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Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Champagnie, Johnson, Popovich

December 26th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama is expected to be a game-time decision this evening when the Spurs face Utah, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. The No. 1 overall pick will test out his ankle during a pregame workout. He suffered a mild right ankle sprain when he stepped on a ball boy’s foot during warmups prior to San Antonio’s game on Saturday.

We have more on the Spurs:

During that same game, Julian Champagnie started ahead of Keldon Johnson. When asked if he would remain in the lineup Tuesday, Champagnie responded to Orsborn, “I think so.” (Twitter link). It’s a good sign for Champagnie contractually, who is the first year of a four-year deal. He has a non-guaranteed salary for next season — according to Spotrac, San Antonio has until Aug. 1 to decide if he’ll get that guarantee.
The Spus enter Tuesday’s game with a four-game losing streak and a 4-24 record. However, coach Gregg Popovich has maintained an even keel and tried to keep his young team’s spirits up, according to Jeff McDonald of the Express-News. “He has been positive for the most part,” forward Doug McDermott said. “He is still going to coach us hard and point out the things that we need to correct, but overall he has remained positive throughout it all.”
Wembanyama’s rookie season hasn’t gone as smoothly as many people had expected, given the enormous amount of hype surrounding the big man. Some of the game’s biggest stars know what he’s going through. The Athletic’s David Aldridge spoke with Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porzingis about the struggles they experienced during their rookie seasons.

Injury Notes: Duren, Jazz, Wright, Len, B. Brown

December 26th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Pistons looking to avoid becoming the first team in NBA history to ever lose 27 consecutive games in a single season, starting center Jalen Duren appears poised to make his return from an eight-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. He’s listed as probable to play vs. Brooklyn on Tuesday, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

While no player on the Pistons has particularly flattering on/off-court numbers this season, the team has played better with Duren available. Detroit’s net rating in the big man’s 404 minutes this season is -7.9; that net rating slips to just -12.8 in the team’s 988 minutes without him on the court.

Here are a few more injury-related updates ahead of Tuesday’s slate of games:

The Jazz will get a couple guards back in their rotation on Tuesday, as both Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot inflammation) have been upgraded from questionable to available, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George has missed Utah’s past six games, while Horton-Tucker was unavailable for the last two.
The Wizards haven’t listed any injuries for Tuesday’s game against Orlando, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter), which means veteran guard Delon Wright should be available for the first time since spraining his left knee on November 10.
Kings center Alex Len, who last played on November 13, has been upgraded to available and been cleared to return from a high right ankle sprain, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Len will actually play at all in Portland on Tuesday, given that he only logged 41 total minutes across six appearances prior to the injury.
Pacers wing Bruce Brown has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Houston as a result of a right knee bone bruise (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). It’ll be the second consecutive missed game for Brown after he appeared in each of Indiana’s first 27 contests this season.

Ja Morant, Joel Embiid Named Players Of The Week

December 26th, 2023 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

It only took Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant three games to earn his first honor from the NBA this season. After leading Memphis to a three-game winning streak upon returning from his 25-game suspension, Morant has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Morant averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 35.1 minutes per game over the course of three Grizzlies wins, securing last Tuesday’s victory over New Orleans with a game-winning shot at the buzzer. Having opened the season with 19 losses in 25 games, Memphis looks revitalized with Morant running the show, having not lost since reactivating the star guard.

Meanwhile, Sixers star center Joel Embiid became the Eastern Conference’s first repeat winner of the Player of the Week award this season. He also earned the honor once in November.

While the 76ers opened last week with a loss to Chicago, Embiid had 40 points in that game and followed it up with 51 points in a victory over the Timberwolves and 31 more in a win against the Raptors. In his three games last week, the big man put up impressive averages of 40.7 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 2.3 BPG in 36.0 MPG.

Morant beat out fellow nominees Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Jamal Murray, and Domantas Sabonis in the West. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jarrett Allen, Trae Young, DeMar DeRozan, Derrick White, Tyler Herro, and Embiid’s teammate Tyrese Maxey were the other nominees in the East (Twitter links).

Heat Notes: Jaquez, Two-Way Players, Butler, Herro

December 26th, 2023 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

With Jimmy Butler missing a third straight game, Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez turned in a Butler-style performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds in Monday’s win over Philadelphia, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. It marks the latest achievement in a remarkable first season for Jaquez, who has long dreamed of being part of the NBA’s Christmas showcase.

“Definitely special,” he said. “Great to get a win. Career night, on Christmas … I grew up watching these games. To be able to play and have a career night, it just, I just go back to all the hard work, late nights in the gym, just preparing for moments like this.”

