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Pacific Notes: Curry, LeBron, Walton, Ibaka

May 17th, 2021 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

While Nikola Jokic is considered the odds-on favorite to win this season’s NBA MVP award, Lakers forward LeBron James has endorsed a division rival for the honor, telling reporters on Sunday night that Warriors guard Stephen Curry would get his vote.

“I mean, just look at what he’s done this year,” James said of the NBA’s leading scorer (link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). “I don’t know anything else if you’re looking for an MVP. If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, what are we looking at? … We get caught up in the records sometimes. We get caught up in the, ‘OK, who has the best record?’ instead of just saying who had the best season that year. And Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year.”

Curry has won two MVP awards, but his performance this season may have been his most impressive yet, considering the Warriors didn’t have high-scoring options like Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant available to draw attention away from him. Despite facing double-teams and traps for much of the season, Curry averaged a career-best 32.0 points per game on .482/.421/.916 shooting in 63 games (34.2 MPG). His 5.3 three-pointers per game also represented a new career high.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Bill Shea of The Athletic explores what life after basketball might look like for LeBron James, who will turn 37 later this year. The Lakers star, who has already ventured into the media and business worlds during his playing career, also aims to one day own an NBA franchise.
After expressing last week that he was “very confident” about keeping his job as the Kings‘ head coach, Luke Walton explained on Sunday why he’s not worried, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays. “It doesn’t weigh on me because it’s the same thing I always talk about — it’s control what you can control — the same message I give my players every day,” Walton said. He added that he felt the story of Sacramento’s season should be the growth of the team’s young players. “I’m excited about this group and excited about our future,” the Kings’ coach said.
Having returned on Friday after missing two months due to a back injury, Clippers big man Serge Ibaka told reporters that he has played with back pain since the start of the season, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a nerve issue, according to Ibaka, who admitted he’s still not back to 100%.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Schröder, Playoff Rotations

May 15th, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

After having to delay his return earlier this week, LeBron James was back on the court this afternoon. Playing for just the third time since suffering a high-ankle sprain March 20, James posted 24 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in 28 minutes as the Lakers topped the Pacers to stay alive in the race for a top-six seed and a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.

Coach Frank Vogel was encouraged by what he saw out of James today, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. “He’s looked really good,” Vogel said, adding that “obviously it’s going to take time before he gets to be 100%.”

James called today’s game “a complete 180” from the last time he tried to play, which was May 2 against the Raptors, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. His ankle stiffened up at halftime in that game, but today there was just “a tiny bit” of soreness.

“I still got some more room for improvement as far as my ankle and my mobility and my strength,” James said. “But I’m 10 times better than I was in that Toronto game and I believe I can get five-to-ten times better in the future. The more games that we have, the more opportunity that I get to really just continue to strengthen it, strengthen everything around it.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

L.A. needs a win Sunday in New Orleans and a loss by the Trail Blazers against Denver to finish in sixth place. With the stakes so high, there may be temptation to have James test out his ankle in a back-to-back situation, but he wasn’t able to offer any clues as to whether he’ll play, Medina adds (via Twitter). “It’s up to the coaching staff and training staff,” James told reporters.
Dennis Schröder played his first game today since clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but his post-game answers left reporters confused, Goon notes in the same story. Schröder said he never tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted being the only Laker who didn’t get the vaccine. “At least I can’t get it no more in the playoffs, so that’s probably the best thing,” he added. Schröder became frustrated when pressed for an explanation and refused to comment any further.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines the Lakers’ potential playoff rotations to determine which combinations will work best around James and Anthony Davis.

James, Davis, Schröder To Play On Saturday

May 15th, 2021 at 11:10am CST by marksuleymanov

The Lakers‘ trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Dennis Schröder will play on Saturday for the team’s afternoon tilt against the Pacers, head coach Frank Vogel announced.

Los Angeles has seen the aforementioned threesome all miss extended stretches as James and Davis dealt with injuries while Schröder was recently cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols. At 40-30, the Lakers occupy the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will need to win their remaining two games to have a chance to avoid the play-in tournament.

Schröder entered the safety protocols in early May, causing the Lakers to be without their starting point guard during a critical stretch. He has averaged 15.5 PPG and 5.8 APG across 59 contests.

Davis missed the Lakers’ last game against the Rockets on Wednesday but has otherwise been a regular for the Lakers since returning from a two-month absence due to right calf strain and tendinosis. Davis has been limited to just 34 games this season, averaging 21.9 PPG and 8.0 RPG for the defending champions.

As for James, he suffered a high ankle sprain on March 20 and returned on April 30, but then reaggravated the injury just days later on May 2. He has not played since and has seen his return pushed back on several occasions. James was in the midst of an MVP-caliber season before his injury, averaging 25.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.8 APG in 43 games.

