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Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

February 6th, 2023 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the second straight player of the week award for both players.

Lillard, who won for the Western Conference, led Portland to a 3-1 week by averaging 38.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 6.8 APG on .500/.383/.981 shooting in 39.6 MPG. The veteran point guard was recently named an All-Star for the seventh time.

Antetokounmpo, the East’s winner, led Milwaukee to a 3-0 week by averaging 41.0 PPG, 17.3 RPG and 5.7 APG on .585/.231/.649 shooting in 36.0 MPG. He had a 54-point, 18-rebound effort versus the Clippers, plus a 35-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double against Miami.

Lillard has now been named the West’s player of the week three times this season, while Antetokounmpo has won the Eastern award four times.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Mikal Bridges, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard, while Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz, Darius Garland, Dejounte Murray and Cam Thomas were nominated in the East.

2023 NBA All-Star Reserves Announced

February 2nd, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The league has announced its 2023 All-Star reserves during a pregame broadcast on TNT, as voted on by NBA head coaches. As usual, the list of 14 selections featured some interesting surprises.

For the Eastern Conference, coaches voted in Sixers center Joel Embiid (the reigning Player of the Month in the East), Heat center Bam Adebayo, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Knicks forward Julius Randle.

Holiday, who is making his second overall All-star appearance this year, last earned an All-Star nod a decade ago while playing for Philadelphia.

Randle will receive a $1.2MM salary bonus as a result of being named an All-Star this season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). Marks adds (via Twitter) that Holiday will get a $324K bonus. And as long as he appears in at least 65 contests this year, Brown will earn a $1.55MM bonus after having qualified for the All-Star game, Marks tweets.

Among the most notable omissions in the East were a handful of point guards: the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the Hawks’ Trae Young, the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, and the Sixers’ James Harden. Miami swingman Jimmy Butler also missed out. Young, Harden and Butler all made the cut last season.

In the Western Conference, Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers forward Paul George, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. were selected as reserves.

Being named to the All-Star team again this year will earn Sabonis a $1.3MM bonus, per Marks (Twitter link).

Lakers center Anthony Davis, Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Suns guard Devin Booker, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon were among the Western Conference snubs.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Markkanen and Jackson are the lone first-time All-Stars among these 14 picks.

All-Star weekend tips off on February 17 in Salt Lake City. Los Angeles power forward LeBron James and Milwaukee power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the captains of their respective conferences, will draft their teams ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game on Sunday, February 19.

Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

January 30th, 2023 at 2:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (Twitter link).

Lillard averaged 42.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.3 steals on .632/.514/.920 shooting in leading Portland to a 2-1 record last week. The Western Conference winner’s highlight performance was Wednesday’s victory over Utah, when the star point guard put up 60 points, seven boards, eight assists and three steals on an absurd .724/.600/.900 shooting line.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, led Milwaukee to a 4-0 week by averaging 38.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steal on .624/.467/.580 shooting. It’s the third Eastern Conference player of the week honor this season for the 2021 Finals MVP.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Anthony Edwards, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, while Bam Adebayo, Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle were nominated in the East.

Northwest Notes: Nowell, Wolves Centers, Kessler, Blazers

January 26th, 2023 at 12:47pm CST by Rory Maher

Part of the reason the Timberwolves were willing to part with Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley in the Rudy Gobert trade was because they wanted to give Jaylen Nowell an opportunity to have a regular spot in the rotation. The fourth-year guard admitted a couple weeks ago that his season was “not going well,” and Monday’s loss to the last-place Rockets was further evidence of that, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

In nearly 19 minutes of action, Nowell finished 3-of-8 from the field for seven points, and committed three turnovers with zero assists. He also struggled defensively, Krawczynski notes, which has been an ongoing issue.

