- Knicks center Nerlens Noel did not play on Sunday due to plantar fasciitis and he could be out for an extended period, according to The New York Post’s Marc Berman. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Noel would not play until he recovered from the foot ailment and got some regular practice time. Noel has played in just 25 games due to an assortment of knee, hamstring and foot injuries. He signed a three-year, $27.7MM contract last summer with a team option for the final year.
The 2021/22 MVP race is one for the ages, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who contends that we “aren’t talking about it nearly enough.” As Hollinger outlines, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sixers center Joel Embiid are each in the midst of a historic season and would be a clear MVP frontrunner if it weren’t for the presence of the other two.
If the season ended today, Hollinger notes, Jokic (32.3) and Antetokounmpo (32.0) would have the two highest single-season PERs in NBA history, while Embiid’s (31.0) would also make the top 10. Hollinger says he’d pick Jokic for MVP if forced to decide right now, but with over a month left in the season, there’s still plenty of time for Antetokounmpo and Embiid to strengthen their cases.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Gerry Cardinale, a shareholder in Fenway Sports Group, says that adding an NBA franchise is “a real top priority” for the massive Boston-based firm, as Michael Silverman of The Boston Globe writes. The FSG conglomerate already owns MLB’s Boston Red Sox, the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Premier League’s Liverpool FC.
- Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams, Kansas guard Christian Braun, and Colorado State forward David Roddy are among the best bets to further improve their draft stock with strong performances to finish out the NCAA season, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman also singles out four other prospects who are candidates to rise up draft boards in the coming weeks.
- Touching on several stories from around the NBA in his latest article for The Ringer, Kevin O’Connor makes a case for why the Knicks should lean more heavily on their young players, breaks down what Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans have brought to the Mavericks, and praises the work the Rockets have done developing their rookies this season. O’Connor also argues that the NBA should tweak its playoff format to allow top seeds to pick their first-round opponents.
- The Knicks are continuing to search for answers at point guard, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. New York has mostly played without Derrick Rose due to injury, but former All-Star Kemba Walker recently decided to shut it down after receiving inconsistent minutes. The team has also given Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley heavy minutes. It trails the Hawks by six games for the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Knicks power forward Julius Randle has been fined $50K by the NBA, the league announced in a tweet. Randle was fined for initiating an on-court altercation with Suns forward Cameron Johnson, making contact with a game official, and for not complying with an NBA investigation.
Randle received two technical fouls and was ejected for the incident, while Johnson received a single technical. It occurred with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter of New York’s 115-114 loss at Phoenix on Friday night.
Randle had 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes when he was tossed from the game. The Knicks were leading at the time, but wound up losing when Johnson banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving New York its 17th defeat in the last 20 games.
The Knicks reportedly have concerns about Randle’s “overall psyche” after the latest in a series of incidents from the 27-year-old. Randle’s behavior is potentially a long-term concern for the franchise considering that he received a four-year, $117MM extension during the offseason, including a player option in 2025/26.
The reigning Most Improved Player, Randle has taken a step back from his second-team All-NBA performance from last season. He’s still posting nice counting stats of 19.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, but his shooting line of .417/.301/.765 has fallen off from last season’s .456/.411/.811, his turnovers are up and his assists are down. Randle has also been lackadaisical at times defensively after showing great effort on that end last season.
The Knicks are concerned about Julius Randle‘s “overall psyche” after a season-long series of incidents that included an ill-timed ejection Friday night, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Randle had 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes when he was tossed from the game with 2:40 left in the third quarter following an altercation with the Suns’ Cameron Johnson. Both players received technical fouls, and Randle got a second technical for making contact with an official who was trying to separate them. The Knicks were leading at the time, but wound up losing when Johnson banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving New York its 17th defeat in the last 20 games.
Coach Tom Thibodeau admitted afterward that Randle used bad judgment, saying, “You can’t cross over that line. You’ve got to know where to stop.’’
The ejection was the latest incident involving Randle this season, Berman notes, a list that includes giving a “thumbs-down” gesture to fans at Madison Square Garden and repeated battles with referees and assistant coaches.
The source tells Berman that Randle didn’t report to training camp in top physical condition like he did last season when he was named Most Improved Player and was a second-team All-NBA selection.
There are also theories that he’s jealous of RJ Barrett, who has surpassed him as the team’s top star. Berman points out that Randle has skipped the player introductions during the last six road games, although he still participates at home.
Asked on Friday if he was concerned about Randle’s well-being, Thibodeau responded, “I’m concerned about everything.”
Randle’s behavior is potentially a long-term concern for the franchise considering that he received a four-year, $117MM extension during the offseason, including a player option in 2025/26. If the Knicks decide to try to trade him this summer, they’ll likely have to take back at least one bad contract in return.
