Arthur Hill | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Billups, Trail Blazers, Holmgren, Nix

November 11th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups tore into his team for failing to be competitive in Sunday’s loss to Memphis, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Portland lost by 45 points while playing at home against a Grizzlies squad that was missing Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Billups told reporters that he has no plans to rewatch the game, then criticized his players for their lackluster effort.

“We were soft as hell the whole game,” he said. “Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing. That’s just not who we are. There’s no excuse for that. You have a lot of rough nights in this league, obviously. But I don’t even care. This wasn’t even that. Guys showed up because they had to be here but they didn’t want to play. They didn’t want to actually work. That’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans that paid their hard-earned money to come see their favorite team play. And you show up and do that. It was embarrassing.”

The poor performance and Billups’ reaction raise questions about how much longer he’ll be with the organization, Highkin adds. Billups is already considered likely to be replaced after the season ends, but Highkin suggests that more outings like Sunday’s may force general manager Joe Cronin to make a coaching change before the spring.

In addition to criticizing his players, Billups accepted part of the blame for what happened.

“We’ve lost by more points than this,” he said. “But it’s how. We’re laying down and caving in. At the end of the day, that’s on me. I’m the leader in this. This is our team, but I’m the head of this. I take that very personally. I don’t have one bone of that in my body. That’s on me. I’ve got to be better. I’ll have them a little more prepared next time.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers are likely to be active on the trade market before the February 6 deadline, Highkin adds in a separate story. He expects Robert Williams III to be in demand if he stays healthy, considering the number of teams that need help at center. Highkin also believes contenders will keep calling about Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle, but he considers Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons less likely to be moved.
After suffering a right iliac wing fracture on Sunday that will sideline him for at least eight-to-10 weeks, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren shared his thoughts on the injury (Twitter link). “Can’t tell if I feel better or worse about this having been through something similar before,” he wrote. “On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind. Most of all I’m hurt I can’t help my teammates and play for our fans and supporters for a while. Everyone who sticks with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a big part of my passion to return. Don’t pity me or feel bad, there’s lots of people out there right now with real problems that don’t heal. Anyways excuse my rambling just wanted to address our OKC fans and family.”
Daishen Nix, who signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves this summer, had a huge game for the G League Iowa Wolves on Saturday. He posted 45 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and capped off the night with a game-clinching steal and assist (Twitter video link from Charlie Walton).

Ausar Thompson Cleared To Return

November 11th, 2024 at 8:29am CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson has received medical clearance from the NBA’s Fitness-To-Play Panel, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Thompson has been sidelined since March when doctors discovered he had a blood clot. He will begin participating in full-contact practices and is expected to make his season debut soon, Charania adds.

Thompson’s return date will depend on his level of conditioning, a source tells Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

Thompson, the No. 5 pick in the 2023 draft, was a part-time starter during his rookie season, making 38 starts in 63 games and averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.1 minutes per night. He was one of Detroit’s best defensive players, although he struggled with his outside shot, connecting at just 18.6% from three-point range.

Thompson has been working closely with new Pistons shooting coach Fred Vinson while he was sidelined, Sankofa adds (Twitter link). Sankofa suggests that Isaiah Stewart could spend more time spotting up for threes whenever he and Thompson are on the court together.

Thompson sat out the last 19 games of his rookie year and has missed 11 so far this season, Sankofa adds in a full story. He was permitted to participate in conditioning and non-contact drills while the Fitness-To-Play Panel reviewed his case.

“Ever since what happened, happened, I’ve been working out and have slowly progressed the workouts to be harder and harder,” Thompson said at media day. “Right now I feel great, I feel perfectly fine.”

Detroit recently picked up the 2025/26 options for Thompson and three other members of last season’s rookie class. He will become eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer of 2026.

Lakers Notes: Davis, LeBron, Reddish, Knecht

November 11th, 2024 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star Anthony Davis will visit an ophthalmologist today after getting poked in his left eye during Sunday’s game, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link). Sources tell McMenamin that Davis experienced swelling in the eye and had difficulty keeping it open. He wasn’t able to return to the game, but the appointment is considered “precautionary,” McMenamin adds.

