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Andrew Wiggins Nears Return To Warriors

April 3rd, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:56pm: Wiggins plans to attend (not play) Tuesday’s game against the Thunder, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell Charania that Wiggins has been away from the team because his father has been dealing with a “serious” health problem.

11:49am: Andrew Wiggins is expected to rejoin the Warriors in the next few days, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wiggins has missed 22 games while attending to a personal matter, but team officials said repeatedly that they hoped he could return before the end of the season. The front office and his teammates frequently expressed their concerns for Wiggins without providing any specifics about his situation.

Wiggins was an All-Star for the first time last season, averaging 17.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 73 games. He has put up similar numbers this season, but has only been available for 37 contests.

Wiggins played a huge role in Golden State’s title run, bringing a strong defensive presence that has largely been missing this year. His return should help spark a Warriors team that is currently tied for fifth in the West at 41-38 and is hoping to avoid falling into the play-in tournament.

Wiggins hasn’t played since February 13, although the team said he continued to work out while he was away. He will presumably see some game action this week to help him prepare for the playoffs.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Mavericks, Doncic, Silas

April 3rd, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Ja Morant watched Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. raise their play to another level during his suspension, but the Grizzlies still need Morant to take over games in clutch time, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Cole notes that when Morant returned to the team, he talked to coach Taylor Jenkins about how he could alter his game so he wouldn’t take anything away from Bane and Jackson.

Morant is averaging 22.5 points and 7.3 assists since he resumed playing while shooting 43% from the floor and 20% from three-point range. Cole points out that all those numbers are below Morant’s averages for the season and observes that his tendency to overdribble may come from trying to figure out his new role in the offense.

“For me, it’s getting used to pretty much not being the main option,” Morant said. “Just finding my spots. We got Jaren and Des who have took over that role for us. For me, just getting them the ball and then when I get my chance, just take it.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks‘ postseason hopes are in jeopardy after Sunday’s loss in Atlanta wrapped up a 1-4 road trip, notes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. At 37-42, Dallas is a game behind the 10th-place Thunder and will need some help to reach the play-in tournament. “We know the situation we’re in,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We’re playing catch-up. And we got to find a way to win. Right now, we’re coming up short. We need to win games and unfortunately we’re not winning right now.”
The Mavericks may have larger concerns in the offseason because their franchise player, Luka Doncic, appears so “despondent,” Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated says in a podcast with Chris Mannix (video link). Doncic hasn’t jelled with Kyrie Irving since he was acquired in February, and Dallas faces the unpleasant choice of giving Irving a huge contract in free agency or having Doncic play next season with a below-average roster.
Kelly Iko of The Athletic addresses the Rockets‘ coaching situation, suggesting it’s not certain that Stephen Silas will be replaced after the season ends. He says it’s possible Silas will be brought back for another year with more veterans on the roster, although the front office will explore other options such as Ime Udoka, Frank Vogel or Nick Nurse if he becomes available.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Terry, Jokic, Trail Blazers

April 3rd, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

A disastrous week for the Timberwolves culminated with Sunday’s loss to the tanking Trail Blazers, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota dropped its third straight game despite facing a Portland team that was missing nearly all of its regular rotation players, leaving the Wolves likely headed to the play-in tournament if they reach the postseason at all.

The most concerning thing about the game was the lack of involvement from Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with eight points and took just three shots from the field. The Timberwolves have been focused on getting Towns more comfortable in the offense after missing 52 games with a calf injury, but he appeared as disjointed as he was early in the season when he was first learning how to play alongside Rudy Gobert. Krawczynski notes that Minnesota ranks 27th in offensive efficiency since Towns returned two weeks ago.

