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Community Shootaround: Best Team In The West

December 21st, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After defeating Memphis on Tuesday, the Nuggets are the Western Conference leaders, becoming the latest club to take its turn atop the West’s standings. The Nuggets, who also briefly held the No. 1 seed for a couple days in mid-November, are the fourth team to lead the West so far in December, as the conference’s would-be contenders play musical chairs with the top seeds.

Since the regular season began in October, eight different teams have held the No. 1 spot in the West, with five of those clubs spending at least six days atop the conference. Of those teams, only one has spent more than 10 days holding the top seed — the Suns have led the West for 23 days so far this season.

While the Suns look like a worthy contender to finish the season as the West’s best team, they’ve been in a tailspin in the last couple weeks, losing six of their last nine games. The absences of Cameron Johnson (due to injury) and Jae Crowder (away from the team) have hurt a club that has also dealt with injuries to starting guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker in recent weeks.

The Nuggets, the current West leader, have a strong starting group led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and own the conference’s second-best offense (behind Phoenix), but they still need to get more from their bench and improve their defense, which ranks 24th in the NBA.

The Trail Blazers have led the conference for 10 days so far this season, but have had some rough patches and currently hold the No. 7 seed, albeit just 2.5 games behind Denver. Like the Nuggets, they’ve had some defensive lapses and are focused on improving a unit that ranks 23rd in the league.

The Grizzlies and Jazz have each been atop the West for nine days, though they’ve appeared headed in opposite directions as of late. Even after losing their last two games, the Grizzlies have won nine of their last 12, while Utah has dropped 10 of 16 since opening the season with a 12-6 record. The Jazz have proven to be surprisingly resilient for a club viewed as a tanker entering the season, but it’s probably safe to assume the Grizzlies will be the better team the rest of the way.

The Pelicans held the West’s top seed for six days earlier this month and remain very much in the hunt for that spot, just one game behind the Nuggets. Former No. 1 pick Zion Williamson has been firing on all cylinders in the last few weeks and we still haven’t seen New Orleans at full strength — Brandon Ingram has been sidelined since November 25 and will add another dimension to the team’s offense once he’s ready to return from his toe injury.

The Warriors (three days) and Clippers (one day) technically held the No. 1 spot in the West briefly during the early part of the season and were considered two of the best bets to make the NBA Finals entering the fall. Injuries have disrupted their momentum so far, but as long as they secure playoff berths and get healthy by the spring, no one will want to face them in the postseason.

Of the remaining seven Western teams who haven’t led the conference at all this season, the Kings (16-13), Timberwolves (16-15), Mavericks (15-16), and Lakers (13-17) are probably the only legitimate threats to make the postseason. It may be be a long shot for a Sacramento squad lacking in playoff experience or a Lakers club lacking in depth to make much noise this season, but Minnesota and Dallas have the star power necessary to make a second-half push.

We want to know what you think. In what appears to be a wide open Western Conference field, which team do you think will finish the regular season as the No. 1 seed? Do you expect the same team to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, or do you like another club to win the West in the postseason?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents!

Magic Rumors: Bamba, Ross, Harris, Hampton, Anthony

December 21st, 2022 at 8:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic lost by a single point in Atlanta on Monday night, but prior to that game, Orlando had reeled off six straight wins, with many of them coming against tough opponents. The Magic won home games against the Clippers, Hawks, and Raptors (twice), then capped off the streak with a pair of victories in Boston.

Orlando is still just 11-21 on the season, but the team seems to be taking the sort of positive step forward that management wanted to see in 2022/23, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

“They have two of the premier positions in the league — play-making forwards — on rookie scale contracts, intriguing young talent around them on solid contracts, no bad money moving forward, and some veterans who could get them back even more draft capital should they choose to trade them,” an Eastern Conference team strategist told Fischer.

