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Central Notes: Mitchell, Bayno, Jackson, Antetokounmpo

January 9th, 2023 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell hopes he’ll get a warm reception when he returns to play in Utah on Tuesday for the first time since the Jazz traded him, he told Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“I don’t know what the response will be. I hope it’s cheers,” the Cavs star said. “We did a lot of great things there. Obviously, we didn’t accomplish our end goal. But I had a lot of positives despite not winning a championship. That’s not easy. Only one team does it. We had five cracks at it, and we missed.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Pistons assistant coach Bill Bayno is back on the bench and traveling again after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. “Thank God I got this while I was with an NBA team,” he said. “When you have good employer health insurance, it makes a huge difference.” The cancer was discovered during a screening while the Pistons were participating in the Summer League.
Pacers big man Isaiah Jackson, who had fallen out of the rotation, had an eventful and busy week, as Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files notes. He was sent to Fort Wayne in the G League and played back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. He then played 15 minutes, contributing 12 points and two blocks, in Indiana’s game against Portland on Friday. “A little tired, but I feel like that’s all mental for me right now,” he said on Sunday. “I just want to see how hard I can push myself. … I was like I might as well just to keep that momentum up. I feel good for the most part.”
The Bucks have hit a rough patch but Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t panicking, as he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Even though we’ve lost a few games, we’re still second or third in the East,” he said. “There’s no reason to panic but there’s a reason for us to be urgent, have urgency in the way we practice and the way we play the game. But we have a chance, so as long as we get better every single day, we have a chance to be great when it matters the most.” Milwaukee has dropped six of its last nine games.

Eastern Notes: Collins, Ibaka, Barrett, Hornets

January 9th, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks forward John Collins, one of the league’s prime trade candidates, is “comfortable” with whatever happens over the next month, he told Sam Amick of The Athletic in an extensive interview.

“I come in and I play basketball, and whatever happens, happens because I don’t control that side. I don’t have any control over any decisions that get made, where I am and where I play. I don’t have any control over that,” he said. “I can say, ‘Hey, I want to do this and I wanna do that,’ and they (the Hawks) can just do whatever they feel is fair. You saw it with Kevin Durant, right? He’s begging for trade, and Brooklyn is like, ‘Nah.’ Not saying that I’m Kevin Durant, but it’s just the mentality of ‘Yeah, you can say whatever, you can make a public scene, you can do whatever (and it won’t matter).’”

Collins, who is averaging 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per night, is in the second year of a five-year, $125MM contract with the Hawks.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

Bucks forward Serge Ibaka will miss the team’s road trip for personal reasons, according to coach Mike Budenholzer, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The Bucks faced the Knicks on Monday. Milwaukee plays Atlanta and Miami (twice) before returning home. Ibaka has appeared in 16 games this season but has averaged just 11.6 minutes in those contests.
RJ Barrett is “real close” to returning to action, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link) and other media members. Barrett hasn’t played since departing in the first quarter against Dallas on Dec. 27 due to a lacerated finger. New York’s next game is against Indiana on Wednesday.
The Hornets are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer opines in his latest mailbag. President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak hasn’t made major trades during his tenure in Charlotte, but with the club floundering, players on expiring contracts such as Mason Plumlee and Kelly Oubre could be dealt to contenders.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Iguodala, Buyout Market

January 9th, 2023 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Curry‘s return could be imminent. Curry participated in Monday’s practice and scrimmages, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, and he’s listed as questionable to play against Phoenix on Tuesday. Curry hasn’t played since Dec. 14 due to a shoulder injury.

Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins were also full participants while Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and JaMychal Green sat out.

Kevon Looney, Draymond Green, Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Poole did not participate in the scrimmages because they’ve played heavy minutes in recent games (Twitter links here).

We have more on the Warriors:

Wiggins missed 15 games due to an adductor strain and illness. In his return against Orlando on Saturday, he scored 12 points in 19 minutes but shot just 4-for-12 from the field. He told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater that he’ll need some time to regain his best form. “It just felt a little rusty out there just trying to get my feet right, get back in rhythm,” Wiggins said. “But I know it’s going to take a little time.”
Andre Iguodala made his season debut in the same game and also needs to scrape off some rust. He wasn’t much of a factor in 12 minutes. However, Iguodala isn’t a crucial rotation piece like Wiggins, Slater notes in the same piece.
The trade deadline is a month away, followed by the buyout market. The Warriors, who have an open roster spot, need to add another piece, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic opines. What do they need the most? In Thompson’s estimation, an athletic big would be ideal. They could also pursue a wing capable of stressing defenses off the dribble.

