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Southwest Notes: Marshall, Irving, Grizzlies, Morant, Pelicans

December 21st, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Tristan Tucker

After missing five of his previous six games, Mavericks forward Naji Marshall returned to the lineup on Thursday and will continue to bring an edge to a strong Dallas team, The Athletic’s Christian Clark writes. In 22 games with Dallas, Marshall is averaging 11.8 points per game, but he also serves as the muscle of the team.

Marshall began his NBA career on a two-way deal, working his way up to the rotation in New Orleans before signing with the Mavericks this season for three years and $27MM. According to Clark, Marshall breathed a “sigh of relief” when he signed that contract with Dallas after earning the minimum for his first few years, but he knows his work isn’t over.

“I know it’s a narrow window as far as opportunity and just having an overall career in the NBA. I’m in the door, and now I want to stay here,” Marshall said. “Whatever it takes.”

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After missing Thursday’s game against the Clippers, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is off the injury report and will play, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link). Superstar Luka Doncic will remain out with a heel issue that kept him out of Thursday’s loss.
The Grizzlies sent a mature message in their 51-point drubbing of the Warriors on Thursday, according to Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. Every Grizzlies rotation player scored and six members of the team finished in double figures. The Grizzlies are 19-9 and second in the Western Conference.
There doesn’t seem to be a need for the Grizzlies to make a consolidating blockbuster trade, even with all their depth, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko opines in a mailbag. They could go for someone like Dorian Finney-Smith of Brooklyn, but the team is firing on all cylinders and shouldn’t blow up the core. In the same mailbag, Iko makes the case for Santi Aldama being Memphis’s fourth-best player and discusses their physicality.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hard fall in the second half of the blowout over Golden State and didn’t return, logging just 17 minutes. That mostly seemed precautionary, as Memphis already had a big lead at that point, but he’s listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Hawks, the Grizzlies tweeted.
The Pelicans are still struggling to establish chemistry amid their injury woes this season, and their defense hit a new low in surrendering 133 points to Houston on Thursday, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes. New Orleans has lost 14 of its last 15 games.
Despite dropping five in a row, the Pelicans are hoping to get back on track with a five-game homestand, Walker writes in another subscriber-only story for NOLA.com.

Injury Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Barnes, Poeltl, Beal, Wizards, Harris

December 19th, 2024 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) has been ruled out for the Mavericks‘ game vs. the Clippers on Thursday, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) is questionable to play, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).

There was some good news on the injury front for Dallas, however, as neither Naji Marshall nor Maxi Kleber is on the injury report for Thursday’s game. Marshall has missed five of the Mavs’ past six games while battling an illness; Kleber was unavailable for the past three due to an illness and a rib injury.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was originally expected to miss “several weeks” due to an ankle sprain, but just 10 days after sustaining that injury, he has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against Brooklyn after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). “I’m so happy that it wasn’t as serious as I thought it was going to be,” Barnes said. In other Raptors injury news, starting center Jakob Poeltl is considered day-to-day with a bilateral groin strain and will miss Thursday’s contest.
After missing the Suns‘ past two games with swelling in his right knee, star guard Bradley Beal “did everything” in practice on Wednesday and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be able to play Thursday against Indiana, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Beal has been listed as probable to suit up.
Wizards guards Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert aren’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte and should be available to play, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Brogdon has been out since December 5 due to a hamstring strain, while both George and Kispert have been recovering from left ankle sprains since Dec. 3.
Magic guard Gary Harris, who has been unavailable since November 25 due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Harris has been averaging 17.2 minutes per game in his first 16 outings of the season before suffering that injury in his 17th appearance.

Southwest Notes: Kennard, Welts, Mavs, Murray, Spurs

December 18th, 2024 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard has seen his playing time decline this season to 19.7 minutes per game, the second-lowest mark of his career, and was a DNP-CD last Friday for the first time in 2024/25.

