Dzanan Musa Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nets Notes: Russell, Kurucs, Musa, Marks

February 17th, 2019 at 9:02pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

As Brian Lewis points out for The New York Post, Nets GM Sean Marks didn’t offer D’Angelo Russell a contract extension in October mainly because he wanted to see if the young point guard could prove himself to be a go-to option and leader. So far, so good on that end as Russell has stayed healthy this season and is averaging career highs of 20.3 points and 6.6 assists per game going into his first All-Star game appearance.

Russell has been the leading force on a Nets team that is surpassing expectations, having already won more games (30) than they did all of last season (28). Russell’s improvements have coincided with steady improvement from Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, and Spencer Dinwiddie, with veterans and rookies contributing in other spots as well.

The Nets will now look to build on their strong record and claim their first playoff spot since 2015, as Russell will look to lead the way and play his way into a big contract this summer.

There’s more on the Nets:

Although Dzanan Musa‘s rookie season has been impacted by several injuries, his agent expressed that the Nets have been pleased with his development, as NetsDaily reported earlier this week.
Amidst a strong rookie season, Rodions Kurucs spoke about how his game and style of play differs from that of his fellow Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, as Marc Berman detailed for The New York Post.
In a recent New York Notes post, we explored how Marks viewed the Nets’ trade deadline in which they acquired (and then subsequently waived) Greg Monroe, as well as how it impacted their roster.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/4/19

February 4th, 2019 at 7:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from the G League:

The Nets assigned forward Mitch Creek to the Long Island Nets, then recalled him and rookie Dzanan Musa in time for tonight’s game against Milwaukee, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Musa scored 26 points and Creek added 15 in Long Island’s loss to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Monday afternoon. Creek signed a second 10-day contract on Monday morning.
The Celtics recalled rookie big man Robert Williams from the Maine Red Claws, the team’s PR department tweets. The first-round pick has appeared in 22 games with Boston this season.
The Rockets assigned forward Gary Clark to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Clark has appeared in 36 games with the Rockets, including one start, averaging 2.9 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 14.6 MPG.

Atlantic Notes: Stevens, Raptors, Musa

February 3rd, 2019 at 10:17pm CST by Austin Kent

There’s no denying that Brad Stevens wasted little time establishing himself as one of the best strategically minded coaches in the NBA. Now, amid rampant Anthony Davis discussion and speculation that Kyrie Irving will renege on his verbal commitment to re-sign with the Celtics, Stevens is getting a taste of a big league coach’s other responsibility: managing melodrama.

Sean Deveney of Sporting News writes that even though the Celtics have been winning games at an elite rate (nine of their past 10), Stevens will need to manage the personalities in his locker room more carefully than he ever had to during his time coaching in the NCAA.

Deveney writes that it’s been said that Stevens “tends to handle his players with too much emphasis on Xs-and-Os and not enough TLC.” The fate of this Celtics team could depend on him striking a balance.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Pressure is mounting on the Raptors to click and establish themselves as the legitimate title contenders that stakeholders hoped they would be after the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. As Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star writes, if Leonard does choose to leave the organization, the stakes will be lower than they’ve been in years. That ought to make the time leading up to the decision particularly tense.
Recent comments from Anthony Davis‘ father have cast new light on one of the teams most commonly linked to the superstar. Thomas Lott of Sporting News writes about Davis’ father slamming the Celtics organization for their treatment of former star Isaiah Thomas during the summer of 2017. Davis’ father says that although he would not want his son to play for the franchise, that’s not necessarily how the youngest Davis feels.
Rookie guard Dzanan Musa will remain with the Nets‘ G League affiliate in Long Island for the foreseeable future, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. The 19-year-old will stay with the minor league squad to get minutes. Musa is recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him in December.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/28/19

January 28th, 2019 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Nets assigned rookie forward Dzanan Musa to the Long Island Nets, the G League team tweets. Musa has been working his way back from a left shoulder injury suffered during a G League game in mid-December. The 29th overall pick hasn’t seen action in an NBA game since December 1st.
The Mavericks recalled rookie forward Ray Spalding from the Texas Legends for the first time this season, Dwain Price of Mavs.com tweets. Spalding, a late second-round selection acquired from Philadelphia, has averaged 15.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 2.2 BPG in 30.1 MPG over 29 games with the Legends.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Siakam, Trier

December 25th, 2018 at 9:21pm CST by Austin Kent

A pair of closed-door meetings have helped the Celtics snap a funk that cost them three straight games earlier this week. Since re-committing to communicating effectively, the club has won big against the Hornets and again against the Sixers on Christmas Day.

A. Sherrod Blakeley of NBC Sports Boston wrote about the process that resulted in the Celtics deciding they needed to do a better job of keeping on the same page as one another.

“We’re just looking to help one another out, pick each other up. When we’re playing like that, we’re a tough team to beat,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said.

