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Western Notes: Zubac, Ayton, Paul, McLaughlin

April 24th, 2022 at 9:32pm CST by JD Shaw

The Clippers are expecting Ivica Zubac to take another step forward offensively next season, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Los Angeles owns a $7.5MM team option in Zubac’s contract for 2022/23, which requires a decision to be made by June 29.

“You have to give a lot of credit to Zu and Isaiah (Hartenstein),” president Lawrence Frank said. “Sometimes we take it for granted because Zu … at his age, to have the experience to anchor a top defense, and you look at his rim protection, rebounding. But I think offensively, he’ll make another jump.”

Zubac, 24, averaged 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 24.4 minutes per game this season, starting in all 76 of his contests. He’ll also be eligible to sign a four-year extension worth up to about $61MM with the Clippers this summer, Swanson notes.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic explores whether the real Deandre Ayton has showed up against the Pelicans this series. Ayton has seen plenty of highs and lows through three games. He most recently finished with 28 points and 17 rebounds in the Suns’ Game 3 victory on Friday. Game 4 is currently in progress.
In a separate story for the Arizona Republic, Somers examines a simple-but-effective winning formula: Let Chris Paul take over down the stretch. Paul scored 19 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3, helping seal the 114-111 victory for the Suns.
Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin rewarded himself and the team by staying prepared ahead of Game 4, Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune writes. McLaughlin has seen inconsistent playing time this season, but he made the most of his opportunity on Saturday. The 26-year-old scored 16 points (4-of-4 from deep) in 14 minutes off the bench. “It’s always what he does,” teammate Karl-Anthony Towns said of McLaughlin. “Consummate professional. Every day he steps on the court he makes an impact. It’s normal, it’s routine. We need someone like him, someone who comes off the bench and dominates the game.”

Monty Williams Wins Coaches Association Award

April 12th, 2022 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns head coach Monty Williams has won the Michael H. Goldberg award for the 2021/22 season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It’s the second consecutive year in which Williams has been named the National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

This award, introduced in 2017 and named after longtime NBCA executive director Michael H. Goldberg, is voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches, none of whom can vote for himself. However, it isn’t the NBA’s official Coach of the Year award, which is voted on by media members and is represented by the Red Auerbach Trophy. The winner of that award will be announced later in the year.

Williams led the Suns to an NBA-best 64-18 record this season, despite missing All-Star point guard Chris Paul for an extended stretch in the second half. Phoenix finished the year ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating — the team’s +7.5 net rating was the league’s best mark.

A year ago, Williams won the Coaches Association’s award and then finished second to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau for the official Coach of the Year award. This season, Williams will face stiff competition for the Red Auerbach Trophy from Taylor Jenkins, Erik Spoelstra, Ime Udoka, and J.B. Bickerstaff, among others.

According to Wojnarowski, Jenkins (Grizzlies), Spoelstra (Heat), Willie Green (Pelicans), Tyronn Lue (Clippers), and Gregg Popovich (Spurs) were among the other coaches who received votes for this season’s Michael H. Goldberg award.

Pacific Notes: DiVincenzo, Paul, Hartenstein, Curry

April 1st, 2022 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo has played better in Sacramento than he did earlier this season in Milwaukee. However, he said he’s not thinking about how his recent play may boost his value entering restricted free agency, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

“I don’t go into any game thinking about my contract,” DiVincenzo said. “I go into every game trying to be the hardest-playing player and the best teammate I can be. Wherever the chips fall at the end of the year, that’s where they fall, but when I go into the game, I’m not thinking about my contract. I’m not thinking about the situation. I’m just trying to either win that game, or, like I said, as long as I’m a good teammate and I play with the most energy I possibly can, good things will happen for me.”

