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Central Notes: Ball, Green, Pacers Lineup, Sasser

December 28th, 2023 at 9:35pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said guard Lonzo Ball was in town last week and he’s optimistic that his latest procedure to alleviate his pain worked, tweets NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. Ball is still ruled out for the rest of the season but, according to Johnson, he’s progressing well and is expected to resume running by January.

“Everything they’ve done in terms of progressing him, he’s handled very well,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The pain he was experiencing that was causing the setback is eliminated in terms of what he’s doing now, but he hasn’t run.”

Ball hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022 as he’s dealt with continuous injuries and setbacks. With his pain alleviated and physical activity soon to resume, his eventual return to the court looks more likely with this latest development.

In 35 games with the Bulls, Ball has averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He was acquired by Chicago in the summer of 2021 in a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans. He has a player option next year for roughly $21.4MM and Cowley mentions it’s possible he returns to play sometime in the offseason or training camp, but that’s more speculation than anything.

We have more from the Central Division:

It took some time for Bucks sharpshooter A.J. Green to find his footing in the NBA, but he finished the 2022/23 season strong and earned a guaranteed contract ahead of this year, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski writes. While Green hasn’t yet earned a permanent keep in the rotation, the Bucks can count on him to come in and hit threes when needed. “Freakin’ A.J.,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like whenever he shoots the ball, the ball is going in.” Green is under contract for two seasons after this one, though both are non-guaranteed.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made significant changes to the team’s starting lineup in their Tuesday game against the Bulls, moving Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin to the bench for Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, respectively, IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak observes. Andrew Nembhard also started in place of the injured Bruce Brown. The Pacers, who had previously lost six of their last seven, defeated the Rockets 123-117 with their new lineup.
After finishing his collegiate career tied fifth for wins in Houston’s program history, Marcus Sasser is having to adjust as the Pistons suffer through a 28-game losing streak, tied for the longest in NBA history, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle writes. However, Sasser has been able to turn to his former college coach Kelvin Sampson for advice this year, according to Duarte. “I worry about him in his first year,” Sampson said. “But at the same time, you get paid for this, man. Suck it up, you’ll be all right.“

Gordon Hayward To Miss At Least Two Weeks

December 28th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Hornets forward Gordon Hayward will be reevaluated in two weeks after suffering a left calf strain on Tuesday against the Clippers, according to a team release (Twitter link).

Hayward played just 23 minutes on Tuesday in the game he suffered the injury. He left that contest in the third quarter and did not return.

Hayward has appeared in 25 games, all starts, for the Hornets this year, averaging 14.5 points and shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc. He’s in the final season of a four-year, $120MM contract he signed with Charlotte in 2020 and will earn $31.5MM in 2023/24.

Rookie Brandon Miller is also dealing with an ankle issue, but he’s expected to play on Thursday (Twitter link via Hornets) — he and Cody Martin are among those who could take over some of the minutes left by Hayward.

And-Ones: Topic, Draft, Free Throws, Pangos, Pistons, Knicks

December 28th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick in the 2024 draft, was called back to EuroLeague squad Red Star after spending the 2023/24 season so far with Mega MIS on a loan. Topic spoke to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) about the move and what it means for his draft value.

“It’s a huge risk, but I’m ready,” Topic said of the move. “I’m confident in myself 100%. My father, my agent Misko Raznatovic and I understand that this move could affect my draft chances if I don’t do well. But I’m ready to compete and fight.”

According to Givony, Topic replaces former NBA player Shabazz Napier, who departed for Milan, and will get a chance to play alongside former NBA guards Milos Teodosic and Nemanja Nedovic. While Red Star courted the Serbian guard heavily in recent weeks, the decision to return was ultimately Topic’s, and he’ll try to help his hometown squad overcome a 6-10 start to the year. Greek coach Giannis Sfairopoulos, who previously coached Deni Avdija, will coach Topic.

“We didn’t talk about the role I’ll play,” Topic said. “Whatever he says, I’ll do. If he says to die on the court, I will die. Whatever coach needs, I’ll try my best to do it.”