Obviously, the loss was not solely on the 23-year-old, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer. But if the Wolves want to make a real playoff push, they’ll need Nowell to provide a more consistent offensive spark off the bench, says Krawczynski.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined since late November due to a calf strain, and Gobert missing nine games with various injuries, the Timberwolves‘ center depth has been a positive in 2022/23, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. Naz Reid, Nathan Knight and Luka Garza have all been given opportunities at various points during the season, and while they’re all trying to earn minutes, they also support each other. “You still want them to be successful,” Reid said, per Hine. “So you talk to each and every one of those guys. I might see something on the court, say something to them adjustment-wise of whatever the case may be and they might say something to me. At the same time, we’re all trying to help each other get better.”
Walker Kessler has had an impressive rookie season for the Jazz, and is already one of the top shot blockers in the league. He has been starting at center in place of the injured Kelly Olynyk (ankle), but how can he land the job full time? Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune has the story.
The Trail Blazers have had a rocky season, currently sitting at 23-25, the No. 12 seed in the West. While Damian Lillard has been as great as ever, scoring a season-high 60 points (on 21-of-29 shooting) in Wednesday’s win over Utah, there has been “little to zero” indication that Portland can make a legitimate playoff push, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. Ahead of the trade deadline, Quick believes the simplest route to infuse more talent on the roster would be to land in the lottery again, as the Blazers will lose their 2023 first-rounder if they reach the playoffs. However, that’s complicated by the fact that Lillard wants to be “in the best position to win.”

No Extension Talks Yet, But Grant Not Planning To Leave Blazers

January 7th, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

Six months have passed since Jerami Grant was traded from Detroit to Portland, which means the Trail Blazers‘ forward is now eligible for a contract extension that could be worth up to $112.65MM over four years.

Negotiations between general manager Joe Cronin and Grant’s agent Mike Kneisley haven’t yet gotten underway, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. However, Quick says there was optimism from “all corners of the organization” on Friday about the possibility of Grant remaining in Portland long-term, including from the forward himself.

“I definitely like it here; love it here,” Grant said. “The guys have been very welcoming, it’s definitely a family environment, everybody is super cool, got good guys on the team, great organization — Joe, (head coach) Chauncey (Billups), everything. I’m definitely enjoying it here.”

When told that his comments didn’t paint the picture of a situation a player would want to leave, Grant laughed and replied, “I ain’t really plan on leaving.”

As Quick outlines, Blazers star Damian Lillard and Grant became close when they played for Team USA at the 2020 Olympics. As U.S. teammates, they discussed ways to get Grant to Portland, and Lillard said on Friday that it “wasn’t the plan” for the 28-year-old to leave Portland as a free agent.

According to Quick, Lillard doesn’t believe that Grant – who has played for five teams since entering the NBA in 2014 and has never spent more than three seasons with a single franchise – will be looking for another change of scenery as a free agent this summer.

“I’m sure at this point in his career he’s looking for a home,” Lillard said. “He’s not looking to be on another team, so in my mind, I just assume it’s more than likely that he’ll be back.

“… I think (Grant) understands it’s a good situation for him,” Lillard added. “He’s been able to play free … the game has come pretty simple for him … we’ve welcomed him. Right now we are 19-19, but we are capable of being a winning team … It’s a good situation for him, and that speaks louder than anything else.”

The Blazers have until June 30 to sign Grant to an extension and would be in the driver’s seat even if he opts for free agency, since they’d be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team — four years and $112.65MM are Grant’s in-season limits, but Portland could offer up to $233MM over five years in free agency. The possibility of exceeding $28MM per year on his next contract could be a consideration for Grant, who will also weigh his family, his role, and his team’s chances to compete for a title, writes Quick.

“It’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, that’s why I’m kind of taking my time right now,” Grant said.

Northwest Notes: Lillard, SGA, Gobert, Edwards, Markkanen

December 23rd, 2022 at 11:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard has spent his entire career with the Trail Blazers, and despite publicly stating multiple times that he intends to spend the rest of his career in Portland, his name has been featured in trade rumors off and on for years. Lillard recently gave some advice to Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been the subject of similar speculation.

