2019 October | Hoops Rumors

John Henson To Miss 2-4 Weeks

October 27th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by clarkcrum

Cavaliers center John Henson will be sidelined for approximately two-to-four weeks after suffering a strained right hamstring during Cleveland’s home-opening win over Indiana last night, per an official release from the team.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for the 28-year-old big man, who dealt with injuries to both his groin and ankle during the preseason and underwent wrist surgery last season. The Cavs were even recently reported to have become somewhat frustrated with Henson’s injury woes, so the timing of this latest setback is not ideal.

Henson, who hadn’t played in a regular-season game in nearly a year, logged just eight minutes on Saturday night.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes, Henson has a $500K bonus in his contract that he only earns if he appears in 75 or more games this season. It’s now all but certain that Henson will fail to meet that 75-game mark as a result of this latest injury.

Henson will not travel with the team to Milwaukee and will instead begin a period of treatment and rehabilitation. His return to play will be updated at a later date.

Clippers Notes: Arena, Patterson, Williams, Depth

October 27th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite a loss last night to the Suns, the 2019/20 season is off to a good start for the Clippers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear the same can be said about the team’s effort to build a new arena, writes Jason Henry of the Orange County Register.

Per Henry, the Clippers efforts to fast track a new home in Inglewood have stalled because the California Air Resources Board does not believe the project meets the necessary environmental standards, according to a letter written by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom considers the new arena an important economic benefit for the L.A. community, urging the Clippers and CARB to continue working toward a resolution, but the Governor will not intervene in the decision-making process by CARB, an independent body tasked with determining whether the Clippers can adequately prevent a net increase in greenhouse gases and other emissions.

“I support holding project sponsors to California’s high standards for environmental benefit and mitigation, and I hope you collectively can find a path forward,” Newsom wrote in his letter.

The Clippers want to start construction in 2021 and have the arena game-ready three years later, when their lease at Staples Center expires. It appears to remain unknown at this time how much of a barrier this issue will become to that timeline.

There’s more news from the Clippers this afternoon:

Andrew Grief of the Los Angeles Times writes how the role of Patrick Patterson will be a bit different this season than it ever has been before for the 30-year-old power forward. Through three games, he is averaging six three-point attempts per game, nearly three times his career average, as he embraces his new role as a spot-up shooter.
The Clippers are looking for Lou Williams to help form a “Big 3” with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George once George returns from injury, per Mark Medina of USA Today. Williams, who is ready for the challenge, said he really wants to win a championship before he hangs it up. “I don’t know how many cracks I’m going to have at winning a championship. I feel like we really have a good group. I don’t want that opportunity to go to waste because our mentality is not sharp. I’m just doing my part to make sure everybody is on the same page and the competitive level is there. We don’t take days off and we compete.”
Matt John of Basketball Insiders explores how the Clippers are more than just Leonard and George, pointing out that players like Williams, Montrezl Harrell, and JaMychal Green had already played extended minutes together before this season.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, I. Thomas, Herro, Magic

October 27th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks owner Tony Ressler has no regrets about trading Luka Doncic for Trae Young and would make the same decision again, relays Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Atlanta shook up the 2018 draft by agreeing to a deal that enabled Dallas to move up to No. 3 and select the eventual Rookie of the Year. The Hawks received Young, who also looks like a star after a slow start, along with a 2019 pick that was used to add Cam Reddish.

“I have to be honest, but I didn’t think Luka would be this good,” said Ressler, who admitted to being nervous about the gamble. “I didn’t think Trae was going to be this good. They are both better than I expected. I think they’re both really special players and have a shot to be for a really long time if they stay focused. I think this trade is going to have a nice, long history of discussion. I wouldn’t completely, again, declare success or whether we won it or lost it today because I do think both teams have someone they can really help build around for years and years to come.”

The Hawks are in the third step of the plan that Ressler developed to build a title contender after purchasing the team in 2015. Step one was a $200MM renovation to State Farm Arena. Next came a new management team with Travis Schlenk as general manager and Lloyd Pierce, who had experienced rebuilding with the Sixers, as head coach.

