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Central Notes: Taylor, Stephenson, Cunningham, Bucks

February 3rd, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers rookie swingman Terry Taylor recorded career highs of 24 points and 16 rebounds in 37 minutes of action on Wednesday. Taylor, a two-way player who earned a spot on the roster after going undrafted, may be forcing his way into the team’s future plans, according to James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Taylor played out of position against the Magic as a very undersized center with Indiana’s frontcourt depleted by injuries.

“He was tremendous,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s got a real good feel for the game. He knows who he is. He knows his strengths, he plays to them. He’s a very unique player. He’s worked extremely hard to get this opportunity to be in the NBA and have a chance to get minutes and he’s making the most of it.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The cap hit that the Pacers will take by signing Lance Stephenson to a rest-of-the-season contract is $642,729, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Stephenson will make $924,730. The signing leaves Indiana $1.4MM below the luxury tax threshold but the team could get $1.3MM in tax relief if Domantas Sabonis is not selected as an All-Star replacement. He wasn’t among the initial group of Eastern Conference reserves announced on Thursday.
  • Top pick Cade Cunningham missed the Pistons’ home game against Minnesota on Thursday, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets. Cunningham suffered a hip pointer in a loss to New Orleans on Tuesday. He’s questionable to play against Boston on Friday.
  • The Athletic’s Eric Nehm takes a look at potential trades for the Bucks before next week’s deadline and possible buyout acquisitions after the deadline passes.
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And-Ones: Giddey, Cunningham, Fitch, Bell, More

February 3rd, 2022 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder guard Josh Giddey has been named January’s Rookie of the Month for the Western Conference, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham earned the honors for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced on Wednesday (Twitter link). The other nominees can be found here.

With most of this season’s top rookies in the East, Giddey won the Western award for a third straight time. He averaged 13.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 6.1 APG on 14 games (33.2 MPG) for the Thunder in January, posting a shooting line of .443/.284/.786.

Cunningham is a first-time Rookie of the Month, joining Evan Mobley and Franz Wagner as the East’s award winners so far in 2021/22. The rising Pistons star got off to a slow start, but began to flash more potential in January, averaging 17.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 4.2 RPG on .420/.365/.879 shooting in 15 games (32.3 MPG).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The Suns‘ 13-1 performance in January earned head coach Monty Williams his second Coach of the Month nod of 2021/22, the NBA announced on Wednesday (via Twitter). Williams was also named the Western Conference’s Coach of the Month for October/November. J.B. Bickerstaff, whose Cavaliers had an 11-4 month, was the East’s Coach of the Month for January.
  • Hall-of-Famer Bill Fitch, a two-time Coach of the Year, has passed away at age 89, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link). Fitch coached the Cavaliers, Celtics, Rockets, Nets, and Clippers from 1970-98, winning a title with Boston in 1981.
  • Veteran NBA big man Jordan Bell was acquired this week by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers‘ G League affiliate, per a press release. The Mad Ants made a trade with the Santa Cruz Warriors – Golden State’s affiliate – to secure Bell’s NBAGL rights.
  • In an in-depth story for The Athletic, Joe Vardon details the series of logistical nightmares the Nigerian national team experienced en route to competing at the Tokyo Olympics last summer. As Vardon outlines, several assistant coaches who flew to Japan never made it into the Olympics and Nigeria nearly wasn’t able to play its first game after almost missing a necessary round of COVID-19 testing. The team entered the Olympics with medal aspirations, but lost all three of its round-robin games and was quickly eliminated.
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NBA Announces 2021/22 Rising Stars Rosters

February 1st, 2022 at 6:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has revealed the 28 players (12 rookies, 12 sophomores, and four G League Ignite players) who will suit up for the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars Game in Cleveland this year, per its official PR account (Twitter links). There are a few intriguing surprises among the first-year NBA players.

Here are the players who made the cut:

Rookies:

Sophomores:

Additionally, four players from the G League Ignite will participate in the Rising Stars Game based on voting from NBA G League head coaches. The NBAGL has announced (Twitter link) that MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, Jaden Hardy and Scoot Henderson will partake in the action. Players will be separated into four teams, and each G League player will be drafted to join one of the teams later this week.

