his Sixth Man of the Year Award into a decent long-term contract.

Jones intends to opt into his player option with the Heat for next season, Fox Sports reports.
Recommendation: Jones averaged just six minutes of action in the 38 games in which he appeared with the Heat this season and has mostly become a forgotten man on the team's deep roster. If Mike Miller is released, as has been discussed as a very real possibility, and Ray Allen decides to retire or opt out of his contract, Jones could find himself playing a larger role next season.

Landry is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Recommendation: Landry saw his role squeezed as the season went on, until he was playing just 20 minutes nightly in the playoffs. Though he's a decent offensive option, he lacks the defensive presence to justify playing starter minutes in the NBA. His option is for $4 million, but the lure in opting out of his final year is the ability to sign a multi-year at what may be a slightly reduced yearly salary. Landry's departure would open up more minutes for Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green next season.

Anthony underwent an MRI that revealed he's been suffering from a small left shoulder tear that may require surgery, the New York Daily News reports.
Recommendation: Anthony first aggravated the shoulder injury near the tail end of the Knicks' first-round series against the Celtics, which may explain his relatively wretched string of shooting performances during the Round 2 series loss to the Pacers. In any case, if such a procedure is required, it wouldn't seem likely to jeopardize Anthony's chances of being ready to play for the regular season.

White is unlikely to return with New York next season, ESPN New York reports.
Recommendation: White's agent, William McCandless, noted that White values his playing time, which was certainly lacking in New York. He started 16 games and averaged only 7.6 minutes and 2.2 points per game. White has a team option next season for about $1 million. The Knicks will have to reach a decision on what to do with him by June 30. If they do not choose to accept the team option, he will become an unrestricted free agent. If White is looking to make the most money, he may have to return to his previous career path and play for an international team. McCandless noted that there has been plenty of interest by international teams already and that White would not hesitate to go to these teams.

Prince saw 16 minutes of playing time in Tuesday's loss to the Spurs and finished with 2 points (1-5 FG), two rebounds, and one assist.
Recommendation: Prince hasn't been particularly effective this postseason, and he lost playing time to Quincy Pondexter and Jerryd Bayless as the Grizzlies fell into a 2-0 hole in the Western Conference Finals. Prince could be looking at a decreased role going forward, although Memphis will have three days off to figure things out, before returning to the court for Saturday's Game 3.

Leonard scored 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt) with nine rebounds in Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Recommendation: Leonard played a robust 40 minutes in the game two win. His impact is on the defensive side, but Leonard's averaging 14.1 points at an amazing 56.9 percent shooting from the field. Look for Leonard to continue his strong contributions with defenses keying in on Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

Barnes passed the league's concussion tests, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Recommendation: Barnes was held out of the entire fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Spurs due to the concussion. Having now passed concussion tests, this should not be an issue for Barnes going forward, especially with the Warriors out of the playoffs.

Shumpert intends to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, the New York Times reports.
Recommendation: Shumpert wants to continue working on his game, with the preparation for Las Vegas and the tournament itself providing a great offseason opportunity for contact with the coaching staff. The games will act as the second-year pro's first sniff of summer league, as he was unable to participate heading into his first two seasons due to 2011's lockout and knee surgery in May of 2012.