Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Sixers, Gordon, Powell, Richards, Bronny

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

Joel Embiid (left knee injury management and personal reasons) will miss a fourth straight game on Saturday when the Sixers face the Pistons in Detroit, while Kyle Lowry (right hip strain) will sit out for a fifth in a row, according to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The good news for the 76ers is that Paul George, who has been out since November 20 due to a left knee bone bruise, has been upgraded to questionable and appears on track to be a game-time decision.

“We did do a good amount of contact and playing as well, so it was good to see,” head coach Nick Nurse said after George participated in Friday’s practice. “He looked pretty good out there.”

As for the status of Embiid’s knee? “The swelling’s gone down a bit,” Nurse said. “Still some soreness there. That’s about all I can say.”

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

Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon participated in Saturday’s practice and is nearing a return, head coach Michael Malone said today (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette). Gordon has been on the shelf for Denver’s past 10 games as he recovers from a right calf strain. His return will be a boon for the Nuggets, who have a +10.3 net rating in Gordon’s 212 minutes on the court this season.
Clippers swingman Norman Powell has missed the team’s past six games due to a left hamstring issue but is expected to return for the four-game homestand that begins on Sunday vs. Denver, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Powell is the Clippers’ leading scorer so far this season with an average of 23.3 points per game.
Hornets center Nick Richards will be available to play on Saturday against Atlanta for the first time since November 1 after recovering from a broken rib, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. With Mark Williams unavailable so far this fall, Richards was Charlotte’s starting center prior to his injury.
Lakers guard Bronny James, who hasn’t played in either the NBA or the G League since November 17 due to a left heel contusion, will begin his ramp-up process after team doctors determined in a Friday exam that the injury is healing, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. James will be reevaluated in one week.

Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook Fined $35K By NBA

November 29th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $35K for “making an obscene gesture on the playing court” during the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss to New York, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Westbrook finished with a team-high 27 points in Monday’s lopsided defeat, with 24 coming during a fourth-quarter flurry when the game was out of reach. After hitting a three-pointer midway through the fourth quarter, he flipped a middle finger toward the Knicks’ bench (Twitter video link).

The 2016/17 league MVP is no stranger to fines, having been docked more than $500K over the years, according to Spotrac, largely due to technical fouls. The 36-year-old picked up his second technical of the season in Wednesday’s victory at Utah.

Westbrook, who is in his 17th NBA season, is averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals through his first 17 games as a Nugget (24.6 minutes per contest). His shooting slash line is .391/.375/.681.

Westbrook signed a two-year, minimum-salary deal with Denver in late July after being released by Utah. He holds a player option for ’25/26.

Northwest Notes: Williams, Nuggets, Thunder, McDaniels

November 28th, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Star Thunder forward Jalen Williams departed the first half of Oklahoma City’s 105-101 road win Wednesday over the Warriors with a right eye injury, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled mightily without Williams. He shot just 5-for-16 from the floor in the second half.

Oklahoma City center Isaiah Hartenstein opined that the team’s general approach to the game should not have been greatly changed even with the absence of Williams late. Instead, with Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot not falling, the team struggled to close out Golden State, nearly squandering its entire 19-point lead.

“But that shouldn’t change the way we play,” Hartenstein said of Williams’ departure. “I think we didn’t execute the way we should have. … We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”

There’s more out of the Northwest:

The Nuggets have had difficulty scoring in the “middle eight” of their first halves — the final four minutes of the first quarter and first four minutes of the second, observes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “We were talking about that the other day, about how I think there’s only one time in the first 16 games this season that we’ve won the last four minutes of the first quarter and the first four minutes of the second quarter,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Every other game, (we lose) that eight-minute stretch, which coincides usually with Nikola (Jokic) being out. So there are a lot of nights where I think we actually get off to good starts. That we’re actually playing well. And then we have that stretch, that four-, six-, eight-minute stretch where the bottom falls out. … And the second half for whatever reason has been better.” According to Durando, Denver ranked No. 2 overall in second-half net rating ahead of their most recent matchup, and No. 29 in first halves.
Beyond their offensive issues in the “middle eight” period of first halves, the Nuggets have also shown slippage on defense early on this season, thanks in part to Aaron Gordon‘s extended absence. During their 122-103 win Wednesday against the Jazz, at least, the Nuggets appeared much improved on that end of the floor too, Durando writes in another Denver Post story. Point guard Jamal Murray picked up opponents for all 94 feet. “Being more physical from the start of the possession,” Murray said of his better defensive effort. “Not (letting) them get to their spots easy or set their screens where they want to set it. Stuff like that. So I think as a group, not just one or two guys, but getting everybody to do that (is important). And we were doing a good job of talking — I’m talking about this game. We’ve been doing a terrible job. But we did a better job today, of switching and talking, and even if there is a mistake or a blow-by, having help behind it.”
After being named to the 2024 All-Defensive Second Team, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is looking to level up this season, aspiring to be named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2025, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. He’s currently in the first season of a five-year, $131MM contract extension he inked with Minnesota in the 2023 offseason. “That is one of my goals, being [First Team],” McDaniels said. “I was [Second Team] last season. It’s a big goal. First Team, we take it first step by step. For me, I guard the best players. I’m not shutting them down, but I make it tough for them. I make their [shooting] percentages lower.

Michael Malone Rips Nuggets’ Effort Following Blowout Loss

November 26th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets lost at home for the second time in four days on Monday, falling by a score of 145-118 to the Knicks. Asked by a reporter during his post-game media session if he was prepared to “flush” the game and move on, head coach Michael Malone strongly pushed back on that idea (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports).

“F–k that, no, no, no. We’re not flushing,” Malone said. “You don’t flush when you get embarrassed. You don’t flush when you gave up 145 points. You don’t flush when you didn’t play hard, didn’t play with effort, didn’t play with physicality. I’m not flushing anything.”

Malone praised Russell Westbrook, who scored a team-high 27 points, for his willingness to be “vocal” on and off the court, but said he’d like to see more of that sort of leadership from players who have been cornerstones in Denver for years.

“I need Nikola Jokic, I need Jamal Murray,” Malone said. “I need guys that have been here in that starting lineup to be vocal.”

The Nuggets have been without starting forward Aaron Gordon since November 4 due to a calf injury, and Jokic and Murray have each missed a few games, but Malone doesn’t view that as an excuse for a modest 9-7 record and what he views as an inconsistent compete level so far this season.

“Regardless of who’s in (and) who’s out, who do we want to be as a team?” Malone said. “Leadership would be great. toughness would be great. Physicality would be great. Playing like you actually care would be great. We didn’t do that tonight.

“… We’re just fooling ourselves,” Malone added later. “Yes, (the Knicks) are a good team, but if that’s the effort we’re going to give forth, we won’t even be close to being a playoff team.”

Jokic agreed with Malone’s assessment, telling reporters that the Nuggets needed “a good punch in the face just to wake up” and said the players “collectively need to do a better job” (link via ESPN.com). Murray agreed that it was on the players, not the coaches, to figure things out and wondered if staying in Los Angeles overnight after Saturday’s win vs. the Lakers might’ve played a part in the team’s sluggishness on Monday.

“It’s a long season. Guys have lives outside of basketball,” Murray said (Twitter video link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). “We just beat L.A. in L.A. We’ve got some guys who live in L.A., so (we) stayed in L.A. I don’t think the focus was there from everybody, and that’s what happens when you don’t have the focus.”

The Nuggets are currently tied with the Suns for the seventh-best record in a crowded Western Conference and sit just one game ahead of the No. 11 Timberwolves.

