Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday that injured wing Donte DiVincenzo practiced with the club today, but is not set to return to the floor just yet, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Golden State is targeting its Friday game for a DiVincenzo return, Andrews reports.
Andrews adds (via Twitter) that second-year swingman Jonathan Kuminga is going to join the Warriors’ revised rotation as the defending champs look to rebound from a five-game losing streak that has sunk their early record to 3-7. Andrews notes that Kerr has indicated he will be making other tweaks to the club’s lineups, but did not expound on that.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- With starting Suns power forward Cameron Johnson now out for a while following meniscus surgery, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports examines how his extended absence could impact the rest of the club’s roster. With Phoenix reserve Torrey Craig shifted into the starting lineup, Bourguet contends that the Suns could struggle thanks to a shortened bench and the loss of three-point shooting that arrives in the transition from Johnson to Craig. While Craig is connecting on 40.9% of his triples, he is taking just 2.4 attempts a game. Johnson was nailing 43.1% of his treys on a much more robust 6.4 looks a night.
- Craig performed well as head coach Monty Williams‘s choice to replace Johnson in the Suns‘ starting lineup, and appears to be in line for a big uptick in the weeks to come with Johnson out, according to Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “It’s been good,” Williams said of Craig’s performance. “He’s been thrown into a number of situations with us and I thought his energy [in the team’s 102-82 blowout of the Trail Blazers Saturday] was great.”
- Clippers All-Star forward Paul George has stepped up in the absence of injured fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Leonard has only been able to suit up for two games thus far as he deals with right knee stiffness. In three straight Leonard-less wins, George has averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.0 RPG.
Been listening to a few podcast this morning and heard some juicy rumours/ideas.
Obviously in the offseason KD requested a trade but nothing happened. Kyrie now is suspended from the nets. Ben Simmons is out injured again. So far with those two out they have won 2 games just and sit at 4-6. However they now have Dallas, Knicks, Clippers and Lakers as their next 4. Then comes the kings, followed by Portland, Memphis, Philly and Toronto. That’s a lot of really tough games and likely without 2 of your 3 best players and without a head coach.
Ben looks like he needs a good 6 months to get back to health, fitness and confidence. Kyrie who knows how long he will be away but that could be a while. If they fall to say 6-12, you’ll be over a quarter of the way through a season and likely on track to miss the play in seeding spots.
I think KD will be either requesting out publicly or in house and will be looking to be moved.
In which case the team which stands out the most to me as wanting him will be Pheonix.
Maybe once DeAndre Ayton becomes trade eligible again we see something. Maybe they purposely resigned Ayton for salary matching, and purposely didn’t resign Cam for package with Ayton. Then Crowder and Pheonix have already agreed to look at splitting.
Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson and 2 firsts for Kevin Durant.
Nets go rebuild and I think Ayton Simmons Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas would be a good start.
Kyrie is on a 1 year deal so I doubt you get much for him if anything.
I don’t think Boston makes a KD move after going to the final with Tatum and Brown.
All I’m saying is watch this space with Brooklyn and with Pheonix.
Yeah I’m thinking Kyrie wants out. His days in NY are only going to get worse. You can’t take on the Jewish community in NY. Once the NY media turns on you. It’s all downhill then. Just ask Phil Jackson.
The only team I can see taking on Kyrie is LA. So either KD mans up and plays with Russ. Someone he had plenty of success with. Or he asks for a trade. Not looking good for Nets this yr.
Westbrook for Kyrie, Curry and Morris will be the trade. As close to a dollar for dollar salary match as you will ever see in the NBA.
Kyrie is on a 1 year deal and obviously has all this new drama but he’s also got a huge history of it. Not sure who will want to take him on and what assets they’d want to give up.
I think Brooklyn may go full rebuild. KD out, not sure with Ben and Kyrie I’m not sure who wants him and what they get for him.