Topic has been impressive in Adriatic League play with Mega MIS so far this year, averaging 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game and boasting a 63% true shooting percentage. According to Givony, NBA teams will be keeping a close eye on how Topic adjusts to the EuroLeague, which is considered the top level of competition in the world outside of the NBA.

Further breaking down Topic’s game, Givony writes that he’ll almost certainly be asked to adjust his play for a Red Star team ranked last in the league in pace. However, Givony expects the experience will positively benefit Topic’s defense and perimeter shooting.

“Basketball is a game of decisions,” Topic said. “It’s a mental game. Using angles. The player that makes a faster decision, that person will win. The EuroLeague is a mind game. It’s a game of reads.”

We have more notes from around the basketball world:

In the same Insider-only story, Givony and Jeremy Woo break down other draft-related topics. As the duo notes, one reason the 2024 draft class is considered weaker than usual is the fact that it will be older than most — it has a chance to boast the oldest first-round class since 2013. Upperclassmen like Zach Edey, Kevin McCullar and Oso Ighodaro are all playing their ways into first-round consideration while freshmen like Elmarko Jackson, Aday Mara and Caleb Foster are looking more like multi-year college players rather than the one-and-dones they appeared to be before the season, the Givony and Woo explain.
NBA coaches and players have made their feelings clear about how games are being refereed, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr among the latest to criticize the officiating this season. The Ringer’s Zach Kram argues the NBA doesn’t actually have a free throw problem though, given that free throw attempts and rates are trending downward. Kram singles out Joel Embiid as someone who’s receiving criticism for going for foul calls, but points out that Embiid leads the league in made field goals per game. Kram concludes that foul calls will always be a cat-and-mouse game for the NBA, as players will seek to push the boundaries to get free points and the league will continually react.
Former NBA guard Kevin Pangos is joining Spanish club Valencia after terminating his contract with Olimpia Milano, according to Sportando. Pangos has previously played for Gran Canaria and Barcelona in Spain. The 6’2″ point guard played one season in the NBA in 2021/22, appearing in 24 games (three starts) and totaling 39 points and 30 assists for the Cavaliers.
The Feb. 26 game between the Pistons and Knicks has been relocated to Madison Square Garden in New York from Detroit and will now tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET, according to a release from the NBA (Twitter link). “The cause for the change was unique scheduling complications associated with the In-Season Tournament,” the statement reads. Fred Katz of the Athletic tweets the Pistons’ 2-28 start likely factored into the decision — one team will end up playing 42 road games, and the NBA would presumably rather that team be one that’s not in playoff contention.

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Lakers Lineup, Theis

December 28th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors have a specific lineup issue that’s impacting both this year’s outlook and the future prospects of the team, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Golden State has to determine whether Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga — the team’s two most athletic players, in Kawakami’s view — can share the court together, especially with the trade deadline looming.

Kawakami writes that if Wiggins and Kuminga figure out how to play with one another, it would unlock the Warriors’ offense due to the fact that the two forwards make Golden State faster and more athletic. So far, that pairing hasn’t had much success.

In 106 minutes together on the floor this year, the duo has a minus-21.4 net rating, the worst on the team (of lineups that play often) by a large margin. They also have the worst defensive rating and rebound percentage among those lineups.

“It’s something we will try with maybe some new people around them,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Their numbers are not good together, frankly. They’re very redundant. So the tape and the numbers haven’t been great.”

While this lineup wrinkle is just one question for a roster full of them, it has major implications. If the pair doesn’t figure things out, Kawakami writes the Warriors will likely have to choose between them, especially with Kuminga due for an extension on the horizon. If they do end up working well together, however, it could phase out minutes for Golden State’s other veteran pieces.