Western Notes: Lakers, Vassell, Thompson, Malone

November 25th, 2024 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are near the bottom of the league in defensive field goal percentage, with opponents shooting 48.5% against them. They know they need to improve their defense and rebounding to be a true contender. The Lakers face Phoenix in an NBA Cup matchup on Tuesday.

“Our personnel isn’t, you know, I think if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, isn’t the best defensively,” Austin Reaves told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. “Obviously we’ve got AD (Anthony Davis). That covers up a lot. But we have to be physical out on the perimeter and especially when boxing out. We got to be a better defensive rebounding team and transition as well.”

We have more Western Conference news:

The Spurs have officially listed Devin Vassell (left knee bone bruise) as out for Tuesday at Utah, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). It’s not a cause for concern, as he’s expected to return Wednesday against the Lakers. Vassell hasn’t played since Nov. 15.
Mavericks guard Klay Thompson missed his first game this season on Monday due to left foot plantar fascia, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets. Thompson is averaging 13.2 points per game in 17 starts for Dallas this season. Without Thompson and Luka Doncic, the Mavs still defeated Atlanta, 129-119.
Michael Malone passed Doug Moe as the winningest coach in Nuggets history with his 433rd regular-season victory on Saturday as his team defeated the Lakers. Malone reached that win total in 56 fewer games than Moe, according to the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

And-Ones: Harrell, Covington, Neto, Awards, More

November 25th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, is currently playing in Australia’s National Basketball League as a member of the Adelaide 36ers. The 30-year-old received a three-game suspension on Monday for his part in on- and off-court incidents during a Nov. 17 game vs. Melbourne United.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN details, United big man Rob Loe drew a charge on Harrell early in the fourth quarter of the contest, and while both players were on the ground, Harrell shoved Loe. That led to a “melee involving most players” for both teams. Harrell appeared to throw a punch at one opponent and “multiple open-handed strikes” at other United players, per Uluc.

Directly after the on-court scuffle, 36ers staffers and players — including Harrell and teammate Kendric Davis — were involved another altercation, this time with spectators behind the team’s bench. Davis received a two-game suspension for initiating contact in that incident, which saw four spectators ejected. Davis claimed a fan directed racist language at him; the United put out a statement saying they were unable to corroborate that allegation.

The 36ers have 24 hours to appeal the suspensions, according to Uluc, who says Harrell has suggested multiple times on social media he may not return to Australia, pending the outcome of his punishment; he’s currently back home in the United States with the NBL season on pause due to the FIBA window (qualifiers for international tournaments).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, free agent forward Robert Covington says he’s confident he can still contribute to NBA teams. “Ain’t nothing changed,” Covington said. “Someone that can give energy on the other side, the defensive side, can come in space the floor, move the ball, do the little things that won’t show up on the stat sheet, what made me very effective.” The 33-year-old, who holds 11 seasons of NBA experience, dealt with a knee injury for most of last season, last suiting up on December 30, 2023, but he says he’s fully healthy now. Covington is currently playing for Team USA in a qualifying round for the AmeriCup. One recent report said he might be open to playing in the G League as he attempts to make it back to the NBA.
Former NBA guard Raul Neto has signed a rest-of-season contract with Spanish club Barcelona, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Neto, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 2015-23, missed all of last season with a knee injury, but he’s “fully recovered” now. Barcelona was looking for backcourt help after losing Nicolas Laprovittola to a season-ending ACL and meniscus injury, Askounis notes.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists his award winners for the first month of the 2024/25 season. As of now, O’Connor has Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the frontrunner to win his fourth MVP in five years, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama leading the race for Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixers guard Jared McCain as the league’s top rookie.
On a somewhat related note, with the first month of the season finished, several writers for The Athletic to compiled a list of each team’s biggest concern, with one exception — the 17-1 Cavaliers don’t have a have a real weakness right now, says Joe Vardon.
Magic guard Anthony Black and Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson are two of the six young players John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights as showing marked improvement in their season seasons.

