- On Wednesday, head coach Mike Budenholzer provided an update on injured wing Khris Middleton, who has yet to make his regular season debut for the 8-0 Bucks after offseason wrist surgery. According to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), Budenholzer said Middleton’s practice with the team’s G League affiliate went well, calling it an important step in his rehabilitation process. Budenholzer anticipates Middleton will need another practice with the Wisconsin Herd to build up his conditioning. A previous report indicated that Middleton could return at some point this month.
- Budenholzer also gave an update on Pat Connaughton, who was expected to miss about three weeks with a right calf strain, but it sounds like he’ll be out longer than that, since Sunday is three weeks since the Bucks announced his injury. As Owczarski tweets, Budenholzer said Connaughton has yet to get 5-on-5 work in and he’ll need to pass that milestone before returning to action. The head coach wasn’t sure about the veteran wing’s timetable for return at this point.
Eighteen days into the 2022/23 NBA regular season, only one team remains undefeated. The Bucks have opened the season with seven straight victories and will put their 7-0 record on the line in a Friday night showdown vs. the Timberwolves in Minnesota.
The Bucks were viewed as one of this season’s top title contenders ahead of the season, so the fact that they’re off to a strong start comes as no surprise. Still, it’s an impressive feat for a team that’s missing several key rotation players.
All-Star forward Khris Middleton has yet to play at all while recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Pat Connaughton also hasn’t played yet for Milwaukee due to a calf strain, and Joe Ingles remains sidelined as he continues to rehab from an ACL tear.
In spite of their missing wing depth, the Bucks have an unblemished record in the early going thanks in large part to the usual MVP-caliber play of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging an eye-popping 33.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in just 33.4 minutes per game.
Having a healthy Brook Lopez back in the starting lineup averaging 30-plus minutes per game has also been a boon for the Bucks, especially on defense. Milwaukee’s 101.3 defensive rating is easily the NBA’s best, and the team also ranks atop the league in rebounding rate (53.2%) and opponents’ field goal percentage (41.9%).
As impressive as the Bucks’ start has been, there are some caveats worth mentioning. Six of their seven games have been at home and only one of their wins has come against a team (Philadelphia) that finished in the top six of its conference last season. Milwaukee’s other victories have come against Atlanta, New York, Brooklyn, Houston, and Detroit (twice).
Still, if the Bucks can get by an up-and-down Wolves team on Friday, they’ll be in good position to keep their winning streak rolling. Three of their next four games after Friday will be against the Thunder and Spurs, two teams considered lottery-bound.
We want to know your early-season impressions of the Bucks and your expectations for the team going forward. How long can Milwaukee extend its undefeated run to open the season? When Middleton, Connaughton, and Ingles get healthy, should the Bucks be considered the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference? Is Antetokounmpo the early MVP frontrunner?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents!
- Bucks rookie guard A.J. Green is expected to be sidelined for about three weeks due to a nasal fracture, the team announced today in a press release. Green, who underwent surgery to repair the fracture, is on a two-way contract with Milwaukee and has just appeared briefly in one game so far this season.
Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II, who continues to recover from offseason abdominal surgery, could will be out for at least two more weeks, reports Chris Haynes of TNT (Twitter link). According to Haynes, Payton’s earliest possible return date will be November 15 vs. San Antonio. That will be Portland’s first home game following a six-game road trip that begins this Friday.
The Blazers issued a press release confirming the timeline reported by Haynes and noting that Payton has been cleared to increase his conditioning and on-court activity.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Warriors announced today (via Twitter) that guard Donte DiVincenzo is “making good progress” as he recovers from a strained left hamstring, but isn’t ready to return quite yet. DiVincenzo will be reevaluated when the Warriors return home this weekend, per the team. That means he’ll miss at least three more games, since the Dubs will be in Miami on Tuesday, Orlando on Thursday, and New Orleans on Friday.
- Bulls star Zach LaVine, listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Brooklyn, is expected to play, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, LaVine will likely sit Wednesday’s game vs. Charlotte, the second half of a back-to-back set, as the team continues to manage his return from knee surgery.
