2021 | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: M. Gasol, I. Thomas, 2022 Draft, Sharpe

November 9th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After reuniting with Pau Gasol last season, FC Barcelona is attempting to recruit his brother Marc Gasol, team manager Juan Carlos Navarro confirmed this week (link via Mundo Deportivo; hat tip to Sportando).

Navarro classified the team’s discussions with Gasol as “conversations” rather than “negotiations,” but suggested that the Spanish center hasn’t ruled out the possibility. Gasol, who was traded from the Lakers to the Grizzlies and then was waived during the offseason, decided to return home to Spain rather than continue his career in the NBA. It remains to be seen if he’ll play on either side of the Atlantic in 2021/22.

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

In a documentary-style YouTube video called ‘For The Love of The Game,’ free agent guard Isaiah Thomas says he nearly signed with an NBA team during the summer. “This offseason I worked out for three teams and got very positive feedback from every organization,” Thomas said, per Marcus Kwesi O’Mard of NESN.com. “There was one team that I was basically very close to signing (with), then it didn’t happen.” The 32-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback after spending just 10 days on a roster last season.
In the first draft of his big board for the 2022 NBA draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic contends that Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren are in their own tier at the top of the ’22 class. According to Vecenie, there are a lot of question marks beyond the top two at this point.
Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 1 prospect in ESPN’s ranking of the 2022 recruiting class, announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that he’ll be enrolling at Kentucky in January. Sharpe won’t be eligible for the 2022 draft because he didn’t graduate high school before the NBA’s 2021/22 season began, notes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

Pistons Notes: Growing Pains, Cunningham, G League Team

November 9th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Outside of Jerami Grant, the Pistons‘ starting lineup is made up entirely of first- and second-year players. And while the franchise is high on the long-term prospects of those players – Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart – head coach Dwane Casey acknowledged that there will be growing pains as Detroit goes through what general manager Troy Weaver has called a “restoration” process.

“It’s called restore or rebuild. It wouldn’t be a rebuild if we had veteran guards and veteran wings,” Casey said on Monday, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “Those are the guys we’re building with, and they’re kind of the cornerstones right now, so that’s what you go through. We didn’t go out and bring a 10-year vet in to star in that position.

“So, that’s part of the growth, and with that growth comes trials and tribulations, and it’s not always going to be pretty.”

At 1-8, the Pistons are in dead-last in the Eastern Conference and are unlikely to make a push for a play-in spot this season. Still, as Beard relays, Casey doesn’t sound all that concerned about the club’s win-loss record.

“Your wins may not be winning the game; you may win by getting better defensively or getting better offensively, getting better connected as a group,” Casey said. “We do all those things; if we grow in those areas, winning will take care of itself. Those guys are our cornerstones and that’s the thought process about keeping those guys together — let them grow.”

Here’s more out of Detroit:

In an interesting piece for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III breaks down some film from Cunningham’s first few NBA games with the help of Cunningham himself, discussing certain plays and strategies with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Pistons are already seeing the benefits of having their G League team based in downtown Detroit, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, who notes that the team sent Cunningham to the Motor City Cruise for rehab purposes and is able to shuttle young players like Luka Garza and Saben Lee back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL. Lee scored 42 points in Motor City’s season opener. The Pistons’ G League affiliate was previously located in Grand Rapids.
In a mailbag for The Detroit News, Beard fields a handful of Pistons-related questions, examining Cory Joseph‘s role, checking on Isaiah Livers‘ status, and explaining that it’s way too early to second-guess the Pistons’ pick of Cunningham at No. 1 in this year’s draft.

Community Shootaround: East Vs. West

November 9th, 2021 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

During the 21st century, Eastern Conference teams have had a winning record in games against Western Conference teams just once in 22 seasons. That happened in the 2008/09 campaign, when the East put up a 231-219 record (.513) vs. the West.

In every other season since 1999/2000, Western teams have had a winning record against Eastern opponents, often by a wide margin. The East’s second-best result came in 2015/16, when it posted a 218-232 (.484) mark vs. the West.

These numbers are a simple way of illustrating what most NBA fans view as common knowledge: For at least the last two decades, the West has been the stronger and deeper of the two conferences.

In the early going of the 2021/22 season, however, there’s reason to believe that the tide might be shifting. Even after Western teams won all three games against Eastern opponents on Monday night, the East has a 22-19 record in inter-conference games so far this season.

It’s obviously way too early in the year to draw any conclusions, but it’s not too early to start making some predictions based on what we’ve seen so far.

Among the East’s current top eight teams, the Sixers, Heat, Knicks, and Nets were expected to be here, but the Bulls, Wizards, Cavaliers, and Raptors have exceeded expectations so far. Some of those clubs might slow down, but some of their gains could be for real, and they all at least look capable of remaining in the play-in mix.