While the Magic haven’t been big spenders in free agency during their rebuilding process, league figures familiar with the club’s thinking tell Fischer that ownership will be prepared to open its check book when the time comes to invest in complementary pieces around those two young forwards, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Here’s more on the Magic:

Among potential Orlando trade chips this season, Mohamed Bamba may have the most value, according to Fischer, who says league sources believe the Magic will likely be seeking a first-round pick for Bamba and would settle for a protected or late first-rounder. Fischer notes that the Magic pursued Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency this past summer, which is perhaps an indication that Bamba was a fallback option and isn’t in the team’s long-term plans.
Although it’s unclear which teams might have interest in Bamba specifically, front office personnel expect teams like the Clippers, Lakers, Raptors, Kings, and Nets to explore the trade market for big men, Fischer writes.
Veteran wings Terrence Ross and R.J. Hampton, both in contract years, are also considered potential trade candidates, as is Gary Harris, who has a non-guaranteed salary for 2023/24. However, their appeal will probably be limited, given their modest production relative to their respective cap hits. Ross has previously drawn interest from the Lakers and Knicks, and the Magic have sought a first-round pick for him in the past, but it’s hard to envision them getting more than a second-rounder if they move him, says Fischer.
League personnel think there may be a “sizable gap” between Cole Anthony‘s asking price and what the Magic are willing to offer when the third-year guard becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason, per Fischer.

Pacific Notes: Sabonis, Kings, Suns, Booker, Beverley

December 20th, 2022 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

Before Kings center Domantas Sabonis racked up 28 points, 23 rebounds, and seven assists in Sunday’s loss to Charlotte, head coach Mike Brown said there’s “no question” that the big man should be an All-Star this season, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sunday’s performance increased Sabonis’ season-long averages to 18.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, and 6.4 APG. He’s also shooting a career-best 62.7% from the floor.

“If you don’t vote for him to be an All-Star, in my opinion, you don’t know basketball because what he’s doing, it’s almost on a historic level, and I’m not just talking about his ability to score or his ability to pass,” Brown said.

As impressive as Sabonis has been, the Kings are still seeking a reliable backup at the center position. The team began the season with Richaun Holmes playing that role, then turned to Chimezie Metu. On Sunday, two-way player Neemias Queta got a look, playing seven minutes in just his second appearance of the season. Brown said on Sunday that Holmes and Queta will get more opportunities, per Anderson, and that he expects to continue experimenting until he finds a reliable option in that spot.

“I can’t run Domas 40 minutes every night,” Brown said, according to Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. “So I need to find a guy in that spot who’s going to defend, run the floor, spell Domas for six, eight minutes a half, and play as hard as he as can while following the game plan. Not fouling, boxing out, doing all the little things that need to keep that group solid for those six to eight minutes. We’ve found it in spurts. But I want to get to a point where it can be a little bit more consistent, so I’m going to keep searching until I feel like that person is there.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Although Suns owner Robert Sarver was suspended and fined by the NBA and is now planning to sell the team, a number of current and former Suns employees are still wondering whether other executives who contributed to creating a toxic workplace will face any punishment, reports Baxter Holmes of ESPN. CEO Jason Rowley is among those accused of mistreating staffers. As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets, the club put out a statement claiming that there are “factual inaccuracies” in Holmes’ report and that the franchise’s leaders have taken accountability for the allegations found to have merit.
Suns head coach Monty Williams blamed himself for the groin injury that sidelined Devin Booker on Monday. “Let’s be straight, I played him way too many minutes,” Williams said (Twitter link via Bourguet). “I can’t look at anybody else when I put players in harm’s way.”
Suns point guard Chris Paul brushed off a taunt from Lakers guard Patrick Beverley on Monday, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Beverley made a “too small” gesture when he converted an and-one against CP3 that cut L.A.’s deficit from 26 points to 23. “You can’t pay attention to that stuff,” Paul said. “That ain’t new. He ain’t come up with it. But just play basketball, man.” Beverley was suspended three games for shoving Deandre Ayton the last time the two teams faced one another.

