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Injury Notes: Ingram, Zion, Jones, Garland, Anthony, MPJ

October 27th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) will be sidelined for at least three more games, as he won’t travel with the team during its upcoming road trip, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Head coach Willie Green told reporters, including Guillory, that Zion Williamson (right posterior hip / low back contusion) and Herb Jones (right knee hyperextension) were partial participants in Thursday’s practice and will be listed as questionable for Friday’s game at Phoenix.

The Pelicans have gotten off to an impressive 3-1 start, including Tuesday’s 113-111 victory over Dallas sans all three of the aforementioned starters.

Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was hoping to make his return for Friday’s game at Boston but he has been ruled out for the contest, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Garland is still dealing with the effects of his lacerated left eyelid, which he suffered in the season opener vs. the Raptors.
Imaging revealed that Cole Anthony sustained a right internal oblique injury during the Magic‘s loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Orlando announced (via Twitter). The Magic were vague in giving a timeline for the injury, saying that the third-year guard’s “return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.”
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. missed Wednesday’s game against the Lakers with “lumbar management,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Head coach Michael Malone told reporters, including Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), that Porter suffered a back spasm during Monday’s game at Portland and could have played against the Lakers if necessary, but Malone expects him to play against the Jazz on Friday. The Nuggets have officially listed Porter (lumbar spine management), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left ankle sprain) and Davon Reed (personal reasons) as questionable for Friday’s contest, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Porter, who only played nine games last season and underwent lumbar spine surgery last November, is off to a strong start in 2022/23, averaging 18.0 points and 5.8 rebounds on .510/.500/.800 shooting through four games (29.0 minutes).

Forbes Releases 2022 NBA Franchise Valuations

October 27th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since Forbes began issuing annual valuations of NBA teams over two decades ago, a team other than the Knicks or Lakers ranks atop the publication’s list of 2022’s most valuable franchises.

According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the Warriors are now considered the NBA’s most valuable club, with a record-setting valuation of $7 billion following a championship season.

Forbes’ duo explains that the Warriors generated more revenue and operating income in 2021/22 than any other team in NBA history, buoyed by $150MM in arena sponsorships and advertising, along with $250MM from premium seating.

While the Warriors enjoyed the biggest bump in value since Forbes’ most recent round of valuations, every other NBA team saw its valuation rise during that time as well, according to Ozanian and Teitelbaum, who say the average franchise is now valued at $2.86 billion. That’s 15% more than a year ago, despite the fact that the stock market is down 15% over the same time period.

Of the NBA’s 30 teams, only one – the Nets – lost money last season, per Forbes’ report, which states that record-setting sponsorship and advertising revenue ($1.35 billion last season) has put the league back on its “pre-Covid growth trajectory.” Further growth is anticipated going forward, with a new television and media deal to be negotiated in the coming years — it will take effect in 2025.

Although Forbes’ figures are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands, they’re still useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.

Here’s Forbes’ full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2022:

Golden State Warriors: $7 billion
New York Knicks: $6.1 billion
Los Angeles Lakers: $5.9 billion
Chicago Bulls: $4.1 billion
Boston Celtics: $4.0 billion
Los Angeles Clippers: $3.9 billion
Brooklyn Nets: $3.5 billion
Dallas Mavericks: $3.3 billion
Houston Rockets: $3.2 billion
Philadelphia 76ers: $3.15 billion
Toronto Raptors: $3.1 billion
Miami Heat: $3 billion
Phoenix Suns: $2.7 billion
Washington Wizards: $2.5 billion
Milwaukee Bucks: $2.3 billion
Portland Trail Blazers: $2.1 billion
Cleveland Cavaliers: $2.05 billion
Sacramento Kings: $2.03 billion
Utah Jazz: $2.025 billion
San Antonio Spurs: $2 billion
Atlanta Hawks: $1.975 billion
Denver Nuggets: $1.93 billion
Detroit Pistons: $1.9 billion
Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.875 billion
Orlando Magic: $1.85 billion
Indiana Pacers: $1.8 billion
Charlotte Hornets: $1.7 billion
Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.67 billion
Memphis Grizzlies: $1.65 billion
New Orleans Pelicans: $1.6 billion

Bucks, Heat Have NBA’s Oldest Rosters; Thunder Youngest

October 26th, 2022 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have the NBA’s oldest opening night roster this season, per a 2022/23 roster survey published by the league on Tuesday.

