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Lakers Notes: LeBron, Vanderbilt, Reddish, Hachimura

December 4th, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The in-season tournament could represent the last chance to watch LeBron James play for a meaningful prize, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. James’ Lakers will host the Suns on Tuesday with a spot in the semifinals at stake. A victory would match them against Sacramento or New Orleans for a berth in the finals, giving one of the league’s most successful franchises an opportunity to add the first-ever NBA Cup to its long list of accomplishments.

While James continues to play at a remarkable level for his age, Hollinger points out that he will turn 39 later this month and can no longer carry a team the way he used to in his prime. He notes that even though L.A. is 12-9, the team was embarrassed in games at Philadelphia and Oklahoma City last week and may not have the roster for another long playoff run.

If that’s true, Hollinger recommends that fans should savor this week’s opportunity to watch James in the spotlight. The Lakers appear to have favorable tournament matchups — they’ll host a Phoenix team that they’ve beaten twice already and then would advance to Las Vegas, where the arena would be packed with L.A. fans. Hollinger adds that the potential of James playing in the in-season tournament final would bring even more prestige to what has turned out to be a successful experiment.

There’s more on the Lakers:

Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t score in his first game of the season Saturday, but he said it felt good to be back on the court after being sidelined for nearly two months with bursitis in his left heel, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Vanderbilt managed to play nearly 14 minutes, grabbing four rebounds and providing his usual active presence on defense. “Basically just trying to take care of the injury and then building it back up efficiently and smart,” Vanderbilt said of his recovery process. “I didn’t want to get back out there too fast. So that was part of the ramp-up, kind of slowly going through progressions: two versus two, three versus three and then some five-on-five. That’s pretty much it.”
Coach Darvin Ham considers Cam Reddish a “laid-back dude,” but he showed another side of his personality during a confrontation with Houston’s Tari Eason on Saturday that resulted in a technical foul, Turner states in the same piece. The players were separated before their verbal battle could escalate. “He has a toughness to him, a quiet toughness,” Ham said of Reddish. “I like him being aggressive and assertive. He showed that tonight. Some of the plays he made, that steal he got and kept alive and getting an and-one. I want him passionate about the game.”
Rui Hachimura was medically cleared to play Saturday, but Ham opted to give him more time to recover from last week’s nasal surgery, Turner adds. “He went through his pre-game workout and still was a little iffy,” Ham said. “… So, just coming off that nose surgery, we felt it was best just to be proactive, to be precautionary, so that’s where we landed.”

Hornets Notes: Hayward, Williams, Richards, Miller, Bridges

December 4th, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

With his time in Charlotte possibly ending soon, Gordon Hayward talked to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about his three-plus years with the Hornets, which he admits have been “up and down.” Hayward has an expiring $31.5MM contract that makes him an attractive trade chip, and Scotto reported last week that several contenders have already called about his availability.

“There have been moments where it’s been really fun with big-time wins,” said Hayward, who came to Charlotte in a sign-and-trade deal in 2020. “There have been a lot of moments where I was injured my first two years at the beginning of the year. They were unfortunate injuries. Those suck. There’s nothing you can do about that. It’s sports, and it happens.”

Hayward has been healthy this season and has helped the Hornets remain competitive, averaging 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists through 17 games. He’s enjoying his role as a veteran leader and discussed several of his young teammates with Scotto. He said Brandon Miller is exhibiting unusual poise as a passer for a rookie, LaMelo Ball has developed a more complete game and Mark Williams has the potential to become an elite defender.

“He’s got a great feel for the game,” Hayward said of Willians. “In Utah, you could see the same thing with Rudy Gobert. Initially, he’s young and kind of like Bambi out there, but you can’t teach that defensive feel where they have good timing and know when to help or when to play cat and mouse. Offensively, he’s got great hands and catches just about everything. He’s still going to get better and has a ways to go, but I think he’s definitely taken a step, and he’s certainly got a bright future.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

The Hornets plan to bring Nick Richards along slowly in his return from a concussion, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Richards missed six games while he was in the league’s concussion protocol and played just nine minutes in his first game back Saturday night. “(Have to watch) more so just his minutes because most injuries when guys are hurt, they can still do cardio and not lose a great deal of conditioning over a couple weeks,” coach Steve Clifford said. “With him and a concussion, he wasn’t able to do anything. … He’s going to need a few games to just get his conditioning level back.”
Clifford was impressed by Miller’s determination to keep playing after turning his ankle in Tuesday’s game, Boone adds. “You don’t get a lot of younger players who are like that anymore,” Clifford said. “He went out there in the second half and actually played pretty well. He was limping around a little, but he has more of an old-school type outlook on this game.”
In a separate story, Boone looks at how Miles Bridges was able to return to an elite level so quickly after his 10-game suspension.

