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Devin Booker Clears Protocols, Will Return On Wednesday

March 9th, 2022 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Devin Booker has exited the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols and will be available on Wednesday for the team’s showdown vs. the Heat, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Booker isn’t listed on Phoenix’s injury report.

The Suns initially placed Booker in the health and safety protocols last Wednesday. One report said he entered the protocols due to an inconclusive COVID-19 test, creating some optimism that he could be cleared quickly. But the fact that he spent nearly a full week in the protocols suggests subsequent tests were probably positive.

The Suns have held their own with Booker and Chris Paul out of the lineup, winning three of the four games Booker missed, though those victories all came against non-playoff teams (Orlando, New York, and Portland). They’ll face a tougher test tonight in Miami as the top seeds in the Western and Eastern Conferences square off.

Booker’s return will likely result in role reductions for Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, and Aaron Holiday, with either Payne or Shamet moving from the starting five to the second unit.

There are now once again zero NBA players in the COVID-19 protocols.

Western Notes: Simons, Suns, Jazz, Thunder

March 6th, 2022 at 9:57pm CST by JD Shaw

Blazers guard Anfernee Simons is adjusting to his new role of being the number one option on the team, Casey Holdahl of NBA.com writes. Portland traded away CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and others at the trade deadline and is missing Damian Lillard due to an abdominal injury, clearing the way for Simons to receive a larger role.

“Obviously I’m going to be at the top of the scouting report even more now that (Jusuf Nurkic) is out,” Simons said. Nurkic is dealing with a foot injury and will miss at least three more weeks. “So just learning how to navigate through that. Obviously it’s going to be even more tougher for me but it’s the perfect time to see everything.

“Like, the Warriors threw a box-and-one at me, probably the first time I’ve been boxed-and-one’d since high school. That was an interesting thing to kind of navigate though.”

Simons is in his fourth season with the franchise. He’s averaging a career-high 17.3 points and 3.9 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field, 40.5% from deep and 89% from the free throw line. He most recently finished with 38 points in a loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Unlikely heroes are stepping up for the Suns in the absences of Chris Paul (thumb) and Devin Booker (protocols), Cydney Henderson of USA Today writes. Phoenix received a key performance from Cameron Johnson on Friday, as the 26-year-old finished with 38 points and a buzzer-beating game-winner. Mikal Bridges also added 20 points, while Cameron Payne recorded 17 points and 16 assists.
The Jazz could be facing an offseason of massive change if they don’t make a deep postseason run, ESPN’s Tim McMahon suggested on The Lowe Post. Utah has had an inconsistent season — the team is 8-2 in its last 10 games but lost by 34 on Friday against New Orleans — and could break up the Donovan Mitchell–Rudy Gobert partnership if it doesn’t succeed this year.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores how the Thunder could drive various blockbuster deals this summer. Oklahoma City will be armed with cap space and draft picks from a massive rebuild. As Pincus notes, the team currently has up to $31.8MM in cap space, but nearly all of it will be lost when the league calendar year flips on July 1. The assessment comes from factoring in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s new extension and assuming Derrick Favors exercises his $10.2MM player option.

Devin Booker Enters Health And Safety Protocols

March 2nd, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Suns star Devin Booker has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will miss Wednesday’s game vs. Portland, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Rosters around the NBA were thrown into disarray in December and January as most teams experienced outbreaks of COVID-19. However, Booker is the first player to be placed in the league’s health and safety protocols since the All-Star break. Wizards center Daniel Gafford, the last player in the protocols, was cleared on February 13.

Hopefully, if Booker contracted the virus, it’s an isolated incident rather than the beginning of another league-wide increase in cases. The NBA hasn’t mandated daily coronavirus tests for the last few weeks, requiring players to get tested only if they’re unvaccinated, they’re a close contact of someone who tests positive, or they experience COVID-19 symptoms.

Assuming Booker did test positive, he’ll be out for at least five days or until he returns two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart. A best-case scenario for Phoenix would be that Booker registered a false positive and is able to exit the protocols within the next day or two.

The Suns are already missing Chris Paul (thumb), so they’ll be without both of their backcourt stars when they face the Trail Blazers tonight. However, it appears Cameron Payne (wrist) should be available to play for the first time since January 22 — he’s listed as probable on Phoenix’s injury report.

