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Sixers Notes: Fultz, Brown, Holmes, Ilyasova

February 25th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s time for rookie guard Markelle Fultz to break his public silence and address the issues that have limited him to just four games this season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The things Fultz needs to explain, according to Pompey, are whether a scapular muscle imbalance forced him to change his shot or whether it was done on the advice of his trainer, Keith Williams, and what teammate Joel Embiid meant when he said of Fultz, “I don’t feel like a lot of people … have had his back.”

Williams has denied making changes to Fultz’s shot and some people in the organization don’t believe it happened, but Fultz could easily clear up the situation if the team made him available to the media. However, he hasn’t granted any interviews apart from a brief one on TNT. A grievance was filed through the Pro Basketball Writers Association, but the NBA sided with the Sixers. The team may be trying to protect Fultz, Pompey adds, but the silence is just leading to more speculation.

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

This is the first time since coach Brett Brown took over five years ago that the Sixers haven’t dealt away or waived someone at the trade deadline, Pompey notes in a separate story. Not only did they keep their core intact, they added a shooter by picking up Marco Belinelli from the buyout market. “It’s something that from the city’s perspective, from the fans’ perspective and from the these guys’ perspective to take continuity and move it forward instead of hack away at it and chop it down,” Brown said. “We respect it. We appreciate it.”
Richaun Holmes made a rare appearance Saturday, relays Sarah Todd of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The back-up center had sat out seven of the past nine games, but was scheduled for some minutes as Brown tries to prepare his whole roster for the postseason. Holmes responded with impressive defense in a win over the Magic. “Right now my motivation is I know that Richaun has value, I know that he has things that he can bring to the table and I respect how he’s handled himself when he wasn’t playing that much,” Brown said. “I know it’s my job to keep him alive and tonight was an example of that and I thought he did very very well.”
The Sixers could be an option for Ersan Ilyasova once he completes a rumored buyout with the Hawks, according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports. Ilyasova spent 53 games in Philadelphia last season before being traded to Atlanta.

Atlantic Notes: Noah, Embiid, Nets Sale

February 18th, 2018 at 10:58pm CST by marksuleymanov

Joakim Noah is currently away from the Knicks, but he made his first public appearance in weeks during the All-Star break. The former Defensive Player of the Year was spotted at a party hosted by NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein. Marc Berman of the New York Post spoke to Goldstein about Noah’s rare appearance.

“I’ve known [Noah] a long time, I spoke to him last night,” Goldstein said to Berman. “I asked him if he was going to be all right, that I’m a little worried about you. He said don’t worry about him, everything’s going to be fine.”

We noted on Saturday that a confrontation in late January between Noah and head coach Jeff Hornacek allegedly turned physical. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Hornacek shoved Noah and the two men had to be separated, though Berman’s sources dispute that Hornacek pushed Noah. The veteran center has not been back with the team since then as the Knicks have tried him and the remainder of his near-$38MM salary for the next two seasons.

Check out additional Atlantic Division notes down below:

This All-Star weekend has been just the latest chapter in Joel Embiid‘s improbable journey from third overall pick to oft-injured big man to NBA All-Star. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes that Embiid contemplated retirement on several occasions as injuries mounted and doubt about his future grew. “At some points, I wanted to quit,” the Sixers‘ center said. “There were surgeries after surgeries, and I didn’t really believe in myself. I didn’t feel good about my body.” After a productive weekend in the Skills Challenge and All-Star game, Embiid’s once doubtful future is the most certain it has been.
The deal between Mikhail Prokhorov and Joe Tsai for a 49% stake in the Nets will reportedly be finalized in the coming weeks, sources tell Net Income at NetsDaily. Per the reported details, Tsai will initially gain control of 49% of the Nets with an option to take full control in 2022.

Sixers, Thunder Interested in Dewayne Dedmon

February 5th, 2018 at 7:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks, Sixers and Thunder are among the teams who have expressed interest in Dewayne Dedmon, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports. However, Milwaukee is no longer looking for a big man after acquiring Tyler Zeller from the Nets on Monday night, as Deveney points out (Twitter link).