And-Ones: Oturu, Top Free Agents, Carter, Tournament

December 3rd, 2023 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA center Daniel Oturu will soon join Anadolu Efes Istanbul, according to Eurohoops.net. Oturu is averaging 20.9 points and 10.1 rebounds in nine games for Merkezefendi, another Turkish club.

Merkezefendi head coach Zafer Aktas confirmed Oturu’s transfer to the Euroleague club. “This is a proud moment for me and my team,” Aktas said. “This is the fourth or fifth player we have brought to the EuroLeague level in two-and-a-half years.”

Oturu, a high second-round pick in 2020, played a combined 33 NBA games for the Clippers and Raptors. Oturu didn’t play in the NBA last season.

We have more from the international basketball world:

Restricted Sixers free agent Tyrese Maxey tops Hoopshype’s Yossi Gozlan’s list of players who are due for substantial raises. Maxey appears to be in line for a five-year maximum-salary contract in the 2024 offseason. Unrestricted free-agents-to-be OG Anunoby and Nic Claxton rank second and third, respectively, in Gozlan’s top 15 list.
LeBron James’ business partner, Maverick Carter, was a client of a bookie who has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from an illegal gambling operation, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon and Jovan Buha report. Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and former Major League Baseball All-Star Yasiel Puig were also clients of the bookie, Wayne Nix, who pleaded guilty to participating in a large off-shore betting ring. Carter was accused, according to court filings reviewed by The Athletic, of providing false statements to investigators but was allowed to clarify those statements and was not charged.
In a roundtable discussion, ESPN’s Insiders takes a look at the in-season tournament, making predictions about the championship matchup, discussing how the inaugural tournament has worked so far, and addressing what changes might be needed in the future.

Community Shootaround: OKC Thunder

December 3rd, 2023 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

For the last few seasons, the Thunder have been a paper tiger.

Top executive Sam Presti built a head-spinning stash of future draft picks through his wheeling and dealing. Oklahoma City is still owed 10 future first-rounders and even more second-round picks – it could easily create two additional teams in the next couple of years with all those selections.

The on-court performance began to perk up last season, as the Thunder collected 40 regular-season victories and won a game in the play-in tournament before getting eliminated by Minnesota.

Oklahoma City appears poised to make an even bigger mark this season. The Thunder sit second in the Western Conference and have won eight of their last 10 games.

Even a 30-0 Dallas run on Saturday didn’t deter the Thunder, as they emerged with a 126-120 victory.

A stable lineup, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has facilitated the hot start. Gilgeous-Alexander, a first time All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection last season, is once again filling up the stat sheet. He’s averaging 29.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals while keeping his turnovers down (2.2).

After missing a full season due to foot issues, Chet Holmgren is making a strong case for Rookie of the Year. He’s posting quality numbers across the board – 17.6 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Jalen Williams is also averaging 17.6 points and the lineup is filled out by Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort. Giddey gives the lineup another adept ball-handler – though he’s currently being investigated by law enforcement and the league for an alleged improper relationship.

Dort has had to sacrifice offensive opportunities after averaging 17.2 points per game two seasons ago but he’s still a key to their defense. Isaiah Joe is the team’s sixth man and rookie Cason Wallace has also made an impact.

That brings us to our topic of the day: What is the Thunder’s ceiling this season – can they make a deep playoff run? Should they trade some of the future draft picks from their stockpile for another impact player? If so, what do you think they need the most?

