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Month: November 2024

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Burks, Brunson, Hartenstein

March 16th, 2024 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

In his second game back after recovering from elbow surgery, Knicks forward OG Anunoby seemed to aggravate that right elbow issue during the first half of Thursday’s win over Portland, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Anunoby grimaced and appeared irritated by the elbow a few times after that, but remained in the game and downplayed concerns in his post-game media session.

“It’s just sore. Nothing really happened. Just went for a ball. And it hurt randomly, but it’s fine,” Anunoby said, adding that he anticipates playing on Saturday in Sacramento. “… It’s not even pain tolerance. This is just a random thing.”

Head coach Tom Thibodeau also didn’t come off as overly worried about Anunoby’s condition when he spoke to reporters after the game.

“There’s gonna be some times where there’s gonna be soreness. He played through it,” Thibodeau said. “He was fine. (The doctor) looked at him. There’s gonna be times where he gets hit and you just try to keep going. So we’ll see where he is.”

Keeping Anunoby healthy will be a priority down the stretch for the Knicks, who have an incredible +25.2 net rating during his 565 minutes on the court since he was acquired from Toronto in December. The three-and-D stalwart is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. the Kings, Bondy notes (via Twitter).

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • In a separate story for The New York Post, Bondy spoke to three surgeons about Anunoby’s injury. Those outside experts suggested that lingering pain is normal so soon after the procedure, and while it’s manageable, that pain may take a while to go away if the elbow isn’t rested. “He needs to shoot, he needs to practice, but at the same time, he needs to rest,” Dr. Leon Popovitz, the co-founder of New York Bone & Joint, told Bondy. “But he’s a professional athlete, he needs to get out there. This is probably going to be something he feels the next few weeks.”
  • Trade deadline acquisition Alec Burks played a season-low 4:18 on Thursday and didn’t see the floor at all in the second half. That was a basketball decision and not an injury-related one, Bondy writes for The Post. Burks has shot just 31.3% from the field and has more turnovers than assists since rejoining the Knicks, so his spot in the rotation going forward looks tenuous.
  • After being on a minutes restriction in his first three games back from a knee contusion, Jalen Brunson had that restriction lifted on Thursday and made the most of it, racking up 45 points in 38 minutes in New York’s win over the Blazers, per Bondy at The Post.
  • Isaiah Hartenstein‘s minutes limit remains in place, Bondy notes within the same story. The big man continues to start at center but has averaged a modest 21.2 MPG in his past 10 contests. Thibodeau isn’t 100% sure how long that restriction will last. “He’s feeling a lot better as well, so that’s the positive,” Thibodeau said of Hartenstein. “Obviously, getting OG has added a lot. So now Precious (Achiuwa) goes more to the backup five. And then we still have Jericho (Sims). So we feel good about that.”
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Kings’ Trey Lyles Out At Least Two Weeks With Knee Sprain

March 15th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings forward/center Trey Lyles, who sustained a knee injury in Tuesday’s victory over Milwaukee and was subsequently ruled out for Wednesday’s game, has been diagnosed with a MCL sprain in his left knee, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The team announced that Lyles will be sidelined for at least two weeks, which is when he’ll be reevaluated.

As Anderson writes, Lyles will likely miss at least eight more games, including Saturday’s contest vs. New York. Rookie forward Sasha Vezenkov will also miss his 15th consecutive game tomorrow, though Anderson suggests the former EuroLeague MVP could be close to returning from a right ankle sprain. Kevin Huerter (right leg contusion), who was out Wednesday, is questionable for Saturday’s game.

Lyles is a key reserve for a Sacramento team that has won four of its past five games and is currently the No. 6 seed in the West. The 28-year-old is the primary big man off the bench, averaging 7.1 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .450/.383/.698 shooting in 49 games (19.8 MPG).

With Lyles sidelined, backup centers Alex Len and JaVale McGee will likely have an opportunity to earn rotation minutes. Assuming he returns soon, Vezenkov is another frontcourt option head coach Mike Brown could turn to.

Lyles re-signed with the Kings on a two-year, $16MM contract last summer. He’ll be earning $8MM next season before hitting free agency again in 2025.