According to the NBA’s data, the average age of a Milwaukee player is 29.47 years old, with 36-year-olds George Hill and Wesley Matthews and 35-year-old Joe Ingles among the veterans contributing to that league-high average. The Heat (average age of 28.13 years old), Suns (28.05), Clippers (27.98), and Mavericks (27.89) have the next-oldest rosters, according to the NBA.

On the other end of the spectrum, no team has a younger roster than the Thunder, whose current group includes just one player older than 27 (Mike Muscala, who is 31). The average age of a Thunder player is just 23.14 years old, putting them ahead of fellow rebuilding teams like the Rockets (23.58), Spurs (23.84), and Magic (23.94). Interestingly, the Grizzlies (24.27) are the league’s fifth-youngest team, despite coming off a 56-win season.

Here are a few other tidbits of note from the NBA’s roster survey for the 2022/23 season:

The Bucks and Thunder are also the most and least experienced NBA teams, respectively. The average Milwaukee player has 7.24 years of NBA service, while the average Oklahoma City player has just 1.94. That puts the Bucks comfortably ahead of the Clippers (6.56) and Celtics (5.82), while the Thunder are well behind the Rockets (2.29) and Magic (3.00).
Kentucky (27) and Duke (25) have the most players currently in the NBA of any college program. No other school has more than 12 (UCLA).
The average NBA player stands at 6-foot-6.74, weighs 217.62 pounds, and is 26.01 years old. The league identifies Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (6-foot-6.5, 220 pounds, and 26 years old) as the player who most closely resembles the league’s “composite” player in terms of height, weight, and age.
There are 13 sets of brothers currently in the NBA, including three Antetokounmpos (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kostas Antetokounmpo) and three Holidays (Jrue Holiday, Justin Holiday, and Aaron Holiday).
The league’s survey also includes some data on the youngest and oldest players, which we previously outlined here.

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Hayward, Kispert, Bol

October 25th, 2022 at 8:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat reserve guard Victor Oladipo, still dealing with left knee tendinosis, will miss at least the first seven contests of the 2022/23 season, as he will not be joining his Miami teammates on their upcoming three-game road trip, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Miami will next play at home on November 1 against the reigning champion Warriors. Oladipo, who has undergone two knee surgeries since 2019, signed a two-year, $18.2MM deal to remain with the Heat during the 2022 offseason.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

With several Hornets players missing games due to injuries and Miles Bridges unsigned due to legal issues, Charlotte is relying heavily on Gordon Hayward, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscription required). Through three games, the injury-prone 6’7″ veteran small forward has responded well, averaging 19.3 PPG on .550/.300/.786 shooting splits. The 32-year-old vet is also chipping in 4.7 APG and 3.3 RPG.
Wizards small forward Corey Kispert, still rehabilitating from a left ankle sprain, has practiced with Washington’s G League affiliate club, the Capital City Go-Go, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link). The No. 15 pick in the 2021 draft out of Gonzaga, Kispert averaged 8.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.1 APG across 77 games during his 2021/22 rookie campaign with Washington. The 23-year-old has yet to play for the 2-1 Wizards.
Magic forward/center Bol Bol is doing his darnedest to carve out a definitive role, despite limited run, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. For Orlando, the 22-year-old has appeared in 10+ minutes a night across four straight contests for the first time in his NBA career, according to Price. Bol, who boasts a 7’7″ wingspan, is averaging 10.0 PPG on 65.4% field goal shooting, along with 4.8 RPG, across 16 MPG. “It’s been very important for me because I feel like every game I’ve gotten better,” Bol said of his more consistent playing time.“I’m seeing stuff happen each game. The game’s starting to slow down the more I play.”

Ross Sees Positives From Losses

October 24th, 2022 at 5:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic wing Terrence Ross sees a silver lining in the team’s 0-3 start, as he told Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s great, as much as it hurts to lose a game,” he said. “The learning experience is amazing. We’ve played some really good teams. All in all, it’s going to give us confidence and let us know we can compete with anybody.”

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Martin, Bogdanovic, Leonsis

October 22nd, 2022 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Suggs hasn’t been able to avoid injury issues since coming to the NBA, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. After being limited to 48 games as a rookie, the Magic guard suffered a capsule sprain and bone bruise in his left knee in an October 7 preseason contest, then had to leave Friday’s game with a sprained right ankle.