California Notes: Coffey, Moody, Curry, Wiggins, Lakers

November 24th, 2024 at 2:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After spending nearly three full seasons on two-way deals, Clippers guard Amir Coffey graduated to a regular roster role with the team late in the 2021/22 season, then inked a three-year, $11MM deal that summer. This year, Coffey has emerged as a critical role player on an injury-laden L.A. club, including starting multiple recent games.

As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes, Coffey has been enjoying his bigger role this season. He’s averaging a career-best 10.1 points per game on .496/.450/.853 shooting, while also contributing 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per contest.

“It felt good,” Coffey said of a Wednesday start in which he scored 18 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. “I try not to get into minutes-wise or coming off the bench or starting. I just try to do my job when my name is called, so I got it going early tonight.”

Coffey reflected on his journey from being a borderline NBA player on a tenuous two-way contract to a real contributor on a 10-7 club.

“The G League is a grind, it’s a lot,” Coffey said. “So, just getting over that hump and getting to this point I’m in now, it means a lot. Like you said, the unseen hours – it’s thousands of ’em – just working on your game every day, trying to get better every summer and to end up in a position. This is a blessing.”

There’s more out of California:

Warriors guard Moses Moody has learned how to best extract wisdom out of All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry, he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “Steph is Steph,” Moody said. “He’s teaching and coaching with all the gems that he gives on the plane and in the locker room in conversations. He’s not going to offer it up for no reason if you don’t want it. He’s not going to force anything on you. But if you go ask him, he’ll open up and tell you whatever you want to hear. He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing in all aspects of life.” Moody inked a three-year, $39MM rookie scale contract extension with the Warriors last month that will kick in next season.
Early signs seem to point to a bounce-back season for Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. An extended illness to his father, former NBA wing Mitchell Wiggins, forced Andrew to miss time in each of the last two seasons, and appeared to somewhat impact his rhythm on the court. Mitchell passed in September at 64. “The last couple of years have been very tough on him on a personal level,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Andrew. “I think he has some peace of mind. He came into camp in great shape.” Wiggins seems to have regained his perimeter defensive acumen, plus his scoring upside. Across 14 games this season for the West’s top-seeded Warriors, Wiggins is averaging 17.4 points per game on .477/.408/.770 shooting.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura returned to the starting lineup after a four-game injury absence due to a left ankle sprain, but it did nothing to save L.A. from the opponent that has been its Achilles heel the last several years, the Nuggets, on Saturday, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Los Angeles led at halftime, but collapsed in the third frame. “We were in a good rhythm and then we kind of relaxed for some reason,” Hachimura said. “And the third quarter, they just played harder. And we didn’t fight back. That was the game.” Denver decimated Los Angeles at home, 127-102. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Nuggets have won 12 of their past 13 encounters with the Lakers, which includes two playoff meetings in successive seasons.

Jamal Murray's Inconsistent Shooting Is An Issue For Nuggets

November 23rd, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jamal Murray‘s inconsistent shooting may be shortening the championship window for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, contends Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray was 4-of-16 in Friday’s loss to Dallas and hasn’t been producing the way the team had hoped when it gave him a $209MM extension during the offseason. Add in a poor defensive rating, and Keeler suggests it may be time to consider benching Murray late in games. “We’ve got to find a way,” coach Michael Malone said after the loss. “And I have to find a way to help to get Jamal going.”

Western Notes: Jokic, Hachimura, R. Williams, Warriors

November 22nd, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets got some very good news ahead of Friday night’s showdown vs. the defending Western champion Mavericks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who says three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has rejoined the team and will be active on Friday against Dallas.