Further down the standings, the Hornets (5-6) are about where we expected, while the Bucks (4-6), Celtics (4-6), Hawks (4-7), and Pacers (4-7) are actually underachieving so far — we can probably expect more from most or all of them.

The Magic and Pistons, at the bottom of the conference standings, will likely remain there and lose a lot of games. But even so, that leaves 13 teams in the East with realistic playoff or play-in aspirations.

The West looks pretty deep too, but it may not have as many obvious breakout teams — its top nine clubs so far are identical to last year’s, albeit in a different order. There also aren’t as many underachievers in the West that we can count on seeing improvements from. The Lakers have been a little disappointing, but they’re still above .500 at 6-5.

With all that in mind, we want to know what you think. Has the Eastern Conference finally caught up to the Western Conference this season, or is the West still the more dominant conference overall? Do you expect the East to post at least a .500 record against the West this season for just the second time this century?

Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.

Nets Notes: Harden, New Rules, Irving, Aldridge

November 9th, 2021 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s new philosophy on calling fouls has been nicknamed the “Harden Rules,” and Nets guard James Harden is having a difficult time adapting to it, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harden attempted just three free throws in Monday’s loss to the Bulls and was noticeably demonstrative after several non-calls.

Harden’s production has fallen dramatically during the season’s first 11 games as he’s averaging just 18.3 points per night after more than a decade of being among the league’s scoring leaders. Part of the drop has been at the foul line, where he’s taking just 4.6 free throws per game, down from 7.3 last season.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Harden told reporters after the game. “No, I don’t want to talk about it. I never got … it didn’t take me out of my game. I felt like I played well to the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, none of us played well. It definitely didn’t take me out of my game.”

There’s more on the Nets:

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype talked to several NBA executives about Kyrie Irving‘s trade value and found a widespread reluctance to deal for the enigmatic point guard. “For the most part, every front office and coaching staff is scared to death of him and doesn’t want to touch him,” an unidentified executive said. “Honestly, it might’ve been four teams before this (his refusal to get vaccinated). He’s a guy that front offices don’t trust. Coaches don’t want to deal with him. Players like him.” Another speculated that the Sixers might be willing to take him in exchange for Ben Simmons, but there’s overall pessimism that Irving will be dealt.
LaMarcus Aldridge, who has revived his career after the medical scare that forced him to briefly retire last spring, talked to Sopan Deb of The New York Times about the difficulty of almost seeing his career end so abruptly. “The first day didn’t feel real. The first day felt like I had an off day,” Aldridge said. “And then your second day, you feel like it’s a game day, so you’re just at home. And after like a week or two, you’re like: “Man, I’m not at the gym. I’m not with the fellas. I’m not traveling, not playing.” Like two weeks in, I was like: “Man, this is what it is. I have to find my new interest, shift my focus to something else.” That’s when it hit me, like, “Man, what’s next?”
The Nets are known for their stars, but a few players have created a Blue Collar Boys club that is dedicated to doing the dirty work, per Tom Dowd of NBA.com. Blake Griffin and Joe Harris started the club last season and have inducted other players as they prove themselves worthy.

Sixers Notes: Expanded Rotation, Drummond, Embiid, Simmons

November 9th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they’re starting to feel the effects of a depleted roster, writes Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. Joel Embiid‘s positive COVID-19 test was the latest challenge for a team that is already playing without Ben Simmons and has seen Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe also sidelined by the virus.

The result has been an increased workload for the remaining rotation players, which is raising concerns about fatigue. Tonight’s game against the Bucks will be the second of a back-to-back, and coach Doc Rivers said he plans to use at least 10 players. Neubeck expects Jaden Springer and two-way player Aaron Henry to both see action, but probably not Charles Bassey, who has only played seven total minutes this season.

There’s more on the Sixers:

Andre Drummond, who was signed over the summer to be Embiid’s backup, turned in his best game of the season Monday night, Neubeck adds. Drummond collected 25 rebounds in a loss to the Knicks, becoming the first Sixer to reach that total in 34 years. He played more than 38 minutes, but doesn’t seem fazed by the increased workload. “Sleep, sleep as much as we can,” Drummond said. “Take care of our bodies, ice, compress our knees. Guys that have played a lot of games know how to take care of their body. I’ve played a long time, we know what it takes to sustain our bodies for the rest of the year.”
Because Embiid is symptomatic for COVID-19, there are concerns that his absence could stretch beyond the normal 10 days, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey notes that Embiid has historically found it difficult to stay in shape when not playing, so having him out of the lineup could impact the Sixers well into the future. “Obviously, this is an extreme case without Joel,” Rivers said. “We didn’t anticipate this. But, we do have a bona fide starting center. And that helps us for sure.”
Philadelphia has reportedly talked to at least 10 teams about trading for Simmons, but sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report there have been “very few firm offers.” Most of the talks have involved setting up two-team and three-team frameworks that the Sixers might accept, but president of basketball operations Daryl Morey hasn’t dropped his insistence on receiving a star player in return.

