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LeBron James Named MVP As Lakers Win NBA’s First In-Season Tournament

December 9th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers pulled away from the Pacers Saturday night in Las Vegas to finish the in-season tournament unbeaten and claim the first-ever NBA Cup.

LeBron James was named tournament MVP after posting 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as L.A. secured a 123-109 victory in the title game. Anthony Davis was the night’s biggest star with 41 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 28 points.

James was the MVP choice of 14 of the 20 writers who voted (Twitter link from NBA Communications). Davis got five votes, and one went to Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton.

At the post-game press conference, James said the Lakers showed growth as a team throughout the tournament (video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register).

“I feel like guys have felt a lot more comfortable in their roles,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty good understanding of rotations, who we’re going to be playing with, what guys want to do out on the floor. Like AD said, getting (Jarred Vanderbilt) back, getting Rui (Hachimura) back has definitely helped our size. Getting Cam (Reddish) back has helped us out a lot.”

Apart from two games with the Suns, the Lakers weren’t really tested as they posted a 7-0 record in tournament play. Assigned to West Group A, they began with a three-point win at Phoenix on November 10, then followed with comfortable victories over Memphis, Portland and Utah.

Knockout play began Tuesday with another three-point victory over the Suns, followed by a 44-point blowout of the Pelicans in Thursday’s semifinals.

Indiana suffered its first loss of the tournament after advancing out of East Group A, then upsetting the Celtics and Bucks in knockout games.

“We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game,” Haliburton said (Twitter link from Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). They just outplayed us.”

Woj: LeBron Already Working Toward Owning Expansion Team In Vegas

December 9th, 2023 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James isn’t just discussing the possibility of owning an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas, he’s already trying to make it happen, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said tonight on NBA Countdown (video link).

“He has been active behind the scenes and on a regular basis now in meetings with his advisors planning with a group about what a franchise would look like, how an organization would run and then obviously the finances,” Wojnarowski said. “It is going to be an expensive proposition to get an expansion team in this next round.”

Wojnarowski adds that one potential obstacle for an ownership group led by James was recently eliminated when the Adelson family reached a tentative agreement to purchase the Mavericks. The Adelsons are involved in the casino business and would have been “a real contender” to become the new owners of a Las Vegas team, according to Wojnarowski.

Woj also confirms that the NBA plans to begin considering expansion once its next media rights deal is finalized and has an eye on adding two teams, with Las Vegas and Seattle considered the current favorites.

“LeBron James is determined to be at the forefront of a Vegas expansion NBA team in the future,” Wojnarowski adds, “and he is putting the work in on it now.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Nembhard, Turner, Two-Way Players

December 9th, 2023 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Borrowing a video game analogy, Tyrese Haliburton called Lakers star LeBron James the “final boss” that the Pacers have to defeat to win the in-season tournament, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

To reach tonight’s title game, Indiana had to get past a Bucks team that features Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and a Celtics squad headlined by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Before that, there were group play matchups with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, Atlanta’s Trae Young, and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham.

None of them has the same mystique as James, who has been one of the league’s elite players for more than two decades. Dopirak points out that Haliburton was just three years old when James played his first NBA game, and the Pacers guard followed him closely until he became a professional himself.

“Like any kid born in 2000, LeBron was my favorite player growing up, and it’s hard for him not to be for a lot of us,” Haliburton said. “Growing up, I was a Cavs fan, then a Heat fan, then a Cavs fan again, then a Lakers fan before I got drafted. It’s just how it went. To be able to compete against him in a championship is kind of like a storybook a little bit, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. But that’s the great part about being in the NBA, getting to compete against your idols on a nightly basis. I really look forward to that.”

