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Sixers Notes: Lowry, Embiid, Covington, Bamba, Harris

March 19th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Lowry had some extra motivation on Monday night as he faced the Heat for the first time since they traded him in January, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Miami sent Lowry to Charlotte in that deal, and after a buyout, he signed with his hometown Sixers shortly before the All-Star break. Coach Nick Nurse noticed a difference in the veteran guard as he prepared for his 12th game with his new team.

“I don’t know if it’s for (the Heat) or he’s finally starting to settle in,” Nurse said. “He was being a little ornery at shootaround today, and he hasn’t been yet. So it looks like he’s getting back to more of himself there.”

Lowry played an important role in Monday’s victory, Pompey notes, burying a three-pointer with 3:09 remaining in the game to give Philadelphia a 93-87 lead, then converting a reverse layup to push the margin back to six points with 1:36 left. He scored 16 points, his high in a Sixers uniform, and said he’s feeling more comfortable after a long layoff in the middle of the season.

“Nick said it to me today, he said ‘welcome back’ a little bit before in the morning,” Lowry said. “But I think it’s just one of those things I understand what our team needs sometimes. I’m not trying to overstep boundaries. I’m trying to help my teammates. And I know one thing about coach, he’s going to always let me be me. He trusts me and I trust him.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

The Sixers are just 12-22 without Joel Embiid, who’s recovering from meniscus surgery, and Monday marked the third time this season they’ve won two straight games without their starting center, Pompey adds. Although the team remains optimistic that Embiid can return sometime next month, Tyrese Maxey said it’s also important to establish an identity without him. “Going into the NBA season you don’t plan to not have somebody,” Maxey said. “I mean, especially an MVP like Jo. So once you get into that situation, you have to kind of reconstruct things. Reconstruct minutes, reconstruct rotations and all of that takes time.”
Embiid was able to participate in practice Sunday for the first time since hurting his knee, Pompey states in a separate story. Nurse said he was limited to “non-contact stuff,” and a timeline still hasn’t been set for his return. Robert Covington, who has been sidelined since December 30 with a bone bruise in his left knee, also took part in non-contact drills.
With Embiid sidelined, Mohamed Bamba has started nine of the last 10 games at center, Pompey notes in another piece. Bamba said it’s easier to get into the flow of the game as a starter. “It’s all about establishing myself early on in the game, defensively,” he said. “When you’re coming off the bench, you kind of have to catch a rhythm as quick as possible. You tend to chase big plays. When you chase big plays, you chase home runs. It tends to either go really well or really bad.”
Tobias Harris missed his second straight game on Monday with a sprained right ankle, Pompey tweets.

Knicks Notes: Anunoby, McBride, DiVincenzo, Brunson

March 19th, 2024 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks sent OG Anunoby back to New York for another MRI on his surgically repaired right elbow, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. Anunoby, who underwent a procedure on February 8 to have loose bone fragments removed, returned to the lineup last week. He managed to play three games, but often looked uncomfortable and shot just 1-of-8 at Sacramento on Saturday. After he was downgraded to out for Monday’s game against Golden State, the team decided to have him go home for more testing.

“He’s coming back from surgery. We want to make sure that he’s completely healthy,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We knew this was a possibility when you bring a guy back from surgery. If there’s discomfort and stuff and he can’t function the way that we feel he needs to function on the court we’re just going to give him the time that he needs to let it calm down and we’ll go from there.”

The Knicks will wrap up their road trip Thursday at Denver, and Anunoby is expected to miss that game as well. Thibodeau declined to speculate that Anunoby might have returned from surgery before he was fully ready.

“You can’t work backward,” he told reporters. “There were many steps he had to go through. He met all the markers and he was cleared. This is a possibility whenever you come back from surgery, this is what you’re looking at. And so, we feel good about where he is. Just give him the time that he needs.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Miles McBride turned in a career night in leading New York to a win over the Warriors, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. McBride scored 29 points in 46 minutes and served as the primary defender on Stephen Curry for most of his time on the court. “He was huge for us, obviously,” Josh Hart said. “Everyone’s gonna see the box score and see he shot the ball very well and was very efficient, but he did that while guarding Steph, pressuring him, running around with him all game. So he was huge for us and something that we need.”
Donte DiVincenzo broke out of a shooting slump with 18 points in his first game back in San Francisco after playing for the Warriors last season, Bondy adds. DiVincenzo said he asked for Curry’s advice before signing with the Knicks last summer. “If you played with him, wouldn’t you want to?” DiVincenzo said. “That’s pretty much as simple as it was. I had a relationship with him on and off the court. Obviously, I value his opinion.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Jalen Brunson is “high on the list” for a spot on Team USA for the Summer Olympics, Bondy states in a separate story. Brunson is part of a 41-player pool that will have to be trimmed down to 12.

Community Shootaround: Clippers’ Season

March 18th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul George made some interesting comments following the Clippers’ 17-point home loss to the Hawks on Sunday night.

The veteran forward stated the team hadn’t established an identity.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent and we want to establish an identity,” George said, as relayed by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I’ve always spoken about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. Right now, I don’t think we have an identity.”

