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Rick Carlisle: Pacers’ Defensive Performance “Not Acceptable”

December 19th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers lost their fourth consecutive game on Monday, giving up 151 points to the Clippers in a performance that head coach Rick Carlisle referred to as “ugly” and “not acceptable,” per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

While Indiana’s high-powered, fast-paced offense had led the NBA in scoring, Carlisle isn’t happy with what he has seen from his club on the other end of the court. No team has given up more points per game (127.0) or has a worse defensive rating (121.4) than the Pacers, and Carlisle believes that his top players need to do a better job setting an example on defense.

“Our best players have to understand, and they have to believe, that the little things are important,” Carlisle said. “That concentration and focus are extremely important. … That creates the culture that we need to have here and obviously, we’re not there yet.”

As exciting as the Pacers’ offense, led by dark-horse MVP candidate Tyrese Haliburton, has been so far this season, Carlisle suggested after Monday’s game that he’s willing to alter the team’s style of play if it will help Indiana improve defensively, Dopirak writes.

“The Pacers aren’t sneaking up on anybody, and if our mindset has shifted to just simply trying to outscore teams and away from any kind of emphasis defensively, that’s got to stop,” Carlisle said. “If it means massive lineup changes, then that’s what will happen. If it means playing a slowdown game, that’s what will happen. At some point, there aren’t any excuses.”

Haliburton is enjoying a career year offensively, putting up 24.9 points and 11.9 assists per game while posting a scorching-hot shooting line of .507/.429/.869, but he’s aware the club needs to improve on the defensive end.

“Something has to be figured out, I don’t know what it is,” Haliburton said. “It’s pretty obvious it’s been awful for 25 games. That starts with our first unit.”

As Dopirak observes, there’s not necessarily one obvious change the Pacers could make to their starting lineup. Haliburton almost certainly won’t be moved to the bench; Myles Turner (who missed Monday’s loss) and Bruce Brown are solid defensive players; Buddy Hield provides crucial floor-spacing; and Obi Toppin has made a league-best 76.9% of his two-point shots this fall (and is hitting 38.3% of his threes too).

It’s possible Carlisle will make a move involving Hield or Toppin. During his media session on Monday, he didn’t specify his plans or guarantee that a lineup change is coming, though he did single out a pair of reserves whose defensive effort he appreciates.

“We had two guys tonight who have a reputation for always competing at a high level,” Carlisle said. “(Aaron Nesmith) was a flat zero in a plus-minus and (T.J. McConnell) was a +16. So there you go. Those guys are setting the kind of example that we’re gonna stand for here.”

As Dopirak observes, while players like Brown and Nesmith are solid wing defenders, neither one has the size to match up with bigger scoring forwards. That’s presumably one key reason why the Pacers have been linked to potential trade targets such as Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as of late. But with no guarantee of acquiring an impact forward in a trade by the February 8 trade deadline, the team will focus for now on internal improvement.

“We’re gonna practice (on Tuesday), we’re gonna tape up and we’re gonna go,” Carlisle said, referring to players taping up their ankles. “We’re gonna go hard. We’re gonna get back in the gym and compete. We haven’t had a taped practice in, I don’t remember the last time. And we desperately need it.”

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.

Bradley Beal To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Sprained Ankle

December 18th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns shooting guard Bradley Beal just can’t seem to catch a break.

The 6’4″ vet is set to be out at least the next two weeks as he recuperates from a sprained right ankle, Phoenix announced (Twitter link). He will then be reassessed, meaning the soonest he could play would happen once the calendar year flips over to January.

Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that Beal would be out for “a few” weeks, while Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic suggested a two-to-three week recovery timeline.

As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes (via Twitter), the 30-year-old’s absence now, at best, will leave just 50 more games for the Suns’ maximum-salaried star triumvirate of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to jell ahead of the postseason.

Beal is a three-time All-Star and a 2021 All-NBA Third Teamer, but he’s been plagued by health issues for years at this point. He has appeared in just six contests for the Suns thus far this year, averaging 14.7 points per game on .449/.429/.708 shooting splits, along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night.

The Florida alum hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in a season since 2018/19.

Phoenix, expected to be a major postseason contender, may have a little trouble even getting there. At 14-12, the Suns are currently the No. 10 seed in a crowded Western Conference, just two wins north of the No. 11-seeded Warriors. Missing Beal could make for some additional tough sledding in the weeks to come.

Lauri Markkanen Hopes To Remain With Jazz

December 18th, 2023 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

In a conversation with Sam Amick of The Athletic, forward Lauri Markkanen made it clear he hopes to remain with the Jazz. An All-Star for the first time in 2022/23, Markkanen also won the Most Improved Player award in his first season with Utah.