However, Kennard earned praise from head coach Taylor Jenkins for providing Memphis with excellent minutes off the bench against the Lakers on Sunday. Although the Grizzlies lost the game by six points, Kennard was a +18 in 18 minutes of action, knocking down three 3-pointers.

“I give him a lot of credit,” Jenkins said (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). “While the group’s been playing well and he was out of the rotation, he’s been putting in all the work. I thought he gave us a spark. It wasn’t even (just) him knocking down some shots. The way he was moving, he was cutting, he was driving, touching the paint, facilitating — just kind of ignited our offense.”

Among the three Grizzlies players who are on expiring contracts this season, Kennard has the highest cap hit at $9.25MM, so if his role doesn’t increase and Memphis looks to make an in-season move on the trade market, he could emerge as a candidate to be dealt by February 6.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Mavericks have hired former Warriors president and Hall of Fame executive Rick Welts as their new CEO, reports Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Welts, who is replacing Cynt Marshall when she retires on December 31, will oversee the Mavs’ business operations, while general manager Nico Harrison continues to oversee the basketball operations, but the two departments will “work closely together whenever possible,” Townsend explains. Both Welts and Harrison will report to Mavs governor Patrick Dumont.
Mavericks stars Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) and Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday, but neither injury appears to be a cause for major concern, says Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).
A disastrous season in New Orleans that has seen the Pelicans lose 22 of their first 27 games has been made even worse by the struggles of offseason addition Dejounte Murray, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans gave up a significant trade package to acquire Murray from Atlanta in the hopes of solidifying their point guard position, but through his first 10 games, he has shot just 36.4% from the floor and 28.1% on three-pointers, both far below his career rates. Murray has also averaged a career-high 4.2 turnovers per game.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan appears to have reclaimed his spot in the team’s starting lineup, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), which means that rookie Stephon Castle may no longer have a place in the starting five. Castle came off the bench on Sunday for the first time since November 4 and struggled in his new role, scoring just two points on 1-of-8 shooting. San Antonio was outscored by 23 points during his 23 minutes on the court.

Northwest Notes: Henderson, SGA, Dort, Wallace, Murray

December 12th, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers second-year guard Scoot Henderson believes his team is ready to blossom, as he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“I think we’ll pan out to be one of the top teams in the league pretty soon with the young core that we have and the dogs on our team,” he said. “You’ve got Donovan Clingan, who’s shown little glimpses of what he can do, and Shaedon (Sharpe). I try to get those guys the ball, and I try to do my thing. My main thing is getting guys the ball, letting them rock out, and letting the world see their talent.

“I’m trying to be a leader on and off the floor and get to know the guys a little bit more. I think we’re a core that plays hard and is going to shock a lot of teams throughout the season.”

Portland has a lot of ground to make up, as the Trail Blazers are 8-16 after losing six of their last seven games.

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Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander readily accepts his role as a team leader, he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I embrace it for sure,” he said. “It comes with a burden. It comes with the crown. It comes with all the things you dream about as a kid being a superstar in the NBA. I definitely dreamed about being this as a player and these things come with it. And I knew that. So, I definitely embrace it.”
The combination of Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace held Mavericks superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to a total of 33 points in the Thunder‘s NBA Cup quarterfinal win on Tuesday. It was the lowest combined scoring total for the backcourt duo in any game that both Doncic and Irving appeared in since they became teammates. “Hell of a job by Lu and Cason,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “It’s more impressive to hold them that low than it is for me to get 39 points. I think to hold those two that low really gave us a chance to win the game. We felt like we had control of the game because of that. Keeping those two in check like that is very rare.”
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is dealing with some hamstring irritation and it’s uncertain whether he’ll play against the Clippers on Friday. “He was able to go through portions of practice (Wednesday), which was great to have him out there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “He got some good work in yesterday in terms of treatment and player development. And then we’ll see how he feels from his work today. I’d say for Friday night, he’s still going to be listed as questionable.”