Kawakami also writes that while the Warriors previously may have been reluctant to move Wiggins in a trade after he signed a bargain contract specifically to stay with the team, he hears that may no longer be the case.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

The Warriors are keeping quiet on the timetable for Draymond Green‘s return from his indefinite suspension, writes Jon Schultz of the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Draymond stuff, everything is just private,” Kerr said. “That’s behind the scenes and I really don’t have anything to comment on that front.“
The Lakers switched up their starting lineup on Saturday, replacing D’Angelo Russell with Jarred Vanderbilt in an effort to augment the defense. However, that hasn’t worked out just yet, with the new starting lineup posting a 125.0 defensive rating in their 18 minutes together, The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price writes. “We’ve just gotta buckle down defensively,” Anthony Davis said. “We’re not really a switching team but now we’re getting to it because of our lineup. We’re able to do that. Miscommunication is kind of there. Offensively, we can be fine. But we have to do a better job on defense.“
The Clippers acquired Daniel Theis to help address their frontcourt when Mason Plumlee went down with an MCL sprain in November. As Plumlee approaches his return to play, the Clippers haven’t yet determined how they’ll balance Theis and Plumlee when both are healthy, tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

Injury Notes: Brown, Doncic, Payton, Vincent, Nance, Heat

December 28th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against Detroit due to a lower back contusion, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown sustained the injury on Monday against the Lakers after being accidentally kneed in the back by LeBron James. Both players were down in pain for a few minutes, but were able to return later in the contest.

Brown, who signed a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason, is averaging 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .478/.335/.734 shooting in 28 games (33.8 MPG) this season for Boston.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). Doncic is dealing with left quad soreness. As Stein notes, it’s the second game of a back-to-back for Dallas, which lost to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Warriors swingman Gary Payton II practiced on Wednesday, according to Jon Schultz of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He had a lot of energy today,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said of Payton. “Had a great practice, and we need them out there. Obviously our guard depth is a little shallow right now, and just having another defensive two-way guard on the floor is going to help us a lot.” However, Payton has been ruled out of Thursday’s contest vs. Miami, per the league’s official injury report. It will be the 13th consecutive absence for Payton, who has been battling a right calf strain.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday and will be reevaluated in about eight weeks, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the players who will receive more minutes with Vincent out, Turner adds. “It obviously hurt. He’s a big component of what we do,” Vanderbilt said of Vincent. “Great player, great system player. So, obviously health comes first. So, we want him to get healthy. For us, it’s the next-man-up mentality. Continue to play the right way and have some guys step up in his absence.”
Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. has missed the past month after aggravating a rib fracture, but he’ll be active tonight against Utah, he told Christian Clark of NOLA.com and other media members (Twitter link). Nance has been limited to 14 games thus far in 2023/24.
The Heat have dealt with numerous injuries once again this season and will be shorthanded during Thursday’s contest in Golden State, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jimmy Butler (left calf strain), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Caleb Martin (right ankle sprain) are all out, Josh Richardson (back discomfort) is doubtful, and Orlando Robinson is away from the team after being assigned to the G League.

Terrence Shannon Jr. Suspended Indefinitely By Illinois

December 28th, 2023 at 1:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Illinois wing Terrence Shannon Jr. has been suspended indefinitely after being charged with rape in Kansas, per Jeremy Werner of IlliniInquirer.com.

According to a press release from the university, the alleged incident occurred on September 8, when Shannon traveled to Lawrence, Kansas, to attend the Illinois at Kansas football game. He was not in Lawrence on official business, nor was he part of the travel party.

As Werner writes, the Douglas County District Attorney issued the warrant for Shannon’s arrest. He traveled to Lawrence on Thursday and turned himself in, later posting bail.

“The University and DIA take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously while respecting due process and the presumption of innocence afforded through the legal system.

“DIA and Urbana campus officials have been aware of a Lawrence police investigation into Shannon since late September but, until Wednesday, had yet to receive actionable information. Shannon’s arrest triggers the DIA student-athlete misconduct policy. Under that policy, Shannon has been immediately suspended from all team activities. Any change to Shannon’s status will be communicated in a timely manner.”

Shannon is a potential 2024 first-round pick who is currently No. 22 on ESPN’s best available players list. He averaged 21.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks in 11 games this season.

Southeast Notes: Griffin, Johnson, M. Williams, Wizards

December 28th, 2023 at 1:06pm CST by Rory Maher

After being inactive for the past eight games due to personal reasons, second-year wing AJ Griffin is back with the Hawks and spoke to the media on Thursday, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Yeah, I would say I’m glad to be back,” he said. “The team has been great to be able to support me through that time stepping away for a little, just for personal reasons. I definitely want to keep it brief and not put it all out there.”