Suggs twisted the ankle in the third quarter after being fouled and landing awkwardly on a drive to the basket. He was able to shoot his free throws, but then hopped to the locker room with help from trainers and didn’t return. An MRI today confirmed that it’s a sprain, and Suggs’ return will depend on how he responds to treatment, the Magic tweeted.

“My heart goes out to the kid,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He’s working and continuing to battle no matter what happens. He’s continued to put the work in despite injuries. He’s doing the work with the film. He’s a resilient, tough kid. He’s going to continue to bounce back.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets may be without Cody Martin for a while, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Martin sat out Friday’s game with left quad soreness after getting injured in the first quarter of the season opener. He also missed all but one preseason game while recovering from left knee tendiopathy. “Hopefully, it’s not anything that’s going to linger,” coach Steve Clifford said. “When he first went in (Wednesday’s) game … he kind of stumbled and his knee bent, the one that he’s had issues with. So it flared back up and so obviously we need to be careful with this. They had done a great job getting him back. He’s, to me, is a critical, critical player on our team and we need what he brings. But the priority right now is just to get him healthy.”
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic still has a way to go before returning from knee surgery, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Coach Nate McMillan said Bogdanovic hasn’t progressed beyond light shooting and drills, and the medical staff can’t determine how close he is to playing until they can watch him at practice.
A group led by Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has emerged as the frontrunner to buy baseball’s Washington Nationals, report David Aldridge, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Leonsis also owns the NHL’s Capitals and the WNBA’s Mystics.

And-Ones: Breakout Candidates, Wembanyama, Thornwell

October 21st, 2022 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype polled 20 NBA executives on their top three breakout candidates for the 2022/23 season and found that Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey was the most popular pick. While I’d argue that last season represented a breakout year for Maxey, some executives have far higher expectations for him going forward.

“Maxey’s going to be better than James Harden,” one general manager said to Scotto. “He just keeps getting better and better and will be a huge reason why they have success this season.”

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Magic forward Franz Wagner, and Rockets guard Jalen Green were among the other popular breakout picks, based on the responses Scotto got from executives. Interestingly, Warriors big man James Wiseman and Pistons forward/center Marvin Bagley III were each picked as this year’s top breakout candidate by one GM.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In his latest look at the top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft class, David Aldridge of The Athletic passes along several entertaining quotes from NBA executives, including one Eastern Conference exec’s response to whether Scoot Henderson could surpass Victor Wembanyama as next year’s No. 1 pick: “Scoot’s good, but, no. Short of Wembanyama having murdered somebody, there’s just no way.”
Veteran guard Sindarius Thornwell has signed with Frutti Extra Bursasport, the Turkish team announced this week (via Twitter). Thornwell has appeared in 160 total NBA games and played for New Orleans and Atlanta in 2020/21, but wasn’t in the league last season.
Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown, who officiated over 1,100 games, including one in the 2020 NBA Finals, passed away on Thursday after a fight with pancreatic cancer, according to his family (story via ESPN.com).

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Roster, Westbrook, Ham, Cannady

October 21st, 2022 at 7:37am CST by Luke Adams

After making just 10-of-40 three-pointers in their regular season opener on Tuesday, the Lakers were even worse on Thursday, hitting 9-of-45 in a loss to the Clippers. LeBron James, who acknowledged the team’s lack of “lasers” following Tuesday’s loss, didn’t want to focus on that roster hole again on Thursday, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.

“I’m definitely not going to sit here and harp on what we can’t do every single game,” James said when asked about the Lakers’ shooting struggles. “That’s not a leader. What I know we can do? We can defend our ass off. We did that tonight, which gave us an opportunity to win and we just couldn’t make it happen. But, I’m OK with that.”

James expects the shooting numbers to improve, since the Lakers obviously will make more than 22.4% of their three-point attempts this season. However, he admitted that the team can’t afford to live and die on whether those outside shots are falling.

