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Knicks Notes: Grimes, Barrett, Hart, Offseason

October 5th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Quentin Grimes worked with a pair of former NBA guards to get ready for the upcoming season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In addition to his annual summer workout with University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, Grimes spent time refining his jump shot with JJ Redick. According to Bondy, the idea came from head coach Tom Thibodeau and assistant Darren Erman, who recognized that Redick was proficient with the type of plays they want to see from Grimes.

“I know JJ Redick was one of the best shooters ever in this league. His conditioning was otherworldly, stuff like that. So I just tried to get in the gym with him, learn little things, how he would come off screens, pin downs, because I knew that would be some of the plays that were going to be run for me this season,” Grimes said. “So hopefully I’ll be prepared for them when I get my number called.”

Grimes is hoping to become more of a play-maker with the freedom to break down defenses. Bondy notes that he averaged just 1.89 seconds with the ball when it came to him last season and only 1.1 dribbles per touch. With Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle dominating the ball, Grimes was assigned to a catch-and-shoot role.

“It’s a good thing for me because I can space the floor, create driving lanes for RJ, whoever has the ball,” Grimes said. “But like I said, Thibs and (the assistant coaches), we had conversations this season like if I got the ball out there and I can make a play, go make a play.”

There’s more from New York:

Barrett hopes to build on his World Cup performance, Bondy adds in a separate story. He was one of the top contributors to Canada’s bronze medal run, averaging 16.8 PPG while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. “I think I learned the game a little bit more,” Barrett said. “It’s crazy physical. Refs don’t care. It’s a lot different over there. But it was fun. I really kind of just did the same thing, my same thing, played the same game. I feel like I’m a guy — whether it’s the league or it’s FIBA — I kind of do the same stuff.”
Playing power forward won’t be a new experience for Josh Hart, even though he’s undersized for the position at 6’4″, Bondy states in another piece. Hart said he guarded fours in Portland with Jerami Grant on the perimeter, which helped him to become an exceptional rebounder for his size.
Knicks fans shouldn’t be alarmed that the team didn’t make any major moves this summer, contends Zach Braziller of The New York Post. He defends the front office’s decision not to chase Damian Lillard or anyone else who was on the market while preserving the team’s assets for a more significant addition in the future.

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Williams, Craig, Donovan

October 5th, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu said he’s embracing the opportunity he has in training camp after an uneven second season. With Lonzo Ball still injured, there’s an open competition for the starting point guard role that also involves Jevon Carter and Coby White. The team invested in all three players this summer, re-signing Dosunmu and White while adding Carter in free agency.

“Ultimately, I think that competition is going to help our team in the long run,” Dosunmu said. “We go at each other and try to kill each other in practice. When we’re on the court together, it’s going to make our team much more smooth. Me going into my third year and our core group being together pretty much the same time, it’s getting time for us to turn the corner.”

After falling to the second round in the 2021 draft, Dosunmu became a contributor right away in his first season, starting 40 of the 77 games he played and earning second-team All-Rookie honors. With only a two-year contract, he got to test the market earlier than most players and decided that staying in Chicago was his best move.

“I came into free agency with an open mind that I could be playing anywhere,” Dosunmu said. “Put my feelings aside and basically try to secure what’s best for me and my game and my family for the future. Ultimately with praying, leaving it up to God, that was my path, to sign back with the Bulls.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Coach Billy Donovan said Patrick Williams will play an integral role this season, but the specifics are still being defined, Johnson adds in another story. Williams worked with the starters on the first day of training camp, but Donovan used Torrey Craig with that unit on Wednesday and plans to give Alex Caruso some time at power forward as well. “I think every player wants to start,” Williams said. “But I want to come in and play my game, however that plays out with the coaching staff. Part of being on a team is you have to trust the people you’re on a team with. You have to trust the plan they have for you. You might have to sacrifice.”
Craig believes he can provide something the Bulls have been lacking, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “A little bit of toughness,” he said, “a little bit of an edge for guys with raw emotion to say how they feel and wear those emotions on their sleeve.’’ Cowley notes that Patrick Beverley provided those same qualities when he signed with Chicago in February, but he left for Philadelphia during the offseason.
The Bulls’ added depth has Donovan contemplating a 10-man rotation, Cowley states in a separate story. Donovan may need the team to get off to a fast start, as oddsmakers have him listed as a 4-1 favorite as the first coach to be fired this season, according to the Sun-Times.

Lakers Notes: Hood-Schifino, LeBron, Davis, Storylines

October 5th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

A 20-year-old rookie on a deep, experienced team, Jalen Hood-Schifino likely won’t have a major role in his first NBA season, but multiple Lakers players pointed to this year’s No. 17 overall pick earlier this week when asked who stood out most at the club’s first practice, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

“I will give you one actually,” veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell said when asked about early camp standouts. “Jalen played really well today. Competitive. Made shots. Got after it.”

“Jalen looked really good today for his first day,” Austin Reaves said of the rookie. “So, super excited just to see what (he does).”

With Russell and Reaves penciled in to start, Gabe Vincent expected to play a major role, and Max Christie on track to get rotation minutes, it’s hard to see a clear path to regular playing time for Hood-Schifino in the backcourt as long as everyone is healthy. However, a strong showing in camp and the preseason could make the Lakers think twice about where he ends up on the depth chart.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

LeBron James was slowed in the spring by a foot injury that sapped him of some of his athleticism and explosiveness, but that hasn’t been an issue so far in camp, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Teammate Jarred Vanderbilt said that James has been “a freight train,” while head coach Darvin Ham confirmed the foot injury is no longer affecting the four-time MVP, who isn’t looking like the NBA’s oldest player. “He’s 100% healthy,” Ham said. “He looks fine. He looks like third- or fourth-year LeBron.”
The Lakers view the trash talk aimed at them by the Nuggets following Denver’s win over L.A. in last season’s Western Conference Finals as “motivational,” according to Anthony Davis, who said the team is looking forward to its regular season opener in Denver on October 24. “There was just so much of that going on it was like, ‘All right, we get it, y’all won,'” Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “But me and Bron had some conversations like, ‘We can’t wait (to play them again).”
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times has noticed a change in Davis’ demeanor this fall, writing that the star big man appears more focused, determined, and vocal as a leader. “I think I’m going to be the second-oldest guy here now, so guys lean on me a lot, especially the bigs,” Davis said. “I feel like it’s my responsibility, being one of the leaders on the team alongside Bron.”
Jovan Buha of The Athletic identifies 10 of the most important Lakers storylines to follow this season, including Russell’s future with the organization, whether Christie can make a leap, how the team will handle its stars’ workloads, and how frequently the coaching staff will use two-big lineups.

Warriors Notes: McGruder, Green, Saric, Paul, Thompson

October 4th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Before Rodney McGruder signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the Warriors, his closest connection with Draymond Green came through an expletive-filled tirade that Green delivered three years ago, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. After McGruder had a verbal confrontation with Juan Toscano-Anderson, Green went on a two-minute postgame rant asking when McGruder became his team’s “tough guy.”

“Draymond and I talked it out before I got here,” McGruder said. “It’s all love. It’s just the competitive nature of the game. You say things, you do things, then you move on.”

Green has become one of McGruder’s top supporters, Letourneau adds, because he can identify with the work the 32-year-old guard had to put in to carve out a role in the NBA. McGruder went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013, then spent time in Hungary and the G League before earning a contract with Miami. He finds himself trying to earn another roster spot late in his career, which Letourneau notes involves the challenge of beating out veteran forward Rudy Gay.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Dario Saric had offers in free agency from several teams that needed frontcourt depth, but he opted for a veteran’s minimum deal with Golden State because he saw a good fit with the roster, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “I looked (around at different opportunities) a little bit those couple days,” Saric said. “I looked a little bit at the Warriors, how they run stuff, how I can fit there. Obviously I think I can. … I hope I’ll prove to fans that I deserve to be part of this team.” Saric’s decision reunites him with former Suns teammate Chris Paul, and he’s confident they can duplicate the pick-and-roll chemistry they had in Phoenix.
Paul’s priority will be to keep the offense flowing when Stephen Curry isn’t on the court, states Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. At media day, coach Steve Kerr said the team has always struggled to get points without its star in the game. “Even when we had Kevin (Durant) and that group that won back-to-back titles, our whole goal for the non-Steph minutes was to just put a great defensive team on the floor and win those minutes with defense,” Kerr said. “We’ve never really generated great offense with Steph on the bench. Chris will help us do that.”
Kerr plans to continue the practice of having Klay Thompson guard some power forwards, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr wants to have Curry, Paul and Thompson on the floor together frequently, and Andrew Wiggins is needed to match up with high-scoring small forwards.

