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Injury Notes: Bane, Smart, Banchero, LaVine, Towns, More

October 31st, 2024 at 5:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies‘ injury list continues to grow, as the club has ruled out Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) and Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain) for Thursday’s contest vs. Milwaukee after they sustained injuries in the first game of their back-to-back set on Wednesday against Brooklyn (Twitter link).

Head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters, including Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link), that both players underwent imaging on Thursday, but that the team is still waiting to get the results and to speak to doctors about the severity of the injuries.

As Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes tweets, oblique strains like the one Bane suffered typically cost players multiple games — the average time missed with an oblique strain, according to Stotts’ injury database, is 11.6 days (4.2 games).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Magic forward Paolo Banchero is off to a hot start this season, averaging 29.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first five games, but he may not be able to suit up on Friday in a postseason rematch. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Banchero has been diagnosed with a right abdominal strain and is listed as questionable to play vs. Cleveland.
Further testing confirmed that Zach LaVine has sustained a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, who tweets that the Bulls guard is considered questionable to play against Brooklyn on Friday.
On the heels of his best game of the season, Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is being listed as questionable for Friday’s game in Detroit due to a sprained left wrist.
Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (right shoulder strain) and guard CJ McCollum (right adductor soreness) will be reevaluated on Friday in New Orleans, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link), but the duo has already been ruled out for tomorrow’s game vs. Indiana, the club announced in a press release.
Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, who underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee in September, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday to practice with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, according to the team.

X-Rays Negative On Zach LaVine's Shoulder

October 30th, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

X-rays were negative on Bulls guard Zach LaVine‘s left shoulder after a collision in tonight’s game, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). LaVine said he got treatment on the shoulder during the game, and he hopes to be ready for Friday’s contest at Brooklyn. He called it a “subluxation,” and Johnson expects him to be listed on the team’s injury report with a shoulder sprain.

Eastern Notes: Ball, Holland, Raptors, Hornets, G League

October 30th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Bulls announced on Tuesday that Lonzo Ball has been diagnosed with a sprained right wrist and will be sidelined for at least 10 days, the veteran point guard spoke to reporters on Wednesday about the injury, explaining that it falls between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“If I play on it right now while it’s still swollen, it could get to a Grade 3. That would require surgery,” said Ball, who had a brace on his right wrist. “Trying to avoid that obviously. Let the swelling down, hopefully tape it up and get back to it.”

It’s an unfortunate setback for Ball, given that his comeback from two-and-a-half lost seasons due to knee surgeries had been off to as good a start as he and the team could have hoped for. Although Ball’s early-season numbers (4.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game on 35.7% shooting) don’t jump off the page, he hasn’t experienced any setbacks related to his left knee and the team has a +20.3 net rating in his 47 minutes of action.

“An unfortunate moment, but it happens,” Ball said. “Hopefully I get over it as fast as possible and get back to business.”

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland has played a modest role so far for the Pistons, averaging 13.3 minutes per night through his first four NBA games and contributing 5.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Still, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has liked what he’s seen from the 19-year-old rookie, writes Spencer Davies of RG.org. “The thing that’s been most impressive is he’s just fearless,” Bickerstaff said recently. “You watch some of the guys that he’s gone after defensively, gotten in a few skirmishes already. But (he) just hasn’t backed down from anybody. To be a rookie and young at that, to come in and take on challenges of these proven, veteran guys, I just have a ton of respect for that.”
Once lauded for the rises of unheralded prospects like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, the Raptors‘ player development program hasn’t had nearly as many wins in recent years. However, that could be changing this season, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who takes a look at the promising early-season progress Toronto is seeing from rookies Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, and Jamison Battle.
James Jordan, who had been serving as the Hornets‘ executive vice president and chief operating officer, will move into a senior advisory position beginning this weekend, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer details. The older brother of former Hornets owner Michael Jordan, James Jordan has been employed by the franchise since 2013.
The Bulls‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates are among the teams to announce their training camp rosters this week. The Windy City Bulls’ roster includes veteran NBA guard Ryan Arcidiacono and former lottery pick Joshua Primo, while wings Lamar Stevens and Dereon Seabron are among the former NBA players on the Motor City Cruise’s squad (Twitter link).

