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Central Notes: J. Green, Bulls, Cavs, Giannis

October 23rd, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Rory Maher

After a slow start to the season for Patrick Williams, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago thinks it’s time for Javonte Green to replace him in the Bulls‘ starting lineup.

According to Johnson, the switch would be less about the individual play of the two forwards and more about how they fit with the starters. Johnson notes that Williams’ deferential nature often means that he’s too passive playing along All-Stars Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, and moving him to the bench might enable him to be more assertive.

Green, meanwhile, plays with consistent energy and competitive fire, even if he’s undersized at 6’4″. He started 45 games last season in place of the injured Williams, so he has familiarity with that unit.

Green will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension, so the 2022/23 season is a big one for both players.

Here’s more from the Central:

The Bulls had some glaring weaknesses exposed by Cleveland during Saturday’s blowout loss, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. As Mayberry writes, the defense, consistency and energy were all lacking, which was undoubtedly disappointing for fans in the home opener. The Bulls have also struggled with outside shooting in the early going, Mayberry notes, converting just 29.3% of their three-point attempts during their 1-2 start to the season.
The Cavaliers‘ team-first approach was on full display in the 128-96 victory over the Bulls, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he’s never been around a locker room that has embraced his “the strength of the team is the team” motto as much as his current group. “It’s the reality of it. Every night, we might not be the most talented team on the floor, but we can be the best team. We take that seriously,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s something that we try to grow every single day. It’s not something where the lights kick on and we fake it. Our guys genuinely care about each other on a level that I haven’t seen on a team before. It’s special what’s in that locker room.”
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to amaze teammates after scoring 44 points (on 17-of-21 shooting), pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing three assists in just 28 minutes of action during the Bucks‘ 125-105 victory over the Rockets, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I mean, you’ve run out of words to describe a guy like that, right?” Brook Lopez said. “I can’t imagine you guys actually have to write. I don’t know how you guys don’t just send in the same article over and over with the same adjectives and everything like that. Because you need some ways to just describe how his game grows. It’s tough.”

Bucks Missed Brook Lopez On Defense

October 22nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The return of Brook Lopez is making a difference for the Bucks‘ defense, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lopez is fully healthy after playing just 13 games last season due to back problems. “You kind of forget how important he is for our defense,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “This is my year five with him. You kind of take it for granted. But the games he didn’t play last year, you kind of realize the load you have to carry when Brook is not on the floor. Like me and Bobby (Portis), we had to do everything.”

Central Notes: White, P. Williams, Mobley, Bucks, More

October 18th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Coby White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, was eligible for a rookie scale extension up until Monday’s deadline, but he never really thought he’d sign a new deal this year, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.

“No, no. I didn’t,” White said on Tuesday. “I wasn’t really focused on that. Just play this year out. I put in a lot of work this summer, so let my work show, and take it from there.”

White also dismissed the idea that entering a contract year and playing for his next contract will provide any extra motivation this season: “Nah, I love playing basketball. That’s all the motivation I need. I love playing, I love hooping. I’ve had motivation my whole life. I ain’t gonna change nothing now.”