Griffin added (Twitter link via Brad Rowland) that being back on the court and around the team was “kind of like opening a present for Christmas Day. That joy. Coming back and doing what you love and knowing that people just love being around you.”

The 16th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Griffin had a solid rookie campaign in 2022/23, averaging 8.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .465/.390/.894 shooting in 72 games, including 12 starts (19.5 MPG). However, he hasn’t played much so far in his second season, averaging just 9.2 MPG in 12 appearances.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Jalen Johnson‘s return to the Hawks will provide a needed boost to a team that went just 4-10 without him in the lineup, according to Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). Johnson, who missed a month with a distal radius fracture in his left wrist, recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a steal in 29 minutes during Tuesday’s loss to Chicago, his first game back from the injury. The former first-round pick will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the 2024 offseason.
Second-year center Mark Williams has missed the past eight games for the Hornets with a lower back contusion and is officially doubtful for Thursday’s contest against the Lakers, per the latest injury report. “He did more (Tuesday at morning shootaround) than he’s done for a while,” Clifford said of Williams, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “But I don’t think we have a definitive timetable.” The Hornets are 0-9 without Williams in the lineup this season.
The Wizards currently have the worst defense in the NBA and the team looked particularly listless on that end during Wednesday’s blowout loss to Toronto, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. The Raptors had gone just 3-10 over their past 13 games entering the contest, but scored 132 points while shooting 57.1% from the field last night. Rebounding issues continue to plague the 5-25 Wizards, Wallace notes, with Toronto winning the battle of the boards 53-34.

Mavericks Waive Dexter Dennis

December 28th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

In order to sign Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, the Mavericks have waived rookie guard/forward Dexter Dennis, the team announced in a press release.

Dennis, 24, went undrafted in June. He spent his first four college seasons at Wichita State before joining Texas A&M for the 2022/23 season. As a “super-senior” taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility afforded to college players due to COVID-19, he averaged 9.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG on .392/.310/.771 shooting in 34 appearances for the Aggies (28.7 MPG).

Dennis never averaged double-digit points per game in any of his five college seasons and struggled with scoring efficiency. However, he’s a talented defender who earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022 for the Shockers.

The 6’5″ wing appeared in four games for the Mavericks in ’23/24, averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 7.5 MPG. He received more extensive playing time with their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 15.7 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .427/.333/.769 shooting in 13 games during the Showcase Cup (35.8 MPG).

The Mavericks’ 18-man roster remains full after the signing of Williams and release of Dennis.

Brandon Williams Signs Two-Way Deal With Mavericks

December 28th, 2023 at 11:25am CST by Arthur Hill

December 28: The move is official, the Mavericks announced in a press release (via Twitter).

December 27: The Mavericks are planning to sign G League point guard Brandon Williams to a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Williams is currently with the Osceola Magic, where he is averaging 23.9 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Williams, 24, was in training camp with Orlando on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season. He reported to Osceola, which is his third G League team in three years.

Williams’ first NBA opportunity came during the 2021/22 season when he signed a 10-day contract with Portland and was able to earn a two-way deal. He averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 24 games with the Trail Blazers, making 16 starts, but was waived before the beginning of the next season.

Dallas currently has a full roster, so another move will have to be made before Williams can be signed. Greg Brown, Dexter Dennis and A.J. Lawson hold the team’s two-way contracts.

Lore, A-Rod To Acquire Controlling Ownership Of Timberwolves

December 28th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez will exercise their option to become controlling owners of the Timberwolves, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. They have a December 31 deadline to make the move, but sources tell Wojnarowski it could happen by today.

The option will give Lore and Rodriguez an additional 40% of the franchise, making them majority owners with an 80% stake by the early part of 2024, Woj adds (Twitter link). The purchase, which still must be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, values the team at $1.5 billion.

This will mark the third payment for the new owners, who made their second installment in March. They currently own 40% in their succession plan to take over the Wolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx from current owner Glen Taylor.

Gore and Rodriguez began buying into the Timberwolves in 2021, making their first payment that summer. There have been rumors throughout the process that they might not have the financial equity to complete the deal, but they have made every payment according to schedule.

A report last month said the duo was negotiating with the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, to provide help with financing.