Community Shootaround: Los Angeles Lakers

December 19th, 2022 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers reached the 30-game mark on Monday, as their depleted group got blown out by the Suns. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook missed the game with minor ailments but of course the bigger issue is Anthony Davis‘ foot injury.

Los Angeles dropped to a 13-17 record, 12th-best in the Western Conference, and it’s going to be difficult to hang around in the postseason chase with Davis sidelined for multiple weeks. It’s uncertain just how long Davis will be out, but naturally the Lakers will exercise plenty of caution for a superstar with a long history of injuries.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Lakers’ prospects were a lot rosier. Davis was on a tear, scoring 99 points in a two-game span at one point, as the Lakers came within two games of .500 after a 2-10 start.

They pulled out a narrow victory over the slumping Wizards without Davis on Saturday, but continuing to win games without him won’t be easy. Sunday’s contest against the Suns began a stretch in which they’ll play seven of eight games on the road.

There have been all kinds of trade rumors surrounding the Lakers since the summer. Westbrook and his $47MM expiring contract have, of course, has been at the forefront of that trade buzz. There have been all kinds of names bandied about as possible trade targets, including Buddy Hield, Myles Turner, Bojan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, just to name a few.

Their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, however valuable they may be, have also been a hot topic of discussions.

Now, it’s fair to wonder what approach the Lakers should take. During the uptick, it seemed like a good idea to get immediate help.

Now, it might be prudent to bite the bullet and use the cap room they’ll gain from Westbrook’s expiring contract, among others, to retool next summer. The only big salary commitments they have beyond this season are the contracts of Davis and James. That cap space would give them much more elbow room than they had this past offseason to make deals and free agent signings.

That brings us to our question of the day: In light of Davis’ latest injury, should the Lakers make moves now to improve their chances of staying in the playoff chase? Or should they stand pat and use the cap space they’ll gain from expiring contracts to revamp the roster next offseason?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Lakers Should Still Look To Trade Picks

December 19th, 2022 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis‘ foot injury, expected to keep him sidelined for several weeks, shouldn’t deter the Lakers’ front office from trading their 2027 and 2029 first round picks for immediate help, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times opines. The fact the Lakers didn’t trade those picks during the offseason showed that the front office was unsure that the team was just a move or two away from contending. The Lakers have built their team around LeBron James and Davis and they shouldn’t change that approach despite Davis’ latest injury, Hernandez concludes.

Ham Looks At Bright Side Of Davis' Absence

December 19th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis‘ foot injury is a grim development for the Lakers, who are already floundering under the .500 mark. First-year coach Darvin Ham is trying to take a positive approach, hoping Davis’ absence will benefit the team in the long run, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of the period of discovery,” Ham said. “When you’re missing a huge piece like A.D., it allows you to mix and match and I think people are getting caught up in him not being there but I’m looking at another opportunity to see what we have and what combinations we can throw out there so upon his return, we can have several, several different bullets in the chamber that we can use.”

Lakers’ James, Suns’ Booker Out For Monday’s Matchup

December 19th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers star LeBron James has been ruled out for Monday’s contest in Phoenix due to left ankle soreness, tweets Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group.

Guard Austin Reaves will also be sidelined with a right ankle sprain, while fellow guard Patrick Beverley is questionable with right calf soreness.

It will be James’ eighth missed game thus far in 2022/23, and the timing isn’t great since Anthony Davis is reportedly out for at least a month after injuring his right foot in Friday’s win over Denver. However, it’s the second game of a back-to-back — the Lakers defeated the Wizards on Sunday night — so the team is likely being cautious with its star forward, who will turn 38 on December 30.

Losing Reaves is a big blow as well. His counting stats are fairly modest — he’s averaging 10.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 2.1 APG through 29 games (29.5 MPG) — but his efficiency is elite: his shooting slash line is .521/.391/.915, including a .680 true shooting percentage. It will be the 24-year-old’s first missed game of 2022/23.

