- The Rockets haven’t found a way to incorporate Tarik Black into their regular rotation. Until they do, the productive reserve will need to continue to prepare, as he tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “There’s nothing like basketball rhythm. I have to get back on the court. As far as staying prepared, every day I come in here and prepare like I am playing. I do my same routine and after the game, if I don’t play, do extra work,” Black said.
- The Rockets appreciate the asset on their hands in Clint Capela and don’t appear to be afraid of investing in him when he hits free agency. “We’ll have him here as long as he’ll have us,” general manager Daryl Morey tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “He couldn’t price himself out.“
Here are the G League transactions for Thursday:
- The Grizzlies have recalled offseason signee Ben McLemore from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the team announced on its website. McLemore recorded eight points in a rehab start for the squad on Sunday. The team has also recalled rookie Ivan Rabb.
- The Kings have assigned second-year center Georgios Papagiannis to their G League affiliate, James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. The 20-year-old has seen action in just two games with the big league club this season.
- The Jazz have recalled rookies Tony Bradley and Royce O’Neale from the SLC Stars, their G League affiliate, the team announced over Twitter.
- The Magic have assigned Khem Birch and Wesley Iwundu to their G League affiliate in Lakeland, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Rockets have recalled Zhou Qi from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Qi averaged 12.5 points through two games with the G League affiliate.
- The Timberwolves have assigned guard Marcus Georges-Hunt to their G League affiliate in Iowa, the team’s public relations Twitter account announced.
Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni provided an update on injured point guard Chris Paul, who has missed all but one game this season due to a bruised left knee. At this stage, D’Antoni feels his prized offseason addition is closer than he has been to a return (via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon).
“He’s probably rounding second and pretty close to third,” D’Antoni said of Paul’s estimated return. Once Paul is cleared for basketball activities, D’Antoni said that Paul needs “five days or so” of practice to get his endurance up to par. The Rockets have been fine without Paul, boasting an 8-3 record, tied for first with the defending champion Warriors.
“I just hope we can get him back quickly so we can start building on what we really have,” the Rockets coach added.
- A day after sending him to the G League, the Rockets have recalled rookie big man Zhou Qi, the team announced (via Twitter). Zhou scored 15 points on Monday for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
- Rookie big man Zhou Qi is headed to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets announced today (via Twitter). Zhou appears likely to suit up for the Vipers tonight against the Wisconsin Herd.
It seems inevitable that the Knicks will need to make a move before November 13, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. On that day, Joakim Noah will return from the 20-game suspension he’s been serving since last season.
Not only does the addition of Noah give the Knicks a logjam in their frontcourt, it pushes them to 16 players. While Jarrett Jack remains the lone player on a non-guaranteed deal, the veteran has been a welcome presence on the overachieving club, suggesting that they may need to get creative if they hope to continue winning ball games. New York has won five of its last six contests after dropping the first three games of the season.
With Noah back, the Knicks could cut an individual on a guaranteed deal – a dissatisfied Mindaugas Kuzminskas perhaps – or, if they prefer not to eat a contract, trade a player for a draft pick or look to execute a two-for-one deal with a willing participant.
There’s more out of New York:
- Bad news for Knicks fans in Turkey, for the second year in a row, the country has blocked Turkish residents from watching Enes Kanter‘s NBA games. Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that the Thunder were blacked out last season, due to the center’s criticisms of the government there.
- Former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, now enjoying a successful stint with the Rockets, thinks highly of Kristaps Porzingis and wouldn’t mind part of his game rubbing off on Houston project Zhou Qi. “I think he’s unbelievable. I really do,” D’Antoni told Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “He is really good. I told [Qi], ‘Go get your tapes on him. That’s who you need to be right there.’ He shoots threes, runs the floor, long, thin. Everything, that guy’s got it.“
- Expectations are high for 22-year-old Kristaps Porzingis, as former Knicks center Tyson Chandler believes that the 7’3″ forward can one day be the best player in the league. Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Porzingis himself believes it, too.
As much as they would like to get Chris Paul back in the lineup, the Rockets won’t use their new point guard until he is fully recovered, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. After playing on opening night, Paul has been sidelined by a bruised knee. He has been swimming and boxing to stay in shape and went through shooting drills Saturday.
Coach Mike D’Antoni said he hopes to have Paul back around the middle of this month, but there isn’t a definite date for his return. “Every day that goes by we get a little bit closer,” D’Antoni said. “It can’t be close enough. He’s getting there.”
For his part, Paul is anxious to get back on the court, and agrees with D’Antoni’s timeline, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today.
There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:
- Free agent addition Luc Mbah a Moute has been a huge bargain for the Rockets, Feigen writes in a separate story. Houston pursued the 31-year-old forward for his defensive prowess, but Mbah a Moute has contributed on offense as well. He is averaging 9.3 points per game and scored a season-high 20 Friday against the Hawks. The Rockets were able to sign him to a one-year, minimum-salary deal thanks to aggressive recruiting from Paul, who recognized the value of his former Clippers teammate. “He’s the best-kept secret in the NBA,” D’Antoni said. “… He’s as good as anybody. He’s smart. He can play big minutes. He can shoot 3s. Whatever you want him to do he does it. He’s got playmaking skills. He sees the floor. I don’t know how we all missed it, but we all did.”
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle continues to tinker with his lineup, starting Salah Mejri at center Saturday night instead of Nerlens Noel, relays Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “He always brings a lot of energy, a lot of fight,” Carlisle said of Mejri, who made his first start of the season. “He brings a certain combative personality to the game, which is something we need right now.” Noel, who is headed toward unrestricted free agency after accepting the team’s qualifying offer this summer, has been in and out of the starting lineup with six starts in 11 games.
- Second-year shooting guard Bryn Forbes had his best night of the season Friday with 22 points off the Spurs‘ bench, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Undrafted out of Michigan State last season, Forbes seems to have earned a spot in San Antonio’s rotation. “It’s a (testament) to how well he’s been working behind the scenes,” said teammate Patty Mills. “He’s one of those hard workers who never puts his head down and just keeps grinding. So I’m really proud of him because you see it all pay off in the end.”
- Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated examines LeBron James‘ possible thinking as he faces free agency next offseason. A lot has been made of James possibly considering Los Angeles as a place of interest but Golliver looks at the Rockets and Spurs as two possibilities for King James.