If George had said that during the first half of the season, no one would have thought much about it. But with the playoffs looming in about a month, that’s not something you want to hear from one of your star players.

The Clippers haven’t exactly imploded. However, they haven’t shown any consistency after moving 19 games above .500 in early February. They’ve lost 10 of their last 18 games, including four of the last five.

The recent defeats have been troubling. They’ve lost by 18 points to Minnesota, which is playing without star power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. The loss to the Trae Young-less Hawks was preceded by an eight-point loss to New Orleans, which outscored them 58-36 in the paint.

“It’s between the ears with us,” Kawhi Leonard said of their struggles. “We got to go out and do it.”

The Clippers are playing without sixth man Russell Westbrook, who broke his hand at the end of January. He’s expected to return before the postseason.

Leonard, George and Westbrook are a little banged up but they’ve all appeared in at least 60 games. And every team at this time of year is dealing with some injuries and a certain level of fatigue.

The Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference standings, one game ahead of New Orleans and 3.5 games ahead of three other teams tied for sixth place. The Clippers, who have the oldest roster in the league, should be able to avoid the play-in tournament, though that’s no longer a given.

They have back-to-back road games against the Trail Blazers this week, which could help them get back on track. But considering how they performed against Atlanta, the Clippers can’t take anything for granted.

That brings us to our topic of the day: Where do you think the Clippers will wind up in the Western Conference standings? How do you think they’ll fare in the playoffs – will their veterans carry them on a deep run or will they flame out early?

Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Christian Wood To Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery On Left Knee

March 18th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers big man Christian Wood will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin tweet.

Back on Feb. 21, a report suggested that the Lakers felt Wood’s knee soreness was relatively minor and that he’d be back in action in a couple of weeks. However, the injury obviously hasn’t healed to expectations.

Wood appeared in 50 of the team’s first 56 games, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per night in his first season with the Lakers. He hasn’t played since Feb. 14.

Wood surprisingly remained on the free agent market until early September last year, when the Lakers signed him to a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract. He holds a $3MM option on his contract for next season.

Wood and the Mavericks failed to reach an extension agreement last season and he didn’t generate the type of interest normally conveyed to players who averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest during their walk year.

The Lakers currently hold the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. Wood probably won’t be available until later in the postseason, if the Lakers advance.

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Middleton, Lillard

March 18th, 2024 at 8:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Giannis Antetokounmpo has a case for winning the Most Valuable Player award this season, but Bucks coach Doc Rivers is more concerned with having his superstar forward healthy for the playoffs, Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.

Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 64 games, missed Sunday’s victory over the Suns with minor hamstring soreness. The Bucks superstar had a conversation with Rivers over the weekend.

“I said, I don’t know your body. I just want you to be healthy,” Rivers said. “I don’t get involved because I’ve learned players can read that as me pressuring them to play – and not to play – and you just can’t win with that. I just wanted him to know that it’s OK! If he can’t go. So that’s how I phrased it without being involved.”

We have more on the Bucks:

Rivers expects Antetokounmpo to return for the showdown with Eastern Conference leader Boston on Wednesday, according to Nehm. “It’s not an injury,” Rivers said. “We’re just concerned a little bit. Plus, if you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off. So we planted it in him and he had to do it, which we were happy he decided to do it.”
Khris Middleton returned to action on Sunday after missing 16 games due to an ankle injury. He played a major role in the Bucks’ victory with 22 points and seven assists in 25 minutes, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” Middleton said. “I know how to slow myself and not try to go too fast — or speed myself up. I know how to come in, play at my pace and change my pace. A lot of the work I was doing at rehab was just trying to make sure my wind was there, my conditioning was as good as it can be.”
Damian Lillard conducting the offense brilliantly on Sunday as Milwaukee posted 140 points. He racked up 31 points and 16 assists in the first 30-point, 15-assist game in Bucks franchise history. “He was just, I think, picking them apart, really,” Middleton said to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Mostly just seeing the crowd that he was attracting and just getting it off early. He trusted the guys out there to make the plays and hit the shots for him.”

Eastern Notes: Hunter, Pistons’ Draft, Fournier, Suggs

March 18th, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hawks have won six of their last 11 games despite the absence of Trae Young and some other key players. De’Andre Hunter has played a major role in keeping the Hawks afloat while they’re shorthanded. In the last 11 games, Hunter is averaging 16.9 points on 50.4% shooting from the field and 43.9% from beyond the arc, The Athletic’s Law Murray notes.

“He’s playing really well,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said. “We just want him really on offense just to attack, to be in attack mode. And he’s embraced that. And he’s a fun guy to coach and a heck of a player.”

