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Bucks Notes: Giannis, Portis, Johnson, Robbins, Buckner

October 11th, 2024 at 6:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was dominant in his preseason debut on Thursday vs. the Lakers, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. As Nehm writes, Antetokounmpo sat out Milwaukee’s preseason opener on Sunday, so Thursday marked his first NBA action since he injured his left calf in April, prematurely ending his 2023/24 season.

The two-time MVP was back to normal Thursday, recording 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes. One of those blocks — a chase-down of LeBron James — made the highlight reels. It was an encouraging sign for Milwaukee, which has had disappointing first-round playoff exits in each of the past two seasons, in part due to Antetokounmpo’s untimely injuries.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

  • Big man Bobby Portis continued to his scorching-hot shooting Thursday, Nehm notes. Portis, who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year for the second straight season in ’23/24, has scored 39 points in 28 preseason minutes, including 9-of-10 from three-point range. “My biggest thing this summer was to get in the gym and just work,” Portis said as part of a larger quote. “I worked every f—ing day of my life this summer, like a madman, bro. I just want my work to show on the court. So hopefully, it just translates in preseason. But I’m just playing with confidence and going out there and being who I am. I put a lot of work into my craft.”
  • Rookie guard AJ Johnson struggled in his preseason debut Sunday vs. Detroit, but he played with a much better rhythm Thursday, Nehm adds in the same story. “The biggest thing with him, man, is just trying to tell him just to slow down,” Portis said of Johnson. “Obviously, when you first get into the league, you’re kind of playing ultra-fast and you don’t know that the game can be just slow. It takes some minutes to find your rhythm, find your pace on how you want to play it at your speed. Everybody has their own speed on the court, right? So I think his biggest thing is trying to find the speed that he needs to play at to be effective and to be a pro.”
  • Center Liam Robbins, who was born in Wisconsin and grew up a Bucks fan, missed part of his final college season with a right leg fracture, which required surgery. A second surgery was needed in January after an issue with a plate that was inserted in his leg, but he says he’s fully healthy now and has no limitations, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “(Sunday) was my first game in like a year and a half so to get back out there, I definitely had a little bit of nerves getting back out there,” Robbins said. “I was really excited. Obviously not perfect by any means but just to get back out there and have the opportunity, just very grateful and count my blessings for sure.” Robbins, who has recorded five blocks in 22 preseason minutes, is on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Bucks.
  • Nehm of The Athletic details how head coach Doc Rivers recruited assistant Greg Buckner over the summer to spearhead Milwaukee’s defense. Buckner, who played 10 NBA seasons with five different teams from 1999-2009, has spent the past four seasons as an assistant with Cleveland, but Rivers pounced on the opportunity to speak to him when the Cavs fired J.B. Bickerstaff, Buckner’s close friend. The Bucks finished just 19th in the league in defensive rating last season, but they’re hoping Buckner will help turn that number around.
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Central Notes: Smith, LaVine, Mitchell, Rivers, Bucks’ Staff, Wright

July 2nd, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On the surface, the Bulls’ three-year agreement with free agent Jalen Smith may not seem like a big deal. But The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry believes the former Pacers big man could be due for a breakout season.

Smith fits into the Bulls’ aim of getting younger and more athletic. He’s adept at rim-running and offensive rebounding and he’ll improve their interior defense, Mayberry writes, adding that Smith could even become the starter if Nikola Vucevic is dealt.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • An NBA insider tells The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley that the relationship between Zach LaVine and the Bulls’ top brass is completely shattered and “filled with mistrust.” The Bulls are trying hard to move LaVine and his big contract. If they fail in those efforts before training camp, the front office and ownership would consider that the worst-case scenario.
  • With the Cavaliers getting Donovan Mitchell to agree to an extension, the gamble they made in agreeing to that blockbuster 2022 deal with Utah has paid off for the team and the city, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. Mitchell’s presence in the Cleveland lineup will keep it in contention for the foreseeable future, he adds.
  • The Bucks have salary-cap issues and will have to rely more on their younger players to fill in the gaps. Coach Doc Rivers isn’t fazed by that prospect, he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We wanted young talent. We did,” Rivers said. “We think that skill development in our league is becoming more and more important. The more of the young talent you can get to bring up with the veteran talent, the better. And that’s what we’re going to do all summer. Free agency is here right now, and now we’re looking for other guys, more veterans, to add to the mix. I like the mix of guys I think we’re going to end up with and it’s exactly the ratio that we want right now.”
  • The Bucks have finalized their coaching staff, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. The Bucks have hired Darvin Ham, Greg Buckner, Jason Love and Spencer Rivers as additions to the staff this summer. Dave Joerger, Rex Kalamian, Pete Dominguez, Joe Prunty and Vin Baker will remain on Rivers’ staff.
  • The Bucks are adding veteran guard Delon Wright on a one-year deal and Nehm takes a closer look at what he could bring to the rotation.
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Central Notes: Buckner, Giannis, Pacers Workout, Pacers Offseason

