Dallas Mavericks Rumors

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard Out For Game 6 On Friday

May 2nd, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out for L.A.’s must-win Game 6 contest against the Mavericks on Friday, the team has announced.

The 6’7″ swingman is dealing with right knee inflammation that has limited him to just two games this series. Injuries have now waylaid him for four straight postseasons, if one counts the 2022 play-in tournament during which he was still rehabilitating from a right knee ACL tear he suffered during the 2021 playoffs.

During his two healthy contests against the Mavericks, Leonard lacked a lot of his normal two-way mobility. He averaged just 12.0 PPG on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 66.7% shooting from the charity stripe, along with 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG and 2.0 SPG.

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year enjoyed his healthiest regular season in years in 2023/24, but Leonard’s good injury fortune appears to have run out during these playoffs. L.A. inked him to a three-year, $149.7MM contract extension midway through the season, but has yet to come to terms with its other injury-prone All-Star forward, Paul George.

L.A. indicated that starting shooting guard Terance Mann is considered questionable to play with a right lower leg contusion.

According to the NBA’s most recent injury report, 3-and-D Dallas wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will be unavailable with a right ankle sprain.

The Mavericks lead the Clippers 3-2 in their No. 4 vs. 5 Western Conference series matchup. The action is returning to Dallas on Friday night.

Clippers Notes: Harden, Game 5 Loss, Leonard, Coffey

May 2nd, 2024 at 3:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers guard James Harden drew praise for his strong play in the first four games of the team’s first-round series with Dallas.

However, in Wednesday’s 30-point home loss, the 34-year-old turned in the latest in a lengthy history of dreadful playoff performances, going 2-of-12 from the field and scoring just seven points in 33 minutes, per Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. Harden did not speak to the media after the game, notes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

As Hernandez writes, Harden wasn’t the only Clipper who played poorly, with Paul George (15 points on 4-of-13 shooting) and Russell Westbrook (six points on 2-of-11 shooting) struggling as well. But L.A. obviously needs more from Harden, who will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, if it hopes to advance.

According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Harden now has 13 playoff games shooting 20% or worse on 10-plus shot attempts, which is the most in NBA history since the league implemented the three-pointer in 1979/80. Westbrook is third on the list with nine.

The Clippers now trail the series 3-2 and are facing a potential elimination game in Dallas on Friday.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Prior to Wednesday’s Game 5, head coach Tyronn Lue said the Clippers were still uncertain about when Kawhi Leonard might be able to return to action, tweets Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “We’re not sure when he’s coming back,” Lue said. “It’s a day-to-day thing. When he’s feeling good and medical says he’s cleared to go, then that’s when we’ll go. Right now, we’re just focused on tonight.” Leonard, who has been battling right knee inflammation and clearly wasn’t 100% in his two postseason appearances, appears unlikely to be ready for Game 6, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter video link via FanDuelTV’s Run It Back show).
Despite the disappointing effort in Game 5, Lue noted the Clips have a recent history of winning on the Mavs’ home floor in the playoffs, including Game 4, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “We’ve shown that past two playoff series,” Lue said of being able to win in Dallas. “We were down 3-2 [in 2021]. We didn’t play our best game and we understand that. I think we all understand that collectively. So we’ll be better for Game 6.”
While the Clippers are certainly capable of winning two straight games to advance to the second round, the Mavericks have played with much more urgency to this point in the series and look hungry to advance, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group. That doesn’t bode well for L.A.’s chances in Game 6 in Dallas, says Swanson.
He hasn’t posted impressive numbers in the series, but Lue said wing Amir Coffey has gained confidence starting in place of Leonard, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. “He’s always been able to attack in transition. He can make a shot,” Lue said. “… He can defend. He can defend multiple positions. So, just his confidence, I think his growth, understanding the NBA game, understanding what we need from him on a nightly basis, and he’s grown, and he’s gotten better and better. So, it’s just good to see that he could finally be in the rotation and get consistent minutes too.”