In other Bulls news, the team’s 2020 lottery pick, Patrick Williams, will open the season as the starting power forward, head coach Billy Donovan confirmed today (Twitter link via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic). Williams came off the bench in multiple preseason games as Javonte Green shone, but Green will be part of the second unit to open the season.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers feel as if Evan Mobley has Hall of Fame potential and believe his development is the key to whether the team can become a legitimate championship contender, Chris Fedor writes in an excellent article for Cleveland.com. “Evan needs to be in a position where people look at us and say, ‘Evan is their best player,'” assistant coach Greg Buckner said. “It can’t be, ‘Donovan (Mitchell) is their best player, Darius (Garland) is their best player or J.A. (Jarrett Allen) is their best player.’ It has to be Evan.” That view is shared by head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, according to assistant coach Luke Walton. “J.B. talks about it all the time with us: We need Evan to be one of the best players in this league, if not the best player in this league, if we’re gonna win championships,” Walton said. “That’s our mission coming from J.B. — help him get to that level.”
Hoops Rumors has confirmed that Didi Louzada is eligible to become an affiliate player for the Cleveland Charge after signing a two-way contract (rather than an Exhibit 10 deal) with the Cavaliers on Monday and being waived shortly thereafter. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported the Cavs’ plan to secure Louzada’s G League rights.
With Khris Middleton and Joe Ingles already ruled out for the start of the season, the Bucks will also be without Pat Connaughton for a few weeks, prompting Eric Nehm of The Athletic to explore how the team will deal with all its injury absences. As Nehm details, George Hill, Jevon Carter, and Wesley Matthews all figure to play increased roles, with young wings Jordan Nwora and MarJon Beauchamp potentially seeing action too.
Pacers forward James Johnson was happy to earn the team’s final roster spot, beating out Langston Galloway and Deividas Sirvydis. However, as Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files relays, Johnson knows that he can’t get comfortable yet, since his contract still isn’t fully guaranteed for the season. “It’s an honor for this spot, but at the end of the day I’m still vulnerable,” he said.

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

October 18th, 2022 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last several months, dozens of NBA players have changed teams via free agency, dozens more have entered or exited the league, and a total of 31 trades have been made. After all that offseason activity, some teams will enter the 2022/23 season looking totally different than they did in the spring, while others will look pretty similar to last season’s squads.

Roster continuity is generally perceived as a sign of stability, but carrying over a significant number of players from last year’s team doesn’t necessarily give a club a leg up entering a new season.

Heading into the 2021/22 season, for instance, the Nuggets, Kings, Hawks, and Magic were the teams with the most roster continuity, and none of those clubs had a hugely successful season (Denver and Atlanta exited the playoffs quickly, while Sacramento and Orlando didn’t make it). On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Celtics were one of the teams with the most roster turnover during the 2021 offseason and made it within two wins of a championship this past spring.

Entering the 2022/23 campaign, the Bucks, Pelicans, and Magic are the three teams bringing back the most players from last year’s end-of-season rosters (including two-way players). All three clubs retained 14 players over the summer.

It’s the third straight year in which Orlando has ranked among the teams with the least roster turnover, which suggests the team remains high on its young core and doesn’t want to break it up. Milwaukee and New Orleans, meanwhile, are joined by the Clippers (13 returning players) as teams perhaps hoping that the return of an injured star (Khris Middleton, Zion Williamson, and Kawhi Leonard, respectively) will help propel them to a deeper postseason run in 2023.

The Jazz are, unsurprisingly, the team that experienced the most roster turnover, having launched a rebuilding process that saw them trade away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, among other veterans. They’re bringing back just five players.

The Lakers, who had a disaster of a year 2021/22 after bringing back just three players from the previous season’s roster, once again rank among the teams with the most roster turnover, having retained just six players from their end-of-season roster. We’ll see if this version of the new-look squad has more success than last year’s did.

Here’s the total number of returning players for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, from most to fewest:

Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New Orleans Pelicans: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Chicago Bulls: 13
Los Angeles Clippers: 13
Miami Heat: 13
New York Knicks: 13
Charlotte Hornets: 12
Phoenix Suns: 12 (*)
Toronto Raptors: 12
Brooklyn Nets: 11
Dallas Mavericks: 11
Houston Rockets: 11
Memphis Grizzlies: 11
Oklahoma City Thunder: 11
Washington Wizards: 11
Boston Celtics: 10
Cleveland Cavaliers: 10
Detroit Pistons: 10
Golden State Warriors: 10
Indiana Pacers: 10
Philadelphia 76ers: 10
Portland Trail Blazers: 10
Sacramento Kings: 10
San Antonio Spurs: 10
Denver Nuggets: 9
Minnesota Timberwolves: 9
Atlanta Hawks: 7
Los Angeles Lakers: 6
Utah Jazz: 5

(* The Suns’ count includes Jae Crowder, since he technically remains on the roster, even though he’s away from the team.)

