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Thunder Notes: Biyombo, Dort, Offense, SGA

March 7th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

There was a scary moment on the sidelines during the first half of the Thunder‘s victory in Portland on Wednesday, as big man Bismack Biyombo collapsed without warning as his teammates were coming to the bench for a timeout (Twitter video link via Clemente Almanza).

Biyombo eventually got up and walked to the locker room under his own power, and head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game that the big man was doing OK, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.

“He’s fine,” Daigneault said. “He just fainted, basically. But he was in the locker room at halftime, laughing and joking. And he stayed back there, but he’s doing fine.”

Biyombo, who has played limited minutes in four games since signing with the Thunder nearly a month ago, has been cleared of any serious medical issue, but will undergo further evaluation on Thursday, tweets OKC sideline reporter Nick Gallo.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

  • Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Thunder wing Luguentz Dort shared his thoughts on the Thunder, the Canadian national team, and his approach on defense, among other topics. While he’d like to make an All-Defensive team, Dort made it clear that goal is secondary to helping his team win as many games as possible. “That’s just accolades,” he said. “I feel like the best thing I can do is to do anything to help my team win. I’m doing this for my team. I’m not doing this to make an award. So I don’t really go out there and think about it. I try to be the best player that I can be on the court.”
  • While the current iteration of the Thunder has drawn plenty of comparisons to the previous Oklahoma City team that featured rising stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, Chris Herring of ESPN sees a connection between this season’s group and the Warriors circa 2012-16. In an interesting Insider-only story, Herring breaks down the similarities between how the two clubs use (or used) guard-to-guard screens to fuel dynamic offenses.
  • Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman examines Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s case for Most Valuable Player and considers what it would take for the superstar guard to surpass Nikola Jokic as the frontrunner for the award.
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Suns Notes: Nurkic, Booker, Little, Okogie, Playoff Prospects

March 6th, 2024 at 11:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns were dispatched by the Nuggets pretty easily in last year’s playoffs, but Phoenix’s offseason additions could make a difference if the teams meet again, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Jusuf Nurkic isn’t as talented or athletic as Deandre Ayton, but he provides a more physical presence to match up with Nikola Jokic in a seven-game series. Nurkic had seven points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals as the Suns pulled out an overtime win in Denver Tuesday night.

“We’re most definitely different,” Kevin Durant said. “Adding (Bradley) Beal and Grayson (Allen) and Nurk makes us a different team than last year. But having more experience as a unit helps a lot as well. Last year, we were thrown together pretty quickly, and we were playing against a well-oiled machine. We have nothing but respect for Denver. They challenge us in ways that other teams don’t, so it was good to fight through everything tonight.”

Although Phoenix can’t expect Nurkic to shut down his former teammate, Jones points out that he presents problems for Jokic that few other Western centers do. Nurkic is strong enough to match up with Jokic in the low post without the need for a double team, which limits open opportunities for Denver’s shooters.

There’s more on the Suns:

  • Coach Frank Vogel describes Devin Booker as “day-to-day” with the sprained right ankle he suffered late in Saturday’s game, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is already ruled out for Thursday’s contest with Toronto, but with a projected timeline of five-to-14 days, Rankin notes that he could be back as early as Monday. “We’ll see how he is over the weekend and into next week,” Vogel said.
  • Nassir Little received a platelet-rich plasma injection for inflammation in his left knee and Vogel expects him to be sidelined “for a week or so,” Rankin tweets. Josh Okogie has been diagnosed with a lower abdominal strain, Rankin adds.
  • The past week showed why the Suns are so dangerous but so hard to predict heading into the playoffs, observes Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. The surprising win at Denver followed back-to-back home losses to Houston and Oklahoma City. While injuries have limited the time that the starting five have played together, Bourguet points out that they have the fourth-best ranking of any five-man lineup in the league that has logged at least 250 minutes. He adds that during their only real healthy stretch of the season — from late December through the All-Star break — the Suns posted a 19-7 record.
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Southwest Notes: Gafford, Lively, Wembanyama, Adams, Pippen

March 6th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Jason Kidd may consider changing the starting lineup or tightening his 10-man rotation to help pull the Mavericks out of their current tailspin, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.

The Mavs have dropped their last five games by an average of 14.6 points and have the worst defensive rating in the league by a wide margin since the All-Star break. Townsend says Kidd “bristled” when asked if changes were needed before Tuesday’s game, but he was more open to the possibility after watching his team give up 137 points in a home loss to Indiana.

“We can look at different rotations,” he said. “We can look at different starting lineups. … We have options and we’ll explore those.”

Townsend suggests starting Daniel Gafford at center instead of rookie Dereck Lively II as an obvious change. Gafford had 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench against the Pacers, while Lively went scoreless and struggled on defense against Myles Turner.

