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Atlantic Notes: George, Embiid, Knicks, Hauser, Queta

October 24th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Sixers star Paul George is continuing to progress well in his recovery from a bone bruise in his knee, but he will not be available for Philadelphia’s upcoming two-game road trip, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The next update on George’s availability will come early next week, per Charania.

Earlier Thursday, head coach Nick Nurse said both George and Joel Embiid were participating in “most of the action” at practice (Twitter link via The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey). The duo did not participate in the five-on-five scrimmages but were doing some live work.

As we previously relayed, the NBA officially launched an investigation into Embiid’s player participation. He has already been ruled out for the first three games of the year. Without George or Embiid in the season opener, the Sixers lost by 15 points to Milwaukee. They next travel to Toronto and Indiana.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The new-look Knicks were the talk of the offseason after making massive swings by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges via trade. However, they were defeated by 23 points in the opener against the Celtics, allowing 132 points. According to the New York Post’s Peter Botte, the Knicks are aiming to recovery quickly, starting at the defensive end. “That’s championship-level basketball. For us, it was a punch in the mouth and we gotta respond,” guard Miles McBride said. “Obviously, it’s a long year. Can’t overreact to one game, but I don’t think that’s how you go into a year and set the tone.“
  • Bridges acknowledged that the Knicks know they’re a work in progress, according to SNY Knicks (Twitter video link). “It’s not going to be right away,” Bridges said. “It’s going to take time and building. You can be a mediocre, a solid to okay team, but that’s not what we’re striving to be. We have to continue and get better every day.” The Knicks made the second round of the playoffs last year but struggled with injuries through the end of the year.
  • Celtics wing Sam Hauser, who played 24 minutes in the season opener and scored 10 points, missed Boston’s Thursday game against the Wizards, observes Spotrac’s Keith Smith (Twitter link). He’s dealing with lower back soreness.
  • Neemias Queta made a case for more minutes in the Celtics‘ win over the Wizards on Thursday, Brian Robb of MassLive writes. Queta scored 12 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes played, holding his own against Washington’s bigs. As Robb writes, the 25-year-old could help ease Al Horford‘s workload with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, George, Maxey

October 24th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Dana Gauruder

As expected, the NBA has officially launched an investigation into Joel Embiid‘s player participation, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

The player participation policy requires stars (defined as players who have made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons) to suit up for nationally televised games. If they’re held out of action without an injury or without the league granting an exception, the team is subject to a fine.

The Sixers have already stated that Embiid, who also didn’t play in the preseason, will miss the first three games of the season. They are determined to keep him fresh for the postseason.

We have more on the Sixers:

  • Philadelphia opened its season with a 15-point loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, as Paul George also sat out with a knee injury. Tyrese Maxey said that injuries can’t be used as an excuse, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We played one game,” Maxey said. “I’m not about to sit here and say that just because Jo was out, we played bad. Yes, we did not win the game, which is the ultimate goal. But we’ve been with Jo all preseason. All training camp for the most part. … I mean, this team, us winning can’t solely be on Joel Embiid. It just can’t.”
  • Embiid and George have developed a strong friendship. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell delves deep into this topic, noting they had extensive conversations at All-Star weekends. “He was like, ‘Man, regardless of what goes on, I look at you as someone that I want to be friends with for a long part of my life,’” George said. “And that was deep to me. Because we knew each other, but we didn’t know each other on that level yet. … [From] that point on, we just kind of built a stronger relationship, where it came to this summer.”
  • Despite the presence of that star veteran duo, Maxey feels he needs to become more of a leader, he told The Athletic’s Tony Jones. “I need to lead by example. I need to lead with my voice,” he said. “I know that I’m young, but I have to play well and if I do that I can demand respect with my play. I think Joel has given me the green light to lead, especially because he doesn’t talk as much. I have a lot of veterans in the locker room that are here to help me. But I really want to set a good example just by how hard I work.”
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Sixers Facing NBA Investigation Over Embiid’s Early-Season Absence

October 23rd, 2024 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA is expected to launch an investigation into Joel Embiid‘s absence from the Sixers‘ lineup this week to determine whether the team is violating the league’s player participation policy, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

The player participation policy requires stars (defined as players who have made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons) to suit up for nationally televised games. If they’re held out of action without an injury or without the league granting an exception, the team is subject to a fine.

The Sixers have already stated that Embiid will miss the first three games of the season, including Wednesday’s home opener vs. Milwaukee, which is being nationally broadcast on ESPN.

