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Northwest Notes: Jokic, George, Ayton, Blazers, Gobert

January 18th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers star Joel Embiid racked up 41 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in a comeback victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday, but after the game he had nothing but praise for opposing center and fellow MVP Nikola Jokic, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

Embiid joked that there’s a “war” on Twitter between Sixers and Nuggets fans about which player is better, but suggested that Jokic has earned that honor, at least for now, after leading Denver to a championship in 2023.

“He deserves (the title of best in the NBA),” Embiid said. “Until you knock him down, that’s the best in the league, and he’s the Finals MVP. So until someone else takes that away, then you can claim that.

“But then again,” Embiid continued, with a smile. “I also believe in myself. … I’ve just gotta get there.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Following a victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Paul George said the 2019 trade that sent him from the Thunder to the Clippers for a package that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several first-round picks has been a win for both sides — and acknowledged that it may have been a bigger win for OKC. “I just think both sides won. I did think it was quite a lot that the Clippers were willing to give up, but their commitment to me is my commitment to them,” George said (Twitter video link via Joey Linn of SI.com). “… We knew Shai was gonna be really, really good, but he’s special. In a way, Oklahoma won that trade with picks and a future MVP. Great trade for both sides.”
After missing the Trail Blazers‘ past 11 games due to a knee issue, starting center Deandre Ayton was on track to return Wednesday vs. Brooklyn, but icy conditions in Portland prevented him from getting to the game, as Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Ayton will presumably be available on Friday vs. Indiana.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups tried a new starting lineup on Wednesday, with Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Duop Reath, and Jabari Walker making up the 19th starting five the team has used this season. After the game, Billups explained that he wanted to make a change due to the slow starts the Blazers had been having (Twitter link via Highkin). The original plan, Billups added, was to move Shaedon Sharpe into Scoot Henderson‘s starting spot, but Sharpe is sidelined with an abdominal injury.
While Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been lauded for a bounce-back season on defense, he lauded his teammates for making things easier on him at the end of the court, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We got people that can guard. We got people that can move their feet and take the challenge,” Gobert said.

Josh Giddey Won’t Face Criminal Charges Following Allegations

January 17th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Rory Maher

8:30pm: In a press release (Twitter link), the Newport Beach Police Department confirmed that Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

7:40pm: The Newport Beach Police Department has concluded its investigation into Thunder guard/forward Josh Giddey and he will not be charged with a crime after no corroborating evidence was found, as first reported by TMZ Sports. Shams Charania of The Athletic later confirmed the news.

In November, a series of posts on social media accused Giddey of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl who is a student at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach. That prompted both the NBA and the Newport Beach Police Department to open investigations into the claims.

However, TMZ reported at the time that the alleged minor and her family were unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement officials. Now, the case is considered closed, according to TMZ.

The NBA’s investigation is technically still active, but it seems unlikely to turn out differently considering Giddey won’t face criminal charges.

The sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey is averaging 11.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 4.6 APG in 39 games this season for Oklahoma City (24.8 MPG).

Northwest Notes: Sexton, Clarkson, Jazz, Thunder, Sharpe

January 13th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Tristan Tucker

Collin Sexton has started the past 17 games for the Jazz, with the team going 13-4 in those contests and completely turning around their season, writes The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen. Sexton — who was once viewed as an available trade piece — is among the league’s top per-possession scorers and is averaging 28.1 points per 36 minutes over the past 30 days, sixth in the NBA.

“Collin’s been playing really well, at a high level. He’s really picking his spots, when to attack, when to facilitate, and when to slow down and when to use his speed,” teammate Lauri Markkanen said. “I think he’s playing a really high level right now and we need him to keep it up.”

Larsen observes Sexton’s made changes to his game, including the pace at which he plays and improving his efficiency.

“Collin’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever been around. He gets incredibly low to the floor when he drives, he’s very strong, very explosive, and he’s able to play through contact,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We know can get in the paint at will — maybe not every time, but most times he can get into paint, and his decision making has really improved in those spots.”

Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores a similar topic, writing that Jordan Clarkson has also helped turn Utah’s fortunes around in recent weeks. Since returning from a hamstring injury, Clarkson is averaging 19.8 points and a career-best 5.9 assists in 11 games while breaking the Jazz’s 15-year triple-double drought in early January.

