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Injury Notes: Durant, Harden, Davis, Hornets

April 19th, 2021 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Kevin Durant had his bad injury luck continue on Sunday, as he left the team’s loss to Miami after just four minutes due to a left thigh contusion, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn is expected to assess the injury further today to determine whether Durant will miss some time.

“He’s sore, but we don’t know how severe. We’ll see (Monday) how he wakes up and go from there. But right now nothing’s been determined,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. “Honestly, I don’t know (if he’ll undergo an MRI or other testing) … I haven’t heard, but I imagine they’re going to assess him in the morning and see if a scan is necessary.”

Given the initial diagnosis, it seems unlikely that Durant’s injury is serious, but even so, it’s the latest setback in a season full of health issues for both the star forward and the Nets as a whole, and another hurdle in the team’s efforts to establish chemistry, writes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. The former MVP has appeared in just 24 of Brooklyn’s 57 games.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA, including a note on another Brooklyn star:

While James Harden is accompanying the Nets on their current three-game road trip, it sounds like that’s more about making sure he’s working out around the time, as Nash explained on Saturday (link via Petter Botte of The New York Post). Harden won’t necessarily be ready to return to action during the road trip, which concludes on Wednesday in Tampa.
Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to be back on the court soon, but it won’t happen on Monday, as the team has officially ruled him out for today’s game vs. Utah, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The Hornets have been hit hard by the injury bug this month, but got a key player back on Sunday, when PJ Washington (right ankle sprain) returned and played 34 minutes in a win over Portland. As Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes, Devonte’ Graham (left quad contusion) didn’t play, but had been listed as questionable for that game, suggesting his return is close.

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Bridges, Davis, Paschall

April 17th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeMarcus Cousins has earned a second 10-day contract with the Clippers and may turn out to be a keeper for the rest of the season, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. The 30-year-old center was out of the league for about six weeks after the Rockets waived him in February, but he was ready to play when he arrived in Los Angeles.

“I’ve put an incredible amount of work to get to this place,” Cousins said. “I feel great, my body feels great. I’m in probably the best shape I’ve been in my entire career. At this point, it’s about going out there and just putting everything together and just trying to continue to show that I’m healthy and I’m here to play this game at a high level. I understand the situation that I’m in, whatever opportunity is given to me, I plan on just taking full advantage of it, just controlling what I can control.”

Cousins has gotten into four games so far with the Clippers and is averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per night. Coach Tyronn Lue said the six-time All-Star is making a strong effort to fit in.

“Every single day, he’s working to try to pick up what we’re trying to do, and trying to get better,” Lue said. “For sure, every day. He’s coming in with the young guys early, putting in the work, going over the plays. He gets conditioning in, he does all the right things that he’s supposed to get his self to where he wants to be.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns coach Monty Williams credits a “pretty vulnerable conversation” with helping to turn around Mikal Bridges last season, according to Kevin Zimmerman of Arizona Sports 98.7. Bridges has become one of Williams’ most trusted players, ranking second on the team in minutes this year. “He’s always been a great kid, a great person,” Williams said, “but when I saw him take that conversation the right way, kind of knew he had a chance to grow, he had the capacity to grow as a player and a person.”
Anthony Davis is close to making his return, but Lakers coach Frank Vogel doesn’t expect it to happen Monday against the Jazz, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Davis hasn’t played since February 14 because of a right calf strain and tendinosis.
Warriors forward Eric Paschall is going through controlled individual workouts and hopes to practice with the team after its current road trip is finished, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). Paschall suffered a hip flexor strain that has kept him out of action since April 2.

L.A. Notes: Davis, Gasol, Cousins, Rondo

April 16th, 2021 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star Anthony Davis has been cleared to participate in full-contact practices and is close to returning to action, head coach Frank Vogel told reporters on Thursday (link via ESPN’s Dave Mcmenamin).

The eight-time All-Star, who has been dealing with a right calf strain and tendinosis, has now been sidelined for over two months, having last played on February 14. According to Vogel, Davis is unlikely to suit up for either of the Lakers’ games against Utah on Saturday and Monday, but the head coach didn’t entirely rule out that possibility, McMenamin writes.

When Davis does return, the plan is to incorporate him back into the lineup slowly, beginning with a playing-time limit in the 15-minute range, per Vogel.

“Whenever it is that he returns, it’s not going to be a full return to playing 30-something minutes a night,” Vogel said. “Especially with the nature of practice and how shorthanded we are, he’s going to have to use some games to try to get himself back in shape. So the first two games he’s back will likely be short-minute performances.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two Los Angeles teams:

Lakers center Marc Gasol sustained a volar plate fracture in his left pinky finger on Thursday, but he may not miss much – or any – time, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group, who tweets that Gasol has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Utah. “It’s my left hand, I don’t use it much anyways,” Gasol said. “So we’ll see.”
Before DeMarcus Cousins‘ 10-day contract with the Clippers expired on Wednesday night, head coach Tyronn Lue said the team was looking forward to continuing on with the veteran center, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The Clippers didn’t re-sign Cousins to a new deal on Thursday, so we’ll see if they do so today before tonight’s game in Philadelphia.
The Clippers paid a high price at the trade deadline for Rajon Rondo (Lou Williams, two second-round picks, and cash), but the veteran point guard has made that deal look like a smart one so far, as Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group details. Since Rondo made his debut on April 4, L.A. is 7-0 and has a staggering +32.0 net rating when the 35-year-old is on the court.