Embiid dealt with a left knee injury last season and the Sixers have referred to his absence this fall (he also sat out the preseason) as “left knee injury management.” However, Embiid played in the postseason and in the Olympics and head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Tuesday that the star center hasn’t suffered any setbacks, so the league clearly has questions about whether there’s legitimate cause for him to be held out for the start of the season.

Leading up to the season, the Sixers have repeatedly and publicly made it clear that they’ll handle Embiid extremely cautiously this season in the hopes of having him healthy for the playoffs. According to Charania, the club’s plan is expected to include “periodic time off during the regular season and routine evaluations from doctors and the 76ers medical staff.”

There’s enough wiggle room within the player participation policy (which also discourages teams from resting more than one star in the same game, frequently resting a star during road games, or resting a star during an in-season tournament game) for the Sixers to adhere to its rules and still get Embiid plenty of off-days during the season. But if they want to manage the former MVP’s participation on their own terms rather than on the NBA’s terms, the 76ers may have to prepare to pay some fines.

While Paul George has also been ruled out for Philadelphia’s regular season opener on Wednesday, he recently sustained a knee injury that he’s still recovering from, so there’s no potential violation of the participation policy there.

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Atlantic Notes: Raptors Injuries, Raptors Schedule, Mazzulla, McCain

October 22nd, 2024 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have listed RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Bruce Brown as out for their season opener against Cleveland on Wednesday, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.

Barrett is making progress in his recovery from shoulder injury. He was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday but still hasn’t been cleared for contact, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter links). Olynyk is dealing with back stiffness, while Walter and Brown are recovering from shoulder and knee injuries, respectively.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Raptors have acknowledged this will be a rebuilding season but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. The Raptors plan to push the pace and play an entertaining brand of basketball but their early schedule is brutal, Koreen notes. In its first 25 games, Toronto will have 22 matchups against teams that finished better .500 in 2023/24.
  • Joe Mazzulla had a blunt and somewhat amusing response to questions about the pressure to repeat as champions. “It’s not pressure,” said the Celtics coach, per ESPN News Services. “There’s nothing anyone in this circle can do to me that’s going to impact my identity and who I am as a person or a coach. We’re either going to win or we’re not, and 40 years from now, none of you are invited to my funeral and that’s it.”
  • Sixers first-rounder Jared McCain averaged 12.8 points and shot 37.9% on 3-pointers in five preseason games but he’s unlikely to find many minutes on a win-now team. McCain plans to work hard and deal with whatever’s thrown at him in his rookie campaign, he told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. McCain will be available for Philadelphia’s opener on Wednesday despite suffering bruised lungs during a preseason game last week. He’s not listed on the injury report, Pompey tweets.
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Injury Notes: Embiid, George, Reaves, Suns, Murray

October 22nd, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers will be without two members of their “big three” when they open their season on Wednesday vs. the Bucks, the team announced today. As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Joel Embiid and Paul George have both been ruled out for that game.

Embiid didn’t play at all during the preseason due to left knee management. In addition to being ruled out for Wednesday’s opener, the star center will also miss Friday’s game in Toronto and Sunday’s in Indiana before being reevaluated this weekend. However, the former MVP is expected to ramp up his return-to-play activities and will scrimmage this week, so it sounds like the isn’t far off from making his season debut.

As for George, he’s said to be recovering well after hyperextending his left knee during the preseason. He’ll also ramp up his on-court activities this week and hasn’t been ruled out for any games beyond Wednesday’s vs. Milwaukee. The plan is for the star forward to be reassessed later this week.

While it’s a somewhat discouraging sign for 76ers fans that two of the team’s three stars will be on the shelf for the start of the season, the team has repeatedly expressed a desire to play it safe with Embiid and George this season in the hopes of having them at full strength for the postseason, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the team isn’t rushing them back for the first of 82 regular season games.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Lakers guard Austin Reaves missed some time during the preseason with an ankle injury, but he said on Monday that the ankle feels great now and that he’s good to go for the club’s opener vs. Minnesota on Tuesday (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic).
  • Suns swingman Grayson Allen missed the team’s final four preseason contests due to a sore right Achilles, but he said he “did just about everything” in practice on Monday and hopes to be active when Phoenix’s season tips off on Wednesday vs. the Clippers, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Meanwhile, Suns guards Josh Okogie and Damion Lee are battling hamstring issues. “I think Damion is close,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Josh is a little bit behind those guys.”
  • Dejounte Murray isn’t injured, but his status for the Pelicans‘ opener on Wednesday vs. Chicago is up in the air since he’s away from the team due to a family emergency, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Head coach Willie Green said the team is “hopeful” Murray will be available to make his Pelicans debut on Wednesday.
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Injury Notes: Jackson, Grizzlies, Sixers, Raptors, Bufkin

October 21st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. will be sidelined for Wednesday’s regular season opener vs. Utah but head coach Taylor Jenkins said there’s a chance he could suit up later this week, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. Jackson was diagnosed with a low-grade hamstring strain at the beginning of October.

“Hamstring’s in a good spot, he’s been progressing well,” Jenkins said. “We’re going to be cautious, have him get a little more five-on-five in the next couple of days and probably trend more towards later in the week when he’ll return.”

Jackson has two years and about $48.7MM remaining on his contract. He was eligible to sign an extension worth $103MM over three years prior to Monday night’s deadline, but he’ll revisit a potential new deal in the offseason, sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That outcome was always considered likely, as the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year could earn far more money in 2025 than he can right now — he’d be eligible for a super-max extension if he wins DPOY, MVP or make an All-NBA team in 2024/25.

Jenkins also provided injury updates on Luke Kennard (foot soreness), Vince Williams (shin stress reaction), GG Jackson (foot surgery) and Cam Spencer (ankle sprain), Cole adds. Kennard will be sidelined for the first week of the season, Williams and Spencer are “still a couple of weeks away,” and Jackson will be reevaluated in late November.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

  • Joel Embiid (knee management) and Jared McCain (pulmonary contusion) were able to go through all of the Sixers‘ practice on Monday aside from 5-on-5 scrimmaging, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. Free agent addition Paul George, who sustained a hyperextended left knee in preseason action, did not practice but will be reevaluated on Tuesday, per head coach Nick Nurse.
  • Raptors wings RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter practiced on Monday, but the team didn’t do any contact work, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Darko Rajakovic called Barrett day-to-day, while Walter is considered seven-to-10 days behind his veteran teammate. Both players are dealing with sprained AC joints in their right shoulders.
  • Second-year guard Kobe Bufkin suffered a right shoulder injury in Saturday’s practice and is undergoing testing to determine the severity of the injury, the Hawks announced (via Twitter). It’s unclear at this time how long Bufkin will be out, but he’ll be sidelined for Wednesday’s regular season opener, per the team. Bufkin was limited to just 17 games as a rookie last season due to toe and finger injuries.
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And-Ones: M. Williams, Rookies, International Prospects, G League Trade

October 20th, 2024 at 7:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Monty Williams will be a head coach after all this season, just not in the pro or college ranks.

Williams has accepted the head coaching job at TMI Episcopal prep school in San Antonio, where he will coach his son Elijah, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Pistons fired Williams in June just one season after he signed a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

Williams is replacing former NBA forward Bruce Bowen at the San Antonio prep school, Haynes adds in another tweet.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Sixers Notes: Martin, Star Trio, Arena

October 20th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

One of the most underrated Sixers free agent additions of the summer was versatile three-and-D combo forward Caleb Martin. The veteran wing may not be a marquee name like nine-time All-Star Paul George, but he’s eager to prove his mettle as a multifaceted role player, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Pompey notes that Martin could prove to be a crucial “glue guy” for the club as it seeks its first title in 42 seasons. Martin expressed enthusiasm about taking on a complementary role.

“That’s how you fit in,” Martin said. “That’s how you complete the pieces of the puzzle. If everybody’s got the same agenda, averaging 20 points, playing the most minutes, getting up the most shots, that’s not how you complete a team.”

Although he’s just 6’5″, the 29-year-old is projected to serve as Philadelphia’s starting power forward, as he did during much of his tenure with the Heat. Martin was a key member of Miami’s charmed 2023 playoff run, which saw the club reach the NBA Finals.

During his final season in Miami in 2023/24, Martin averaged a career-best 10.0 points per game on .431/.349/.778 shooting splits, along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. He inked a four-year, $35MM deal with the Sixers this summer.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

  • Health will be paramount for the Sixers’ new “Big Three” of All-NBA center Joel Embiid, George, and All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey, Pompey writes in another Inquirer story. Maxey exited Friday’s preseason finale against the Magic after bruising his right thumb, but that was viewed as a precautionary decision. George is dealing with a hyperextended knee and is questionable to play in the team’s regular season opener Wednesday. Embiid hasn’t scrimmaged with the team or played a single game during the preseason as the 2023 MVP looks to manage his health with an eye towards playoff glory. Pompey notes that Philadelphia plans to exercise caution with the 34-year-old George in addition to Embiid.
  • Critics of the Sixers’ impending new arena in downtown Philadelphia have asked who will truly benefit from the building’s construction, according to Jeff Gammage, Sean Collins Walsh, and Anna Orsol of The Philadelphia Inquirer. While $50MM from team ownership has been allocated for the community, those critics question just how that money will be doled out. “We still have negotiations to do, and working with the development team and administration to make sure those changes that we believe are necessary will be put into either the legislation or the [agreement for the new arena,” city councilman Mark Squilla said.
  • In case you missed it, Philadelphia waived four players ahead of the start of the regular season.
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Central Notes: Drummond, Pistons, Bucks, Rivers, Garland, Carlisle

October 18th, 2024 at 11:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers center Andre Drummond spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career in Detroit, earning a pair of All-Star nods and leading the league in rebounding four times during his tenure with the Pistons. Even though the team only made the playoffs twice during that time and was swept out of the first round in both instances, Drummond looks back fondly on his stint with the franchise and hopes to eventually return.