Mavericks Notes: Gafford, Lively, Doncic, Irving, Thompson, Grimes

December 2nd, 2024 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks have fielded some inquiries regarding Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively but haven’t shown any interest in trading either big man, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports.

However, the Mavericks could be active in the trade market. They could seek potential upgrades by parting with their 2025 first-round pick or their 2031 first-rounder. They could also add a young piece such as Quentin Grimes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in a trade package, Scotto notes.

Dallas is approximately $5.3MM above the luxury tax but might be able to drop below that figure if it is able to deal Maxi Kleber, Scotto adds. He’ll make $11MM this season, with a matching cap hit for 2025/26.

We have more on the Mavs:

Luka Doncic returned from a wrist injury on Sunday and racked up 36 points and 13 assists against the Trail Blazers. He posted on social media that it was “great” to be back from a five-game absence. Doncic complimented the team on how it performed without him. “Obviously, I think their pace was great. They were playing amazing,” Doncic said, per ESPN News Services. “So, [I was] just trying to adapt to that. They beat some tough teams, and I was just happy to sit back, watch and enjoy.”
Dallas defeated Portland despite having several other starters and rotation players sidelined. Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness), Lively (right knee hyperextension), Klay Thompson (left foot plantar fascia), Naji Marshall (illness) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all missed the game, the Mavs PR department tweets.
Grimes, who joined Dallas in the offseason trade with Detroit, has been on a hot streak of late. He’s averaged 24.3 points over the last three games. “I’m glad to see my confidence growing,” Grimes told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “I’m just playing downhill, not overthinking, and focusing on helping on both ends of the floor.” Grimes will be a restricted free agent after the season, as he and the team were unable to reach a rookie scale extension by the October deadline.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Harrison Barnes Named Players Of The Week

November 25th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference, while Spurs forward Harrison Barnes has won the award in the West, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a perfect 4-0 week from November 18-24, helping the team climb out of the hole it dug itself early in the season. After dropping eight of their first 10 games this fall, the Bucks now rank sixth in the East at 8-9.

The two-time MVP averaged 32.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game in victories over Houston, Chicago, Indiana, and Charlotte. He made 61.2% of his 21.3 field goal attempts per game for the week.

While it was the 24th career Player of the Week award for Antetokounmpo, it’s a first-time honor for Barnes, who has appeared in 928 regular season games since entering the NBA as the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft.

According to the Spurs, Barnes is the first player since the Player of the Week award was introduced in 1979 to earn the first one of his career in his 13th season (or later). Barnes is also the first Spur to be named Player of the Week since DeMar DeRozan in January 2020, per the team.

Barnes’ Spurs went 3-0 this week, registering upset victories over the Thunder on Tuesday and the Warriors on Saturday. The 32-year-old forward played a key role, averaging 22.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .618/.600/.727 shooting line.

The other nominees for the Eastern Conference award were Hornets teammates LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome, Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.

In the West, Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Clippers teammates James Harden and Ivica Zubac, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins were also nominated (Twitter link).

Mavericks Notes: Irving, Thompson, Doncic’s Injury, NBA Cup

November 22nd, 2024 at 11:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Even though he holds a player option for next season, it’s unlikely Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will test the free agent market, Tim MacMahon of ESPN said on the latest edition of the Hoops Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). MacMahon expects the two sides to reach a long-term agreement that will keep Irving in Dallas.

“He has a $42MM player option,” MacMahon said. “Look, I’m not telling you exactly how it will work out. My guess is he’ll end up declining that player option. But what I would say is I would be extremely surprised if Kyrie Irving is not in Dallas for the next few years. The Mavericks have already demonstrated that they are willing to pay, not market value, because they could have quote unquote won the negotiations with him. Remember, they were criticized for giving him the contract because nobody else (would).”

After a few uneasy years in Boston and Brooklyn, Irving has found stability since the Mavericks traded for him midway through the 2022/23 season. He’s continuing to perform at an All-Star level at age 32, averaging 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists through 14 games, and he has an important role off the court as well.

