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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Road Trip, Trade Talk, Melton

January 1st, 2024 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reigning Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid will be back in action on Tuesday.

Embiid is ready to go after sitting out the last four games due to a sprained right ankle, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Philadelphia faces the Bulls, who defeated the Sixers in Chicago 105-92 on Saturday. The 76ers play six of their next seven games at home.

Embiid is averaging a league-high 35.0 points to go along with 11.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game this season.

We have more on the Sixers:

They went 2-2 on their road trip without Embiid. Nicolas Batum returned Saturday after missing five games with a strained right hamstring. The absences of those two players led to extended minutes for Paul Reed, Marcus Morris and Danuel House Jr. “This was a good road trip for us,” Tobias Harris told Pompey. “Two-and-two, to finish out with kind of a mini-identity to this group without playing with the big fella. … We continue to get guys back in the rotation as well, so different variables. But at the end of the day, overall on the road trip, I thought we made a lot of progress. We grew and developed as a team through those games.”
In the aftermath of the Knicks acquiring OG Anunoby, coach Nick Nurse was asked if the Sixers needed to make a move before the trade deadline. Philadelphia already made a major trade by shipping James Harden to Los Angeles but Nurse isn’t averse to another alteration to the roster, according to Pompey. “I think you always have to be in the mindset to upgrade at all times,” Nurse said. “Whether I was coaching the Iowa Energy, or coaching the Sixers, there’s always places. Can you improve 10 through 12? Can you improve eight through 10? Can you improve three through five? You are always trying to do that or you are getting assets so you can do something else.”
De’Anthony Melton won’t play on Tuesday due to lumbar spine soreness, Pompey tweets.
In case you missed it, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported the Sixers are unlikely to make another major move this season. The Sixers could have more cap space than any other team in 2024 if they don’t add long-term salary this season.

Knicks Waive Two-Way Player Dmytro Skapintsev

January 1st, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

7:25pm: Skapintsev has been waived, the team’s PR department tweets.

5:13pm: The Knicks are waiving two-way player Dmytro Skapintsev, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

The Ukranian big man made two brief NBA appearances after being signed to the two-way deal on Dec. 23. At that time, New York waived Jaylen Martin to make room for him.

Skapintsez also played in 13 Showcase Cup games with the Westchester Knicks this season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.3. rebounds, prior to signing the two-way deal. It’s likely he’ll end up returning to the Knicks’ G League squad.

The Knicks’ blockbuster deal with Toronto may have impacted Skapintsev’s place on the roster. Along with acquiring centerpiece OG Anunoby from the Raptors, the Knicks received forward/center Precious Achiuwa to fortify their frontcourt depth.

New York now has an open two-way spot. Charlie Brown Jr. and Jacob Toppin are the team’s other two-way players.

Suns Notes: Beal, Durant, Okogie, Gordon, Rotation

January 1st, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have won three straight entering their contest against Portland on Monday night. Bradley Beal has played the last two games after recovering from an ankle injury and his presence has been a “game-changer,” according to Devin Booker, Jack Thompson of The Associated Press relays.

Beal had seven assists against Charlotte in his return and 25 points in a five-point victory over Orlando.

“It’s a game-changer, being at full strength,” Booker said. “The offense was moving, the ball was hopping around and we were getting the best available shot.”

We have more on the Suns:

Kevin Durant had a team-high 31 points in 39 minutes against the Magic. He’ll sit out the second game of the back-to-back with the Suns listing right hamstring soreness as the reason. Eric Gordon (right calf soreness) is questionable, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports tweets.
Josh Okogie has only scored one point in three games since returning from an ankle injury but coach Frank Vogel is glad to have the defensive specialist at his disposal, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “He’s an important part of what we do with his ability to guard on the perimeter,” Vogel said. “We’ll measure it game to game in terms of what his nights look like. Some nights are going to be bigger than others based on the matchup.”
Beyond sixth man Gordon, the second unit remains in flux, Rankin notes. Even Okogie’s spot is not guaranteed, due to subpar perimeter shooting. Nassir Little or Jordan Goodwin could emerge as alternatives.

