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Pistons Notes: Thompson, Hayes, Bagley, Livers

October 9th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson looked worthy of being a starter in his first preseason game, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The 20-year-old small forward replaced Jaden Ivey in the starting lineup for Sunday’s overtime loss to Phoenix and posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. He also drew a tough defensive assignment, guarding Devin Booker for most of the afternoon.

Coach Monty Williams was impressed by what he saw from Thompson, but pointed out areas where he needs to improve.

“He’s got to play with force all game,” Williams said. “I thought there were times when he thought he was in position, and I got to show him on the film that if he sprinted to the spot and used his athletic ability to shift out as opposed to walking to the backside of the defense … he’s going to be much better.”

Ivey had an efficient game off the bench, scoring 15 points while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-for-6 beyond the arc. Williams told reporters not to read too much into Sunday’s lineup decision, but Edwards observes that Thompson and Ivey will likely compete for the final starting spot once Bojan Bogdanovic returns from a right calf strain that kept him out Sunday.

There’s more from Detroit:

Killian Hayes followed up a strong camp with an impressive performance in the preseason opener, Edwards adds. The fourth-year guard, who will be competing for minutes in a crowded backcourt, registered 13 points, seven assists and five steals in 21 minutes. Monte Morris didn’t play Sunday due to injury, and Hayes took advantage of the chance to show Williams that he’s deserving of a spot in the rotation.
Sunday’s game didn’t do anything to clear up the rotation in the frontcourt, notes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Before starting center Jalen Duren sprained his right ankle in the first half, James Wiseman was the only big man to come off the bench. After the intermission, Marvin Bagley III scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 22 minutes. “He just came in and played with a great deal of force,” Williams said of Bagley. “His dives were productive. He wasn’t putting the ball down in traffic. Defensively, I thought he did a much better job calling out screening actions which helped our guards out. For him to sit over there and come in and have an effect says a lot about his mindset and discipline to stay locked in.”
Isaiah Livers is likely to see regular minutes when he returns from his sprained ankle, Edwards states in a mailbag column. He notes that Lively can handle either forward spot, and Williams seemed impressed with him before the injury.

Atlantic Notes: Nurse, Harden, Sharpe, Walker, Knicks

October 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coach Nick Nurse is determined to prevent James Harden‘s standoff with Sixers management from becoming a distraction as he prepares the team for the start of the season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden went through all of training camp without incident, but was held out of Sunday’s preseason opener. With his trade request still looming, Nurse and the rest of his players aren’t sure if Harden will be on the roster when the season tips off in two weeks.

“I think that we knew (that) in the interview process, and the whole time James was a free agent,” Nurse said. “They talked to me, ‘How do you feel about if he’s here or if he isn’t?’ He certainly could have turned down his option and gone somewhere else. That was a possibility. But, like, you know my job is (to) work together with the front office. I believe in those guys. They got a track record of bringing in players, putting good teams together and my job is to coach the guys that are there. And that’s what I will do.”

Pompey notes that Nurse had other opportunities after his success in Toronto, as he interviewed with the Bucks and Suns and was considered the leading candidate for both jobs. Those teams are considered title contenders after major offseason acquisitions, but Nurse didn’t mind accepting the challenges in Philadelphia.

“I’ve got a job to do, and sometimes that job has a few things you’ve got to work through,” he said. “It’s not perfect on a lot of professional sports teams, right? You are paid to work through some things. That’s what we are trying to do.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn plans to use more drop coverage this season, which could mean a larger role for backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The change in philosophy, plus having another big man on the court, could solve Brooklyn’s long-standing problems with rebounding. “When we switch 1-through-5 … it wasn’t so much Nic (Claxton) or I was getting cooked every play,” Sharpe said. “It was more so we’re out on the perimeter, they’re shooting the ball, the other guys (are) down there getting the rebounds. So, personally, I like to drop better. I like getting boards, I like being physical. And I don’t like when I feel like my matchup is killing me, either. So at the end of the day, I feel like it’s going to help us a lot.”
After spending last season with the Lakers, Lonnie Walker will face his former team Monday night as he tries to earn a spot in the Nets‘ rotation, Lewis adds in a separate story. Vaughn said he wants to see Walker attack the rim and stretch the floor with his outside shooting.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau admits it will be a “tough call” to make the final roster cuts, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy examines the candidates who will be fighting for spots throughout the preseason.

