Bucks point guard Damian Lillard has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will miss Tuesday’s game vs. Toronto, the team announced (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).
Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) that Lillard was hit in the head near the end of the third quarter of Sunday’s game against Boston. After he experienced headaches and dizziness on Monday, testing confirmed he has a concussion.
It’s possible Lillard will be able to return in time for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, Haynes says, but he’ll have to pass all the tests in the concussion protocol in order to receive medical clearance. That process often takes at least a few days.
We have more from around the Central:
- The Cavaliers pushed their season-opening win streak to a dozen games with a win over Chicago on Monday, becoming the first team to start a season 12-0 or better since the 2015/16 Warriors (who went 24-0). “It’s great. We’re playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team,” star guard Donovan Mitchell said, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. “That’s been my message to the guys in the locker room. This is great. We’re going to get teams’ best shots. We’re going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? And I never — no doubt we will — but that’s been my thing. Are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April? I think the guys all feel it, but it’s great to enjoy these moments too while you’re still having a humble approach to it.”
- In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor takes a look at how new head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s creativity and experimentation has helped spur the Cavaliers‘ early-season success. Meanwhile, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today explores how reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Darius Garland has rediscovered his joy and love for the game this fall under Atkinson.
- Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who is recovering from a right wrist sprain, is out of his brace and will begin dribbling in the coming days to see how the wrist responds, head coach Billy Donovan said on Monday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I do think he has some soreness, (and) certainly it’s been a slow progression for him,” Donovan said. “But he has gotten better.”
looks like a new trend in coaching is changing NBA right now. Kerr and Atkinson using the same game plan using a deep bench and winning games. I wonder if more teams start following that game plan and go away from having multiple high price all stars to strong benches.
That was already a plan, really. Most of the past several conference finals teams have had two stars and a deep roster around them. Teams like the Nuggets, Celtics, Mavs, Heat, and the ’23 Celtics and Lakers all followed that blueprint, and that’s just off the top of my head.
Of those teams you listed they went away from deep teams to all stars. Only the heat stayed with numbers. Celtics was because of great drafting and trades.
Lakers didn’t at all, but between injuries and inconsistent play, they just haven’t looked like it (Darvin Ham being an imbecile last year did not help); their rotation is nine deep even with injuries to Vando, Wood, and Koloko (plus Christie not playing like he should).
Celtics and Mavs both still count; the Mavs are dealing with similar problems to the Lakers, wherein their star duo is carrying them, but they still have a deep rotation. Cavs and Warriors are both also due to great drafting and trades, so that changes nothing with the Celtics.
Only the Nuggets can realistically be said to have gone away from the blueprint, and that’s largely due to salary cap restrictions and MPJ being an albatross. They’re still attempting to do things that way, but Murray being bad, MPJ being MPJ, and Gordon being injured are all working against them.
Lakers went away from a strong bench. Its more than injuries that is hurting the Lakers. Celtics just has a great GM that built a team but in 3 years that bench will be gone because of the cap. Reason warriors been average the last 2 years they had too much money on stars. Nuggets will be 1 injury away from a average team with so much in 4 players. Exactly what hurt the bucks letting their bench go.
The Lakers do have more problems than just injuries, but it’s not the depth of their bench that’s hurting them. The *quality* of available guys, yes, potentially. But also D-Lo and Reaves not fitting into lineups together, which is one of the few things Ham had a point about.
As to the salary cap problems, duh. It’s basically impossible to hold a proper bench unit together anymore with the new cap rules. But that hasn’t happened yet for any of the teams mentioned except the Nuggets.
Lakers bigger problem is no defense. You have AD and a bunch of offensive players.
They were league average last year and just outside the top 10 the year prior. Defense isn’t the problem. It’s deployment of players and the lack of better options (Vando and Koloko are both good defensive players who haven’t gotten into a game yet).
Arc89 – Spurs already had this plan perfected during the early 00’s until 2016. Other teams have also mirrored this. 2009 Orlando Magic come to mind. Others are 2010-2015 Chicago Bulls with the ‘bench mob’. Lol.
Meanwhile I’m happy for Atkinson. I really wanted him after he got fired in Brooklyn. Tremendous coach and X’s and O’s guy. Cleveland got a good one.
That also requires a good head coach who knows how to utilize said deep bench and make adjustments. Give bad to mediocre head coaches all of that depth and it wouldn’t move the needle much.
Has to be about a Warriors thing huh when teams like the Spurs back in their hay day were already doing this but yeah lets go with your narrative that this is about the Warriors. Typical Warriors Homer like Babey J pathetic.
Is this a Central thread ??
Fans explaining how the L works and its trends. Has to to show us all why you are fans.
There is only one trend is sports. That’s winning. And most teams don’t do that for too long. Success is not the same as winning. Most don’t understand the difference …….
Allen, Mobley, Garland, Mitchell, could all be all stars. But in basketball you only play 5. And players have to take the supporting role. To make it a real team. A successful team. A WINNING team.
Cavs are young still. As a new team. As young players. As a new coach. They are a perfect example of how a team grows. Something most fans don’t bother to learn. Since they think all you need is stars ………
Winning is not about stars. Winning is about team ball. From management to coaches to players. Winning teams need to grow together to reach that goal. When you are young and new. It takes time, yrs. I’ve been saying this about Cavs since they got Mitchell. Starting to look like this could be yr they make that statement.
Haven’t forgotten all the Garland haters.
I sometimes think that a lot of these journalists forgot that Garland was dealing with weightloss/muscle/endurance loss after battling through his broken jaw last season. Did they think he would just come back last year as good as gold? It takes a while to get a athlete back to his true ability. He had to take some offseason time to get his weight back up and muscle mass. So it is not a surprise he is playing better this year, plus he is shining under the new system.