Hunter has been the subject of trade rumors for the past year, but the Hawks are in position to keep him long-term if they so choose — he’s under contract through the 2026/27 season on a deal that will pay him nearly $70MM over the next three years.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

There are no surefire stars in this year’s draft but Pistons fans need something to focus on besides the team’s poor record. The Athletic’s James Edwards III takes a look at seven prospects participating in the NCAA Tournament who might interest Detroit’s front office, including Colorado’s Cody Williams, UConn’s Stephon Castle and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski.
Pistons guard Evan Fournier has been fined $25K for kicking the game ball into the spectator stands on Sunday, the NBA announced (via Twitter). Fournier was frustrated when the Heat’s Bam Adebayo hit a game-winning 30-foot shot in the Pistons’ 104-101 loss.
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley believes Jalen Suggs should be heavily considered for the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. “When Jalen is healthy and he’s good to go, he is a first-team All-Defensive player,” Mosley said. “He cares and wants to defend.” Suggs will be eligible for a rookie scale extension after the season.

Wizards Rookie Coulibaly Has Wrist Fracture, Out For Season

March 18th, 2024 at 5:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a right wrist fracture, the team’s PR department tweets.

The injury was suffered when Coulibaly fell during the Wizards’ game against Chicago on Saturday.

Coulibaly was initially diagnosed with a contusion, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. A team spokesman informed Robbins that further testing revealed the fracture on Monday afternoon and that Coulibaly will not require surgery.

Washington has the league’s worst record at 11-57. Coulibaly has been one of the few bright spots for the team in an otherwise forgettable season.

The seventh overall pick in last year’s draft has averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 27.2 minutes per game. He has appeared in 63 contests, including 15 starts, and scored in double figures in each of his last five outings.

The Wizards already had six other players ruled out heading into Tuesday’s contest with the Rockets, including Deni Avdija (knee), Tyus Jones (back) and Marvin Bagley III (back).

Pacific Notes: Thomas, Vezenkov, Ellis, Dinwiddie

March 18th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Isaiah Thomas is expected to be available for the Suns’ game against Philadelphia on Wednesday, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix tweets.

While the transaction has not officially been finalized yet, Thomas is expected to sign a 10-day contract with the Suns. The 35-year-old guard recently joined the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League in hopes of landing another NBA opportunity. He showed he still has his scoring touch, averaging 32.5 points in four games while shooting 45% from three-point range.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kings rookie forward Sasha Vezenkov (Grade 3 ankle sprain) was a full participant on Monday at the team’s shootaround. He won’t play against the Grizzlies but is making good progress toward a return to action, Sean Cunningham of the Kings Beat podcast tweets. Vezenkov hasn’t played since Feb. 9.
The Kings are 6-0 in games that Keon Ellis has started, but the second-year guard told James Ham of The Kings Beat in a Q&A that he tries not to make too much of that stat. “There’s just more basketball to be played, so I don’t get too deep into those things,” he said. “I just try to focus on the next game and just try to lock in for every game, for real. So the record will be whatever it is if I’m as locked in as I can be. I just kinda let it figure itself out, for real.” Ellis signed a three-year contract last month after starting the season on a two-way deal.
Lakers guard Spencer Dinwiddie is adjusting to his bench role after starting 48 games for Brooklyn this season. The Raptors waived him after he was traded but Dinwiddie doesn’t feel like a typical backup at this stage of his career. “Obviously, the way (things) shook out in Brooklyn kind of put me more so in this box than my game being in that box,” he said, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). “It’s not like I’m 35 or coming off injury or washed or anything. … Like, I’m one of them guys. Let’s not get it twisted. But I also understand being a part of a bigger unit.”

And-Ones: Cousins, LeBron, Redick, Value Contracts, 2025 FAs

March 18th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Former All-NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins will be returning to the Taiwan Beer Leopards in mid-April, according to Chen Jung-chen and James Lo of Focus Taiwan. Cousins played four games for the Leopards in January.

“Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”

While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

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

Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN commentator JJ Redick are starting a new podcast that’s “planned to be a pure conversation about basketball,” reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. “It’s meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game,” former NBA sharpshooter Redick told Marchand. “If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it’s just about basketball.” A teaser of the Mind the Game podcast was released on YouTube, with the first full episode debuting tomorrow.
With several caveats (no maximum or minimum-salary deals, no rookie scale deals, no second-round exception deals), Keith Smith of Spotrac lists what he believes are the 10 best value contracts in the NBA. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, the East’s reigning Player of the Week, ranks No. 1, followed by Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. at No. 2.
Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype rank 75 players who could potentially be free agents in 2025, with the top spot going to Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, followed by Knicks star Brunson. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Scottie Barnes (Raptors) and Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) round out the top five.

Jalen Green, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of The Week

March 18th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Rockets guard Jalen Green and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter).

Green won for the Western Conference, while Brunson was the East’s winner.

Green helped Houston go 3-0 last week, averaging 26.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists on .492/.458/.769 shooting in 35.8 minutes per contest. It was his first Player of the Week award in 2023/24. The former No. 2 overall pick will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Brunson, who earned his third Player of the Week award of the season, averaged 35.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals on .543/.393/.833 shooting in three games last week (33.7 MPG), with New York winning all three contests. The star point guard has been carrying a heavy offensive load with Julius Randle sidelined and appears to have a very good shot at making his first All-NBA appearance after playing in his first All-Star game last month.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis and Zion Williamson, while Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Paolo Banchero, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East.