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Two Hawks Players, Magic’s Mulder Enter Protocols

December 22nd, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Two more Hawks players have entered the health and safety protocols, according to the team (via Twitter). Veteran guard Lou Williams and wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game vs. Orlando after being placed in the protocols.

Williams and Luwawu-Cabarrot join Trae Young, Clint Capela, and Danilo Gallinari in the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. If those players have tested positive, they’ll be out for 10 days or until they can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

The Hawks have taken steps to add replacement players and aren’t currently at risk of falling short of the required minimum of eight players. The team signed Lance Stephenson and Malcolm Hill on Wednesday and is expected to finalize a deal with Wesley Iwundu on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Magic two-way guard Mychal Mulder also entered the health and safety protocols today, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Like their Wednesday opponents, the Magic have been hit hard by COVID-19 but have added several replacements and will have enough bodies available to play tonight’s game in Atlanta.

Mulder is the sixth player to enter the protocols for Orlando, joining Mohamed Bamba, Ignas Brazdeikis, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross, and Moritz Wagner. The club is also missing several players due to long-term injuries.

Hawks Sign Lance Stephenson Via Hardship Exception

December 22nd, 2021 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 22: The Hawks have officially signed Stephenson to a 10-day contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.

DECEMBER 21: The Hawks are calling up veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson from the G League, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stephenson had been playing for the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s NBAGL affiliate.

Stephenson, 31, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018/19 season, but signed a G League contract this fall in the hopes of making a comeback. In his first 12 games for the Gold this season, the former Pacer averaged 19.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .471/.306/.686 shooting in 35.0 MPG.

Stephenson has appeared in a total of 508 regular season NBA games, including 298 with Indiana. He also spent time with the Hornets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Lakers during his nine years in the league.

The Hawks will sign Stephenson to a 10-day contract via the hardship provision, says Stein (Twitter link). Atlanta hasn’t been among the teams hit hardest this month by COVID-19, but Trae Young is currently in the protocols, making the club eligible to add a replacement player.

As Stein observes, a handful of NBA veterans who had been playing for Grand Rapids have received NBA call-ups this month. Isaiah Thomas recently signed with the Lakers, while Nik Stauskas reportedly has a deal in place with Toronto.

Hawks Sign Malcolm Hill To 10-Day Deal

December 22nd, 2021 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 22: Hill has officially signed his 10-day contract with the Hawks, according to the team. It’ll run through December 31.

DECEMBER 21: Former Illinois forward Malcolm Hill has agreed to sign a 10-day contract with the Hawks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta will sign Hill using a hardship exception.

The Hawks entered Tuesday with just one player – Trae Young – in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but two other Atlanta players are set to join Young in those protocols, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Three of the team’s “tier one” staffers are also being placed in the protocols, as the team canceled its Tuesday practice, per Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

Having already agreed to sign Lance Stephenson, the Hawks have now lined up a deal with Hill, who went undrafted in 2017 and has since played in the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Israel. The 6’6″ wing returned stateside this year and has been playing for the Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League affiliate.

In 14 NBAGL games (31.6 MPG) for the Squadron, Hill has averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.6 SPG on .509/.402/.810 shooting.

Caldwell-Pope, Gallinari, Capela, Others Enter Protocols

December 21st, 2021 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Washington had been one of 10 teams that didn’t currently have any players in the protocols, but that’s no longer the case.

According to Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr., Caldwell-Pope returned a positive COVID-19 test on Monday evening (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). He’ll be sidelined for 10 days or until he can return consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.

Here are a few more protocol-related updates from around the league:

Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari and center Clint Capela been placed in the health and safety protocols, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links). An earlier report stated that two Atlanta players were entering the protocols today — now we know that Gallinari and Capela are those two players.
Lakers center Dwight Howard and guard Talen Horton-Tucker have exited the health and safety protocols, the team announced today (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). That doesn’t necessarily mean that both players have been cleared to return to action, but they’re able to rejoin the team for practices and should be available soon.
Bulls two-way guard Devon Dotson is now in the health and safety protocols, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (Twitter link). Chicago has had some players return since the team’s initial COVID-19 outbreak, but still has five other players in the protocols in addition to Dotson.
Kings two-way center Neemias Queta is the latest Sacramento player to enter the COVID-19 protocols, tweets Wojnarowski. The club now has seven players in the protocols.
The NBA has told the 10 teams scheduled to play on December 25 that some of their games could be shifted to new times if any Christmas Day contests have to be postponed, tweets Wojnarowski. As Woj explains, the league is prioritizing the 2:30pm ET, 5:00pm, and 8:00pm windows, so if one of those games is postponed, either the early or late game would likely be moved.

