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Southwest Notes: Morant, Smart, Kennard, Wembanyama, Murphy

December 23rd, 2023 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

After watching his team post a miserable 6-19 record while he was serving a 25-game suspension, Ja Morant has the Grizzlies looking like winners again, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Morant had 30 points, six rebounds and 11 assists in Saturday’s victory at Atlanta as Memphis improved to 3-0 since his return. The secret to the success, according to Morant, is that the players are enjoying themselves again.

“The tough part was not being able to be out there and enjoy and have fun with my guys, but now that I’m out there, I’m making sure that we’re all having fun no matter what,” Morant said after Thursday’s game. “So that was pretty much just my message. You could just tell by the energy of the team. We catch a lob, you got the bench going crazy, you got the players screaming, yelling, dapping each other up. That’s our type of basketball. That’s how we are. That’s the team we are, the people we are.”

Memphis fans are enjoying having Morant back as well, MacMahon adds. They took part in a parade outside the arena to celebrate his first home game, which marked just the fourth sellout of the season at FedEx Forum.

“You got to play the game with a lot of joy,” Desmond Bane said. “And when you’re losing and down, sometimes it’s hard to find that spirit and that swag. But regardless, winning, losing, up, down, you got to have that fire and that fight. And I think we got that now.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins indicated that Marcus Smart may be ready to return on Tuesday, tweets Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Smart has been sidelined since November 14 with a left foot sprain and has only appeared in 11 games this season. Jenkins hopes Luke Kennard can begin playing five-on-five next week and can be back in the rotation by the end of December, per Rob Fischer of Grind City Media (Twitter link).
  • A pregame mishap prevented Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama from playing tonight at Dallas, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Wembanyama suffered a right ankle sprain when he stepped on a ball boy’s foot during warmups. He went to the locker room to get his ankle retaped, but coach Gregg Popovich opted to hold him out of the game for precautionary reasons.
  • Trey Murphy has become a valuable part of the Pelicans‘ offense since returning from left knee surgery that forced him to miss the first 19 games of the season, notes Christian Clark of NOLA. Murphy made his first start Thursday and delivered 28 points in a win at Cleveland. “I feel great,” he said. “I’m getting back into my rhythm. I’m getting back into the flow of things. It’s just in time for the dog days of the season. I have fresh legs for those times.”
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Southwest Notes: Morant, Mamukelashvili, McCombs, Mavs, Doncic

December 21st, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his dramatic return to the team on Tuesday following a 25-game suspension, hitting a game-winning bucket at the buzzer to lift Memphis past New Orleans. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Morant originally suggested to run a play for Jaren Jackson Jr., a plan teammate Desmond Bane rejected upon seeing Morant amid a 30-point outing.

“He told me, ‘F–k no, you get the ball,’” Morant said after the victory. “So at that point, I pretty much just had to lock in and go deliver. And I did.”

For the Grizzlies, Morant’s return led to the end of a five-game losing streak for a team that stumbled to a 6-19 record before his 2023/24 debut.

“It felt different out there, having our guy back, our leader,” Bane said. “He does so much for us on the court, of course, but the spirit and the energy and all that that he plays with is infectious. … I ain’t surprised at all. I’ve seen him do a bunch of crazy things. I’m not going to say I was expecting something like this, but I knew he was going to be himself.”

In a separate story, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko details Morant’s return to play, writing that communication and comfort between Morant and the organization were built up in his absence. Still, in order for the Grizzlies to jump back into the picture of Western Conference contenders, it’ll take maturity from Morant, Iko opines.

“He’s been awesome outside of not being able to play in games,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said last week. “He’s taken every opportunity to be with his teammates. He’s really leaned into the team a lot — off-court stuff, leadership role he’s taken. The voice, he’s Zooming in during games talking to his teammates, connecting with them after the game and on plane rides.”

Morant made his return in front of a Memphis crowd that featured his father, Tee Morant, and best friend, Davonte Pack.

