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Injury Notes: Sochan, Embiid, Henderson, R. Williams, Wade

December 3rd, 2024 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan appears set to take on the court on Tuesday night for the first time in nearly a month, having been listed as probable for San Antonio’s NBA Cup game in Phoenix, tweets Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News.

Sochan has been sidelined since November 4, missing the Spurs’ past 13 games due to a fractured thumb that required surgery.

The former ninth overall pick appeared to be taking an impressive step forward prior to the injury. In his six full games this season, he averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per night, with a 50.6% field goal percentage.

The Spurs have been playing well lately with rookie Stephon Castle starting in place of Sochan, having won five of their past six games, so we’ll see if Sochan reclaims his spot in the lineup upon his return or if acting head coach Mitch Johnson has him come off the bench.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Sixers star Joel Embiid remains listed as out for Tuesday’s game in Charlotte due to left knee injury management and personal reasons, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The team hasn’t provided any sort of timeline for Embiid’s return, but this will be the fifth consecutive contest the big man has missed.
Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson underwent an MRI this week on the quad injury that has forced him to miss three games, including the past two, tweets Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. However, that MRI didn’t show anything more than a contusion, so Henderson is considered day-to-day and is listed as questionable to play in Los Angeles on Tuesday vs. the Clippers. Blazers center Robert Williams, however, didn’t make the trip to L.A. and will miss a fourth straight game while he remains in the concussion protocol, Highkin adds.
Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, who has been unavailable for the past six games due to a left ankle sprain, is listed as questionable to play vs. Washington on Tuesday and was in attendance for today’s shootaround, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Fedor, Wade – whose +12.9 net rating ranks second among Cavs players – wanted to play on Sunday vs. Boston and went through a 3-on-3 workout on Monday in the hopes of showing Cleveland’s training staff that he’s ready to return.

Central Notes: Middleton, Winslow, Cavs, Bulls, Ivey

October 21st, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Khris Middleton isn’t expected to be active for the team’s regular season opener against Philadelphia on Wednesday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Middleton spent the offseason recovering from surgical procedures on both ankles and the team is taking a cautious approach to his return this fall, Charania explains.

Although Middleton recently expressed a desire to play in 70-plus games in 2024/25, it doesn’t come as a major surprise that he’s not quite ready for the start of the regular season. He didn’t appear in any preseason contests and head coach Doc Rivers said on Saturday that the three-time All-Star would need to play 5-on-5 before Wednesday in order to suit up for opening night (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

The Bucks haven’t issued any sort of official update on Middleton, but it sounds like he’ll probably be considered day-to-day going forward, with a chance to make his season debut before the end of the month. That’s just my speculation based on comments from Rivers and recent reporting though, so we’ll keep an eye out for more news on the 33-year-old’s status.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, acquired the returning rights to Justise Winslow and Darryl Morsell from the Raptors 905 in exchange for the rights to Wenyen Gabriel, Marques Bolden, and Deonte Burton, plus the No. 15 pick in this year’s G League draft, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). As Murphy notes, several of those players are currently competing overseas, but Milwaukee signed Winslow to an Exhibit 10 contract during the preseason — securing his rights means he’ll now be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd.
The Cavaliers were much better when Max Strus was on the court last season than when he wasn’t, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who considers in a subscriber-only story how the club will get by without one of its top floor-spacers for the next six weeks while Strus recovers from an ankle injury. Fedor views Dean Wade as the favorite to replace Strus in the starting five, since he’s a solid defender and a strong three-point shooter. Caris LeVert‘s ball-dominant game is a better fit in the second unit, Fedor suggests, while Isaac Okoro is another candidate to play with the starters.
Lonzo Ball, Matas Buzelis, and Julian Phillips are a few of the Bulls players whose preseason performances provided reasons for optimism entering the season, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes in his latest stock report. On the other hand, offseason additions Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith and newly re-signed forward Patrick Williams have had up-and-down Octobers so far, as Mayberry details.
Jaden Ivey saw his role reduced under Monty Williams last season, but the Pistons guard is once again an offensive focal point under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Ivey was the Pistons’ leading scorer during the preseason and earned praise from Bickerstaff for his efforts. “He works his tail off and then he’s playing with confidence,” Detroit’s coach said earlier this month. “When you work as hard as he works and puts as much time in, and then you play with that confidence and belief, the work is going to pay off.”