Jaquez is proving that he entered the NBA ready to play right away after spending four seasons in college. Injuries have given him opportunities on a team coming off a Finals appearance, and he has found ways to contribute without being a focal point of the offense.

“I don’t think I called one play for him tonight, literally,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I mean, they were in his zone most of the second half. But throughout the rest of the course of the game, I definitely did not call it one play for him. And he did with offensive rebounding, transition, cuts, timely threes, just a lot of plays in between, so you don’t really think that it’s, you know, a 30-point game.”

There’s more from Miami:

Caleb Martin is the latest injury concern for a Heat team that has been shorthanded all season, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Making his 10th straight start after missing the beginning of the season with a knee injury, Martin was ruled out of Monday’s contest after spraining his ankle midway through the first quarter. Two-way players Jamal Cain and R.J. Hampton saw double-digit minutes Monday and may have expanded roles while the rest of the roster heals. “They have prepared for that,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not easy for the players in their situation where you don’t know if you’re going to play. And most nights, you probably have an idea that you’re not going to play. But you still have to stay ready and things change so quickly in this league.”
Butler will travel with the team as it begins a five-game road trip and Heat officials are optimistic that he will be able to return soon, Chiang adds. There was hope that his calf strain had healed enough for him to play Monday, but an illness prevented that from happening.
Tyler Herro has been a steady presence since returning from a sprained ankle that caused him to miss 18 games, Chiang states in a separate story. Herro is averaging career highs with 24.0 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting a career-best 45.9% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range.

Celtics Notes: White, Trade Assets, Tatum, Holiday

December 26th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics guard Derrick White has become one of the most valuable players on a team filled with stars, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. White did a little bit of everything in the Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers, delivering 18 points, 11 assists, two steals and two blocks. He also helped to steady Boston’s offense after losing an 18-point lead in the first half.

“I didn’t realize how good D. White was,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “He’s kind of under the radar a little bit, but man he’s special. The way he plays, how 90+ percent of the time he makes the right play all the time. That’s the perfect teammate you want. On top of that he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. He’s special, man, and I’m happy I have both of those guys on my team, Jrue (Holiday) and D. White.”

White’s impact on the team is felt at both ends of the court, Robb adds. The Celtics have the league’s best record at 23-6 despite facing the toughest schedule through 29 games, and they rank in the top five in both offense and defense. White leads the team in three-point and free throw shooting percentage, along with assists and steals, and Porzingis has joined the campaign for him to be an All-Star.

“He has been improving and he has been playing incredible this whole season, but especially this last stretch,” Porzingis said. “And I think maybe it doesn’t stand out, because the stats are not incredible. They’re gonna, but they’re not incredible. But when you watch the game, people who understand really appreciate what he’s doing on the court.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Undefeated at home, the Celtics answered doubts about their ability to win on the road by compiling a 3-1 record on their current trip, Robb states in a separate story. Team president Brad Stevens needs to add more depth for a title run, Robb adds, noting that Boston has a $6.2MM traded player exception available along with three tradable first-round picks and a wealth of second-rounders.
Jayson Tatum has been finding ways to help the team even when his shot isn’t falling, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Tatum was just 6-of-15 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range in L.A., but coach Joe Mazzulla was raving about his performance after the game. “That’s what we talk about when he’s got to reinvent,” Mazzulla said. “It’s not so much sacrifice as it is reinvent. You’re starting to see what leadership looks like and what value looks like for him. … And so it’s just not being defined by just scoring, but being defined by playmaking. Being defined by how do you create advantages for your teammates and yourself.”
Holiday is often the fifth option in Boston’s offense, but he appears to be finding a role with 18 points on Monday after topping 20 points in each of the previous two games, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “He’s opened up our system and philosophy a ton because of his ability to be involved in the play and ability to help off the ball as well,” Mazzulla said.

Hornets Notes: Martin, Miller, Injuries, Smith

December 26th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

A nearly year-long absence ended for Hornets forward Cody Martin when he returned to the court Saturday night, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Martin came off the bench to score six points in 17 minutes in his first NBA game since January 14.

After appearing in just seven games last season, Martin had a long road back after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Boone notes that he was limited to individual drills in training camp and has been slowly increasing his activity level to the point where he was recently able to be a full participant in practice.