“If we’re reliant on (solid three-point shooting) every single game, then we’re in trouble,” James said, per McMenamin. “So I’m not worried about that or thinking about that. It’s how hard we play, how aggressive we play, how determined we are to go out and compete every night. And we got to defend. When we defend, we’re going to give ourselves a good chance to win.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Russell Westbrook played solid defense and had five steals on Thursday, but went 0-for-11 from the floor and scored just two points. Clippers forward Paul George defended his former teammate after the game, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN relays (via Twitter). “It’s hard when you’ve got the pressure they’re putting on him here. Quite frankly, it’s not geared for him with the roster they have,” George said. “… He was very easily a 30-10-10 guy when he had the keys to the team. We can’t forget about that.”
After Westbrook said that coming off the bench “absolutely” was a factor in his minor hamstring injury last Friday, he and head coach Darvin Ham spoke about the issue and reached an “understanding,” Ham told reporters prior to Thursday’s game (link via McMenamin). Although Ham was fine with Westbrook saying what he did, the Lakers’ coach stressed that he and his staff “would in no way, shape or form put a player or an employee in harm’s way.”
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape about being a first-time head coach with the Lakers, Ham said it will take some time for the new-look roster to get comfortable with each other — and with his system. “Chemistry is not like Malt-O-Meal. It’s not instant,” Ham said. “You don’t just throw it in the microwave. That is something that has to be baked over the course of time and we’ll get there. The more we keep getting the reps in when we are about to practice and shoot around, film work, we’ll get to the point where we know each other and it’s second nature the way we play basketball. That definitely is the goal, and it takes time. Just got to be willing to be patient.”
The South Bay Lakers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – have acquired Devin Cannady‘s NBAGL rights from the Lakeland Magic, the team announced in a press release. Cannady was waived by Orlando last weekend after not making the team’s regular season roster.

Paolo Banchero Impresses In NBA Debut

October 20th, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

It may not be realistic to expect the Magic to make the playoffs this year, but the team at least needs to show real signs of progress to consider the 2022/23 season a success, argues Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel. “It’s been asked many times this offseason — ‘What’s next?'” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “I think this season is going to be a continuum from last season, but with that we want to start putting in what winning looks like — fewer mistakes, team orientation, being tied on a string defensively, elevating our standard as our team grows up so our players understand what winning is about.”
The Magic didn’t pick up a win in their season opener on Wednesday, but they had to be encouraged by the debut of No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, who racked up 27 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in Detroit. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, even though he said he felt like he “left a lot of points on the board,” Banchero is the first NBA rookie to post a 25-5-5 line in his debut since LeBron James in 2003.

Southeast Notes: Banchero, Goodwin, Bridges, Hunter, Oladipo

October 18th, 2022 at 8:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paolo Banchero‘s rookie season begins in Detroit on Wednesday. The Magic forward knows he’ll have a target on his back as the top overall pick and he’s looking forward to the challenge, Marc Stein reports in a Substack post.

“Every guy on the opposite team knows who I am and probably wants to prove something and is probably going to test me — especially with me also being a rookie — and try to see what I’m made of,” Banchero said. “So the key is just being ready for it and accepting the challenge. That’s not something I back down from.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Guard Jordan Goodwin had his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal by the Wizards over the weekend. He will try to live up to the contract by being messy — in a good way, as he told Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “[I’m] just a guy that can do a lot of things,” Goodwin said. “I think my main focus here is just going to be defensively. Try to come in and muck things up, make things a little messy. Just make the right play offensively, whether that’s shoot the ball or make the extra pass, screening.”
A preliminary hearing regarding Miles Bridges’ felony domestic violence case in Los Angeles was delayed for the seventh time Monday and moved to November 3, according to Michael Gordon of the Charlotte Observer. In the hearing, prosecutors will be required to produce evidence to show the Hornets free agent forward committed a crime. Bridges was arrested on June 29 and faces three felony domestic violence charges.
De’Andre Hunter got his rookie scale extension. Now, the Hawks forward wants to show he’s worthy of the four-year contract, which can be worth up to $95MM, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “I mean, it’s gonna be my home for the next four or five years, whatever,” Hunter said. “Like I said, I’m just grateful, thankful that they gave me the opportunity, that they have so much faith in me as a player, just trying to work my butt off and do what I need to do to become a better player for the team.”
The Heat’s Victor Oladipo (left knee tendinosis) and Omer Yurtseven (left ankle impingement) are listed as out for Wednesday’s opener against the Bulls, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets.