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Southwest Notes: Morant, Doncic, Lewis, Pelicans

March 8th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

When the Grizzlies announced over the weekend that Ja Morant would miss games against the Clippers and Lakers, they made it clear that his absence could extend beyond those two contests. Now that Morant has sat out those two games, the timeline for his return is unclear, but it doesn’t sound like head coach Taylor Jenkins is counting on having him back in the starting lineup on Thursday vs. Golden State.

Jenkins said on Tuesday that Morant is “healing and figuring things out” and that his absence is a “day-to-day process,” according to Evan Barnes of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“If everyone expects something to change overnight, we’ve got to be due diligence and respectful on that. We’re talking about Ja being in a better place personally and also professionally,” Jenkins said. “To put a timetable on it, I think, is disrespectful in my opinion. We want to make sure he’s in a great place for himself but as a responsible teammate here.”

Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones, who has replaced Morant in the starting lineup over the last two games, referred to the situation as “unique” and admitted that “no one knows exactly how to handle” it, but said Morant’s teammates are there for him (Twitter link via Mark Medina of NBA.com).

“We just care for our brother,” Jones said. “We want the best for him and hope he’s in a great place physically and mentally. That’s not going to change. Basketball always comes second. Everyone in here is human. We’ll continue to be there for him.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks star Luka Doncic ranks third in the NBA in technical fouls with 14, meaning he’ll face an automatic one-game suspension if he receives two more techs before the end of the regular season. As Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News writes, Doncic’s high rate of technical fouls – and the possibility of a suspension – is more concerning this year than it was last season due to how tenuous the team’s spot in the playoff race is.
Pelicans guard Kira Lewis, who returned from an ACL tear earlier this season, said this week that he feels like his “burst is back,” per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Lewis still doesn’t have much of a role in New Orleans’ backcourt, but had one of his best nights of the season last Friday, scoring nine points in 10 minutes against Golden State.
The Pelicans have lost 17 of their last 22 games, and while their slide in standings is concerning on its own, the way they’re losing games has to be even more troubling for the organization, according to William Guillory of The Athletic, who says the team has often looked “lackadaisical” and “unfocused.” New Orleans entered the new year in January as the No. 2 seed in the West but now finds itself in a three-way tie for the No. 10 spot.

Suns Notes: Durant, Irving, Booker, Roster Depth

March 6th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Playing his first close game since joining the Suns, Kevin Durant provided a reminder of what a dangerous clutch-time scorer he can be, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Durant had 37 points in Sunday’s win at Dallas and hit a tough jumper over Tim Hardaway Jr. with 12.4 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner.

“Once I had him on my hip, I felt like I was in good position to just stop on a dime,” Durant said. “Glad I made it.”

In just his third game since returning from an MCL sprain, Durant was supposed to be on a minutes restriction. However, coach Monty Williams allowed him to stay on the court for 40 minutes as the game remained close throughout.

“I was out there for a while,” Durant said. “I didn’t look over to (Williams) on purpose. I wanted to keep playing, but I’m glad he trusted me out there. Glad the training staff trusted me. Hopefully we can build on this from here.”

There’s more on the Suns:

There was drama surrounding Sunday’s game because it marked the first meeting between Durant and Kyrie Irving since they both asked the Nets for a trade last month. But Durant said afterward that he had “no emotions at all,” noting that he played against Irving many times before they teamed up in Brooklyn, Rankin adds. In an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” Monday morning (video link), Brian Windhorst observed that Durant and Irving didn’t interact at all during the game, adding, “The only relationship they have right now is zero relationship.”
The Suns’ rivalry with the Mavericks was punctuated by a verbal altercation between Devin Booker and Luka Doncic late in Sunday’s game, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN. After Doncic missed a floater in the final seconds that would have tied the score, he took exception to a comment from Booker and they went nose to nose before being separated. “You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly,” Booker told reporters. “Here you go. We got some smoke.”
The Suns are considered to be among the favorites in the West after adding Durant, but they’ll need to overcome a lack of depth after giving up important rotation pieces in the trade with Brooklyn, Windhorst writes in an ESPN story. He notes that Josh Okogie, who has been inserted into the starting lineup, missed all eight of his three-point attempts Sunday, while Torrey Craig was just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Southwest Notes: Porter, Morant, Kyrie, Jones, Vassell