“Specifics-wise, I could go and talk about it all day with just trying to figure out what the exact reasoning is, and the reality of it is I know that I wasn’t right,” said Martin, who admits to being frustrated by the slow recovery process. “My body wasn’t feeling good. I was having pain and I wasn’t feeling like myself. And it was a variety of different things. It’s tough, especially when you are out that long. It’s tough when you know you are not yourself and you are preparing and doing everything you can, and you are still not there. You want to get back out there, but in reality you are not helping yourself or helping your team. So the best thing I can do is make sure that I am myself so that I can contribute the way I need to.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Even with Martin’s return, the Hornets continue to be plagued by injuries, Boone states in a separate story. With starters LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams and Terry Rozier already sidelined, the team got another scare as rookie Brandon Miller was forced out of Saturday’s game when Denver’s Peyton Watson landed on him after a drive to the basket in the first quarter. Miller didn’t return to the game and is considered day-to-day with a sprained right ankle.
The injuries have contributed to a seven-game losing streak, but the players believe they can be much better than their current 7-20 record if the roster ever gets healthy, Boone adds. The Hornets have 114 missed games due to injuries, second only to Memphis, and seven players have been inactive for five or more. “Our defense and our rebounding is getting better,” Miles Bridges said. “So we’ve just got to build off that and when we get those guys back it will help us even more so we can start putting these Ws up.”
Nick Smith Jr. thrilled the Charlotte crowd with a 17-point outburst in the fourth quarter Saturday night, per Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer. The rookie guard has seen limited playing time, but he showed he’s capable of providing an offensive spark. “He’s got to get better at the other things so that the team functions well when he’s out on the court; he knows that,” coach Steve Clifford said. “But he’s a shot maker. And tonight, he got going.”

And-Ones: Officiating, Kabengele, Ignite, Maluach, Topic

December 26th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

While he didn’t complain specifically about the way that Nikola Jokic was officiated on Monday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lodged a more general complaint about the officiating during his postgame media session after the Nuggets center made 18-of-18 free throws in a Denver victory, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

“I have a problem with how we are legislating the defense out of the game,” Kerr said. “We are enabling players to B.S. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls, but the refs have to make those calls … the players are really smart in this league. For the last decade, they’ve gotten smarter and smarter. We have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage.

“It’s a parade to the free throw line, and it’s disgusting to watch.”

Prior to Monday’s game, the Nuggets ranked dead last in the NBA in free throw makes per game (14.9). Led by Jokic’s 18 foul shots, Denver converted 26-of-32 attempts from the line in Monday’s win.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former first-round pick Mfiondu Kabengele is making a midseason move from Greece to Italy. The big man has parted ways with AEK Athens and has formally reached an agreement to join Reyer Venezia, the Italian club announced today in a press release. Kabengele appeared in 55 total NBA games for the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Celtics from 2019-23.
Sharing their impressions from last week’s G League Showcase Cup, Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Insider link) note that it hasn’t been a good year for the G League Ignite, whose top prospects Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland did little to help their draft stock. Conversely, the NBA Academy Africa made a strong impression in Orlando, according to Givony, who was particularly impressed by 7’2″ prospect Khaman Maluach. Maluach appears to be giving strong consideration to playing college ball next season, Givony adds, with Duke and Kansas aggressively pursuing him.
Serbian prospect Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick, has spent the 2023/24 season so far on loan to Mega Basket, but he’ll be rejoining Crvena Zvezda and playing in the EuroLeague going forward, tweets Givony. The move will give the 18-year-old Topic an opportunity to compete in Europe’s top league for the rest of the season.

Community Shootaround: Orlando Magic

December 26th, 2023 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

Among the Eastern Conference’s top six seeds so far in 2023/24, four teams (Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, and New York) made it to the second round of last season’s playoffs, while a fifth (Milwaukee) has been a perennial top seed in recent years.

The one outlier sits at fourth place in the conference with a 17-11 record: the Magic.

Orlando hasn’t won more than 42 games in a season since 2010/11 and wasn’t considered a strong bet to make the postseason entering training camp this fall. But Jamahl Mosley‘s club has gotten off to a good start, fueled by a defense that’s currently the fourth-best in the NBA (110.5 defensive rating).

The Magic are one of the NBA’s worst shooting teams, ranking narrowly ahead of the last-place Pistons in three-pointers made per game (10.0) and three-point percentage (33.5%). However, they’re far more efficient on two-point shots and they benefit from playing a physical game, leading the league in personal fouls drawn per contest (23.1) and placing behind only Philadelphia in free throw attempts per night (27.3).

A pair of young forwards, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, lead the Magic in points per game with 21.2 and 20.3, respectively. The secondary scoring comes primarily from guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, as well as bigs Moritz Wagner and Wendell Carter, with Gary Harris, Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze, Joe Ingles, and Jonathan Isaac also playing regular roles.

The Magic have spent most of the season playing without their starting point guard – Markelle Fultz, who has been out since early November due to a knee issue – and their starting center (Carter only recently returned from a hand injury that has limited him to eight appearances so far this season). Black and Bitadze have capably filled those spots, but it will be interesting to see how Mosley adjusts his rotation if and when everyone’s healthy and available.