Monte McNair: Playoffs Are “Singular Focus” For Kings

November 9th, 2021 at 10:52am CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings hired Monte McNair as general manager 14 months ago with a mission to end their long postseason drought, and he believes the best approach is patience rather than splashy moves, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. In a lengthy interview, McNair explains his philosophy on team building and delves into several other topics.

McNair didn’t arrive in Sacramento with a desire to put his “stamp” on the organization, Amick notes. That’s why he has chosen to build through the draft and minor deals, rather than taking a big swing on a risky talent like Ben Simmons.

“One thing that’s really helped us is (that) we have a very, very clear goal,” McNair said. “We want to get this organization back to the playoffs. We want to get back there (and) that helps (that) we have a singular focus.”

The Kings are off to a 5-6 start that has put them in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race. McNair has drafted well, landing Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell in the last two lotteries, and was able to keep Richaun Holmes in free agency, re-signing him to a four-year deal over the summer.

While Sacramento’s management team has sometimes been chaotic over the past decade and a half, McNair believes the current group works well together and will ultimately be successful.

“The thing we are definitely all doing is rowing the boat in the same direction,” he said. “Now we want to row as fast as we can and as straight as we can. … But we are for sure rowing in the same direction, and that makes it a lot easier. We’ve got a great group. And so now, it’s just, ‘Can we do it?’”

McNair covers several other issues in the interview, including:

The decision to draft Mitchell when the Kings already had plenty of guards:

“Certainly, when you just look at the team we had and who we had drafted the year before and Tyrese and who we already had on the team with De’Aaron (Fox), and you say, ‘Why would you draft another point guard?’ (But) this is where we talk about being a best player available in the draft. And it’s a hard thing to do sometimes, but we truthfully sit here and try to (draft) best player available. And when Davion is sitting at the top of our board, we do not hesitate to draft him.”

The relationship with Buddy Hield after he was nearly traded to the Lakers over the summer:

“Yeah, we had some (trade) conversations over the offseason. I don’t want to go into too much detail there, but (the approach was to) treat Buddy like the adult that he is and I think he appreciated that. He does the same with me. And I said, ‘Look, you know, obviously your name has been out there. But if it doesn’t work out, if nothing happens, you come back, you’re expected to let it fly.’ And he’s been doing that.”

The status of Marvin Bagley III, who has complained about how the franchise has handled him after drafting him second overall in 2018. Bagley has only appeared in one game this season and is on track for restricted free agency after not receiving an extension offer:

“Marvin has been putting in the work and staying ready. And just like we tell all our guys, when your number’s called, you go in, and you help us win. It’s a long season. We’re gonna need — we’ve (got) 17 guys now on the roster and we’re gonna need all of them at some point. And you know, Marvin as well as everybody else is going to be ready when they’re called.”

Michael Porter Jr. To Be Sidelined For “Foreseeable Future”

November 9th, 2021 at 9:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The back injury that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. suffered on Saturday will keep him out of action for the “foreseeable future,” according to an article by The Athletic.

Coach Michael Malone updated Porter’s status before Monday’s game, telling reporters that the team plans to be careful as he deals with the injury. Malone added that Porter will undergo more testing before any decisions are made.

“This is a process where we’re being very cautious, talking to doctors, getting imaging all that kind of stuff,” Malone said.

The injury happened as Porter missed a breakaway layup early in Saturday’s game with the Rockets. The Nuggets’ medical staff conducted several tests on Sunday, and he was ruled out of Monday’s game.

The 23-year-old is off to a slow start after last year’s breakthrough season, which saw him average 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Through nine games, those numbers are down to 9.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG and his shooting percentages have dropped from 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from three-point range to 35.9% and 20.8%.

Back injuries are particularly concerning for Porter, who has already undergone two surgeries to relieve back pain. However, the team is confident that he will be able to return at some point this season and doesn’t believe another operation will be necessary, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. But Porter won’t try to play again until the soreness is gone and the Nuggets are sure that his back is structurally sound.

Denver is already playing without Jamal Murray, who is expected to miss most of the season while recovering from ACL surgery. Vardon expects Aaron Gordon to get a greater share of the team’s offense in Porter’s absence, while free agent addition Jeff Green may see his minutes increase.