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And-Ones: Scoring, NBA Cup, 2024 Draft, Two-Ways, Howard

March 15th, 2024 at 7:15pm CST by Rory Maher

In a memo obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA told teams the league office “did not deliver a directive to reduce scoring” during a competition committee call earlier this week, but the post-All-Star break trend “will continue to be monitored.” As Wojnarowski writes, teams are scoring about four fewer points per game on average since resuming play at the end of February.

“Slower pace, style of play, competitive intensity, officiating focus have been contributing factors identified so far,” the NBA said.

According to Woj, the league also stated one focus area for the meeting was centered on offensive players “hunting for fouls and veering off paths into defenders.” That has also been a point of emphasis for officials — and a “contributing factor” in the reduced scoring output of late.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • The NBA also informed teams that it was considering a couple of changes to tiebreakers for next season’s NBA Cup, which was called the In-Season Tournament during its debut in 2023/24, Marc Stein reports (via Twitter). Changes under consideration would impact tiebreakers for point differential and head-to-head results, per Stein.
  • Unlike in 2023, when there was a consensus No. 1 overall pick for well over a year, there’s a huge variance in where players are projected to be drafted in 2024, as Michael Scotto relays in the latest aggregate mock draft for HoopsHype. Scotto spoke to several NBA executives to get a feel for some of this year’s top prospects, including Alexandre Sarr, who is ranked No. 1 in aggregate but as low as No. 7. “I think Sarr has everything to his game,” one executive said. “He needs to go somewhere that’s patient with him. He can be a really good two-way player you can build around in two years. I believe in his shooting and shot blocking.”
  • Frank Urbina of HoopsHype ranks the most successful players who have previously been signed to two-way contracts. Austin Reaves (Lakers), Duncan Robinson (Heat), Alex Caruso (Bulls), Naz Reid (Timberwolves) and Luguentz Dort (Thunder) make up the top five of the 15-player list.
  • Former NBA player and assistant coach Juwan Howard has been fired as head coach of Michigan, the school announced in a press release. Howard compiled a 82-67 record in five seasons at his alma mater, making the NCAA Tournament twice (in 2021 and ’22), but the Wolverines went just 8-24 this season and were eliminated in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
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Pacific Notes: D-Lo, Schröder, Curry, Kings, Hyland, Harden

March 15th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Maher

While D’Angelo Russell had some good moments for the Lakers in last year’s playoffs, he also struggled mightily in the Western Conference Finals against the eventual champion Nuggets, leading to him being benched in Game 4 in favor of Dennis Schröder, a superior defender who had a preexisting relationship with head coach Darvin Ham. Russell, on the other hand, was acquired in a trade last February, meaning he’d only known Ham for a few months.

Russell claims he was “the scapegoat” for that series, which saw Denver sweep Los Angeles, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“(Schröder’s) relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn’t have a relationship with Darvin,” Russell said. “When I was struggling, I would’ve been able to come to the coach and say, ‘Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.’ Instead, there was no dialogue. … I just accepted it.

“And we got swept and I’m here and he’s not. And I like our chances.”

As McMenamin writes, Russell initially wasn’t enthusiastic about re-signing with L.A. as a free agent last summer, apparently in part due to the presence of Schröder. But on the first day of free agency, the Lakers wound up signing Gabe Vincent and Schröder signed with Toronto (he has since been traded to Brooklyn). Russell inked a two-year deal with the Lakers the following day.

The Lakers and Russell reached a compromise on that contract — he got a player option for 2024/25, but he also waived his ability to veto a trade.

Russell was featured prominently in trade rumors for months leading up to last month’s deadline, McMenamin notes, but the Lakers wound up keeping him because he’s been playing so well of late — since January 13, a span of 27 games (36.1 MPG), the 28-year-old is averaging 21.9 PPG, 6.4 APG and 3.2 RPG with a highly efficient .472/.452/.840 shooting line.