“The third step, we don’t know when and we want to do it intelligently, but is spending the money that it will take to add greatness to what we hope is existing greatness,” Ressler explained. “That is how you become a contender.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Isaiah Thomas had a promising debut with the Wizards Saturday night, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. After missing his first four shots, Thomas finished with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds in 20 minutes. The performance offered hope that he can become productive again after two injury-plagued seasons.
Years of early-morning workouts with his father helped prepare rookie Tyler Herro for the Heat culture, notes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. When Herro was taken with the 13th pick in this year’s draft, he was ready for Miami’s emphasis on fitness and hard work. “We say it all the time: We’re not for everyone. You have to be the right kind of player,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So, for a young player you’re checking to see if there’s any kind of entitlement. And there’s zero with that kid. He has a whole lot to his game, because you can tell he’s put in a lot of hours and sweat equity behind the scenes when no one was watching. He’s extremely driven, very ambitious. We love that.”
Even though the Magic are coming off a playoff season, outside shooting remains an area of concern, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Hornets Notes: Graham, Monk, Hernangomez, Washington

October 27th, 2019 at 11:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Devonte’ Graham is outplaying free agent addition Terry Rozier through the first two games, but the Hornets‘ best option might be to use them together, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Graham, a second-year guard, is Charlotte’s leading scorer at 23.5 PPG while sinking 12-of-16 shots from beyond the arc. He’s also handing out three assists for every turnover.

The Hornets gave Rozier $58MM over three seasons this summer, so they don’t plan to take him out of the starting lineup. While Graham will likely remain a reserve, coach James Borrego expects to utilize them together in a smaller backcourt, especially while Nicolas Batum is sidelined with a broken finger. He took a similar approach last season, frequently closing games with Kemba Walker and Tony Parker on the floor.

“We can play them together,” Borrego said. “We can play Terry off the ball some with Te’ out there. We’ll look at that lineup.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Even though Malik Monk has been disappointing, the Hornets had to pick up his fourth-year option to preserve his trade value, Bonnell writes in a mailbag column. A lottery pick in 2017, Monk hasn’t developed the way the Hornets had hoped. He’s shooting 37.6% from the field for his career and is averaging just 3.5 PPG so far this season. Still, a $5.3MM commitment for next season shouldn’t be significant, as general manager Mitch Kupchak has said the team won’t be aggressive in the 2020 free agent market.
Large salaries will make Bismack Biyombo and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist difficult to trade this season, but there might be demand for Willy Hernangomez, Bonnell notes in the same piece. The fourth-year center has a minimal expiring salary of $1.68MM, and Bonnell believes the Hornets would part with him for a second-round pick. He adds that there may be more value in letting Biyombo’s $17MM contract and Kidd-Gilchrist’s $13MM deal expire to open cap room for the future.
PJ Washington is looking like the draft gem the Hornets needed to give them hope for the future, notes Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation.

Rockets Notes: House, D’Antoni, Blossomgame, Shabazz

October 27th, 2019 at 10:23am CST by Arthur Hill

Danuel House credits Rockets assistant coach John Lucas for helping him to stay focused when it appeared his NBA dream may not work out, writes Sean Deveney for Forbes. House reached out to Lucas after being waived by the Wizards in March of 2017. A broken wrist had sidelined him for more than two months and he had gotten into just one game – less than a minute of playing time – with his first NBA team.

“Shut your mouth,” said Lucas, who first met House at age 13 at a Houston basketball camp. “Shut your mouth and get ready for your next opportunity.”

That came the following year with the Suns, but House found a more permanent home last season with the Rockets. He spent most of the year as a two-way player, but started 13 NBA games and eventually earned a three-year contract.

“I also told him he would be an NBA player,” Lucas recalled. “You could see he was good enough for that. I just never imagined we’d be together with the same team.”

There’s more from Houston:

Mike D’Antoni was among the first coaches to successfully challenge a call, but he doesn’t believe teams should keep their right to challenge if they’re correct, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Under the newly adopted rule, coaches get to use the challenge once per game, whether they’re right or wrong. “Then you could have 20 or 30 challenges a game,” D’Antoni said. “I could see why they don’t do it.”
The Rockets’ G League affiliate has traded for Jaron Blossomgame, who was with Houston during the preseason. Blossomgame’s returning player rights were held by the Canton Charge, who agreed to give him up in exchange for Gary Payton II. Blossomgame impressed Rockets coaches during camp, and he was considered as a candidate for one of the team’s two-way slots.
The Rockets weren’t able to hold onto Ronshad Shabazz after signing and waiving him last weekend. Shabazz was selected by College Park, the Hawks‘ affiliate, with the 13th pick in Saturday’s G League draft.