“We talked a lot about KAT trying to fit into the flow of the offense, and I think he was a bit too passive tonight,” coach Chris Finch said. “So we needed him to still stay aggressive. I thought in his second shift when he went out there, he drew a lot of fouls, but he wasn’t aggressive throughout the rest of the opportunities.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Twenty years after trying to join the Jazz as a player, Jason Terry is making an impact as an assistant coach, notes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Terry signed an offer sheet with Utah in 2003, but the Hawks decided to match it. Now he’s part of Will Hardy‘s coaching staff, explaining that he loves being around the game. “I’ve done a variety of things,” Terry said. “But I get the most joy and excitement out of being on the front lines, being in the fire with the guys — film sessions, training, and then in-game, just trying to manage the game and put them in a position to be successful out there on the floor.”
Nikola Jokic missed his third straight game Sunday with tightness in his right calf, and Mike Singer of The Denver Post suggests that the Nuggets might consider sitting him out for the rest of the regular season (Twitter link). Denver’s magic number to clinch the top seed in the West is down to one, and it may be more beneficial to make sure Jokic is rested and healthy for the playoffs.
Now that the Knicks have clinched a playoff spot, the Trail Blazers are assured of getting New York’s first-round pick this summer, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. The selection that Portland acquired in a February trade was lottery protected.

Pacific Notes: Durant, LeBron, Curry, Wiggins

April 3rd, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

It has been seven years since Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City, but a lot of Thunder fans still haven’t forgiven him, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Durant heard plenty of boos as he scored 35 points in the Suns‘ win at OKC on Sunday, and Phoenix coach Monty Williams questioned why the ill will hasn’t eased up over the years.

“I’m still surprised at how many people; why they boo him here,” Williams said. “I don’t understand that. I think this fan base is one that I’ve respected for a long time and I get it. You lose a guy like Kevin, I think at some point, you have to appreciate what he meant to this organization.”

After being drafted while the franchise was still in Seattle, Durant blossomed into a star during his eight years in Oklahoma City. He led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012 and was named MVP in 2014, but he alienated the city when he signed with the Warriors as a free agent after the 2015/16 season.

Durant said he has come to grips with the animosity and is focused on helping the Suns, who are now 6-0 in the games he has played since being acquired at the trade deadline.

“I understand it,” Durant said. “I meant so much to this community and just for me to leave like that. Early on, I didn’t get it, but I get that an NBA team is part of your community and players entrenched in your community. You feel closer to them. So, I get it. It’s still emotions and it’s still some people don’t like that I left this franchise, but it was more love this time than it has been in the past. I just focused on that.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

LeBron James believes the Lakers feel like a title contender after picking up the 10th win in their last 14 games on Sunday night, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. L.A. was able to shake up its roster at the trade deadline, then survived James’ absence due to a torn tendon in his right foot. “Even when I was out for the four weeks, I liked what we’ve been building, and I’m happy to be back in the mix,” he said.
Changes could be coming to the Warriors this offseason, including the loss of potential free agent Draymond Green and general manager Bob Myers, but Stephen Curry believes the current core can be retained both on the court and the front office, relays Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think we can all acknowledge and keep it real that had we not won a championship last year, then those questions would have been a lot more … everyday, I guess?” Curry said in a radio show appearance Friday. “But when you prove that you can win, then you kind of hold off the dogs in terms of how hard it is to do what we’ve done and keep this together for as long as we have.”
The Warriors are still hoping that Andrew Wiggins will return from his leave of absence in time for the playoffs, but time is running out for him to make an impact, observes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Cavaliers Notes: Okoro, Wade, LeVert, Mitchell, Mobley

April 3rd, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Arthur Hill

As the Cavaliers enter the final week of the regular season, they’re unsure if Isaac Okoro will be available when the playoffs start, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Okoro is dealing with soreness in his left knee that has been bothering him for a while. He logged just nine minutes in last Sunday’s game and hasn’t been able to play or practice since then.

“We need to get him to a place better than he was,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “If Isaac doesn’t play, it’s because he’s in real discomfort. We’ve got to make sure we’re taking the steps to get him to a place of comfort and safety. That’s more important. It’s something we’re just monitoring every day and hopefully he continues to improve.”

Bickerstaff admitted last night that the team isn’t sure if Okoro will be able to recover in time for a first-round series. He’s the Cavs’ best perimeter defender and the first option to start at small forward, and Fedor states that his absence was notable as the defense struggled in this week’s losses to the Hawks and Knicks.

