After returning on Wednesday from a 20-game absence due to a toe injury, Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. admitted that he still wasn’t 100%, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. However, Porter considers it important to play during the final stretch of the season to try to carry some positive momentum into the offseason.
“There’s definitely going to be some tolerable pain going on,” Porter said. “I want to play. This is the best I can get it. Can’t get it 100 percent, so I will play.
“Just the passion and love I’ve got for the game. I’ve been away, been trying to do everything I can to get back on the court. Twenty games later, I’m at this point. This is the best I can get as far as my toe. The pain’s not too bad. I can play through it.”
As Feigen observes, injuries have prevented the Rockets from getting an extended look at their young core together this season, so the hope is that they can stay relatively healthy down the stretch. The starting lineup that Houston employed on Wednesday – Porter alongside Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, and Kenyon Martin Jr. – is probably the one the team would like to lean on down the stretch, but it has been used just four times so far this season.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, whose alleged involvement in a pair of off-court incidents had been previously reported, has been accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall, according to reporting from Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post. The Post’s report also stated that the 17-year-old who was punched by Morant last summer during a pickup game claimed that the Grizzlies star went into his house and reemerged with a gun visible in his waistband. Morant’s lawyer and agent put out statements on Twitter vehemently disputing that claim, but didn’t address the incident involving the security guard.
- On Thursday, two days after expressing a need to scale back the pressure he’s putting on himself with his new team, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving scored 40 points to complement Luka Doncic‘s 42 in a victory over Philadelphia. The Mavs are still just 2-4 in games the two stars have played together, but are confident that the wins will come, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “They’ve got to work through the kinks,” head coach Jason Kidd said of his backcourt duo. “But I think at the end of the day, we’ll be happy with what we have.”
- The Spurs got two of their top rotation players back on Thursday, as Tre Jones (left foot soreness) returned from a five-game absence, while Devin Vassell (left knee surgery) played for the first time since January 2. Both players were on minute limits, but had positive plus-minus ratings in a victory over Indiana, with Vassell scoring 18 points in 23 minutes. “It’s refreshing, man,” Spurs center Zach Collins said, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “These guys mean so much to our team. We’ve had a lot of guys hurt, one through 15. But Tre and Devin were starters for us. To get them back, is going to make the game a lot easier for us.”
If the Mavs can keep Kyrie and somehow adress their interior defense, while adding one more competent wing/forward defender in the offseason, they will be contenders next year.
I love the pairing of Luka and Ky. It was a hella risky move but it was the right direction for the Mavs IMO
Kleber getting healthy and playing McGhee some would help the interior defense.
Yes, agree with the Maxi part, he is a really good and versatile defender. Kinda underrated. But he can be pushed around by bigger centers. McGee isn’t getting playing time and when he plays looked kinda meh.
If yesterday against Embiid, Kidd didin’t played him is a heavy sign that he is out of the rotation.
If there’s any team that could really use Nerlens Noel, it’s probably the Mavs. Replacing Powell with him is probably their best move at this point. They’d even get roughly equivalent offensive production given how bad Powell has been this season.
You can see why the NBA is all about money. Morant does anything he wants and they never punish him. Morant will keep doing these childish things unto something even worse happens. Would be a good time for the NBA get him a real mentor not the punks he hangs out with or his terrible parents. If not would not be surprised he doesn’t make it pass 30 in the league.
Morant gives me the strongest Iverson vibes of any player in the league, and not in any positive way. With Iverson, it was his way or the highway for almost his whole career. Morant is honestly worse.
With Morant its those around him that is not helping the situation. He has a lot of bad influences outside the NBA. I don’t see him living past 30 because in this era you are going to get into a fight with somebody that has a gun and it will not end well.
Leave Iverson alone, he gave everything to Philly and they never Invested in the team
He was TOO loyal and he absolutely gave you his heart and soul every game . If I had a kid who ballled id encourage him to watch AI and bring that same heart
Terrible comp
The league only exists to make money. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. They organize competition so they can charge people to watch. Any virtue beyond that is incidental.
So you want to punish a player for allegations? The league will step in if it goes to court/Ja is convicted of something. Until then it’s not the NBA’s job to judge their players, and yes, a lot of that comes down to dollars. But it’s also a slippery slope.
I imagine Grizzlies brass is having conversations with him, but he’s an adult and gets to make his own decisions, whether you agree with them or not.
So loosen up the grip on those pearls for a min and just enjoy the game.
if you read my comment its about getting him help and a mentor that can get him on the right path. Its obvious his friends and parents are pushing him down the wrong path. What parent calls up their kid to fight with a security guard. Why is his friends fighting with everyone and his dad too? I do not have confidence in Grizzlies brass because they ONLY defend their players and never call them out for wrong doing. look at Brooks. Their couch never calls out his players.
I did read your comment. You begin by saying the league only cares about money, then suggest they should punish Ja.
You don’t bring up a mentor until halfway through? Regardless, he’s an adult. If older players want to reach out to him or vice versa they can, but you can’t just force a mentor on him. It’s his life to succeed or screw up.
you assume as always. you not what happens when you assume. League only cares about money because so far 100% silent on this. Just like what happened with the pacers the NBA did nothing. NBA has a program for young players to be mentored so now I will assume you did not know that.
Let’s just walk through your ideal vision.
Silver comes out and makes an announcement: “due to negative PR around Ja Morant we are assigning him a mentor. The NBA is for families, and we believe, even though it’s all allegations, that Ja needs some direction.”
“Ja, a 23 year old man, cannot decide this for himself. So because we feel he is in with a bad element, we are going to forcibly separate him from his family and friends, because we don’t care about money, we care about wholesome Christian values.”
Would that work for you?
SMH why are you such a bitter person? Just because somebody wants to see Morant get help. You just make up things in your mind. I guess that happens when your team never wins.
Oh the irony
As he seeks refuge in justice
On the other side of truth
I think for the Rockets moving forward they won’t win the Victor race and instead they’ll get the second pick and take Scoot. That’ll drop KPJ to a bench role which I think he suits more anyways.
The second move id give a 0.1% chance of ever happening but I’d trade Jabari Smith Jr and Ty Washington for Nic Claxton. That’ll mean Sengun slide to PF and at SF I’d have Tate, Martin and Eason battling away for minutes.
Claxton would be a huge addition for the defence, Scoot gives them a primary ball handler and between Jalen Green and Sengun your second and third options.
Scoot Green Tate Sengun Claxton
KPJ …. Martin Eason Boban
Think Brooklyn would take that deal above too.
I don’t see Ben Simmons in their king terms plans so their core would be Cam Thomas Mikal Bridges and Jabari Smith Jr. Cam Johnson is a upcoming FA so we will see how that plays out but he would be a great sixth man.
Even if they get the #1 or anything other than #2(Scoot)I don’t think KPJ will be starting PG for them next year. It’s more likely the beard is playing PG than KPJ starting Next year. And that says a lot as harden won’t be coming back, no matter the media chatter.
I’m not sure they move Smith next year just because of a poor rookie year, they’ll give him next year to prove his worth most likely.
I am however scratching my head as to why Silas hasn’t moved Tari into the starting line up and moved Smith to the bench yet. He’s progressively getting worse! It should have been done months ago but it still hasn’t happened, more Silas calls hindering player progression. If a guy is clearly struggling, move him to the bench he’ll either step up and get better or fade away.