Knicks Notes: Smith, Ntilikina, Morris, Barrett

October 27th, 2019 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Dennis Smith Jr. has become the scapegoat for Knicks‘ fans in an 0-3 start, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Smith turned in his third straight ugly performance last night in the team’s home opener, missing all three of his shots in 11 minutes and falling to 1-of-11 for the season. He was 3-of-17 in two preseason games after returning from a back issue. Fans booed loudly when he was in the game and started a “We want Frank” chant in the second half, referring to little-used guard Frank Ntilikina.

Smith is being singled out because he was the key piece the team received in the January trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas. Porzingis has recovered from a torn ACL and is averaging 23.5 PPG in his first two games with the Mavericks. The trade also gave the Knicks enough cap room to sign two max-level free agents, but they missed on their top targets, further angering their fans.

“Our fans are passionate. I get it,’’ Fizdale said of the reaction to Smith. “The kid is obviously struggling. We’ll look at the situation and continue to adjust. (The fans) know what they like and what they want. It doesn’t do anything to my mindset. I’m going to coach this team.’’

There’s more this morning from New York:

Fizdale told reporters that Ntilikina will eventually get a chance to earn playing time and hinted that a shooting slump is keeping him out of the lineup, Berman adds in the same piece. The 2017 lottery pick has been on the court for three total minutes this season. “It’s three games in,’’ Fizdale said. “It’s not like 20 games into the season. But other guys will get opportunities. That’s how it will work. You either perform and get it done or you’re not. (Ntilikina is) overthinking it and pressing it. He’s mentally tough and he’s struggling right now, but he’ll find his way out of it.’’
Marcus Morris had an unusual free agent experience this summer, verbally committing to the Spurs before switching to the Knicks when they made a better offer. However, that could have been avoided if the Celtics had tried to keep him, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “I guess that’s the business,” Morris said. “I thought I at least deserved a phone call, but it is what it is.”
At age 19, RJ Barrett looks ready for any challenge, including a game-deciding battle with Kyrie Irving, observes Steve Popper of Newsday.

Kings Notes: Walton, Giles, Bogdanovic

October 26th, 2019 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Walton’s tenure as head coach of the Kings is off to a difficult start, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Preseason was conducted around 20-hour flights to and from India, and the regular season started with a 29-point loss that saw Marvin Bagley break his right thumb. Some fans are angry that Bagley was on the court in the final minutes of a blowout, but Walton defends the decision, saying it’s part of building a winning organization.

“Marvin is a huge part of our future, so we’ve got to get the time and the reps with him,” Walton said. “But to speak on who Marvin is, he fractures his thumb two days ago and he was at shootaround (Friday), in the weight room, running sprints with our strength coach. He’s going to do everything he can possibly do to stay in shape and even get better. I’ve already informed him that I want him sitting next to our coaches during games so he can talk to them about what he sees and (we can) continue to coach him.”

There’s more Kings news to pass along:

Knee issues have been a long-time concern for Harry Giles, but he insists the latest one is nothing to be concerned about, relays Jason Jones of the Athletic. Giles practiced just once during training camp and wasn’t cleared for contact until this week. Still, he has declared himself healthy on social media and in a session with reporters last night. “Nothing happened,” he said. “Just ramped it up from workouts and my knee flared up a little bit. When you have a knee or something like that, there’s players that go through that all the time. It happens year-round, you’ve just got to approach it and treat it the right way.” The team hasn’t set a timetable for his return.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is denying a report that he’s unhappy as a reserve, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. He stressed that he’s willing to play any role to help the Kings win.
Bogdanovic’s decision to turn down an extension offer makes him more likely to be traded, writes Tommy Beer of Forbes. Bogdanovic is headed for restricted free agency, and the Kings already have nearly $200MM tied up in Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield, with extensions looming for De’Aaron Fox and Bagley the next two summers. Beer suggests the Knicks might be interested, as Bogdanovic would fill their need for an outside shooter.