Among the rookie NBA players, the additions who would be most surprising ahead of the 2021/22 season would be Dosunmu and Jones, both of whom were second-round draft selections. 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, James Bouknight, Joshua Primo and Moses Moody were all omitted from inclusion this year.

Among the second-year players, Ball could be appearing on multiple nights during All-Star Weekend this season, as he appears to be a very possible first-time All-Star this year thanks to his outstanding work with the upstart Hornets.

The lottery-bound Magic, Pistons, and Rockets can boast having the most inclusions here, with three players apiece.

As we detailed last week, this year’s Rising Stars event will look a little different, with the four teams taking part in a mini-tournament and playing to a target score in each game: 50 points in the semifinals and 25 points in the final, in honor of the league’s 75th anniversary season.

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Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Cunningham, Garza, Stephenson

January 23rd, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers‘ improved play this season has put them in position to be unhappy after a win, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Victories have been rare in Cleveland over the past three seasons, but with the Cavs in fifth place in the East at 28-19, coach J.B. Bickerstaff is stressing the importance of a strong performance every night.

That’s why he was upset Saturday after watching his team struggle to put away the Thunder. Bickerstaff was displeased over a lack of effort and an offense that produced 23 turnovers and only 22 assists.

“It’s an understanding of the bigger picture of what we’re trying to get done and the seriousness of every game for us and what it means,” he said. “That’s part of our growth and maturation. There’s games like this where if you lose these games, you’re looking back in April and they matter.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Head coach Dwane Casey wants to take some of the ball-handling duties away from Cade Cunningham, who is running the offense and handling much of the scoring for the short-handed Pistons, per Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Injuries to Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and Killian Hayes have resulted in Cunningham taking on a larger-than-expected share of the offense. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting him off the ball,” Casey said. “Find another ballhandler. When we get Kelly (Olynyk) back, get his time up as a point five, allowing Cade to play off the ball a little more and that’ll take the pressure off Cade, because to bring the ball down the floor, create his own shot, that’s too much.”
  • Pistons rookie center Luka Garza has cleared the health and safety protocols and is focused on reconditioning so he can start playing again, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
  • The Pacers have to make a decision on Lance Stephenson, whose 10-day contract expires tonight, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Stephenson joined the team under the hardship provision at the start of January, but because all of Indiana’s players cleared protocols by the time that deal expired, he had to sign a standard 10-day contract. The Pacers have the options of giving him another 10-day deal or signing him for the rest of the season. He has averaged 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 11 games.
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Seven Pistons Exit Protocols, Nuggets’ Monte Morris Enters

December 31st, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Josh Jackson, Cory Joseph, Saben Lee, Trey Lyles, and Rodney McGruder have all exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols for the Pistons, James Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

All seven players are listed as out for Saturday’s contest against San Antonio due to reconditioning. The Pistons’ next game after Saturday will be Monday against the Bucks, when several of the players could return to action. Second-year big man Isaiah Stewart is now the lone player still in the protocols for Detroit.

In other COVID-related news, Nuggets point guard Monte Morris has become the fourth Denver player to enter the protocols in the past two days, joining Jeff Green, Bones Hyland, and Zeke Nnaji, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). Morris has started all 32 of his games this season (30 MPG), averaging 12.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 4.3 APG on a .479/.380/.783 shooting line.

The Nuggets signed Davon Reed to his third 10-day hardship contract Thursday, and reportedly plan to sign Rayjon Tucker to a deal as well.

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Pistons’ Cunningham, Sixers’ Green Enter Protocols

December 22nd, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The list of players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols continues to grow. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Sixers wing Danny Green are the two latest players to enter the protocols, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Word broke earlier this afternoon that Detroit had lined up a hardship deal with Cheick Diallo, which suggested that a Piston was about to enter the health and safety protocols. Unfortunately, it’s the No. 1 overall pick, who had been hitting his stride lately after a slow start to his rookie season.

Despite a couple clunkers this week vs. Miami and New York, Cunningham has averaged 18.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 5.7 APG on .447/.441/.826 shooting in his last 10 games (33.9 MPG). Now, he’ll be sidelined at least 10 days, unless he can register two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart before then.

While Cunningham is the first Piston to enter the health and safety protocols this week, Green has some company in Philadelphia — Andre Drummond, Shake Milton, and Georges Niang are also in the protocols. The Sixers have already signed one replacement player – Tyler Johnson – and are eligible to add more if they so choose.

