Month: November 2024

Ja Morant Suffers Hand Injury, Game 2 Status Questionable

April 16th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant suffered an injury to his right hand and wrist midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1 against the Lakers on Sunday (ESPN video link).

X-rays were negative but “he’s in some pain,” coach Taylor Jenkins told Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link) and other media members afterward. The medical staff is still evaluating his hand and wrist. Morant already had a nagging injury to the hand before he crashed into Anthony Davis and was called for charging.

Morant said he re-injured his hand, not his wrist, on the play. Asked if there’s a chance he won’t be able to play in Game 2, Morant responded “yes,” Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian tweets. Game 2 is scheduled to be played on Wednesday in Memphis.

If Morant needs to miss any games, it would obviously be a huge blow to the Grizzlies’ chances to advancing. The seventh-seeded Lakers took complete command after Morant departed to the locker room and collected a 128-112 victory. No. 2 seed Memphis is already playing without starting center Steven Adams, who is expected to miss the entire postseason due to a knee injury.

Morant had a rough outing prior to the injury. He scored 18 points in 30 minutes but only had two assists, compared to six turnovers.

Clippers’ Paul George Likely To Miss Entire First Round

April 16th, 2023 at 3:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers All-Star Paul George is now expected to miss Los Angeles’ entire first-round playoff matchup against the Suns, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

This news isn’t completely unexpected. Even in late March, soon after George initially sprained his right knee during a regular season game against the Thunder, word trickled out that the Clippers anticipated they might need to advance beyond the first round to give the star forward a chance to return.

Rumors continued to persist earlier this week suggesting that George could sit out the Phoenix series as he continues to rehabilitate the knee.

Across his 56 healthy contests this season, the 32-year-old posted typically stellar numbers, averaging 23.8 PPG on .457/.371/.871 shooting splits, along with 6.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, and 1.5 SPG.

Without one of their two best players, the Clippers will have their work cut out for them against a healthy Suns club that could be much better than its 45-37 record suggests.

Phoenix has gone 8-0 in its games when newly-added All-Star small forward Kevin Durant has been available, and will start an intimidating lineup featuring Durant and fellow All-Star Devin Booker, along with future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul and maximum-salaried center Deandre Ayton. Josh Okogie rounds out the Suns’ healthy first five.

LA will hope that its remaining star forward, Kawhi Leonard, can help hold the line against Phoenix. The first game of the series tips off tonight.

Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Allen, Mobley, Playoff Test, Green

April 16th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The stink of last year’s 4-2 first-round postseason Jazz loss to the Mavericks lingers with All-Star Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Now, Mitchell is looking to prove himself anew with Cleveland during its first-round matchup against the Knicks. The 6’1″ swingman spent his boyhood as a Knicks fan in Elmsford, New York.

“I’ve felt that way the whole year. That’s just been kind of my M.O. throughout my career — trying to prove my caliber of play,” Mitchell said ahead of the two teams’ first playoff meeting this weekend.

“I know who I am and these guys know who I am and what I’m capable of and I just go out there and be leader,” Mitchell continued. “This is a team game and we’re not going to win if I just tried to shoot every single time. Got to do this as a group collectively. That’s what got us to this point. Just continue to do that.”

There’s more out of Cleveland:

The Rockets played an outsized role in helping build the Cavaliers’ current starting frontcourt of center Jarrett Allen and power forward Evan Mobley, as Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports details. When trying to accommodate star guard James Harden‘s 2021 trade demand, Houston preferred to acquire a first-round pick instead of Allen, who was slipped to the Cavs. In that summer’s draft, the Rockets selected Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick, clearing the way for Cleveland to grab Mobley with the third pick.
In their first game hosting the fifth-seeded Knicks Saturday, the Cavaliers couldn’t close out New York and fell 101-97 at home. Fedor writes in a separate piece that Cleveland failed to effectively respond to a late Knicks rally, and that New York’s advantages in offensive rebounding and second-chance points helped put the Knicks in the driver’s seat.
The Cavaliers need to explore whether veteran marksman Danny Green can still contribute some of his signature playoff shot-making, opines Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The three-time champ may not be the same defender he was in his prime, but the 36-year-old can still help Cleveland in one very critical area: corner triples. Cavs swingmen Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert, ahead of Green in the team’s rotation, combined to go a lackluster 0-of-7 from deep.

2023 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker

April 16th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

With another regular season in the books, multiple teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2023/24 campaign.

In the space below, we’ll provide regular updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the offseason, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.