Anthony Davis Moving Closer To Return

April 10th, 2021 at 7:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers star Anthony Davis may be able to return to the court within the next seven to 10 days, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Team doctors will re-evaluate Davis’ condition on Thursday when the Lakers come home from their road trip, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said tonight on ABC’s pre-game show.

Davis hasn’t played since February 14 because of a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg. He took an important step forward two weeks ago when he received clearance to advance his on-court activities.

Davis was posting his typical All-Star numbers before the injury, averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks through 23 games. He signed a five-year max contract with Los Angeles in December.

The Lakers have been sliding down the Western Conference standings without Davis and LeBron James, who may miss another month or so with a high-ankle sprain. L.A. is 4-6 in its last 10 games and has dropped to fifth place, just two and a half games away from seventh and a spot in a play-in game.

Anthony Davis Cleared To Advance On-Court Work

March 27th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Lakers superstar Anthony Davis has been cleared to advance his on-court activities after undergoing an evaluation on Friday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Davis hasn’t played in nearly six weeks due to a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg.

“I mean, the truth is he gets evaluated every day,” head coach Frank Vogel said of Davis, as relayed by McMenamin. “You know what I mean? He does work, they treat him, they evaluate him. We’re in the middle of a ramp-up. But he’s still a ways away, so nothing concrete from a days [until return] standpoint right now.”

The advancements for Davis include “increased volume and intensity in shooting, dribbling, and position-specific drills,” a team spokesperson said. On the season, he’s averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 32.8 minutes per game, shooting 53% from the floor and 29% from three-point range.

The Lakers are also dealing with the loss of LeBron James, who’s expected to miss another three-to-five weeks due to a high ankle sprain. The team is 5-5 in its last 10 games and currently holds the fourth-best record in the Western Conference at 29-17.

Lakers Notes: Drummond, Schröder, Davis, Gasol

March 26th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet trade deadline, the Lakers will shift their focus to the buyout market, according to Mark Medina of USA Today, who takes a closer look at the team’s pursuit of big men such as Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge.

While a Thursday night report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports confirmed that the Lakers will get an opportunity to talk to both players, Aldridge is believed to be leaning toward the Heat, according to multiple reports. If so, the Lakers figure to zero in on Drummond, and executives around the league believe L.A. is the frontrunner to land the big man after he finalizes a buyout with Cleveland.

Appearing on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin Show on Friday morning (video link), ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a number of Lakers players have already been making an effort to recruit Drummond, who could potentially slide right into a starting role in Los Angeles.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder strongly hinted that he plans to reach free agency rather than signing an in-season extension, telling reporters on Thursday that while he wants to stick with the Lakers, he also wants to “see my options” (Twitter link via Bill Oram of The Athletic). A Thursday report stated that the Lakers and Schröder remain far apart in extension negotiations.
While he didn’t specifically confirm Shams Charania’s Thursday report that said Anthony Davis (calf) will miss at least two more weeks, head coach Frank Vogel said last night that Davis is “still a ways away,” tweets Medina.
Upon returning to the Lakers this week, Marc Gasol detailed his recent bout with COVID-19, admitting that the virus seriously affected him, as Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register writes. “I had a little bit of headaches, but I’m like, ‘Well, hopefully I’m going to be pretty much asymptomatic,'” Gasol said. “And then when it hits you, it hits you really hard, at least for me.”
The Lakers allowed fans into Staples Center for the first time on Thursday night, albeit on a small scale. The team received permission from local health officials to have 50 fans in the arena, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Latest On LeBron’s Recovery Timeline

March 25th, 2021 at 4:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

There’s more clarity on a recovery timeline for Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James as he deals with a high-ankle sprain. Shams Charania of Stadium reports (video link) that James “has an expected four-to-six week recovery period” from the time of his initial injury in a 99-94 loss against the Hawks last weekend, meaning he is about three-to-five weeks away as of this writing.

Charania adds that James’s still-ailing colleague, fellow Lakers All-Star forward Anthony Davis, is at least two weeks away from returning to the floor for Los Angeles. Davis has been sidelined for the past five weeks with a right calf strain.

When Charania initially commented on a timeline for the high-ankle injury, a more open-ended multiple-week absence was anticipated.

Prior to the injury, James had been gunning for his fifth MVP award, and his first since 2013, during a stellar year with the Lakers. James is averaging 25.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 7.9 APG, with a solid slash line of .513/.368/.703, across 41 contests during this truncated season.

The Lakers are clinging to the No. 4 seed at present in the crowded West, but have lost three straight games since LeBron went down (including the game during which he got hurt).