If he maintains that level of play in the postseason, Russell could very well decline his $18.7MM player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent again in 2024.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • For his part, former Lakers guard Schröder said he was confused by Russell’s comments, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I don’t understand it,” the German veteran said. “But at the end of the day, it just shows off immaturity. You’re not really mature if you’re just keeping somebody’s name in his mouth and just running it. I don’t understand.” Ham also responded to Russell’s comments from McMenamin’s article, saying their relationship “is in a great place,” as Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays in a Twitter thread. “We have great conversations,” Ham said. “Great text exchanges after games. During the game our in-game conversations. … It’s tough. That’s why the phrase is called ‘building a relationship.’”
  • The Warriors expect star guard Stephen Curry to return to action on Saturday vs. the Lakers, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Curry, who has missed the past three games with a right ankle sprain, said “that’s the plan” when asked if he was going to suit up tomorrow, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda (Twitter link).
  • Kings guard Keon Ellis was in the starting lineup the past two games, and his defense on Damian Lillard and Russell was critical in both victories, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Sacramento knows it needs to continue to play strong defense to have a shot at advancing out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, Patterson adds.
  • The Kings are now 6-0 when Ellis starts. Will he continue to start going forward? Head coach Mike Brown sounded pretty skeptical about that possibility, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter video link). However, Brown said the second-year guard could finish games at times, similar to Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Malik Monk.
  • With James Harden out with a shoulder injury, Clippers guard Bones Hyland made the most of his opportunity in Thursday’s victory over the Bulls, observes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Hyland, who was often left open due to the attention paid to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, recorded 17 points (on 6-of-9 shooting), 11 assists, five rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes. Harden will miss his second straight game on Friday, though head coach Tyronn Lue said the former MVP is “feeling better,” tweets Law Murray of The Athletic.
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Community Shootaround: Potential Western Play-In Matchups

March 15th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Rockets still pushing for a play-in spot and in the midst of a four-game winning streak, the Western Conference’s postseason teams aren’t yet set in stone. But Houston remains 3.5 games back of the No. 10 Warriors and may not have center Alperen Sengun available for the rest of the season, so it would be a major surprise if the Rockets move into the top 10.

Assuming Houston falls short of the play-in cut-off, the four Western Conference teams in the play-in tournament will almost certainly come from this group of six clubs, which is currently separated by five games in the standings:

  1. New Orleans Pelicans (39-26)
  2. Sacramento Kings (38-27)
  3. Phoenix Suns (38-28)
  4. Dallas Mavericks (38-29)
  5. Los Angeles Lakers (36-31)
  6. Golden State Warriors (34-31)

It’s an awfully loaded group of teams in the play-in mix. If we assume the Pelicans and Kings hang onto their top-six spots, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Stephen Curry would have to secure their playoff berths via the play-in tournament, and two title hopefuls would end up headed home before the first round tips off.

The Suns, just a half-game back of the No. 6 seed and with their big three (Durant, Booker, and Bradley Beal) healthy, look like a strong candidate to move out of play-in range and snag a top-six spot. But as ESPN notes, Phoenix has the second-most difficult schedule the rest of the way, so that path won’t be an easy one.

The Warriors are in a good position to make up ground in the standings if they can get hot — they play both the Mavericks and Lakers twice more in the season’s final weeks, though three of those four matchups are on the road.

It’s also worth noting that Curry is banged up at the moment, though there’s optimism he’ll return soon. The same is true of Doncic in Dallas.

If the Lakers and Warriors end up in the ninth and 10th spots, it would result in arguably the most star-studded win-or-go-home the play-in tournament has seen since its inception. And whichever team wins that game would need to earn a second victory on the road to make the playoffs.

Looking at the Western Conference play-in picture, we want to know what you think. Which teams do you expect to finish in fifth and sixth, avoiding the play-in tournament? What would be the best matchups in the Western play-in games? Which two clubs do you expect to be eliminated in the tournament and watching the first round from home?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

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Sixers Sign Kai Jones To 10-Day Contract

March 15th, 2024 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Maher

MARCH 15: The Sixers have officially signed Jones to a 10-day deal, the team announced today in a press release.

MARCH 14: The Sixers plan to sign free agent forward/center Kai Jones to a 10-day contract on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Jones reportedly worked out for Philadelphia last week.

The No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Jones averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game across 67 total appearances in his first two professional seasons. He had a much bigger role at the G League level, averaging 17.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in 38 regular season games with the Greensboro Swarm — Charlotte’s affiliate — from 2021-23.

Jones made a series of unusual social media posts prior to the 2023/24 season, calling out some of his teammates in a handful of tweets and videos. A report ahead of training camp indicated that the big man wouldn’t be reporting to the Hornets for personal reasons. He subsequently requested a trade and then was waived by the club shortly thereafter. The 23-year-old has been a free agent since then.

Last week, Shams Charania of The Athletic stated that Jones has been working on himself “on and off the court” since the fall in the hopes of earning another NBA opportunity. The young center said back in November that he was meeting with teams, and one report around that time indicated that the Clippers brought him in for “a visit of some capacity.”