You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Updated 6-10-23 (7:49pm CT)

Active Searches

None

Completed Searches

Detroit Pistons

New coach:
- Monty Williams (story)
Previous coach:
- Dwane Casey (transitioning to front office)
Other finalists:
- Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
- Former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie (story)
- Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins (story)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
- Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
- Nets assistant Brian Keefe (story)
- Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian (story)
- Pistons assistant Jerome Allen (story)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Bulls assistant Josh Longstaff (story)
- Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka (hired by Rockets)

The Pistons went just 121-263 (.315) in five years with Casey at the helm, but his transition to a front office role was framed as his decision rather than the team’s. Casey, 66 in April, may prefer a less hands-on position as he nears retirement age.

Following Casey’s move to an executive role, the Pistons reportedly narrowed their coaching search to Ollie, Collins, and Lee, then didn’t make a decision for weeks. During that time, Williams was let go by the Suns and it became clear that he immediately moved to the top of Detroit’s wish list, supplanting the other three finalists.

Williams rebuffed the Pistons’ initial advances, indicating that he planned to take a year off, but he ultimately relented and agreed to a record-setting six-year, $78.5MM contract to become the Pistons’ new head coach.

After Casey guided the Pistons through the most challenging years of their rebuild, Williams will be tasked with turning the roster from a collection of promising young pieces into a team capable of making it back to the postseason.

Houston Rockets

New coach:
- Ime Udoka (story)
Previous coach:
- Stephen Silas (team option declined)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
- Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
- Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
- Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
- Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Former Hornets coach James Borrego (story)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Raptors coach Nick Nurse (story)
- Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks (story)

Silas signed up to coach a team led by veteran stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, but both players were gone 10 games into his first season in Houston. The first-time head coach ended up presiding over a full-scale rebuild — no NBA team posted a worse record during Silas’ three years with the franchise than the Rockets’ 59-177 mark.

After some reports indicated that Houston would be seeking a more experienced candidate this time around, the Rockets seriously considered veteran head coaches like Vogel and Borrego before landing on Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first and only season as an NBA head coach in 2021/22.

Udoka’s tenure with Boston ended abruptly after he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate within the organization. The Rockets presumably did their due diligence on that incident and determined they were comfortable with hiring Udoka, whose on-court résumé is strong. He reportedly signed a four-year, $28.5MM contract and will be tasked with turning a raw Rockets team made up of promising young pieces into a more coherent whole capable of making the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks

New coach:
- Adrian Griffin (story)
Previous coach:
- Mike Budenholzer (dismissed)
Other finalists:
- Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Former Raptors coach Nick Nurse (story)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Former Hornets coach James Borrego (story)
- Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
- Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks (story)
- Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson (story)
- Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
- Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
- University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson (story)
- Wizards assistant Joseph Blair (story)
- Paris Basketball coach Will Weaver (story)
- Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Former Suns coach Monty Williams (story)
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue (story)

The NBA is a “what have you done for me lately?” sort of league, so the fact that Budenholzer led the Bucks to a title in 2021 and to the NBA’s best regular season record in 2022/23 was essentially negated by the team’s embarrassing first-round playoff exit this spring. As a result, Milwaukee opted to move on from the veteran head coach, who still had two years left on his contract.

Following an extensive search, the Bucks narrowed their options to three finalists: Griffin, Atkinson, and Nurse. Two of those candidates had prior head coaching experience, but Milwaukee opted to hire the one that didn’t, landing on Griffin, a veteran assistant who has worked for five teams over the last 15 years. He’s reportedly receiving a multiyear deal worth about $4MM annually.

This Bucks roster, headed by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, still looks capable of contending for championships. The organization – including Antetokounmpo, who gave Griffin his endorsement – is rolling the dice on a first-time NBA head coach helping the team once again reach those heights.

Philadelphia 76ers

New coach:
- Nick Nurse (story)
Previous coach:
- Doc Rivers (dismissed)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel (story)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer (story)
- Former Suns coach Monty Williams (story)
- Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni (story)
- Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)

The Sixers posted an impressive 154-82 (.653) regular season record during Rivers’ three years in Philadelphia, but the team’s inability to make a deep playoff run reflected poorly on the veteran coach, who had similar issues in Los Angeles with the Clippers. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round in three consecutive years, losing home games to end their season in 2021 and 2022 and then getting blown out in a Game 7 in 2023.

With Joel Embiid locked up for years to come, the Sixers have a franchise player to build around, but they could make some significant changes around Embiid this offseason, with James Harden a candidate to depart in free agency and Tobias Harris likely to end up back on the trade block.

Nurse, who led the division-rival Raptors to a championship in his first year as head coach in 2018/19, will be tasked with getting Embiid to the conference finals (at least) for the first time in his career. Nurse was reportedly a finalist for the head coaching jobs in Milwaukee and Phoenix before agreeing to join the Sixers.

