2023 February | Hoops Rumors

Community Shootaround: Most Improved Player

February 20th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Since 2000/01, 12 of the 22 Most Improved Player award winners have been 23 years old or younger. Only three — Julius Randle (26), Goran Dragic (27) and Hedo Turkoglu — were older than 25, with Turkoglu the oldest winner during that span at 28.

Of the past 22 winners, 17 had played fewer than five seasons. Needless to say, a younger, relatively inexperienced player typically wins the award.

The three frontrunners for the ’22/23 MIP award are slightly different. According to BetOnline.ag, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+140) is neck-and-neck with Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (+145), followed closely by Knicks guard Jalen Brunson at +250 (Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Nets guard Cam Thomas are each viewed as long shots at +4000).

Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, is in his fifth season. Markkanen, 25, is in his sixth. Brunson, 26, is in his fifth. That’s not to take anything away from any of the players whatsoever, I just thought it was interesting that they are slightly more experienced than many of the past winners over the past couple decades.

All three have compelling cases. On top of averaging 30.8 PPG (his previous career-high was 24.5), 4.7 RPG and 5.7 APG on terrific efficiency (.508/.343/.912 shooting line for a .624 true shooting percentage), Gilgeous-Alexander is one of only three qualifying players (Jaren Jackson Jr. and Joel Embiid are the others) averaging at least one steal (1.6) and one block per game (1.1).

He has also led Oklahoma City to a surprising 28-29 record, good for the No. 10 seed in the West at the moment. I don’t think many people would have predicted the Thunder would be in the play-in tournament this late in the ’22/23 season, especially after No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren was ruled out before the season began with a foot injury.

Markkanen is also averaging a career-high in PPG at 24.9 (previous high was 18.7) on elite efficiency — of players averaging at least 20 PPG, his .657 TS% only trails Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. He’s shooting at career-high levels from all over the court, including twos (.594), threes (.412), FG% (.512) and FT% (.877). The Finnisher is also averaging a solid 8.6 RPG for the resilient 29-31 Jazz, the No. 11 seed in the West.

Brunson has been instrumental in the Knicks’ turnaround this season, with New York currently sitting at 33-27, No. 6 in the East. Like his primary competition for the award, he’s averaging a career-high 23.9 PPG (previous high was 16.3) on top of a career-best 6.2 APG. His shooting slash line of .485/.411/.838 is excellent, and his .592 TS% is well above average for a point guard.

We want to know what you think. Who would you currently select for the Most Improved Player award? Why? Head to the comments to weigh in.

Southeast Notes: Banchero, Ross, Kuzma, Porzingis, Heat

February 20th, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic forward Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick of last June’s draft, is looking like a strong favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, according to Kelly Iko, Eric Nehm and Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The three beat writers for The Athletic all had votes for the award last season.

Robbins points out that Banchero ranks first among rookies in points per game (19.9), fourth in rebounds (6.6) and third in assists (3.6), a sign of his all-around game. The 20-year-old has been in a major shooting slump in February, going 1-of-27 from 3-point range, but many of his rookie peers have gone through peaks and valleys as well.

The three writers would have Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin second and Utah’s Walker Kessler third on their ballots at the All-Star break.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link) believes the Magic and Terrence Ross did right by each other. Instead of trading him to a random team for a second-round pick, the Magic bought Ross out and waived him to let him pick his next destination (Phoenix). As Bianchi writes, when the team started rebuilding a couple years ago, Ross was one of the few veterans left on the roster, but instead of publicly complaining or being a distraction he served as a positive mentor for the younger players. Bianchi believes players and agents around the NBA will notice that Orlando treated Ross well after a seven-year stint with the team.
Both Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis are having career years in 2022/23 and both players can enter free agency in the summer if they decline their player options (Kuzma has already publicly said he’s going to). What does that mean for the Wizards going forward? Chase Hughes explores that topic for NBC Sports Washington.
The Heat intend to bolster their frontcourt depth by signing Kevin Love and Cody Zeller. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reports that Love is expected to receive part of the Heat’s mid-level exception, while Zeller will likely receive a minimum-salary deal for the rest of the season, though the details were still being finalized as of Sunday afternoon.

Central Notes: Bickerstaff, LeVert, Bulls, Bucks

February 20th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are exceeding expectations in their first season after the Donovan Mitchell trade, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Although many expected the deal to make Cleveland an instant contender in the East, that’s not how the organization views itself, Russo adds.