DiVincenzo has knocked down 36.6% of his three-point attempts since joining the Kings and is averaging 3.4 assists per game, which would be a career high. Sacramento will have to extend a $6.6MM qualifying offer to the 25-year-old this offseason to officially make him a restricted free agent. The team would then have the ability to match any offer sheet he signs with another club.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Chris Paul‘s thumb injury may have had some silver linings for the Suns, who watched other players step up in Paul’s absence and should have a fresher version of their All-Star point guard entering the postseason. Still, Paul is relieved that his time in the sidelines didn’t last any longer than a month. “I’m just happy that’s behind me. I go to a dark place a lot of times when I can’t play,” Paul told Mark Medina of NBA.com. “Some people like to play basketball. I need to play. This is my happy place.”
Isaiah Hartenstein, who signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Clippers in 2021, has become the team’s secret weapon, says Ethan Fuller of BasketballNews.com. While he still has work to do on the defensive end, Hartenstein’s passing and interior scoring have proven valuable this season, Fuller explains. The veteran center could be in line for a raise as a free agent this summer.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole has played some of his best basketball of the season since Stephen Curry went down with a foot injury, averaging 28.1 PPG in those seven games. Seerat Sohi of The Ringer takes a closer look at the recent play from Poole, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.

And-Ones: Jerebko, Canaan, China, Teammate Award, Future Rankings

March 31st, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While some former NBA players have left Russian teams following the invasion into Ukraine, Jonas Jerebko is resuming his career there. The ex-NBA big man signed with CSKA Moscow, the team tweets. That didn’t sit well with the Swedish National Team, who suspended him, according to Johnny Askounis of EuroHoops.net. “Unfortunately, we are forced to state that there are no conditions for Jonas Jerebko to play for the Sweden basketball national team,” a Swedish Basketball Federation press release stated in part. Jerebko played for four NBA teams.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Another Russian team, Unics Kazan, has mutually parted ways with guard Isaiah Canaan, according to a EuroHoops.net story. Canaan is joining Turkey’s Galatasaray, EuroHoops tweets. Canaan appeared in 235 NBA games, most recently during the 2018/19 campaign.
Chinese TV has resumed broadcasts of NBA games, Sopan Deb of the New York Times reports. China had boycotted NBA broadcasts since 2019, when former Houston executive Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. China Central Television, its state-run TV network, broadcasted Tuesday night’s matchup between the Clippers and Jazz, which kicked off a full return of the league to China’s airwaves.
The 12 finalists for the league’s Teammate of the Year award have been announced, the NBA announced (via Twitter). DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Jeff Green , Udonis Haslem, Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kevin Love, Boban Marjanovic, Chris Paul, Fred VanVleet and Grant Williams are the contenders. The annual honor recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
The Grizzlies top the list on ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, according to Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre’ Snellings, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link). They’re followed by the Heat and Suns. The Kings sit at the bottom of the pile.

Suns Notes: Booker, Paul, Johnson, Williams

March 27th, 2022 at 1:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

When asked at a recent Suns press conference if he should be considered in the 2022 MVP debate, Phoenix All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker had a pretty concise response, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

“Yes,” Booker said simply. And for good reason.

After All-Star Suns point guard Chris Paul recently sat out Phoenix’s first 15 games following the All-Star break due to a thumb injury, Booker emerged as the team’s leader and the Suns barely missed a beat. Booker has an argument to be a fringe MVP contender, as potentially the best player on the best team in the NBA.

The 6’5″ wing averaged 30.3 PPG across his 11 contests played during Paul’s absence, and the Suns went 8-3 in those games. For the year, the three-time All-Star is averaging 26.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 5.0 APG, on .462/.375/.870 shooting. The 25-year-old is the leading scorer for the team that has already clinched the best record in the NBA (60-14 and counting) and will retain its home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

There’s more out of Phoenix:

Chris Paul expressed his excitement upon returning to the Suns following his 15 games spent on the sideline as he rehabilitated from his right thumb fracture, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I’ve been playing pickup like 3-on-3, 2-on-2, (but) 5-on-5 is totally different, especially when your first game back in Denver,” Paul said. The 12-time All-Star scored 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor and logged a game-most 13 dimes in a 140-130 Suns win over the Nuggets on Thursday. “I still have a little ways to go, but it was good to get out there and play,” Paul said. “We missed him,” Booker added.
Cameron Johnson‘s right quad contusion will sideline him for a 12th consecutive game today, but he’s nearing a return to the floor for Phoenix, writes Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Phoenix head coach Monty Williams revealed that Johnson had no limitations in the club’s most recent practice. “He did everything today. He looked pretty good as far as getting up and down the floor,” Williams said. “He’s not in a situation or a in a position to say he’s playing in the next couple of days. Still got to wait and see how his body responds to days like today.”
The Suns believe head coach Williams deserves 2022 Coach of the Year honors, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “It shouldn’t even be close,” Chris Paul opined. “No disrespect to all those other coaches and what they’re doing, but what are you watching if this man doesn’t get Coach of the Year?” Phoenix has weathered its fair share of extended injuries absences to key players like Paul and Deandre Ayton, and has remained head-and-shoulders the best team in the league by record. Williams, of course, guided the Suns to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993 during his second season with the team last year. “He should’ve had it last year,” small forward Mikal Bridges said. “We won’t go there, but we’re the best team by far right now, record-wise. Yeah, it should be a no-brainer.”