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Exum, Zion, Wembanyama

May 1st, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

At this morning’s shootaround, Mavericks star Luka Doncic was still feeling the effects of a right knee sprain he suffered in Game 3, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas had two days off after Sunday’s Game 4 loss, but the extra time may not be enough to make a difference for Doncic. Townsend observed that he did limited running at the shootaround, and the knee seemed to stiffen up whenever he tried to do anything more than jog.

“Nothing, honestly,” Doncic said when asked what he did during the session. “Just treatment, a lot of treatments. Fitness. But basketball, I just shot. Nothing explosive.”

Doncic was noticeably slowed by the knee in Sunday’s game, even though he scored 29 points and posted a triple-double. He shot just 10-of-24 from the field and 1-of-9 from three-point range as Kyrie Irving led a comeback after the Mavs fell behind by 31 points.

On top of the knee issue, Doncic is dealing with an upper-respiratory illness. He admitted that he probably wouldn’t try to play tonight if it were a regular season game, but that’s not an option in the playoffs.

“I’ve been in this situation a lot, been playing through injuries a lot, so nothing,” Doncic said. “Just go out there, have fun and do everything you can do for your team to win.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

After resurrecting his NBA career with the Mavericks this season, Dante Exum has struggled in the first four games of the playoffs, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. A 49% shooter from beyond the arc during the regular season, Exum has missed all five of his three-point attempts during the series and is shooting just 1-of-11 overall. His playing time has been cut to 8.5 minutes per game as coach Jason Kidd has tightened his rotation, but Exum is determined to help any way he can. “No matter if it’s one minute, two minutes, it’s trying to provide that energy,” he said. “If I can make an impact in the time I get, that’s the goal. Hopefully it can just grow off that and I continue to get more minutes.”
Zion Williamson has made the Pelicans more confident that he can be the cornerstone of their future, multiple team sources tell William Guillory of The Athletic. Injury and conditioning concerns hung over Williamson during his first four NBA seasons, but he was much more durable this year, appearing in 70 games and logging 31.5 minutes per night. In addition to his on-court production, Williamson also became a more vocal leader.
Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express-News examines how the Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama was able to incorporate a step-back jumper into his arsenal during his rookie year.

Wolves’ Mike Conley Named 2023/24 Teammate Of The Year

May 1st, 2024 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley has been named the NBA’s Teammate of the Year for the 2023/24 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award “recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and a role model to other players, and commitment and dedication to team,” per the NBA.

The award isn’t voted on by media members. A panel of league executives select the 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, while current players vote on the winner. Players receive 10 points for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one point for fifth place.

Here are this season’s full voting results, according to the NBA, with the player’s point total noted in parentheses:

Mike Conley, Timberwolves (1,172)
Mikal Bridges, Nets (1,041)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks (783)
T.J. McConnell, Pacers (759)
Georges Niang, Cavaliers (748)
Al Horford, Celtics (634)
Larry Nance Jr., Pelicans (627)
Jalen Williams, Thunder (565)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nuggets (560)
Dwight Powell, Mavericks (549)
Harrison Barnes, Kings (435)
Markelle Fultz, Magic (421)

It’s the second Teammate of the Year award for Conley, won also won it in 2018/19 when he was a member of the Grizzlies.

The award, which was introduced in ’12/13, had gone to Jrue Holiday in each of the past two seasons (and three of the past four), with Damian Lillard taking it home in 2021.

Doncic Fighting Through Knee Ailment

April 30th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been fighting through a knee injury since the first quarter of Game 3 of their series against the Clippers, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Game 5 will be played on Wednesday. “It’s hurting, obviously, but it shouldn’t be an excuse, man,” Doncic said after the Game 4 loss. “We just came out a little sloppy. We’ve got to do way better than that.”

Tim Connelly Among Potential Targets For Pistons’ President Opening

April 30th, 2024 at 6:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons would be interested in Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly if Connelly exercises the opt-out clause in his contract with Minnesota at the end of the season, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

The dispute between current Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor and minority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore could cause Connelly to weigh his future in Minnesota. Connelly signed a five-year, $40MM contract with the organization in 2022. The Pistons announced after their season ended that they would hire a president of basketball operations.