NBA Postpones Three Sunday Games

December 19th, 2021 at 12:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:30pm: The NBA has officially postponed three games on Sunday: Cavs-Hawks, Nets-Nuggets, and Pelicans-Sixers, the league announced (via Twitter).

11:30am: The NBA has decided to postpone tonight’s game between the Cavaliers and Hawks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The contest between the Nets and Nuggets has been called off as well, Woj adds (Twitter link), and others may be in jeopardy, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The league is still considering whether to postpone tonight’s matchup between the Pelicans and Sixers, Wojnarowski tweets.

The news comes amid another day of numerous players being put into health and safety protocols, including Cleveland center Jarrett Allen and four of his teammates, along with Atlanta All-Star guard Trae Young. Philadelphia lost Andre Drummond and Shake Milton and already has a depleted roster.

COVID-19 forced multiple postponements last season, especially early on, but the league was able to avoid any schedule interruptions until earlier this week when the short-handed Bulls had games postponed against the Pistons and Raptors.

Multiple teams have seen their rosters decimated by the virus over the past few days, so more postponements could be coming. It’s particularly distressing for the league that this outbreak is happening so close to Christmas Day, which is an annual showcase. Among the teams scheduled to play on December 25, the Knicks, Celtics, Bucks, Nets and Lakers are especially short-handed.

Five More Cavaliers Players Enter Protocols

December 19th, 2021 at 12:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:28 PM: The five players who have entered the protocols are Allen, Lamar Stevens, Dylan Windler, Denzel Valentine and RJ Nembhard, the Cavaliers announced (via Twitter). Their game with the Hawks Sunday has been postponed due to the outbreak.

11:24 AM: Tonight’s game between the Cavaliers and Hawks is expected to be postponed, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). It would be the third game of the season to be called off, following the Bulls’ games this week against the Pistons and Raptors.

11:21 AM: Center Jarrett Allen is among the five players being placed in the protocols, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Allen has been among the reasons for Cleveland’s turnaround, averaging 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 28 games.

10:30 AM: Five Cavaliers tested positive for COVID-19 today and there are concerns that the team may not have eight available players for tonight’s game in Atlanta, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Cleveland is already without Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro, who both entered the protocols this week.

Most players who would be eligible to join the team under the hardship provision are currently in Las Vegas for the G League Showcase, explains Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Travel issues would make it difficult for any of them to be in Atlanta by game time.

The Cleveland players haven’t been identified yet, but because they tested positive, they will have to spend 10 days in the protocols unless they can submit two consecutive negative tests for the virus at least 24 hours apart. The Cavaliers, one of the season’s early surprises with a 19-12 record, are scheduled to play four times in the next 10 days, including tonight’s game.

Follow all the latest COVID-19 updates in our daily tracker.

Drummond, Milton In Protocols; Sixers-Pelicans Game Postponed

December 19th, 2021 at 12:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:09 PM: The game between the Sixers and Pelicans Sunday night has been postponed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. In a follow-up tweet, Wojnarowski says Philadelphia may be able to resume playing Monday against Boston.

11:01 PM: The Sixers may not have eight available players for tonight’s game against the Pelicans, which could cause it to be postponed, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Andre Drummond and Shake Milton have both entered the league’s health and safety protocols, joining teammate Georges Niang, Charania adds. In addition, Furkan Korkmaz has a non-COVID illness, three other players are hurt and Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey are listed as questionable.

The Sixers are scheduled to play tomorrow night in Boston, where the Celtics also have COVID-19 issues, so that game may be in jeopardy as well. Then they’re off until Thursday against the Hawks, who saw All-Star guard Trae Young enter the protocols earlier today.

If they tested positive, Drummond and Milton will both remain in protocols for 10 days unless they can submit two consecutive negative tests for the virus at least 24 hours apart. Counting tonight’s game, Philadelphia is scheduled to play five times in the next 10 days.

