Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Joakim Noah: “Too Lit To Play In New York”

December 14th, 2018 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Excessive partying may have been responsible for Joakim Noah‘s downfall in New York, the former Knicks center says in an interview with Chris Vernon of Grind City Media (hat tip to Chris Iseman of USA Today).

Noah has looked much better since signing with the Grizzlies last week, averaging 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds through five games. While those are modest numbers, they are far better than what he posted during two frustrating years with the Knicks.

“I remember after the first game (in New York) I probably had like 60 people in my house,” Noah said. “I’m too lit to play in New York City. Memphis is perfect for me.”

Noah, 33, admits he had the same party habits earlier in his career, but added, “We were lit in Chicago, but I was young. You recover faster, you know?”

Noah was a two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year with the Bulls before receiving a four-year, $72MM offer to join the Knicks in 2016. He battled injuries in his first season with the team, appearing in 46 games, then played just seven more last year before being suspended following an altercation with former New York coach Jeff Hornacek in practice.

The Knicks waived Noah before the start of this season, using the stretch provision on the remainder of his contract.

“It happened so fast,” Noah recalled. “One year I’m playing 35 minutes a game. And then injuries started piling up. I got this crazy deal with the Knicks, and then the next thing you know I’m not playing anymore. Get kicked off the team. It was a crazy time. I wasn’t sure I was gonna get an opportunity to play again.”

Noah believes he was able to save his career by leaving New York after being released and heading to California to dedicate himself to getting back into game shape. If he can rediscover the all-around skills he displayed in Chicago, Noah could be a valuable backup for the Grizzlies as they fight for a playoff spot.

“I got the call from Memphis. … I decided that this was a good fit,” Noah said. “I’m just really, really happy to be here.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/12/18

December 12th, 2018 at 5:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Veteran Knicks shooting guard Courtney Lee has been recalled from his rehab assignment with the Westchester Knicks and will rejoin the NBA team in Charlotte on Thursday, the team’s PR department tweets. Lee scored 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting in a G League outing on Tuesday. He was sidelined by a neck ailment during training camp.
Hornets forward Dwayne Bacon and guard Devonte’ Graham were recalled from the Greensboro Swarm after playing in an afternoon game, according to a team press release. In Wednesday’s game against Wisconsin, Bacon totaled 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in 30 minutes while Graham notched 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in 33 minutes. Both will be available to play against the Pistons tonight.
The Jazz recalled guard Grayson Allen, center Tony Bradley and forward Georges Niang from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team’s PR department tweets. Allen and Niang combined for 31 points in a loss to Austin on Tuesday.
The Grizzlies assigned big man Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle for practice, then recalled him, the team’s PR department tweets. Rabb has played nine games with the Grizzlies this season.

Injury Updates: Brooks, Parsons, Carter, Watanabe

December 12th, 2018 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies provided updates on four players today, announcing in a press release that Dillon Brooks is expected to return by the end of the month while Chandler Parsons will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Jevon Carter and Yuta Watanabe are set to resume basketball activities within the next week, according to the club.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/18

December 11th, 2018 at 9:08pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier today in a full story, the Knicks assigned veteran wing Courtney Lee to the G League to get in some minutes and improve his conditioning. Lee struggled a little with his shot for the Westchester Knicks on Tuesday night, scoring 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting (1-of-9 on threes).

Here are the rest of today’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Assignments:

The Jazz assigned Grayson Allen and Georges Niang to the Salt Lake City Stars in advance of the team’s game tonight against Austin, the team announced in a press release.
Rookie point guard Elie Okobo was assigned to the G League today by the Suns, as Gina Mizell of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Okobo, who has been in and out of Phoenix’s rotation this season, started at the point for Northern Arizona tonight.
The Bucks assigned D.J. Wilson to the G League in advance of the Wisconsin Herd’s two-game road trip this week, according to the club (Twitter link). A first-rounder in 2017, Wilson still isn’t part of Milwaukee’s rotation, having played just two games for the Bucks this season.
Sixers rookie Jonah Bolden was recalled from the G League this morning, then re-assigned several hours later, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter links). Bolden has averaged a double-double in four G League contests, posting 15.5 PPG and 12.3 RPG in Delaware.

Recalls:

After helping lead the Memphis Hustle to a Monday victory with 25 points and 10 boards, Ivan Rabb was recalled to the NBA today by the Grizzlies, according to the club (Twitter link).
The Hawks recalled Daniel Hamilton from Erie, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Hamilton posted back-to-back double-doubles for the BayHawks during his latest G League stint.
2018 first-round pick Troy Brown was recalled to the NBA by the Wizards, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown has averaged 18.3 PPG on 47.5% in four NBAGL games this season.
The Pelicans have recalled Frank Jackson from the G League, per a team press release. New Orleans doesn’t have its own affiliate, so Jackson had been with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBAGL squad.
The Bucks recalled Christian Wood from the Wisconsin Herd today, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Wood has appeared sparingly in just six games for Milwaukee in 2018/19.