Raptors Notes: Quickley, Barrett, Trade, Knicks

January 1st, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

While OG Anunoby and RJ Barrett may have more name recognition, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic believes Immanuel Quickley is the “most interesting” and “highest-upside player” from Saturday’s trade between the Raptors and Knicks.

As Vecenie writes, Quickley is a strong three-level scorer who is particularly lethal in pick-and-rolls. Vecenie points to Quickley’s performance in an expanded role last season — he averaged 22.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 5.1 APG on .469/.401/.846 shooting in 21 starts (38.6 MPG) — as evidence that the fourth-year guard should thrive with Toronto.

Quickley’s passing, especially to outside shooters, is an area where he can improve, according to Vecenie, who cites on-ball defense as another improvement area. However, he praises the 24-year-old’s ability to limit turnovers on offense and believes Quickly is a plus team defender who makes good decisions.

Quickley’s shooting and ability to play both on and off the ball should fit well with ascendant third-year forward Scottie Barnes, Vecenie adds.

Barrett, on the other hand, is not a smooth fit for Toronto’s current roster, Vecenie writes. While he’s still only 23, Barrett is more or less the same player he was when he was drafted five years ago, according to Vecenie: A talented shot creator who can get to the rim but struggles to finish once he’s there, and a very inconsistent shooter who regularly goes through high variance stretches.

Vecenie notes that Quickley has struggled early in his career in the postseason, whereas Barrett had some strong performances last season against Cleveland and Miami. But Vecenie still likes Quickley’s long-term prospects much more than Barrett’s.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca has a fairly similar view of the two players, writing that Quickley looks like a better fit on Toronto’s roster than Barrett due to former’s ability to draw defensive attention with his shooting and quick release. People around the league view Barrett as having roughly “neutral value” in the first season of his four-year, $107MM+ extension, Murphy writes in another piece focusing on the Raptors’ cap situation post-trade. Murphy points out that Quickley shares an agent with Precious Achiuwa (who was sent from Toronto in New York in the deal), and says Toronto likely wouldn’t have made the trade without an idea of what it will take to sign Quickley as a restricted free agent.
Quickley thought he was dreaming when he found out he was traded, as it transpired while he was awoken by a phone call from his agent, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who passes along quotes from Quickley and Barrett’s introductory press conferences. “I was in Indy [Friday], I was planning to play that night [against the Pacers],” Quickley said. “Really, I was asleep. My agent called me, and he said, ‘Call me right away, you’re getting traded.’ Thought it was still a dream because I just woke up. … It’s been unbelievable. Couldn’t ask for anything better. Great city, great culture, the camaraderie of the team is great. You can tell people care about each other around here. And you couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”
Toronto native Barrett is also excited to play for his hometown team, as Grange relays. “I think for anybody to go home there is going to be, you know, a different feeling than for anybody else,” Barrett said. “[Basketball] is the sport I play. This is what I do. I’m just going to be here to do my job [but] — I believe in this team. I believe that we can, we’re gonna figure it out and figure out a way to be one of those top teams, you know. And so I think once we get to that point, over there, it’s gonna feel even sweeter.”
Fred Katz and Eric Koreen of The Athletic weigh the pros and cons of the trade from the Knicks‘ and Raptors’ perspectives. Koreen believes Anunoby is a major defensive upgrade for New York, but his offense may not have much room for growth going forward. Katz thinks Quickley will excel in Toronto, and should have no trouble translating his per-minute numbers to a larger offensive role. Both Quickley and Barrett are known for having a strong work ethic, Katz notes.