Pacific Notes: Wiseman, Suns, Payne, Lakers

March 1st, 2022 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite rumors that he might be ready to return at the start of March, Warriors center James Wiseman remains sidelined for now. He’s with Golden State on the four-game road trip that begins tonight so that he can practice and scrimmage with the team, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who tweets that head coach Steve Kerr continues to take a “day-to-day” approach with Wiseman’s rehab. There’s still no target date for his season debut.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer contends that Chris Paul‘s absence due to a hand injury could be a “blessing in disguise” for the Suns as long as it doesn’t extend into the postseason. As O’Connor explains, a number of other Suns will get a chance to handle the ball with Paul sidelined, which could allow the team to experiment a little and add a new layer to its offense.
Suns point guard Cameron Payne did some 3-on-3, 4-on-4, and a little 5-on-5 work on Monday, head coach Monty Williams told reporters today (video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). The team is hoping Payne can return from his right wrist injury soon, with Williams noting that the plan would be for the veteran guard to displace Cameron Johnson in the starting lineup (Twitter link via Rankin).
John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) questions why the Lakers didn’t complete a salary-dump trade involving DeAndre Jordan prior to last month’s deadline if they were just going to eventually waive him anyway. As Hollinger points out, the Lakers could’ve sent out cash with Jordan, essentially paying him another team to take him. Doing so would’ve reduced L.A.’s tax bill by about $5MM, so the team still would’ve come out ahead financially.

Pacific Notes: Paul, Davis, Hartenstein, Clippers

February 25th, 2022 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Chris Paul out for six-to-eight weeks with a thumb injury, the Suns might seem more vulnerable. Coach Monty Williams says opponents shouldn’t underestimate the resolve of his team, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.

“I think our guys are looking forward to the challenge because they hear what everybody is saying,” Williams said. “As soon as the news got out, everybody forecasted fear and that’s not who we are.”

Phoenix extended its winning streak to eight games by defeating the Thunder on Thursday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers will have to go without Anthony Davis again for several weeks due to a foot injury. Russell Westbrook says he’s mentally preparing for Davis’ absence, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “For me, I already kind of (adjusted my) mentality, changed my mindset a little bit knowing kind of what to be expected,” he said. “Our job is to hold it down until he gets back.”
Isaiah Hartenstein has been stellar in a backup role with the Clippers and he could cash in after the season, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Hartenstein is shooting 62% from the field and has emerged as one of the best passing bigs in the league. Hartenstein will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing on a minimum contract and he could be in a line for a non-trivial portion of some team’s mid-level exception, Lowe believes.
The Clippers are continuing to look around for upgrades, particularly at the point, but there may not be anyone made available that they’ll sign, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. They are happy with the recent play of Terance Mann and would have to waive a player to add a free agent.

Suns Notes: Paul, Payne, McGee, Ayton, Sarver

February 22nd, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns head coach Monty Williams enjoyed being involved in the All-Star festivities over the weekend, leading Team LeBron to a 163-160 victory in Sunday’s contest. However, he didn’t let the event distract him from preparing for life without Chris Paul after the break, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. The All-NBA guard is expected to miss at least six-to-eight weeks due to a fractured thumb.

“Naturally, you have to,” Williams said of preparing to play for Paul’s absence. “I’ve had meetings with our coaches about what we’re going to do going forward. Different lineups. Rotations. How we’re going to play. Chris is a huge part of what we do. And so we’re not going to try to replace him. We’re just going to try to play the same way and keep our standard at a high level and I’m grateful for the depth that we.”

Examining the impact of Paul’s injury on the Suns, Cole Huff of The Athletic suggests it might not be a disaster for the team. Huff believes Phoenix – which has a 6.5-game lead for the West’s No. 1 seed – can hang onto the top spot in the West, and points out that even if Paul’s absence extends into the first round of the playoffs, the team would still be heavy favorites against a No. 8 seed.

Here are a few more notes on the Suns:

After previously reporting that the Suns expected Cameron Payne to return from his right wrist injury in the first game after the All-Star break, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) now says the veteran point guard may need a few more days before he’s back on the court. With both Payne and Paul sidelined, Devin Booker, Aaron Holiday, and Elfrid Payton figure to take on more ball-handling responsibilities.
Noting that JaVale McGee and Deandre Ayton have been two of the NBA’s most effective pick-and-roll big men so far this season, Zach Harper of The Athletic wonders how their production might be affected with Paul not in the lineup.
Speaking to reporters at All-Star Weekend, NBA commissioner Adam Silver didn’t provide an update on the league’s investigation into Suns owner Robert Sarver, simply stating that it’s “ongoing.” However, general manager James Jones said he believes the probe should be completed “soon,” Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic.

Chris Paul To Miss At Least 6-To-8 Weeks With Thumb Fracture

February 20th, 2022 at 6:56pm CST by JD Shaw

Suns star Chris Paul has suffered a right thumb avulsion fracture and will be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Phoenix currently holds the best record in the NBA at 48-10.

As we previously relayed, Paul sustained the injury against Houston on Wednesday night and underwent an MRI on Thursday. He has yet to miss a game this season.