Trae Young In Health And Safety Protocols

December 19th, 2021 at 9:53am CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks star Trae Young has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Young will definitely miss tonight’s game against the Cavaliers, Wojanarowski adds, and his status for a marquee Christmas Day contest with the Knicks is uncertain (Twitter link). If Young tested positive for COVID-19, he will stay in the protocols for 10 days unless he returns two consecutive negative tests more than 24 hours apart.

He’s putting together All-Star numbers again this season, averaging 27.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists through 29 games. Counting tonight’s game, the Hawks are scheduled to play five times over the next 10 days.

Young is the first Atlanta player to enter the protocols. Keep up to date with all the cases around the league in our daily tracker.

Hawks’ Onyeka Okongwu Set For Season Debut

December 17th, 2021 at 5:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan says second-year big man Onyeka Okongwu will make his season debut Friday night, according to Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (all Twitter links).

Okongwu will be on a minutes restriction as he continues to build his conditioning, Spencer relays. The young center says he feels sound physically.

“I’m good. Coach Mac (McMillan) and the other coaches have been pushing me out here, trying to get me in the best shape, best cardio, so when my name is called, I’ll be ready,” Okongwu said.

Okongwu, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2020 draft, has been recovering from surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. He was originally projected to miss six months, but will make his debut just shy of five, so clearly the rehabilitation process has gone well for the 21-year-old. He’s been playing 5-on-5 practices with the College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta’s G League affiliate) the past couple weeks, and in his lone contest with the Skyhawks, Okongwu put up 10 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in just 24 minutes.

Okongwu was a bench regular for the Hawks last season, averaging 4.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG while shooting 64.4% from the field in 50 games (12 MPG). He also played in every playoff game during Atlanta’s surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s a welcome return for the 14-14 Hawks, who have missed Okongwu’s energy, athleticism, defense, and above-the-rim finishing off the bench this season. He held a plus-16 net rating as a rookie, per Basketball-Reference, and showed significant growth towards the end of last season. The Hawks face the Nuggets at 6:30 PM CT.

Southeast Notes: LaMelo, McDaniels, Anthony, Wizards, Hawks

December 14th, 2021 at 10:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link). Ball was assigned to Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, to get back into game shape. Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer adds (via Twitter) that the second-year guard was subsequently recalled from Greensboro following the practice with the NBAGL club.

The Hornets also announced (Twitter link) that forward Jalen McDaniels has fully cleared the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and will be available to suit up for Charlotte in the team’s next game, Wednesday against the Spurs.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

In a conversation with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, second-year Magic point guard Cole Anthony discussed his candidacy for the 2021/22 Most Improved Player award after a hot start to his sophomore season. Anthony revealed that vying for the award had been a goal ahead of his second year in Orlando. “Coming into this season, that’s an award me and my team talked about winning,” Anthony said. “It’s something that I’d love to win, but at the end of the day, if it happens, it happens. I want to make sure my team is functioning well, everyone is getting better, and that’s a bigger win to me. That being said, I wouldn’t be mad if I won that award. It would be pretty cool to be rewarded for your hard work.” The 6’2″ Anthony was drafted with the No. 15 pick by the Magic out of North Carolina. This season, he is averaging 20.5 PPG on .425/.376/.874 shooting splits, plus 6.1 RPG, 5.6 APG and 0.9 SPG.
Though the Wizards opened the 2021/22 season with a red-hot 10-3 start, they have since fallen back to earth, going 5-10 in their 15 most recent contests. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes that the club could greatly benefit from the returns of forward Rui Hachimura and center Thomas Bryant, neither of whom has played a game for Washington this year. Hughes notes that the 24-year-old Bryant is at least a few weeks away as he continues to recuperate from a February ACL surgery. The 23-year-old Hachimura, who has missed every game this year for undisclosed personal reasons, is currently practicing to acclimate his body to NBA-level play again.
The 13-14 Hawks are striving to improve their on-court cohesion after a disappointing start to the 2021/22 season, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I feel like it’s approach,” recently-extended power forward John Collins said. “We need to understand each moment. I don’t think talent, playing the game or any basketball factors are what’s wrong. It’s a matter of analyzation and execution. That’s what needs to change.” Kirschner pinpoints the absences of shot creators Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter, the team’s lackluster reserve point guard play, and a lack of defensive intensity as the root causes for Atlanta’s frustrating first few months.