The play occurred in the third quarter when Davis blocked a dunk attempt by Toronto center Jakob Poeltl, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. As they met at the rim, Davis was inadvertently hit in the eye and fell to the court. Coach J.J. Redick told reporters that Davis was experiencing issues with his vision after the incident.

“I just know that he got poked in it,” Redick said. “He was having trouble seeing. Obviously taking a little bit of trauma to the eye, it takes a little bit of time to get your clear vision back. But other than that, no update.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

LeBron James posted 19 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds Sunday night, making him oldest player in NBA history with triple-doubles in back-to-back games, McMenamin adds (Twitter link). With his 40th birthday approaching next month, James talked about the effort that goes into remaining one of the league’s top players. “It’s pretty cool that with the amount of miles I’ve put on the tires, lack of tread on these tires, and I’m still able to get up and down the highway and do it at a high level,” James said. “I just try to give everything to the game outside of the game before the game even starts, if that makes sense. I arrive here four to five hours before the game, and I’m already doing all the things to put me in position to be the best I can be when the fans are here and the ball is tipped and everybody’s going crazy.” James added that he “won’t do it until the wheels fall off, I’ll tell you that.”
Redick is impressed by the way Cam Reddish has adapted his game for the good of the team, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Reddish made his second straight start on Sunday night, and he appears comfortable in that role. “You just kind of have to have a long-term view and really embrace the things required for that specific team to get on the floor,” Redick said. “And for us, having a defensive presence guarding the primary matchup, primary scorer, those are the things that we need Cam to do. I told him early in preseason, I said, ‘look, we’re going to figure out the offensive part of it and where we can have you feel like you have a role there. But full stop for you to get on the floor, it has to be on the defensive end.’ And over the last week, he’s really embraced that.”
Dalton Knecht hasn’t lost his confidence despite a rough start to his NBA career, Price adds. The first-round pick is a three-point shooting specialist, but he’s connecting at just 27.8% from beyond the arc in his first nine games. “I’m not speaking for him, but I think for shooters, it’s hard mentally when you get off to a slow start shooting the ball,” Redick said. “It can kind of weigh on you. I’ve talked to him about it, he believes the next shot’s going in every single time. And so do I.”

Pacific Notes: Melton, Reddish, Bronny, Suns

November 9th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton said it felt “amazing” to be back on the court Friday night after missing five games due to a back strain, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. He was able to play 18 minutes, contributing 10 points, two rebounds and three assists as he moved right back into coach Steve Kerr‘s expanded rotation.

“Aggravation and they wanted to be cautious about it,” Melton said of the injury. “They just want to make sure I’m staying strong right now. Staying solid in terms of everything. Not worrying about necessarily being out there all the time, but the long haul.”

Melton experienced back pain while playing for Philadelphia last season and was unavailable for 40 of the final 45 regular season games. Golden State was aware of his physical issues when it signed him in free agency this summer, and the team’s medical staff is being careful in how it’s handling him.

“I’ve got a lot of trust in what they do,” Melton said, “and they’ve gotten me this far, so I’m in it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach J.J. Redick considers his starting lineup to be “fluid,” per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register, so any changes like Friday’s move to replace D’Angelo Russell with Cam Reddish may not be permanent. Reddish put up modest stats with three points and five rebounds, but he impacted the game on defense, particularly in his matchups with Paul George. “Every team is different, every coach is different,” Reddish said. “I just go out there and do what (Redick) tells me to do. In my past life, I was going out there doing what I wanted to do. That doesn’t necessarily work all the time.”
Several members of the Lakers showed up Saturday night to support Bronny James in his first G League game, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. The group included Redick, general manager Rob Pelinka, Russell, Anthony Davis and of course Bronny’s father, LeBron James. He posted six points, three rebounds and four assists for South Bay.
Rookie Ryan Dunn could be coach Mike Budenholzer‘s choice to replace Kevin Durant in the Suns‘ starting lineup while he’s recovering from a calf strain, suggests Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Royce O’Neale is a more experienced option, Rankin adds, but Budenholzer seems to prefer using him off the bench. Rankin states that the injury could also result in more playing time for Josh Okogie, who made his season debut on Friday, and Bol Bol, who has yet to play this season.

Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Black, Hornets, Hunter, Butler

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are learning how to be successful while Paolo Banchero recovers from a torn right oblique that will keep him out indefinitely, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Other players are stepping up to help replace the 29 points per game that Banchero was averaging before the injury. Much of the burden falls on Franz Wagner, who set the tone with 17 first quarter points Friday in a win over New Orleans.

“It’s no secret that he’s our guy right now,” Anthony Black said. “Getting him going is important for us, not just for [Friday], but going forward. We’re telling him, ‘Keep being aggressive, keep shooting the ball, keep getting to the rim, and just be you out there and let us play off of you.’ It’s definitely good that he’s going and we need him to keep that going, so we’re trusting him.”

Black has also looked to increase his scoring output, registering 10 of his 11 points in the second half Friday. Black has become a full-time rotation member in his second NBA season, and his numbers have increased across the board.

“He’s so tall, quick and twitchy that you can’t really guard him going into the paint,” Moritz Wagner said of Black. “Honestly, that’s what we’ve been doing these last year fours — trying to score in the paint. It’s our DNA. That’s not going to change win or lose.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets are another short-handed team that is finding ways to win, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Miles Bridges and Nick Richards both joined Mark Williams on the injured list this week, but Charlotte defeated Indiana on Friday night with a depleted frontcourt rotation. “We talked today about we don’t make excuses, we just keep making progress,” coach Charles Lee said. “And it’s not about some of the injuries. “You are like, ‘Oh, why is this happening to us?’ No, ‘What is this trying to teach us, what is this trying to help us learn to do better, to grow from?’ And I think the guys have just kind of embraced the adversity and kind of use this as time to keep getting better and trusting each other.”
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter missed his eighth straight game tonight, but it was due to “personal family reasons” rather than the right knee issue he has been dealing with, according to Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Hunter and his partner welcomed their first child Saturday morning, and he’s making sure the mother and baby are both OK. Williams adds that Hunter was hoping to return to action this week if the baby hadn’t arrived and he now expects to play next week.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Minnesota after leaving Friday’s contest in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. It will be the first missed game of the season for Butler, who has accepted the challenge of trying to be available more often during the regular season. It’s also another obstacle for a 3-5 Miami team that’s already dealing with adversity. “This group has got to figure it out,” Duncan Robinson said. “We got some good stretches defensively. You’ve got to learn how to win. You’ve got guys that have done it before. It’s just not going to come automatically.”

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Barrett, Quickley, J. Brown

November 9th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers players are trying to avoid getting discouraged as they work to overcome an unexpected rough start to the season, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

Within the past week, Joel Embiid was suspended for shoving a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist, delaying his season debut by three more games, and Tyrese Maxey was sidelined with a hamstring injury. Paul George‘s return from a bruised knee was expected to help, but the team has the worst record in the league at 1-7 and is in the midst of a five-game losing streak.

“The ship hasn’t sunk,” George said. “We know that we have to remain positive. We know that big fella is coming back and he’s one of the best. We’re going to get Tyrese healthy and we’ll get him back. Then we can finally be a complete team and start to build, and then we can finally begin to find out who we are. We’re still positive. We’re going to show up and we’re going to have the intention of winning games. We need more attention to detail, but we just have to continue to remain positive.”

The Sixers entered the season with championship aspirations, but Jones points out that no team has ever started 1-7 and recovered to win a title, while only one team in the past five years has overcome such a poor start to make the playoffs. Working to Philadelphia’s advantage is the weakness of the Eastern Conference, where only two teams currently have winning records. The Sixers are a mere three games out of third place, so there’s a chance to rise up the standings quickly once everyone is available.