June 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greg Buckner is expected to join Doc Rivers’ staff with the Bucks, Marc Stein tweets. Buckner was the Cavaliers‘ associate head coach under J.B. Bickerstaff. He had been on Cleveland’s staff since 2020. Previously, Bucker was an assistant with the Grizzlies (2017-19). Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham has also made a commitment to join Rivers’ staff.

We have more from the Central Division:

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Eastern Notes: Buckner, Cavaliers, Williams III, Sixers, Brogdon

June 12th, 2022 at 7:55pm CST by JD Shaw

The Cavaliers are promoting assistant Greg Buckner to an associate head coach position, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). As Wojnarowski notes, Buckner played a key role in helping Cleveland become a strong defensive team last season.

Buckner spent 11 years in the NBA as a player from 1998-2009. He joined the Rockets as a player development coach in 2011, then became an assistant with the Grizzlies in 2017. The Cavaliers hired him in 2020.

Cleveland finished with a 44-38 record this season, dealing with several injuries throughout the year. The team lost in the play-in tournament and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:

  • Celtics center Robert Williams III tweaked his knee and asked to come out of Game 4 on Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said, as relayed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Williams is hopeful to play in Game 5. The shot-blocking big man has dealt with knee soreness for several weeks. Williams said he feels better and is relieved to have more of his usual explosion lately, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.
  • The Sixers‘ recent handling of a third star hasn’t been good, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. If Philadelphia pursues a trade for another star, Pompey believes the team must make sure he’s the right fit. As it stands, the Sixers are headlined by James Harden and Joel Embiid, but the team also has two quality players in Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris behind them. That quartet alone combined to score 86.3 points per game last season.
  • James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) examines whether Malcolm Brogdon has played his last game with Indiana. Brogdon played a career-low 36 games this past season with the Pacers, who could explore his value on the trade market during the offseason. He averaged 19.1 points per contest on 45% shooting last year.
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Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Brissett, Turner, Stewart

April 21st, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff will miss Wednesday’s game against Chicago due to personal reasons, the team tweets. Assistant Greg Buckner will fill in for Bickerstaff, who is expected to return for the team’s road game against Charlotte on Friday. Cleveland remains on the fringe of the playoff race despite a damaging loss to Detroit on Monday.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Oshae Brissett‘s three-year contract with the Pacers is not guaranteed for the final two seasons, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. Brissett was signed to a standard contract Wednesday after a pair of 10-day deals expired. The former Raptor has averaged 4.8 PPG on .688/.571/.750 shooting in six games (8.2 MPG) with Indiana.
  • Myles Turner’s toe injury could keep the Pacers big man out of action for six months. Dr. Jan Szatkowski, an orthopedic foot and ankle trauma doctor at Indiana University, told the Indianapolis Star’s Michael McCleary that his injury normally requires surgery and a six-month recovery period. However, it’s worth noting that Szatkowski hasn’t personally examined Turner, who has been ruled out indefinitely due to a partial tear of the plantar plate in the big toe of his right foot.
  • The Pistons acquired the No. 16 pick of last year’s draft from Houston to select one-and-done center Isaiah Stewart. Coach Dwane Casey said GM Troy Weaver was determined to get the high-energy big man, who has averaged 17.3 PPG and 16.3 RPG in his last three games, on the team. “He’s one guy I remember Troy talking about when he first got here, about how important this kid was,” Casey told Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. “He was as high on this young man as anybody and he’s been spot on with him.”
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Central Notes: Markkanen, Oladipo, Antetokounmpo, Buckner, Bulls