“That kid ain’t did nothing to nobody,” Tee Morant said. “I feel bad as a father because I want to take all the (blame) for anything he does wrong — give it to me. But don’t do him like that if he doesn’t commit a crime. Everybody writes what they write, but now when y’all see, the proof is in the pudding.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Spurs coach Gregg Popovich would like to play big man Sandro Mamukelashvili more, but hasn’t figured out how to best utilize him, according to The San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn. “I don’t think he’s a five, but I wonder sometimes can he guard a three or is he big enough to be at the four, or do we just play perimeter players and don’t call him anything,” Popovich said. “All kinds of thoughts go through your head with him. I don’t know if it is because he is European or not, but he moves better than most players, like a lot of the foreign kids do. … he knows how to play.” Mamukelashvili has averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 30 games with the Spurs since joining the team in ’22/23, but he’s only averaging 7.6 minutes and 2.5 points in a limited role this year.
  • The Spurs announced Wednesday that the McCombs family is joining the organization’s investor group as its newest strategic partner. The McCombs family has been in San Antonio since 1958 and were part of the original investor group that brought professional basketball to San Antonio in 1973, so this signals a return to the franchise. “Red, Charline and the entire McCombs family mean so much to the Spurs and San Antonio,” said Peter J. Holt, Spurs Sports & Entertainment managing partner. “To see the McCombs family come full circle and officially welcome them back into our investor group is beyond special.“
  • The banged-up Mavericks — down two starters and two rotation players — have lost three of their last four games, but Tim Cato of The Athletic writes that they’re learning from their adversity. Some players, like Derrick Jones Jr., have been pleasant surprises and are continuing to earn more opportunities, while others, like Grant Williams, haven’t lived up to their billing, Cato suggests. Cato also notes that the team has been leaning on star Luka Doncic heavily, as he’s played 40 or more minutes in four of Dallas’s past seven games.
  • It’s going to get worse before it gets better for the Mavericks on the injury front, as Doncic is out for Dallas’ Friday game against the Rockets, according to Marc Stein at Substack (Twitter link). He’s dealing with a quad injury.
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Injury Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Sixers, Leonard, Payton, Clarke

December 21st, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz will be shorthanded for Thursday’s back-to-back in Detroit, with Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring — injury maintenance), Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot soreness) among the eight players who will be unavailable, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Utah is just 2-13 on the road this season, but the team will be facing the Pistons, who have lost 24 straight games, two shy of the single-season record. If Detroit hopes to snap the skid in the near future, tonight certainly seems like a good opportunity.

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

  • LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Gabe Vincent are out for Thursday’s back-to-back in Minnesota, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. Lakers center Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain/bone bruise), meanwhile, is questionable for the matchup against the West’s current No. 1 seed.
  • Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton exited Wednesday’s victory with a thigh contusion, but it’s not expected to be a serious injury, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Melton, Nicolas Batum (hamstring) and Robert Covington (illness) did not practice on Thursday, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). On the league’s official injury report, Melton is questionable for Friday’s matchup with Toronto, while Covington is probable and Batum has been ruled out.
  • He has yet to miss a game this season, but Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard popped up on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s back-to-back in Oklahoma City. He’s officially questionable with a left hip contusion.
  • Warriors guard Gary Payton II has been “making good progress” from his right calf strain and has been cleared to start “various forms of team practice,” the team announced (via Twitter). Payton, who has missed the past nine games, will be reevaluated again early next week, per the Warriors.
  • Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he expects to return to action sometime around the All-Star break. A key rotation player for Memphis, Clarke has been sidelined since March 3 of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon.
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Morant Hits Game-Winner In Return From Suspension

December 19th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ja Morant made a spectacular return from his 25-game suspension, scoring 34 points — including a buzzer-beating, game-winning basket in the lane — as the Grizzlies rallied past the Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Morant was thrilled to be back in action and it showed, as The Associated Press’ Brett Martel relays.

“I’ve been putting work in, man,” Morant said. “I ain’t play a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself. A lot of hard days where I went through it. But you know, basketball is my life — what I love, therapeutic for me. And I’m just excited to be back.”

Morant’s point total was the most in NBA history by a player returning from an absence of at least 25 games. He heard a lot of boos from the New Orleans crowd, especially in the early going, but it didn’t faze him.

Morant lost approximately $7.6MM of his $34MM salary during the suspension. He’s in the first year of his five-year maximum-salary extension.

Whether Morant can carry Memphis back into the playoff picture remains to be seen. The Grizzlies dug themselves a deep hole, going 6-19 in his absence.

Morant will play in front of Memphis fans for the first time this season on Thursday when the team hosts the Pacers.

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Southwest Notes: Morant, Smart, Cuban, Rockets, More

December 19th, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With Ja Morant poised to return from his 25-game suspension on Tuesday night vs. New Orleans, the Grizzlies‘ season is on the brink, as Morant’s absence and a plethora of injuries have created what Derrick Rose referred to as a “quagmire situation,” according to Baxter Holmes and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. As Holmes and MacMahon detail, “frustration has simmered” within the organization about the direction of the season, which has opened with 19 losses in 25 games.