There’s more on the Pacers:

In tonight’s pre-game meeting with the media, coach Rick Carlisle said Andrew Nembhard has a right knee bone bruise and will be sidelined for at least the next seven days, Dopirak tweets. “We’ll see where he is and evaluate it from there, but not viewed as a long-term thing,” Carlisle said. “But we’ll miss him today.”
Before he agreed to a two-year extension in January, it appeared Myles Turner might not be part of the Pacers’ future, and there were persistent rumors during the summer of 2022 that he was headed to the Lakers. In an interview with Chris Hayes of TNT and Bleacher Report (video link), Turner stated that he’s glad things turned out the way they did and he’s eager for the team to have a high-stakes game in front of a national audience. “People getting to see what we’re about here in Indiana,” Turner said. “It’s fun seeing everything through and to say you didn’t quit.”
The financial incentive in tonight’s game will be especially important for the two-way players, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Pacers’ Kendall Brown, Oscar Tshiebwe and Isaiah Wong will get a half share of the prize money, which means $250K for first place and $100K for second. Two-way contracts pay $559,782 and carry a $279,891 guarantee.

Lakers Notes: Tournament, Trade Rumors, Russell, LeBron

December 9th, 2023 at 6:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers blitzed most of their competition on the way to the finals of the in-season tournament, but they haven’t encountered an offense on the level of the Pacers, whom they’ll face in tonight’s title game, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Indiana has scored 122 and 128 points in its two knockout-round contests, pushing the ball repeatedly and relying heavily on three-point shooting.

“Their pace of play is second to none,” Austin Reaves said. “They score a lot of points and are very capable of going on quick runs just with the way they shoot the ball and the way they play. Being able to transition or not – honestly, they kind of make it all transition; even if you make a shot, they get it out of the net real quick. Just being able to focus on kind of building a wall and trying to stop that.”

It’s a sharp contrast with the Lakers, who are an older team with plenty of size to overpower opponents. Price notes that the Pacers tend to allow a lot of shots in the paint and are prone to foul trouble, and coach Darvin Ham said it’s important to not let Indiana dictate the style of play.

“We can’t get so caught up in trying to stop and prevent them from doing what they like to do,” Ham said. “We will, but we also can’t forget to enforce our will upon the game, too. They have to guard us, too. Coming out with an aggressive mindset will definitely be the first and foremost thing that we do.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

The front office wants to see the full team in action for a while before getting serious about trade talks, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN. Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura all returned from injuries within the past week, and Gabe Vincent remains sidelined with a left knee issue. Any deals likely won’t happen until after January 15, Lowe adds, when the last of the team’s offseason free agent signees will become eligible to be moved. L.A. has been mentioned as a possible destination for the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, but Lowe hears that management is reluctant to downgrade the team’s defense to improve its offense.
D’Angelo Russell tells Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (video link) that the in-season tournament is providing a “cheat code” to prepare for the playoffs, saying it has a “second-round, third-round type of feel.”
In an interview with Sirius XM NBA Radio (Twitter link), Ham touts LeBron James as the front-runner for this season’s MVP honors (hat tip to Bleacher Report). “He’s spearheaded everything you see going on with our team,” Ham said. “The numbers he’s putting up. He’s impacting winning. The numbers when he’s on the floor as opposed to when he’s off the floor. … I think it’s a no-brainer.”

Kyrie Irving Escapes Serious Injury

December 9th, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:15 pm: The Mavericks confirmed (via Twitter) that Irving has a right heel contusion and has returned to Dallas for treatment. No timetable has been set for him to resume playing.

5:04 pm: Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving suffered a heel contusion in Friday’s night game at Portland, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He’s beginning treatment for the injury, and there’s no word on how long he might be sidelined.

According to an ESPN report, Irving was injured on a drive to the basket late in the first half. He fell to the floor after contact, and teammate Dwight Powell landed on him while chasing a loose ball.

Irving stayed on the court for several minutes, but was able to shoot two free throws before leaving the game. The team later announced that he wouldn’t return.

Mavericks officials are relieved that an MRI taken today showed that Irving’s injury is “just a bruise,” according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). He adds that Irving has been dealing with soreness in his foot since the start of the season.

Irving didn’t travel with the team for Monday’s game at Memphis, a source tells Marc Stein (Twitter link). The team hasn’t made an official announcement about Irving’s status, but he’s expected to miss at least that game.

Irving has been an important component to the early-season success for Dallas, which is third in the West at 13-8. Through 17 games, he is averaging 23.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range.