December 1st, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen is eager to get a rookie scale extension done before the December 21 deadline, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. Markkanen said on Tuesday he’s pushing his agent, Michael (Boris) Lelchitski, to reach an agreement. “I really want to be here long-term so I’m putting some pressure on (my agent) to get (an extension) done,” he said. De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are the other members of Markkanen’s draft class who have already reached extension agreements.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has been the subject of trade rumors but he insists he didn’t ask to be dealt, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN (Twitter link). “I never came out and said that I didn’t want to play for the Pacers or be in this organization,” he said. Oladipo, who said he think he’s much healthier than he was last season, added that he feels pressure to prove that he’s still an All-Star caliber player. “It feels like the world (is) on my back and I’ve got to make sure I hold it up,” he said.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to meet with the Bucks this week, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (video link). The two-time MVP’s decision whether to sign a super-max extension or test the free agent market next offseason looms as the biggest story of the preseason.
  • The Cavaliers have hired Greg Buckner as an assistant coach, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Buckner has a history with head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, as they worked together on the Rockets and Grizzlies coaching staffs.
  • New coach Billy Donovan’s plans for Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Wendell Carter Jr. are among the questions looming over the Bulls as they open training camp, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes.
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Southwest Rumors: Potapenko, Cousins, Mavs Draft, Rockets

June 15th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Vitaly Potapenko and Greg Buckner are among the assistants named to J.B. Bickerstaff’s staff with the Grizzlies, according to a team press release. Potapenko had been the Cavaliers’ assistant director of player development since 2013, while Buckner is a holdover from last season’s staff. As previously announced, Jerry Stackhouse will also be a top assistant for Bickerstaff. Stackhouse, who coached the Raptors’ G League the past two seasons, interviewed for several head coaching jobs. Chad Forcier, an assistant under Frank Vogel with the Magic the last two seasons, has also joined the staff along with Nick Van Exel and Adam Mazarei.

In other developments around the Southwest Division:

  • DeMarcus Cousins will most likely stay put with the Pelicans but there are three other Western Conference teams where the big man would be a good fit, HoopsHype tweets. The Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs are the most likely landing spots for Cousins if he leaves New Orleans, HoopsHype adds.
  • A draft night trade with the Bulls might make sense for the Mavericks, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News speculates. Dallas owns the No. 5 pick with Chicago slotted at No. 7. If Michael Porter Jr. and Trae Young go a little higher than anticipated, the Mavs could move down and either Mohamed Bamba, Wendell Carter or Jaren Jackson would still be on the board, Cowlishaw points out.
  • Rockets fans should lower their expectations of potentially landing LeBron James or Paul George and simply hope GM Daryl Morey can upgrade a  luxury-tax team with precious few young assets, Sean Deveney of Sports Illustrated opines. Giving Chris Paul a max contract will be a tough pill but one they’ll have to swallow to remain a prime contender, Deveney adds.
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Southwest Notes: Smith Jr., Green, Bickerstaff

December 8th, 2017 at 10:31pm CST by Austin Kent

The Mavericks were without rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. tonight and will likely be without him through the weekend, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes.

According to Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, the 20-year-old injured his hip after getting tangle up with a baseline camera man. While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Dallas has been particularly cautious with Smith Jr.’s health this season.

Through 23 games with the Mavericks this season, Smith Jr. has averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He missed two contests already this season back in October.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Grizzlies don’t have a permanent head coach yet but just hired former NBA player Greg Buckner to serve as an assistant, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes. Buckner worked alongside interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff in Houston and played for the Grizz in 2008/09.
  • The Grizzlies don’t need JaMychal Green to be a star but they do need him to establish himself as a plus defender, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal writes. Green looked particularly impressive on that side of the ball in the team’s streak-busting win over the Timberwolves this week.
  • In the same article for The Commercial Appeal, Chris Herrington writes that the Grizzlies have been slower on offense than before J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach. Another difference than under David Fizdale‘s watch is that the Grizz are shooting fewer threes but at a higher clip.
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