Here’s more info on the Pistons’ search for a new president, via Stein:

Detroit’s search is expected to ramp up during the second and third rounds of the playoffs, when more potential candidates will be available for interviews. Stein confirms that Bucks general manager – and former Pistons employee – Jon Horst will be a candidate if he is willing to move on from Milwaukee.
Mavericks consultant and former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey is another name to watch for the basketball ops position, per Stein.
J.J. Redick, a candidate for the Hornets’ coaching vacancy, could get an interview if he’s interested in a front office job, Stein says. Pistons chairman Arn Tellem represented Redick in his days as a player agent.
The new president of basketball operations will have the ability to decide whether current GM Troy Weaver will remain in his position, be reassigned to a different front office role, or get cut loose, according to Stein. The new exec will also determine whether head coach Monty Williams, who just completed the first year of a six-year contract worth nearly $80MM, will remain in his position.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard To Remain Out For Game 5

April 30th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers won’t have Kawhi Leonard available when they take the court for Game 5 of their series vs. the Mavericks on Wednesday, head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed today (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).

Leonard continues to be affected by right knee inflammation. He sat out Game 1, then returned for Games 2 and 3, but clearly wasn’t playing at 100%. He was ruled out for Game 4, with comments from team president Lawrence Frank at that time casting some doubt on the forward’s availability for the remainder of the first round.

While the Clippers would obviously prefer to have a fully healthy Leonard available as they look to get past the Mavericks and into round two, they actually looked better without him in Games 1 and 4 without him than they did in Games 2 and 3, when they struggled to find a rhythm while reincorporating the two-time Finals MVP.

Los Angeles won both games that Leonard missed and lost both of the contests he played, resulting in a 2-2 tie heading into Game 5. The Clippers have posted a -9.7 net rating in Kawhi’s 59 minutes of action during the series, compared to a +7.5 mark in the 133 minutes he hasn’t played.

As for the Clippers’ opponents, Mavericks star Luka Doncic will show up on the injury report due to a sprained knee, but he was able to do “everything” in practice on Tuesday and will be listed as probable, per head coach Jason Kidd (Twitter link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN).

The prognosis isn’t as positive for Doncic’s teammate Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed the past two games with an ankle sprain. He had a setback during a Tuesday scrimmage and will be considered questionable to play on Wednesday, according to Kidd (Twitter link via MacMahon).

Celtics’ Brad Stevens Named NBA’s Executive Of The Year

April 30th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for the 2023/24 season, the league announced today (via Twitter).

In his third season as the Celtics’ head of basketball operations after eight years as the team’s head coach, Stevens put together a dominant Boston roster that posted a 64-18 record, easily the best mark in the NBA, along with a +11.7 net rating, the third-best mark in league history.

The Celtics were coming off a 57-win season in 2022/23, but Stevens shook up the roster drastically last summer, trading away longtime defensive stalwart Marcus Smart in a deal for Kristaps Porzingis, then moving key role players Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams in a a blockbuster for Jrue Holiday as training camps got underway.

Stevens also signed several Celtics players to contract extensions in the past 12 months, including Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Holiday.

Unlike the NBA’s other major awards, the Executive of the Year is voted on by 29 team executives from around the league rather than 99 media members. Stevens received 16 of 29 potential first-place votes, along with six second-place votes and three third-place votes, for a total of 101 points (Twitter link).

The runner-up, Sam Presti of the Thunder, had 47 points, including four first-place votes. Tim Connelly of the Timberwolves also earned the top spot on four ballots en route to a third-place finish (29 points).

Knicks president Leon Rose (27 points; one first-place vote) was the only other executive to earn more than 11 points, though Nico Harrison (Mavericks) and Monte McNair (Kings) also received first-place votes, while Rockets general manager Rafael Stone earned a pair of them. A total of 13 executives showed up on at least one ballot.