Gorgui Dieng Working For Spurs As Basketball Operations Representative

December 9th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran big man Gorgui Dieng never formally announced his retirement as a player, but it sounds as if he has moved onto the next stage of his career. As Jeff McDonald details for The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), Dieng is working with the Spurs as a basketball operations representative, a title the team created for him.

According to McDonald, Dieng splits his time between the front office and coaching staff, working with general manager Brian Wright in addition to mentoring young big men like Victor Wembanyama and Charles Bassey.

“I’m very free on what I’m doing,” Dieng said. “I’m in the front office learning and doing stuff. When they start practice, I come here and help the team. I’m here just to be around them and help.”

Dieng, who will turn 34 in January, appeared in a total of 628 regular season NBA games from 2013-23, averaging 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per night for the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Spurs, and Hawks. In 2022/23, he played in 31 games for San Antonio, providing some veteran frontcourt depth and serving as a leader in the locker room.

“Everyone around me knew I wanted to play 10 years and that was it,” Dieng said. “I always said that. When I reached 10, I said I’ve reached my goal. It was time to stop and try different stuff.”

Despite his stated desire to play just 10 years, Dieng was open to contract offers this past offseason, but didn’t generate much interest on the free agent market, McDonald reports.

The Senegalese forward/center, who has a house in San Antonio and spent some time at the team’s practice facility during the summer, approached Wright about joining the organization as an intern, according to McDonald, who says the team insisted on giving Dieng a formal position and a salary. Head coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs’ players are happy to have him around.

“He’s a wonderful human being,” Popovich said. “He’s one of the all-time favorite teammates of everybody. He’s a great source of experience in the league, and anybody can talk to him.”

“He’s someone you can always talk to at any time,” Spurs guard Tre Jones agreed. “He is always open. I think just having that personal connection to everybody and having such good relationships with people, that’s what makes him who he is.”

For his part, Dieng says he’s “learning a lot of stuff” in his new role and that he’s especially enjoyed the work he’s doing in the Spurs’ front office. According to McDonald, Dieng said he can imagine himself one day becoming a team’s top basketball operations executive, but for now he’s happy to play a far more modest role in San Antonio and perhaps work his way up the ladder.

“The front office, it takes talent,” Dieng said. “It takes hard work. Us (players), we just play and go home. They put everything together.”

Northwest Notes: Watson, Edwards, Milton, Jazz

December 9th, 2023 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

A rotation player this season after logging limited minutes as a rookie, second-year Nuggets guard Peyton Watson has Deion Sanders’ portrait in his locker to remind of the type of defender he wants to be, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. Watson, who has earned praise from teammates Nikola Jokic and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for his defensive play and his energy, explained his thinking.

“I just thought it was the most admirable thing that teams would literally throw away from his side (first) through (third) downs. Then, on fourth down, (they) punt out of bounds so he couldn’t return it. Like, you can’t even let this guy get involved in the game,” Watson said. “I admire the mentality and how he approached the game.”

While minutes have fluctuated this fall for some of the Nuggets’ reserves, Watson has remained a part of head coach Michael Malone‘s regular second unit, averaging more than 21 minutes per night in his past six games.

“He can guard bigs. He can guard smalls. I like how he’s playing right now,” Malone said. “He’s helping impact the game in a positive manner right now, and it’s great to see for a young player, taking advantage of the opportunities that’s being given to him.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who recently missed two games with a hip pointer and appeared to be favoring that hip in his return on Wednesday, exited Friday’s game after just three minutes (Twitter link). He’s undergoing further examination on Saturday and it remains unclear whether he’ll miss any additional time, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
The Shake Milton that scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Friday’s win over Memphis was the player the Timberwolves thought they were getting when they signed him in free agency this summer, according to Krawczynski, who suggests Minnesota will become an even more dangerous team if the guard’s Friday performance wasn’t a one-off. Head coach Chris Finch has been pushing the struggling Milton to be more confident and assertive, which was reflected in his play in Memphis, Krawczynski adds.
While Salt Lake City officials are working hard to keep the Jazz in the downtown area, the franchise has explored the possibility of building a new arena outside the city, including perhaps at the south end of Salt Lake County, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscription required). Larsen takes a deep dive into the story, examining the factors at play and clarifying that the team won’t be moving out of the Delta Center anytime soon.