Dennis Schröder Clears Protocols; LeBron James Questionable For Saturday

May 14th, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers guard Dennis Schröder has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Schröder will be eligible to play in the final two games of L.A.’s regular season — Saturday at Indiana and Sunday at New Orleans — but coach Frank Vogel hasn’t decided whether to use him.

Schröder first entered the protocols on May 2, forcing the Lakers to get by without a key backcourt piece during an important stretch of the season. L.A. is currently in seventh place with a 40-30 record and will need to win its final two games to have a chance at avoiding the play-in tournament.

Schröder is averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 assists through 59 games while shooting 44% from the field and 34% from three-point range. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Vogel also said “there’s a chance” LeBron James will play Saturday, McMenamin adds. James had hoped to return from his ankle injury on Tuesday or Wednesday, but had to delay it. James is officially listed as questionable. Anthony Davis is listed as probable, although he didn’t practice today.

Pacific Notes: Haliburton, T. Davis, A. Davis, LeBron, Ibaka

May 12th, 2021 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries limited Tyrese Haliburton to 58 games during his rookie season, but he still looks like a major steal in last year’s draft, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California. The Iowa State guard slid all the way to the 12th pick on draft night, delighting the Kings, who had been hoping to get their hands on him.

“We had even been trying to move up and secure him,” general manager Monte McNair said in a recent TV interview. “When he ultimately fell to No. 12, obviously you never know how it will turn out, but in that moment, we were extremely excited. … I think we may have made a record-setting quick call to the league to lock that pick in. Like I said, he’s even exceeded those expectations and we had very high expectations of him through all of our draft prep and everything.”

Haliburton made a strong case for a spot on the All-Rookie team, averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. A hyperextended left knee ended his season early, but Ham states that the Kings are confident he’ll be ready for a full summer program with the team in preparation for next season.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Terence Davi s had a short stay in Toronto, but it sounds like he wants to be with the Kings a lot longer, notes Jason Jones of The Athletic. The Raptors traded Davis to Sacramento in March, and he likes his new situation enough that he’s leaning toward re-signing when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. “It’s definitely looking like that,” Davis said. “It’s looking really good for me. I would say this is some of the best basketball I’ve played in my career, even in college, this is a stretch of some of the best games I’ve played in my entire life.”
The Lakers continue to be careful with their stars as the season winds down. According to an ESPN story, Anthony Davis will sit out tonight against the Rockets after experiencing tightness in his left adductor during Tuesday’s game. He will join LeBron James, who announced earlier today that he will delay his return until at least Saturday. James visited an ankle specialist last week, sources told ESPN, and was able to practice Monday without having difficulty with making sharp cuts and jumping.
Serge Ibaka has already been listed as out for Thursday’s game, but the Clippers remain hopeful he can return before the regular season ends Sunday, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Ibaka, who has missed the past 29 games with lower back tightness, is traveling with the team on its current road trip.

LeBron James Won’t Return Tonight

May 12th, 2021 at 4:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James has confirmed that he will take a few more days to rest his injured ankle. The Lakers star had been targeting tonight’s game against the Rockets for his return to the lineup, but he has decided against trying to play.

“Getting close but I won’t be in the lineup tonight,” James tweeted, “but more importantly I will be there to put that CHAMPIONSHIP banner in the rafters at Staples Center in front of our fans!!”

L.A.’s next game is Saturday at Indiana. The Lakers will finish the regular season Sunday at New Orleans, and it’s unlikely that James will attempt to play on back-to-back nights.

James is still dealing with the effects of a high-ankle sprain he suffered in a March 20 game. He returned to the lineup on April 30, but aggravated the injury in a May 2 contest and hasn’t played since.

The Lakers may be headed for the play-in tournament, which begins next Tuesday, and James will want to make sure his ankle is in good shape for the start of the postseason.

Injury Updates: Lakers, Nets, Hornets, Pelicans, Mavs, C’s

May 12th, 2021 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s injury report is of particular interest this week in the regular season’s final days, as we wait to see which players may or may not be available for teams fighting for playoff positioning.

A pair of big-market superstars, LeBron James and James Harden, are said to be targeting Wednesday returns for the Lakers and Nets, respectively. James has been listed as questionable by the Lakers, while Harden is probable for Brooklyn.

Each of those teams also has another star player whose status for Wednesday’s games is up in the air. Lakers big man Anthony Davis is questionable due to left adductor tightness, while Kyrie Irving is questionable due to the facial contusion he suffered on Tuesday.

The Nets hold the No. 2 seed in the East and the Lakers are hosting a Houston team that is 5-43 since February 4, so neither club should feel a ton of urgency to push its stars back into action if they’re not quite ready.