Jokic had missed Denver’s past three contests, having been listed as out for personal reasons. As Charania details, the superstar center and his wife welcomed a newborn son on Thursday night.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura is off the injury report and appears set to return on Saturday vs. Denver after missing four games due to a left ankle sprain, tweets Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. Rookie Dalton Knecht has thrived in the starting lineup over the past few games, but a new starting five featuring Hachimura won three games in a row prior to his injury. “My expectation is that Rui would stay in the starting lineup,” head coach J.J. Redick said, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. “He’s been awesome for us and I think for the group. … Whatever designation Dalton has, whether he’s coming off of the bench or as a starter, I don’t think his role changes at all. And I think for him mentally, there’s no effect to that. He’s just going to be the same guy. We have to, as a coaching staff, we have to be cognizant about getting him longer stretches on the court.”
In his first five games for the Trail Blazers this season, Robert Williams has provided a reminder of why he’s so valuable when healthy, averaging a career-high 10.8 points per game on 79.3% shooting while also contributing 6.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals in just 20.6 minutes per night off the bench. Williams, one of just two Blazers with a positive net rating, has long been viewed as a potential trade chip for Portland, but Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link) wonders if there may actually be a stronger argument for the team keeping the big man, given how well he has fit. For what it’s worth, Bill Oram of The Oregonian (Twitter link) is strongly in favor of making Williams a trade chip, arguing it would be an “egregious dereliction of duty” not to move him.
With 13 players averaging between 11 and 30 minutes per game, the Warriors‘ approach to their rotation so far this season has been unprecedented, as Howard Beck of The Ringer writes. Even with De’Anthony Melton out for the season, head coach Steve Kerr is in position to deploy a 12-man rotation when everyone’s healthy, prompting Beck to explore whether that plan is sustainable and what Golden State’s ceiling might be.

Nuggets Notes: Westbrook, Jokic, Gordon, Braun

November 22nd, 2024 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul called against Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook in Tuesday’s game against Memphis, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Durando notes that Westbrook seemed more puzzled than angry when he got whistled for the T for staring at Santi Aldama while running back on defense.

“I knew it wasn’t a tech,” Westbrook told reporters. “You guys know if I’m gonna get a tech, I’m gonna earn it. So I didn’t say anything, that one. So I’m happy that (the league) looked over and got it rescinded.”

The decision saves Westbrook a $2K fine and takes away a negative from a history-making night. The 36-year-old point guard came off the bench for 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, marking his 200th career triple-double.

“When you set a standard of doing something consistently, people don’t know how to react to it, and I love that,” he said. “That’s the best part of the journey, just being able to do things that haven’t been done.”

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Nikola Jokic is still with his family in Denver, and the team isn’t sure if he’ll be available for Friday’s NBA Cup game against Dallas, Durando states in a separate story. Jokic has missed three straight games for personal reasons, and Nuggets officials are respecting his wishes to keep the details private. “Definitely always touching base,” coach Michael Malone said. “Not to be overbearing, but my job as a coach is to — I care about (Jokic’s wife) Natalija and their family. … So I’m constantly calling and texting and communicating with all of our guys to see how they’re doing and any updates (in a family-related absence). But not to the point where it’s overbearing. But yeah, communication is always helpful. Especially while guys are away from the team and out. And hopefully, we can get Nikola back as soon as possible.”
Aaron Gordon wasn’t able to practice Thursday and will miss his seventh straight game on Friday, Durando adds. There’s no word on how soon he might be able to return after straining his right calf in early November. “This will be the most time (Gordon) has missed since I’ve been here,” Peyton Watson said. “I don’t think he’s ever missed this much time. And for a long time, I thought AG was bullet-proof. So it sucks not to have him, but when he gets back, we’ll just be focused on trying to get him back to the elite level he was playing at before.”
Christian Braun talks to Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda about the adjustment of moving into the starting lineup and the advice he’s gotten from Westbrook, Jamal Murray and former teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. “I sit by Jamal every day and have learned a lot both on and off the court,” Braun said. “I’ve had great vets who have helped with routine stuff — Russ, too. I’ve picked up things from their routines on off days and game days.”