March 3rd, 2023 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

After returning on Wednesday from a 20-game absence due to a toe injury, Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. admitted that he still wasn’t 100%, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. However, Porter considers it important to play during the final stretch of the season to try to carry some positive momentum into the offseason.

“There’s definitely going to be some tolerable pain going on,” Porter said. “I want to play. This is the best I can get it. Can’t get it 100 percent, so I will play.

“Just the passion and love I’ve got for the game. I’ve been away, been trying to do everything I can to get back on the court. Twenty games later, I’m at this point. This is the best I can get as far as my toe. The pain’s not too bad. I can play through it.”

As Feigen observes, injuries have prevented the Rockets from getting an extended look at their young core together this season, so the hope is that they can stay relatively healthy down the stretch. The starting lineup that Houston employed on Wednesday – Porter alongside Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, and Kenyon Martin Jr. – is probably the one the team would like to lean on down the stretch, but it has been used just four times so far this season.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, whose alleged involvement in a pair of off-court incidents had been previously reported, has been accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall, according to reporting from Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post. The Post’s report also stated that the 17-year-old who was punched by Morant last summer during a pickup game claimed that the Grizzlies star went into his house and reemerged with a gun visible in his waistband. Morant’s lawyer and agent put out statements on Twitter vehemently disputing that claim, but didn’t address the incident involving the security guard.
On Thursday, two days after expressing a need to scale back the pressure he’s putting on himself with his new team, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving scored 40 points to complement Luka Doncic‘s 42 in a victory over Philadelphia. The Mavs are still just 2-4 in games the two stars have played together, but are confident that the wins will come, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “They’ve got to work through the kinks,” head coach Jason Kidd said of his backcourt duo. “But I think at the end of the day, we’ll be happy with what we have.”
The Spurs got two of their top rotation players back on Thursday, as Tre Jones (left foot soreness) returned from a five-game absence, while Devin Vassell (left knee surgery) played for the first time since January 2. Both players were on minute limits, but had positive plus-minus ratings in a victory over Indiana, with Vassell scoring 18 points in 23 minutes. “It’s refreshing, man,” Spurs center Zach Collins said, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “These guys mean so much to our team. We’ve had a lot of guys hurt, one through 15. But Tre and Devin were starters for us. To get them back, is going to make the game a lot easier for us.”

Southwest Notes: Green, Doncic, McCombs, Morant

February 20th, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Green has improved his focus in his second season in the league, Rockets assistant coach Rick Higgins told Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

“From year one to year two, he’s a lot more locked in,” Higgins said. “The importance of it, the value of it, what he’s trying to accomplish with it. But he was always very intentional about trying to watch game film to get better, so that was always constant. The main difference is that he’s been more locked in on how it could help him play better each game.”

Green is averaging 21.8 points per game, up from 17.3 during his rookie campaign, though Houston reached the All-Star break with only 13 victories.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Luka Doncic enters the second half of the season as the league’s scoring leader and a top candidate for the Most Valuable Player. However, he’s much more concerned about the ultimate team goal, Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times writes. “I’d rather have the championship than MVP,” the Mavericks superstar said, “but if you win an MVP, it’s amazing, too.”
Former Spurs and Nuggets owner Red McCombs has died at the age of 95, Carmini Danini and Peggy O’Hare of the San Antonio Express-News report. McCombs owned the San Antonio franchise on two separate occasions, selling his stake the second time in 1993. In a league statement, commissioner Adam Silver said “Red McCombs brought the Spurs to San Antonio and was a driving force in creating the modern NBA. He was an innovator and savvy entrepreneur who never shied away from taking risks. We mourn Red’s passing and send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and the Spurs organization.”
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant can always deliver a dazzling dunk, but he doesn’t want to do them on All-Star weekend. Morant reiterated over the weekend he’s not interested in participating in the annual dunk contest, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.