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

Hornets forward Miles Bridges, out since May 2 due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, has a chance to return this weekend, head coach James Borrego said today. However, Borrego’s responses to questions about Gordon Hayward‘s foot injury made it sound as if Hayward may not be ready for the play-in tournament, says Rod Boone of SI.com (Twitter links). Hayward hasn’t played since April 2.
The Pelicans need a win tonight in Dallas to remain in the hunt for a play-in spot, but they’ll be missing a number of key players, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Steven Adams all remain out, and Lonzo Ball (right thumb) will join them on the sidelines.
Mavericks guard J.J. Redick, who left Tuesday’s game with right heel soreness, will also miss Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.
The Celtics, who appear likely to finish the regular season at No. 7 in the East, will be without Kemba Walker (left knee) and Marcus Smart (right calf) on Wednesday in Cleveland, notes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Jaylen Brown has already been ruled out for the season, and Robert Williams remains on the shelf as well.

LeBron James Targeting Wednesday For Return

May 11th, 2021 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 11, 2:30pm: James has decided to rest his ankle for one more day and is now targeting Wednesday vs. Houston for his return, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).

MAY 10, 7:35pm: James is listed as out for Tuesday’s game, though Jovan Buha of The Athletic notes that he was listed as out against Sacramento before his previous return from injury (Twitter link).

MAY 10, 9:31am: Lakers star LeBron James is aiming to return from his ankle injury on Tuesday vs. the Knicks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A source tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that James has had two “really good days of workouts at a high level” and feels great. If James is unable to get back on the floor on Tuesday, he’d target Wednesday vs. Houston for his return, per Charania and Haynes.

James, who missed 20 games due to a high ankle sprain, came back on April 30 and played in two games before that ankle injury sidelined him again. He has been out for the team’s last four contests.

Although the Lakers are fighting to avoid finishing in seventh in the West, the team is more focused on making sure LeBron and fellow star Anthony Davis are healthy for the postseason, rather going all-out to move up to sixth and avoid the play-in tournament.

Still, getting James back in the lineup before the regular season ends would help get him up to speed and build chemistry among the club’s top lineups, which would benefit the Lakers whether they finish sixth or seventh.

Currently, Portland is a game ahead of the Lakers for the No. 6 seed and also controls the tiebreaker. L.A. has four winnable games left (vs. NYK, vs. HOU, at IND, and at NOP), but even if the Lakers finish 4-0, they’d have to count on the Blazers losing at least two of their remaining games (vs. HOU, at UTA, at PHX, vs. DEN) in order to pass them in the standings.

Pacific Notes: Ibaka, Kuzma, Fox, Lee

May 10th, 2021 at 8:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Serge Ibaka has joined the Clippers on their road trip, leaving open the possibility he will play before the postseason, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. However, Ibaka won’t play against Toronto on Tuesday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The veteran center, who holds a $9.72MM option on next season’s contract, hasn’t played since March 14 due to a back injury.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kyle Kuzma was held out of Sunday’s game due to lower back tightness, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Kuzma, who signed a three-year, $39MM extension in December, shot 2-for-11 from the field on Friday in a loss to Portland. The Lakers forward is averaging 12.8 PPG.
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox would like to see the team’s front office exercise some patience, he told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. He’s weary of the constant tinkering of the roster. “If you’re not winning as a team, guys get traded, guys who were barely hanging on … get cut and are out the league and coaches get fired,” Fox said, while adding that the top teams have “players play together longer and develop chemistry, and coaches continue to grow and trust all their players.” Fox also spoke in the interview about his recent experience with COVID-19.
Warriors guard Damion Lee got up some shots on the court Monday for the first time since clearing the league’s health and safety protocols, Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Coach Steve Kerr said he’s unsure when Lee will return to game action. Lee contracted COVID-19 even after he had been fully vaccinated.

LeBron James Expected To Miss At Least Two More Games

May 4th, 2021 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

After leaving Sunday’s loss early due to right ankle soreness, Lakers star LeBron James likely won’t return to action until at least next Sunday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, James is expected to miss Thursday’s game vs. the Clippers and Friday’s vs. Portland as he rests his troublesome ankle. LeBron, who also sat out Monday’s contest vs. Denver, missed 20 games due to a right high ankle sprain and had only been back for two games when he reaggravated the injury.

As Woj notes, the expectation is that the 36-year-old will proceed cautiously with his ankle, focusing on getting healthy for the postseason. James had suggested on Sunday night that he was prioritizing the playoffs over fighting for regular season seeding.

“It doesn’t matter at the end of the day (where the Lakers land in the standings) if I’m not 100% or close to 100%,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

While LeBron’s stance makes sense, his ongoing absence will put the team at greater risk of losing its grip on a top-six seed in the West — a seventh-place finish would mean having to participate in at least one play-in game to secure a postseason spot. As we noted earlier today, Friday’s game in Portland is particularly important, since the Lakers and Blazers are neck-and-neck in the standings and Friday’s winner will gain a tiebreaker advantage.