Celtics Notes: Holiday, Mazzulla, Gabriel, Redick

October 4th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics owners, front office members and even Hall of Famers were raving about Jrue Holiday‘s performance Wednesday in his first practice with the team, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said the energy reminded him of the first practice session after Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were acquired in 2007. Co-owner Steve Pagliuca said Paul Pierce told him he had never seen anything to match Holiday’s intensity, then Pagliuca offered a few superlatives of his own.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen Jaylen Brown be stopped going to the hoop with a full head of steam, and he just ran right into Jrue,” Pagliuca said. “And that was it. It was incredible. One of the most incredible things I’ve seen in practice.”

Pagliuca added that the organization has been enamored with Holiday for years and had been hoping he would eventually become available. That opportunity arose after he was sent to Portland last week in the Damian Lillard trade, and the Celtics were determined that they wouldn’t be outbid when the Trail Blazers put him back on the market. Holiday said that as soon as the trade was finalized, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla sent him video clips of the team’s pick-and-roll coverages and offensive sets.

“From the beginning, (Mazzulla’s) told me my role is to do everything,” Holiday said. “Do everything, be all over the floor defensively, be able to control situations offensively, situations to calm us down and get good shots toward the end of games. But I think when it comes down to it, it’s about winning. It’s about keeping this culture of winning and Joe’s a part of that and the way he’s communicated with me has been awesome.”

There’s more from Boston:

Holiday told reporters that the Celtics have already had discussions with him about a contract extension and are hoping to reach an agreement on a long-term deal as soon as he becomes eligible, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
Holiday credits Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin for helping him get to a place where he wanted to be, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “Portland blessed me,” Holiday said. “Joe Cronin did a great job of communicating with me on how I wanted to proceed. … Working with him was very easy, very seamless, and made all of this possible.”
Wenyen Gabriel, who signed with the Celtics on Tuesday, hopes to provide an answer to the team’s need for frontcourt depth, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Gabriel isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, but he believes he can provide what the team needs. “I’m not thinking they’re expecting me to do anything new that’s out of the character of what I’ve already done in terms of bringing energy, toughness, getting us extra possessions, being able to switch, being versatile out there, running the floor, being athletic, blocking shots,” Gabriel said. “There’s a lot of different things I can do defensively, being a good help defender. So there’s a lot of things that I already do as a player.”
Former NBA guard JJ Redick revealed on his podcast that the Celtics offered him a job as an assistant coach last September and again when Damon Stoudamire left in March, relays Brian Robb of MassLive.

Clippers Notes: Westbrook, George, Morris, Defense

October 4th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Media day was much different this year for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook than it was in 2022 when he was a virtual outcast on the Lakers, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Westbrook conducted a “jovial” 17-minute session with reporters, which Swanson notes is about 11 minutes longer than he talked to Lakers media last year. He expressed a desire to win a title, but added some philosophy about other things that can happen along the way.

“Every team comes into media day, training camp, we’re going to win a championship, and we understand that’s the goal,” Westbrook said. “But personally the championship-or-bust mentality to me is just not a real thing. It’s like a thing that people make up. Like winning a championship or bust. It’s not true. You can accomplish a lot more. You can create brotherhood. You can learn so much more about people. You can figure out ways how you can as a team, collectively. There’s just so many lessons that I’ve personally learned.”

Westbrook’s unhappy experience with the Lakers turned around after he was traded to Utah at the deadline and joined the Clippers following a buyout with the Jazz. He was the pure point guard the team had been needing, and he raised the level of play before injuries shut the door on L.A. in the postseason.