“The point is they have demonstrated, ‘We value you and we will pay you how much we value you within the ability to have a little bit of wiggle room financially,'” MacMahon added. “They are going to put a big number on the table for him. He has been extremely happy in Dallas. They are extremely happy with him. He’s the leader of this locker room. That’s unquestioned. And, right now, he is playing as well as he ever has. Certainly as efficient as he ever has.”

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Boating enthusiast Klay Thompson admits he’s encountered some “rough waters” during his first season with the Mavs, but he’s confident things will get better, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoop Journal. In 15 games, Thompson is averaging 14.0 PPG while shooting 39.7% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc, but he knows the team is counting on more from him. “I’m so grateful to be playing every night and to be healthy,” Thompson said. “That’s why the shooting nights when I’m off don’t bother me as much anymore. It’s a long season, and I know there are bigger nights ahead.”
The Mavericks will need production from other players while Luka Doncic is sidelined with a wrist injury, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. It’s already the fourth injury for Doncic since training camp opened, and he has been ruled out for at least the next four games. “Pretty much just the same mindset: Next man up,” Daniel Gafford said. “Just be ready to guard the best man or just have the best man guard you. It’s going to be a lot on Kai (Irving). It’s going to be a lot on Klay, but I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job whenever Luka has been off the floor.”
Even though points matter for tie-breakers in the NBA Cup, Dallas didn’t try to keep scoring in the closing seconds of Tuesday’s 132-91 win over New Orleans, according to Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “That’s not what this game is all about or the tournament is all about,” coach Jason Kidd said. “It’s playing the game the right way. They’ve got a lot of injuries over there. We’re not trying to embarrass anybody. We’re not looking to score again. We scored 132 points. That’s enough points.”

Injury Notes: Butler, Kyrie, Nets, S. Barnes, O. Robinson

November 14th, 2024 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat forward Jimmy Butler will miss his third straight game in Indiana on Friday as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Butler, who sustained the injury in the first quarter of last Friday’s loss in Denver, did not practice on Thursday.

While the Heat will be playing without their six-time All-Star, they expect to have another injured player available. Third-year forward Nikola Jovic was limited to just three minutes in Tuesday’s overtime loss to Detroit due to a broken nose, but he should be ready to go on Friday with the assistance of a protective mask, Winderman writes.

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

Guard Kyrie Irving was added to the Mavericks‘ injury report ahead of Thursday’s matchup in Utah, tweets Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving, who is off to an excellent individual start to the season, is listed as questionable due to a right shoulder strain. He has yet to miss a game in 2024/25.
Nets swingman Ben Simmons (left calf tightness) underwent an MRI on Thursday and the prognosis is positive. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter links), Simmons’ MRI revealed no structural damage and he will be active for Friday’s contest vs. New York. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) is probable for Friday’s contest, while center Nic Claxton is questionable due to a lower back strain.
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was spotted in a mask during Thursday’s practice as he recovers from a fractured orbital bone. However, he was limited to non-contact work and is still about a week away from being reevaluated, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter).
Kings center Orlando Robinson, who was recently cleared for contact, has been assigned to Sacramento’s G League affiliate in Stockton to get some conditioning work in, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Robinson is on the mend from a left MCL sprain he sustained during training camp. The third-year big man has yet to make his ’24/25 season debut.

Texas Notes: Kidd, Mavs, Vassell, Wembanyama

November 10th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Jason Kidd ripped the Mavericks‘ effort following Friday’s last-second loss to Phoenix, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required), who says it was the most frustrated he has seen Kidd in his four seasons as Dallas’ head coach.

“For whatever reason, we get off to a slow start,” Kidd said. “It’s got to be addressed. We’ve talked about it. There’s got to be action. There’s got to be some energy. Somebody’s got to come with some f—ing energy. We’re f—ing flat.”

In addition to another slow start, Kidd was also critical of the bench’s performance.