The Suns will also be without their best player, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Shooting guard Devin Booker, who was previously listed as questionable with groin soreness, has been downgraded to out for tonight’s game against the Lakers.

Booker scored a season-high 58 points in Saturday’s victory over New Orleans, but he’d been dealing with left hamstring tightness early last week, which caused him to miss a couple games. It’s unclear if the two injuries are related or how long the 26-year-old might be sidelined, but the fact that he was initially deemed questionable seems to indicate that he should be back in action fairly soon.

Lakers Notes: Davis Injury, LeBron, Westbrook

December 19th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers haven’t issued an official statement on the status of Anthony Davis, but a weekend report indicating he will miss at least a month with an injured right foot could alter the course of their season and their approach to the trade deadline, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Specialists were still evaluating Davis as of Sunday night, and coach Darvin Ham suggested the team may release more information on the injury on Monday. L.A. is 12th in the West at 13-16 and is entering a tough part of the schedule with seven of its next eight games on the road.

Davis’ injury and how it might affect management’s approach to upgrading the roster were among the topics at Sunday’s post-game press conference.

“Not a question for me,” LeBron James said. “I have no idea. When I’m playing, I show up, prepare, go to work and get my guys ready to go win a basketball game. I play the game, I’m not in the front office, so we’ll see. But I’m focused on the game and us trying to win basketball games, especially when I’m out on the floor.”

As James left the media session, Buha adds, he told a reporter, “Go ask (general manager) Rob (Pelinka) those questions.”

There’s more from Los Angeles:

The Lakers are already facing inflated prices on the trade market as rival teams understand they’re under pressure to make a deal, reports Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. As an example, he states that the Jazz asked L.A. for a first-round pick in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic before the season began, but ultimately traded him to Detroit without getting a first-rounder in return. Pincus notes that the Lakers were “conflicted internally” about risking their future on any trade that didn’t make them an obvious contender, even before the Davis injury. If Davis is lost for an extended stretch, Pincus suggests L.A. might focus on smaller moves such as adding a free agent center (maybe DeMarcus Cousins) and seeing what it can get for Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and second-round picks.
James’ situation is unprecedented for a player of his age and talent, per Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. Although he’s still performing at an all-NBA level as he nears his 38th birthday, James faces the prospect of another non-playoff season.
While Davis is sidelined, James will likely see some time at center, which was effective last season, according to Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. There will also be an increased focus on James’ pairing with Russell Westbrook, as Goon notes that with Westbrook’s move to a reserve role they have shared the court for just 17.2 minutes per game this season.

Anthony Davis Expected To Miss At Least One Month

December 18th, 2022 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are preparing to be without Anthony Davis indefinitely, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links), who reports that the big man is expected to miss at least one month after suffering a right foot injury during Friday’s win over Denver.

There’s still no official word yet from the Lakers on Davis’ specific diagnosis or a possible recovery timetable. With both Charania and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) reporting that Davis’ absence will be indefinite, the team may use similar phrasing when it makes its own announcement, declining to offer a set timeline for his potential return.

Davis’ injury occurred when he went up for a layup against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and his lower leg collided with Jokic’s leg in midair. The Lakers star had already been ruled out for Sunday’s game due to right foot “soreness” and there was an expectation that he’d undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

It’s a brutal turn of events for a Los Angeles team that appeared to be making some headway in the standings after a disastrous start. The Lakers had gone 10-6 since losing 10 of their first 12 games and seemed more inclined to pursue a trade to upgrade the rotation — it’s unclear how those plans may be affected by Davis’ absence.

It’s also an unfortunate development for Davis, who was enjoying perhaps the best stretch of his career before getting hurt on Friday. In his last 12 full games, he had averaged an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting.