“Leadership is one of my biggest qualities,” he said Monday. “It’s something that I really embrace and enjoy.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

Paul George confirmed on Wednesday that he’s engaged in extension talks with the team, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. He told reporters that negotiations are “active but both sides have to be on the same page and that’s just what we’re trying to figure out.”
After 12 NBA seasons, Marcus Morris is used to hearing his name in trade talks, Greif adds (Twitter link). With a $17.1MM expiring contract, Morris was involved in rumors throughout the summer. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a veteran,” he said. “You go with the flow, if it happens it happens, if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a Clipper. I’m a Clipper until I’m not. I’m here to help the team in any capacity.”
At media day, coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the need to improve on defense and challenged his team to finish in the top five in that category this season, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Holiday, Middleton, Fifth Starter

October 4th, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Damian Lillard said it’s “definitely different” to see himself in a Bucks uniform after 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers. The week since the trade was finalized has been a whirlwind for Lillard, who flew into Milwaukee on Saturday, participated in media day on Monday and worked out with his new teammates for the first time on Tuesday.

Lillard, who was given a break from practice on Wednesday, said the idea of being with a new organization really hit him for the first time Saturday night after the introductions, his physical and a video were all complete.

“And then by the time I got back to the spot and I was sitting there by myself,” he said. “I kind of just took it all in and just thought about all the different moving parts of it. And that was when I was just like, ‘Man, this is where I’m supposed to be. This is what it’s supposed to be.’ And in that moment, I just settled in with it.”

Lillard insisted that he doesn’t harbor any bitterness toward anyone from the Blazers, even though his exit was more contentious than he wanted it to be. He confirmed that the opportunity to go to Milwaukee cropped up about two weeks ago and said agent Aaron Goodwin supported it as “the best basketball situation.”

Lillard also expressed excitement about the chance to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a player he has long admired for his competitiveness and work ethic.

“When I hear him speak and how he goes about his business, he speaks my language,” Lillard said. “He goes about it in the way that I’ve always done it. And for me to be able to coexist, I think that’s the kind of person that it would mesh best with.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

At Monday’s media day, general manager Jon Horst talked about how difficult it was to part with Jrue Holiday, but he believed the team had to react when the chance arose to acquire Lillard, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Holiday was an integral part of the 2021 title team and a beloved member of the community. “In the same breath, we’re really excited about this team, the change that’s happening, the way we’re going to play and hopefully the dominance that we’re going to play with,” Horst said. “It’s a great opportunity for this organization, and we’re really excited about it.”
Coach Adrian Griffin gave evasive answers when asked about the status of Khris Middleton, who wasn’t a full participant at today’s practice, Nehm tweets. Griffin wouldn’t say whether it’s a knee issue that is limiting Middleton – who underwent knee surgery in the spring – and didn’t commit to having him ready for the season opener.
The Bucks have several options to fill the starting spot that opened up when Grayson Allen was sent to Phoenix in the Lillard trade, notes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Owczarski examines what Malik Beasley, MarJon Beauchamp and Pat Connaughton would each bring to the starting lineup.

Reggie Bullock Signs With Rockets

October 4th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 4: The signing is official, the Rockets announced (via Twitter). Bullock’s contract is a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

OCTOBER 3: Veteran swingman Reggie Bullock intends to sign with the Rockets, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Bullock, who finalized a buyout agreement with the Spurs over the weekend, received interest from multiple clubs, according to Charania. He’ll join a Rockets team that had been seeking another rotation player to replace Kevin Porter Jr., who is not expected to play another game for Houston following his arrest last month.

Bullock, who was traded from the Mavericks to the Spurs as part of the three-team Grant Williams deal in July, spent the past two seasons with Dallas, serving as a part-time starter. His scoring average dipped to 7.2 points per game last season, his lowest mark since 2016/17. However, he still made 38.0% of his three-point attempts, which is right in line with his 38.4% career rate.

The Rockets have made an effort this offseason to bring in veteran talent in the hopes of moving up the standings following three consecutive seasons with no more than 22 wins. Bullock will join Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green among the team’s veteran newcomers.

Charania’s report says Bullock will sign with Houston after he clears waivers, but NBA.com’s official transaction log indicates that the 32-year-old was officially cut on Saturday, meaning he would’ve cleared waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Monday. That means he should be free to complete his deal with the Rockets anytime.

While details of Bullock’s deal haven’t been reported, it seems likely to be a one-year, minimum-salary contract. Houston has an open spot on its 21-man preseason roster and won’t have to cut anyone to make room for Bullock.

Blazers Notes: Team Leader, Ayton, Thybulle, Sharpe, Brogdon

October 4th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

With their long-time leader now in Milwaukee, the Trail Blazers need someone to step up and fill that role, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Last week’s trade of Damian Lillard left Portland not only without its top scorer and No. 1 option in crunch time, but also someone who can take control of the locker room.