By our count, there are now 96 NBA players in the league’s health and safety protocols, though that number is constantly fluctuating.

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Central Notes: Cunningham, DiVincenzo, LeVert, Pacers Trade Options

December 7th, 2021 at 9:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 4-19 Pistons, losers of nine straight games, are currently sole owners of the NBA’s worst record. Happily from a big-picture perspective, intriguing rookie guard Cade Cunningham is showing promising early signs of development, details James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

Cunningham was shelved for Detroit’s entire preseason and the early portion of the 2021/22 regular season with an ankle injury, but has come on in a big way across the Pistons’ last four games. In that time, Cunningham has averaged 22 PPG while shooting 51% from the floor and 50% from deep, along with 7.7 RPG and 3.2 APG. Overall, the 6’6″ point guard is averaging 14.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 4.6 APG across the 18 games he has played this season.

“I feel like my voice is heard in the locker room,” Cunningham said of where he stands on the Pistons roster. “That hasn’t been a problem for me. We have a good group of guys.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Injured Bucks starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo will continue to rehabilitate with Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. DiVincenzo will practice with the Herd ahead of an anticipated return to the floor for the Bucks. The 24-year-old tore an ankle ligament during the first series of the Bucks’ 2020/21 title run. Last year, the Villanova alum averaged 10.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.1 across 66 regular season games for Milwaukee.
  • After it was floated earlier today that the Pacers would be open to offloading players following an underwhelming 10-16 season start under the stewardship of new head coach Rick Carlisle, Evan Sidery of Basketball News has cooked up some intriguing potential trade destinations for swingman Caris LeVert. Clubs like the Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Jazz Mavericks and Pelicans are all considered fits by Sidery. Sidery notes that LeVert has become movable thanks in part due to the emergence of rookie wing Chris Duarte.
  • As the Pacers look to shake up their roster, Clark Wade of The Indianapolis Star wonders which Indiana players the club should trade. The markets for big men Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, plus lead guard Malcolm Brogdon, all good players on agreeable contracts, should be robust, though Brogdon won’t be trade-eligible until the offseason.
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And-Ones: Ferrell, Red Sox Owners, Mobley, Allen

November 25th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

Former NBA guard Yogi Ferrell has left Greece’s Panathinaikos in order to seek a better opportunity, per Stavros Barbarousis of EuroHoops.net. Ferrell was unhappy with his limited role — he was averaging just eight minutes in five EuroLeague games. The 28-year-old point guard was waived by the Clippers in September after spending the last five years in the NBA.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Fenway Sports Group wants to buy an NBA team once its acquisition of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins is completed, Axios’ Dan Primack reports. FSG has been buying marquee franchises in different geographic markets. It not only owns the Boston Red Sox, it also has also acquired a NASCAR team and the Liverpool F.C. soccer club. Additionally, it has an investment in Spring Hill Group, a content production firm co-founded by LeBron James.
  • Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley tops ESPN’s first rookie power rankings this season. Writer Mike Schmitz ranks the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes and the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham second and third, respectively. Mobley is currently out due to an elbow injury.
  • Tony Allen has asked the Grizzlies to postpone his jersey retirement until next season, according to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Allen is currently dealing with federal charges for his alleged role in a multi-million dollar health insurance fraud scheme. Allen’s jersey retirement was scheduled for January 28.
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Central Notes: DeRozan, Jones Jr., Allen, Cunningham, J. Jackson

November 17th, 2021 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls are off to an outstanding 10-4 start and sign-and-trade acquisition DeMar DeRozan is a huge reason why. DeRozan scored 38 points against the Lakers on Monday, shooting 15-for-23 from the field, 2-for-5 from deep, and 6-of-6 from the line while adding six assists to an all-around great performance. Jamal Collier of ESPN writes that DeRozan is carrying “so many chips” on his shoulder, which he uses as motivation.

“I can go down the list of just being counted out, being looked over,” DeRozan said. “So many chips that’s on my shoulder that I carry. And just wanting to be a winner and wanting to enjoy this ride. We can’t play this game forever, so I want to get as much as I can out of it.”

Through 14 games, DeRozan is averaging 26.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a stellar .510/.371/.873 shooting line. Now 32, DeRozan says he’s never viewed his age as an issue and his new team is allowing him to be the best version of himself on the court.