Spurs Sign Mamadi Diakite To Two-Way Deal

January 1st, 2024 at 1:05pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have signed free agent forward/center Mamadi Diakite to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

Diakite, 26, went undrafted in 2020 out of Virginia after winning the national championship with the Cavaliers in 2018/19. This is his fourth NBA season — he played 49 games with Milwaukee, Oklahoma City and Cleveland from 2020-23 and holds career averages of 3.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 10.3 MPG.

A native of Guinea, Diakite was unable to find a team as a free agent this offseason, eventually landing with the Knicks on an Exhibit 10 deal that gave him a bonus after he was waived and spent time with their G League affiliate in Westchester. In 19 Showcase Cup and regular season games with Westchester in 2023/24, he averaged 8.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.1 BPG.

San Antonio recently released rookie center Charles Bediako from his two-way deal after he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, opening up the two-way spot that went to Diakite. The Spurs now have a full 18-man roster.

Pacific Notes: Leonard, Plumlee, Huerter, Kerr

January 1st, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was back at practice Sunday after missing four games with a bruised left hip, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Coach Tyronn Lue said Leonard was able to participate “fully” in the practice session, but didn’t commit to his availability for tonight’s game against Miami.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Lue said. “Yeah, we’ll see how he comes out of this, but he is practicing today.”

Leonard’s health is always an issue for the Clippers, and it was encouraging that he was able to appear in the team’s first 27 games before hurting his hip. With Leonard returning to practice, Lue installed some new wrinkles to the offense, according to Turner.

“With Kawhi back, today is a good time to add a couple of things here and there,” Lue said. “But we do have to extend our package offensively, especially when we get down to the end of the season going into the playoffs. You have to be able to lean on some different things. You just can’t do the same thing every single night. And, so, if our pick-and-roll game is not going, we got to be able to do something different. If our post-up game is not going, we got to be able to do something different. If our iso game is not going, we got to be able to do something different. And they understand that. So, now we got to start adding and start getting better offensively.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Mason Plumlee has been upgraded to questionable on the Clippers‘ injury list for tonight’s game, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. L.A.’s backup big man has been sidelined since November 6 with an MCL sprain, causing the team to add free agent Daniel Theis to provide depth in the middle.
Coach Mike Brown made a change to the Kings‘ starting lineup Sunday in Memphis, replacing Kevin Huerter with Chris Duarte, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. Huerter, who exited Friday’s game with an injury to his left hand, came off the bench for the first time since being traded to Sacramento in the summer of 2022. He was part of Brown’s first round of substitutions and scored nine points in 17 minutes.
The Warriors are searching for answers after completing the 2023 portion of their schedule with a 10-point loss to Dallas, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. It marked the team’s eighth defeat at home, which matches its total from all of last season. Coach Steve Kerr refused to blame the absence of Draymond Green, who remains on indefinite suspension, but said the team lacks the “grit” that it needs to be successful. “We’re not competing through the tough parts of the game,” Kerr said. “There’s an intangible, there’s a feeling, there’s a vibe when you fight, where everyone’s energy is right. We don’t have that right now.”

Lakers Notes: New Starting Lineup, Hachimura, LeBron

January 1st, 2024 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers coach Darvin Ham made another change to his starting lineup Sunday night and indicated that the new unit might be together for a while, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. With Cam Reddish unavailable for the second time in three games due to groin soreness, Ham replaced him with Rui Hachimura, who started alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Taurean Prince and Jarred Vanderbilt.

“This lineup that you see, we’re going to stick with for the foreseeable future,” Ham told reporters prior to Sunday’s game. “[We’re] starting there, and hopefully everyone gets on the mend and we’ll try to get guys as much time as possible to get back healthy. [We’re] definitely trying to figure out a more consistent lineup as we proceed through this next portion of the season.”

Ham also tinkered with his starting five last week, swapping Vanderbilt in for D’Angelo Russell. A tailbone contusion that Russell suffered on Saturday forced him to miss Sunday’s game, and Ham indicated that he and Reddish are both considered day-to-day.