“It’s been feeling really great, to be honest,” Clarkson said. “I think in the beginning of the year it was just tough. I think we were all trying to figure out each other. … Early in the season it’s hard to put a label on the team. Just credit to the coaching staff and all of us for sticking with it and coming out here and putting a good product out.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Part of Sexton and Clarkson’s success comes from Hardy’s adjustments to the Jazz‘s rotation, Larsen writes in a separate piece. Every rotation player has more defined roles than they did at the beginning of the year, leading to guys like Kris Dunn and Simone Fontecchio improving in starting spots. Larsen also writes the bench unit has improved as a result of the progress made by, and changes to, the starting lineup, with the five-man bench lineup of Keyonte George, Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler outscoring opponents by 24 points per possession.
Tony Jones of The Athletic says that the Jazz‘s players have bought into the team’s changes. “We’ve just mixed and matched and put ingredients into the soup and kind of figured out what’s worked and what hasn’t worked,” Olynyk said. “We’re at the point where guys know their roles, and they are trying to be stars in their roles, and it’s all just working right now.“
The Thunder are way ahead of their rebuilding timeline and are among the league’s top contenders, The Athletic’s John Hollinger notes. It’s an impressive feat alone, but becomes even more fascinating when considering many of the Thunder’s top guys have come from their own draft picks, like Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, and not the draft picks obtained from dismantling the Paul George–Russell Westbrook core. Of course, as Hollinger acknowledges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s best players since being obtained in the George trade, while Jalen Williams was drafted using a Clippers pick. Hollinger argues the Thunder should look to move some of their non-rotation young guys and big contracts for a player who can help now, since their contention window has already started and they’ll have big contract decisions on the horizon.
Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe left Thursday’s matchup against the Thunder with a right adductor strain and did not return, according to team PR (Twitter link). Sharpe missed Portland’s Friday game at the Timberwolves due to the injury, The Oregonian’s Aaron J. Fentress tweets.

Northwest Notes: MPJ, Nuggets, Watson, Thunder, Reath

January 7th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After scoring 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting in his first 16 minutes of action on Friday to help the Nuggets build an 18-point lead, Michael Porter Jr. attempted just three more field goals in his final 15 minutes as Denver’s lead slipped away and Orlando pulled out a 122-120 victory.

Asked after the game about his recent trend of disappearing from the Nuggets’ offense after getting off to hot starts, Porter suggested it’s an issue that affects the team more broadly rather than applying specifically to him, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“I think it’s something we’re collectively still trying to master. Like, continuing to find guys’ shots throughout the midst of the game,” Porter said. “Because sometimes we play different in the first quarter than we do in the fourth quarter. … And that’s a lot of teams. But Aaron (Gordon) for example: He got most of his shots probably in the first quarter. Didn’t really touch the ball in the third quarter or the fourth quarter much.

“.. It’s a tough balance. When you’ve got a lot of guys who are very capable, sometimes you go a long stretch without really touching the ball. So for me, I kind of realize if I’m gonna get some shot attempts up, it’s gonna have to come in the flow of the game, and I’m gonna have to really, at times, be aggressive and things like that.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Heading into Friday’s game, the Nuggets had the NBA’s eighth-best defensive rating, compared to the No. 25 ranking at the same time a year ago. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando explores why the team has been significantly better on that end of the court in the first half of this season, singling out second-year wing Peyton Watson as a key difference-maker. Watson wasn’t part of the rotation last season, but his 109.6 defensive rating this season is the best mark among Denver’s regulars.
Even without making any moves on the trade market, the Thunder – who rank fourth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating – already look like a legitimate contender, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who argues that the club certainly has the assets to make a deal but should be in no rush to do so before the “missing ingredient” on the roster becomes more apparent.
The Trail Blazers, who now have two openings on their 15-man roster, are a virtual lock to promote big man Duop Reath from his two-way deal to a standard contract sooner or later, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. However, it’s unclear whether that move is in Portland’s short-term plans or if it will happen sometime after the trade deadline. The Blazers will have to make at least one roster addition by January 20, but that could just be a 10-day signing.

Jaime Jaquez, Chet Holmgren Named Rookies Of The Month

January 4th, 2024 at 5:43pm CST by Rory Maher

For the second straight time, Heat wing Jaime Jaquez and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter).

Former UCLA standout Jaquez, the 18th pick of the 2023 draft, averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .481/.324/.849 shooting in 13 December games (33.6 MPG). He has helped keep Miami in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt despite a series of injuries to key players.

Holmgren, the Western Conference winner, averaged 17.4 points, 7.7. rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.5 blocks on .551/.385/.780 shooting in 13 December contests (29.7 MPG). After missing all of 2022/23 with a foot injury, the 21-year-old has appeared in every game for Oklahoma City thus far in ’23/24, and has been a major factor in the team holding the second-best record in the West (23-10).