Cavs Notes: Wade, Hendry, Geriot, Travers, Okoro

July 10th, 2024 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Dean Wade missed the last 19 games of the Cavaliers‘ regular season and was only able to suit up for three of the team’s 12 playoff contests due to a right knee sprain. However, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Wade is no longer experiencing any pain in that knee.

As Fedor details, the veteran forward took a few weeks off after the Cavs were eliminated from the postseason and then resumed working out in mid-June. He has been conducting full-court workouts in recent weeks with no issues, Fedor adds.

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

Trevor Hendry, who worked under Kenny Atkinson for three years in Brooklyn, is joining Atkinson’s new staff in Cleveland as an assistant coach, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Hendry was Brooklyn’s head video coordinator during Atkinson’s tenure but was later promoted to an assistant coaching role under Jacque Vaughn.
The Cavaliers are still working through various coaching staff changes, according to Fedor, who tweets that veteran assistant Dan Geriot likely won’t remain with the team. The former head coach of Cleveland’s G League team, Geriot has been a Cavs assistant for several years, but appears likely to join the Pelicans in a front-of-the-bench role, says Fedor.
Luke Travers, the 56th overall pick in the 2022 draft, will be with the Cavaliers for a third straight Summer League in Las Vegas. A 22-year-old guard/forward, Travers remains under contract with Melbourne in Australia’s National Basketball League, but has an NBA out in that deal and would be interested in making the move to Cleveland if the opportunity arises, Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. “ASAP,” Travers said of his timeline for making the move to the NBA. “You’re trying to get there as soon as possible, and you don’t want to wait around and stuff. I’ve just been trying to put in the work. … It’s all been positive talks (with the Cavaliers). They’re always trying to help me in any way they can and give me a little feedback here and there.”
Sources tell Fedor that a spot on the Cavaliers’ roster for 2024/25 is unlikely for Travers, though there’s some curiosity within the organization about how he’d look in Atkinson’s system. The Cavs continue to negotiate with restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro and are operating under the assumption that they’ll have just one roster spot left to fill if Okoro returns, Fedor explains. Cleveland currently has just 12 players on standard contracts, so that suggests the team doesn’t plan to immediately fill its 15th spot.

Cavs Notes: Officiating, Mitchell, Allen, LeVert, Wade, LeBron

May 14th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers outscored the Celtics in the paint (42-38) in Monday’s Game 4 loss, but they were awarded just seven free throws on the night, compared to 24 for Boston. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes, Cleveland’s players and head coach expressed their displeasure after the game with that discrepancy.

“We drive the ball … a lot,” Cavs guard Darius Garland said, emphasizing the last two words. “Seven free throws, two of those were techs, so five (free throws) in a 48-minute game, it’s tough. … I know how many times I get hit. I know many times my teammates get hit, put on the floor and we can’t reciprocate it. It’s tough.”

“I thought our guys deserved much better, the way that they were competing,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They were attacking the paint. You know, they were getting after it the same (as Boston). We’re not asking for anything more, but we’re asking for equal. And I don’t think we got an equal opportunity at it tonight from that standpoint.”

The Game 4 loss puts the Cavaliers on the brink of elimination. They’ll face a 3-1 deficit as they travel back to Boston for Wednesday’s Game 5.

We have more out of Cleveland:

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, who was unavailable for Game 4 due to a left calf strain, admitted that his status for Game 5 is “very much in doubt,” writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The injury is affecting the same leg that has bothered Mitchell in recent months — he missed 16 games down the stretch as a result of tendinitis in his left knee, and he’s wary of returning sooner than he should and risking a more serious injury. “It’s not just the calf strain,” Mitchell told Fedor. “The calf can lead to an Achilles and then things get much worse.”
The Cavs’ issues extend beyond Mitchell. Within the same Cleveland.com story, Fedor says that Jarrett Allen‘s return from a rib contusion “doesn’t feel close” and adds that Caris LeVert aggravated a knee issue on Monday that has been bothering him as of late.
Even Dean Wade, who has been able to suit up for the past two games following a lengthy absence due to a right knee injury, isn’t fully out of the woods. According to Fedor (subscription required), the possibility of offseason surgery hasn’t been ruled out for the Cavs forward. “There’s still concern,” said Wade, who declined to offer specific details on the diagnosis. “We’ll see what happens after the season. We had options and we took this option as the best path.”
Lakers star LeBron James, who was in attendance at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Monday’s Game 4, received a loud standing ovation from Cavs fans, as Vardon writes for The Athletic. In a separate story for The Athletic, Jason Lloyd – arguing that James’ public actions are always “calculated” – considers whether another return to Cleveland is a possibility for the four-time MVP before he retires. During a segment on ESPN’s Get Up, Brian Windhorst (YouTube link) also discussed James’ appearance in Cleveland.

Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Game 3, Tweaks

May 12th, 2024 at 1:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The recent performances of Cavaliers players not named Donovan Mitchell are certainly not endearing Cleveland to the All-Star shooting guard, opines Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers fell 106-93 to the Celtics in Game 3 of their ongoing second round matchup, which Cleveland now trails 2-1. Boston led for almost 42 of the contest’s 48 minutes, including by double digits for much of the second half.

Cleveland especially struggled on offense, making just 13 three point shots.

“At the end of the day, we didn’t score,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t score when we needed to respond back. We’ll be better. This series is not going to be easy. Continue to fight and claw like we have been.”

“A lot of it was self-induced,” Mitchell said of the defeat. “I think a lot of things we did wrong. You give them credit. But there were a bunch of things that we could have done better.”

Across the past five playoff games, Mitchell has score over 180 points and nailed 20 or more triples on 50% from the field or better. It’s the second time he’s achieved this feat. He’s also the only player in league history to have achieved this, per Fedor. His Cleveland comrades couldn’t help handle the offensive load effectively. He has one guaranteed season left on his current contract, and could ask for a trade this summer.

There’s more out of Cleveland:

After the Game 3 defeat, Mitchell seemed more noticeably upset than he had been at any prior point in the playoffs, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We held them to 106, and that’s not a bad defensive game against a team like that, but it’s the key moments of when they get those points, the runs they get and then not being able to score back on the other end,” Mitchell said. “It just compounds, and it compounds. I think that’s the frustrating part of it.” With Game 4 forthcoming on Monday, the Cavaliers have little time to mope.
To win Game 4 and level the series, it may behoove the Cavaliers to consider starting newly-returned forward Dean Wade in the stead of defense-first Isaac Okoro, and tinkering more with a smaller lineup comprising Mitchell, Darius Garland, Sam Merrill, Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley, opines Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
In case you missed it, the Cavaliers are considered to potentially be interested in trading for star Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram this summer, along with the Hawks.

Cavaliers Notes: Game 2 Win, Bickerstaff, Wade, Allen

May 11th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers may have a shot at a second-round upset after discovering a formula for beating the Celtics in Game 2, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Cleveland, which was burned by Boston’s three-point shooting in the series opener, concentrated on eliminating open looks from beyond the arc. On offense, the Cavs made a greater effort to get the ball to Evan Mobley, who had plenty of room to operate near the basket with Al Horford assigned to guard Isaac Okoro.

Cleveland also found a way to diversify its offense, which was dominated by Donovan Mitchell in Game 1 and throughout the Orlando series. Mitchell only had six points on six shots at halftime before taking over in the second half to finish with 29.

The result was a surprising 24-point victory for a team that came into the night as a double-digit underdog and was considered by oddsmakers to be nearly an even-money prospect to get swept, Vardon notes.

“It (speaks to) the togetherness of the group, the resilience of the group and the importance of winning to them,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s the most important thing to the guys. There is nothing else that matters. There is no other agenda. We’ve got playoff games in front of us that we need to win.”

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

Speculation about Bickerstaff’s future started early, according to Vardon, who states that it was “hot chatter” around the league for the first two months of the season. Vardon cites a home loss to Portland on November 30, which was followed by a trip to Detroit. Multiple sources tell Vardon that Bickerstaff would likely have been fired if the Cavs had lost to the Pistons, but they won three in a row and saved his job.
Dean Wade, who has been sidelined since March 8 with a sprained right knee, will be available for tonight’s Game 3, tweets Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. Starting center Jarrett Allen will miss his sixth straight game with a rib injury.
In a discussion of the Pelicans, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and William Guillory of The Athletic speculate that New Orleans would have interest in Allen if the Cavs decide to explore trade options this summer. They believe the Pelicans would like to upgrade from center Jonas Valanciunas, and Scotto notes that Allen played for general manager Trajan Langdon when he was an executive with Brooklyn.