The Celtics currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 20-13 record.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Despite the fact that he’s been sidelined with a shoulder injury and that fellow Nets rookie Rodions Kurucs has dominated the headlines, Dzanan Musa remains a big part of the club’s plans heading forward, a Nets Daily report suggests.
The Raptors have bumped Serge Ibaka to the five and will make use of Greg Monroe to fill the void left by Jonas Valanciunas but versatile forward Pascal Siakam will also take on new responsibilities at center, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes.
The Knicks have been without Allonzo Trier for much of December but it didn’t take long for the undrafted rookie sensation to remind the club what they were missing while he was sidelined. Jonathan Lehman of The New York Post writes about Trier’s return to the lineup.

Atlantic Notes: Musa, Horford, Atkinson, Robinson

December 23rd, 2018 at 3:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets rookie Dzanan Musa will miss one month with a shoulder injury suffered last Sunday in a G League game, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Musa knew the injury would cost him time immediately, with the sharp pain quickly shooting through his arm.

“Oh yeah, because my arm just went off. I didn’t feel it for like five minutes,” Musa said, according to Lewis. “It was numb. [I couldn’t feel it], not at all. I felt like my arm was gone, so I was pretty afraid.”

The Nets released an official medical update on Musa last week, announcing that he’d begin rehabilitation immediately after being diagnosed with a shoulder subluxation. Musa has appeared in seven games with Brooklyn this season, spending most of the campaign with their minor league affiliate in Long Island.

Musa has held per-game averages of 20.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 16 NBA G League games this season, proving his worth as a young prospect. The Nets drafted him with the No. 29 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, making him the second-youngest player in franchise history.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division today:

Al Horford and Marcus Morris will make their returns on Sunday against the Hornets, head coach Brad Stevens announced. Horford will be on a minutes restriction and has missed seven straight games with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his knee, while Morris will return from a one-week absence due to knee soreness. The Celtics have lost three straight games and currently own a 18-13 record.
Nets coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $25K for verbally abusing game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection on Friday, the NBA announced in a press release. The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Nets’ 114-106 loss to Indiana.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is progressing in his rehab from a sprained left ankle, according to the team (Twitter link). Robinson has moved from an immobilization boot to an ankle brace and will be out at least one more week, with the 20-year-old missing the club’s last four games.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/4/18

December 4th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

The Jazz have recalled Grayson Allen and Georges Niang from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed. It was each player’s only G League assignment of the season.
Jevon Carter and Ivan Rabb had an eventful day. The Grizzlies assigned the pair to their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle for morning shootaround, per the team’s Twitter feed. The two were then recalled for the Grizzlies’ mid-day practice before being re-assigned to the Hustle to play in their night game.
The Pelicans have assigned Frank Jackson to the G League, according to a team press release. New Orleans doesn’t yet have its own affiliate, so Jackson will play for the Texas Legends, pursuant to the flexible assignment system.
The Pacers have recalled Alize Johnson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, per the team’s website. Johnson has been with the G League affiliate since November 7.
The Nets have assigned Dzanan Musa to their G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/3/18

November 3rd, 2018 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Celtics recalled rookie center Robert Williams from their Maine affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
The Nets have sent rookies Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa to their Long Island team, tweets Brian Lews of The New York Post. Kurucs is returning from a sprained ankle he suffered October 20.
The Suns shipped rookie guard De’Anthony Melton to their affiliate in Northern Arizona, the team announced on its website.
The Clippers assigned guards Tyrone Wallace and Jerome Robinson to Agua Caliente, relays Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register.
The Bucks sent Sterling Brown to their G League affiliate in Wisconsin, the team announced on Twitter.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/2/18

November 2nd, 2018 at 6:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pistons assigned third-year forward Henry Ellenson and rookie guard Khyri Thomas to the Grand Rapids Drive, the team announced in a press release. Ellenson, a first-rounder in 2016, has been buried at the end of Detroit’s bench or inactive this season. The front office decided against picking up his option for next season. Thomas, a second-round pick out of Creighton acquired from the Sixers in a draft-night deal, has not made his NBA debut.
The Nets recalled rookie forwards Rodions Kurucs and Dzanan Musa from the Long Island Nets, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets. Kurucs, a second-round pick, has averaged 8.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 14.3 MPG through three NBA games. Musa, a late first-round selection, has made three short appearances this season. Kurucs was assigned to the Long Island team earlier in the day.
Rookie Celtics center Robert Williams has been assigned to the Maine Red Claws, the NBA team’s PR department tweets. The first-round pick has made four cameo appearances with the Celtics and knocked down his only field-goal attempt.
The Sixers assigned power forward Jonah Bolden to the Delaware Blue Coats, according to a team press release. Bolden, a second-round pick in 2017 who signed a four-year, partially-guaranteed contract in July, has seen action in four games this season but none of those stints were longer than seven minutes.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/28/18

October 28th, 2018 at 8:22pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Nets assigned rookie forward Dzanan Musa to the Long Island Nets, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (via Twitter). Musa has only played 11 minutes so far this season after he recovered from a preseason ankle injury. This will likely be the first of many assignments and recalls for Musa, who was the 29th overall pick in the 2018 Draft.
The Pacers have recalled Ike Anigbogu from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today in a press release. Anigbogu, a second-year center, may get a chance to suit up for Indiana in Monday’s game against Portland.