Warriors Notes: Starting Five, CP3, Kuminga, Klay, Haliburton

December 9th, 2023 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

There was an expectation heading into the Warriors‘ game on Friday in Oklahoma City that head coach Steve Kerr might make a change to a starting lineup that has struggled this season after being one of the NBA’s best in 2022/23. Entering Friday’s action, the five-man group of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney had posted a minus-13.0 net rating in 113 minutes.

However, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets, Kerr stuck with that lineup on Friday and it was relatively effective, outscoring the Thunder by three points in nearly 16 minutes of action. Still, it wasn’t enough. After taking a 14-point lead in the first half, the Warriors watched it slip away and eventually lost in overtime in OKC.

“It’s a pattern right now,” Kerr said after the game, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I watched this same group win a championship a year and a half ago. They’re champions. But they’re not playing like it. I’m not coaching like it. We have to figure this out.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Veteran point guard Chris Paul was a late scratch on Friday due to an illness, tweets Slater. The Warriors announced their starters before ruling out Paul, so the starting five presumably would have been the same even if he had been available.
Golden State committed 29 turnovers in Friday’s loss, which is the most in any game in the Kerr era and the most by any Warriors team since 2002, writes Slater. Kerr referred to it as an “obscene” amount of turnovers and said he plans to hold a film session to try to address the issue. “You want me to go through them?” Kerr said when asked if there were any in particular they needed to eliminate. “We will watch all 29 as a team. I can tell you that. We will watch all 29 turnovers.”
Klay Thompson praised Jonathan Kuminga for his recent play, referring to him as “the future,” according to Slater. Thompson also said he’ll “never, ever lose faith in this group” and shrugged off Charles Barkley likening the 10-12 Warriors to the Titanic on TNT’s Thursday broadcast.“The only frustration with that is will this guy ever give us any credit?” Thompson said when informed of Barkley’s comments. “You know how hard this is to do? Annually? You’d think Charles would understand how hard it is to win a championship. To do that annually? And we’re still here. What are we — 10 and 12? There’s 60 freaking regular season games left. But he’s been hating on us since 2015. So this is no surprise.”
During that same TNT broadcast, former Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers spoke about bringing Tyrese Haliburton in for a workout prior to the 2020 draft and ultimately passing on him (Twitter video link). “What bothers me more than anything was — his workout was good (but) when we met with him after, I should have known then because of who he is as a person and a leader,” Myers said. “… That conversation left a mark because of how smart he is and how confident. It’s not fake, it’s not arrogant, it’s confidence. When you talk about players wanting to play with him, that’s real. … There’s a lot of great players in the NBA that people do not want to play with. (If) you are a great player and a great person, then people want to play with you.” Haliburton said at the time that he thought he’d be a “really good fit” in Golden State — he wasn’t really in the conversation for the No. 2 overall pick, but there was a sense that he could be one of the Warriors’ targets if they traded down.

Raptors Notes: Lineup, Schröder, Trent, Siakam, Gueye

December 9th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Prior to Friday’s game against Charlotte, Eric Koreen of The Athletic and Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca both made the case that the Raptors should make a lineup change. Koreen advocated for Gary Trent Jr. to replace Dennis Schröder in the starting five, with Murphy acknowledging that’s the “most obvious immediate move.”

The logic, as Murphy explains, is that the trio of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes would benefit from playing with at least one outside shooter, if not two. Instead, the three forwards have spent most of the season alongside Schröder, an inconsistent marksman (he’s at 33.3% on threes this season) and Jakob Poeltl, a non-shooter. The five-man unit had a minus-3.1 net rating entering Friday, which isn’t acceptable for the team’s top lineup, writes Murphy.

