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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.

Donovan Mitchell Out For Game 4 Due To Calf Strain

May 13th, 2024 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers leading scorer Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 4 against the Celtics tonight due to a left calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The absence of Mitchell puts Cleveland in a dire situation as it tries to even the series. The Cavs trail the top-seeded Celtics, 2-1, after losing Game 3 on their home floor.

Mitchell was listed as questionable to play on Sunday’s injury report. Concern grew when he didn’t take part in the open portion of the team’s shootaround, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Mitchell watched film and underwent treatment but did not warm up for the game.

“Just the other night, toward the back end of that fourth quarter, it just started to build on him and became sore,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

Mitchell scored a team-high 33 points in 43 minutes in Game 3.

Starting center Jarrett Allen also remains out due to a bruised rib. He hasn’t played since Game 4 of the team’s first-round series vs. Orlando.

Caris LeVert will start in place of Mitchell, while Isaac Okoro continues to start in Allen’s spot.

Central Notes: Mitchell, Pistons Draft, Olshey, Haliburton

May 12th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Donovan Mitchell had 33 points in Game 3 of the Cavaliers’ series against the Celtics on Saturday but there’s no guarantee he’ll play in Game 4 on Monday night. He’s listed as questionable due to a left calf strain, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Cavaliers starting center Jarrett Allen is also listed as questionable due to a bruised rib, which has kept him out of action for the past six playoff contests.

We have more from the Central Division:

Now that the Pistons have slipped four notches in the draft lottery once again, they might as well explore all avenues to trade the No. 5 pick, James Edwards III of The Athletic opines. The last thing Detroit needs is another developmental player on their already too-young roster and they have to get veteran help to complement Cade Cunningham‘s skill set, Edwards reasons. Packaging the pick and one or two of their other young players might be an option.
Scratch Neil Olshey‘s name off the list of potential candidates for the Pistons’ president of basketball operations opening, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The former Trail Blazers executive declined the Pistons’ invitation to interview for the role. Another report surfaced on Sunday that the Bucks won’t allow their GM, Jon Horst, to interview for the job.
Tyrese Haliburton emerged from Game 3 of the Pacers’ series against the Knicks with a variety of ailments, including a sprained ankle, lower back spasms and a sacral contusion. Haliburton fought through those injuries in Game 4 on Sunday, contributing 20 points and six assists in Indiana’s lopsided win. “It felt good,” Haliburton said, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We have the best medical staff in the NBA, so it’s been around-the-clock treatment. All things necessary for me to be good to go. Very appreciative of them. Now it’s just time for more treatment after this and I’ll be ready to go for Game 5.”

Pelicans Reportedly Not Willing To Give Ingram Max Extension

May 12th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans are entering a critical offseason, with former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $36MM in 2024/25.

According to Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune (subscription required), New Orleans tentatively plans to supplement the trio of Ingram, CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson with “better-fitting pieces.”

However, despite having an overall net rating of +4.6 during the regular season, the Pelicans were outscored when their three top scorers shared the court together, Clark writes, and there is a chance at least one of them could be traded.

As of July 1, Ingram will be eligible a four-year, maximum-salary extension projected to be worth $200MM+. While the Pelicans are “open” to the possibility of tacking more years onto his current deal, they are not willing to give him a full max contract, sources tell Clark.

Clark compares Ingram to Zach LaVine, noting that both players have put up strong individual statistics on offense but have missed extended time with injuries throughout their careers. Chicago tried — unsuccessfully — to move LaVine’s max deal during the season, and will reportedly try again this offseason.

According to Clark, if the Pelicans can’t work out an extension with Ingram, they “likely will trade him.” That aligns with previous reporting that Ingram is the “most likely” Pelican to be on the move this summer. Clark points to the Cavaliers and Hawks as teams that might be interested in the 26-year-old.

Clark wonders if New Orleans might be able to acquire Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen from Cleveland for Ingram. I don’t see any world where the Cavs trade Mobley for Ingram, but Allen isn’t far-fetched. Still, Cleveland has its own upcoming financial squeeze, and adding Ingram would only further complicate that situation — Allen is owed far less money ($40MM) over the next two seasons.

The NBA draft lottery is today, but the Pelicans won’t be impacted by that drawing. They do, however, have until June 1 to decide whether they want to keep the No. 17 overall pick (via the Lakers) or instead acquire the Lakers’ unprotected 2025 first-round pick. As of now, Clark hears that New Orleans is inclined to defer the selection, though that isn’t set in stone.

If the Pels do keep the No. 17 pick, Clark says they would likely flip it in a trade. New Orleans also controls the No. 21 overall pick, and Clark is highly skeptical the team would actually keep two first-rounders on a roster that is trying to win right now.

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.

Injury Notes: Porzingis, J. Allen, Murray, KCP, Jackson

May 9th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Zolak and Bertrand on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla offered an encouraging update on the progress Kristaps Porzingis is making in his recovery from a calf strain, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com.

“It’s definitely better than we thought,” Mazzulla said. “I think one thing about KP is, I don’t know what his timetable is, but I know his mentality, and he really pushes himself to get back as quickly as he can. He does a great job working to take care of himself. He’s walking a little bit better, and every day he’s in there doing whatever it takes to try to get back as fast as he can. I appreciate that.”

Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter video link) said that “all early indications are super positive” on Porzingis’ recovery, adding that there’s “nothing but optimism” coming from the organization. The big man was on the court for the Celtics’ practice on Wednesday, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), though he was just doing stationary shooting and wasn’t moving around much.