“It’s something we have to manage,” Ham said of Reddish’s condition. “There’s nothing structurally wrong with it, but there’s something that’s alive and well that he feels based on the workload.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

Ham’s lineup plans could be disrupted by a calf strain that forced Hachimura to leave Sunday’s game after just eight minutes, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ham said there’s a “high level” of concern about the injury, but he doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions before Hachimura undergoes further testing.
James was critical of the NBA’s replay system after he was awarded two points instead of three on a late shot in Saturday’s loss at Minnesota, McMenamin states in a full story. James thought he had tied the game with 2.3 seconds left and was livid when officials ruled that his foot was barely on the three-point line. “What the hell do we got replay for?” James said afterward. “What do we have replay for if even the replay gets it wrong? It’s just like, who is a part of the replay center? Like, do we got robots in there making Teslas? Like, what’s going on?” The NBA confirmed the call Sunday in its Last Two Minutes Report (Twitter link).
In his latest Substack column, Marc Stein looks at what the future might hold for James, who became the NBA’s only active 39-year-old when he celebrated his birthday on Saturday.

Southwest Notes: Collins, Thompson Twins, Rockets, Pelicans

January 1st, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said center Zach Collins could be sidelined “two to four weeks” with a right ankle sprain he suffered Friday at Portland, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. The team had Collins stay home for Sunday’s game rather than put more pressure on his ankle by attending to sit on the bench.

Collins began the season as San Antonio’s starting center before recently moving into a reserve role. He’s in his third year with the Spurs and has been able to revive his career after missing the entire 2020/21 season due to a fractured fibula.

Popovich also provided a medical update on Charles Bassey, saying he’s doing well after undergoing surgery to repair his torn ACL (Twitter link). Bassey suffered the injury last month in a game with the Spurs’ G League affiliate.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson will have their first NBA meeting tonight when the Rockets host the Pistons, and Kelly Iko and James L. Edwards of The Athletic talked to the twins about the role that older brother Troy had in shaping their careers. “Without him, I don’t know if I’d like basketball as much as I did growing up,” Ausar said. “Troy always believed in us … ever since I was little, he always thought we were the greatest basketball players at our age that he had ever seen. He just didn’t think we could beat him. Having someone, and even my whole family, who believes in you like that, it makes you believe and keep going.”
With Detroit finally getting a win Saturday after dropping 28 straight games, it’s the Rockets who will come into tonight’s contest on a losing streak, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston has lost three in a row, all at home, and the defensive identity the team built early in the season is slipping. Feigen notes that the Rockets have the league’s worst defensive rating over their past three games and have allowed their last three opponents to shoot a combined 41.3% from three-point range. The defense might get a boost with the return of Jabari Smith, who missed Friday’s game with a sprained ankle but was upgraded to questionable on Sunday.
Zion Williamson believes the Pelicans‘ embarrassing 44-point loss to the Lakers in the semifinals of the in-season tournament might have been “one of those blessings in disguise,” per Christian Clark of NOLA. New Orleans has gone 7-3 since that game, including a 20-point win Sunday night in a rematch with L.A. “We went to Vegas hoping for a different outcome,” Williamson said. “I think it definitely brought us together more as a team. It definitely brought us closer as a staff. Everyone communicating. I feel like we have been playing great. We still have some things to figure out. But so does every other team.”

Knicks Notes: DiVincenzo, Robinson, Fournier, Grimes

January 1st, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Donte DiVincenzo may carry more of the Knicks‘ offense after the weekend trade that sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. DiVincenzo hit seven three-pointers and scored a career-high 38 points Saturday night, although he was disappointed that it came in a loss at Indiana.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t even care about the 38, and I’m not just saying that,” DiVincenzo said. “I like to win games. Individual achievements are cool, but even Josh (Hart) said it the other day, stats don’t mean anything when you lose. That’s really our mindset here. So it’s cool, I’ll pat myself on the back, the guys are happy for me, but at the same time, we have to focus on that we have a hell of a game on Monday (at home against the Timberwolves).”