Phoenix Suns

New coach:
- Frank Vogel (story)
Previous coach:
- Monty Williams (dismissed)
Other finalists:
- Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers (story)
- Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
- Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez (story)
- Former Raptors coach Nick Nurse (hired by Sixers)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
- Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajakovic (story)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue (story)

Williams helped reshape the culture in Phoenix over the last several seasons, leading the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021 and earning Coach of the Year honors in 2022. However, after suffering embarrassing blowout home losses to end their playoff runs in both 2022 and 2023, the Suns decided to make a change.

Phoenix initially narrowed its search to five finalists before choosing Vogel, who has won a title and will be coaching his fourth NBA team. Given his experience and his résumé, Vogel should command the respect of veteran stars like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as he tries to get the team over the hump in 2023/24 and beyond.

Vogel’s deal with the Suns will reportedly be worth $31MM over five years.

Toronto Raptors

New coach:
- Darko Rajakovic (story)
Previous coach:
- Nick Nurse (dismissed)
Other finalists:
- Virtus Bologna coach Sergio Scariolo (story)
- Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
Also interviewed/considered:
- Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez (story)
- Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
- Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson (story)
- Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
- Nuggets assistant David Adelman (story)
- ESPN analyst JJ Redick (story)
- Former Nets coach Steve Nash (story)
- Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (hired by Bucks)
Other rumored candidates/targets:
- Barcelona coach Sarunas Jasikevicius (story)
- Suns assistant Patrick Mutombo (story)
- Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse (story)
- Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon (story)
- Former Suns coach Monty Williams (hired by Pistons)
- Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka (hired by Rockets)

Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on March 31 that he would take some time after the season to evaluate his future. The Raptors took the same approach and eventually announced nine days after their season ended that they were relieving Nurse of his duties.

Toronto exercised extreme patience with its head coaching search and was the last team to make a decision this spring — word of Nurse’s dismissal broke on April 21, while Rajakovic was reported as the team’s choice of replacement on June 10, over a month-and-a-half later.

Nurse won a championship and a Coach of the Year award in separate seasons during his five-year stint as the Raptors’ head coach, so Rajakovic has big shoes to fill as a first-time NBA head coach. His résumé includes head coaching stints in Europe and in the G League, along with a decade as an NBA assistant, so he certainly seems qualified for his new role.

Western Notes: Ishbia, Morant, Nuggets, Russell

April 16th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Approximately 17 months after an ESPN report painted a detailed picture of a toxic workplace environment in Phoenix under Suns owner Robert Sarver and just over two months after Sarver completed the sale of the team to Mat Ishbia, Ishbia’s own company – United Wholesale Mortgage – is facing allegations along similar lines.

According to Polly Mosendz and Caleb Melby of Bloomberg, conversations with more than two dozen people who have worked at the company revealed complaints about racial disparities, sexual harassment, and bullying by managers at United Wholesale Mortgage.

While the troubling allegations may feel like déjà vu for Suns fans, it’s important to clarify that Ishbia himself wasn’t accused of any wrongdoing like Sarver was and that these allegations aren’t related to the NBA franchise at all.

For what it’s worth, United Wholesale Mortgage issued a statement to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic insisting that Bloomberg’s portrayal of the company’s workplace is “false and misleading” and referring to the report as having portrayed a “sensationalized caricature” of UWM.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Grizzlies star Ja Morant has filed a countersuit against the teenager he punched during a pickup game last summer, arguing that false statements by the teen could cost him an All-NBA berth and his chance at a super-max payday, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The teen’s initial lawsuit named Morant as the instigator of the incident and said that the Grizzlies guard went into his home and came back with a gun tucked into his pants, both claims that Morant denies. Regardless of whether those allegations are true or false, Morant’s suit makes a dubious argument, since the eight-game suspension that may cost him an All-NBA spot (and upwards of $39MM) was the result of a separate gun-related incident.
As the No. 1 seed in in a year without an obvious favorite to come out of the West, there will be significant pressure on head coach Michael Malone and the Nuggets to make a deep playoff run, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post (subscription required). Malone doesn’t necessarily disagree with Kiszla’s argument, but says he won’t be influenced by the expectations that outsiders have for his team. “We as an organization put pressure on ourselves to win a championship. That’s what motivates us. That’s the pressure,” Malone said. “The external pressure? Fans, bloggers, this, that, I could give a (bleep). It’s about what I put on myself.”
D’Angelo Russell didn’t make the postseason during his first stint with the Lakers, so after rejoining the team at the February trade deadline, he’s excited to make his playoff debut for Los Angeles — even after a forgettable play-in performance in which he made 1-of-9 shots and was benched down the stretch. “We needed to win, honestly. We needed to win,” Russell said of Tuesday’s play-in game, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. “For me to dwell on it and be upset or confidence low, I don’t think that’s the right approach. Definitely want to do anything and everything I can do to not be in that position in the future.”

