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Nuggets Notes: Jackson, Porter, Caldwell-Pope, Strawther

November 9th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

When Reggie Jackson was waived by Charlotte in February and hit the buyout market, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted to recruit the veteran guard to Milwaukee, sources tell Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. However, Jackson opted for Denver instead, and both he and the Nuggets are happy about how that decision worked out, as Wind writes.

Jackson didn’t play a major role for the Nuggets during the championship run in the spring, but he has been an important piece of the rotation so far this fall, particularly since Jamal Murray went down with a hamstring injury. Jackson scored 20 points, handed out six assists, and was a plus-12 in a season-high 32 minutes during Wednesday’s three-point victory over the Warriors, earning praise from head coach Michael Malone, who said the 33-year-old has been “fantastic for us.”

The Nuggets raised some eyebrows when they devoted their taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason to a player who wasn’t part of their playoff rotation, but Jackson has benefited from spending the summer in Denver and becoming more familiar with the club’s system. Malone believes Jackson “feels so much more comfortable” this season than he did down the stretch of 2022/23 — and one of the guard’s teammates agrees.

“He spent all offseason in Denver when he could have been moving all around,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He stayed here, learned our offense, and it’s showing. It’s paying off for him.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

A day after exploring how the Nuggets will weather Murray’s absence, Tony Jones of The Athletic says the team showed off its “depth, hunger, and versatility” in Wednesday’s win over Golden State. Denver has matched its best start in franchise history at 8-1 and Porter’s improved defense has been an important factor in the team’s success, Jones notes. “We want Michael to get to the point where that’s the norm for him,” Malone said. “We want to get to the point where what he’s doing is no longer a surprise.”
Having already expressed a desire to make an All-Defensive team, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope clarified after Wednesday’s game that he actually has a loftier target in his sights. “I got one goal, man, either Defensive Player of the Year or (All-Defensive) First Team,” Caldwell-Pope said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). “I’m going to continue to push that envelope.”
It’s rare for a team to draft a player at No. 29 who is ready to immediately play rotation minutes, but the Nuggets may have achieved that feat with Julian Strawther, Wind writes for DNVR Sports. While Strawther’s 21-point night vs. New Orleans on Monday in just 19 minutes of action has been an outlier so far (he has 20 points in 52 minutes in his other six appearances), the rookie has impressed coaches and teammates for his confidence and poise.

Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Knox, Caruso, Phillips, Terry

November 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over Detroit, was hit with a second technical and ejected from the game early in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo briefly stared down Isaiah Stewart after a dunk, prompting the ejection (Twitter video link via Stephen Watson of Bally Sports Wisconsin). Antetokounmpo and his teammates were surprised by the decision, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details.

“He made like a little face and he took off running and he didn’t say a word,” Jae Crowder said. “I think that’s why he was so frustrated, like, ‘You really threw me out and I didn’t say anything?’ Like, the first tech, I think he would say he deserved it. He deserved that first tech. The second one was like, he didn’t say a word, so how do you throw him out for that? He definitely stared, but I don’t know if that’s a tech. I don’t know about that one.”

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin didn’t criticize the officiating decision during his postgame comments, instead suggesting that he has a responsibility to make sure his star player doesn’t end up in that situation again.

“I think I just have to do a better job,” Griffin said. “Giannis doesn’t complain to the refs. He’s really respectful to the refs and I think I’m letting him down in that sense. I think I need to be a little more, just vocal, during the games when he’s getting hit and kind of stick up for him a little bit better. I’ve been dropping the ball on that.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic considers whether or not it’s too early to be concerned about Milwaukee’s major drop-off in defensive efficiency this fall. Although the Bucks are off to a 5-2 start, they rank 25th in the NBA in defensive rating (115.8) and are the only team with a winning record that has been outscored so far this season.
The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Kevin Knox signed with the Pistons is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If he plays out the contract, Knox would earn $2,144,320, the prorated portion of his minimum salary.
Alex Caruso isn’t one of the Bulls‘ “big three” stars, but his teammates know his value and rave about what he brings to the team — DeMar DeRozan tells Jamal Collier of ESPN he can envision Caruso winning a Defensive Player of the Year award.“He’s our Ray Lewis. He’s the Deion Sanders. He’s the Charles Woodson,” DeRozan said. “He definitely is one of those great, vocalist, communicators and competitors when it comes to that end of the ball.”
A crowded Bulls depth chart means there has been no room in the rotation early in the season for rookie forward Julian Phillips or second-year wing Dalen Terry. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, the club intends to get both players some regular minutes in the G League and has mapped out the first month of the Windy City Bulls’ schedule to see how it coincides with Chicago’s schedule as it prepares a plan for those youngsters.