Bucks Hope To Get Khris Middleton Back In November

October 17th, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Khris Middleton is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season as he continues to recover from offseason wrist surgery, sources tell Shams Charania and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

According to Charania and Nehm, the Bucks are hoping to get Middleton back in their lineup at some point in November. The team has six regular season games on its schedule for October, then 14 more in November.

Middleton had another productive season for Milwaukee in 2021/22, averaging more than 20 points per game (20.1) for a third straight season to go along with 5.4 RPG and a career-high 5.4 APG in 66 games (32.4 MPG). However, a sprained MCL sidelined him during the postseason and he was unavailable when the Bucks fell to Boston in a seven-game second round series.

In addition to Middleton, Pat Connaughton (calf strain) and Joe Ingles (ACL surgery recovery) will also be on the shelf for the Bucks to open the season, so the club will have to rely on its depth in the early going. Guards George Hill and Jevon Carter and wings Jordan Nwora and Wesley Matthews are among the players who could see increased roles in the coming weeks.

Pat Connaughton To Miss Three Weeks With Calf Strain

October 16th, 2022 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Pat Connaughton has a strained right calf that will keep him out of action for approximately three weeks, the Bucks announced in a press release. Connaughton sat out the last two games with soreness in his calf, and he underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed the injury.

Connaughton had been expected to take Khris Middleton‘s place in the starting lineup while he recovers from offseason wrist surgery. If the three-week prognosis is accurate, Connaughton will miss about nine games.

The versatile swingman signed a three-year extension over the summer. He has been a valuable contributor since coming to Milwaukee four years ago and averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 65 games last season.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Lopez, Injuries

October 15th, 2022 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Khris Middleton wants to be on the court when the Bucks open their season Thursday at Philadelphia, but the decision will likely be made for him by the team’s medical staff, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Middleton was knocked out of the playoffs by a sprained MCL in his left knee, but it was a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist that he suffered late in the season that forced him to have surgery.

Middleton said his legs feel rested after his first full offseason since 2019, but he’s not sure if he’ll get medical clearance to play in the opener.

“I would like to, but I’ve learned in the past to trust my training staff and doctors,” he said. “They know what they’re doing. This is my first time going through this and they’ve been through it many a times and they’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. So I’ve learned just listen to ‘em. I mean, you can push yourself, but don’t really.”

Middleton is starting his 10th season in Milwaukee, and his future with the organization is going to become an important topic at some point. He hasn’t decided what to do with his $40.4MM player option for next season, although he admits that staying with the Bucks is his first choice.

“I think everybody knows that,” he said. “Even though I know you’re really not supposed to say it for all the reasons out there, but I think everybody knows deep down that I want to stay. But also, you know it’s a business. Things change, things happen. You just never know. For sure I would love to stay. If everything works out … Of course if they give me whatever I want I’m there! I’m there.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Coach Mike Budenholzer dismissed any concerns about the team’s 0-5 preseason, but Giannis Antetokounmpo said it shows there are areas that need improvement, Owczarski adds in a separate story. “Right now, I feel like we’re not vocal enough,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re not urgent enough. We’re not hungry enough. But at the end of the day, it’s the preseason. We have the whole regular season to find ourselves.”
The preseason struggles might be a result of a new defensive scheme that Budenholzer is implementing, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The Bucks are placing a greater emphasis on trying to prevent opponents from taking three-point shots. “I think it’s about finding that balance,” Brook Lopez said. “I don’t think it’s for lack of trying or anything like that. We’re figuring things out, and that’s what these preseason games are for, and I think we’re confident of the team we’re capable of being.”
The Bucks have some health concerns heading into the regular season, Nehm tweets. Pat Connaughton is “going to be a little bit” due to a calf injury, Budenholzer said. Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been sidelined with a non-COVID illness, and the team hopes Wesley Matthews will be cleared to return Monday.