“We’ve got a 20-year-old who’s starting at center and has never seen this before,” Kidd said. “… And there’s a rookie wall. He’s a young man who’s seeing the NBA for the first time. There’s gonna be ups and downs. But that’s why it’s called a team. And that’s why Gafford picked him up tonight. … Lively’s had a heck of a rookie season, and he’s going to only get better, but he could be tired. He’s never played this many games or minutes.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Victor Wembanyama will miss his seventh game of the season Thursday at Sacramento, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs rookie sprained his right ankle at some point during Tuesday’s loss at Houston, and he was listed as questionable coming into that game with soreness in his left shoulder.
  • Steven Adams visited his new Rockets teammates this week for the first time since being acquired in a trade with Memphis last month, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Adams is out for the rest of the season after having knee surgery in October, but he’s expected to be fully recovered and ready for training camp by fall. Adams said his doctors still have to determine a more definite recovery timeline. “(The next step) has to be cleared by a few different medical professionals because if it was up to me, I’d be behind a long time,” he said. “’Oh yeah, I can do this,’ but then ruin myself. It’s up to the surgeons, the one who did the surgery and also medical people I trust.”
  • The Grizzlies could have Scotty Pippen Jr. back on the court by next week, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. The second-year point guard, who signed a two-way contract with Memphis in January, has been out of action since February 12 with a bulging disc in his lower back.
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Central Notes: Giannis, White, Craig, Wade

March 6th, 2024 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo will return to the Bucks‘ lineup tonight against Golden State after missing Monday’s game with left Achilles tendinitis, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. Coach Doc Rivers confirmed Antetokounmpo’s status after watching him go through his pre-game warmup.

In a full story by Owczarski, Antetokounmpo talks about the career breakthrough he was able to make when he learned to “get over” himself and accept that his performance doesn’t always have to be the difference between winning and losing. Antetokounmpo adds that he feels like this is the most mature he has been since he entered the NBA.

“I’m able to get to my spot better and execute. And if the ball doesn’t go in, I’m OK with it,” he said. “I think it’s called abundance mentality. I know what I’ve done in the past and that gives me like, confidence, and I’m able to go out there and execute without thinking, not having self-doubts about myself or think I’m not good enough. Kind of like being OK with me. So, that allows me to play good basketball. Mentally, I’m in a very good place.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Bulls guard Coby White has emerged as one of the top candidates for Most Improved Player, notes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. White scored 37 points in a comeback victory Monday at Sacramento — the seventh time this season he has reached the 30-point mark. “It would mean a lot to me,” he said of the award. “Just to show the progress I’ve made and to set the example to younger guys around the NBA that people can count you out and say what you want about you. But as long as you stay true to who you are, keep working and stay humble throughout, things can come your way.”
  • Bulls wing Torrey Craig is getting close to returning from a sprained right knee that has kept him out of action since the All-Star break, Johnson tweets. Coach Billy Donovan told reporters, “There’s some optimism he could play tomorrow (at Golden State).”
  • Dean Wade‘s 20-point explosion in the fourth quarter against Boston on Tuesday showed why the Cavaliers were willing to give him a three-year extension and part with Kevin Love last season, states Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Wade’s production will become more important while Evan Mobley is sidelined with a sprained left ankle.
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Heat’s Josh Richardson Out For Season Following Shoulder Surgery

March 6th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 6: Richardson underwent a labrum procedure today to repair right shoulder instability, the Heat announced in a press release. He will miss the rest of the season, but is expected to make a full recovery, according to the team.

MARCH 5: Heat wing Josh Richardson will undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports (via Twitter).

Richardson suffered a dislocated right shoulder on Feb. 11 as he pursued a loose ball early in the second quarter against Boston.

Richardson joined the team during last week’s West Coast swing with the expectation that he would return soon, but surgery ultimately was deemed to be the best course of action, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

That’s one of the reasons why the Heat were interested in free agent guard Patty Mills, who intends to sign with the club as a free agent.

Richardson, who returned to the Heat as a free agent this summer after starting his career in Miami, has appeared in 43 games this season. He’s averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range.

Richardson holds a $3.05MM option on his contract for next season. The injury could convince Richardson to opt in, rather than taking his chances on the free agent market.

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Pistons Notes: Fontecchio, Fournier, Draft, Thompson

March 6th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Simone Fontecchio has made an immediate impact since the Pistons acquired him from Utah at the trade deadline, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. The second-year small forward is averaging 15.0 PPG in his first 10 games with Detroit while connecting at 41.5% from three-point range. He has quickly earned the trust of coach Monty Williams, playing the entire fourth quarter Tuesday at Miami while contributing 22 points off the bench.

