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Gabe Vincent To Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss 6-8 Weeks

December 25th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 25: Vincent will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee as soon as Tuesday, according to Charania, who tweets that the Lakers guard is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks following the procedure.

DECEMBER 23: Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is “strongly considering” surgery to address the left knee issues that have sidelined him for most of the season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The operation would include a projected recovery timetable of about six to eight weeks, Charania adds.

Vincent and his advisors are “exhausting all other options” before committing to surgery, adds Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Lakers coach Darvin Ham addressed Vincent’s condition tonight in a pre-game session with reporters, saying he’s experiencing “a little bit of swelling” in the knee and the team is trying to determine the best way to deal with it (Twitter link). Vincent has played just five games this season, and his 14-minute appearance Wednesday night was his only on-court action since October 30.

After helping Miami reach the NBA Finals last season, Vincent signed a three-year, $33MM contract with L.A. in July. His $10.5MM salary for this season will jump to $11MM next year and $11.5MM for 2025/26.

The Lakers were planning to use Vincent as a primary ball-handler, either as a starter or off the bench, but the knee effusion has prevented him from establishing any kind of rhythm with his new teammates. He’s averaging 5.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 25.4 minutes per night while shooting just 37.5% from the floor and 11.8% from three-point range.

Lakers Notes: James, Starting Five, Christmas Game, Injury Report

December 24th, 2023 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James scored a season-high 40 points against Oklahoma City on Saturday as the Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak. James looked at it as a meaningful victory, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“We needed this win,” James said. “We didn’t want to end the road trip in a losing effort. … To come in here to play versus a team that’s been playing extremely well throughout this season, it was a big win for us.”

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They made a significant lineup move prior to the contest, as forward Jarred Vanderbilt replaced guard D’Angelo Russell. The starting lineup of James, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis doesn’t have a true guard, but it allows them to switch more often on defense, Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes. “When you have that type of size, and you start that type of size, length and athleticism, and you can switch down the line, they basically gain no advantage,” coach Darvin Ham said. Offensively, the ball flowed through James and Davis, though it creates issues in terms of three-point shooting.
Ham believes the Christmas Day game against the Celtics can be used as a measuring stick, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register relays. “They’re one of the teams that’s at the top of the food chain in our league,” Ham said. “A team that’s definitely a championship contender. We get a chance to see where we are. You don’t have to have a Knute Rockne speech for this one. It’s a classic Lakers-Celtics game. Both teams are playing – for the most part of the year – playing at a high level. It’ll be a great chance to see where we are against the best of the best in terms of competition.”
James and Davis are listed as questionable to play on Monday due to left ankle injuries, Price tweets, though they’ve often been listed with that designation in recent games and have suited up. Rui Hachimura is also listed as questionable due to left groin soreness.

And-Ones: Frazier, Grant, Anderson, Christmas Games

December 24th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Tim Frazier didn’t last long with his latest European team. He parted ways with Greece’s Promitheas Patras after playing just one game, according to Eurohoops.net.

The club made the announcement, saying Frazier left due to a family emergency. Frazier previously played in Greece with AEK Athens and, most recently spent time in France with SIG Strasbourg. He appeared in 289 NBA games, most recently in 2021/22 when he saw action in 12 contests with the Magic and Cavs.

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Another former NBA guard, Jerian Grant is expected to get a contract extension with Greek club Panathinaikos until 2026, according to another Eurohoops.net post. Grant, the 2022/23 EuroCup MVP, is averaging 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals this season.
Spain’s Valencia has announced the signing of former NBA forward Justin Anderson, according to Sportando. Anderson played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season after getting waived by Indiana during training camp. He was named to the All-G League Third Team. Anderson, who appeared in 242 NBA games after being a 2015 first-round pick, signed a 45-day contract with Valencia that can be extended until the end of the season.
The Warriors are playing on Christmas Day for the 13th time in the last 14 years and Stephen Curry doesn’t take it lightly, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Marquee games on Christmas, it’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Curry said. “You know, we’ve been in that environment before, so I understand what it’s going to be like. On the road, it’s going to be fun to just compete. It’s a test.” This year’s group of Christmas participants is virtually the same as last year. Of the 10 teams picked, nine also played on Dec. 25 last year. The exception is Miami, with Memphis not on the slate after debuting last year.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Embiid, Haslem, Mazzulla