The Sixers and Thunder are also searching for wing help but could trade for Dedmon to fortify their frontcourts.

Atlanta’s front office would like to move numerous players but Dedmon has attracted the most attention, Deveney adds. Dedmon, who played for the Spurs last season, missed over a month of action with a left leg injury but when healthy the 7-footer has been a rotation player. He’s started 21 of 34 games, averaging a career highs in scoring (10.0 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG).

Dedmon has expanded his offensive game beyond the 3-point line this season and has made a healthy 38.3% of his attempts. He’s likely to re-enter the free agent market after the season. Dedmon, who is making $6MM this season, has a $6.3MM player option for next season and will likely exercise it, according to Deveney.

Since Dedmon would likely only be a rental, the Hawks won’t find a suitor willing to give up a first-round pick for him.

In terms of the teams reportedly interested in Dedmon, he’d serve as backup in Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid or Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Embiid, Carroll, Raptors

February 4th, 2018 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers need to decide whether they’re willing to part with an asset to speed up the rebuilding process, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The physical and shot-related problems affecting first-round pick Markelle Fultz have left Philadelphia without a guard who can provide a scoring boost off the bench. There are two obvious targets in the Grizzlies’ Tyreke Evans and the Clippers’ Lou Williams, but neither will come cheap.

A league source tells Pompey the Sixers are interested in Evans, while reports have also linked them to Williams, who started his career in Philadelphia. The Celtics and other teams are targeting the same players, which may increase the asking price. The Hawks’ Marco Belinelli is a lower-cost option who could also provide bench scoring, and all three have expiring contracts, so they won’t affect future cap space.

Pompey says the Sixers shouldn’t be willing to give up a first-rounder for any of the three players because of their position in the standings. Stuck at .500 through the first 50 games of the season, Philadelphia is unlikely to be a title contender, and Evans, Williams or Belinelli won’t change that. He suggests holding onto first-rounders in case they’re needed for a larger trade in the future.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers center Joel Embiid is showing no ill effects after playing in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, according to an ESPN report. Embiid played 34 minutes Saturday after logging 31 minutes Friday, marking a significant milestone in a career defined by injuries. “I felt great,” Embiid said. “My legs weren’t tired. My body was fine. I could feel it just a little bit. But I was fine.” Embiid has already played 39 games, surpassing the total of 31 from last year in what was technically his rookie season.
Nets forward DeMarre Carroll has been mentioned as a trade target, but he wants to stay in Brooklyn, relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Carroll’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told him several teams have expressed interest in a deal, but nothing is definite. “He talked to [GM] Sean [Marks] and they value me a lot here,” Carroll said. “You really don’t know what’ll happen. He just told me stay focused and continue to keep on doing well. I’m old enough I understand rumors are rumors. Until somebody calls and I’m shipping up out of here, continue to keep playing great basketball for the Brooklyn Nets.”
The Raptors should wait until after the trade deadline to upgrade their roster, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Toronto has been carrying an open roster spot all season and has the chance to do well in the buyout market without giving up an asset.

Joel Embiid’s Back-To-Back Debut Postponed

January 29th, 2018 at 2:12pm CST by Austin Kent

JANUARY 29: Embiid won’t play on Monday night after all, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who tweets that the Sixers are playing it safe due to the “heavy loading” in Sunday’s game. The current plan is for Embiid to play both halves of the team’s back-to-back on Friday and Saturday against the Heat and Pacers.

JANUARY 28: For the first time in his two active seasons, Joel Embiid has been cleared to play a back-to-back for the Sixers, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Embiid himself said that it depends on how he feels after the club’s Sunday night loss to the Thunder but technically he’s available and adds that he’s felt particularly good of late. On the floor, the 23-year-old has looked better than good, averaging 23.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in just 31.4 minutes per game of action.

Up to this point in the 2017/18 campaign, the Sixers have played in five back-to-backs and Embiid has missed at least one contest in all of them. While there’s no indication that this will necessarily be a regular occurrence, we wrote earlier in the month that Embiid had hoped to reach such an arrangement by the end of January.