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Lakers, E. Payton, Preston

March 25th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

Since starting the season with a 41-13 record, the Warriors lost 12 of their next 18 games, prompting Draymond Green to call out the team after Tuesday’s loss in Orlando for “playing stupid” and “getting punked,” as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes.

The Warriors immediately responded to that criticism in impressive fashion on Wednesday night in Miami, beating the Heat by 14 points without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Green active. According to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, Wednesday’s victory made it clear that Golden State has enough pieces on its roster to make a legitimate run at this year’s title.

How far the Warriors go will ultimately be determined by how much they get from their stars, but if Curry, Thompson, Green, and Andrew Wiggins are healthy and playing well, a supporting cast made up of players like Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, Otto Porter, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gary Payton II is good enough to make the team “incredibly tough to beat,” writes Thompson.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

The Lakers, who are currently tied with the Pelicans in the Western Conference standings, view Sunday’s game in New Orleans as a “must-win,” according to Russell Westbrook. Dave McMenamin of ESPN has the story and the quotes.
Elfrid Payton‘s 10.9 minutes per game this season are easily a career low, falling far short of the 28.5 MPG he had averaged in his previous seven seasons. However, he has been willing to embrace a reduced role for the NBA-best Suns, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “I’m just trying to do my job and stay ready, try to keep this thing going in the right direction,” said Payton, who likely won’t see much action going forward with Chris Paul back in the lineup.
Clippers rookie guard Jason Preston has yet to make his NBA debut after undergoing foot surgery in October, but he has impressed veteran teammate Reggie Jackson with his understanding of the game. “Selfishly for me, it’s like having another coach,” Jackson said of Preston’s presence on road trips (Twitter link via Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group). “Smart kid.”

Chris Paul Returns From Thumb Injury

March 24th, 2022 at 6:40pm CST by Rory Maher

6:40pm: Paul is playing on Thursday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

2:09pm: Suns point guard Chris Paul is listed as probable to return for Thursday’s game at Denver, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Paul has missed the past 15 games with a fractured right thumb; the team went 11-4 in his absence. At 59-14, the Suns hold the best record in the NBA.

They lead the No. 2 seed Grizzlies by nine games with only nine games to play, so one more victory by Phoenix will clinch the No. 1 seed and home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Paul, 36, was named an All-Star for the 12th time this season. Through 58 games (33 MPG), he’s averaging 14.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 10.7 APG, and 1.9 SPG on .487/.330/.843 shooting. His 10.7 assists per game leads the league, and if it holds up it will be his fifth assists title.

It was reported on Monday that Paul was nearing a return to action. He was given a six-to-eight week recovery timetable when he initially suffered the fracture on February 20, but it seems he will return in less than five weeks, which is pretty remarkable given his advanced age (by sports standards).

Cameron Payne has been starting in Paul’s stead and is likely to head back to the bench. He’s played well of late since returning from a right wrist injury, averaging 14.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 9.5 APG on .421/.339/.783 shooting in March (11 games, 30.5 MPG).

Pacific Notes: Fox, Paul, Warriors, Lue, Westbrook

March 23rd, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox admits that it was “definitely hard” to see second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton depart at last month’s trade deadline, according to Logan Murdock of The Ringer, who says Fox had been planning to mentor his young backcourt partner for years to come.

However, Fox – who is now the Kings’ longest-tenured player – has gotten accustomed to a certain level of turnover since arriving in Sacramento. While his coaches and teammates continue to change around him, Fox himself at least appears to be part of the franchise’s long-term plans.

“The Kings always told us, ‘He’s our guy. He’s our franchise guy. He’s our max player, and we’ll build it around him, man,'” agent Chris Gaston tells Murdock. “That’s what they told everybody else around the NBA is that, ‘Hey, look, you can inquire about De’Aaron all you want, but we’re building around De’Aaron. This is our guy. He’s our main centerpiece.’ And they are true to their word.”