December 24th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat will play on Christmas Day for the 14th time in franchise history when they match up with Philadelphia. Coach Erik Spoelstra says he doesn’t mind playing on the holiday and considers it a badge of honor, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“I always mention it to our locker room that it is an honor to have that opportunity to play on Christmas,” he said. “The whole league doesn’t play on the holiday. There were several years in a row, where we were never considered for playing on Christmas. Then you go back before, you almost took it for granted that we were always going to play on Christmas. So I don’t want any of our guys to [take it for granted], and I know they don’t.”

We have more on the Eastern Conference:

Some of the intrigue in the matchup between the Sixers and Heat will be removed, due to Joel Embiid‘s absence. The Sixers’ superstar didn’t make the trip to Miami because of an ankle injury, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports. Embiid suffered the injury in Friday night’s win over the Raptors when he landed awkwardly trying to block a shot midway through the first quarter. He finished the game with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Philadelphia plays Wednesday in Orlando, and the team said the big man’s status for that game has yet to be determined.
The Heat will retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey in a ceremony on January 19 during halftime of their game against the Hawks, the team announced in a press release. Haslem will become the sixth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla feels more at ease with his media responsibilities this season, he told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. He struggled with that aspect of his job last season when he was thrust unexpectedly into the head coaching position. “I never want to be a distraction to the players and organization. So I’m learning how to be emotionally open,” he said. “I’m going to argue with you from time to time. It doesn’t mean I don’t like you or agree with what you’re saying. And, jokingly, I can’t understand why people give two [expletives] about me. I just don’t understand that. But they don’t care about me; they care about the role of the head coach of the Boston Celtics. So once I realized that I was like, ‘OK.’”

Central Notes: Strus, DeRozan, Williams, Pacers

December 24th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An Illinois native, Max Strus was on a two-way contract with the Bulls earlier in his career, but was ultimately let go by the team. Chicago also didn’t show much interest in him during free agency this past summer. That’s why the Cavaliers guard took extra satisfaction in Cleveland’s win over Chicago in which he contributed 26 points, seven assists and two steals, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“It’s always special,” Strus said of playing at the Bulls’ United Center. “Growing up here, coming to games, I get goosebumps every time the starting lineup (introduction) comes on. So, dreaming of moments playing in this building as a kid. It’s always special when I come back.”

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Despite the loss to Cleveland, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan sees a lot of positives from his team during recent weeks, he told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We’ve been resilient,” said DeRozan, a free agent after the season. “The first part of the season, there was a lot of emotion, a lot of frustration. We dug ourselves out of that hole and found the positivity to lean on, kind of thrust ourselves toward the right direction.”
The Pistons tied the NBA single-season record with their 26th straight loss on Saturday but coach Monty Williams says it hasn’t killed his team’s spirit. “Everybody feels down when you lose and you’ve lost this many in a row. You have to allow people to be human. But the way they come back the next day is something I’m blown away at,” Williams said on Bally Sports Detroit (video link). “I’ve been around a lot of teams. Not many teams have that type of resilience. Our guys don’t want to be a part of any kind of losing streak. But every day they come back with focus and drive and grit, trying to win a game.”
The Pacers lack size on the wings, which is a major reason for their .500 record and inability to get stops, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files notes. That has made it difficult for Indiana to slow down the opponents’ best player, since that is normally the job of an athletic 6’7″ or 6’8″ wing.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Season Start, Lillard

December 24th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks star small forward Khris Middleton has had to adjust to his new role in Milwaukee’s offensive hierarchy, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

With the arrival of All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, Middleton is now a distant third when it comes to receiving touches, behind the ex-Trail Blazer and two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton is also still dealing with effects from a lingering right knee injury and Achilles tendinitis.