Injury Notes: Harris, Rozier, Middleton, Plumlee, Rose, Hachimura

November 7th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons, who have been hit by a wave of injuries in the early going, got some more bad news on Tuesday. Joe Harris has an AC sprain in his shoulder and will be reevaluated in 10-to-14 days, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

Detroit had six other players out on Monday against Golden State due to injury or illness. Harris, acquired from Brooklyn during the offseason, has averaged a modest 3.4 points in 14 minutes this season. He’s in the final year of his four-year, $75MM contract.

We have more injury-related news:

Hornets starting guard Terry Rozier will miss at least the next two games. He underwent an MRI which confirmed a left adductor strain, the team’s PR department tweets.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton will have the night off against the Pistons on Wednesday due to right knee injury management, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.
Clippers backup center Mason Plumlee has been diagnosed with a left knee MCL sprain, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and Adrian Wojnarowski. Plumlee is undergoing further evaluation, but he’ll miss at least the next two games.
Derrick Rose has missed the last three games due to left knee soreness and he’s “week-to-week,” according to coach Taylor Jenkins, as Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. He’s among eight Grizzlies players who will be sidelined when Memphis faces Miami on Wednesday, the team’s PR department tweets. John Konchar (hip strain) is listed as doubtful.
Rui Hachimura is listed as probable by the Lakers for their contest against Houston on Wednesday after missing four games while in concussion protocol, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets.

Giannis: Defense Has To Improve

November 7th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have won their last two games, but Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t happy with the team’s defense. Milwaukee gave up 125 points to Brooklyn on Monday. “I hope we can be better defensively,” Antetokounmpo told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I feel like our gaps wasn’t tight. Guys felt comfortable going one-on-one and getting to the rim, drawing fouls. Our help defense has got to be better.”

Central Notes: Lopez, Ivey, LaVine, Cavaliers

November 4th, 2023 at 10:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Back in the system that he’s comfortable with, Brook Lopez looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate again Friday night, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Protecting the rim in drop coverage, Lopez blocked eight shots as the Bucks held off the Knicks in their first in-season tournament game.

Lopez finished second in DPOY voting last season as he and Giannis Antetokounmpo presented huge obstacles for anyone trying to finish around the basket. However, new Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin made a controversial change to the defense that called on players to cover more of the court in an effort to force turnovers.

In the wake of a slow start, Griffin met with some of his veteran players after Thursday’s practice and an agreement was reached to go back to the team’s traditional defensive scheme.

“Sometimes as coaches, we’re too smart for our own selves,” Griffin said, “and so a couple players came to me — I won’t disclose (them) — but they wanted Brook deeper in the drop and I was smart enough to listen to ‘em and it paid off tonight.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jaden Ivey needs to get better at the “non-negotiables” to increase his playing time, James L. Edwards III of the Athletic states in a mailbag column. Ivey is averaging 20.7 minutes per night in his first six games under new Pistons coach Monty Williams, which is about 10 minutes per game less than he saw as a rookie. Edwards explains that Williams is reluctant to play anyone who turns the ball over frequently, fouls opponents outside the paint, and messes up defensive assignments.
Zach LaVine‘s refusal to take responsibility for two defensive mistakes late in Friday’s loss to Brooklyn represents a huge problem for the Bulls, contends Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry argues that the team needs its leader to be accountable, but LaVine told reporters he felt like he made the right decision when he went for unsuccessful steal attempts that resulted in baskets.
The Cavaliers fell to 2-4 with Friday’s loss at Indiana, but they were encouraged by the return from injuries by center Jarrett Allen and point guard Darius Garland, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). It marked the first game of the season for Allen, who has been sidelined with a bruised ankle bone.