“I love the way he plays the game,” Williams said. “You talk about the offense, I thought his defense was rock-solid tonight. He doesn’t back away from a matchup. He’s not a guy that we have to worry about keeping in coverage, so he doesn’t have to guard a prime-time guy. He guards everybody. His ability to knock down shots, attack the paint, he’s an efficient passer. He’s been a great asset to our program and somebody we believe in going forward.”

Fontecchio will be a restricted free agent this summer, and Sankofa expects re-signing him to be a priority for a Detroit team that has lacked both shooting and defense. He had 20 points and nine rebounds in his first game with the Pistons, even though he hadn’t been through a practice or shootaround with the team. Williams inserted him into the starting lineup for a while, but moved him back to the bench when Isaiah Stewart returned from an injury and suspension.

“Honestly the more I play, the more I’m happy,” Fontecchio said. “As I said, I’m ready to do whatever to help the team, to help the second unit too. We’ve got a lot of young guys coming in from the second unit. Want to be a leader for them and help them play the right way.”

There’s more from Detroit:

  • Acquired from New York at the trade deadline, Evan Fournier brings an outsider’s perspective to the Pistons, Sankofa notes in a separate story. The veteran shooting guard said the collection of young talent reminds him of when he started his career in Orlando. “I was in this position my first year with the Magic,” he said. “We were a very young team, very inexperienced. Unfortunately you have to go through that to learn, because winning in this league is extremely hard. And I’m not talking about winning it all. I’m talking about winning one game. It’s extremely hard. Nowadays the level of skill and shooting on the floor is higher than ever, so there’s less room for mistakes.”
  • With no clear No. 1 pick in this year’s class, Sankofa breaks down Detroit’s draft options in an appearance on The Pistons Pulse podcast.
  • Ausar Thompson hasn’t been able to erase the doubts about his outside shooting in his rookie season, observes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. While Thompson’s mid-range offense has become reliable, he’s only shooting 18.3% from long distance. “When it comes to the mid-range shot, it’s my ability to repeat the same shot every time. I get surprised when I miss mid-range shots,” Thompson said. “With threes, I’m getting there. I just have to remain disciplined to shoot the same shot every time. That’s my biggest problem.”
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Extended Absence Anticipated For Cavs’ Evan Mobley

March 6th, 2024 at 6:30pm CST by Luke Adams

6:30pm: The Cavaliers announced (via Twitter) that Mobley will be reevaluated in approximately one week.

3:19pm: Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is expected to be sidelined for an extended period after spraining his left ankle on Tuesday against the Celtics, league sources tell Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

As The Athletic’s reporters note, the Cavs haven’t issued a formal update on Mobley’s status beyond ruling him out for Wednesday’s contest in Atlanta. An official timeline likely won’t be determined until the “significant” swelling of his ankle has subsided, per Charania, Vardon, and Lloyd.

However, one source tells The Athletic that “it will be some time” before Mobley is able to return, while another said he’ll be “out a while.”

Mobley suffered the injury in the third quarter on Tuesday when he landed awkwardly following a made dunk (video link via NBA.com). He reportedly left the arena on crutches after the Cavaliers erased a 22-point deficit and completed a dramatic comeback win over the NBA’s top team.

It’s discouraging news for a third-year big man who already missed a month-and-a-half earlier this season due to a separate injury. Mobley underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and was unavailable for 22 consecutive games in December and January.

In the 38 games he has been played, Mobley has been a key part of Cleveland’s starting lineup, averaging 15.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 31.1 minutes per night.

With Mobley on the shelf, Jarrett Allen will once again take on more responsibilities in the Cavs’ frontcourt, as he did earlier in the year. Dean Wade, who was a major factor in Tuesday’s comeback with 20 points in the fourth quarter, is another candidate for an increased role.

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Sixers Notes: Hield, Covington, Melton, Payne, Martin

March 6th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield wasn’t surprised by the deal that sent him from the Pacers to the Sixers at last month’s trade deadline, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Philadelphia was in the market for shooters, also pursuing ex-Pistons marksman Bojan Bogdanovic, who wound up in New York, sources tell Fischer. Even though he hasn’t been on the court yet with Joel Embiid, who suffered a meniscus injury in late January, Hield is glad to be with the Sixers and believes they can become an effective combination.

“You want to go to a team that wants you. You don’t want to go to a team where you’re a piece and it’s like, ‘We’re gonna try this out,’” Hield said. “Other teams are trapping Embiid, so having a three-point shooter to keep guys honest, I know the reason why I was traded here.”

Hield is averaging 15.5 points per game since joining the Sixers while shooting 44% from the field and 42.2% from beyond the arc. He’s also landed a consistent role in the starting lineup, something that didn’t happen in Indiana as coach Rick Carlisle experimented with different backcourt starters alongside Tyrese Haliburton. Hield said he enjoyed the Pacers’ up-tempo approach, but he didn’t believe he had a future with the team after extension talks failed to produce a new contract.