“That’s part of my role now,” Middleton said. “Figuring out when to be aggressive, when to be a play-maker and when just to fit in.”

“Dame has the ball, I have the ball and maybe [Middleton] has the ball a little bit less,” Antetokounmpo said. “Throughout this whole season, he’s been playing his role perfectly. You could not ask for more. The minutes that he’s been given, and those are going up slowly, slowly, slowly. Maybe one day he can play back-to-backs. But right now I think Khris is doing an unbelievable job, being mature, being OK with his role and playing the game the right way.”

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

Although the Bucks are now 22-7 and the second seed in the East, the team is well aware growth is still possible and important, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee’s defense without Jrue Holiday along the perimeter has been a huge problem this season. “We gotta get better,” Antetokounmpo said. “We are good, but we have to get better. There’s things that have to happen offensively and defensively. Like, it has to be automatic. Everybody has to be working on a string. Everyone has to be on the same page. We are on the same page at times, but at times, we’re not on the same page. And our talent helps us, obviously. And it’s good to be able to be talented and still play an ugly game and still win.”
The Bucks with Lillard in fold got off to a mildly underwhelming start to the season, but they’re beginning to turn things around, Collier writes in a separate piece. “You put a lot of really good players together, it takes time to jell, get to know each other and make things work for everybody,” Lillard said. “We’re getting more comfortable… It’s different when you can communicate a little differently. You know what somebody likes. You know what somebody wants. You know how to make it work.” The club has now gone 8-1 in December. This month, the team has the top offense in the NBA (125.9 points per 100 possessions). The Bucks are a middle-of-the-road 19th in defense on the year, a huge leap from being the No. 29-ranked defense through the season’s first five games.
In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Last week, he averaged 36 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.8 SPG.

Atlantic Notes: Martin, Bridges, Thomas, Tatum

December 24th, 2023 at 3:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Sixers have an intriguing trade chip in wing KJ Martin, but he’s hoping to prove that they should keep him around, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’ve been traded twice already, so I feel like I have an understanding [that] stuff happens for a reason,” Martin said. “If I stay here, then hopefully, you know, I’m trying to get the opportunity to show what I can do. You feel me? I never am the type of person to be super, super down on myself about stuff that I really can’t control.”

Martin’s minutes have been significantly reduced, now that he’s playing on a legitimate contender. He started 49 of 82 games for Houston last season, but is averaging only 5.5 minutes in 15 appearances with Philadelphia.

“Obviously, it’s an adjustment,” Martin said. “Last season, I played 29, 30 minutes a game. So that’s the only tough thing about it. I have 200-plus games under my belt at this point and I just want to go out and compete.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Mikal Bridges recently voiced his sympathy towards his former Suns head coach Monty Williams, now coaching the Pistons through a 26-game losing streak, writes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. “Definitely wouldn’t want that on anybody, especially not Mont,” Bridges said. “Such a great dude and works so hard and really good coach. So it’s tough… That’s my guy. Obviously, I don’t want him losing like this.”
The Nets beat the Pistons 126-115 on Saturday, which gave Detroit an NBA record-tying 26-game losing streak. Nets guard Cam Thomas acknowledged in a postgame interview with the YES Network (YouTube video link via ESPN) that Brooklyn does not want to be the club that the Pistons beat to end their losing streak. “Obviously, you don’t want to be that team [to lose to Detroit], so we just wanted to come out, be aggressive and try to get a win tonight,” Thomas said. Brooklyn will face Detroit again on Tuesday.
Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum is doing his darnedest to play through a painful sprained ankle for the East’s No. 1 seed, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. He missed one contest with the injury, against the Kings, before returning for a blowout win over the Clippers on Saturday. “I’ve been out for three days, and I don’t like missing games,” Tatum said. “So I was excited to get back out there with the team and play today.”