Point guard Scoot Henderson seems like the best candidate to eventually accept that responsibility, but he’s only 19 and still has a lot to learn about life in the NBA. Quick notes that Anfernee Simons has been on the roster longer than anyone, but he doesn’t have an outspoken personality. The same is true of Jerami Grant, who’s the team’s second-oldest player at 29 and its top returning scorer.

General manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups see the lack of a defined leader as a positive situation because it can encourage competition throughout the roster.

“It’s ‘Come and get it,’” Cronin said. “We have many guys who are very capable or talented enough to be The Man. It’s who is going to emerge from that? Who is going to emerge not just in play, but in leadership?”

There’s more from Portland:

Deandre Ayton will likely see more scoring opportunities than he did with the Suns, but he won’t be the focus of the Blazers’ offense, Quick adds. Ayton was often frustrated over not getting the ball enough with his former team. “We are not bringing Deandre here for him to be (Joel) Embiid, where we throw him the ball 30 times a game and say ‘All right, go be the MVP,’” Billups said. “Like, that’s not going to be his role. However, he will probably have a more expanded role than he had in Phoenix. But again, we have a lot of young guys who are figuring out … these things take time.”
Matisse Thybulle and Shaedon Sharpe are battling to be the starting small forward and Thybulle appears to have the early advantage, tweets Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Billups said Grant will start at power forward, while Robert Williams will back up both Ayton and Grant. Simons will start at either point guard or shooting guard, and everything else will be decided during training camp and the preseason. Henderson and Sharpe are both expected to play extensively whether they start or not.
There has been speculation that the Blazers will try to trade Malcolm Brogdon after acquiring him from the Celtics on Sunday, but the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is preparing to stay in Portland, tweets Casey Holdahl. “They want me here, I want to be here,” Brogdon said. “There’s a lot of misleading information out there about they need to trade me or I want to go. … I’m embracing being here.”
Toumani Camara, who was acquired from Phoenix in the Lillard deal, has been an early standout at camp, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

Heat Notes: Richardson, Lowry, Beal, Butler

October 4th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have been considering a reunion with Josh Richardson since they traded him in 2019, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami valued Richardson, but needed to include him in the deal that brought Jimmy Butler from Philadelphia. The 30-year-old swingman has bounced around the league since then, spending time with the Mavericks, Celtics, Spurs and Pelicans before returning to Miami this summer on a two-year veteran’s minimum contract.

“It’s always kind of been there,” Richardson said of coming back to the Heat. “It almost happened a couple times. But all the chips didn’t fall in place. But I mean, when I left, me and (coach Eric Spoelstra) talked about it that it was going to happen eventually. It’s just one of those things.”

Spoelstra also remembers that conversation, in which he told Richardson that the organization would likely try to sign him again someday. Spoelstra reached out this summer on the first night of free agency and was able to convince Richardson to return.

“It was one of those special conversations because we were able to revisit some of the things that we talked about back when he left,” Spoelstra said. “One of the things was he was a big piece, obviously, to get the transformative piece (Butler) for us. You take that as an incredible compliment as a player. Sometimes it sucks in this business to be involved in a move like that. But we invested so much in him.”

There’s more from Miami:

Kyle Lowry expects to return to the starting lineup this season, but it’s not clear if Spoelstra is thinking that way, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson points out that Lowry was more effective as a reserve after returning from knee issues last season, and coming off the bench makes it easier for Spoelstra to control his minutes. A $29.7MM expiring contract could make Lowry a trade candidate by the February deadline, so he may not be in Miami’s long-term plans.
The Heat decided not to aggressively pursue Bradley Beal when the Wizards made him available in part because they don’t want a player with a no-trade clause, Jackson adds in the same piece. Washington gave Beal that perk when he signed a new contract last summer and he retained it when he was traded to Phoenix.
Butler claims he wasn’t serious when he said in an Instagram video that the Bucks should be investigated for tampering after trading for Damian Lillard, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. “I just say stuff all the time on my socials,” Butler said. “It’s funny, because nobody ever knows what I’m doing. So it’s a big deal whenever I do do something on social besides play dominoes and go to tennis matches. So if I say check somebody for tampering, I guess everybody takes it serious.”

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