Northwest Notes: Holmgren, Durant, Braun, Nuggets, Jazz

October 8th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren worked out with Suns superstar Kevin Durant in California during the summer. Holmgren said he absorbed plenty from the 13-time All-Star, according to Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman.

“I was just trying to learn the game from him,” Holmgren said. “I had some Thunder staff with me out there this summer and he knows a lot of people in the building. He’s great. He’s always spreading the love and it’s all love coming from him.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Christian Braun won’t fulfill all of the duties that Bruce Brown performed for the Nuggets last season but the second-year guard will get plenty of playing time, general manager Calvin Booth told the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. “When you’re talking about apples-to-apples replacement (of Brown), you’re talking about Christian Braun,” Booth said. “And Christian, I think, has improved his ball-handling a ton, but he won’t be playing any backup point guard. … Christian Braun is going to bring a lot of the same things Bruce brought, but Bruce played on the ball more.”
Beyond Braun, the Nuggets’ reserves will have to battle for playing time, Durando writes in a separate story. “I’m not giving any minutes away,” coach Michael Malone said. “Nothing’s going to be given to anybody. … If anybody out there, players, think that they’re automatically going to be given minutes as a backup, they’re mistaken. They’re going to have to earn that. I’m not giving anything away.”
The Jazz began training camp in Hawaii. Coach Will Hardy is breaking camp into two segments, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. “We’ve got this chunk before our first two preseason games, which come quickly,” Hardy said. “But then we get back to Salt Lake and we have a nice four-day period where we can really dig in at that point. And we’ll have enough film — having seen two games, having a nice chunk of practices — to sort of make some adjustments and tweaks. That’s sort of phase two of training camp.”

Atlantic Notes: Pritchard, Simmons, Dinwiddie, Bridges, Kornet

October 8th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The extension agreement between the Celtics and backup guard Payton Pritchard is a win-win for both parties, Jared Weiss of The Athletic opines. He agreed to a four-year rookie scale extension worth approximately $30MM.

It would have been difficult for suitors to give Pritchard a reasonable offer sheet as a restricted free agent next summer. Meanwhile, the Celtics aren’t in a position to make another trade to push down the depth chart as it did last season with Malcolm Brogdon, Weiss notes. Plus, Pritchard remains a valuable trade chip if Boston seeks more wing or center depth.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

With a healthy Ben Simmons joining Spencer Dinwiddie in the backcourt, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn believes he can find ways to get the best out of that duo, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “I’m trying to think how can we use this as an advantage for us? Spencer can handle the basketball, he can shoot off the basketball. There’s history to that,” Vaughn said. “And there’s history to Ben creating shots for guys, because he plays with the pace. Really like not too many people can match that pace. And so can we use that to advantage to get easy baskets? When you’re scouting us, who’s going to bring it up? It’s not gonna be the same person every single time.”
Mikal Bridges has become the leader of the Nets and he’s thrilled with having that responsibility, Lewis writes in a separate story. “It’s a new role. Personally I think I can fulfill it and succeed in it with who I am as a person,” he said. “I’m willing to take every bullet, take the blame for losing: I’m ready for all that. Personally, I think I’m ready, but we’ll see. Who wouldn’t want this? Who wouldn’t want this type of pressure, this type of expectations? If you really love the game and really want to be the best you can be, you’d want this …where you’re the main guy and everything’s on your shoulders.”
Luke Kornet has the inside track on the backup center role for the Celtics, Weiss tweets. “It starts with Luke. I thought Luke really did a great job last year,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I think he’s an underrated player and I don’t think people realize how effective he is. He’s a guy that’s always in the right spot defensively (and) makes the right play.”

USA Basketball Aggressively Pursuing Jrue Holiday For Olympics

October 8th, 2023 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jrue Holiday has had a whirlwind offseason. The new Celtics point guard now has something else to ponder — a spot on Team USA’s roster for the Olympics.