Health Updates: Luka, LeBron, Bam, Smart, Vassell, Bol

January 9th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest at the Clippers, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). The star guard is dealing with left ankle soreness.

Doncic is one of the NBA’s best players and a leading MVP candidate, so obviously his potential absence would be detrimental to the team’s chances — Dallas has gone 0-4 this season without him, including Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City.

The 23-year-old is having a remarkable season. Through 37 games (36.9 MPG), he’s averaging a league-leading 34.0 PPG, plus 8.8 RPG, 8.7 APG and 1.6 SPG on .499/.355/.742 shooting. The points, steals, FG% and 3PT% are all career highs, as is his 61.3 true shooting percentage.

The Mavs are currently 23-18, the No. 4 seed in the West.

Here are some more health updates from around the NBA:

After previously being downgraded to questionable with left ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James has now been ruled out for tonight’s matchup at Denver, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. In his 20th season, the reigning Western Conference player of the week is averaging 29.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.0 SPG on .510/.295/.756 shooting through 31 games (35.9 MPG).
Heat center Bam Adebayo has a right hand injury, which is why he sat out the final 5:11 of Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (subscriber link). Adebayo said he’s actually been dealing with it for a few days, but the injury was aggravated in the first half. “I don’t know how he’ll feel tomorrow,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “There was a really hard hand contusion in the first half and he tried to gut it out in the second half, and you could see he was basically playing with one hand. It was just extremely sore. So I had to make that tough call and take the decision out of his hands in the fourth quarter and we’ll just evaluate him tomorrow.” Adebayo said X-rays were negative, and an MRI on Monday revealed a wrist contusion, but nothing more serious. He’s officially listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest vs. the Thunder, according to Chiang (Twitter link).
Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been ruled out of Monday’s game against Chicago, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Smart is dealing with a left knee contusion. Fellow guards Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon should see an uptick in minutes with Smart sidelined.
The Spurs didn’t announce a timeline for Devin Vassell‘s return following knee surgery, but head coach Gregg Popovich said on Friday that the third-year guard is expected to be back later this season. “I’m thinking maybe a little after the All-Star break,” he said, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).
Forward Bol Bol has cleared the league’s health and safety protocols and will rejoin the Magic for Tuesday’s contest at Portland, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link). Bol will ultimately miss four games after entering the protocols last Tuesday — he’s out for tonight’s matchup at Sacramento. The 23-year-old is having a breakout fourth season for Orlando, averaging 12.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.6 BPG on .588/.388/.739 shooting through 37 games (32 starts, 26.1 MPG).

Kevin Durant Expected To Miss One Month With MCL Sprain

January 9th, 2023 at 3:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

3:47pm: Durant is expected to miss around a month with the injury, Wojnarowski reports for ESPN.com.

10:50am: Nets star Kevin Durant suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team announced in a press release.

Nets officials are relieved by the diagnosis, which was the result of an MRI this morning, and there’s optimism that Durant will miss less time than he did last season when he was sidelined for six weeks with a similar injury, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Durant left Sunday’s game against the Heat in the third quarter after a collision with Jimmy Butler, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After having his shot blocked, Butler fell backward into Durant’s knee (video link from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). Durant tried to stay in the game, but he wasn’t able to move well and appeared to be massaging the knee to lessen the pain, Lewis adds.

“Those plays are scary, because when someone’s not looking with what’s going on anything can happen in those moments,” said Kyrie Irving, who came off the bench to help Durant to his feet. “So I’m grateful that all that time that he’s put in the weight room putting his body in a great position, his body was able to save from something worse. … With [Durant] we know what we’re up against with him not being in lineup. We can say it every single day, but we don’t have time for any excuses. We’ve just got to keep moving forward and stay mature about it.”

The Nets collapsed last year after Durant sprained his MCL in mid-January, Lewis notes. The team was fighting for the best record in the East before the injury, but lost 11 straight games and went 5-16 overall in his absence to wind up in the play-in tournament.

Durant has been playing at an MVP level this season, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists as the Nets have moved into second place in the East. Brooklyn will play six games over the next two weeks, including Thursday’s showdown with the Celtics, so this will be a crucial stretch of the schedule until Durant can return.

LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

January 9th, 2023 at 2:37pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward LeBron James and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Interestingly, both players only appeared in three of their teams’ four games, though they were both undefeated when they played. James won for the Western Conference, while Mitchell was the East’s winner.

The Lakers had a 4-0 week, with James averaging 35.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field and 76.7% from the free throw line. The 38-year-old has been playing incredibly well lately, but he continues to be cold from deep, shooting just 12.5% from three last week.

The Cavs went 3-1 last week, with Mitchell averaging 37.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.0 steal on .530/.353/.861 shooting in his three appearances. The highlight of Mitchell’s week, of course, was his 71-point outburst against the Bulls, as he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score 70-plus points in a game. He also contributed 11 assists, eight rebounds and a block during that performance.

According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were Thomas Bryant, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaren Jackson Jr., while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Zach LaVine were nominated in the East.

Anthony Davis Could Return In A Couple Weeks

January 9th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers are optimistic that Anthony Davis could return to the lineup in a couple weeks, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Davis will begin ramping up his rehab when the team returns to Los Angeles later this week, McMenamin reports. The Lakers play in Denver tonight, but then have a five-game home stand starting Thursday against Dallas.

The 29-year-old is dealing with a bone spur fractured off the navicular bone in his right foot, as well as a stress reaction in that same bone. However, it’s the stress reaction that has been Davis’ primary focus, with the bone spur considered an old injury that he’s been unknowingly playing through for several years.

Davis sustained the stress reaction on December 16 against Denver. He was dominating on both ends of the court leading up to the injury, averaging an eye-popping 35.0 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals on 64.1% shooting in his last 12 full games.

Both Davis and head coach Darvin Ham told reporters at the end of last month that the pain from the stress reaction had subsided, with Davis hopeful that he might be able to return in around four weeks, though he wasn’t committed to that number. Still, McMenamin’s report lines up with what Davis said, so it appears things have been going well since the last update.

Center Thomas Bryant, who is on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, has excelled in Davis’ absence, McMenamin notes. In the 12 games since Davis got injured, Bryant is averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 66.9% from the floor and 74.2% from the line.

The Lakers have gone 7-5 during that span. During the team’s five-game winning streak, Bryant is averaging 21.2 points and 13.6 rebounds while shooting 71.9% from the floor and 86.7% from the line.

Superstar forward LeBron James believes the three players can be successful together, though Bryant and Davis have yet to share the court this season, according to McMenamin.

“I’ve already kind of had visions of what that could possibly look like with the frontcourt of myself, AD and Thomas on the floor together,” James said of Bryant’s contributions. “I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub.”

Speaking of James, he has been downgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest due to left ankle soreness, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Lakers are currently 19-21, the No. 11 seed in the West, but only trail the No. 5 seed Kings by two games.

PJ Dozier Signs 10-Day Deal With Kings

January 9th, 2023 at 1:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 9: Dozier’s 10-day contract with the Kings is now official, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 News (Twitter link).

JANUARY 8: Veteran shooting guard PJ Dozier is signing a 10-day deal with the Kings, Dozier’s agent Kevin Bradbury informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Dozier signed a training camp deal with the Timberwolves this summer, but did not make the team’s opening night standard roster. Most recently, the 6’6″ swingman had been playing with Minnesota’s NBAGL affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

During Iowa’s Showcase Cup run this fall, Dozier averaged 14.4 PPG on .444/.353/.722 shooting splits. He also contributed 6.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.8 BPG across 13 contests, including seven starts.

Across five NBA seasons with the Thunder, Celtics, and Nuggets, the 26-year-old out of South Carolina holds career averages of 6.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.8 APG and 0.6 SPG. He tore his ACL in December 2021 while with Denver, and indicated in June of 2022 that he had been cleared to resume all basketball activities.

James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento tweets that Dozier has an ally on the Kings bench. Current Sacramento associate head coach Jordi Fernandez was previously an assistant coach with the Nuggets, with whom Dozier also spent the past three NBA seasons.

Ham adds that the Kings view Dozier as an intriguing two-way option. Sacramento could especially use Dozier’s help on the defensive side of the ball, where the team has been struggling.

Atlantic Notes: VanVleet, R. Williams, Harrell, Reed, Thybulle

January 9th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Fred VanVleet‘s extension talks with the Raptors are on hold, but he indicated Sunday that he hopes to reach a long-term deal to stay in Toronto, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. VanVleet confirmed to reporters that he and the team had discussions about a four-year, $114MM extension before the start of the season, but they made a mutual decision to wait. A new deal can be reached any time up to June 30 if he turns down his player option for 2023/24.