“We all have to support Michael like we’re all supporting Jamal. … Michael could be back in a week,” Malone said. “It could be more than that. I don’t know. When I say foreseeable future, I don’t really know what that means. I just know he’s not playing tonight.”

Nikola Jokic Faces Suspension After Fight

November 9th, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Arthur Hill

A suspension may be coming for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after a violent hit on Heat forward Markieff Morris in the late stages of Monday’s game, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

With 2:39 remaining and Denver leading by 17 points, Morris committed a hard intentional foul on Jokic at midcourt. The reigning MVP responded by charging at Morris and hitting him in the back with his right forearm and shoulder. According to Vardon, Morris’ head snapped back and he collapsed to the floor while grabbing his forehead as a fight erupted between the other players on the court.

Miami’s medical team, along with paramedics, spent several minutes checking on Morris before he was able to walk to the locker room with help from teammates. After the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra blasted Jokic for his actions.

“It’s just absolutely uncalled for, and it would have looked a lot different, this whole thing could have been a lot uglier if Markieff was actually facing Jokic,” Spoelstra said. “The fact that he had his back turned, and he made a play like that, blindsiding, it was just a very dangerous play.”

Jokic, who was ejected, admitted that he handled the situation poorly, saying, “It’s a stupid play. I feel bad.” Morris received a Flagrant-2 foul and was also ejected for prompting the incident.

“The contact by Morris was interpreted to be excessive and unnecessary based on the following criteria,” referee Kevin Scott explained. “One, the severity of the contact. Two, whether or not the player was making a legitimate basketball play. Three, the potential for injury resulting from the contact, and four, the outcome of the contact led to an altercation.”

Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters that he expects to have Jokic available for Wednesday’s game, but admitted that he hadn’t watched a replay of the incident. Vardon considers a suspension to be inevitable.

Pacific Injury Updates: Wiseman, James, Horton-Tucker, Ibaka

November 8th, 2021 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors center James Wiseman won’t join the team on its four-game road trip, which begins on Sunday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. With three home games prior to the trip, the Warriors will be without the second-year big man for at least seven more games. Wiseman has engaged in contact drills in team settings, but still hasn’t fully scrimmaged. He’s recovering from a torn meniscus in his right knee that he suffered in April.

We have more injury news from the Pacific Division:

There remains no timetable for LeBron James‘ return, according to Lakers coach Frank Vogel, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. James is recovering from an abdominal strain that has already cost him three games.
The news is better regarding Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker. He’s been cleared for contact and will practice on Tuesday, according to another Buha tweet. However, there is also no timetable for his return. He recently had the stitches removed from his surgically-repaired right thumb.
Serge Ibaka played just eight minutes on Sunday in his first action since last May. The Clippers’ big man previously said he wished he had undergone back surgery earlier than June. Ibaka offered a vague response on Sunday when asked about the delay, hinting that he got bad advice, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s not necessary for me to say now,” Ibaka said. “I don’t want to make some people look bad.”

Raptors Notes: Siakam, Barnes, Ujiri, Rebuild

November 8th, 2021 at 9:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who returned from shoulder surgery on Sunday vs. Brooklyn, was limited to 25 minutes and admitted he felt some fatigue in his first game action since May.

“It was tough,” Siakam said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “After my first three minutes I think I needed some gas or something. My legs were heavy and I think I couldn’t breathe at one point, but it was expected.”

While getting Siakam back in the lineup makes the Raptors a more well-rounded and dangerous team in the long term, there may be some growing pains in the short term, writes Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca. The 27-year-old is one of the club’s go-to scoring options, meaning the players that stepped up in his absence will have to adjust – or readjust – to new roles.

“Everybody else is kind of affected by him coming back,” point guard Fred VanVleet said. “He’s going to play heavy minutes and have the ball and he’s going to be a big part of the offense. So, offensively, I think it’s just finding our rhythm and spacing and the flow and learning how to play with Pascal. For me it was great. I missed playing with him. The other guys who were playing with him for the first time, there will probably be a little bit of a learning curve.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Count Nets superstar Kevin Durant among those who have come away impressed with what they’ve seen from Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes. “You’ve got a lot of guys who love to compete and love to win, but what’s more rare about Scottie Barnes is his IQ for the game, his length, his enthusiasm for the game. All of that stuff shines bright when you watch him play,” Durant said after Sunday’s game (link via Sportsnet.ca). “He knows how to play the right way and he’s only going to get better.”
In a Q&A with Louisa Thomas of The New Yorker, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri spoke about his desire to grow the game of basketball in Africa, the Raptors’ experience in Tampa, and why he decided to sign an extension with the franchise, among other topics.
The Raptors look ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process, in the view of William Lou of Sportsnet.ca.
In case you missed it, our Offseason in Review story on the Raptors was published earlier today.

Year: 2024