Knicks guard Derrick Rose isn’t expected to ramp up his activity for at least one more week, head coach Tom Thibodeau said, as relayed by Steve Popper of Newsday. Rose underwent ankle surgery in December and had a second procedure last week to address an infection.
“He can’t really do much,” Thibodeau explained. “Just got to be patient, let it clear up. That’s it . . . He’s not supposed to be doing a lot right now other than follow [medical advice]. He’s been pretty diligent with that. He can walk around. He can form shoot if he’s not leaving his feet. He can’t do a whole lot right now. Hopefully in a week or so that’ll be cleared up.”
As Popper notes, Rose was with the team at shootaround on Friday. The Knicks went 30-17 after acquiring him last season, as the 33-year-old averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 assists per game off the bench. He has only appeared in 26 games this season.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Sixers superstar James Harden won’t play on Saturday against the Heat, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Harden will sit as part of his scheduled left hamstring management. Philadelphia is 4-0 in the games he’s played, which includes a 125-119 win over Cleveland on Friday.
- The Knicks could benefit from the Mavericks’ crowded backcourt if they pursue Jalen Brunson in free agency this summer, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. Brunson has averaged a career-high 16.0 points and 5.3 assists in 32.1 minutes per game this season. Dallas recently traded for Spencer Dinwiddie, who is under contract next season with a cap hit of $19.5MM.
- Heat guard Tyler Herro has been surging since the All-Star break, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Herro has averaged 25.8 points in his last five games, working to attack more than he was before the break. “I think people know I’m a shooter. I shoot the ball well,” Herro said. “But I think my best thing is off the dribble, getting in the paint, attacking, getting to the mid-range, getting to the rim. I think that’s what I do best. I think I’m hard to stay in front of when you’re playing the shot and then my handle gets me to where I want to go.”
Nets guard Kyrie Irving has picked a new agent and it’s someone close to him. He’s hired Shetellia Riley Irving, which would apparently make her the only Black woman representing a current player, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. She’s Kyrie’s stepmother and a VP of ad sales at media company BET, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.
Irving’s contract includes a player option worth at least $36.5MM for the 2022/23 season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he opts out.
We have more from the New York teams:
- With Kemba Walker shut down for the season and Derrick Rose recovering from a minor procedure on his ankle, the Knicks are thin at the point. They’re currently going with Alec Burks as the starter and Immanuel Quickley on the second unit. Until Rose is ready, coach Tom Thibodeau said he doesn’t anticipate a change, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “That’s the best we have, so that’s what we’re doing, and they’re capable,’’ he said.
- Following his 46-point eruption against Miami last week, Jimmy Butler said that wing RJ Barrett was going to be “the face of the Knicks.” The New York Post’s Ian O’Connor writes that Barrett must not allow the state of the franchise to hold him back from being an All-Star player. O’Connor notes that the franchise hasn’t drafted, developed and held onto a star player since Patrick Ewing.
- There won’t a minutes restriction on Kevin Durant in his return to action Thursday, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. However, Durant and acting coach Jacque Vaughn — who is filling for Steve Nash (health and safety protocols) — will be in constant communication during the game to monitor how he’s feeling.
Injuries have left the Knicks thin at point guard, but they’ve been reluctant to turn to second-round pick Miles McBride, who has been putting up big numbers in the G League, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. McBride is averaging 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game for the team’s Westchester affiliate. He seems like a natural alternative with Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose both sidelined, but has only played 22 NBA games so far, logging 7.0 minutes per night.
“It’s definitely been challenging,” McBride said. “Obviously growing up, never had to deal with sitting a lot. But it’s the NBA. It should be challenging. The task they’re giving me, being able to play in the G League and being able to come back to the team, it’s been fun. So just trying to enjoy every day and taking the challenge head on.”
McBride appeared to have a breakthrough game December 16 in Houston when he started the second half after Rose was injured and wound up with 15 points, nine assists and four steals. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 the next day and has barely played since. He said the coaching staff is urging him to be patient.
“The feedback is, ‘you’re young, you’re a rookie, the opportunities you get, take them,’” McBride said. “And some things happen along with it.”
There’s more from New York:
- Despite their troubles this season, the Knicks may have hope for the future because they’ve prioritized roster flexibility and stockpiled draft picks, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Five of the six contracts they handed out last summer included a team option, and although they sent a protected Hornets’ pick to the Hawks in exchange for Cam Reddish, they still have a generous supply of draft choices remaining. Even so, rival executives are skeptical that the Knicks can turn things around quickly because they don’t have a star player already on the roster. “If they are going to give up their picks and swaps to get someone, it doesn’t matter who they are trading,” a Western Conference executive said. “But if their hope was to turn these guys into good players by themselves, I’d be hard-pressed to see a team thinking they’ll take that for a star.”