“Without going too far into it … [I’m] just trying to put myself in a good position business-wise, and not take an extension on a deal that was made three or four years ago,” VanVleet said.“I felt like I’ve outplayed that contract thus far. So just trying to get myself in a position to put the cards in their hands. They got to make a decision from an organization standpoint. I love being here. I love being a Raptor. I got a great relationship with (team president) Masai (Ujiri) and (general manager) Bobby (Webster), so I’m confident that we could find (a deal). It’s a great partnership that we have, so going forward, I’m not going to make it easy on them and they’re not going to make it on me either, and that’s the way it’s going.”

VanVleet’s comments are contained in a story on why Toronto might be active ahead of the trade deadline following a disappointing 17-23 start. An Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps that the Raptors will have “plenty of interest” in their top players if they decide to make them available.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Celtics center Robert Williams has only averaged 19.4 minutes in nine games since returning from knee surgery, but he’s making enough of an impact that coach Joe Mazzulla will have to consider making him a starter again, contends Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Williams is averaging 7.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in that limited time, and Boston has been more effective when he’s been on the court. “Whether he starts or comes off the bench, just want him on the floor, want him healthy,” Jayson Tatum said. “Want to be on the floor with him at the same time as much as possible. I’m going to start, so I’d like Rob to start. But whatever is best for the team, he’ll do that.”
With Joel Embiid still sidelined, Sixers backup centers Montrezl Harrell and Paul Reed combined for 36 points Sunday as both made a strong case for more playing time, notes Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice. Neubeck believes Harrell is in a better position to get consistent minutes once Embiid returns, but says questions persist about his ability to protect the rim.
Matisse Thybulle went through two stretches where he wasn’t part of the Sixers‘ rotation this season, but he’s been showing his defensive value lately, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Thybulle had five steals Sunday against the Pistons, and Tyrese Maxey said, “At this point, I think they were just passing it to him.”

Pacific Notes: LeBron, R. Jackson, Ayton, Dozier

January 9th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James is disputing the nature of a weekend report by Sam Amick of The Athletic that he’s becoming impatient for Lakers management to upgrade the roster. The story suggests that James was sending a message to the front office with his comments after Saturday’s game, but in a response on Twitter, James said that wasn’t his intention.

“Hey Sam actually my patience isn’t waning,” he wrote. “You make it sound like I’m frustrated when I’m really not. I told you over and over, my job is focused on the guys in the locker room, my job isn’t the roster. That’s the reality of that conversation. And I said what I said with the Upmost respect and calmness cause that’s the mood I’m in! Your welcome! 5 game winning streak.”

While L.A. has climbed back into the playoff race with its recent hot streak, speculation is starting to build around the league that James may want to finish his career somewhere else, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. Executives have told Deveney that multiple teams are preparing for the possibility that James will try to force a trade this summer, if only so they don’t get caught off guard like they did with Kevin Durant‘s trade request last year.

One executive tells Deveney that the Lakers are hoping to get through this season without trading their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 and then use their cap room, which could top $30MM, to acquire free agents who would appeal to James, such as Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green. If that doesn’t happen, league executives see the Cavaliers, Heat and Suns as the most likely destinations if James does force his way out.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Coach Tyronn Lue tinkered with the lineup as the Clippers dropped their sixth straight game on Sunday night, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Reggie Jackson, who has been the starting point guard for the past two-plus seasons, played just eight minutes, all in the first half, as Lue turned to Terance Mann to improve the team’s defense. Lue explained that the change isn’t necessarily permanent. “No, I just think tonight it was Reggie,” he said. “Then tomorrow, it could be somebody else. Just kind of experimenting with different things. When you lose five games in a row, you want to try some different things.”
The Suns were missing four rotation players due to injuries as they fell below .500 Sunday night, so Deandre Ayton is determined to keep playing despite tweaking his left ankle late in the game, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I finished the jump hook and my left leg just drifted off behind me and twisted it. So it feels like it’s a day-by-day thing,” Ayton said. “No ankle is stopping me right now. I’m on a mission so I’m going to be up on my feet. No worries about that.”
Coach Mike Brown was upset about the Kings‘ defense in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, and the team sees potential help in PJ Dozier, who’s expected to sign a 10-day contract, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.