Knicks point guard Derrick Rose was sidelined for Tuesday’s game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but it sounds like he shouldn’t miss additional time. According to Steve Popper of Newsday, Rose registered an inconclusive COVID-19 test and was held out for precautionary reasons.
Rose has since returned multiple negative results and was cleared to accompany the team on its flight back home. As long as he continues to test negative today and tomorrow, the former MVP will be able to play in the Knicks’ final first-half game against Detroit on Thursday, says Popper.
Despite Rose’s absence on Tuesday, the Knicks have been relatively fortunate so far this season not to be significantly affected by the coronavirus. No Knicks players have tested positive for the virus since the regular season began, and the club’s only postponement came when its opponent – San Antonio – was dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons are among the latest teams to announce plans to bring a limited number of fans back into their arena. According to a press release, Detroit will permit up to 750 fans at Little Caesars Arena starting on March 17. That number may increase later in the season.
- After missing two games due to a right hand contusion, Hornets forward Gordon Hayward has been upgraded to probable for Wednesday’s game, per the team (via Twitter). Charlotte could give Hayward another full week of rest by holding him out tonight, but it sounds like he’s ready to return.
- The Bucks have recalled rookie two-way forward Mamadi Diakite from the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Milwaukee’s own NBAGL affiliate isn’t active this season, but Diakite had been playing very well for the Lakeland Magic, averaging a double-double (18.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG) with 2.1 BPG and a .580/.500/.750 shooting line in just 27.7 minutes per contest (12 games).
- Although he didn’t get into the Magic‘s last game on Monday, center Mohamed Bamba has been told to expect a steadier stream of minutes going forward and is eager to take advantage of the opportunity, as Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel details. Bamba has played just 149 total minutes in 16 games so far in 2020/21.
I just don’t understand teams drafting another center when they already have one to work with. I get talent over need, but not for this position imo.
Bamba, when you have Vucevic
Okongwu, when you have Capela
Okafor, when you have Noel and Embiid
Cauley-Stein, when you have Cousins
Hell even Darko Milicic, when you have Ben Wallace
I’m sure there are more examples that confirm and deny my theory, but point is I hope Bamba gets at least a little more playing time to figure it out. (I also don’t watch Magic games so maybe there is a reason he isn’t getting any time).
The idea is that, you go best overall talent vs need in the Top-5 to 8. Then you start seeing reaches and picking based on need.
Sixers went Okafor bc Noel had limited game, Embiid was a big ? mark, and Porzingis refused to go to Philly. Mudiay was the only other possible guy they’d have taken and he isnt anything special. On the street I think rn. Sixers settled for Okafor with the intention of showcase and trade imo vs going outside the box with another prospect.
They drafted Mo Bamba bc they were going for a lineup of long stretch players. Bamba as a Stretch 5, Isaac as a Stretch 4. Vucevic was reupped the year after I believe too after seeing Bamba for a year. It was a high risk high reward selection.
Yup, also for Philly – in 2015 – it was probably reasonable to think Okafor and Noel could play together, almost like a Drummond/Monroe pairing. It wouldn’t have necessarily been a duplicative pick, at least as far as Noel was concerned.
And yeah Embiid I don’t think had even played a game at that point, so I don’t think they were going to pass up a guy because of him at that point.
Finally it was a Hinkie pick – who out of any GM maybe ever was the king of trying to acquire talent/assets and figuring it out later.
Most teams, in most instances, would agree with you, at least in the NBA. Although they might see it as more skill set thing than a position thing. Rhetoric aside, teams picking high in the draft rarely draft a guy if they don’t think they can provide him a path to significant playing time. It shouldn’t come down to taking a truly lesser player either.
You’ve mentioned exceptions, though some almost prove the rule. Vucevic was a rising UFA I believe and the new Orlando regime was thinking they wouldn’t resign him. Okongwu may at some point have position flexibility to the 4. Philly, in that era, did what they did (although the first two guys redshirted for injury and I don’t believe Embid played a game when Okafor was drafted).
But then you can go the opposite way with this argument too – Minnesota went with Edwards over Wisemen and LaMelo (allegedly) because they had D’Angelo and KAT.
Looks like Melo may already be better than D’Angelo. Wiseman has some work to do, but I would bet on him becoming an All Star before Edwards.
Generally, I would say, especially in the lottery, you go with the guy you think is going to be the best player and figure it out later.
Especially considering, if you’re a lottery team, you probably stink. Might as well stack as much talent as possible.
I am with you that teams should pick talent over fit when talent is to high to pass up. The hornets picked up a third PG in LaMelo and it’s working great for them. I guess what I’m saying is I can’t think of any examples of picking a center and it working with another center already on the roster (without one of them being traded/waived/let go in FA).
True true – yeah especially in today’s game the prospects of adding depth to the frontcourt (esp in the lotto) are pretty grim.
I mean you could even critique the Wiseman pick on those grounds (although GSW isn’t a normal lotto team) – the ceiling for a 7 footer just seems lower in today’s game than a wing.
Yeah Jokic and Embiid may be the two best players in the League this year, but generally speaking if you look at the top 10-15 guys on any given year they’re probably 6-6 to 6-10
Except of you’re the Wolves and you pick them back to back like Rubio and Flynn.
I don’t think the new Orlando FO was sold on Vucevic. DXC indicated this but there were doubts he was a winner and an assumption he would move on to disprove that. But he got a high offer from them, and (I think) he may have been confident of beating out Bamba.
ORL may have even benefitted from Bamba pushing Vucevic, though the team has seemed to lack sync overall.
Centers do not have flexibility in two directions like other positions so that may be behind the lovesexland theory. There’s less of the fix of changing positions.
Those jerseys are horrendous
Nttilikina needs playing time so rest Rose. Only one gm before all star gm. Bamba has hardly played since being drafted. Magic were looking to trade Vucevic then. Well how did that work out. Celtics should look into this. They have young players they don’t play too. They could use Bamba.