Lonzo Ball Has Wrist Sprain, Out At Least 10 Days

October 29th, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is dealing with another injury. He has a right wrist sprain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, the team’s PR department tweets.

Ball suffered the injury during the first quarter against Memphis on Monday. Chicago has two games remaining this week and four more next week, so the point guard will miss a minimum of six contests.

The 27-year-old played a season-high 18 minutes off the bench against the Grizzlies and contributed six points and six assists without a turnover. Ball has appeared in three of Chicago’s first four games, averaging 4.7 points, 3.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.

Ball missed the last two-and-a-half seasons with persistent knee issues. He hadn’t suited up since January 2022 before his long-awaited return last Wednesday, when he played 14 minutes against New Orleans. While the wrist injury is an unfortunate setback, the good news is that his knees have held up fine so far this fall.

Ball’s four-year, $80MM contract expires after the season.

Central Notes: Garland, Atkinson, Mathurin, Vucevic

October 29th, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following a disappointing 2023/24 season in which he dealt with a major jaw injury and the death of his grandmother, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland entered this fall intent on having a bounce-back year. So far, so good, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story.

The sample size is small, but through four games (all Cavaliers wins), Garland has been red hot, averaging 19.3 points per game on .547/.500/1.000 shooting. Monday’s performance in New York was his best game yet this season, as he poured in 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a six-point win over the Knicks. He also came up big on defense, with two steals and a pair of blocked shots.

As Fedor details, there was plenty of speculation in the spring and summer that the Cavaliers might look to trade Garland in order to balance the roster, but Donovan Mitchell has always believed in his backcourt mate and was confident in Garland’s ability to regain his All-Star form this season.

“I’m happy for him because he went through a lot of BS last year,” Mitchell said. “You have to learn from it, and you have to grow. Sometimes it’s going to suck, and I think he felt that. It’s a four-game sample, but I have no doubt that’s who he is going to be for us this season. That’s who he was when he was drafted. That’s who he was when he was an All-Star. I know what type of player he is. I know we can fit together. You’re seeing it.

“This is probably the best four games that we have continually put together. That is going to continue because we are going to continue to believe in what we can do. There is a confidence about him this year.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

New head coach Kenny Atkinson is having a positive early impact on the 4-0 Cavaliers, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “You feel (Atkinson’s presence), you see it in the group,” Mitchell said. “Just the motion of the offense. You can tell it’s already different.” Garland agreed, adding that Atkinson is “really good for us” and gives the Cavs’ stars “a lot of freedom” on offense.
Returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the last month-plus of the 2023/24 regular season and all of the postseason, Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin has seen his playing time decline in every game since he logged 28 minutes in the team’s opener last Wednesday. As Alex Golden of Setting the Pace tweets, head coach Rick Carlisle cited rebounding and defense as reasons why Mathurin only played 14 minutes in Monday’s loss to Orlando, adding during an appearance on 107.5 FM in Indiana that there are only so many bench minutes to go around. “(Ben) Sheppard ended up getting more of the minutes than Mathurin and (Jarace) Walker (on Monday),” Carlisle said. “It’s just kind of part of this whole thing. Mathurin is obviously a very important guy and he scored the ball well in the first two games, but this not only about scoring.”
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic is off to a strong start this season for the Bulls, averaging 20.8 points per game on .517/.424/.909 shooting through four outings. If Vucevic’s strong play continues, it could boost his value ahead of February’s trade deadline, but he continues to insist he’s not thinking about the possibility of being dealt, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I see and hear the rumors. People in my life talk to me about it, but I don’t get involved in it too much,” Vucevic said. “I suppose if something were to happen or get more serious, they would come to me, talk to me, but at this moment I don’t think about it.”

Central Notes: Bulls, Vucevic, Haliburton, Lillard

October 28th, 2024 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Billy Donovan believes the offseason addition of Josh Giddey and the return of Lonzo Ball provide the Bulls with the weapons to play at a much faster pace, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. The biggest problem with that strategy in the early season is the team can’t hold on to the ball.