Markkanen’s name has popped up in recent trade rumors, though rival executives expect him to stay put. He’s on a very team-friendly contract, making $17.26MM this season and $18.04MM in 2024/25.

Here are a few highlights from Amick’s interview with the Finnish star.

On the team’s slow start (Utah is currently 9-17 after going 37-45 last season):

“I try to look at the big picture. Obviously, we haven’t had the easiest start to the year, but I think it’s about keeping that long-term mindset in mind and trying to get better every day. Of course, we want to win every game, but even when you lose I think there’s things that we can learn and get better at. It’s not the easiest start, but everybody’s being positive still and working on the team stuff and individually as well. We just have to try to get more together and hopefully, we can grab a couple of these wins.”

On Salt Lake City:

“Oh, yeah. Love it. So we’d like to be there. We like the environment. It’s a pretty comfortable place to be.”

On dealing with trade rumors:

“I’ve been traded, I guess, technically three times with draft night included. Sometimes I knew about it. Sometimes I didn’t. So I kind of learned the business side of basketball. I’ve kind of learned to just go day by day and really put the work in and try to play to the best of my abilities and whatever happens happens, really. Like I said, I love being in Utah and it’s a compliment of what you’ve done in the past (that teams have interest). We’ll see. But yeah, I just want to emphasize that I really believe in what we’re building here with the Jazz. Go day by day. Do your best. That’s all you can do.”

The interview is worth reading in full for those who subscribe to The Athletic.

Eric Montross Dies At 52

December 18th, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Eric Montross, who played eight NBA seasons after starring at North Carolina, has died at age 52, reports Louis Fernandez of WRAL Sports.

Montross’s family announced his passing this morning, stating they are “grateful for the tremendous support and the truly overwhelming love expressed by so many people as he battled with his signature determination and grace.” Montross began treatments for cancer in March.

A seven-foot center, Montross was selected by the Celtics with the ninth overall pick in the 1994 draft. He was a second-team All-Rookie selection after averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in his first season, but was only in Boston for two years before being traded to Dallas. He also spent time with the Nets, Sixers, Pistons and Raptors before his NBA career ended after the 2001/02 season.

Montross played for the Tar Heels from 1990-94 under Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith. He was the starting center on the 1993 NCAA championship team and earned first-team All-ACC and Final Four all-tournament recognition.

He worked 18 seasons as an analyst for the Tar Heel Sports Network before stepping away earlier this year.

“Eric was a great player and accomplished student,” Carolina Athletics said in an official statement, “but the impacts he made on our community went way beyond the basketball court. He was a man of faith, a tremendous father, husband and son, and one of the most recognizable ambassadors of the University and Chapel Hill.”

We at Hoops Rumors offer our deepest condolences to Montross’ family and friends.

Ex-G Leaguer Comanche Faces Open Murder Charge

December 17th, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Kings NBA G League player Chance Comanche faces an open murder charge in Las Vegas, according to a press release from the Las Vegas Metro police department, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets.

Comanche, who had been playing for the Kings‘ G League affiliate in Stockton, was released by the team on Friday. He was arrested by the California FBI Criminal Apprehension Team in Sacramento on Friday as a person of interest in the case.

Comanche’s girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, was arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday on kidnapping charges. Comanche was also charged with kidnapping and is pending extradition to Nevada.

The case involved the Dec. 5 disappearance of Marayna Rodgers. Her remains were discovered in a desert area in Henderson, Nevada “based on information obtained after the arrest of Harnden and Comanche,” according to the release.

Detectives determined that Harnden and Comanche “were responsible for the murder of Rodgers,” per today’s announcement. Charges against them will be amended to open murder.

Comanche played in one game for the Trail Blazers last season, which was his lone NBA appearance. He signed with Sacramento this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract before being waived ahead of the season. He joined the Stockton Kings after clearing waivers.

Suns Claim Theo Maledon Off Waivers

December 17th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have claimed guard Theo Maledon off waivers, according to the NBA transactions log.

Maledon was waived on Thursday by Charlotte, where he was playing on a two-way contract. Maledon appeared in 13 games with the Hornets this season, including one start. He was averaging 4.2 points and 2.2 assists in 15.4 minutes per game and shooting just 28.8 percent from the field.

Maledon also played last season with the Hornets after two years with Oklahoma City. Overall, he has averaged 7.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 21.6 minutes over 173 regular season games. Maledon was an early second-round pick in 2020.

The Suns have a full 15-man roster but there was an open two-way spot to slot in Maledon, who will give the team more backcourt depth. Bradley Beal is expected to miss multiple weeks with an ankle injury.