There’s more from Cleveland:

Dean Wade started in place of Okoro on Sunday as the Cavaliers try to keep Caris LeVert in his preferred role of sixth man, Fedor adds. Wade gives the team more size, but he’s still dealing with a painful shoulder injury that required surgery earlier this season. LeVert won the starting job in training camp and has started 30 of the 73 games he’s played, but he feels more comfortable in a reserve role. “With Don (Donovan Mitchell) and D.G. (Darius Garland), they have a good chemistry, especially when it comes to who is making the plays and things like that,” LeVert said. “I feel like me coming off the bench is kind of a good switch-up and keeps it balanced with myself and Ricky (Rubio). I know the responsibility of those guys and I know what I’m capable of, so I feel like me coming off the bench is kind of like a secret weapon in a sense just because we all know what I can do on both ends of the floor.”
Mitchell made history with his 40-point performance Sunday, Fedor states in another Cleveland.com story. He became the first Cavaliers player with three consecutive 40-point games and broke LeBron James‘ team record with his 12th 40-point outing of the season.
Cavaliers players and coaches are touting Evan Mobley as Defensive Player of the Year, Fedor writes in a separate piece. It’s rare for a second-year player to be considered for that honor, but Mobley has been a difference maker no matter who he’s match up with. “He has the versatility to guard every position,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s been that for a team that’s been the number one defense for a majority of the year. Night by night his matchup changes, but his responsibilities don’t.”

Injury Updates: Kessler, Jokic, Monk, Allen, Russell

April 2nd, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz big man Walker Kessler, one of the league’s top rookies, is being evaluated for a concussion, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports.

Kessler was elbowed by teammate Talen Horton-Tucker as Horton-Tucker drove to the basket, causing Kessler to fall backward. The play occurred during the third quarter of Utah’s loss at Brooklyn on Sunday.

“Kind of a weird play on a rebound,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “The docs looked at him tonight, didn’t want (him) to come back in the game, so he’ll be reevaluated (Monday).”

We have more injury-related updates:

Nuggets big man and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic missed his third consecutive game on Sunday due to right calf tightness, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets.
Kings guard Malik Monk didn’t play on Sunday after getting injured during warmups. He experienced mild lower left leg muscle soreness, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets.
Bucks swingman Grayson Allen departed early on Sunday due to a right ankle sprain, the team’s PR department tweets.
Left foot soreness sidelined Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell for the second half of the team’s game against Houston, Jovan Buha of The Athletic tweets. Coach Darvin Ham said the move was precautionary and Russell could have played the second half, if needed.

Northwest Notes: Grant, Reddish, Markkanen, Williams

April 2nd, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers may try to re-sign Jerami Grant regardless of whether they pursue a teardown, considering they gave up a future first-round pick for him, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype opines.

However, they’ll have competition. Cap space teams like the Rockets and Pacers could be in the market for a versatile veteran forward like Grant, Gozlan writes. The Thunder could also look to add a veteran presence to their improving team and a reunion with the Pistons, who traded Grant to the Blazers last summer, isn’t out of the question.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Forward Cam Reddish missed the Trail Blazers‘ game against Minnesota on Sunday due to lumbar soreness, the team tweets. Reddish, a restricted free agent after the season, has missed three consecutive games.
Forward Lauri Markkanen returned to the Jazz lineup on Sunday after missing the two previous games with a bruised left hand, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Markkanen had 23 points and nine rebounds in a one-point loss to Brooklyn.
Jalen Williams has averaged 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals since the All-Star break. Barry Tramel of The Oklahoman (subscription required) takes a closer look at the Thunder lottery pick, noting that Williams has star potential. “I don’t know how good he’ll be. But I think it’s pretty safe to look at the fact that his floor’s going to be pretty high, because he’s big, he plays great defense, he’s got a great feel for the game,” coach Mark Daigneault said.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Mitchell, House, Sixers, VanVleet

April 2nd, 2023 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s likely that the Knicks and Cavaliers will meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Knicks failed in their pursuit of trading for Donovan Mitchell, a New York native, during last offseason.