At 28-16, Los Angeles is currently two games ahead of the fifth-seeded Nuggets, who just ordered reinforcements during today’s trade deadline. The Lakers are six games ahead of the No. 10 seed in the West, the 22-22 Warriors.

Haynes’ Latest: Davis, Nurkic, Thompson, Raptors, McGee

March 15th, 2021 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers announced on Friday that Anthony Davis would miss at least the next two weeks as he continues to recover from his right calf strain and tendinosis. However, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Davis is unlikely to return immediately after the end of that two-week timeline.

Sources tell Haynes that the Lakers’ star forward/center is expected to be out for the next three weeks, and potentially longer than that. Even if Los Angeles slips a little more in the standings without Davis in its lineup, the team wants to be cautious in its handling of one of its two superstars, Haynes writes.

Including the game in which Davis went down, the Lakers have lost seven of their last 11, but they’re still comfortably holding a playoff spot in the West — they’re the No. 3 seed, at 25-13.

Here’s more from Haynes:

Injured Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) plans on making his return in about two weeks, sources tell Yahoo Sports. CJ McCollum (foot) said over the weekend that he’s aiming to return this week, so Portland could get two key starters back in its lineup before the end of the month.
According to Haynes, Celtics center Tristan Thompson is a candidate to be moved prior to next Thursday’s trade deadline, with the Raptors among his possible landing spots. The Toronto native has long been linked to his hometown team, and while nothing has ever come of those rumors, a union would make more sense now that the Raptors are in the market for an upgrade at center.
Cavaliers center JaVale McGee – who has drawn interest from contenders, including the Nets – isn’t entertaining a buyout, so if he changes teams, it will be via trade, says Haynes. While Brooklyn may prefer his teammate Andre Drummond, McGee’s modest $4.2MM salary will make him easier to move in a deal.
We passed along a few more items from Haynes earlier today, including notes on DeMar DeRozan, John Wall, and Hassan Whiteside.

Anthony Davis To Miss At Least Two More Weeks

March 12th, 2021 at 10:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anthony Davis will miss a minimum of two more weeks as he continues to recover from a right calf strain, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register relays (Twitter link).

The team said in a statement that Davis has been cleared to enter the “next phase of his return to play process.” However, the Lakers’ superstar big man won’t be re-evaluated again for two weeks.

Beginning with Friday’s contest against Indiana, the Lakers have a very busy schedule for the next couple weeks, as they’re scheduled to play nine games.

Davis was initially ruled out at least two or three weeks when he was first diagnosed with a right calf strain. That timeline was amended to four weeks on February 19, so Davis’ recovery has taken longer than expected.

Davis suffered the injury against the Nuggets on February 14. He was averaging 22.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG and 3.0 APG this season.

USA Basketball Expands Finalist List for Olympic Roster

March 11th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Arthur Hill

Fifteen players have been added to the list of finalists for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced today in a press release. The group will eventually be pared down to 12 players who will participate in the Olympic Games, which are set for July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will serve as coach for the U.S. team, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Villanova coach Jay Wright and former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce as his assistants.

No tryouts will be held this year. Instead, USA Basketball will choose the final roster by early summer. Training camp is scheduled to being in early July before the conclusion of the NBA playoffs.

“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA Basketball men’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that. Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability. But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

The new names under consideration are:

Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers)
Eric Gordon (Rockets)
Jerami Grant (Pistons)
Blake Griffin (Nets)
Jrue Holiday (Bucks)
DeAndre Jordan (Nets)
Zach LaVine (Bulls)
Julius Randle (Knicks)
Duncan Robinson (Heat)
Mitchell Robinson (Knicks)
Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
John Wall (Rockets)
Zion Williamson (Pelicans)
Christian Wood (Rockets)
Trae Young (Hawks)

Forty-two players remain from the original list, which was announced in February 2020:

Bam Adebayo (Heat)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Spurs)
Harrison Barnes (Kings)
Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Devin Booker (Suns)
Malcolm Brogdon (Pacers)
Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
Jimmy Butler (Heat)
Mike Conley (Jazz)
Stephen Curry (Warriors)
Anthony Davis (Lakers)
DeMar DeRozan (Spurs)
Andre Drummond (Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Nets)
Paul George (Clippers)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
James Harden (Nets)
Montrezl Harrell (Lakers)
Joe Harris (Nets)
Tobias Harris (76ers)
Gordon Hayward (Hornets)
Dwight Howard (Sixers)
Brandon Ingram (Pelicans)
Kyrie Irving (Nets)
LeBron James (Lakers)
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers)
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)
Damian Lillard (Blazers)
Brook Lopez (Bucks)
Kevin Love (Cavaliers)
Kyle Lowry (Raptors)
JaVale McGee (Cavaliers)
Khris Middleton (Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Victor Oladipo (Rockets)
Chris Paul (Suns)
Mason Plumlee (Pistons)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Myles Turner (Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Celtics)
Russell Westbrook (Wizards)
Derrick White (Spurs)

Two players removed from that list are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, and Celtics guard Marcus Smart. Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Smart turned down an invitation because of injury concerns due to having a short offseason and playing late into consecutive seasons (Twitter link).