- Bucks forward Khris Middleton, who underwent offseason wrist surgery, has been assigned to the G League to practice with the Wisconsin Herd as he advances to the next stage of his rehab, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A previous report indicated the Bucks hope to have Middleton back at some point in November.
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs, out since October 21 with an ankle injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s game in Oklahoma City, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Meanwhile, Knicks wing Quentin Grimes, who hasn’t played yet this season due to a foot injury, has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week for October 24-30, the league announced (via Twitter).
Gilgeous-Alexander, the Western Conference winner, led Oklahoma City to a 3-0 record in victories over the Clippers (two times) and Mavericks with averages of 31.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks on .500/.500/1.000 shooting in 37.4 minutes per contest. The Thunder now sit with a 3-3 record after Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar performances.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, averaged 35.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.7 blocks during Milwaukee’s 3-0 week. The Bucks defeated the Nets, Knicks and Hawks, and are now 5-0 to start the 2022/23 season.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Desmond Bane, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic and Keldon Johnson, while Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young were nominated in the East. Antetokounmpo, Booker, Banchero and Mitchell were all nominated for the second consecutive week.
It’s far too early in the 2022/23 NBA season to look at the standings and draw sweeping conclusions about which teams are headed for the postseason and which are lottery-bound.
Still, Victor Wembanyama‘s impending arrival casts a long shadow over this season — having even an outside shot at landing the best NBA prospect since LeBron James may prompt some struggling teams to pivot to tank mode midway through the year rather than pushing for a play-in spot.
Since any prolonged slump could make a team’s fans wonder if tanking for Wembanyama is the smart play, it’s worth noting up front which clubs would and wouldn’t realistically have a shot at him if they finish in the lottery. A team could go 0-82 and still have a 0% chance of drafting Wembanyama if that team has already traded away its unprotected 2023 first-round pick.
Here are a few of the unprotected draft-pick swaps and trades worth keeping in mind as the 2022/23 season progresses:
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have faced a challenging set of opponents during their 0-4 start and seem likely to bounce back sooner or later, at least to some extent. But if you’ve watched the team look inconsistent and out of sorts on offense while making three-pointers at a record-low rate, you can’t be blamed for wondering if it might be in the franchise’s best interest to tank for a shot at Wembanyama and reload for next season, when Russell Westbrook‘s $47MM cap hit comes off the books.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, that’s not an option. As part of the Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers gave the Pelicans the ability to swap first-round picks in 2023. So if the Lakers miss the postseason and win the draft lottery, that No. 1 overall pick would go to New Orleans, not L.A.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets haven’t looked much better than the Lakers so far this season. They’re off to a 1-4 start and have the NBA’s worst defense (120.2 defensive rating), with new addition Ben Simmons looking uncomfortable on the court. Again, it’s unlikely they’ll play this poorly all season, but if things continue to go downhill, would tanking be an option for the Nets?
Brooklyn’s draft-pick situation is an unusual one. Theoretically, the Nets could secure the No. 1 pick in 2023, but only if Philadelphia misses the playoffs and wins the draft lottery, since Brooklyn controls the Sixers‘ pick.
The Rockets have the ability to swap their own first-rounder with the Nets’ pick, so if Brooklyn finishes in the lottery and the Sixers don’t, the highest pick the Nets could get would be No. 2 overall (if they and the Rockets earned the top two spots via the lottery).
Given that the Rockets are a good bet to be at or near the bottom of the NBA’s standings, a poor season from the Nets would still probably ensure a strong draft pick, even if they have to swap picks — but it wouldn’t give them a shot at Wembanyama.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 1-4 Sixers haven’t looked right so far this season, especially defensively. There’s too much talent on the roster for them to continue losing games at this rate, but it’s worth noting that they won’t have their first-round pick at all in 2023. That first-rounder will be sent to the Nets, unless it’s worse than Brooklyn’s and Houston’s picks, in which case it will be rerouted to the Jazz.