With Mitchell added to a young core consisting of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the Cavs believe they are in the early stages of what they will eventually become. That’s a point coach J.B. Bickerstaff made to his players after a lackluster 8-8 showing in January.

“We’ve been saying this all year, we’re not a finished product,” Bickerstaff said. “We’re not a group of guys that have been together like the Bucks or whoever, the Celtics, whoever it may be. Like they know each other in and out. We’re a group that’s still learning each other. We’re a group of individuals that are still trying to find their way in instances.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Caris LeVert was mentioned in numerous trade rumors as the Cavaliers tried to round out their starting lineup ahead of the deadline, but he tells Spencer Davies of Basketball News that he’s happy to still be in Cleveland. “It’s cool to, I guess, have a home for the rest of the season, not have to pack up and go somewhere else,” LeVert said. “I’ve done that the past two seasons. It’s very stressful to do that and hectic, so it’s cool to be with this group and finish the season out and see how far we can go.”
The Bulls must determine whether to pursue another free agent point guard after Russell Westbrook‘s decision to join the Clippers, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Westbrook reportedly talked to Chicago, Washington and Miami before opting to remain in L.A. The Bulls are expected to announce soon that Lonzo Ball will miss the rest of the season, according to Johnson, who adds that the team could have benefited from Westbrook’s familiarity in Oklahoma City with head coach Billy Donovan and assistants Maurice Cheeks and Josh Longstaff. Sources tell Johnson that Chicago has been in touch with John Wall and Patrick Beverley, although the interest in adding either player isn’t clear. If the Bulls sign another guard, Johnson believes it might mark the end of Goran Dragic‘s time in Chicago.
The Bucks plan to submit bids to host the All-Star Game in either 2025 or 2026, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

New York Notes: Randle, Brunson, Durant, Bridges, Claxton

February 20th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Playing in the All-Star Game was the latest sign of a much happier season for Knicks forward Julius Randle, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Randle, who was selected among the Eastern Conference reserves, is in the midst of a strong bounce-back campaign, averaging 24.8 points and 10.8 rebounds through 60 games. He has adapted to a ball-sharing role in New York’s offense that came with the offseason addition of Jalen Brunson.

Randle was also selected for the game in 2021, but he went through a difficult year between his two All-Star appearances. He battled with fans and the media for much of last season and often appeared angry as the Knicks fell short of the playoffs. He credits this year’s turnaround to a visit during the summer from associate head coach Johnnie Bryant.

“One of the biggest things was he was like, you know, just talking about the year before,” Randle said. “And he said something like along the lines of — if you were your teammate and saw you acting the way that you did sometimes, body language, showing frustration, whatever it was, would you want to be your teammate? And I was like, no. I had to look at myself in the mirror and take accountability and get better and learn from it.”

There’s more from New York City:

Brunson has solved the Knicks‘ long-standing problem at point guard and should be viewed as the foundation to build a title contender around, contends Ian O’Connor of The New York Post.
Kevin Durant‘s emotional response when talking about his time with the Nets could benefit the franchise moving forward, suggests Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Sanchez notes that players frequently discuss their future at the All-Star Game, just as Durant and Kyrie Irving did before teaming up in Brooklyn. Sanchez believes Durant would give a positive review to anyone who asks about his time with the Nets, adding that the team’s front office didn’t try to create a bidding war because they knew Durant wanted to go to Phoenix.
The acquisition of Mikal Bridges in the Durant deal could give the Nets two members of the All-Defensive Team for the first time in franchise history, according to a NetsDaily article. Bridges was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year honors last season, and center Nic Claxton has become a dominant rim protector.

All-Star Notes: Malone, Tatum, New Draft Format, Irving

February 20th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

There were several memorable moments from All-Star Weekend, but not many occurred during Sunday night’s game. Defense has rarely been a priority in the All-Star Game, but there was minimal effort from most players on that end of the court as Team Giannis posted a 184-175 win over Team LeBron.

Among the critics was the Nuggets’ Michael Malone, who guided Team LeBron in his second All-Star coaching appearance (video link from Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV).

“It’s an honor to be here; it’s an honor to be part of a great weekend, great players, but that was the worst basketball game ever played,” Malone said at the postgame press conference. “… I give Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, those guys were, like, competing. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to get some defense in. No one got hurt, they put on a show for the fans, but that is a tough game to sit through, I’m not gonna lie.”