The offseason signing of DiVincenzo appears to be more important than ever with two scoring wings gone from the roster. He’s been averaging 12.9 points per game and shooting 47.4% from three-point range since moving into the starting lineup on December 8, and Jalen Brunson expects that hot streak to continue.

“Him playing the way he did, I’ve seen it plenty of times,” Brunson said. “Obviously, (I’m) happy with the way he’s playing. I wish we could have made his career night more memorable by winning. So we’ve got to be better.”

There’s more from New York:

Mitchell Robinson reacted to the trade in a discussion with fans on SnapChat, relays Bryan Fonseca of The New York Post. The injured center said it’s difficult to see two long-time teammates leave so suddenly. “Two of my soldiers are gone, you know what I mean? What you gonna do, you know what I mean? I know they’re gonna go over there to Toronto and handle their business, play hard,” he said. “It’s a business at the end of the day, so I mean, yeah it is upsetting seeing two guys that you built a relationship with leave, it is crazy but, I mean, what you gonna do, you know? It’s a business at the end of the day.”
With the Knicks short-handed following the deal, Evan Fournier got a rare chance to play Saturday night, Botte notes in another Post story. Getting off the bench for the first time since November 17, Fournier shot 3-of-10 and scored 10 points in 17 minutes. “Happy to play, for sure, but the game is fast. … It’s never easy to play a game after being on the bench for a while,” Fournier said. “I tried to give my best effort.”
Quentin Grimes was eager to get started on what figures to be an expanded role, but he was held out of Saturday’s game with a bad cold, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Mavericks Notes: Doncic, Green, Lively, Irving

December 31st, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic was dealing with a sore left quad muscle on Saturday night, but it didn’t affect his performance, writes Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. The Mavericks star had 39 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a win at Golden State after being listed as questionable before the game and not being assured of playing until after warm-ups.

“The first half was really good,” Doncic said. “The third quarter, I started feeling it again. I had to warm up. Obviously, it’s a concern. It’s been (this way) since March. So obviously there’s a concern. I just try to keep lifting in the weight room. That helps me a lot. But obviously there’s a little bit of concern.”

Sefko notes that Dallas is 10-3 this season when shooting at least 40% from three-point range, which is exactly what the team hit on Saturday. Doncic helped by going 5-of-13 from beyond the arc, and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his improved three-point shooting has made him more difficult to guard.

“In the past he was 34 (percent) from three and you’d go into the game and you’d trust the numbers (and) we’re not going to chase him off the line,” Kerr said. “But now he’s at 38 (percent) and that’s a pretty dramatic difference, so this is probably the best he’s ever played because of the consistency of that three-point shot setting up the rest of his game.”

There’s more on the Mavericks:

Josh Green enjoyed his best game since returning from an elbow injury this week, scoring 18 points in 25 minutes off the bench against Golden State, Sefko adds in a separate story. Green, who missed 12 games while he was healing, was impressed by the players who filled in for him. “I’m so happy for guys like Dante (Exum) and D-Jones (Derrick Jones Jr.),” Green said. “They’ve done an amazing job. It’s been good for everybody and great for our team. But at the same time, I need to continue to progress and get better every game.”
In another piece, Sefko examines the progress of rookie center Dereck Lively II, who has been outstanding some nights but often finds himself in foul trouble. “We’re asking a lot of D-Live,” Dwight Powell said. “And he’s doing an amazing job. He’s studying the game and bringing energy and effort. He’s impacting the game on a lot of levels. He’s doing everything in his power to shore up the things he needs to improve on. That’s a big challenge for rookies in this league, but especially centers.”
Kyrie Irving has been listed as questionable for Monday’s game at Utah, giving him a chance to play for the first time since suffering a right heel contusion three weeks ago, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.