Poll: Who Should Win 2022/23 NBA Awards?

April 16th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced the 2022/23 finalists for its seven major awards on Friday, revealing the top three vote-getters for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and the newly added Clutch Player of the Year.

Some of these awards have felt like foregone conclusions for a while, but some results could be genuine surprises when they’re revealed beginning this week.

Today though, we’re not focusing on which players will win the awards, but the ones you believe should win them. Select your winners for this year’s major NBA awards in the seven polls below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.

Our polls only include the three finalists in each category, but if you think someone else deserves to win one of these awards, be sure to use the comment section to “write in” that pick and explain your reasoning.

Knicks Notes: Game 1, Randle, Hart, D. Rose

April 16th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks classified Julius Randle as a game-time decision on Saturday, but the star forward suited up and showed no ill effects of the ankle sprain that had sidelined him since March 29. Randle’s availability didn’t come as a surprise to him, since he believed that he was making good progress with the ankle in the days leading up to the playoffs.

“Every day I got like significantly better,” Randle said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “So I felt by the time Saturday got here I would be fine.”

Randle didn’t just make a cameo appearance. He started for the Knicks and logged almost 34 minutes, racking up 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in New York’s 101-97 Game 1 win over Cleveland, prompting head coach Tom Thibodeau to express appreciation after the game for the 28-year-old’s effort.

“Dependability is a big part of the league,” Thibodeau said. “And to be able to count on each other is important so we don’t want anyone out there who’s injured. We don’t want to put anyone in harm’s way, but if you can give us something, give us what you have and that’s what I’m proud of Julius for. He gave us what he had.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Acquired from Portland prior to the 2023 trade deadline, six-year veteran Josh Hart got the chance on Saturday to play in his first career playoff game. He looked right at home in the high-pressure environment, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, as Zach Braziller of The New York Post details. “Unreal, that’s what he does,” teammate Jalen Brunson said. “I said it after the game: It doesn’t matter if it’s pickup, preseason, playoffs, he plays that way every single time. That’s just how he is, that’s how he’s wired. He’s big time.” The Cavaliers were one of the teams said to have interest in Hart in early February.
Veteran point guard Derrick Rose has only placed once for the Knicks since the calendar flipped to 2023, but Quentin Grimes referred to the former MVP as a “key factor” in the locker room for the team entering the postseason, according to Peter Botte of The New York Post. “He’s been great. I feel like the past week and a half or so, he’s been a little more vocal,” Grimes said on Thursday. “I think he kind of feels the excitement coming back, the playoffs coming around.”
As good as the Knicks have been this season, they’re still one star player away from being a legitimate championship threat, argues Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Thompson, Davis, Hyland

April 15th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A championship is the only thing missing from Chris Paul‘s Hall of Fame résumé, but the Suns guard may be running out of time to get one, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. Paul will turn 38 next month, and his contract for 2023/24 is only 50% guaranteed at $15.4MM. The acquisition of Kevin Durant in February puts Phoenix among the favorites in the West, but there’s a chance this could be Paul’s last year with the team.

The veteran point guard said Saturday that he’s trying to block out those concerns, focusing only on the playoff challenges that lie ahead.

“For me, I’m going to compete day-in and day-out. And right now we got a one-track mind, and that’s to focus on Game 1 against the Clippers,’’ he said. “All that other stuff, that ain’t it right now.”

Paul addressed the championship issue after the Suns were eliminated last spring, Haller adds, saying that it bothered him more earlier in his career but now he feels fortunate to be able to play at a high level for so long. However, now that playoff season is here again, he’s ready to go all out.

“When you play for a while and it doesn’t go the way you want it to, you basically wait a whole year for another opportunity at it,’’ he said. “It starts now.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Klay Thompson “has an expectation” that the Warriors will offer him a max-level contract extension this summer, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Saturday’s “NBA Countdown” (video link). Thompson has one more year on his current deal at $43.2 MM and can become a free agent in 2024 if he doesn’t get an offer that he likes. Wojnarowski notes that the extension decision for Thompson will be influenced by luxury tax concerns, the uncertain status of general manager Bob Myers, whose contract will expire after this season, and punitive restrictions in the new CBA against the highest-spending teams.
The seventh-seeded Lakers had to go through the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs, but they don’t feel like underdogs against No. 2 seed Memphis, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. is playing its best basketball of the season, winning 10 of its last 12 games. “I think seeding doesn’t matter,” Anthony Davis said. “Once you get in, it’s all about matchups and things like that.”
Trade deadline acquisition Bones Hyland could be a difference maker for the Clippers in their playoff run, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The second-year guard averaged 12.8 points and 4.3 assists off the bench in his last nine games to help the team wrap up the fifth seed. “He’s not scared and that’s the first step in being a good player is just not being scared, not being afraid of the moment,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s not afraid of the big shots.”

Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Hauser, Bridges, Reed

April 15th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

It wasn’t obvious to anyone who watched him post 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics‘ series-opening win Saturday, but Jaylen Brown was having trouble gripping the ball because of a cut that reopened on his right hand, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN. Brown originally suffered the cut while watering his plants last week and had to get five stitches. He wasn’t able to practice until Thursday and is still experimenting with the best way to protect the hand while he’s playing.

“It’s a constant adjustment, making sure I have a good grip on the ball,” Brown said, although he told reporters that he doesn’t expect the injury to bother him throughout the entire series.

Brown started Saturday’s game with padding over the cut, but it seemed to distract him, according to Harvey. He went to the locker room after checking out in the first quarter and returned with a new bandage that appeared to be more comfortable.

“There’s not a lot of padding on it, so it’s just a different feel shooting the ball,” Brown said. “(The pain) is fine. Especially with the adrenaline of the game, you kind of just get going.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sam Hauser moved ahead of Grant Williams in the Celtics‘ Game 1 rotation, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams has been struggling with his shot lately, Robb adds, while Hauser played well against the Hawks in the regular season, so the move was a way to put more pressure on Atlanta’s defense. Robb adds that Boston will need Williams against bigger teams later in the playoffs, but the Hawks don’t have anyone capable of exploiting Hauser’s defensive shortcomings.
Suns coach Monty Williams is glad to see Mikal Bridges blossoming into a star with the Nets, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Bridges has averaged 26.1 PPG since being sent to Brooklyn in February as part of the Kevin Durant trade. He scored 30 points in Saturday’s loss to the Sixers, one short of his career playoff high. “Mikal is shooting the ball a lot and making a lot,” Williams said. “I’m happy for him. I see him balling. That’s what I see. You know how it works. If we’re not playing him, I want him to succeed. I love him and (Cameron Johnson) like family. Those boys have been balling since they got to Brooklyn.”
The Sixers got a lift from their “energy guys” in the win over Brooklyn, observes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. P.J. Tucker and Paul Reed both delivered big games as Philadelphia pulled away. “Five for six, a couple dunks, a couple rebounds, a couple steals,” Reed said. “That’s what Paul Reed does.”

Pelicans Notes: McCollum, Zion, Daniels, Pannone

April 15th, 2023 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

During an appearance on “Stephen A.’s World” Saturday afternoon (video link), CJ McCollum cited public “misconceptions” over how Zion Williamson is viewed by his teammates and Pelicans management. McCollum said the entire organization remains supportive of Williamson and wants him to find a way to stay healthy so he can get the most out of his talents.

Injuries limited Williamson to 29 games this season, marking the third time in four years that he has failed to reach 30. He played at an All-Star level when he was available, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 60.8% from the field, but a hamstring injury he suffered in early January kept him sidelined for the rest of the season.

“The moral of the story is we all want him out there on the court,” McCollum said. “We all understand the importance of the gravity he has, we understand the importance of the greatness that he possesses — and me personally, I want him to maximize that. I want him to maximize his talent, I want him to maximize his window, our window as a team, our window as an organization.”

Executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin addressed the same topic on Friday, telling reporters, including Andrew Lopez of ESPN, that the team will work to increase Williamson’s availability, but he has a role to play as well.

I think a big part is on him,” Griffin said. “I think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better. I think putting him in the best position to succeed is important. And I think his participation is a big part of that.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

McCollum, who will have surgery on his right thumb next week, wrote in his Andscape diary that “this was the most difficult season I’ve been a part of physically and mentally.” He cites the constant injuries that surrounded the team and “the roller coaster of emotions” that involved the fast start, followed by a 10-game losing streak and then rebounding to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Dyson Daniels plans to spend a lot of the offseason in New Orleans to work on his game, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. The Australian rookie also expects to be part of the Pelicans’ Summer League team.
Assistant coach Ryan Pannone will join Nate Oats’ staff at the University of Alabama, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Pannone, a former G League coach, spent one year on New Orleans’ staff under Willie Green.

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