“Don’t know if it would be any different if they started or came off the bench,” Udoka said. “That’s who they are. Very disruptive. You know, they’re going against starters half the time. It’s not like they’re playing against bench guys. They just impact the game. It’s just a tandem. It makes it stick out even more because they’re so disruptive all over the court. … It’s more magnified when two guys are … flying all over the court and making that impact.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Keldon Johnson knew his approach to the game would have to change as the Spurs made win-now moves in adding Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes this offseason, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. “Ultimately, I just wanted to be more efficient,” Johnson said. He changed his diet and got his weight down before the season and has reshaped his offensive profile to be that of a slasher, according to Iko. 70% of Johnson’s 12.5 points per game this season come from drives. Johnson is under contract for $19MM this season and is on the books for $17.5MM in each of the following two seasons.
  • The Pelicans lost to the Thunder in blowout fashion on Wednesday, and it’s another culmination of their devastating list of injuries, Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes. Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, Zion Williamson and Jose Alvarado are all out with mutli-week injuries. The Pelicans have lost six in a row to fall to 3-9 entering Thursday.
  • As Clark observes in the same piece, primary playmaking duties have fallen to Brandon Ingram and Brandon Boston Jr. Though Boston has limited NBA experience, let alone professional playmaking experience, he’s been impressive from a statistical standpoint in the wake of New Orleans’ injuries. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists after being claimed on waivers by the Pelicans from the Spurs just before the season. Boston’s on a two-way contract.
  • The Grizzlies have a rotation predicament on their hands, Michael Wallace of Grind City Media writes. With Luke Kennard returning to the rotation last week, Marcus Smart coming back this week and Vince Williams Jr. on the verge of making his season debut, Memphis is getting healthier, forcing the team to look into how the rotation will look. While a good problem to have, Memphis’s deep reserves have more than proven their spot in the league by helping leading the team to 7-5 amid absences. “I can’t give you that answer right now, but it’s been on my mind a lot,” coach Taylor Jenkins said of the rotation. “As I told these guys, it doesn’t matter whether you start or come off the bench. It’s about impacting winning. We’re looking to find our advantages.“