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

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Jokic, Williams, Hendricks

December 3rd, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heavy is the head who wears the crown? According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, that’s what the Nuggets are experiencing. Jamal Murray was out an extended period, they had to play five games in seven days, and they are taking everybody’s best punch.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone was proud of the way his weary team hung around in a loss to Sacramento on Saturday. They don’t play again until Wednesday. “We can certainly use the break,” Malone said.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been fined $2K for flopping, the NBA announced (via Twitter). Upon league office review, Jokic was assessed the flopping penalty after he fell backward while taking a shot in the fourth quarter against the Kings following minimal contact from Domantas Sabonis.
Jalen Williams has been an integral part of the Thunder’s early success this season, Rylan Stiles of ThunderousIntentions.com notes. Williams is tied with Chet Holmgren as the club’s second-leading scorer and has often carried the offensive load when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rests at the start of the second and fourth quarters, yet the contributions of the second-year lottery pick are often overlooked.
Jazz rookie lottery pick Taylor Hendricks hasn’t played much, but he flashed intriguing potential with Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk sidelined by injuries against Portland on Saturday, according to the Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden. While Hendricks posted modest stats in his 18-minute stint, he made notable defensive contributions, including a couple of blocks. “He was able to switch 1 to 4, and he was able to cause havoc, and that’s what we needed,” guard Collin Sexton said.

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Knicks, Covington, Raptors

December 3rd, 2023 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics won’t have Kristaps Porzingis for their in-season tournament quarterfinal matchup against the Pacers on Monday. The big man has been ruled out due to a left calf strain, ESPN relays. Porzingis, who has 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first year with Boston, has already missed the last three games.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are 12-7 but their December schedule will be a major test, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. They have to play Milwaukee three times and nine of their remaining 12 December games are on the road. Phoenix and both Los Angeles teams will be part of a West Coast trip and the last three road games including up-and-coming clubs Oklahoma City, Orlando and Indiana.
Forward Robert Covington is heating up in his second stint with the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Covington, who was part of the James Harden blockbuster trade with the Clippers, averaged 15 points and six rebounds in the last two games. “The more and more games I get under my belt, the more and more I’m going to get comfortable within the offense and defense,” said Covington, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
In a report on the Raptors’ first 20 games, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines that the team has looked nothing more than mediocre. Koreen suggests that their transition offense is their only real strength and they don’t have the depth, nor the draft picks, to get significantly better. If they don’t show real improvement over the next 20 games, the Raptors will have to be sellers at the trade deadline, Koreen adds.

New York Notes: Randle, Brunson, Vaughn, Simmons, DSJ

December 3rd, 2023 at 4:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Two-time Knicks All-Star power forward Julius Randle continues to thrive for New York despite dealing with lingering knee soreness, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. He has played in all 19 of the team’s games thus far this season after appearing in 77 of 82 last year.

“You almost come to expect that from him. If he can go, he’s going,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And I love that about him. He wanted to get out there, and he warmed up early to see how he would feel. And then he got with the medical people. But Julius, he gives you what he has. He doesn’t take days off.”

New York even wanted Randle to rest the knee earlier this week, Bondy notes, but Randle rejected the idea. He’s averaging 20.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 5.5 APG for New York.

“[I’ll play] all the time,” Randle said. “I think it’s more we just love to play. It’s not really about load management. We just love to play basketball. Me personally, I love to play basketball, so if I can play I’m going to play.”

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson has developed a gift for drawing charges, writes Bondy in a separate piece. He has already drawn 30 offensive fouls thus far this season. Bondy notes that he could be en route to a new NBA record. “Obviously I’m not meeting anybody at the rim. So I know I can impact the game that way,” Brunson told Bondy. “So whatever it takes to win, honestly. I find myself in that position and if I bail out, I’m bailing out on my teammates. So I got to be willing to take the contact and pray for the best.”
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn is helping a young, talented team develop at a pace that’s perhaps quicker than pundits may have anticipated, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber exclusive). Third-year shooting guard Cam Thomas is enjoying a breakout season and looks like a potential candidate for Most Improved Player honors if he can keep this output up. He’s currently averaging 26.1 PPG on .464/.343/.846 splits, along with 3.9 RPG and 2.3 APG.
Oft-injured Nets forward Ben Simmons is still weeks away from returning to the lineup for Brooklyn, but reserve point guard Dennis Smith Jr. has returned, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Simmons has missed 12 straight contests with a lower back impingement. Smith had been dealing with a strained lower back for six games.

Luke Kennard Set To Rejoin Grizzlies In 2-3 Weeks

December 3rd, 2023 at 2:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Grizzlies shooting guard Luke Kennard, who has been sidelined since November 14 with a left knee bone bruise, is progressing toward a return to the 5-14 club.

Memphis has revealed (Twitter link) that the team expects the 6’5″ wing back in the lineup within the next two or three weeks.

Across his eight available games, the 27-year-old has averaged 8.3 points per night on .362/.370/1.000 shooting to go along with 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The veteran Duke product is averaging 21.5 minutes per game off Memphis’ bench.