Mike Conley Dealing With Dislocated Finger

December 9th, 2018 at 8:42pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Mike Conley is struggling with a dislocated finger, which hampered his play against the Lakers last week. As David Cobb reveals for Commercial Appeal, Conley had trouble holding the ball, which obviously isn’t a good thing for the Grizzlies‘ leading guard. Conley believes the swelling and discomfort will improve in the coming days.
A recent Southwest notes post detailed Dirk Nowitzki‘s upcoming return to action, how the addition of Joakim Noah impacts other bigs on the Grizzlies roster and much more.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/8/18

December 8th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Grizzlies have recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter from their Memphis Hustle affiliate, the team announced on Twitter. Carter was sent to the G League on Thursday.
The Hornets have assigned forward Dwayne Bacon to the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team website. This is the second trip to the G League for Bacon, who has played one game for the Swarm and 15 for Charlotte.
The Spurs sent forward Chimezie Metu to the Austin Toros so he could play in tonight’s game, tweets JeffGSpursZone.

Noah's Addition Creates Ripple Effect

December 7th, 2018 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The addition of Joakim Noah has impacted several other Grizzlies players, as Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian notes in his latest mailbag. JaMychal Green, who becomes an unrestricted free agent, might be shopped if the franchise decides it won’t try to re-sign him. It also clouds the future of Ivan Rabb, a second-round pick in 2017, within the organization. Rabb has thrived in the G League but isn’t skilled enough or physical enough at the NBA level, Herrington opines. Noah’s presence should also reduce Marc Gasol‘s workload, Herrington adds.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/6/18

December 6th, 2018 at 9:20pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Celtics assigned rookie forward Robert Williams to the Maine Red Claws, announcing the news in a tweet. Williams has appeared in nine games with Boston on the season and was drafted by the team 27th overall in June.
The Jazz recalled rookie Grayson Allen from the Salt Lake City Stars, G League affiliate of the team. Allen has played 14 games with Utah and is averaging 4.6 points in 10.5 minutes per contest.
The Hawks assigned guard/forward Daniel Hamilton to their G League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks, announcing the transaction on social media. Hamilton, 23, has played just two games with Atlanta so far this season.
The Wizards assigned Troy Brown Jr. and Okaro White to the Capital City Go-Go, according to a tweet from the team’s social media account. Both players were available for Thursday’s game against Delaware.
The Lakers recalled Isaac Bonga from the South Bay Lakers, the team announced in a press release. Bonga has averaged 14 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 12 games with South Bay.
The Grizzlies have assigned Jevon Carter and Ivan Rabb to their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, according to a tweet from the team’s PR department.
The Pelicans recalled rookie forward Kenrich Williams from the Westchester Knicks, the team announced via press release. Williams has averaged 13.4 points and 11.6 rebounds in his past two games with Westchester.
The Magic assigned Melvin Frazier Jr. to the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League, according to a tweet from their PR department. Orlando drafted Frazier Jr. with the No. 35 pick last June.

Grizzlies Notes: Noah, Conley, Future

December 6th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While Joakim Noah showed some rust in his first game for the Grizzlies on Wednesday night, he held his own and brought some energy to the court, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic. Noah also played a little more than may have been expected, earning 13 minutes of action his debut, an indication that Memphis plans to make him a regular part of its rotation going forward.

For his part, the veteran center says he’s looking forward to helping his new team in any way he can and believes he can fit right in with the Grizzlies’ grit ‘n’ grind mentality.

“There’s a lot of really good young talent, and it’s a culture that has been known for its work ethic and its grind. And I pride myself on being one of those guys,” Noah said, per David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “So I just want to keep that culture going.”

Regarding Noah’s time in New York, Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he has “no questions” about the way things ended between Noah and the Knicks, as Cobb relays for The Memphis Commercial Appeal. According to Sankofa, Noah said this week that he has “nothing bad to say” about the Knicks and is focused on contributing in Memphis.

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian confirms (via Twitter) that Noah’s new one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Grizzlies is fully guaranteed.
In a conversation with Michael Lee of The Athletic, longtime Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley talked about transitioning to a new stage of his career and his desire to finally make his first All-Star team. “I look for respect and to try to earn the respect of a lot of people,” Conley said. “If you make the All-Star team and you get the label next your name, for whatever reason, people will think, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s good now.’ But if you don’t have it, it’s, ‘Well, he’s never made it, he’s never done anything, so why would you think he’s any better than this guy or the next guy.’ It kind of keeps me under this glass ceiling that I’m trying to bust through.”
The Grizzlies are one of five teams that Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports believes should consider “blowing it up” sooner rather than later. Despite Memphis’ solid start to the season, Smith suggests that the team doesn’t currently have championship upside, and should consider targeting more young talent to complement building blocks like rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. and second-year forward Dillon Brooks.

Carter And Rabb Recalled

December 5th, 2018 at 7:44pm CST by clarkcrum

The Grizzlies recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter and big man Ivan Rabb from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, per a tweet from the team’s communications department. Carter, 23, has yet to play for the Grizzlies this season, while Rabb has averaged 6.3 minutes per game in nine contests.