Mitchell is looking forward to the prospect of facing the Knicks in the postseason, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “It’s full circle. Wouldn’t want it any other way,” Mitchell said. “What kid wouldn’t want to grow up and play against his hometown team in the playoffs? … It’s going to be a lot of fun — if that happens.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Danuel House has given the Sixers a boost since he was reinserted into the rotation in March, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. House has maintained a positive outlook and provided locker room leadership, regardless of how much he plays. “It takes a lot of focus. It takes a lot of energy,” said House, who averaged 12.2 minutes last month. “But you’ve got to sacrifice. Sacrifice is the biggest key, so you can set in your mind — or for your life — what’s really important. This is important to me. … All I’ve been trying to do is resume playing, stick [in the rotation] and just help the team.” House holds a $4.31MM player option on his contract for next season.
The Sixers played at Milwaukee on Sunday and face Boston on Tuesday. Joel Embiid downplayed the significance of games against the other top teams in the East, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “It’s a regular season game — that’s the approach I take, you know? You’ll use those matchups to see where you are at,” he said. “But there is no more excitement, in my opinion, because you are playing the two best teams in the league.”
Fred VanVleet, a potential free agent after the season, already held the Raptors’ single-game scoring record at 54. He added the single-game assist record against Charlotte on Sunday with 20, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes. “That’s a heck of an honor,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “There have been some great guards in the history of the organization. That’s really something, it really is.”

Los Angeles Notes: Leonard, Gordon, Showdown, Davis

April 2nd, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard played his first back-to-back since April 2021 over the weekend and his body held up well. He played 59 total minutes across the two games and didn’t have any issues, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

“We’ll see how I feel (Sunday) but right now I feel pretty good,” he said.

Leonard had 40 points against New Orleans but the Clippers still suffered their second straight loss.

We have more from the Los Angeles teams:

Eric Gordon missed Saturday’s game, but the Clippers don’t seem too concerned about his hip injury, Greif adds in another tweet. The Clippers don’t play again until Wednesday, giving Gordon extra time to recover.
The Clippers entered Sunday with a tenuous hold on the sixth spot in the Western Conference, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. They have a showdown with the Lakers, one of the teams breathing down their necks, in their next outing. “We got a big game coming up on Wednesday,” coach Tyronn Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members. “It’s a big, big game for us. (Saturday) was a big game for us, but now losing tonight makes Wednesday’s game even bigger.”
The Lakers had won five of their last six games heading into Sunday’s contest against Houston. Anthony Davis posted back-to-back 38-point games in their last two outings despite a scary looking ankle injury, which was determined not to be serious. Davis believes the reconfigured Lakers are poised to make a deep playoff run, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “I think we’ve got everything we need. It’s just about going out and applying it,” Davis said. “We can definitely make a run. We’ve got all the right pieces from top to bottom.”

New York Notes: Finney-Smith, Harris, Hartenstein, Playoff Rotation

April 2nd, 2023 at 4:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following a lackluster offensive start to his Nets tenure, swingman Dorian Finney-Smith is finding his footing in Brooklyn, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post.

Smith had been scoring just 6.4 PPG on 31% field goal shooting across his first 22 games with the Nets prior to a 124-107 defeat of the Hawks. In that contest, he notched 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-6 from deep, and eight boards.

“It feels good, man,” Finney-Smith said of his best scoring night with his new team thus far. “Especially when the whole team is yelling at me when I turn down shots to stay aggressive. It feels good when you got guys who believe in you, so I appreciate them.”

Finney-Smith continues to make a big defensive impact for the Nets. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has even employed the 6’7″ forward as a center in small ball lineups.

There’s more out of The City That Never Sleeps:

Nets wing Joe Harris has been demoted since Brooklyn added an influx of three-point shooting perimeter players at the trade deadline, and that’s just fine by Harris, per Schwartz in another piece. “It’s definitely a luxury of this team,” Harris observed. “A lot of space on the floor for primary ball-handlers, facilitators.”
Knicks backup center Isaiah Hartenstein is the only New York player to have been available for all 78 of the team’s games thus far, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.
Though they have just four games left in their 2022/23 regular season run, the 45-33 Knicks still need to finalize their postseason rotation, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley notes that New York’s coaching staff is assessing both active rotation and deep-bench players with the playoffs looming. The Knicks seem to favor a nine-man rotation, Begley observes. Backup point guard Miles McBride became the team’s new ninth man with All-Star power forward Julius Randle out of the lineup for now.