Bucks Cut Lindell Wigginton, Marques Bolden

October 15th, 2022 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have waived guard Lindell Wigginton and center Marques Bolden as they prepare for the regular season, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Wigginton, 24, played 19 games (10.5 MPG) as a rookie for Milwaukee last season while on a two-way contract, averaging 4.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG and 1.2 APG. The Canadian point guard spent most of last season with the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, averaging 16.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.9 APG in 25 total games.

Bolden, 24, has spent most of his professional career in the G League since going undrafted out of Duke in 2019. In 69 career appearances for the Cavaliers’ and Jazz’s NBAGL affiliates, he has averaged 10.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.1 minutes per contest. The big man also spent time in the NBA with Cleveland from 2019-21, first on a 10-day contract and later on a two-way deal, playing a very limited role in seven games for the Cavs.

The Bucks also signed and waived former second-round pick Elijah Hughes today, per NBA.com. That move will secure Hughes’ G League rights for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s affiliate.

Hughes spent most of his first two NBA seasons in Utah, playing sparingly for the Jazz, then was traded to Portland along with Joe Ingles at the 2022 deadline. He averaged 3.8 PPG and 1.9 RPG with a dismal .296/.224/.667 shooting line in 22 games (14.6 MPG) for the Blazers down the stretch.

The Bucks now have 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and a pair on two-way deals, so they’re set for the regular season.

Bucks Sign, Waive Jontay Porter

October 14th, 2022 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks signed free agent forward Jontay Porter and subsequently waived him, Hoops Rumors has learned.

The younger brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., Jontay Porter appeared in 11 games for the Grizzlies during the 2020/21 season, averaging 2.0 PPG and 1.3 RPG in 4.9 MPG. He suited up this July for Denver’s Summer League team.

Porter signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Bucks and will earn a $50K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League squad. His NBAGL rights weren’t previously held by any team, so the Bucks will be able to retain him as an affiliate player.

Central Notes: Okoro, Bucks, Giannis, Stewart, Knox

October 13th, 2022 at 11:23pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Cavaliers clearly have four of their starting roles set, with All-Star guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell sharing the backcourt alongside Evan Mobley and All-Star center Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt. For the small forward gig, it appears that Isaac Okoro is making a case for himself, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The 6’5″ wing was selected by Cleveland with the fifth pick out of Auburn in 2020. Okoro has started 128 of his 134 career NBA games thus far. Through two seasons, he is averaging a fairly modest 9.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 0.9 SPG, but the Cavaliers will be looking for defense more than offense at the three.

The competition has boiled down to Okoro and Caris LeVert, writes Fedor, noting that LeVert – who has earned praise from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in camp – has started most of the team’s 2022 preseason games.

“I’m always being myself,” Okoro said. “I know what the coaches want me to do. I’m gonna do that and it’s ultimately up to J.B. to see who starts. I’m fine either way. I’m gonna go in and play my role.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

The Bucks had a relatively quietly offseason that saw them sign veteran small forward Joe Ingles and draft wing MarJon Beauchamp. They’re betting that continuity on a roster that won a title in 2021 will help the club return to the NBA Finals in 2023. John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a look at how the 2022/23 season could play out for Milwaukee, predicting a 53-29 finish.
All-NBA superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is not concerned that the Bucks just wrapped up their preseason with a 0-5 record, though he would like to see more from the team, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. “It doesn’t worry me,” Antetokounmpo said after a 107-97 defeat Wednesday to the Brooklyn Nets. “What worries me is our habits and building good habits…. Right now, we’re not vocal enough. We’re not urgent enough. We’re not hungry enough. But at the end of the day, it’s the preseason. We have the whole regular season to find ourselves.”
Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart has been given the green light to launch three-pointers, and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes that Stewart has appeared fearless during the team’s preseason. He connected on 4-of-10 shooting from long range during a 126-111 preseason loss Thursday to the Grizzlies. Langlois notes that, should this trend continue into the regular season, it could affect how Dwane Casey opts to use Stewart as a stretch four option in Detroit’s frontcourt. Langlois also discusses new forward Kevin Knox, a Knicks lottery pick in 2018. Langlois thinks Knox’s size and shooting touch could eventually help him crack the team’s rotation.