Celtics star Jaylen Brown was also critical of the contest, calling it a glorified “layup line” and saying, “that’s not basketball,” tweets Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

There’s more from All-Star Weekend:

Jayson Tatum realized midway through the fourth quarter Sunday night that he had a chance to break the All-Star Game scoring record, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Tatum, who finished with 55 points to top Anthony Davis‘ old mark of 52, credits Damian Lillard for pointing out that the record was within reach. Tatum added that he has been hoping to win All-Star MVP honors since the trophy was named in honor of Kobe Bryant. “It’s extremely special to me,” Tatum said. “My first All-Star Game was in Chicago in 2020 when they renamed the MVP after him, and I remember telling myself that someday I got to get one of those.”
The new format of having captains select their teams shortly before game time mostly went smoothly, although Giannis Antetokounmpo mistakenly picked starter Ja Morant while drafting the reserves. Also, Nikola Jokic walked over to Team LeBron before the final pick among starters was made, but he didn’t realize that Lauri Markkanen still hadn’t been selected, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Among the most notable picks in the draft was LeBron James choosing Irving, his former teammate in Cleveland. The Lakers were rumored to be among the top contenders to land Irving after he made his trade request to the Nets. “It’s always good to see him. I’m very proud of him,” James told reporters (video link from Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register). “Very proud of the man that he has become in his life right now.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo To Have More Tests On Sprained Wrist

February 20th, 2023 at 7:53am CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo will undergo additional tests on his sprained right wrist today in New York, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Antetokounmpo served as a captain in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but played just 20 seconds to avoid aggravating the injury. He scored a quick basket and committed an intentional foul so he could check out.

The Bucks star was visible throughout All-Star Weekend, but he didn’t do much on the court. He pulled out of Saturday’s skills competition, with teammate Jrue Holiday taking his place on Team Antetokounmpo.

“Taking it day by day, try to get healthy,” Antetokounmpo said after Sunday’s game. “You know, obviously I had the incident three days ago. I don’t think it’s smart in any way to … play a lot of minutes in the All-Star Game. At the end of the day, obviously, you want to participate, you want to run up and down, joke around, have some dunks, create some work. But at the end of the day, I feel you also have to be mature. Hard decision, but mature decision to kind of … take a break here, take care of it, and hopefully I can be available for my team when they need me.”

Antetokounmpo suffered the injury on Thursday when he tried to block a shot by Bulls guard Coby White. X-rays taken after that game were negative, and coach Mike Budenholzer was optimistic that the damage wasn’t serious.

The Bucks entered the break as the league’s hottest team, winning 12 in a row to move within a half-game of the Celtics for the top spot in the East. Milwaukee will resume its season Friday against Miami.

Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Udoka, Mazzulla, Brunson, Hart, Dinwiddie, Bridges

February 19th, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Head coach Joe Mazzulla had the interim tag removed by the Celtics, but star forward Jayson Tatum hopes Ime Udoka lands on his feet and revives his coaching career. He even called the suspended Udoka his favorite coach he’s played under, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

“It’s been a tough situation for everyone involved,” Tatum said. “Whatever happened, happened. That didn’t have anything to do with me. I can’t take away the relationship that me and him had. And the impact that he had on us last season. I love Coach K, I love Brad (Stevens), I love (Mazzulla), I love all those guys. It’s just a different kind of relationship I had with Ime. He’s probably the most favorite coach I’ve had.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Stevens, now the Celtics‘ top exec, wanted to remove the cloud of uncertainty surrounding Mazzulla, leading to his promotion, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter links). Stevens has also been impressed how Mazzulla has navigated a difficult situation. “He’s an outstanding leader,” Stevens said. “I think he’s done a great job right from the get-go of galvanizing our locker room around a mission.” Mazzulla’s promotion was announced on Thursday.
Villanova’s largest fan base is situated in New York City, according to former coach Jay Wright, and that’s why there’s plenty of excitement that the Knicks have former Wildcats Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, he told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Villanova people are just going crazy over it because they’re all Knicks fans,” he said. “It’s really thrilling for all of us. To see the joy it’s bringing all the Villanova people, and I should say the people who aren’t Knicks fans, they are now, Villanovans. You’re like a proud father, you’re watching your kids out there. It’s like they’re starting a business or something.”
Mikal Bridges and Spencer Dinwiddie have already emerged as the Nets’ new leaders after being acquired at the trade deadline, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (subscription required). “Right now, I think it’s been Spencer and Mikal, just naturally their IQ and want and feel for the game,” coach Jacque Vaughn said.