“The fatigue of running Luka (Doncic) and Kai (Kyrie Irving) 40-something minutes because our bench stinks right now,” Kidd said. “As deep as we are, we’ve got to get someone to f—ing participate off the bench. Somebody has to join the party to help Kai and Luka and that’s just not happening right now.

“I played the whole f—ing team tonight. We couldn’t find anybody, so we had to leave (Doncic and Irving) to carry the load and that’s unfair for those two this early in the season.”

Here are a few more notes from the Lone Star State:

The Mavericks will likely be shorthanded again on Sunday in Denver. Star guard Doncic is questionable with a left groin strain, while a trio of big men — P.J. Washington (right knee sprain), Dereck Lively (right shoulder sprain) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring strain) — are all doubtful, tweets Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has yet to miss a game in 2024/25.
Spurs wing Devin Vassell caught fire in his season debut on Saturday, recording 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting in 22 minutes, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). However, the Spurs lost a tight game vs. the Jazz, who entered the game with just one win. “It was good for me to be back out there,” said Vassell, who was on a minutes restriction in his return from offseason foot surgery. “Good for me to be playing with some of these guys. But ultimately I wanted to get that win, so I’m kind of upset about that right now.”
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had a big night in Saturday’s one-point loss, finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocks, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The reigning Rookie of the Year, who has opened the season in a shooting slump from long distance, also set a career high with six made three-pointers. Wembanyama became just the second player in NBA history to record six threes and seven blocks in a game, joining Brook Lopez, who accomplished the feat in 2017, according to Wright.

Southwest Notes: Zion, Pelicans, Kidd, Klay, Grizzlies

October 25th, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing the Pelicans‘ regular season opener on Wednesday, Zion Williamson was cleared to make his season debut on Friday in Portland, writes Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. Head coach Willie Green, who said it was “huge” to get Williamson back, told reporters that the star forward will be on a minutes restriction, though he didn’t share a specific target.

“It won’t be full throttle, but we’ll see how he feels once he gets on the floor,” Green said.

Williamson took Dejounte Murray‘s place in the Pelicans’ starting five after the team’s new starting point guard went down with a broken bone in his hand on Wednesday.

As Christian Clark of NOLA.com points out (via Twitter), after months of speculation about what New Orleans’ new starting lineup would look like, the Murray injury resulted in the team’s starters on Friday looking nearly identical to last season’s group, with Daniel Theis taking departed center Jonas Valanciunas‘s place. Since Murray it expected to be sidelined until at least late November – and likely into December – it will be a while before Green get a chance to get a look at his preferred starting five.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Many people within the Mavericks organization believe head coach Jason Kidd is “uniquely suited” to maximize the contributions of star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes. In an in-depth feature story, MacMahon explores how Kidd has gotten the most out of Doncic and Irving and how the Mavs coach will handle the new challenge of incorporating future Hall of Famer Klay Thompson this season.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link) takes a closer look at Thompson’s early days with the Mavericks, detailing the steps the veteran sharpshooter has taken to fit in and get acclimated to his new NBA home. “When you’re on such a talented team, you don’t have to be a hero,” Thompson said of adjusting to his Mavs role. “That’s what attracted me to come here. I think these guys can help me get the best out of myself. And have fun. When you’re playing with a smile on your face, basketball is the best.” As we detailed earlier today, Klay had 22 points in 26 minutes in his Mavs debut.
The Grizzlies are missing multiple rotation players due to injuries and begin their season with six games in nine days, so head coach Taylor Jenkins plans to rely on his depth to get through that stretch and avoid leaning on any of his starters too heavily in the early going, writes Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. That approach includes using reserves like rookie Jaylen Wells, who admitted he was surprised to be one of the first players off the bench in Wednesday’s season opener. “I was not expecting that,” Wells told reporters. “I’m not even going to lie. I think they (yelled for) Scotty (Pippen Jr.). And I thought they only said, ‘Scotty!’ And then they said my name a second time. And I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”