Chicago had 26 turnovers in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma City after losing the ball 21 times in the season opener at New Orleans. They did much better in their only victory, limiting turnovers to 10 while beating Milwaukee.

“We’ve got to bring them way back down,” Giddey said. “Guys’ hearts are in the right place. We’re trying to play the right way, the way we want to play. … The way we want to play, up and down, there’s going to be turnovers. But it just cannot be as many as (we’ve had).”

The biggest culprit so far has been Zach LaVine, who seems to have rediscovered his scoring touch but is struggling to protect the ball. Against OKC, he committed seven turnovers for the second time this season.

“I’ve got to take responsibility for that,” he said. “That’s two games I’ve had seven, and (against the Thunder) was just unforced. It’s not like they did anything.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

A new emphasis on the pick-and-pop has seemed to unlock Nikola Vucevic‘s outside shot, observes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. After shooting a career-low 29.4% from three-point range last season, the Bulls center is 7-of-13 from beyond the arc through three games.
Tyrese Haliburton admitted that he doesn’t feel like himself after the Pacers‘ loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The All-Star guard is shooting 31.8% from the floor and 20% from three-point range, and he’s averaging just 3.7 assists per game after leading the NBA in that category last season. “We’re working through things,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “We want to play faster with more aggression, more speed, urgency. So far, we’ve had some challenges and we have to continue to work through them.”
Appearing on the Knuckleheads podcast (video link), Bucks guard Damian Lillard said he and Giannis Antetokounmpo need to be able to communicate openly on the court to reach a championship level. “Me and him got to be able to hold each other accountable, and that don’t mean yelling at each other all the time,” Lillard explained. “It just means, like, I got to be able to say something to you, and you got to be able to say something to me at all times.”

Central Notes: Jackson, Mitchell, Buzelis, Pistons

October 27th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks guard Andre Jackson crashed his car into the porch of an apartment in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, according to Mary Spicuzza and Drake Bentley of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. An official from the Milwaukee Fire Department said there was property damage but no reported injuries.

The Bucks didn’t share the full details of the incident, but did confirm in a statement that Jackson was unhurt: “Andre was involved in a single-vehicle accident after (Saturday) morning’s team workout. Andre was alone in his car. Fortunately, no one was injured and he didn’t require medical attention. Andre will be joining the team in New York for (Sunday)’s game.”

The 36th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Jackson appeared in 57 games last season but isn’t part of the Bucks’ regular rotation as he enters his second season on a partially guaranteed contract. He saw just one minute of garbage-time action in the team’s first two regular season contests and played the final 3:26 of Sunday’s loss in Brooklyn with the game out of reach.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers are off to a 3-0 start, but all three victories have come against projected lottery teams, prompting star guard Donovan Mitchell to deliver a “passionate and pointed” post-game message to his teammates after Saturday’s win to remind them not to get too comfortable with their early-season success, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “We took care of business. We did what we’re supposed to do for these three games,” Mitchell said. “But now, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (vs. the Knicks, Lakers, Magic, and Bucks), that’s where we really see what we’re made of as a group and if our habits continue through with tougher opponents and tougher games.”
Playing time has been hard to come by for rookie Matas Buzelis in the Bulls‘ first three games, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Although Buzelis has gotten onto the floor in every game, he hasn’t played more than nine minutes or made more than a single field goal in any of those three appearances. “With the number of guys we have there at that (forward) position, I want to help Matas develop and grow, but I also want to make sure there’s groups out there that will function together,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “So for us, I think it’s still a work in progress with some of the rotations.” As Cowley notes, if Buzelis’ playing time continues to be sporadic, it might make sense to send him on a G League assignment once the NBAGL’s season begins.
Despite their 0-3 record so far, the Pistons aren’t concerned about a repeat of last season’s 2-29 start, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. The team has seen some encouraging signs of progress in its losses to three talented teams (Indiana, Cleveland, and Boston). “We might be 0-3, but I feel like we’re right there,” Malik Beasley said after Saturday’s loss to the Celtics. “I’m not just saying that because I’m here. I’ve been through struggles in the NBA. We’re right there. The chemistry is really good, the camaraderie is really good and we still have our energy. We’re going to get on this flight (Sunday) and get ready for Miami.”