“The grass is not always greener on the other side,” Lillard said, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.

“You never know what it’s going to look like or how the next team might view you, especially when you’ve had some injuries like he’s had,” Lillard continued. “You just don’t know. Also I would tell him a lot of these people that are saying ‘free him’ and all of these things or whatever, they are not the people that are going to have to live with the consequences if it doesn’t work out. They’re not gonna ever have to walk in his shoes.”

Lillard also complimented Gilgeous-Alexander’s excellent start to the 2022/23 season, per Mussatto.

“He’s coming into his own,” Lillard said. “I can remember when I was younger and I became the leader of a team. … I see that he’s in that stage. He’s trying to show what he can do — almost like a coming out party for him.

“He’s having a great season. He’s playing confident, he’s playing well for the team and it’s fun to watch, just not when it happens against us.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Timberwolves continue to have an up-and-down season. They won three straight with Rudy Gobert sidelined with an ankle injury (though they were playing three similarly inconsistent opponents in the Thunder, Mavs and Bulls), and have now dropped two straight with him back. Still, Gobert says he’s pleased with the team’s effort, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’m really happy about the way we come in every day working, putting in the extra work,” he said. “And then when it’s game time, I’m really happy with the physicality, the competitiveness. I think that’s what’s going to take us as far as we can go.”
Anthony Edwards has shown improvement as a play-maker for the Timberwolves, and La Velle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune believes the 21-year-old has higher upside in that role than Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards still needs to find more consistency, but it would be a good thing if Edwards becomes the face of the franchise sooner rather than later, according to Neal.
Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has a strong case to become a first-time All-Star, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. He says been striving to achieve that goal for years. “I’ve said this publicly before, but absolutely it has always been my personal goal. Obviously I’ve got team goals and I’m always gonna push those first, but like at an individual level that’s always been my goal. Not just to be one of the guys in the league, I want to make it to the top,” Markkanen said. Through 32 games (33.8 MPG), he’s averaging a career-high 22.8 PPG, along with 8.1 RPG and 2.1 APG. He’s also posting career-best marks from the field (53.3%) and from three-point range (43.8%).

Western Notes: Clippers, Gilgeous-Alexander, Lillard, Green

December 20th, 2022 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers were able to practice at full strength on Tuesday, a rarity for a team that has dealt with numerous injuries, Andrew Grief of the Los Angeles Times notes. That includes Paul George, Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac and Reggie Jackson, who have missed games this month due a variety of ailments.

“It’s exciting to finally actually have our whole team almost complete, be ready to play and just try to get rotations down and see what guys plays good with who,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “And so we’re starting all over again, but it’s a good feeling to have your whole team back.”

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a game-winning shot for the Thunder in a two-point victory over the Trail Blazers on Monday. Gilgeous-Alexander says he’s “super comfortable” in those situations, according to The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto. His teammates concur. “The ball had to end up in our best player’s hand,” guard Luguenz Dort said.
Damian Lillard became the Trail Blazers’ all-time leading scorer on Monday, surpassing Clyde Drexler. Center Jusuf Nurkic already considered his teammate the franchise’s greatest player, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “No disrespect to Clyde — he’s one of the all-time greats — but even if Dame didn’t pass him, I feel like Dame is still the greatest Blazer ever,” he said. “When you put everything together — the way he plays the game, what he does off the court, everything — he’s a one of a kind player. Hopefully he retires here.”
Warriors forward JaMychal Green has entered the league’s health and safety protocols, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. Green, who missed Wednesday’s game against the Knicks, had one of his best outings for Golden State on Sunday. He contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes during a victory over Toronto.

Health Updates: Lakers, Horford, Matthews, Payton

December 7th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers will be shorthanded on Wednesday night in Toronto, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group, who tweets that star forwards Anthony Davis and LeBron James have both been ruled out by the team.