The Sixers sit very much in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, eighth, in fact, just 1.5 games behind the fifth-seeded Wizards. On the season, Philly is 24-22 but their record is a slightly more impressive 21-15 when you excluding games that he’s been held out for.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Bolden, Tatum

January 18th, 2018 at 7:06pm CST by Austin Kent

While the team has not offered up an official date at which Joel Embiid will be cleared to play in back-to-backs, the Sixers center would like to do so by the end of the month, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

Embiid, who was voted in as an All-Star Game starter earlier today, has averaged 23.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game for the Sixers this season, but has only played in 31 of the team’s 40 contests.

Through the first three months of the regular season, the Sixers have played five sets of back-to-backs and in each game, Embiid has missed at least one match.

“I just need not to take days off,” Embiid said. “It’s not on me. It’s on the [Sixers’] medical staff. But hopefully, back-to-backs by the end of this month, I will be allowed to play.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics appear to have landed a gem in rookie Jayson Tatum. Chris Forsberg of ESPN recently profiled the 19-year-old forward, painting a picture of how Tatum’s confidence and poise have served him just as well as his length and athleticism have so far in his young career.
A feature by The Athletic’s Rich Hoffman profiles Sixers‘ draft-and-stash prospect Jonah Bolden. The 36th pick in the 2017 draft was named the Adriatic League’s Top Prospect, an award that Dario Saric and Nikola Jokic also earned during their stints there.
Despite a breakout year with the Nets, Joe Harris hasn’t concerned himself with the fact that he’ll be a free agent in the summer. “I love playing for [head coach Kenny Atkinson]”, Harris told Sam Blum of The Daily Progress. “I love the teammates that we have and everybody else that’s in the organization. We have a lot of great people, top to bottom. I really don’t think about that stuff a whole lot. I focus on trying to get better here collectively and individually and just enjoying it while I can.“

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Fultz, Colangelo, Simmons

January 14th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers center Joel Embiid may have interest in playing for the French national team, according to Orazio Cauchi 0f Sportando. During this week’s trip to London, the Cameroon native indicated he might be open to the possibility. Patrick Beesley, the head of French federation, will come to the United States next month to meet with Sixers forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and plans to address the idea with Embiid.

“Playing with France? You never know,” Embiid said. “Of course I’m not from France, if I ever play intertionally there’s Cameroon, but France could be a good opportunity. I have many relatives and friends in France.”

There’s more this morning out of Philadelphia:

Rookie guard Markelle Fultz has gotten past his physical ailments, but his shooting form still appears to be broken, writes Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders. The muscular imbalance in Fultz’s shoulder has been corrected and he has been cleared for five-on-five practices, but the problems with his shot haven’t gone away. Even so, Sixers coach Brett Brown can’t wait to get the first overall pick back on the court. “I’m excited,” Brown said. “Because he completely connects the dots to what we don’t have. Anybody that can create their own shot, anybody that can create something for somebody else, is of extreme value to the collection of what we have, and that is his skill set. And what we can get out of him, how is he going to be integrated into the team when he gets back, that’s yet obviously to be seen, but I remain highly positive and highly optimistic.”
President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo believes the Sixers are still a playoff team, but admits inconsistent play has been a problem, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Colangelo is counting on a boost from the return of Fultz and the possibility of using Embiid in back-to-back games, which was originally targeted for January or February. Colangelo said a trade is possible before next month’s deadline, but he won’t be disappointed if one doesn’t materialize. “We’re very consistent with our patient approach to developing the core players that we have,” he added, “and putting them in the best possible environment to succeed.”
Ben Simmons is an exceptional talent, but he still has to learn how to succeed without Embiid on the court, writes Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated. Opponents aren’t afraid to double team Simmons without the threat of Embiid, and lineups with Simmons alone lose about nine points per 100 possessions.

Injury Notes: Sixers, Harden, Kings, Okafor

January 2nd, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Joel Embiid is considered doubtful for Wednesday’s game, and Markelle Fultz isn’t quite ready to get back on the court yet, but the Sixers got some positive news on both players this week. As Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia details, there was some concern on Sunday night that Embiid had suffered a broken right hand, but x-rays were negative and he believes he’s dealing instead with a sprain.