“We’re 48-10 and if we do miss some time, I know the guys are going to hold it down,” Paul said before his timetable was announced. “There’s always going to be a frustration with injury. My hand surgeon is part of my family now.

“… I always want to play. When I felt that in my hand, I was mad for all types of reasons. Obviously we’re not going to (rush it). I’m going to try to heal as fast as physically possible. The second I’m able to play, I guarantee you I will be playing.”

The Suns do expect both Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet to return after the All-Star Break, which is perfect timing with Paul expected to be sidelined for much of the rest of the regular season. Elfrid Payton and newly-acquired guard Aaron Holiday will also be in the mix for backcourt minutes.

Paul, 36, is in his 17th NBA season and second year with Phoenix. He’s averaged 14.9 points, 10.7 assists and 1.9 steals per contest this campaign, shooting 49% from the floor. The Suns are coming off their first NBA Finals trip since 1993.

While the Suns, who have a 6.5-game lead on the No. 2 Warriors, may not need Paul in their lineup in the next few weeks to clinch the top seed in the Western Conference, they’ll certainly need him back if they want to make another deep playoff run. If CP3 is able to return in six or seven weeks, he’d be available for the start of the postseason, but a timeline of eight weeks or longer would carry over into the playoffs.

Chris Paul Could Miss Time Due To Hand Injury

February 19th, 2022 at 1:28pm CST by JD Shaw

Suns star Chris Paul could miss some time after suffering a thumb injury this week, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Paul wore a cast on his hand during his team’s All-Star practice on Saturday, but he was vague when discussing how long he could be out.

As we previously relayed, Paul suffered the injury against Houston on Wednesday night. The team has yet to release his MRI results from Thursday.

“We’re 48-10 and if we do miss some time, I know the guys are going to hold it down,” Paul said. “There’s always going to be a frustration with injury. My hand surgeon is part of my family now.”

On the season, Paul has averaged 14.9 points, 10.7 assists and 1.9 steals in 33 minutes per game. His 10.7 APG represents his highest mark since the 2013/14 campaign.

“I always want to play,” said Paul, who hasn’t missed a game this season. “When I felt that in my hand, I was mad for all types of reasons,” Paul said. “Obviously we’re not going to (rush it). I’m going to try to heal as fast as physically possible. The second I’m able to play, I guarantee you I will be playing.”

And-Ones: MVP Race, I. Thomas, Draft, I. Clark

February 17th, 2022 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The top two finishers in last season’s MVP voting appear to be the top two candidates for this year’s award too, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Bontemps recently conducted a straw poll of 100 media members and found that Sixers center Joel Embiid narrowly – and unofficially – leads Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic in the MVP race.

As Bontemps details, Embiid received 45 first-place votes from the poll respondents, while Jokic got 43. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (nine), Suns guard Chris Paul (two), and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (one) were the other players who got first-place votes. Interestingly, Embiid was the only player to show up on all 100 five-player ballots, while Jokic was left off five.

Curry received 94 first-place votes when Bontemps conducted a similar straw poll in December, but the veteran sharpshooter has slowed down since his hot start, while players like Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo have made stronger MVP pushes.

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

Free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to rejoin the Grand Rapids Gold – the Nuggets‘ G League affiliate – after the All-Star break, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Thomas had a very brief stint in Grand Rapids in December, scoring 42 points in his only NBAGL game before getting called up to the NBA. Thomas signed 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks before returning to the open market.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has published a new 2022 mock draft, while Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his top-50 big board. Both draft experts currently have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren at No. 1 and Jabari Smith of Auburn at No. 2, with Purdue’s Jaden Ivey moving up to No. 3 ahead of Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Veteran guard Ian Clark, who has 330 regular season appearances on his NBA résumé and won a title with Golden State in 2017, has signed with the Sydney Kings, the Australian team recently announced in a press release. Clark played in 60 games for New Orleans in 2018/19, but has been out of the NBA since then.

Chris Paul To Undergo MRI On Injured Right Hand

February 16th, 2022 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Chris Paul will have an MRI Thursday morning after hurting his right hand in tonight’s game against the Rockets, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Paul was ejected from the game in the third quarter after complaining to the officials about the injury, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Shortly after JT Orr whistled him for a technical foul, Paul had a pass deflected by Dennis Schröder and grabbed at his hand in pain after the play. He then bumped into Orr from behind, which drew a second technical and an automatic ejection and may result in further penalties from the league.

Paul was voted into Sunday’s All-Star Game as a reserve, so a replacement will have to be named if he can’t participate.

After leading the Suns to the NBA Finals last season, Paul has remained in the MVP conversation this year at age 36 by averaging 15.0 points and a league-high 10.8 assists through 57 games. A serious injury could affect the balance of power in the West, where Phoenix holds the top seed at 48-10.