It’s hard to know exactly what to make of these Magic, whose offensive firepower is so limited and who have had an up-and-down year so far — a nine-game winning streak from November 15 to December 1 has been sandwiched by a 5-5 start and a 3-6 stretch as of late.

Orlando has racked up wins against some of the league’s worst teams, including Washington (twice), Detroit, Charlotte, Portland, and Utah, but also has registered impressive victories against the Bucks, Nuggets, and Celtics.

We want to know what you think. Are the Magic a legitimate playoff team? A play-in club? Are they a good candidate to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline, or is it in their best interest to let their young players continue developing this season and wait until the offseason to focus on roster changes?

Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Pacific Notes: Plumlee, Kawhi, Lakers, Warriors

December 26th, 2023 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers center Mason Plumlee is making progress in his recovery from the knee injury that has sidelined him since November 6, head coach Tyronn Lue said over the weekend. As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register relays, Plumlee has played “a little 1-on-1” and has taken part in limited 3-on-3 drills as he inches closer to a return, which is expected to come next month.

“He’s feeling pretty good,” Lue said. “Still has a couple of boxes to check before he gets back on the floor, but he’s trending in the right direction. The last couple of workouts he’s had (there hasn’t been any) pain in his knee so it’s feeling pretty good.”

While Plumlee acknowledged that he’s very eager to get back on the court, he suggested that the Clippers’ recent nine-game winning streak helped alleviate his anxiousness.

“It was hard to watch at first when they were losing, but it became a joy to watch them,” the big man said. “You always want to play, but it was good to see the team turn the corner. James (Harden) looks so good playing with everybody now.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

After missing the past two games – both Clippers losses – due to a hip contusion, star forward Kawhi Leonard is considered questionable to return on Tuesday vs. Charlotte, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Leonard was also listed as questionable before the previous two games, so it remains possible that he’ll miss additional time.
The sample size is tiny, but the Lakers‘ new starting lineup – featuring Jarred Vanderbilt in place of D’Angelo Russell – hasn’t gotten off to a good start. The five-man group has a 105.0 offensive rating and a 125.0 defensive rating, which would both rank dead last in the NBA, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Buha notes that the competition (Oklahoma City and Boston) has been tough and the lineup has played only 18 minutes so far, but says the group doesn’t make sense together and doesn’t look competent on either end of the floor, arguing that the team needs to make another change.
While Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has said he doesn’t want to play Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga together, he may have to rethink that approach in order to maximize both players, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Thompson also explores Golden State’s rotation, wondering if the team might actually have too much depth to get regular minutes for all the players who deserve them once Draymond Green and Gary Payton II return.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Lively, Graham, Ivey

December 26th, 2023 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic surpassed the 10,000-point mark for his career on Monday night, doing so in the fewest games of any NBA player since Michael Jordan, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Doncic reached the milestone in style, putting up an eye-popping 50 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a victory over Phoenix.

“Always, when this kind [of] award comes with a win, it’s even more fun,” Doncic said. “It was a tough road game, and we won. So, outside of the 10K and 50 points, we won the game. So, I’m really happy.”

As MacMahon details, Doncic’s 358 games to score 10,000 points are tied with Bob McAdoo for the seventh-fewest in league history. The only players who reached five digits in career scoring faster were Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and George Gervin.

“I have never been on a team where someone is scoring the ball like this at such a high rate and also getting his teammates involved and making sure that everybody feels comfortable on the floor,” said Doncic’s teammate Derrick Jones, who is in his eighth NBA season. “It’s incredible. It’s amazing. I have never seen this before.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Following Monday’s win, the Mavericks are now 17-7 with rookie center Dereck Lively active and 1-5 when he doesn’t play. Head coach Jason Kidd said on Monday that the team had missed Lively during his recent injury absence, while Doncic admitted that he didn’t expect the rookie to play such an important role so soon, per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “Obviously, I knew he was going to be great, but the way he’s performed since the first game has been amazing,” Doncic said. “I didn’t expect this impact of him. He’s been playing like he’s been in the league 10 years already. I’m really proud of this guy. He works on his game and he listens to me.”
Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham has barely played at all this season, logging just 60 total minutes in six appearances. However, head coach Gregg Popovich praised the way Graham has handled being out of the rotation, referring to him as “one of the most respected guys on the team,” according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News, who takes a look at how the guard’s upbringing helped him deal with adversity.
Former NBA guard Royal Ivey, a New York native, played his college ball for the Texas Longhorns, but was never on a Southwest team during his 10 seasons as an NBA player. Now back in Texas as an assistant coach with the Rockets, Ivey spoke to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle about returning to the state he refers to as a “second home” and explained how he got into coaching after his playing days ended.