Charania also noted that Jones played well for the Bahamas in a pair of AmeriCup qualifying contests last month, averaging 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game while making 68.8% of his shots from the floor.

The Sixers, who have been on the lookout for frontcourt help since Joel Embiid went down with a knee injury, have two open roster spots, so they won’t have to waive anyone to add Jones, who will earn $116,075 over the course of his 10 days with Philly.

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Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Kyrie, Ingram, McCollum

March 15th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is the heavy betting favorite to be named this season’s Defensive Player of the Year. However, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, who is leading the NBA in blocked shots despite averaging just 28.8 minutes per game, is considered a likely finalist for the award in his rookie year.

Responding in French to a reporter from his homeland on Thursday, Wembanyama said that Gobert has earned the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024, but suggested he intends to supplant his fellow Frenchman as the favorite in future seasons, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).

“I know that Rudy has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved,” Wembanyama said. “Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”

Wembanyama is one of the most talented rim protectors to enter the NBA in years. Besides racking up blocked shots, he frequently uses his 7’4″ frame and eight-foot wingspan to force opposing players to alter their shots.

“He makes guys think about shooting layups that are usually just gimmes, easy shots, little bunnies around the rim,” teammate Tre Jones said. “He’s making guys question it, dribble out. And it’s been some of the best players in the league. We all see his dominance on the defensive end and it’s only going to get better.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has a “deep desire” to play for Team USA in the Paris Olympics this summer, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back (Twitter video link). Irving has previously won gold medals at the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics with Team USA, but wasn’t one of the 11 players identified a couple weeks ago as a virtual lock or a “strong candidate” to be part of this year’s team. Still, that group could change in the coming months.
  • Brandon Ingram is best known for his abilities as a scorer, but his Pelicans teammates and coaches are impressed with the strides he has made as a defender, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Trey Murphy said that Ingram has made “humongous steps” on defense and is “taking those steps to become a two-way superstar.”
  • Veteran guard CJ McCollum spent the first eight-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Portland, but he has found a new home in New Orleans with the Pelicans, both on and off the court, as William Guillory details for The Athletic. “I’m serious about my commitment to New Orleans. I don’t do this for play-play,” McCollum said. “This place holds a special place in my heart, and my family feels the same way.”
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Teams Have Used 2023/24 MLEs More During Season Than In Offseason

March 15th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The mid-level exception – which is available to over-the-cap teams whose salaries are below the second tax apron – and the room exception – available to teams that operated under the cap and used up their cap space – are typically viewed as tools to upgrade a roster during the offseason. And for many clubs in 2023, that was indeed the case.

The Knicks used most of their mid-level exception on Donte DiVincenzo. The Cavaliers used a chunk of theirs to sign Georges Niang. The Nuggets used their full taxpayer mid-level on Reggie Jackson. Gabe Vincent (Lakers) and Dennis Schröder (Raptors) were among the other players to get significant MLE money, while the Kings (Sasha Vezenkov) and Thunder (Vasilije Micic) used their room exceptions to add draft-and-stash prospects.

In total, 11 players were signed using the mid-level exception before the 2023/24 season began and two more were added using the room exception.

However, as our tracker shows, both of those numbers have more than doubled since the season got underway. A total of 12 MLE signings have been finalized since opening night, along with four more signings using the room exception.

In many cases, the players signed using these exceptions were on two-way contracts and were being promoted to a team’s standard roster. Those players were often in their first or second NBA season, so their teams wanted to lock them up to longer-term deals.

The mid-level exception accommodates that — it can be used to sign players for up to four seasons. The room exception also helps in that regard, since it can now be used to sign players for up to three seasons instead of just two. The minimum salary exception, conversely, only allows for deals up to two years.

In other cases, the mid-level or room exception comes in handy because it allows a team to offer more money than the minimum salary exception allows for. For example, when they signed Kyle Lowry on the buyout market, the Sixers were able to use their MLE to give him a rest-of-season salary of $2,795,839. A prorated minimum-salary deal would’ve paid him just $1,138,964.

Sometimes, the fact that the mid-level and room exception allow for more years and more money than the minimum salary exception is crucial. Offering a player a higher salary in year one might be the incentive needed to get him to agree to a longer-term contract that keeps him under team control at an affordable rate in future seasons.