USA Basketball is aggressively pursuing Holiday to return to Team USA and play in Paris, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Holiday, 33, is still mulling whether to accept the offer. There are 12 coveted spots on Team USA’s Olympic roster.

USA Basketball is trying to bounce back from this summer’s disappointing showing in the FIBA World Cup, in which it failed to win a medal. Many of the country’s star players skipped the World Cup.

USA Basketball officials considered Holiday the second-most-impactful player, after Kevin Durant, on the 2021 gold medal team. Holiday’s on-ball defense, play-making and leadership are among the factors behind USA Basketball’s recruitment, Wojnarowski adds.

The Olympic team is expected to include LeBron James, Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum, if they accept invitations. Some other star players who publicly volunteered recently won’t be extended invitations, according to Wojnarowski. There’s no timetable on a Holiday decision.

Holiday, of course, has other things on his mind as he tries to adapt to another Eastern Conference contender. He was traded twice in recent weeks, first to Portland from Milwaukee in the Damian Lillard blockbuster and then to the Celtics.

Anthony Lamb Signs With New Zealand Breakers

October 8th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Lamb, who played for the Warriors last season, has signed with the New Zealand Breakers as an injury replacement, ESPN Olgun Uluc reports. Lamb’s contract will have an NBA opt-out clause, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

Lamb, a 6’6″ forward, is already with the Breakers in Portland as they prepare for their preseason games against NBA squads. He’s expected to play in the team’s preseason games against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday and against the Jazz on October 17.

Lamb averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game for the Warriors last season while appearing in 62 games during the regular season. He also saw action in six postseason contests.

Initially signed as a two-way player in Golden State, Lamb’s contract was converted to a standard deal in March. He became an unrestricted free agent when the Warriors didn’t extend him a qualifying offer.

He has also had stints with Houston and San Antonio.

The Breakers began their 2023/24 NBL season 1-1 before coming to the U.S. for the preseason games.

Celtics’ Jay Scrubb Suffers Torn ACL

October 8th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics reserve Jay Scrubb suffered a torn right ACL during practice on Saturday, the team’s PR department tweets.

Scrubb, a second-round pick in 2020, signed a two-way contract with Boston in mid-July after a strong Summer League showing. He averaged 16.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in those four games.

A 23-year-old guard, Scrubb finished last season with the Magic after signing a two-way contract in late March. He was waived in June.

Scrubb appeared in two games for Orlando late in the season, but spent most of his time in the G League. He averaged 22.2 points for the Lakeland Magic over 28 games, including 25 starts.

He previously played for the Clippers, appearing in a total 22 NBA games over two seasons.

Heat Notes: Camp Standouts, Swider, Martin, More

October 8th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined on Saturday, the Heat are one of four NBA teams currently carrying fewer than 14 players on standard contracts, meaning they could end up promoting one of their Exhibit 10 camp invitees or two-way players to the regular season roster.

So which of those players has made the strongest impression in training camp? When posed that question, Heat star Bam Adebayo singled out forward Cole Swider, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“Cole is really, really showing he can really shoot the ball,” Adebayo said. “He can play on different types of teams. He can play with the young fellas, he also can play with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love and be under control and learn how to flow in the offense.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra also mentioned Swider as a camp invitee who has impressed. Dru Smith and R.J. Hampton, who are both on two-way deals, have been among the camp standouts too, according to Spoelstra.

Justin Champagnie, Drew Peterson, Alondes Williams, and Cheick Diallo are also on Exhibit 10 contracts, while Jamal Cain is Miami’s other two-way player.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In breaking down the potential regular season roster scenarios for the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel points out that carrying a 15th man would push team salary above the second tax apron. As such, the Heat are likely to open the season with just 14 players on standard contracts, but as long as they leave a 15-man spot open, they won’t be able to maximize their games for players on two-way contracts, Winderman notes. As we explain in our glossary entry, a team that isn’t carrying a full 15-man roster is limited to 90 total games for two-way players instead of 150 (50 per player).
Heat forward Caleb Martin doesn’t mind if he ends up as a starter or a reserve, though he admitted that he finds it easier to get into a rhythm if he has a set role rather than toggling back and forth, according to Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. “The more I knew what I was going [to do role-wise going] into each game, that helped me a lot,” Martin said of how he was used last year.
Spoelstra was pleased with how the Heat’s training camp went this week, telling reporters that the team “got a lot accomplished” and that he likes the mix of returning players and newcomers on the roster, Winderman writes for The Sun Sentinel (subscription required). Spoelstra added that he feels good about the roster despite the offseason departures of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent. “I think we have, it just feels like we have more depth,” he said. “And it might be because it’s more functional positional depth, at specific positions.”