Pacific Notes: James, Vezenkov, Craig, Okogie

February 19th, 2023 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James has battled knee soreness recently but he vows to stay on the court for the remainder of the season, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. James doesn’t want the Lakers to miss the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

“These are 23 of the most important games of my career,” James said on Sunday. “I’m going to figure out ways to make sure I’m available and on the floor for every single one of these 23 (Lakers) games.”

The Lakers, who have the Western Conference’s 13th-best record, are two games behind the Thunder for the final play-in spot.

“I want to make a push to make the playoffs,” the Lakers superstar said. “I see myself not being kept out of the postseason two years straight. That’s not part of my DNA. We’re sitting here talking about the (scoring) record, things of that nature, but I’m more passionate about us trying to make the postseason and give us another chance to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy. That’s what I am cut from.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

De’Aaron Fox believes Sasha Vezenkov would fit right in with the Kings, Sacramento radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets. “Obviously, we would love for him to come over and just add to our team. I feel like you can never have a team that’s too deep,” Fox said. Kings assistant coach Jay Triano visited Europe this week to scout the EuroLeague star, whose NBA rights are held by Sacramento. Domantas Sabonis also endorses bringing in Vezenkov, who is having a stellar season in Greece for Olympiacos, according to Eurohoops.net. “He’s a great player, very talented. He’s playing great in Europe with Olympiacos. They’re doing amazing in EuroLeague. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but we obviously would love to have him here,” Sabonis said.
Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie are vying for the final spot in the Suns starting lineup following the addition of Kevin Durant, Dana Scott of Arizona Republic notes. They’re not sure what coach Monty Williams will do. “I’m pretty sure the coaches will figure it out. The same with the second unit, don’t know how it’s going to look either. So I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” Craig said.
In case you missed it, the Clippers signed shooting guard Nate Darling to a two-way contract. Get the details here.

Doncic, Irving To Start For Team LeBron

February 19th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are not only Mavericks teammates, they’re also starting together for Team LeBron at the All-Star Game Sunday in Salt Lake City.

LeBron James selected his former Cleveland teammate Irving and Doncic, the league’s leading scorer, during the first captain’s draft conducted on the same night as the All-Star Game. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will start up front for Team LeBron. The reserves for LeBron’s team include Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Donovan Mitchell and one of the players he was traded for, Lauri Markkanen, will start for Team Giannis. Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum round out the starting lineup. Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis will be the reserves for Team Giannis.

Southwest Notes: Irving, Doncic, Williamson, Pelicans Injuries, Morant

February 19th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are 0-2 thus far with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing together but the former Net believes their partnership will be very fruitful, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

“I can say this about Luka — he scored the ball extremely well. He gets everybody involved very easily, and he plays at his own pace, as we’ve said it over the last few years,” Irving said. “But his IQ is something that I’m really looking forward to learning more about, and just picking his brain. He’s 23 years old. He’s seen a lot, but he still has more room to grow and more room to improve. He’s as great as he is now, but just imagine what he’s going to look like in three years, playing with some high-level guys.”

Irving said Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison wanted him for, among other things, his leadership, Caplan tweets.

“I know they wanted me for my work ethic, for my leadership abilities and also my consistency in what I bring to the team,” he said.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

All-Star Weekend hasn’t featured a lot of big names for its dunk contest in recent years but that could change next season. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said if he ever decides to enter, it will happen next season, he told Riley Jones of Complex.com. ’I’ll think about it. I’ll put heavy consideration into doing the dunk contest,” he said. “I feel like if I am going to do it, I’d probably do it next year.”
The Pelicans overhauled their training staff in 2019, yet it hasn’t translated into better health for their players, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes. Pelicans players – including stars Williamson and Brandon Ingram – have missed 195 games because of injury this season, the third-highest mark in the NBA. VP of basketball operations David Griffin doesn’t blame the medical staff for the rash of injuries. “I think our medical staff has done a really, really good job,” Griffin said. “Unfortunately, they got caught up in people counting games missed due to injury. When somebody does something to a ligament or to a bone, that’s sort of out of their control.”
Ja Morant says “I’m ready” for the challenge the Suns will present with Kevin Durant in their lineup, he told NBA TV’s Dennis Scott (hat tip to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.) Morant also says he’s unconcerned about the Grizzlies quickly becoming the league’s most hated team, though he personally looks to avoid more controversy. “I don’t care no more. I’m protecting my energy. I’m not replying to no more nonsense,” he said. “I’m not trying to get no more techs this year. Not trying to get in no more altercations, none of that.”

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