Davis is still battling the non-COVID illness that forced him to leave Tuesday’s contest in Cleveland early, while James is getting the second night of a back-to-back set off due to left ankle soreness. The Lakers have also listed guard Patrick Beverley as doubtful to play due to right knee soreness.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

Celtics big man Al Horford has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Phoenix after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced today (via Twitter). If Horford has tested positive for COVID-19, it will likely be at least a few days before he’s cleared to return, so his availability for the rest of Boston’s West Coast trip is up in the air.
Bucks wing Wesley Matthews has also been placed in the health and safety protocols and will be unavailable for Wednesday’s contest vs. Sacramento, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Like Horford, Matthews could miss more games beyond tonight’s.
Trail Blazers guard Gary Payton II is inching closer to his season debut following offseason abdominal surgery. Teammate Damian Lillard told reporters on Wednesday that Payton practiced in full today, tweets Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

Northwest Notes: Vanderbilt, Blazers, Wolves, Holmgren, Nuggets

December 6th, 2022 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Jarred Vanderbilt had one of his best games of the season vs. Portland on Saturday, registering 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals while making all four of his 3-point attempts.

As Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune notes, the performance was well-timed, given that Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard previously singled out Vanderbilt as someone he’d like to play with. On Saturday, Lillard responded to a tweet about Vanderbilt’s possible trade value with an eyes emoji, though he has since deleted that one.

Vanderbilt is on a team-friendly contract and is under team control for another season beyond this one, so the Jazz may not be motivated to move him at this season’s deadline. But if they do make him available, it seems safe to assume the Blazers will be among the teams inquiring, given Lillard’s influence within the organization.

Here are a few more items from around the Northwest:

Patrick Beverley is having a down year on the court in Los Angeles this season, but the Timberwolves have missed his locker room leadership, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Head coach Chris Finch said on Monday that the team is still seeking its identity and looking for leaders. “Everything about winning requires leadership. It’s something that we’ve not been great at,” Finch said. “We’re trying to find a voice collectively, trying to find a personality as a team. Those are things that we’ve got to keep working on, trying to cultivate as a team. That’s my job.”
As expected – and as long planned – Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren underwent a successful “secondary” procedure on his foot on Tuesday to remove hardware from his initial Lisfranc surgery in August, the team announced. According to the Thunder, the timeline for Holmgren’s recovery hasn’t changed, and he remains on track to return for the 2023/24 season.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is willing to take the blame for the club’s inconsistent bench play so far this season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “That unit has struggled most of the year, and I take responsibility for that,” Malone said. “Not finding a way to get those guys to play together, to play the right way, and most importantly, just to have some success.” Denver’s bench players have a net rating of minus-5.3, the third-worst mark in the NBA.

Northwest Notes: Russell, Gobert, Clarkson, Blazers

December 5th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell has been fined $20K by the league for directing inappropriate language toward a game official, the league’s PR department tweets. The incident occurred toward the conclusion of the Timberwolves’ 135-128 loss to the Thunder on Saturday. Russell was ejected in the late going after receiving two technicals.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was also ejected on Saturday, in that instance for tripping Thunder forward Kenrich Williams. “It was just frustration,” Gobert told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). “Guys are going to talk. It’s a part of the game. Sometimes you can feel it’s disrespectful, but I got to be smarter than that. Penalizing my team, penalizing myself. So, just seems like for me, I got to be smarter.”
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has been fined $15K by the league, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Clarkson tossed his headband into the stands during the final seconds of Utah’s 116-111 loss to the Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Considering the Trail Blazers are above .500 despite losing star Damian Lillard for a stretch and playing 14 of their games on the road, coach Chauncey Billups is happy with the state of the team, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “We’re in a good spot,” he said. “We’ve been in a really tough stretch, maybe our toughest stretch of the season in terms of travel and games. We knew it was going to be a difficult stretch here, and that’s what it’s proven to be. But I think we are in a good spot.”