Central Notes: LaVine, Williams, Craig, Nesmith, Bucks

November 4th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls guard Zach LaVine refuted the idea that the team hosted a players-only meeting following last week’s season opener, as detailed by Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. LaVine said the players didn’t have a team meeting, as suggested by head coach Billy Donovan, but instead had “a basketball conversation.”

“We’re having conversations from top to bottom,” LaVine said. “If we don’t want the coaches in there while we are talking, that’s not a team meeting, it’s players talking amongst ourselves. I don’t know if coach got that misunderstood or not.”

Goodwill writes the Bulls are at an inflection point. Notably, LaVine has been in trade rumors, Nikola Vucevic had a tense exchange with Donovan in the opener, and the team hasn’t been able to come to terms on an extension with DeMar DeRozan. On top of that, as Goodwill observes, Donovan has multiple years left following the extension he signed before last season and owner Jerry Reinsdorf hasn’t historically given up on long-term coaching contracts.

“You know, we’re on our third year now, and I’ve been saying since training camp: It’s time to put pen to paper,” LaVine said. “If it don’t work, we understand the business of basketball. We have three All-Star players. We gotta make this work, from top to bottom. It’s not just the players. We gotta make this click.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Donovan made a big change to the Bulls‘ starting lineup on Friday, substituting former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams out for Torrey Craig, who signed in the offseason. Williams is off to a disappointing start to the season, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting a poor 33.3% from the floor in his first six games (five starts). According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Ryan Taylor, Williams took a mature approach to the move to the bench. “I was just going through a stretch there where I really couldn’t make a shot,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult though [playing with the first group]. That’s a unit that has so much talent and can do so many different things on the court. It’s just more opportunity for whoever is playing in that second unit.“
Following last season’s trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics from the Pacers, there was a sentiment on social media that Boston didn’t give anything of value in the swap, according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. Flash forward to now and Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith, who was part of the package, has become a crucial member in the Pacers’ rotation. Since arriving in Indiana, Nesmith is averaging 10.2 points per game and admitted he felt overlooked last summer. Now, he’s won over the coaching staff. “He’s been one of our best defensive players and obviously, we all know he can shoot the ball really well and he’s developed other parts of his game,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “He drives it now, he’s making really good, simple reads and a very important part of what we’re doing here.“
On Wednesday, the NBA’s then-league worst offense in the Raptors dropped 130 points on the contending Bucks. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, head coach Adrian Griffin spent the first few games of the season experimenting with defensive anchor Brook Lopez, putting him out on the perimeter more to help generate turnovers, though the Bucks wound up with the league’s second-worst defensive rating through their first four games. However, as detailed by Nehm in a separate piece, Griffin put Lopez back in drop coverage for Friday’s game against the Knicks, and New York mustered just 105 points against Milwaukee.

Adrian Griffin Has Fond Memories Of Toronto

November 1st, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight’s visit to Toronto is a homecoming for Adrian Griffin, who spent five seasons as an assistant with the Raptors before being hired as the Bucks‘ head coach, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “It’s great to be back. A lot of fond memories here,” Griffin told reporters before the game. “We were a tight knit family. … We won a championship here. Just special times. It’s a little bit awkward being in the visitors’ locker room.”

Bucks Exercise 2024/25 Option On MarJon Beauchamp

October 31st, 2023 at 6:04pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks have exercised their third-year option on wing MarJon Beauchamp, a league source tells Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Beauchamp will now have his $2,733,720 salary for 2024/25 locked in. The Bucks will have until the end of next October to decide if they want to pick up his fourth-year option, which is worth $4,781,276.