Los Angeles Clippers
Like their Crypto.com Arena cohabitants, the Clippers have a first-round pick in 2023, but it’s not guaranteed to be their own. As part of the Paul George trade, L.A. gave the Thunder the ability to swap first-rounders in 2023.
The odds of the Thunder finishing ahead of the Clippers in this year’s standings are virtually nil, but this swap is still worth mentioning on the heels of Oklahoma City defeating L.A. in consecutive games this week. Both teams are currently 2-3.
Minnesota Timberwolves/Milwaukee Bucks
The Timberwolves and Bucks have both traded away their 2023 first-round picks without protections. Minnesota’s pick is headed to the Jazz, while Milwaukee’s will be sent to the Rockets.
If the Wolves and Bucks live up to their expectations this year, those picks should land somewhere in the 20s and be well removed from the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The rest
Several more 2023 first-round picks will likely change hands next spring, but all of the rest of the traded picks for ’23 have some form of protection on them. For instance, Chicago’s 2023 first-rounder will likely be sent to the Magic, but it has top-four protection, so if they were to win the draft lottery, the Bulls would keep that pick.
A full list of the traded 2023 first-round picks can be found right here.
For the first time since Forbes began issuing annual valuations of NBA teams over two decades ago, a team other than the Knicks or Lakers ranks atop the publication’s list of 2022’s most valuable franchises.
According to Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum of Forbes, the Warriors are now considered the NBA’s most valuable club, with a record-setting valuation of $7 billion following a championship season.
Forbes’ duo explains that the Warriors generated more revenue and operating income in 2021/22 than any other team in NBA history, buoyed by $150MM in arena sponsorships and advertising, along with $250MM from premium seating.
While the Warriors enjoyed the biggest bump in value since Forbes’ most recent round of valuations, every other NBA team saw its valuation rise during that time as well, according to Ozanian and Teitelbaum, who say the average franchise is now valued at $2.86 billion. That’s 15% more than a year ago, despite the fact that the stock market is down 15% over the same time period.
Of the NBA’s 30 teams, only one – the Nets – lost money last season, per Forbes’ report, which states that record-setting sponsorship and advertising revenue ($1.35 billion last season) has put the league back on its “pre-Covid growth trajectory.” Further growth is anticipated going forward, with a new television and media deal to be negotiated in the coming years — it will take effect in 2025.
Although Forbes’ figures are just estimates and often don’t quite match up with the sale prices for franchises that change hands, they’re still useful for getting a sense of the league’s most and least valuable teams.
Here’s Forbes’ full list of NBA franchise valuations for 2022:
- Golden State Warriors: $7 billion
- New York Knicks: $6.1 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers: $5.9 billion
- Chicago Bulls: $4.1 billion
- Boston Celtics: $4.0 billion
- Los Angeles Clippers: $3.9 billion
- Brooklyn Nets: $3.5 billion
- Dallas Mavericks: $3.3 billion
- Houston Rockets: $3.2 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers: $3.15 billion
- Toronto Raptors: $3.1 billion
- Miami Heat: $3 billion
- Phoenix Suns: $2.7 billion
- Washington Wizards: $2.5 billion
- Milwaukee Bucks: $2.3 billion
- Portland Trail Blazers: $2.1 billion
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $2.05 billion
- Sacramento Kings: $2.03 billion
- Utah Jazz: $2.025 billion
- San Antonio Spurs: $2 billion
- Atlanta Hawks: $1.975 billion
- Denver Nuggets: $1.93 billion
- Detroit Pistons: $1.9 billion
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.875 billion
- Orlando Magic: $1.85 billion
- Indiana Pacers: $1.8 billion
- Charlotte Hornets: $1.7 billion
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.67 billion
- Memphis Grizzlies: $1.65 billion
- New Orleans Pelicans: $1.6 billion
An offseason of intense work helped Jevon Carter win a spot in the Bucks‘ starting lineup, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. With Khris Middleton still recovering from offseason wrist surgery, there was an opportunity for Carter heading into training camp and he was ready to take advantage of it.