“There isn’t a magic formula for us,” Kyle Lowry said. “We have a lot of work to do. We have to get better offensively. We have to get better defensively. We have to play hard. We have to stay positive and not get down on ourselves. It’s a dark time, but we have to figure out a way to handle the adversity.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Injuries have forced RJ Barrett to take on a larger role in the Raptors‘ offense, and he has responded by putting up the best numbers of his career, notes Michael Pina of The Ringer. Through six games, Barrett is averaging career highs with 25.7 points and 7.0 assists as the absences of Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have required him to handle the ball more often. Pina points out that Barrett was the second-best player on Team Canada during the Summer Olympics and suggests that he may be headed for his first All-Star Game.
Quickley could return for tonight’s game against the Clippers, which should help the Raptors at both ends of the court, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Quickley has been sidelined since suffering a pelvic contusion midway through the season opener. “He brings a lot to our team from shooting, from opening up the floor for other guys as well, spacing,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “He’s learning our system more and more, so he’s becoming more comfortable with cutting and just running our team well. Obviously, those [first] couple of games, he’ll need his reconditioning back. We’ll be intentional about his minutes on the court as well. So hopefully, 10 days from now, he’s really rocking and helping us big time.”
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday after missing the past four games with a hip flexor strain, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Kevin Durant To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Strained Calf

November 9th, 2024 at 6:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns star Kevin Durant will be reevaluated in two weeks after straining his left calf in Friday’s game, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

As Charania points out, Durant has been playing at an MVP level as Phoenix is tied for the top spot in the West with an 8-1 record. Through nine games, he’s averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 55.3% from the field and 43% from three-point range.

After several years of persistent injuries, Durant managed to play 75 games last season, which was his highest total since 2018/19. At age 36, he has seemed as healthy and productive as he’s been at any point during his 18-year NBA career.

Durant also suffered a calf strain while training for the Summer Olympics. He missed Team USA’s entire exhibition schedule, but was available once the games in France began.

Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will be counted on to carry more of the Suns’ scoring load while Durant is sidelined.

Booker is off to a rough start, shooting just 42.9% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range in nine games while averaging 23.1 PPG, his lowest figure in eight years. In seven games, Beal is scoring 15.4 PPG, his lowest mark in a decade, while shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc.

Phoenix has seven games over the next two weeks, including a four-game road trip that starts Tuesday. Based on the timeline reported by Charania, the earliest Durant could return is November 26 for an in-season tournament matchup with the Lakers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Blasts Bucks’ Effort In Friday’s Loss

November 9th, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo issued a strong message about the need to compete following Friday’s 116-94 loss at New York, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The Bucks are off to a 2-7 start that has them tied for 13th place in the East, and Antetokounmpo wants to see greater urgency from his teammates.

“Did we compete the previous game? Yes,” he said. “Did we compete the two previous games, Cavs and Cavs? Yes. Did we compete today? No. That’s something you can control. If you’re going to go out there and you’re not going to compete, you’re not going to win the game. Sometimes you compete your ass off and you don’t win the game, but at least you give yourself a chance.

“We played great last night. We came to New York, we lost by 30. You gotta compete. Are we OK with not competing? I don’t know. I’m not OK with that s—. So, we gotta do a better job competing. We got Boston in two days. If you don’t compete, you’re going to lose by 30. Simple as that.”

Milwaukee’s only wins this season came Thursday against the 1-7 Jazz and on opening night against a shorthanded Sixers team that’s also off to a 1-7 start. Five of their seven losses have been by double figures, and Friday’s performance was probably the worst so far.

The Knicks set the tone for the game by grabbing five offensive rebounds in the first nine minutes that resulted in 10 points. They wound up out-rebounding the Bucks 48-41 and scored 21 fast break points to Milwaukee’s eight.

Coach Doc Rivers has been making changes in response to the slow start. He replaced Gary Trent Jr. in the starting lineup with Andre Jackson Jr. earlier this week, and Friday he experimented with a new substitution pattern that resulted in Antetokounmpo playing the entire first quarter. Still, the Bucks failed to match the Knicks’ level of effort.

Antetokounmpo’s comments are particularly significant amid growing speculation that the Bucks may eventually have to consider trading him. There’s no indication that the front office is considering a move at this time, but a report Friday indicated that several teams have already called to register their interest.