“If a team doesn’t want to re-sign you, we asked them early and you know how it is. It’s the game,” Hield said. “They say they want to sign you and then after it doesn’t happen, the conversations don’t really keep going on the phone, and it’s like talking to a wall, and nobody’s responding back. But after that, you’re under contract, and you have to, like, honor your contract. So it’s one of those deals where you just gotta come in every day and be professional. But I know that the whole vibe was so different.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

  • The Sixers say Robert Covington will be reevaluated in about a week for a bone bruise to his left knee and could resume on-court activities in seven-to-10 days, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. De’Anthony Melton, who is battling a lumbar spine injury, has started an “offloading” program and will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.
  • Cameron Payne said he was at about 70% because of the flu Tuesday night, but he opted to play because Tyrese Maxey is in concussion protocol, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I was like, ‘I’m 30 years old. Get out there and play, sick or not,’” Payne said. “‘Just get out there and help your team.’”
  • KJ Martin has been effective in his new role as a small-ball big man, observes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Martin was seeing an uptick in his playing time before missing three games with an injury last week.
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Jeff Peterson Hopes To Make Hornets NBA’s “Premier Franchise”

March 6th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson is in the unusual position of taking over a front office in the midst of a regular season. In an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer following today’s introductory press conference, the former Nets executive talked about the advantages of getting a jump on the offseason.

“I think it’s an incredible blessing to have these extra, 20, 21 games, a few weeks left in the season to evaluate,” Peterson said. “And that’s players, roster, the staff — all of it. I’ll look at it as, yeah, maybe it’s a small sample size, but it’s better than nothing. So I’m excited to have this opportunity.”

Peterson is aiming high in his new position, Boone adds, stating several times at the press conference that he wants to turn the Hornets into the NBA’s “premier franchise.” That’s a lofty goal for an organization that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017, which is the longest postseason drought in the league. Peterson understands it will take time, but he hopes to make Charlotte a place where the NBA’s best players want to be.

“I think it’s probably a little cliché, but literally it’s one step at a time,” he said. “I’ve seen certain franchises, when you try to skip steps, ultimately you don’t lay that foundation and ultimately it ends up being a failure or a disaster. It doesn’t turn out the way you want it to be. So literally one step at a time.

“We’re going to try to show up every day, be a little bit better, get better in the areas that we need to get better — whether that’s on the court, off the court — being intentional with our details. (Be) process oriented. I can’t give a timeline on it, but hopefully in some years from now we’re in the playoffs and shaving success. But it’s sustainable success.”

Peterson addressed a few more topics in his conversation with Boone, including:

The future of LaMelo Ball, whose last two seasons have been derailed by injuries:

“I’m excited about LaMelo, man. The size, the shooting, the passing, his vision. The way he likes to get others involved. That’s what I like to see in point guards, to control the game. Again, it’s not about him. He also has room to improve, he’s still young. So, we’ve talked a lot about player development, being a staple of the organization and I think all those guys, they’re young and they’ve got a ton of upside.”

The prospects of re-signing Miles Bridges, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer:

“First and foremost, the guy’s durable. He is so robust. He wants to play every game, which quite frankly, you don’t see that in this NBA anymore. So I’m excited about that, a guy that wants to compete night-in and night-out. But his game is impressive. He can shoot, he can guard multiple positions, he’s unselfish. So, I like Miles.”

Other potential changes in the Hornets’ front office:

“I’m going to evaluate the staff. I do think there’s some really, really talented people in that group. I met them now, but previously before getting here I hadn’t met all of them. So, I’m excited to get to know them. We’ll add to the group. For sure we’ll add to the group. But you’ll hear me say this a million times, ‘I can’t do this job all by myself.’ So, I need a staff that’s excited, that’s passionate, loyal, I can trust that wants to be here and help build.”

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And-Ones: Maluach, 2024 Draft, Abu Dhabi, 40K-Point Club

March 6th, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Khaman Maluach, the top big man in the 2024 recruiting class, has committed to Duke, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Maluach had been playing at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal.

The 7’2″ center, who is projected by ESPN to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, will join projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg as part of a star-studded recruiting class for the Blue Devils. He chose Duke after also visiting Kentucky, Kansas, and UCLA and receiving offers from the G League Ignite and Australia’s NBL Next Stars program, per Givony.

“Duke is home, that’s where I belong.” Maluach said. “This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I felt like I could succeed anywhere, but I was most comfortable going to Duke. All the schools that were recruiting me are big-time programs, but in terms of my development and the relationships I built with the coaches, they were the best.”

Maluach became the third-youngest player in World Cup history last summer when – at age 16 – he played for a South Sudan squad that qualified for the Olympics for the first time ever.

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

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