Northwest Notes: Conley, Thunder, Nuggets, Jackson

December 24th, 2023 at 1:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley is feeling revitalized at age 36 as a leader for the team with the West’s best record, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“You see it, not only with his approach but his ability to make huge plays, whether it be a steal in transition, obviously the threes, get the ball to the right people at the right time, close the game, quarterback the defense,” head coach Chris Finch said. “On and on it goes.”

“This is probably the best shape I’ve been in, in a long, long time,” Conley said. “I’m prepared to play however long I need to play. I tell [Finch] if I get tired, but I never do that. I want to be on the court as much as I can and help the guys, so we just keep communicating, and hopefully I can just keep going.”

The six-footer is averaging 11.5 PPG on .464/.445/.952 shooting, along with 6.3 APG and 2.9 RPG. Conley is in the final season of a three-year, $68MM million deal he signed when still with the Jazz. He’ll reach unrestricted free agency this summer, and if he can keep playing like this, he may still have more solid salaries waiting for him.

“I’ve still got it,” Conley said. “My age doesn’t matter, man. I’m still moving good, so I’m happy.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

A trio of former Thunder stars offered high praise for Oklahoma City’s upstart young club and fanbase, following an up-close-and-personal encounter this week, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Clippers stars Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Paul George, who all had multiple successful seasons with the Thunder, fell 134-115 in Oklahoma City on Thursday. “This reminded me of when I was here in the beginning of the Thunder Up days,” Harden said. “And it’s beautiful. It’s been a long time as far as the rebuilding process, but I think it’s exciting. These fans deserve some good basketball.” Harden was drafted by the Thunder in 2009, and was flipped in 2012 to the Rockets. George spent 2017-19 with Oklahoma City, alongside Westbrook. And while he only spent two seasons with the Thunder, he developed a strong connection with the community. He had high praise for Thunder center Chet Holmgren. “He’s a talent,” George said. “We didn’t quite figure it out because he’s not necessarily a big. He can play and move like a guard and a wing, so he gave us some problems.” Westbrook was drafted by the Thunder in 2008, and played there until 2019, winning an MVP in 2017. “It’s like home for me,” Westbrook said. “I grew up here… I’m grateful and gracious for their appreciation of the way I play basketball and the way I compete.”
The Nuggets, much vaunted for their offense, have seen their efforts on the other end of the ball come to the fore of late, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post details. In the second half of an eventual 102-95 win over the Hornets, Denver outscored Charlotte 17-0 to start the third frame, while the Hornets went 0-for-20 from the field at the opening of the quarter. “We wanted to win tonight because of our defense, not our offense,” defense-first power forward Aaron Gordon said.
Nuggets sixth man Reggie Jackson, who was a high school legend at nearby Palmer High School, is reveling in his pro time with Denver, Durando writes in another piece. A big element of his time in town now has been his ability to reconnect with old friends and teammates. “That’s the best part of being back,” Jackson said. “If I have the urge to go see somebody, I can just go drive down there. Getting to see my childhood friends, their families grow, and getting to experience that and actually be around. Being gone so long in the NBA, it’s fun to finally have these moments and be close to them. I’m happy to be back home.”

Northwest Notes: Clarkson, Blazers, Billups, K. Johnson

December 24th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson was on a minutes restriction Saturday night, but that was quickly forgotten when he started his fourth-quarter scoring binge, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Utah had planned to be careful with Clarkson, who had missed nine of the previous 11 games with a thigh contusion, but coach Will Hardy left him on the court as he helped seal a victory at Toronto.

“On a little bit of a minutes restriction, which I disobeyed, he came off the bench and he brought great energy,” Hardy said. “It didn’t feel like he’d been gone for a while with the way that he was playing.”