Thunder Notes: Caruso, Bulls, Giddey, Holmgren

October 27th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Rory Maher

Alex Caruso, whom the Thunder acquired for Josh Giddey in an offseason trade with the Bulls, had nothing but good things to say about his former organization ahead of Saturday’s matchup in Chicago, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan lavished Caruso with praise following Oklahoma City’s 19-point victory.

“He’s great; I love him,” Donovan said. “I obviously had the chance to coach against him for four years when I was at Florida and he was at [Texas] A&M, and I give him a lot of credit because the way he played in college was totally different than the way he’s played in the NBA. I think it just speaks to his IQ, his willingness to do whatever a team needs him to do to impact winning, impact his teammates. He’s the same guy every day. You feel fortunate when you get to be around a guy like that every day.

“And to his credit, he figured things out. ‘OK, these are the things I need to do,’ and a lot of times those things are not sexy, so to speak. That’s what makes him so unique; he’s willing to do things that a lot of times other players won’t, whether they’re incapable or unwilling.”

A former undrafted free agent who has earned All-Defensive nods each of the past two seasons, Caruso is in the final year of his contract, which will pay him $9.9MM in 2024/25.

Here’s more on the Thunder, who improved to 2-0 after Saturday’s win:

Giddey also had nothing but good things to say about the Thunder, per Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. “When you play your former team, you obviously circle it on your calendar,” Giddey said before Saturday’s game. “But you’ll never, ever hear me say a bad word about that organization. Top to bottom, unbelievable people. I’m looking forward to seeing them all. I love that organization.” The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey will be a restricted free agent next summer after he did not sign a rookie scale extension before the ’24/25 season began.
Big man Chet Holmgren had some insightful comments about the Thunder’s reunion with Giddey after the game, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “I think you can get wrapped up in the business of what this is,” Holmgren said, “because it is a business, and it’s an extremely serious business. But you can’t lose sight of the relationships that you build with guys you know along the way. I don’t think anybody’s ever played with the same 15, 17 people their entire career. That’s how the league works. People and teams have to do what’s best for them business wise. And you can’t hold that against anybody. When you get to go out there and hoop against guys that you know and you really like, you enjoy it all the same.”
Holmgren added muscle to his lean frame in the offseason and has dominated the paint in OKC’s two victories, Lorenzi adds. The former second overall pick is averaging 23.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 blocks in the early going after an excellent rookie season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks.

Central Notes: Giddey, Caruso, Trent, Middleton, Haliburton

October 26th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls don’t have any buyer’s remorse about parting with Alex Caruso to acquire Josh Giddey from Oklahoma City, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago was criticized for not getting any draft compensation in the deal, but executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas explained that they valued Giddey highly enough to accept the trade without draft picks. Even though it’s early in Giddey’s Bulls tenure, his teammates seem to agree.

“I think the play-making is huge and a thing that is going to help us a lot,” Nikola Vucevic said. “He makes passes that not many people can see, and I think his size is something that people underestimate a little bit. For him it’s the same as it is for us, just getting used to playing next to each other. As a team we need to build that chemistry, but I think he’s a player that can help us a lot, especially with his vision. We want to play fast, and I think that’s his style as well.”

The Thunder were in Chicago tonight, creating a perfect opportunity to reflect on the deal. As one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, Caruso was a valuable part of the Bulls’ rotation for the past three seasons, so reporters asked coach Billy Donovan how he reacted when he learned about the trade.