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Utah’s Keyonte George, Portland’s Scoot Henderson, Dallas’ Dereck Lively and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama were the other nominees in the West, while Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller and Cleveland’s Craig Porter Jr. were nominated in the East.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of Month

January 4th, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for December, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to a 10-3 record during the month while averaging 31.9 points, 6.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Antetokounmpo carried the Bucks to an 11-2 mark in December, posting averages of 32.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per night.

Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kawhi Leonard were the other nominees in the West.

Bam Adebayo, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Coby White and Derrick White were the other nominees in the East.

Northwest Notes: McLaughlin, Olynyk, Jazz, Thunder

January 4th, 2024 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Jordan McLaughlin hasn’t seen much playing time this season for the Timberwolves, but he made an instant impact in his 12 minutes on Monday in New York, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, and logged a season-high 17 minutes on Wednesday vs. New Orleans.

Minnesota lost both games, but McLaughlin was a plus-18 in his 29 minutes of action and appears on track to securing a more consistent role in head coach Chris Finch‘s regular rotation, according to Hine.

“Every single time he’s come in and had a super positive impact,” Finch said after the loss to the Knicks. “… We still believe that position (the ninth man) could be situational, but if somebody comes and takes it, then somebody comes and takes it and it looks like J-Mac is on his way to doing that right now.”

As Hine writes, McLaughlin was limited last season due to a calf injury, and a knee issue affected him for several weeks earlier in 2023/24, but he looks like he’s back in form as of late. The 27-year-old is in the final season of a three-year contract with the Wolves and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Big man Kelly Olynyk has had the most “robust” trade market so far of the Jazz players presumed to be available, Ben Anderson of KSL Sports says in a mailbag. That doesn’t necessarily mean that an Olynyk trade would result in the most significant return — it’s more likely that his skill set (and expiring contract) appeals to the widest range of teams.
After searching for an optimal rotation for much of the season, the Jazz seem to have found it lately, notes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Since Kris Dunn entered the lineup as the starting point guard on December 21, Utah has won six of seven games. A starter earlier in the season, Jordan Clarkson has been thriving in a bench role, recording the Jazz’s first triple-double in 16 years on Monday.
In a pair of stories on the ascendant Thunder, Zach Kram of The Ringer takes a look at how impactful Chet Holmgren has been in his first 33 NBA games, while Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores how the team has taken advantage of its versatility and been “open-minded and experimental” in building a top-five offense.
Despite the Thunder‘s impressive 23-10 start this season, which includes recent wins over top teams like Boston, Denver, and Minnesota, the young team’s stars aren’t interested in discussing where they fit among the NBA’s contenders, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “We know we have a long ways to go,” Holmgren said after the victory over the Celtics on Tuesday. “We’re at 32 games into the season, so we still have 50 games left. We got a lot of lessons to learn, a lot of lessons we’ve already learned from that we’ve got to kind of keep in the back of our mind.”

Celtics Notes: White, ’18/19 Team, Holiday, Horford

January 3rd, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Fans in San Antonio, where Derrick White spent the first four-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career, are on board with the campaign to get the Celtics guard to his first All-Star Game this season. As Brian Robb of MassLive details, Sunday’s broadcast of Boston’s blowout victory over the Spurs picked up multiple “White’s an All-Star!’ chants from the San Antonio crowd.

“I’m just thankful and grateful,” White told reporters after the victory. “I just try to go out there and help us win. If I were to make the All-Star game, it’s because of how much we are winning and the type of team we have. I’m just thankful to be a part of this team and the culture we’re building here. Me making it or not making it doesn’t change the fact that I’m just thankful to be here.”

White’s former head coach Gregg Popovich said on Sunday that he “couldn’t be more proud of a player” than he is of White, who was a starter in the Spurs’ backcourt before being shipped to Boston at the 2022 trade deadline.

“When he first came, I don’t think he believed he belonged in the NBA,” Popovich said. “To watch him develop through the years, started here with the G League. Playing with us and then starting for us and then taking more steps in Boston has just been a thrill to watch.

“He’s one of the greatest guys ever. His confidence has just exploded. It’s been a process. He’s been in the league now, six, seven years. I’m not sure anymore. But he’s a great story. And starting out at the bottom and believing in himself and doing the work necessary to get where he is now. Just thrilled for him.”