- Among the Knicks’ concerns for the future is that their two best players, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, haven’t played well together, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. In the 1,418 minutes they’ve shared the court this season, New York has a minus-6.8 net rating, and that number has fallen to minus-9.9 over the past 11 games, Bondy states.
- It could be more than a week before the Knicks have an update on Rose, who had a surgical procedure last week for a skin infection on his right ankle, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
All-Star forward Kevin Durant could return from his sprained left knee MCL as soon as this Thursday or Saturday, Nets head coach Steve Nash indicated, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. Durant has been sidelined since injuring his knee on January 5.
“We’re hopeful that he can play this week,” Nash said. “So Kevin’s getting close, which is exciting.”
In the 36 games he has been healthy, Durant has been his typical All-NBA self for the Nets. This season, he is averaging 29.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 5.8 APG, with shooting splits of .520/.372/.894.
“He’s going to come back and impact the game every way possible,” new Nets starting center Andre Drummond said of Durant. “I think with our chemistry together on the floor, it’s going to make it very difficult for teams to pick their poison, with who they want to guard, along with Kyrie [Irving], Seth [Curry] and when Ben [Simmons] comes back. And we go on the list of our roster, we have a lot of threats.”
There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:
- Rich Paul, the agent for new Nets addition Ben Simmons, told Brian Windhorst of ESPN (video link) that Simmons should be thought of as “week-to-week” with back soreness as he works his way into game shape ahead of his 2021/22 season debut. Windhorst expressed uncertainty about whether Simmons would even be ready at any point in March for Brooklyn, suggesting that he’s “frankly not close” to debuting for his new team.
- With Knicks wing Quentin Grimes unavailable for much of the remaining season, new swingman Cam Reddish finally has a path to regular rotation minutes in New York, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “I’m trying to work my way in,” Reddish said. “Just trying to make the right play, really. Not trying to force it too much. But yeah, I think the last 20 games are definitely a good spot to start.” In 11 games with New York thus far, Reddish is averaging 5.4 PPG, 1.0 RPG and 0.7 SPG across 12.5 MPG.
- With the 25-36 Knicks seemingly stuck on the outside of the play-in race looking in, rookie reserve center Jericho Sims has been getting some run as New York looks towards the future, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “[Sims is] a great kid, great worker, getting better day by day,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said Tuesday. “Very diligent. Comes in and watches film and wants to do well. So I think this experience is really good for him.” Sims has displaced Nerlens Noel in the rotation as Noel continues to grapple with a plantar fasciitis injury. 36-year-old veteran center Taj Gibson has also been a healthy scratch for the last two games in favor of the No. 58 pick in the 2021 draft.
The Knicks held a lead early in the fourth quarter on Sunday vs. Philadelphia, but ultimately lost by 16 points, prompting Evan Fournier to try to diagnose the cause of the club’s late-game struggles, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post.
“Our togetherness down the stretch is not good enough,” Fournier said. “By togetherness I mean we are not tied together enough. Down the stretch, like I said, we have no confidence, so we are second-guessing at times. It should be second nature — boom, boom, boom, this is what we’re doing. As long as we are not doing that, it’s going to be hard to close out games against teams that are good. It keeps happening and that’s what’s so frustrating.”
As Joyce points out, the Knicks’ fourth-quarter net rating in their last 10 games is an abysmal -34.9, easily the worst mark in the NBA. The offense, which has a fourth-quarter rating of 85.9 in those 10 games, has been especially bad — Portland has the league’s next-worst fourth-quarter offensive rating during that stretch, at 100.0. Joyce believes having a veteran point guard like Derrick Rose running the show would help.
“I feel like we’re in a position right now where we are down two or down three, teams get on a run, it’s like, ‘Oh s–t, again,'” Fournier said. “Maybe just a good win would help us more, more confidence would help.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- While Nerlens Noel has technically been active for the Knicks’ last couple games and could theoretically have played, he’s “far from 100% healthy,” a source tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who provides some additional info on Noel’s plantar fasciitis. The injury first flared up on February 7, Begley adds, noting that it’s unclear whether the big man will get back to 100% before the end of the regular season.
- The Knicks have had talks throughout the season with Mitchell Robinson‘s agent Thad Foucher about a possible contract extension for the young center, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance on Sunday (video link). A source tells Begley that in one of those conversations prior to last month’s trade deadline, the two sides were “not close” on the proposed terms. New York can offer up to about $55MM on a four-year extension, but presumably hasn’t gotten nearly that high.
- Robinson, who griped earlier in the season about “literally running for cardio,” still appears dissatisfied with his limited involvement on offense. Replying to a tweet from a fan on Monday night, Robinson wrote, “Everyone knows when everybody gets involved and the ball moving and everyone touching the ball, the energy and effort goes to another level. Let me ask you this and be 100% with your answer: How would you feel just running up and down the court for 48 or even for 20 minutes?”