But Morant’s teammates were all smiles on Monday as they discussed the point guard’s impending return, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. The club’s top two scorers this season, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., have faced a level of defensive attention they’re not accustomed to, and they’re looking forward to sharing the court with a player like Morant, who will be able to divert much of that attention.

“(Morant) is going to have to deal with that,” Jackson said. “He’s going to have to turn left and turn right and see three dudes so that I can do what I do. He’s an All-NBA, Hall of Fame-type player, so you’re going to have to pay attention and if you do that, we’re going to punish you.”

Although Morant hasn’t suited up for the Grizzlies since April, the club has been ramping up his workload in practice and doesn’t anticipate imposing any real limitations on his playing time in his return, Cole notes.

“He’s going to play pretty significant minutes,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said. “… I won’t anticipate going crazy with his minutes, but I don’t think it’s any kind of restriction.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who hasn’t played since November 14 due to a left foot sprain, is getting very close to returning to action, Cole writes in another Commercial Appeal story. “Marcus is really close,” Jenkins said. “… Somewhere in that Indiana (Thursday) and Atlanta (Saturday) time frame, we’re hopeful that he’ll be back in the lineup then.”
  • Following up on the Mavericks‘ sale ahead of the Board of Governors vote, Marc Stein says on Substack that Mark Cuban will retain a 27% stake in the franchise. Stein indicates that the new owners – the Miriam Adelson/Patrick Dumont group – will therefore have a 73% controlling interest, but there have been conflicting reports on whether every single one of the minority stakeholders are being bought out.
  • The Rockets‘ closing lineup has been far less predictable than its starting group, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required), who examines head coach Ime Udoka‘s tendency to go with the hot hands down the stretch of games. “That’s what I believe in,” Udoka said. “I pretty much said that the day I was hired. Minutes and roles are not going to be handed out. The guys that are playing well and units that are playing well are going to get those minutes. I think everybody knows that across the board.”
  • William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at the similarities between Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, two No. 1 picks who were expected to be saviors for their respective Southwest clubs as soon as they entered the NBA, exploring how they’ve dealt with those expectations.
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Grizzlies Waive Kenneth Lofton Jr.

December 18th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 18: The Grizzlies have officially waived Lofton, the team confirmed in a press release on Monday night. The move opens up a spot to formally activate Morant.

DECEMBER 17: The Grizzlies plan to release Kenneth Lofton Jr., reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

As Cole explains, the Grizzlies need to create a roster spot with Ja Morant nearing a return from his 25-game suspension; that’s expected to occur Tuesday vs. New Orleans. Lofton won’t be traveling on the team’s two-game road trip, which starts Monday in Oklahoma City.

Two different reports from the past week indicated that Lofton was the most likely player to be cut. When Morant was placed on the suspended list following the fifth game of the season, the Grizzlies signed Bismack Biyombo, and they’ll reportedly be keeping him around for now.

Lofton, a second-year forward/center, was promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract near the end of the 2022/23 season.

The 21-year-old had an opportunity to earn minutes in the frontcourt this season, with Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke sidelined with long-term injuries, plus Xavier Tillman missing extended time. But he was unable to establish himself as a consistent contributor this fall, averaging just 2.6 points per game on 37.8% shooting in 15 appearances (6.6 MPG).

A source tells Cole that Lofton met with head coach Taylor Jenkins earlier in ’23/24 to gain a better understanding of why he wasn’t playing, but Jenkins reportedly told him there weren’t many minutes available.

Lofton has two years left on his contract after this season, but both are non-guaranteed. That means if he clears waivers, the Grizzlies will only be on the hook for his ’23/24 salary, which is $1,719,864.

According to Cole, Lofton is expected to draw interest from rival teams due to his ability to score. He averaged a double-double for the Memphis Hustle (the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate) last season, winning the NBAGL’s Rookie of the Year award in the process.

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Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Exum, Rose

December 18th, 2023 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pelicans heated up on their latest road swing, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans has gone 3-0 on its latest mini-road trip, and is currently riding a four-game win streak overall. The team returns home Tuesday, for a bout against Memphis.

“The guys are buying into what we are asking them to do,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are staying with it. We are trusting it. We are showing them the pictures when we watch film. We are getting on the floor and going over it again and again. Expressing to them how important it is to play with force, play with pace. Continue to share the ball. Just make the simple plays over and over again.”