The 24th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Beauchamp appeared in 52 regular season games as a rookie last season, averaging 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per night. He posted a .395/.331/.730 shooting line.

The 23-year-old has averaged 6.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in his two healthy games this season (16.5 minutes). Beauchamp missed Monday’s game against Miami due to an illness, but has been upgraded to probable for Wednesday’s matchup in Toronto, Nehm tweets.

As our tracker shows, only two teams have yet to make rookie scale options decisions for 2024/25, with tonight being the deadline. The Pistons are a lock to pick up their options on Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey, but the fate of Sixers guard Jaden Springer is a little less certain — Philadelphia reportedly wants to maximize its cap room for 2024, and guaranteeing Springer’s salary would eat into that.

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Herro, G League Invites

October 30th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Damian Lillard didn’t get his wish to be traded to Miami this summer and he doesn’t want that to be a distraction as his Bucks prepare to face the Heat tonight, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami was Lillard’s first choice when he asked the Trail Blazers for a trade in July, but despite weeks of rumors, the teams were never able to get close to a deal. Now that he’s in Milwaukee, Lillard wants to move past any connection with the Heat.

“I’m not going into (Monday) like, ‘This is the team I was supposed to be playing for,’” Lillard said. “None of that. I know Jimmy (Butler), I know Bam (Adebayo). We’re cool. But I play for the Bucks and I’m not going into it like that’s my former team or we were tied in or nothing like that. It’s just another game.”

Lillard also addressed reports that Adebayo was encouraging him to push for a deal to Miami. Although they became friends during their time with Team USA during the Olympics in 2021, Lillard said Adebayo wasn’t very involved in the process.

“I think on the outside, people made more of it than what was actually taking place,” Lillard said. “It’s not like I was calling him every day or nothing like that. I said what I needed to say to the team that I was on at that time and I went on about my time. I did my training, I spent time with kids and that was it. I’m telling you the real when I say it’s not that deep. Bam was my boy before I asked for a trade, he still is and that was the extent of it.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

Heat guard Tyler Herro has “a couple different reasons” to look forward to tonight’s game, Chiang adds in a separate story. Playing in Milwaukee means a homecoming for Herro, but he’s also eager to face Lillard after having his name mentioned in trade rumors all summer. “I’ve never spoken to him,” Herro said. “I probably won’t (talk to him on Monday). We’ll see what happens. I respect his game, for sure. There’s no hate toward him at all. He’s a great player. I’ve been watching him my whole life. So I’m excited to continue to compete against the best.”
The Bucks were sharp on Thursday in Lillard’s first regular season game with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the results looked much different in Sunday’s loss to the Hawks, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lillard shot just 2-of-12 from the field and committed six turnovers by halftime as the offense appeared out of sorts.
Wenyen Gabriel, Alex Antetokounmpo and Glenn Robinson III are among the players waived before the start of the season who received invitations to join the Wisconsin Herd, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. Drew Timme and Jazian Gortman are also on the G League team’s 18-man roster, but Omari Moore isn’t, Owczarski adds (Twitter link). Moore signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Toronto after being waived from his two-way contract by Milwaukee, so the Raptors 905 hold his NBAGL rights.

Khris Middleton To Sit Out Sunday's Game

October 29th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Forward Khris Middleton played in the Bucks‘ final game of the preseason last Friday and their regular season opener on Thursday, but he’ll be held out of Sunday’s game vs. Atlanta as the team monitors his workload and plays it safe with the three-time All-Star, per The Associated Press.

Sunday’s game is the first in a back-to-back set, as the Bucks are scheduled to host the Heat on Monday. Head coach Adrian Griffin indicated that Middleton, who underwent offseason knee surgery, will be available for Monday’s contest.

“This is just being smart and ramping him up gradually,” Griffin said on Saturday following the Bucks’ practice. “He participated in practice today and looked really good.”

Although he played on Thursday in the Bucks’ win over Philadelphia, Middleton doesn’t appear ready for a full workload yet — he logged just four minutes in the second half of that game and didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.