“That was on my mind all summer, to come in and prove that I’m more than what I’m looked as,” Carter said. “Just seeing it pay off is a hell of a feeling. I can’t even really describe it. I had a goal and I exceeded those goals, you know what I’m saying? It’s just a credit to the work that I put in.”
The Bucks signed Carter after he was waived by the Nets in late February, and he had the most productive stretch of his career over the final 20 games of the season, shooting 50.6% from the field and 55.8% on three-pointers. That success, and the opportunity to play for a title contender, convinced him to accept a new one-year contract with Milwaukee over the summer.
“Give yourself a new goal, new challenge,” he said. “This my fifth year going into the league, I still haven’t done what I want to do, what’s comfortable for Jevon Carter. Until I get to that point, which I don’t think I ever will, I’m going to keep fighting and grinding.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Pacers center Myles Turner is ready to make his season debut tonight, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Turner, who missed the team’s first four games with a sprained left ankle he suffered on opening night, will play against the Bulls as long as he doesn’t experience any setbacks during warm-ups.
- The Sixers waived Trevelin Queen a week before the roster deadline, giving him extra time to catch on with another team, notes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). The 25-year-old combo guard wound up landing a two-way contract with the Pacers. “I just feel like they really want me here compared to a lot of other situations I was in,” Queen said. “It was a warm welcoming. “I looked at it as a young group of guys, a lot of opportunity and a lot of potential. It’s like a rebuilding process, coach said. So just coming here and taking advantage of the opportunity given. Whether I play or not, I just feel like it’s a great environment, a great culture, a great development staff. They’ve shown me nothing but love.”
- Nerlens Noel hasn’t been through a full practice yet, but Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes the veteran center can play a few minutes on Wednesday if necessary, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
The Bucks have the NBA’s oldest opening night roster this season, per a 2022/23 roster survey published by the league on Tuesday.
According to the NBA’s data, the average age of a Milwaukee player is 29.47 years old, with 36-year-olds George Hill and Wesley Matthews and 35-year-old Joe Ingles among the veterans contributing to that league-high average. The Heat (average age of 28.13 years old), Suns (28.05), Clippers (27.98), and Mavericks (27.89) have the next-oldest rosters, according to the NBA.
On the other end of the spectrum, no team has a younger roster than the Thunder, whose current group includes just one player older than 27 (Mike Muscala, who is 31). The average age of a Thunder player is just 23.14 years old, putting them ahead of fellow rebuilding teams like the Rockets (23.58), Spurs (23.84), and Magic (23.94). Interestingly, the Grizzlies (24.27) are the league’s fifth-youngest team, despite coming off a 56-win season.
Here are a few other tidbits of note from the NBA’s roster survey for the 2022/23 season:
- The Bucks and Thunder are also the most and least experienced NBA teams, respectively. The average Milwaukee player has 7.24 years of NBA service, while the average Oklahoma City player has just 1.94. That puts the Bucks comfortably ahead of the Clippers (6.56) and Celtics (5.82), while the Thunder are well behind the Rockets (2.29) and Magic (3.00).
- Kentucky (27) and Duke (25) have the most players currently in the NBA of any college program. No other school has more than 12 (UCLA).
- The average NBA player stands at 6-foot-6.74, weighs 217.62 pounds, and is 26.01 years old. The league identifies Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (6-foot-6.5, 220 pounds, and 26 years old) as the player who most closely resembles the league’s “composite” player in terms of height, weight, and age.
- There are 13 sets of brothers currently in the NBA, including three Antetokounmpos (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Kostas Antetokounmpo) and three Holidays (Jrue Holiday, Justin Holiday, and Aaron Holiday).
- The league’s survey also includes some data on the youngest and oldest players, which we previously outlined here.
What kind of trade package could the Bucks put together for the Suns’ Jae Crowder, considering they’re one of the teams reportedly interested in the veteran forward? Eric Nehm of The Athletic explores that topic, speculating that Milwaukee could deal some combination of Grayson Allen, George Hill and second-round picks.
However, dealing Allen would remove one of the Bucks’ top shooters and it’s questionable whether Crowder would be part of the team’s crunch time unit.