Kemba Walker Considered Knicks In Free Agency

October 26th, 2019 at 8:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Before tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden, Kemba Walker told reporters he gave serious thought to signing with the Knicks over the summer, relays Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York had the cap space to add two max-level free agents, and Walker would have been a nice alternative after Kyrie Irving opted for the Nets.

“It was (a consideration). It was,” Walker said. “They were definitely one of the teams I was looking at in free agency. But I picked Boston. I just felt it was a better fit for me.”

It would have been a homecoming for Walker, who grew up in the Bronx and had plenty of friends and family on hand tonight for his first trip to the city as a Celtic.

Walker denied a rumor that he chose a different market because he didn’t want to deal with the distractions of playing in his hometown.

“I think it can be a distraction just because you obviously grew up there, you know so many people,” Walker said. “But that wasn’t the case for me. It wasn’t even about that. It was just more about the fit and style of play and things of that nature and I just thought that Boston was the best fit and opportunity for me.”

Kevon Looney Dealing With Neuropathic Condition

October 26th, 2019 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors have announced that center Kevon Looney won’t play during their upcoming road trip, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Looney will see a specialist to diagnose a neuropathic condition, which involves pain that results from an injury to the nervous system.

Coach Steve Kerr said it’s a problem Looney has been experiencing for a couple of years, and it was responsible for hamstring issues that sidelined him for much of the preseason and forced him out of Thursday’s season opener (Twitter link). Looney started the game, but was only able to play 10 minutes before exiting.

Looney is coming off his best NBA season, appearing in 80 games a year ago and averaging 6.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per night. He was being counted on to team with Willie Cauley-Stein to fill the gap at center after free agency losses, but both players have been slowed by injuries.

Cauley-Stein, who missed the entire preseason with a strained left foot, is getting closer to returning, Slater adds (Twitter link). He also won’t play on the road trip, but was able to work out today at the team’s G League facility in Santa Cruz.

Cavaliers Notes: Osman, Love, McKinnie

October 26th, 2019 at 6:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

The four-year, $31MM extension that Cedi Osman signed today was always his preference instead of trying his luck in free agency, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It’s a team-friendly contract, Fedor notes, starting at $8.75MM and decreasing each year, with a non-guaranteed final season at $6.65MM. Although Osman might have found a better offer on the open market, he likes the security of having a long-term deal in Cleveland.

“I really feel like I’m home,” he said after today’s shootaround. “I just really wanted to stay where I belong. I love being here, I love the organization. I’m just happy here, with the coaches, with the organization, with my teammates, we have a great brotherhood in here. It’s a great opportunity for myself to grow and to learn during those extra four years I’m going to have here. I’m just really happy that I’m going to be here for the long term.”

Osman’s role with the team has expanded since he made the decision to leave Turkey in 2017. His first Cavs team still had LeBron James and was headed to its fourth straight NBA Finals. Osman got into 61 games as a rookie, but only averaged 11 minutes per night and barely saw the court in the postseason. He moved into the starting lineup last year and became a double-figures scorer.

“He’s just the type of young man that works hard every single day in practice, very low maintenance and he’s young and growing as a player,” said coach John Beilein. “That’s been the biggest thing. Takes a business-like approach to his career.”

There’s more out of Cleveland:

Getting more shots for Kevin Love will be a priority, Fedor relays in a separate story. The former All-Star shot the ball just nine times in a season-opening loss, and Beilein said it would be “crazy” if he doesn’t have a larger role in the offense. Beilein, who was coaching his first NBA game, apologized to Love afterward for playing him 20 minutes in the first half and has given his assistants the power to make substitutions for tired players.
In another piece, Fedor predicts that Love will remain with the Cavaliers throughout the season, even though he’s the team’s most valuable trade asset. Fedor notes that the team’s record was far better with Love in the lineup last season, and the front office has stated that it has no regrets about giving him a four-year, $120MM extension last summer.
Beilein and general manager Koby Altman see Alfonzo McKinnie as an asset to the team culture, which is among the reasons Cleveland claimed him off waivers this week, notes Sam Amico of SI.com.

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