“I call Detroit home to this day,” Drummond said on the Run Your Race podcast (YouTube link). “I still have a house in Detroit, just because of the connection that I have with the city. I feel like I became a man in that city. … I grew up so much there. I met some of my best friends there. I built a relationship with the fanbase and the community in Detroit.

“I’ve always said it, I want to finish my career there. The year I’m trying to retire, I want to finish in Detroit. Because that’s where I started and I want to finish there.”

Drummond is the second all-time rebounder in Pistons history, behind only Bill Laimbeer. He also ranks third in blocked shots on the franchise leaderboard.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Sam Amick of The Athletic spoke to Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and head coach Doc Rivers to get a sense of why the team is confident it will be better in 2024/25 than it was in ’23/24. “This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f—ing first round. Assert myself even more. Every year for me is important because one day, I’m going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I’m going to be like, ‘Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn’t able to do something.’ So dominate.”
  • In a separate interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers spoke about his enthusiasm for the upcoming season with the Bucks and defended his coaching record, pointing out that he’s constantly been in situations where he knows he’ll be criticized for anything less than a championship. “If you look at my path since leaving Boston, I’ve intentionally put myself in win-or-failure positions, knowing that in a lot of cases that if we fail, it’s on me,” Rivers said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my journey with Boston and how long it took me as a coach to get there, I want that position more than the, ‘Well, we can be fifth seed if some things go right’ position.”
  • After a trying 2023/24 season that included the death of his grandmother and a broken jaw that left him drinking out of a straw for weeks, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland says his “joy is back” ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. Chris Fedor has the story in a subscriber-only feature for Cleveland.com.
  • A resolution has been reached in a civil lawsuit filed by former agent Jarinn Akana against Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Akana alleged that Carlisle breached their contract by refusing to pay the full commission owed to the agent as a result of his 2018 extension with the Mavericks. A trial had been scheduled for April 28, 2025, but that court date will be avoided as a result of the resolution (the terms of which are confidential).
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And-Ones: Role Players, Mays, JTA, Dekker, Breakout Candidates

October 18th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is an example of a solid role player on a reasonable contract who has risen in prominence due to the roster building restrictions of the new CBA, as Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic details. McConnell signed a four-year, $45MM extension this offseason, though only the first two years are fully guaranteed.

“I’ve played the same way, I feel like, since I’ve gotten into the league,” he said. “The people that are best at adapting and changing, especially as role players, are the ones that last. And that’s what I’ve tried to do, play my game, but also adapt and change to what my team needs me to do.”

With stars frequently earning anywhere from 25-35% of the salary cap, and the league’s top spenders dealing with the ramifications of the tax aprons, finding role players who outperform their contracts has become even more important than it was previously, Thompson writes.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Skylar Mays has officially signed a one-year deal with Turkish EuroLeague club Fenerbahce, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. The move was expected, with reports out of Europe stating Mays was expected to be an injury replacement for veteran guard Scottie Wilbekin, who sustained a torn ACL. Mays, 27, split last season with the Trail Blazers and Lakers. Minnesota released him from his Exhibit 10 deal to give him the opportunity to sign with Fenerbahce.
  • Free agent forward Juan Toscano-Anderson has re-signed with the NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, the team announced (via Twitter). A five-year veteran, Toscano-Anderson spent a little over a month with the Kings last season, appearing in 11 games for 53 total minutes. He spent the rest of the 2023/24 season with the Capitanes.
  • In an interesting interview with Marc Stein (Substack link), veteran forward Sam Dekker discussed how he’s reinvented his game playing for the London Lions and why the implementation of a new salary cap system has complicated his situation in the British Basketball League. A former first-round pick (18th overall in 2015), the 30-year-old last played in the NBA in 2021 but he hasn’t given up on making it back — he worked out for the Warriors, Sixers and Bucks in June, though none of those sessions led to a contract offer.
  • Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists five breakout candidates for the 2024/25 season, including Hornets wing Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick of last year’s draft.
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