This will be the third straight season that Davis has been seriously hampered by the injury bug. He appeared in only 36 regular season games of 72 in 2020/21 and just 40 of 82 last season. He had managed to stay relatively healthy this year up until now, having appeared in 25 of L.A.’s first 28 contests.

With Davis sidelined, backup center Thomas Bryant is expected to move into the Lakers’ starting lineup.

Kyle Kuzma Talks Contract, Possible Trade, Time With Lakers

December 18th, 2022 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma told The Washington Post earlier this week that he intends to reach free agency in 2023 rather than signing an extension during the season or picking up his player option for 2023/24. In a conversation with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Kuzma explained in more detail why he doesn’t expect to sign an in-season extension with Washington.

“It’s not a smart business move,” Kuzma said. “The max I can make if I sign right now is $15 (million). If you look at the market, that’s not market price.”

Technically, Kuzma could get a starting salary of $15.6MM on an extension with the Wizards and could earn about $17.5MM annually over four seasons. But that still may end up being below his value on the open market, given his production so far this season. He has averaged 21.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 29 games (35.1 MPG).

With Kuzma on track to become a free agent and his future in D.C. uncertain, it’s possible the Wizards will consider trading him before this February’s deadline — he has reportedly been drawing interest. The 27-year-old told McMenamin that the Wizards have “made it clear that they value me,” but acknowledged that the NBA is business, adding that “everybody in this league is tradable.”

McMenamin notes that Pacers center Myles Turner spoke openly to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on a podcast about a possible trade to the Lakers and said L.A. should take a “hard look” at it. However, Kuzma said he doesn’t plan to push for a trade to his former team or anywhere else.

“I definitely could (lobby for a trade). But that’s very immature,” Kuzma said. “I’m not a really immature person. I like to do business in a professional way. So, I would never do that.”

Kuzma went on to say that he values the time he spent with the Lakers earlier in this career and still frequently watches his old teammates on television when he can, but he’s not expecting to be dealt back to Los Angeles this season.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Kuzma said when asked by McMenamin about a possible trade. “The Wizards love me. It’s going to be really tough to do. Do the Lakers have anything (to make a deal)?”

Here’s more from Kuzma, who also spoke to Melissa Rohlin of FoxSports.com about his current situation in Washington and his Lakers history:

On why playing behind two superstars (LeBron James and Anthony Davis) in Los Angeles was a “double-edged sword”:

“I believe that it was some of the best things to ever happen to me, you know, getting drafted, being a Laker, having that platform. Having millions and millions of people globally know who you are, that’s a blessing. That’s part of being a Laker. Learning from LeBron, winning a championship — it’s all been great.

“But at the same time, I always look back and wish I would’ve gotten the fairer end of the stick a little bit, just with my role and how much I sacrificed. It’s cool to sacrifice. That’s the only way you win championships, everybody has to sacrifice. But, just getting the fairer end of the stick, I feel like I never really got (that). But everything happens for a reason. I’m here now (in Washington), and I’ve been able to expand my game and flourish.”

On why he feels like he didn’t get the “fair end of the stick” with the Lakers:

“In the position I was in, it was tough being that little bro on the team. One night, you might get 10 shots. The next night, maybe they just need you to rebound. The next night, you might get 15 minutes. The next night, you might get 29 (minutes). You never know. That’s (not getting) the fair end of the stick.

” … When I was in the moment and I was young, (I was) frustrated a lot of nights because, man, I really want this. I really want this. Everybody who knows me knows I’m really competitive. I really love basketball. A lot of nights it bothered me that I never got the chance to do what I’m doing now, play me.”

On why the trade to the Wizards has ultimately been the best thing for his career, despite the team’s struggles:

“I needed this. This move here has been so instrumental in my life, just being more mature. I love basketball, but I love it even more now. I love my craft, I love getting in the gym every single day. Being in the gym, being in this type of situation — seeing how good I can become has made me be really obsessive with trying to improve and better myself.”