Jarkel Joiner, Keaton Wallace Waived By Hawks

October 8th, 2023 at 3:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Training camp invitees Jarkel Joiner and Keaton Wallace have been waived by the Hawks, Atlanta announced in a press release.

Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the two guards seem likely to next suit up with Atlanta’s NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

Wallace spent most of his 2022/23 season with the Clippers’ G league affiliate, the Ontario Clippers. Across 49 NBAGL contests, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals with a shooting line of .463/.382/.745.

Joiner went undrafted out of North Carolina State this summer. During his final NCAA season in 2022/23, the 6’1″ guard averaged 17.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.3 SPG en route to a second-team All-ACC selection.

As Exhibit 10 signings, Joiner and Wallace will be eligible for bonuses worth up to $75K, should they remain with the Skyhawks for at least 60 days.

The Hawks’ preseason roster has now been trimmed to 18 players, with all 15 standard roster spots and all three two-way spots currently occupied.

Alex Caruso Discusses Starting Role, DPOY Dreams, Play-In Finish, More

October 8th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls guard Alex Caruso offered some clarity about which position he prefers to play in an extensive conversation with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“The power forward one is not my favorite,” Caruso, who started at both the point guard and power forward positions at various points last year, told Johnson. “It took a toll on me the second half. It was rough. That’s one of the added benefits I think I bring to a team. I feel I’m pretty unselfish.”

Caruso addressed the possibility that he may not start games with the club this year.

“I’ve talked to (head coach) Billy (Donovan) and some of the assistants about being more selfish at times,” Caruso said. “It’s almost putting a burden on the team when I’m not selfish at times, when I pass up shots or pass up opportunities to be aggressive or to speak up. So this starting stuff is what it is. I’d rather play late in the game than early in the game. When it counts, I want to be on the court.”

Caruso, who made an All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career last season, did not start in Chicago’s first preseason game on Sunday, a 105-102 loss to a Bucks team missing stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.

Their entire chat is well worth reading in full. Here are some highlights:

Caruso on his next goals for end-of-season hardware:

“The way [Defensive Player of the Year] is kind of voted on and based off of now is the interior has the upper hand on that just because of blocks and rebounds. I probably don’t have enough of those to be under consideration. But you never know. I might have an incredible year.”

On how the Bulls’ two big new signings, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, can positively impact the team:

“We’ve already seen it. There was one play in practice today where me and Ayo (Dosunmu) got a stop and then Torrey got a block and Jevon got a strip and we got another stop. If we have me and Ayo and Drum (Andre Drummond) on that second unit and we add those two pieces, it’s going to be hard to get a good shot off against that second unit if we’re locked in. Once we do, we have multiple ball-handlers and can break out and run a little bit. I’m excited. They fit really well for the mentality that me and Ayo and Drum have played with the last couple years.”

On how he felt watching the Heat advance to the NBA Finals after narrowly beating Chicago during their play-in game:

“The playoffs are so matchup-based and Jimmy (Butler) was going crazy in that first round against the Bucks. That propelled them. Who knows what would’ve happened if we had won that game? I thought we played so well. It was almost the opposite of Toronto where I thought Toronto played better than us for two-and-a-half, three quarters and then we kind of won the game late. I thought we played better than Miami for the majority of that game and it was a better matchup for us. We had won the season series. And then they just made more plays and more shots down the stretch.

“Basketball is a make-or-miss league. But I don’t think back to that game as much as I do to four or five games during the season that we should’ve won. We should beat the teams that are under .500, definitely at home. And then you’re not even in the play-in game. And that didn’t sit well with me as I tried to sleep at night.”