Pistons Among Teams Eyeing OG Anunoby

December 16th, 2023 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are expected to be active in the trade market prior to this season’s deadline and have interest in acquiring a forward, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who identifies Raptors forward OG Anunoby as one of the players Detroit has its eye on.

Of course, as Edwards acknowledges, Anunoby is a trade target who will appeal to most teams across the NBA, given his three-and-D skill set and his seamless fit on virtually any roster. There’s also no guarantee that Toronto will make him available on or before February 8.

Even if Anunoby ends up on the trade block, it’s possible Detroit won’t aggressively pursue him during the season in the hopes that he could be signed in free agency next summer, Edwards adds. The 26-year-old has a player option for 2024/25 that he’s extremely likely to decline, while the Pistons are well positioned to create a significant amount of cap space in July.

Edwards identifies Sixers forward Tobias Harris as another veteran on an expiring contract who would be of interest to the Pistons, though Harris has played an important role in Philadelphia this season following James Harden‘s exit and seems unlikely to be traded unless it’s for an upgrade.

Losers of 22 consecutive games, the Pistons obviously aren’t looking to make a win-now move that will propel them to playoff contention this season. With that in mind, it may seem counterintuitive that they’d be interested in trading for players like Anunoby and Harris, who can become free agents in 2024.

However, if the Pistons were to acquire Anunoby, Harris, or someone else with a similar contract situation, the player’s Bird rights would be traded along with him, putting the Pistons in a strong position to extend or re-sign him.

Still, I’d be surprised if a lottery-bound team like Detroit is prepared to give up the sort of assets it would take to acquire an established impact player — the Pistons may be better off selling off some of their own veterans at this season’s deadline and taking the same approach next summer that Houston did this past offseason, adding vets in free agency instead of via trade.

Kings Sign Juan Toscano-Anderson

December 15th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

DECEMBER 15: The Kings have officially signed Toscano-Anderson, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. His contract is non-guaranteed, per James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 14: The Kings are signing Juan Toscano-Anderson to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Toscano-Anderson, 30, had stints with the Warriors, Lakers and Jazz and will now fill Sacramento’s final open roster spot after impressing with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes.

In 11 Showcase Cup games with the Capitanes, Toscano-Anderson averaged 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks. He holds career averages of 4.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.9 APG in 191 career NBA appearances (37 starts).

Toscano-Anderson worked out with the Warriors this offseason, but ultimately didn’t come away with a deal of any sort. However, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears tweets Kings head coach Mike Brown had strong interest in bringing Toscano-Anderson to training camp this offseason, though that never materialized.

As The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson notes (Twitter link), Brown and Toscano-Anderson have familiarity with each other. Toscano-Anderson played for the Warriors for three seasons while Brown was lead assistant, and the duo won a championship together in 2021/22.

The Kings opened up a spot on their 15-man roster last month when they waived Filip Petrusev, who they acquired for cash after he was sent to the Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster. After surveying its options, Sacramento landed on signing Toscano-Anderson.

Anderson notes in a piece detailing the move that the Kings needed to address their wing depth after experiencing matchup difficulties in recent losses to the Pelicans and Clippers, and signing the Marquette product should help with those issues.

It’s unclear how much playing time Toscano-Anderson will receive right away but its possible the veteran could make an immediate impact on the rotation. Players like Keon Ellis, Jalen Slawson, Colby Jones and Kessler Edwards make up Sacramento’s forward and wing depth on the deep bench.

Evan Mobley To Undergo Knee Surgery, Expected To Be Out 6-8 Weeks

December 15th, 2023 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Today’s injury news has gone from bad to worse for the Cavaliers. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), big man Evan Mobley will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out for the next six-to-eight weeks.

The update on Mobley comes on the heels of a report stating that Cavs point guard Darius Garland will miss several weeks due to a fractured jaw.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mobley has started all 169 games he has played for the Cavaliers since entering the league. This season, he’s averaging a double-double (16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds) to go along with 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.

However, after appearing in each of Cleveland’s first 21 games of the season, Mobley has missed the last four due to what the team had been referring to as left knee soreness. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), the 22-year-old will have a loose body removed from that knee as part of his arthroscopic procedure.

As we outlined in our story on Garland’s injury, the Cavs are off to a disappointing 13-12 start this fall and don’t have a particularly deep roster, with guards Ricky Rubio (personal reasons) and Ty Jerome (ankle) having also missed most or all of the season so far.

With Mobley unavailable, forwards Isaac Okoro, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade are among the candidates to see bumps in minutes, while deeper reserves like Tristan Thompson, Damian Jones, Emoni Bates, and Evan’s brother Isaiah Mobley figure to slide up the depth chart.

The Cavaliers have an open spot on their 15-man roster, but they’re less than $1MM away from the luxury tax line, so they’ll be reluctant to add much more salary to their books.