Here’s more on the Celtics:

Appearing on the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, former Celtics forward Gordon Hayward revisited the 2018/19 team that lost to Milwaukee in the second round of the playoffs and posited that “too many agendas” in the locker room led to that club’s downfall (hat tip to Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report). “In my eyes it was just, we all had too many agendas, and the agenda to win the whole thing was not the main one,” Hayward said. “Not to blame anyone either, because I think it was all human nature.” That Celtics team featured Hayward in his first healthy season in Boston and Kyrie Irving in his final year with the organization.
Addressing Hayward’s comments, Jayson Tatum clarified that there were no locker room issues on that Celtics club, but agreed with his former teammate that the on-court chemistry was a problem, referring to it as a learning experience. “What Gordon said was kind of right,” Tatum said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Guys would come back from injury, guys were trying to prove themselves, like myself. I was trying to be better than I was last year, and it was just kind of a tough year. … Everybody wanted to do more, and we didn’t quite understand how we all could coexist with each other.”
Celtics guard Jrue Holiday missed Sunday’s game due to a sprained right elbow, but head coach Joe Mazzulla said he had no long-term concerns about that injury, tweets Jay King of The Athletic. Holiday was back in action on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City.
Prior to the Thunder‘s win over Boston on Tuesday, OKC head coach Mark Daigneault raved about the impact that Celtics big man Al Horford had during Daigneault’s first year as a head coach in 2020/21, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “Every first-year NBA head coach should be as lucky as I was to have Al Horford on their team. Stud professional and person,” Daigneault said. “And for a guy that has as much experience as he has, not cynical, very solution-oriented, not a know-it-all — he knows it all, but he always channels that toward solutions and toward the team.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, Haliburton Named Players Of The Week

January 2nd, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Two of the NBA’s best guards have earned Player of the Week honors for the week of December 25-31, with Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the Western Conference award and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers claiming the award in the East (Twitter link).

It’s the first time that either player has been named Player of the Week this season. Gilgeous-Alexander has now earned the honor four times in his career; Haliburton won it once last season.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the streaking Thunder to a 4-0 week, averaging 33.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game with a shooting line of .623/.385/.943. He had his fifth 40-point game of the season on Friday in a blowout victory in Denver.

Haliburton’s Pacers also had an undefeated week, with victories over Houston, Chicago, and New York. The star point guard had back-to-back 20-point, 20-assist performances against the Bulls and Knicks and averaged 25.3 PPG and 17.7 APG across Indiana’s three wins, with a shooting line of .509/.417/.714.

In addition to several of the usual suspects – Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De’Aaron Fox, and Domantas Sabonis – Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson was among the nominees in the Western Conference for the first time in his young career.

Over in the East, Haliburton’s teammate Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen, Cade Cunningham, Jayson Tatum, Julius Randle, and Andre Drummond were the other nominees (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Thunder, Finch, Gordon, Hardy

December 31st, 2023 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

At 21-9, the Thunder are currently the second seed in a deep Western Conference. The team’s excellence is in part a credit to the ongoing greatness of its Big Three, as Joel Lorenzi The Oklahoman details.

Oklahoma City’s triumvirate of top-tier talent is made up of All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rookie center Chet Holmgren, and power forward Jalen Williams. Williams put on an offensive masterpiece in a 129-120 win against the Knicks Wednesday, scoring a career-most 36 points.

“He just gets more comfortable — every game, every week — with his reps,” Gilgeous-Alexander raved of the second-year forward. “Biggest thing with him was just him being aggressive early in his career. He’s starting to get around to that and trust his work.”

Williams also noted that his two-man game with Holmgren is improving by leaps and bounds.

“We’re trusting each other a lot more than we had been earlier in the year,” Williams said.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Although the Timberwolves are current a Western Conference-leading 24-7, head coach Chris Finch is convinced the team still needs to improve its scoring attack, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “There’s a lot of ways to be immature,” Finch said. “And generally, this team has been very mature. But we’ve got to grow up offensively. It’s time.”
After suffering a dog attack on Christmas night that left him with hand and face lacerations, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is set to return to the team, informing Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link) that he will be able to play on Monday against the Hornets. His own Rottweiler is the dog responsible for biting him on Christmas, Gordon reveals. “He’s a good boy,” Gordon claimed. Prior to the news, reserve point guard Reggie Jackson indicated that Gordon was more focused on the reigning champs’ progress this season than his own recovery, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. “Aaron’s still concerned about the team,” Jackson said. “He wants to be back with the group, but we just want what’s best for him.”
With three wins in their past four road games, the Jazz are in an improved headspace, in the view of head coach Will Hardy, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Overall, it’s been a good road trip,” Hardy said. “We’ve been playing much better basketball the last three weeks than the beginning of the season… I do think our team is trending in the right direction.”