“I never looked at age as being an issue,” DeRozan said. “I never looked at it. People put the age limit on everything, and I never did. The way I worked, the way I take care of my body, the way I prepare, I knew what I was capable of doing. I just took different roads the last couple years of playing basketball, trying to do the right thing, figuring it out.

“This time, just knowing my ability was always there, I never lost confidence. I never thought I couldn’t be who I was before. Chicago allowed me to completely be myself.”

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr., an unrestricted free agent in 2022, recently spoke to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. With Nikola Vucevic sidelined, Jones has been getting minutes as a backup center, which is a new experience for him at the NBA level. Jones says he’s happy to defend anyone on the court. “Me personally, I’m not tripping. I love being on the floor, so any opportunity I get to be out there and just be able to contribute to winning and competing that’s all I want to do. I’m a competitor at the end of the day. I don’t care if I have to guard a five or a guard,” Jones said.
  • Bucks guard Grayson Allen, acquired via trade in the offseason, is loving his time in Milwaukee, writes Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I know I’ve only been in Milwaukee and with the Bucks a short time but I’m really excited to have this extension here. It’s an incredible culture, incredible group of guys here. I’m really happy to be part of this group and extending my time here,” Allen said. He signed a two-year extension prior to the season and is averaging a career high 16.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14 games (29.9 minutes per game), with a .451/.438/.920 shooting line. He’s third in the NBA in three-pointers made.
  • Despite battling an injury to start his rookie campaign, Pistons first overall pick Cade Cunningham remains ever-confident in his abilities on and off the court, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Cunningham says he’s constantly adding to his game. “Every game, I feel like I add something to the hard drive and something to my game,” Cunningham said. “I’ve learned so much about me as a person and me as a player since I got to the NBA. It’s promising for me, at least, to stay confident and just believe in myself for the future.” Cunningham had 25 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on Monday against the Kings.
  • Rod Beard of The Detroit News details how Pistons forward Josh Jackson found his way home to Detroit, and now he’s finding his way with the team. Jackson, an unrestricted free agent in 2022, says he grew up a Pistons fan. “It just kind of makes me feel like everything came full circle for me. Obviously, this was the team I grew up watching pretty much all of my early years,” Jackson said.
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Pistons Notes: Growing Pains, Cunningham, G League Team

November 9th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Outside of Jerami Grant, the Pistons‘ starting lineup is made up entirely of first- and second-year players. And while the franchise is high on the long-term prospects of those players – Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart – head coach Dwane Casey acknowledged that there will be growing pains as Detroit goes through what general manager Troy Weaver has called a “restoration” process.

“It’s called restore or rebuild. It wouldn’t be a rebuild if we had veteran guards and veteran wings,” Casey said on Monday, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “Those are the guys we’re building with, and they’re kind of the cornerstones right now, so that’s what you go through. We didn’t go out and bring a 10-year vet in to star in that position.

“So, that’s part of the growth, and with that growth comes trials and tribulations, and it’s not always going to be pretty.”

At 1-8, the Pistons are in dead-last in the Eastern Conference and are unlikely to make a push for a play-in spot this season. Still, as Beard relays, Casey doesn’t sound all that concerned about the club’s win-loss record.

“Your wins may not be winning the game; you may win by getting better defensively or getting better offensively, getting better connected as a group,” Casey said. “We do all those things; if we grow in those areas, winning will take care of itself. Those guys are our cornerstones and that’s the thought process about keeping those guys together — let them grow.”

Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • In an interesting piece for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III breaks down some film from Cunningham’s first few NBA games with the help of Cunningham himself, discussing certain plays and strategies with the No. 1 overall pick.
  • The Pistons are already seeing the benefits of having their G League team based in downtown Detroit, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, who notes that the team sent Cunningham to the Motor City Cruise for rehab purposes and is able to shuttle young players like Luka Garza and Saben Lee back and forth between the NBA and NBAGL. Lee scored 42 points in Motor City’s season opener. The Pistons’ G League affiliate was previously located in Grand Rapids.
  • In a mailbag for The Detroit News, Beard fields a handful of Pistons-related questions, examining Cory Joseph‘s role, checking on Isaiah Livers‘ status, and explaining that it’s way too early to second-guess the Pistons’ pick of Cunningham at No. 1 in this year’s draft.
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