Fox, currently sidelined due to a right hand injury, has shown improvement in his recovery from that injury but hasn’t yet resumed basketball activities, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320. While Fox is with the Kings on their current road trip, his return isn’t considered imminent, prompting Ham to speculate (via Twitter) that we may have seen the last of Fox and Domantas Sabonis (knee) this season.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Suns point guard Chris Paul has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game, but is doing “more and more” in recent days and is getting closer to returning from his thumb injury, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area makes the case that the Warriors should consider replacing Kevon Looney with Otto Porter Jr. in their starting lineup to help jump-start their offense.
Since joining the Clippers, head coach Tyronn Lue has emerged from LeBron James‘ shadow and is developing into a star in his own right, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, examining how Lue has kept his team competitive while missing stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. “When you build a system around your best two players, a lot of stuff we can’t run anymore,” Lue said. “I had to look at the mirror myself and just figure out what’s best for this team. I had to go back to the drawing board.”
Criticized for his inability to score efficiently for much of the season, Russell Westbrook has made nearly 50% of his field goal attempts and 40% of his three-point tries in his last six games. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if the Lakers are finally getting the version of Westbrook they envisioned when they traded for him last summer.

Chris Paul Nearing Return For Suns

March 21st, 2022 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

When word first broke on February 20 that Suns point guard Chris Paul had fractured his right thumb, the timeline provided for his potential return was six-to-eight weeks. The six-week mark from that date would be April 3, but Paul appears likely to be back even sooner than that, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.

According to Amick, some sources close to the situation wouldn’t even rule out the possibility that Paul could play as soon as this Wednesday in Minnesota. Amick cautions that the exact timing for Paul’s return will be determined in the coming days.

The Suns guard has recently ramped up his activity and was seen taking part in a “rigorous” workout prior to Sunday’s game vs. Sacramento, according to Amick, who suggests that getting Paul’s conditioning back up to speed and deciding on a reintegration plan appear to be the last steps in his comeback process.

Of course, while a Wednesday return is apparently still in play, the Suns should be in no rush to get the 36-year-old back on the court. The team is 10-4 since Paul went down and holds a nine-game lead on the No. 2 Grizzlies in the Western Conference standings with just 10 games left to play.

In other words, Phoenix won’t need any help from CP3 to officially secure the West’s No. 1 seed. His return will be more about getting him enough regular season reps to ensure he’s ready to roll when the playoffs begin next month.

After visiting the Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Suns will play in Denver on Thursday and will host the Sixers on Sunday before traveling to Golden State to face the Warriors next Wednesday.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Biyombo, Westbrook, Poole

March 20th, 2022 at 6:53pm CST by JD Shaw

The Suns are surging despite missing star point guard Chris Paul (thumb fracture), going 9-4 in the games they’ve played without him, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Phoenix owns the league’s best record at 57-14, leading the second-place Grizzlies by 8.5 games.

“We know how talented this team is and we always pride ourselves on that,” Devin Booker said. “I always say nobody can replace what Chris does out there. We know how much we’re going to need him when it comes into this playoff run, but in the meantime, we’re just trying to hold it down.”

Phoenix is coming off its first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. The team lost to Milwaukee in six games, but it kept most of its core for this season. It has the chemistry, motivation and talent to make a title run — though it’ll be important to have a fully healthy team.

Here are some other notes from the Pacific:

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hosted a Q&A with Suns center Bismack Biyombo, who discussed how and why he’s donating his salary, why he fits in well with the team, and several other topics. Biyombo signed a 10-day hardship deal with Phoenix in January, impressing the club enough to earn a rest-of-season commitment. The 11-year veteran has averaged 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.
The Lakers embraced Russell Westbrook‘s feel-good moment in Toronto, rallying behind him after he helped the team earn an overtime win on Friday with a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “One of the highlights of our season – and it’s been a tough season for us, and specifically for him,” head coach Frank Vogel said. Contrary to public perception, Westbrook’s shooting percentages have only dipped slightly from last season, but his 15.7 shot attempts per game represent his lowest mark since 2009/10.
Warriors guard Jordan Poole is proving he’s ready for the NBA spotlight, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Poole is averaging a career-best 17.1 points on 46% shooting this season, establishing himself as a valuable scoring threat in his third season.