Here’s the full list of players who have been signed using teams’ mid-level or room exceptions since opening night, along with the length of their contract and their starting salary:

Mid-level exception signings:

Room exception signings:

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Central Notes: Pistons, Giannis, Lopez, Craig, Phillips

March 15th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons entered this season hoping to push for a spot in the postseason. They currently have the NBA’s second-worst record (12-53), so they’ll fall well short of that preseason goal. Still, they’ve won as many times (six) in their past 16 games as they did in their first 49 contests, and have shown real signs of growth as of late, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.

During their past 16 games, the Pistons rank 20th in the NBA in net rating (-3.0) and 16th in defensive rating (113.0). Their pieces also seem to fit together in a way that they didn’t before their trade deadline overhaul, Langlois observes.

“We’re coming together as a team,” center Jalen Duren said, per Sankofa. “We’re all feeling good playing, I feel like everyone is catching their rhythm. You see (Marcus Sasser) coming in and doing his thing, Big Wise (James Wiseman) coming in and doing his thing. … Everyone’s contributing in their own way. That’s helping us.

“… We talk about running through the tape as a team and finishing the year strong, so that’s kinda been my mindset these last whatever games it’s been since All-Star break. Just running through the tape.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • In a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered some interesting thoughts on the integration of Damian Lillard, the team’s multiple recent coaching changes, and the MVP race, among other topics. Antetokounmpo admitted this might be “the hardest season” of his career due to the adjustments to the personnel and coaching changes, as well as the procedure he underwent on his knee last summer.
  • Bucks center Brook Lopez tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he believes the ups and downs of the season have made the team more resilient, adding that Doc Rivers‘ impact on the club has been “incredibly noticeable” since he replaced Adrian Griffin. “He’s given us a great energy and a great confidence,” Lopez said. “Things have been simplified. We have a lot of people on the same page right now.”
  • Torrey Craig made his ninth start of the season on Thursday, replacing injured Bulls guard Coby White. As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago details, Craig made a strong impression, knocking down four three-pointers and serving as the primary defender on Kawhi Leonard.
  • The Bulls announced today in a press release that rookie forward Julian Phillips has been diagnosed with a right foot sprain. The team didn’t offer any sort of recovery timeline for Phillips, simply stating that he’s wearing a walking boot and that his status will be updated as appropriate.
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Mavs Notes: Doncic, THJ, Gafford, Green

March 15th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

MVP candidate Luka Doncic didn’t travel to Oklahoma City with the Mavericks for Thursday’s game against the Thunder, but head coach Jason Kidd shared a positive update on the superstar’s left hamstring injury, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required).

An MRI performed on Doncic’s hamstring “came back clean,” Kidd told reporters, adding that it’s “great news” and that the NBA’s leading scorer will be reevaluated when the team is back in Dallas.

The Mavericks are off Friday and Saturday before hosting the Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. It sounds like there’s at least a chance that Doncic will be able to return for that game.

Here’s more on the Mavs:

  • Dallas’ loss to the Thunder on Thursday dropped the club’s record to 3-6 without Doncic this season, but Kidd suggested prior to the game that there’s a silver lining to not having the star guard available. “There’s not one person who can make up for Luka. This is a great test for us,” Kidd said, per Townsend. “We’ve had injuries before, playing without Luka and (Kyrie Irving). So this gives us another chance others to step up and do their job.” Tim Hardaway Jr. stepped up on Thursday with one of his best games in weeks, posting 21 points and nine rebounds, Townsend notes.
  • A missed put-back attempt by Daniel Gafford early in Thursday’s game ended the big man’s streak of 33 consecutive made field goal attempts, Townsend observes. It was the second-longest streak in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain‘s 35 straight in 1967. “I’m smiling ear-to-ear on the insides, just because of the simple fact that I had a chance to (break Chamberlain’s record),” said Gafford, who’s shooting an incredible 77.4% (72-of-93) since joining the Mavs at last month’s trade deadline. “And it’s not my only chance. I know for a fact — I don’t know how many games we’ve got left this season — but I’m for sure gonna try to do that before the regular season is over with, no doubt.”
  • Mavericks wing Josh Green left Thursday’s game in the first quarter due to a right ankle sprain (story via The Dallas Morning News). Kidd told reporters that X-rays on Green’s came back negative, but it remains possible that he’ll have to miss some time as a result of the injury.
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