Previous reporting indicated that the Celtics are hoping Porzingis will be able to return for the Eastern Conference Finals, assuming Boston makes it.

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

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) has been ruled out for a fifth straight game, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who confirms (via Twitter) that the big man will miss Game 2 on Thursday in Boston. As he did in Game 1, Isaac Okoro will once again start in Allen’s place.
The Nuggets are listing three players as questionable to play in a crucial Game 3 in Minnesota on Friday, tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette: Jamal Murray (left calf strain), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right abdominal contusion), and Reggie Jackson (left calf contusion). Murray has repeatedly been listed as questionable due to his calf issue and likely isn’t any danger of missing Friday’s game. However, Caldwell-Pope’s and Jackson’s injuries are new ones.
In case you missed it, the Knicks are listing OG Anunoby (hamstring) as out and Jalen Brunson (foot) as questionable for Friday’s Game 3 vs. Indiana. We have more details here.

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.”

Central Notes: Toppin, Pacers, Allen, Pistons

May 5th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers forward Obi Toppin doesn’t view the upcoming series with the Knicks as a chance to get revenge on the team that traded him last summer, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Toppin appeared to have a bright future in New York after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, but he was stuck behind Julius Randle on the depth chart. He got an expanded opportunity in his first season with Indiana and averaged career highs with 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 21.1 minutes per night.

“I feel like I’m preparing myself just like I did for Milwaukee,” Toppin said, referring to the first-round series that the Pacers won in six games. “Just locking into everything the coaches are telling us to do offensively and defensively, and playing my role.”

Toppin started 28 games this season, but he’s primarily a mainstay of Indiana’s second unit. He’s coming off one of his best games with 21 points and eight rebounds in the closeout victory over Milwaukee. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said the organization recognized Toppin’s value while he was there, but he was never going to get the chance to fully develop his game with Randle on the roster.

“We always thought he was a good player,” Thibodeau said. “I don’t think anything has changed. Very athletic, runs the floor great, shoots the ball, can score the ball. He’s always been able to score. Like I said, we loved having him. He was in a situation here where he’s playing behind Julius. So that was the story behind that.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Brian Lewis of The New York Post looks at how the Pacers were able to rush through the rebuilding process. It began at the 2022 trade deadline when Tyrese Haliburton was acquired from Sacramento in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Another building block was added the following summer when Indiana sent Malcolm Brogdon to Boston for Aaron Nesmith. “Look, when we had to basically squash this thing two-and-a-half years ago and start over, when you start using the ‘R’ word, it can get ugly. There are teams that were rebuilding for nine years,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “(Team president Kevin Pritchard) and (general manager Chad Buchanan) struck gold with Tyrese and it turned out to be a great trade for Sacramento. And then the Nesmith trade was another important piece. … It’s been super fun with this group. When you work with a guy like Tyrese Haliburton on a day-to-day basis, there’s nothing better.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen will miss today’s Game 7 with a rib injury, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Allen has been unavailable since Game 4. Isaac Okoro, who started Game 5 but was replaced by Marcus Morris in Game 6, will be back in the starting lineup, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Pistons‘ search for a new president of basketball operations should accelerate soon, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. He notes that some of the candidates Detroit wants to interview have been involved in playoff runs, making it difficult to get permission from their teams.

Central Notes: Giannis, Allen, Vucevic, Haliburton

May 4th, 2024 at 8:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks were hoping to extend their first-round series long enough for Giannis Antetokounmpo to return, but the two-time MVP was never close to being activated, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Antetokounmpo revealed on Friday that the left calf strain he suffered April 9 was still limiting him to the point where he could only run at about 30-40%.

“I tried my best to come back to help my teammates,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to see them being out there and not being able to help them, but I just couldn’t. I did all the tests I had to do, these protocols you have to follow and have to check the boxes. I wasn’t even close at checking the boxes.”

It’s the second straight season that an Antetokounmpo injury has contributed to a first-round exit for Milwaukee. Collier notes that injuries in general prevented the Bucks from establishing any kind of rhythm after Doc Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin as head coach in late January. Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton only played eight games together under Rivers.

Antetokounmpo pointed out that the team had to adjust quickly after the trade for Lillard was completed late in the offseason and then again after the coaching change. He plans to visit Lillard in Oregon this summer to start preparing for next season.

“Obviously, it doesn’t feel good. The wound, you know, it’s fresh. It’s open. You just lost in the first round,” Antetokounmpo said. “But I’m not a guy who makes excuses. Right now, I do believe that when me, Khris and Dame and Brook (Lopez) was on the floor and we’re healthy, we were one of the best offenses in the NBA. And you can go and check that.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The condition of Antetokounmpo’s calf will affect his decision to represent Greece this summer, Collier adds. Antetokounmpo has indicated that he would like to play in the Olympics, but he hasn’t made a firm commitment. The Greek team will have to win a qualifying tournament in early July to earn a spot in Paris.
After missing two straight games with a rib contusion, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is listed as questionable for Sunday’s Game 7, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Evan Mobley rolled his ankle Friday night, but he’s not on the team’s injury report, according to Fedor.
The Bulls plan to explore trade options involving starting center Nikola Vucevic, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Vucevic, 33, is owed a total of about $41.5MM over the next two years. He was noticeably slower on defense this season, Cowley observes, and he dropped to 29.4% from three-point range.
Tyrese Haliburton is familiar with the playoff history between the Pacers and Knicks and he’s looking forward to being part of it (video link from The Indianapolis Star). He’s also eager for the matchup with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, whom he said are both close friends.