New Orleans is currently 16-11 overall on the season. In the crowded West, that record is good for the conference’s seventh seed.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

  • All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been performing at an MVP level this year, opines Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has steered Dallas to a 16-9 start on the year. His 32.7 points per game rank second in the league, and his 9.1 assists per game place him fourth. He was just named the West’s Player of the Week for his most recent four-game run, in which he averaged 36.8 PPG, 11.5 APG and 8.0 RPG while helped the Mavericks go 3-1.
  • Mavericks guard Dante Exum has emerged as a critical running mate for Doncic this season, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic.  “He knows how to play,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s not judged on his scoring. He’s judged on doing the right thing.” Exum returned to the NBA this season after a two-year stint overseas. While starting the past six contests for Dallas, Exum has been averaging 30.8 minutes per night. Cato applauds the way Exum’s game fits in the Mavericks’ heliocentric offense around Doncic. “We try to attack personnel here (and) it’s working for us, it’s an advantage for us,” Exum said. “If it hasn’t worked for a couple plays, just getting the ball and saying, ‘Alright, getting guys connected, organized into an offense,’ that’s what I can do.”
  • After departing a 103-96 loss to the Rockets on Friday with left hamstring tightness, Grizzlies reserve guard Derrick Rose is considered week-to-week going forward, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). When healthy, Rose has been a solid bench contributor for an injury- and suspension-depleted Memphis club, averaging 9.1 PPG (.438/.344/.905 shooting), 3.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in just 18.9 MPG.
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Southwest Notes: Brooks, Lively, Irving, Rice

December 17th, 2023 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Dillon Brooks was determined to beat his former team. The Rockets wing got his wish as they downed the Grizzlies on Friday night, 103-96, with Brooks scoring 26 points in 40 minutes.

“He had 24 of his 26 after the half. He stepped it up offensively,” Rockets head cach Ime Udoka told Kelly Iko of The Athletic and other media members. “He hit a big shot late, but his aggressiveness and scoring was needed in the second half. It felt like the group galvanized around him.”

Brooks’ career with Memphis ended on a sour note, but Houston wanted his edgy attitude and defensive prowess enough to sign him to a four-year, $86MM contract in free agency.

“It’s a lot of emotion. A lot of things I’ve been holding in and just wanted to release for this time,” he said. “It just felt good with my people in the arena, watching me play. It just felt good.”

We have more from the Southwest Division:

  • Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively sprained his left ankle against Portland on Saturday night. He’s in a walking boot and won’t play against Denver on Monday, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter links). Lively has started in 22 of 23 games.
  • Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving will also miss Monday’s contest, Townsend adds in another tweet. He’s been out since Dec. 8 due to a right heel contusion.
  • The Spurs’ NBA G League team in Austin has acquired the rights to undrafted rookie guard Sir’Jabari Rice, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. He was on a two-way deal until being placed on waivers Thursday to make room for guard David Duke Jr. Rice didn’t appear in an NBA game before being waived.
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And-Ones: Panic, Trade Candidates, Awards, Atkinson, Thabeet

December 15th, 2023 at 8:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Which teams that hoped to be contenders entering 2023/24 should be panicking after slow starts? John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that topic, with the Warriors topping his list (an eight on a scale of one-to-10).

The indefinite suspension of Draymond Green and the poor play of Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson “presents a dilemma” for Golden State, which just won the title two seasons ago. The Warriors will be faced with many difficult decisions in the coming months, Hollinger notes, with Thompson’s expiring contract looming large.

The Raptors (seven), Hawks (six), Grizzlies (five) and Suns (four) also hold places on Hollinger’s “Panic Meter” for various reasons.

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

  • Speaking of the Raptors, two of their starters — Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby — are at the top of the trade candidate big board compiled by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Bulls guard Zach LaVine ranks third on the 25-player list, followed by his Chicago teammates DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.
  • Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press takes a look at the early impact of the NBA’s new 65-game requirement for awards, writing that Heat guard Tyler Herro (ankle) and Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (thumb surgery) are among the noteworthy players who won’t meet that requirement due to injuries, with many others having missed several games already. Herro has accepted that he won’t have a shot at a postseason award. “Next year then,” Herro said. “Or the year after that.”
  • Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has joined the staff of the French national team, per a team press release. Atkinson, formerly the head coach of the Nets, interviewed for several NBA head coaching jobs in recent years.
  • Hasheem Thabeet, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft, is signing a contract with the Kaohsiung Steelers, a Taiwanese team, agent Jerry Dianis tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Thabeet appeared in 224 NBA games with the Grizzlies, Rockets, Blazers and Thunder, but has been out of the league since the ’13/14 season.
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