“That’s hard, it’s hard, especially when you’ve been with him for three years and the relationship we built,” Donovan said. “The one thing for Alex in all this for me is I just hope that he’s really, really going to get compensated. He obviously got a great situation, but he’s also at the point where his age, some of the things he’s had to deal with health-wise too. He’s always played banged up and hurt. They came to me and thought this was best for a variety of reasons. I believe this is Alex’s last year of his contract, but they didn’t share with me the representation conversations.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Bucks were impressed by Gary Trent Jr.‘s defensive effort in his debut with the team, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Trent was used as the primary defender on Tyrese Maxey, who had to carry the offense for the short-handed Sixers. “It’s hard guarding one of the quickest players in the NBA, full court, always being in front, navigating screens, putting your body on the line, and that’s what he did tonight and he was incredible,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “(Maxey) took a lot of shots. He made a lot of shots. He missed a lot of shots, but I think (Trent) was there for every one of them and he did an incredible job. He’s probably tired.”
Three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton will miss the Bucks‘ game Sunday in Brooklyn as he continues his recovery from two offseason ankle surgeries, Nehm tweets. Middleton is considered day-to-day.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton vowed to work on his shot after being held scoreless Friday in New York, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton is shooting 1-of-16 from beyond the arc in the team’s first two games. “I’m going to get in the gym and I’m gonna shoot,” he said. “We’re all gonna shoot and we’re going to be ready to go on Sunday (against Philadelphia.) … I’m gonna get a lot of shots (Saturday). I’m gonna get a lot of shots on Sunday and I’m gonna be ready to go on Sunday.”

Injury Notes: Wiseman, Jackson, Ball, Jackson, Eason, Hornets

October 25th, 2024 at 6:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers center James Wiseman underwent successful surgery on Thursday night to repair his torn left Achilles tendon, as Shams Charania of ESPN first reported (via Twitter). While Achilles tears are typically season-ending injuries, Indiana is still determining Wiseman’s recovery timeline, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, and head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Friday that Wiseman hasn’t been ruled out for the season yet.

“This was terrible luck,” Carlisle said in discussing the injury. “Great kid who had an amazing summer of preparation, really good preseason. Training camp was also really good. It’s just one of those things. Just a very odd circumstance. Very unlucky.”

The Pacers’ other backup center, Isaiah Jackson, missed Wednesday’s regular season opener due to a right groin strain, but he has been cleared to suit up for Friday’s game in New York, Dopirak writes in a separate story for The Indy Star. Still, with Wiseman seemingly unlikely to play again this season, Carlisle didn’t rule out the possibility of adding another center to the roster.

“I would think that our people are getting a few phone calls today from agents and stuff like that,” Carlisle said. “I’ve not been focusing on that. The good news for us is Isaiah Jackson will be back and available. That’s very good news. We will just right now focus on the guys we have on the roster that are ready to go and come out with guns blazing. That’s what you gotta do in this situation.”

The Pacers have an open 15-man roster spot, and while they don’t have a ton of breathing room below the luxury tax line, they could add a free agent big man on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract and stay out of tax territory while maintaining the flexibility to waive that player before the league-wide salary guarantee date.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Lonzo Ball‘s limit of 16 minutes per game is going to remain in place “for some time,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. But the veteran point guard came away from his regular season debut on Wednesday feeling fine and will play in Saturday’s home opener vs. Oklahoma City after sitting out the first end of Chicago’s back-to-back in Milwaukee on Friday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). Wednesday represented Ball’s first regular season action since January 2022 due to multiple knee surgeries.
Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. won’t play on Friday vs. Houston, having been ruled out due to his left hamstring strain (Twitter link). The team was said to be targeting this weekend for Jackson’s return, so we’ll see if he’s able to make his season debut on Saturday at home vs. Orlando.
After describing Steven Adams‘ availability as “game-to-game” as he returns from knee surgery that cost him the entire 2023/24 season, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said forward Tari Eason is in a similar boat, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Eason, who missed most of last season due to leg surgery, was active on Wednesday and isn’t on the injury report for Friday’s game vs. Memphis, but may not suit up for the second end of Houston’s back-to-back set on Saturday in San Antonio (Twitter link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
Josh Green (left Achilles soreness) and Tidjane Salaun (left finger sprain) have been upgraded to available for the Hornets‘ game in Atlanta on Friday. Neither player has made his Hornets regular season debut, but both could see action tonight.