Defense was formerly the Bucks’ foundation, but this year’s team looks old and slow and struggles to slow down anyone, per Chris Herring of ESPN. He points out that they had no answer Friday for Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 32 points while hitting 4-of-8 shots from beyond the arc and repeatedly drove past Brook Lopez for easy baskets.

The perimeter defensive issues that have plagued the team since trading Jrue Holiday last offseason are still persisting, as Herring notes that Milwaukee ranks 28th in the league in defending pick-and-roll ball handlers.

“We gotta compete,” Antetokounmpo said. “We gotta do a better job competing. At the end of the day coming to New York, playing the way we’re playing, teams will not just give us games. Teams will not feel bad about us and just don’t compete. We have to come out with the mentality that we have to compete for every possession. One possession at a time. Every ball, every loose ball. Whenever the ball is on the floor, we gotta get our body on the floor and try to get that ball. Put our body on the line. We gotta do a better job competing. We didn’t compete at all. That’s the bottom line.”

Ja Morant Week-To-Week With Hip Injury

November 9th, 2024 at 4:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ja Morant has suffered a posterior hip subluxation (without dislocation) along with multiple associated Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). His status is considered week-to-week.

The announcement states that Morant was injured in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game against the Lakers. He was “destabilized” in midair, causing him to fall into “extreme right hip flexion.”

Morant had to leave that game in the third quarter after a hard landing on an attempted alley-oop, per Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. He sat out Friday’s win over Washington and was seen using crutches, Cole adds.

Cole notes that this is Morant’s third injury issue since the start of training camp. He had a mild ankle sprain during the preseason and missed an earlier regular season game with soreness in his right thigh.

Morant is off to a strong start after a 25-game suspension and a shoulder injury wiped out virtually his entire 2023/24 season. He’s averaging 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists in eight games, and Memphis is 5-3 with him in the lineup.

Scotty Pippen Jr. made his first start of the season Friday night and figures to remain in that role while Morant is sidelined. He posted a triple-double with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Knicks Notes: Giannis, Brunson, Kolek, Ryan

November 8th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo will get even more attention than usual when the Bucks visit Madison Square Garden tonight, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Amid leaguewide speculation that Antetokounmpo could eventually be put on the trade market, Marc Stein recently listed the Knicks as a possible destination.

Bondy is skeptical that the organization still has the assets to make a competitive offer for Antetokounmpo after two massive offseason deals to acquire Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York parted with most of the draft assets it had been saving up, and Bondy believes the team would be easily outbid by Oklahoma City, Houston or San Antonio if Antetokounmpo were to become available.

Bondy states that the immediate concern is finding a way to make the current roster more effective following the offseason shakeup. The Knicks are off to a 3-4 start and don’t seem to have the same cohesion as last season’s team.

“I think we’re still figuring it out,” Bridges said. “Offensively, defensively, we still got to figure it out. Like I said, it’s early. So we just need more time. And we’ll figure it out.”

There’s more from New York:

Even with the additions of Bridges and Towns, opposing teams continue to focus their defense on stopping Jalen Brunson, observes Steve Popper of Newsday. Until the Knicks figure out how to counter that strategy, they’ll keep having disappointing losses like the one Wednesday in Atlanta, Popper adds. “[Wednesday night], including myself, we came out sluggish and we can’t allow that to happen,” Towns said. “We can’t allow that to happen. We’ve got to impose our will. We’ve got to play New York Knicks basketball right from the giddy-up. We can’t just ease into the game. Yeah, this one’s going to hurt.”
Tyler Kolek hasn’t cracked the Knicks’ rotation yet, but he already has a high-profile fan, per Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The rookie guard out of Marquette has impressed broadcaster and team legend Walt Frazier with his aggressive style of play. “Tyler is a real team player, a pass-first guard that I really like,” Frazier said. ” And he has a great mentor in Jalen Brunson.”
Vic Quirolo, who coached Matt Ryan in high school in the New York area, told Adam Zagoria of NJ.com that the newly signed small forward is one of the best shooters he has ever seen. Quirolo speculates that Ryan could eventually become the outside threat the Knicks lost when they sent Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in the Towns deal.

Author: Arthur Hill