Mavericks Notes: Washington, Gafford, Harrison, Clippers

April 28th, 2024 at 4:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

During the Mavericks’ hard-fought 101-90 Game 3 victory over the Clippers on Friday, power forward P.J. Washington emerged as something of a cult hero for Dallas, providing tough defense and having the backs of his star players, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Washington’s tough, physical play eventually resulted in an ejection following a fracas with Clippers reserve guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook had pulled on All-Star Mavericks guard Luka Doncic‘s arm during a play, and the two subsequently got into it before Washington, who grew up in Dallas, stepped in.

“Always got to protect 77 at all costs,” Washington told MacMahon, referring to Doncic’s jersey number. “So I mean obviously it was a hard foul and then he pushed him afterwards, so I was right there and I just had to step into it.”

Washington and Westbrook were both kicked out of the contest following the dispute. Washington finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and three steals.

“The things he does, he’s a team player,” Doncic said. “He helps all of us. I’m just really happy we’ve got him on our team.”

There’s more out of Dallas:

The Mavericks became a sneaky playoff contender thanks to two relatively unheralded trade additions at the deadline, MacMahon writes in a separate piece. Rim-rolling big men Daniel Gafford and Washington have already made a big impact for Dallas on both ends of the hardwood, helping the club establish a frontline presence it had previously lacked. Team president Nico Harrison reflected on how the high-flying duo has made Dallas, up 2-1 against the loaded Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, a major threat in the West — not just this season, but beyond it, too. “It wasn’t really about winning right now,” Harrison told MacMahon. “It was just about continuing to build it. It’s like every step is, how do we continue to get better? And we’re not built for just right now; we’re built for the next three playoff runs.”
During their Game 3 victory, the Mavericks showcased the new, lob-heavy style of play that has made them so difficult to defeat thus far in the playoffs, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. Dallas’ physicality, athleticism and strength has reinvigorated the team, a year after it missed the play-in tournament entirely. Dallas is allowing the Clippers to shoot just 51.6% at the rim in this series, thanks to the sturdy paint protection of newly-acquired Gafford and rookie Dereck Lively II.
Gafford explained how he shook off a disappointing first two games against the Clippers for an assertive early run in Game 3, per Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. He notched eight points, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a defense-first performance, while playing through an ailing back. “Game 1, I got hit in the mouth. Game 2, my back almost gave out on me,” Gafford said. “From the time I’ve been in the league, I’ve learned not to pay attention to any of the outside noise… I pay attention to the inner circle, and that’s my team at the end of the day. We all we got. It’s us against the world. We’re one of the best teams in the league and we’re trying to fight for something.” Gafford is in the first season of a three-year, $40.2MM deal he inked while with the Wizards, and if he keeps up this play, he’ll be a steal.

Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard To Miss Game 4, Series Status Unclear

April 28th, 2024 at 1:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 matchup against the Mavericks due to right knee inflammation, reports Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

More troublingly, team president Lawrence Frank has indicated that L.A. is unsure if Leonard will even be able to return in this first round series against Dallas at all. The Clippers are currently trailing the Mavericks 2-1, and missing their best player for possibly the duration of the remaining games certainly does not bode well for their overall chances.

“The obvious question is, ‘When’s he coming back?'” Frank said. “I can’t tell you a timeline. I wish I had a crystal ball. Basically, until he can show that he can make all the movements that he needs to make, that’s when he’ll come back. That will be the time frame.”

According to Frank, imaging on Leonard’s knee was at least promising, Mirjam Swanson of Southern California News Group tweets

“We’ve done another image, structurally everything is intact,” Frank said.

The two-time Finals MVP has only been available in two contests of the series thus far, and has hardly looked like his All-NBA self when he has played. Leonard is averaging 12.0 PPG on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 66.7% shooting from the charity stripe, in addition to 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

Amir Coffey will join the starting five in Leonard’s stead.

On the other side, meanwhile, Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic is struggling with a knee injury. Head coach Jason Kidd indicated that the team will make a determination on how he feels after warming up.