Meanwhile, Fultz hasn’t played since October, but he appears to be inching toward a return. The club announced today that 2017’s first overall pick has been cleared to “begin the final stage of his return-to-play program.” The press release was light on specifics, but barring setbacks, it sounds like it shouldn’t be much longer before we see Fultz back in the Sixers’ lineup.

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

We know James Harden will be out for at least two weeks with a hamstring strain, but his exact recovery timetable remains unclear. Speaking today to reporters, including Hunter Atkins of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni suggested that Harden could miss up to four weeks. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN, Kevin Pelton examines how Harden’s absence will affect the Rockets, the NBA, and the star guard’s MVP chances.
As one Kings guard gets healthy, another one goes on the shelf. According to a press release from the club, De’Aaron Fox will return on Tuesday after a two-week absence, but Frank Mason will miss at least the next week with a heel contusion.
Third-year center Jahlil Okafor is expected to make his home debut for the Nets on Wednesday, as head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed to reporters on Monday (link via Alex Labidou of NBA.com). Okafor, acquired by Brooklyn nearly a month ago, wasn’t initially ready for regular minutes after having barely played for Philadelphia this season. However, the Nets are ready to get him back on the court and to start increasing his workload, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
After missing seven games due to a groin injury, Pistons guard Avery Bradley is set to return to action on Wednesday, writes Ansar Khan of MLive.com. “It was lingering over a few weeks, but now I feel better, I feel like I can go out there and give my all,” Bradley said.

Latest On Joel Embiid

December 21st, 2017 at 5:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

DECEMBER 21, 5:42pm: Embiid will not play tonight, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets. The big man went through warmups, however.

DECEMBER 21, 11:18am: Embiid has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday night’s game against the Raptors, tweets Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia. While that doesn’t mean he’ll play tonight, it’s a sign that Embiid is nearing a return, perhaps even before Monday’s Christmas Day game.

DECEMBER 20, 6:20pm: Injuries continue to plague Joel Embiid, with a back issue the latest ailment to keep him off the court. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports that big man will likely miss the next two games, though he’s expected to return to action against the Knicks on Monday.

The Sixers looked like a playoff team earlier this season, something fueled in part by Embiid’s success. The Cameroon native has missed seven games this season, including that last two, and Philadelphia has lost six of those contests.

Embiid, who is averaging 24.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game this season, signed a massive five-year, $146.5MM extension back in October. The deal included unique clauses which protect the Sixers, allowing them to waive Embiid without paying him his full guaranteed salary if he misses 25 or more regular season games or fails to play at least 1,650 minutes in a season as a result of specifically named injuries. Those clauses do not kick in until next season, though it’s worth noting that the named injuries include Embiid’s back.

It’s extremely unlikely that Philadelphia waives Embiid unless he suffers a catastrophic, career-altering injury. The center simply has too much talent to let go of if the team feels he can still play. However, the nature of back injuries, coupled with Embiid’s contract language, makes this a situation worth monitoring.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Celtics, Embiid

December 17th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Austin Kent

Two months into the 2017/18 NBA season, the Knicks are one of the most impressive turnaround stories. One of the major reasons why is that the club is learning to trust one another, Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.

Consider Doug McDermott, a fourth-year forward who didn’t make a lasting impression during his first two stints in the NBA. This year the Creighton product is shooting threes at a .415 clip and commanding the respect of his new teammates.

“It means a lot. It feels good,” McDermott said. “Everyone feels like we all trust each other now. We’re almost 30 games into the season. We’re clicking. We have a good vibe going. We’ve just to continue to do it.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics‘ second unit has made a name for itself because of its defense but sooner or later they’re going to have to start improving on the offensive end, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes. Currently, he says, the bench lacks consistent shot-makers.
The Sixers seem to be well ahead of schedule in their infamous rebuild and that can be attributed to a number of things, namely the emergence of Joel Embiid as a legitimate – and healthy – star, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
The Knicks and Nets, with rosters jam-packed with promising young players, have set about rebuilding the right way, no small feat in the superteam era, a Nets Daily report opines.