Cavaliers Notes: Game 1, Strus, Allen, Wade

May 8th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers seemed to use Game 1 to try to figure out how to handle the top-seeded Celtics for the rest of the series, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Cleveland was overwhelmed in the second half on Tuesday on the way to a 25-point loss, but Vardon writes that the players didn’t appear shaken by the defeat and are viewing it as a learning experience.

“I think you can see the formula of how to attack, how to put yourself and the group in proper positions to succeed,” Donovan Mitchell said. “I think you can figure some things out (after one game), but we’ve got to make some shots. They’re a high-volume team, a high-powered team.”

The main concern coming out of the opener is how to reduce the number of good shots Boston is getting from beyond the arc, Vardon adds. The Celtics pulled away by making 18 three-pointers, including seven by Derrick White and four from Jaylen Brown.

“We have to do a better job of limiting the amount of three-pointers that they took,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s being in our spots as early as we can be, but doing a better job than we did tonight of reading the basketball.”

There’s more on the Cavaliers:

Most of Cleveland’s roster has never faced the Celtics in a playoff series, but this is the third year in a row for Max Strus, Vardon notes. Strus said that with Kristaps Porzingis injured, Boston’s current lineup is very similar to the team that Miami defeated in last year’s Eastern Conference finals.
Jarrett Allen continues to struggle with a rib injury that he suffered in Game 4 of the first-round series with Orlando. Allen missed the rest of that series and wasn’t able to play in Game 1 against Boston. “He hasn’t been feeling comfortable at all with that rib contusion,” Shams Charania said on Run It Back by FanDuel (video link). “… There hasn’t been much optimism that he was going to play last night, we’ll see in the games to come if there is.” Allen is “really uncomfortable,” according to Charania’s sources.
Dean Wade has already been ruled out for Thursday’s Game 2, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade has been sidelined since March 8 with a sprained right knee, but the Cavs are hopeful that he can return at some point during this series.

Eastern Notes: Wade, Allen, J. Brown, Claxton, Bucks

May 7th, 2024 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, who continues to recover from a right knee injury, hasn’t played since March 8, but it’s possible he’ll return to action at some point in the Eastern Conference semifinals, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). Sources tell Fedor that there’s hope Wade will be able to play later in the series, possibly as early as Game 3 or 4 in Cleveland.

Wade is ramping up his on-court activity, having conducted an individual workout on Monday and then doing some light shooting and conditioning work at Tuesday’s shootaround, according to Fedor. His availability later in the series will depend on how his knee responds to the increase in activity.

After averaging a modest 5.4 points per game in 54 regular season appearances, Wade likely won’t be a difference-maker in the series vs. Boston. However, as Fedor observes, the Cavs haven’t gotten much this postseason from Georges Niang, who has made just 6-of-29 (20.7%) shots in six games and has nearly as many fouls (15) as points (17). Having another frontcourt option available off the bench could come in handy for Cleveland.

The presence of another power forward in the rotation would be even more crucial if center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined. Allen, who missed the final three games of the Cavs’ first-round series vs. Orlando, is listed as questionable to play in Game 1 on Tuesday.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown spoke back in the fall about wanting to take on more challenging defensive assignments and play at an All-Defensive level in 2023/24, and he has delivered on that promise, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, who says that Brown will likely “draw a heavy dose” of Donovan Mitchell in the second-round series vs. Cleveland. “He’s picking up point guards, he guards bigs,” teammate Derrick White said of Brown. “Just an athletic freak. He can guard so many different positions and he just really bought in this year. I think he was a good defender before the season but just taking it to that next level, just consistently night in, night out, and wanting those challenges. Taking on those challenges and stepping up big time.”
Within a look at the Nets‘ upcoming offseason, Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily cites sources who say Brooklyn remains “very confident” in its ability to re-sign unrestricted free agent Nic Claxton, even if his price is in the neighborhood of $25MM per year.
Adding athleticism to their roster figures to be a priority for the Bucks ahead of the 2024/25 season, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, who notes that the team will also benefit from many of its key pieces having their first full offseason together — Damian Lillard was acquired just ahead of training camp last fall, while Doc Rivers was hired in January. “I told Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Dame I’m going to send them things all summer we’re working on for them to work on,” Rivers said. “And they both were very excited about that. I’m assuming Khris (Middleton) will like the same thing. That gives us an advantage.”

