Veteran NBA big man Kyle O’Quinn will continue his career in France, having signed a contract with Paris Basketball, according to the team (Twitter link).
An eight-year NBA veteran, O’Quinn began his career in 2012 after being selected 49th overall by Orlando. In 472 career regular season NBA contests for the Magic, Knicks, Pacers, and Sixers, O’Quinn averaged 5.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 14.2 minutes per contest. He signed with Turkish team Fenerbahçe for the 2020/21 season and will now return to Europe for at least one more year.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent big man Diamond Stone has agreed to sign with the Taiwan Beer of the Super Basketball League, sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Stone, 24, was the 40th overall pick in the 2016 draft, but appeared in just seven games for the Clippers. He spent several seasons in the G League and played in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
- The Overtime Elite league for top high school prospects continues to fill out its ranks for its inaugural season. OTE announced the additions of Malik Bowman, Devontes Cobbs, and Kok Yat earlier this week, then finalized deals with Bryson Warren and Dominick Barlow today, as ESPN’s Jonathan Givony writes. Warren, a five-star recruit, ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s list of class of 2023 recruits.
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com has unveiled his early big board for the 2022 NBA draft, headed by the usual suspects, including Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jaden Hardy.
- A handful of ESPN writers identified some under-the-radar concerns for some of the NBA’s best teams. The Suns‘ ability to repeat last season’s good health luck and Anthony Davis‘ willingness to play big minutes at center are among the topics highlighted by ESPN’s panel.
Surely the panel was discussing AD’s (lack of) willingness to play significant minutes at center. Although that will become moot by the postseason, assuming the Lakers can stay healthy enough to reach (and advance past) the play-in tournament again in order to make another quick exit in the first or second round (if they’re lucky).
That was a very good non-plus espn article, with quickly stated issues for seven top teams.
My only disagreement was with the Nets.
They played a lot of subs in the RS that Nash did not trust for the playoffs, playing Harden injured, using only 8. Well live by the short rotation, die by it too.
The Bucks spent the third-highest playoff minutes in the last 8 years, then two stars went to the Olympics, then the sumer break was shorted by a month. They may not be as fresh. The Lakers & Raptors may benefit from going out early.
“That group [ADavis, LJames, ACaruso, KPope, DShroder] outscored its opponents at a rate of a ridiculous 49.2 points per 100 possessions. Not to mention with Gasol already 36 years old and Howard being 35, it could come down to the 28-year-old Davis to preserve them and not the other way around.”
I like humor mixed in. AD wants this and that, but is worth doing for.
The Suns benefitted from health as figued by Mark Pelton. Ranking teams by fewest absences: 1.DAL 2.MIL 3.PHX (99).
The usual starting five missed 10 total.
Only the Jazz used fewer starting lineups.
Only the Bulls were less affected in wins per an advanced metric.
Warriors, Jazz & Sixers also recognized.