Clarkson wound up playing 30 minutes and scoring 30 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter as Utah erased a 17-point deficit. He played alongside Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Ochai Agbaji and Kris Dunn, and Hardy was reluctant to change that lineup while the team was playing so well.

“We had a couple of guys who played like 19 or 18 straight minutes,” Hardy said. “That was just because I felt like that group had a great rhythm. They had good energy. That’s a moment where, as the coach, you’re trying to stay out of the way and not ruin a good thing, so credit to the team. They’ll get to enjoy the next two days with their families.”

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Coach Chauncey Billups blames the lack of an “alpha” player for the Trail Blazers’ slow starts, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Bad first quarters have been a constant problem for Portland, even in a winnable game against Washington this week in which the Blazers shot 1-of-7 on three-pointers and committed five turnovers in the opening 12 minutes, leading to a 33-24 deficit that they weren’t able to overcome. “We’ve got some good players and some guys that are going to be All-Stars in this league,” Billups said. “But right now, we don’t have that dude that you can just throw it to and he can just kind of get us going for the first four or five minutes of the game. We just don’t have that. So we’ve got to do it collectively.”
Billups was honored to be among the nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this week, per Ryan Clarke of The Oregonian. Billups was a six-time All-Star during his playing career and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2004. “That’s the holy grail. That’s it right there,” he said. “Being mentioned in that class is incredible for me. I dreamed about a lot of things in my life and in my career, but I didn’t dream that big.”
The Thunder are hoping Keyontae Johnson can become their next G League success story, Rylan Stiles writes for Thunderous Intentions. The 50th pick in this year’s draft signed a two-way contract and will spend most of the season with Oklahoma City Blue.

Celtics Notes: Queta, Kornet, Holiday, Peterson

December 24th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Two-way player Neemias Queta is making a strong case to become the Celtics‘ full-time backup center, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 24-year-old big man, who signed with Boston in September after being waived by Sacramento, had 14 points, 12 rebounds and three assists off the bench in Saturday’s win over the Clippers. With Kristaps Porzingis nursing a sprained left ankle and Luke Kornet sidelined for the past week with an adductor strain, Queta is getting his first shot at consistent NBA minutes.

“This is what I’ve been pretty much waiting on,” he said. “Being ready for these type of moments. I had two years to do that. And whenever it is my turn, just be ready and everything works itself out. With time, the game’s just been slowing down for me and I’m getting more comfortable on the court.”

The Kings selected Queta with the 39th pick in the 2021 draft and signed him to two-way contracts the past two seasons. Sacramento opted for more experience this summer by adding JaVale McGee, and Queta found his next opportunity with a Celtics team that was in the market for size.

Queta’s two-way contract allows him to be on the active roster for only 50 NBA games, and Washburn notes that Boston is being cautious, using him in just 12 of its first 28 contests. He appears to be a strong candidate to be converted to a standard contract later this season, which would remove the games limit and allow him to be eligible for the playoffs.

There’s more on the Celtics:

Coach Joe Mazzulla said “we’ll play them all” when Porzingis and Kornet return to action, but the front office could be facing a major decision on Kornet in a couple of weeks, Washburn adds. His $2.4MM contract will become fully guaranteed on January 10, which is the league-wide guarantee date, and the Celtics may not want to commit that money if they believe Queta will eventually become the primary backup.
Boston is enjoying the rewards of outbidding the Clippers for Jrue Holiday when Portland made him available, observes Brian Robb of MassLive. Holiday had one of his best games since joining the Celtics in Saturday’s victory at L.A., posting 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while shooting 8-of-12 from the field.
Drew Peterson got help from his mother when he signed a two-way contract with the Celtics last week, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Peterson was in Chicago with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce when he got the opportunity with Boston, so Stacy Peterson flew to his Sioux Falls apartment and drove many of his possessions to Chicago for the trip. She also flew some of her son’s clothing to Orlando and watched him play in the G League Winter Showcase. “So she had a busy few days, too,” Peterson said.