Cavs’ Dean Wade To Miss At Least Remainder Of First Round

April 24th, 2024 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers released an update on Dean Wade on Wednesday, announcing (via Twitter) that the injured forward will miss the rest of Cleveland’s first-round series with Orlando.

According to the Cavs, Wade recently underwent an MRI on the right knee sprain that has kept him on the shelf since March 13. He continues to do daily rehab, but needs more time to recover. Wade has no timeline for a return, with the team saying he’s out indefinitely.

A fifth-year forward who played college ball at Kansas State, Wade is one of Cleveland’s best defensive players. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from long distance in 54 games this season, including 32 starts (20.5 minutes).

A report at the beginning of April indicated that there was concern about Wade’s postseason availability. Based on today’s update, it certainly doesn’t sound like his return is imminent. Isaac Okoro and Georges Niang will likely continue to receive steady minutes off the bench with Wade out.

The good news for the Cavs is that they won both of their home games to hold a 2-0 lead thus far over the Magic. Game 3 is set for Thursday night in Orlando.

Injury Notes: Embiid, Sixers, Cavs, Hornets, Rozier

April 14th, 2024 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Maher

After previously being listed as questionable, reigning MVP Joel Embiid was subsequently ruled out by the Sixers ahead of Sunday’s season finale against Brooklyn, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports. Embiid’s official injury designation was left knee injury recovery, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

When asked if he expected Embiid to play as long as he didn’t have any issues pregame, head coach Nick Nurse shifted around a bit while saying, “Yeah, same on the (other) questionable guys” (Twitter video link via PHLY Sixers).

De’Anthony Melton (back injury recovery) and KJ Martin (left great toe contusion), the other two players with questionable tags, were later ruled out as well.

In his fifth game back following a torn left meniscus in January, which required surgery, Embiid appeared to tweak the same knee in Friday’s win over Orlando, calling to be subbed out a couple minutes before the first half ended. He returned for the second half and finished the game, but was noticeably grimacing at times.

Sunday’s game has major playoff implications for the 76ers, who currently have the same record as Orlando and Indiana at 46-35 but are the No. 7 seed due to tiebreakers. Still, Embiid’s health outlook is much more critical for the postseason and the future — Philadelphia went just 15-27 without the 30-year-old this season.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers, who have secured at least the No. 4 seed in the East and could move as high as No. 2, will be without some of their top players on Sunday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Donovan Mitchell (knee), Darius Garland (lower back contusion), Caris LeVert (knee soreness), Sam Merrill (neck strain) and Dean Wade (knee sprain) are all out. “It’s not rest,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said prior to tipoff. “Those guys have things they are dealing with that we are trying to protect over the long term. Not guys who are just taking today off. That was the thinking going into it — if we can get them yesterday and today and get out throughout this week, hopefully by Saturday or Sunday, whenever we play, that’s an advantage for us. We will go out and compete our tails off to make sure whatever may happen. So much is out of our control. It’s not a situation where we are going in and saying, ‘We need to do this or do that.’ We don’t control the outcome. So many other teams that have their own plans and own minds that they are trying to make up. We’re going out and trying to compete our tails off and see what happens.”
The Cavs are facing the Hornets on Sunday, and Charlotte will also be very undermanned, the team announced (via Twitter). Miles Bridges (right wrist), Brandon Miller (right wrist), Davis Bertans (left Achilles), Nick Richards (right plantar fascia) and Grant Williams (right ankle) were all downgraded from questionable to out, joining four other players who are dealing with long-term injuries.
Heat guard Terry Rozier underwent additional testing on his neck injury in recent days, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscriber link). Head coach Erik Spoelstra continues to refer to Rozier as day-to-day, but he’ll miss his fourth straight game on Sunday, leaving his postseason status up in the air. Rozier has been taking anti-inflammatories to deal with the issue, Winderman adds.