However, head coach Darko Rajakovic stuck with his usual group against the Hornets. The starting five spent 17 minutes on the floor together and was outscored by three points during that time while making just 2-of-11 outside shots. The rest of the Raptors’ lineups played Charlotte to a draw, but the starters’ three-point deficit was ultimately reflected in the final score: Toronto lost 119-116 to fall to 9-13 on the season.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

The Raptors are at a familiar crossroads, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who says the team has failed to properly judge the level of its roster and where it stands relative to its competition in recent years. The franchise can’t afford to make that mistake again and will need to be prepared to make difficult personnel decisions at this season’s trade deadline, Grange writes.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca explores the same subject as Grange, suggesting that time is running out for the current roster to prove it deserves to be kept intact. Within his story, Lewenberg cites league sources who say the Raptors still haven’t opened extension negotiations with Siakam but also haven’t discussed him in trade talks since the summer. Siakam will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
Mouhamadou Gueye has gotten off to a strong start for the Raptors 905 this season, averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in 32.4 minutes per game through his first nine contests with Toronto’s G League affiliate. Gueye would’ve been the most logical in-house candidate to fill the two-way contract slot that opened when the Raptors waived Ron Harper Jr., according to Murphy, but he’s currently dealing with a neck injury. Using that two-way spot to sign Jontay Porter away from another organization will provide the banged-up 905 with some additional depth.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Caruso, Young Players, White

December 9th, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Thursday to reporters, including K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Bulls guard Zach LaVine said he had originally hoped to return to action on Wednesday or Friday, but his injured foot didn’t respond well when he attempted to ramp up his work, so he and the team decided to take a more cautious approach. The Bulls ruled out LaVine for an additional three or four weeks and he received a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection.

“I’ve been trying to train and do active rehab to get back out there. That didn’t work,” LaVine said. “It had a little bit of a—I don’t want to say setback—but it got more sore to where it didn’t make sense to try to play on it continuously. Rest for a little bit. Get some PRP. Hopefully that will do some good things for it. Continue to promote that healing and check back in a week or two and see where you’re at.”

LaVine added that his absence has “nothing to do” with the trade speculation swirling around him and that he’s been happy to see the team string together some wins without him. He’s hoping that success continues and that he’s able to contribute to it once he returns.

“Am I still a part of this team and very committed? Yeah. I got a Bulls jersey on. I committed here. And for as long as I’ll be here, I’ll still support and love Chicago and go out there and play my heart out for those guys. That’s never going to change,” he said. “There’s going to be different stories and narratives. And there’s going to be off-the-court stuff that’s going to be dealt with. For me, as long as I’m here with a Bulls jersey on, I’m going to play as hard as I can for my teammates and continue to be the best player and teammate I can be. Simple as that.”

Here’s more on the suddenly surging Bulls:

The Bulls won a fourth consecutive game on Friday night, defeating the Spurs in San Antonio, but Alex Caruso left the game in the fourth quarter due to a left ankle injury and didn’t return, Johnson notes for NBC Sports Chicago. The severity of that injury is to be determined, but Caruso had to be helped to the locker room by the team’s training staff.
Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic takes a look at some of the young players who are getting more opportunities with LaVine sidelined, including guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
Despite the Bulls’ four-game winning streak since LaVine went down, no one in the locker room is suggesting the team is better without the two-time All-Star, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s hard to replace the talent that Zach has out there on the court with one person,” Caruso said. “We’ve done a good job of playing-by-committee. It’s also a different look when (LaVine’s) not out there compared to when he is, but I’ve played in plenty of games with him now, nearly two-and-a-half years, and when he’s locked in and playing good we’re a really good basketball team.”
In a separate story for the Chicago Sun-Times, Cowley examines how White has responded to outside criticism – including from Cowley himself – and has continued to make major strides, proving those critics wrong. “I know what you said, others have said,” White told the Sun-Times. “I feel like I’ve got thick skin, but the main thing for me is I wanted to pay attention to it just so I can feel it. Feel it for me, and then to get through it. … You know what, sometimes people on the internet or the media, you guys, you speak the truth. There were times I would look at it and say, ‘I got to get better at this, he’s right. I’ve got to fix this.’ I never tried to shy away from any of it because that’s not my personality. You have to look at it all head on, take it for what it is, not let it define you, but use it.”