Kennard’s floor-spacing acumen would be a welcome boon to the Grizzlies’ depleted offensive attack. He’s a career 43.5% three-point shooter on an impressive 4.4 attempts per game. His 37% conversion rate this season arrives on a robust 5.8 three-point tries per contest.

Memphis needs all the available bodies it can get. Seven other Grizzlies are currently unavailable, including the suspended Ja Morant. The club has leaned on hardship exception signings for help. Earlier today, word broke that Memphis would be signing guard Jaylen Nowell to a second 10-day contract.

Central Notes: Weaver, Crowder, White, DeMar

December 3rd, 2023 at 1:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons are currently mired in a league-worst 17-game losing streak. If Detroit isn’t able to somewhat right this ship, even while clearly headed for the lottery this year, general manager Troy Weaver should be fired so a new front office can thrive, opines Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press.

Windsor writes that the Pistons are currently on a 7.5-game win pace for the rest of the season, which would shatter the current record for a full 82-game NBA slate.

Given that the club will have lots of space under the league’s projected salary cap next summer, through which it could add veterans and make significant transactions to improve, Windsor submits that Weaver should not be in a decision-making role with the Pistons at that juncture — barring some kind of growth this year.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Following a November 14 surgery to correct a partial tear in his left adductor, Bucks reserve forward Jae Crowder is on the mend, having resumed individual on-court work within the last week, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “When I touched the ball, I was like, ‘All right, I’m getting close,’” Crowder said. The 33-year-old combo forward was a solid two-way contributor for Milwaukee when healthy this year. In his nine healthy games, he’s logging 8.1 PPG on .532/.416/.583 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.8 SPG.
Bulls starting point guard Coby White is enjoying an excellent start to the season for a struggling 7-14 Chicago club. His willingness to shoot from distance early and often has played a part in the team’s current two-game mini-win streak, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The 6’5″ guard is averaging 15.0 PPG on .427/.403/.846 shooting splits, 4.2 APG, 3.1 RPG and 0.9 SPG. He’s connecting on a career-best 40.3% of his career-most 7.1 three-pointers per night.
Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan seems to be rediscovering the passing game that he developed during his three-year stint with the Spurs, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. To wit, he notched a season-most 10 dimes during Chicago’s surprise 124-118 win over the Pelicans on Saturday. “Just being unselfish, pushing the pace,” DeRozan said of his — and the team’s — approach to the victory.

Pacific Notes: Thompson, Paul, Wiggins, Harden, Westbrook, Beal

December 3rd, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Extension talks between the Warriors and Klay Thompson have been “dormant” since training camp and likely won’t get serious until after the season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown (video link).

That means there’s a decent chance Thompson will become a free agent on June 30, but Wojnarowski notes that’s typical of the way Golden State handles its most prized assets. Draymond Green was allowed to reach free agency before he signed his latest deal, the team didn’t come to an agreement with former general manager Bob Myers before his contract expired, and there hasn’t been an extension yet with head coach Steve Kerr.

Thompson is earning $43.2MM in the final year of his current contract and will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $220MM. The Warriors will almost certainly be unwilling to offer him anything close to the full amount because of his age and declining production. Thompson will turn 34 in February and is averaging just 15.7 PPG this season while shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.1% from three-point range.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins missed the Warriors‘ game on Saturday, but they’re both expected to return soon. Paul, who suffered a lower left leg nerve contusion earlier this week, was able to go through his normal pre-game shooting routine, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Wiggins, who hurt his right index finger in a car door, also warmed up before the game and expects to be able to play in a couple of days, Slater adds (Twitter link).
James Harden offered words of encouragement to Russell Westbrook during the Clippers‘ game on Saturday, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Westbrook has shifted to a sixth-man role and has seen his playing time decline since Harden was acquired in a trade last month. Westbrook played just 19 minutes Saturday, and Harden could sense that he was getting upset. “I told him to just stay with it. It’s a long season and I know it’s probably frustrating for him because his minutes are fluctuating,” Harden said. “But I think all of us are trying to figure out how we want to play our different lineups and see who works better with who and things like that.”
Suns coach Frank Vogel said Bradley Beal is in a “workload and then see how his back responds type of phase” as he rehabs his low back strain, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Beal, who has only played three games this season, is scheduled to have his condition reevaluated this week.