Doncic, Irving To Start For Team LeBron

February 19th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are not only Mavericks teammates, they’re also starting together for Team LeBron at the All-Star Game Sunday in Salt Lake City.

LeBron James selected his former Cleveland teammate Irving and Doncic, the league’s leading scorer, during the first captain’s draft conducted on the same night as the All-Star Game. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will start up front for Team LeBron. The reserves for LeBron’s team include Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Donovan Mitchell and one of the players he was traded for, Lauri Markkanen, will start for Team Giannis. Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum round out the starting lineup. Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis will be the reserves for Team Giannis.

Southwest Notes: Irving, Doncic, Williamson, Pelicans Injuries, Morant

February 19th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are 0-2 thus far with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing together but the former Net believes their partnership will be very fruitful, according to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

“I can say this about Luka — he scored the ball extremely well. He gets everybody involved very easily, and he plays at his own pace, as we’ve said it over the last few years,” Irving said. “But his IQ is something that I’m really looking forward to learning more about, and just picking his brain. He’s 23 years old. He’s seen a lot, but he still has more room to grow and more room to improve. He’s as great as he is now, but just imagine what he’s going to look like in three years, playing with some high-level guys.”

Irving said Mavericks president of basketball operations Nico Harrison wanted him for, among other things, his leadership, Caplan tweets.

“I know they wanted me for my work ethic, for my leadership abilities and also my consistency in what I bring to the team,” he said.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

All-Star Weekend hasn’t featured a lot of big names for its dunk contest in recent years but that could change next season. Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said if he ever decides to enter, it will happen next season, he told Riley Jones of Complex.com. ’I’ll think about it. I’ll put heavy consideration into doing the dunk contest,” he said. “I feel like if I am going to do it, I’d probably do it next year.”
The Pelicans overhauled their training staff in 2019, yet it hasn’t translated into better health for their players, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes. Pelicans players – including stars Williamson and Brandon Ingram – have missed 195 games because of injury this season, the third-highest mark in the NBA. VP of basketball operations David Griffin doesn’t blame the medical staff for the rash of injuries. “I think our medical staff has done a really, really good job,” Griffin said. “Unfortunately, they got caught up in people counting games missed due to injury. When somebody does something to a ligament or to a bone, that’s sort of out of their control.”
Ja Morant says “I’m ready” for the challenge the Suns will present with Kevin Durant in their lineup, he told NBA TV’s Dennis Scott (hat tip to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.) Morant also says he’s unconcerned about the Grizzlies quickly becoming the league’s most hated team, though he personally looks to avoid more controversy. “I don’t care no more. I’m protecting my energy. I’m not replying to no more nonsense,” he said. “I’m not trying to get no more techs this year. Not trying to get in no more altercations, none of that.”

Mavericks Notes: Ross, Irving, Harrison, Doncic, Trade Breakdown

February 14th, 2023 at 10:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks thought they had a verbal commitment from Terrence Ross after the veteran wing secured a buyout from the Magic, Marc Stein reports in a Substack story.

Dallas found out on Saturday night that Ross chose the Suns instead. It’s possible that Ross had a financial motive, since Phoenix had leftover money from its midlevel exception while Dallas could only offer the prorated veteran minimum, but we still don’t know what his deal with the Suns will look like.

The Mavs pivoted to Justin Holiday after getting spurned by Ross.

We have more on the Mavericks:

Kyrie Irving had a message for the media during his introductory news conference on Monday. He requested that they not ask about his future plans beyond this season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays. Irving will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “It puts unwarranted distractions on us and our team,” Irving said. “I’ve dealt with it before, and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions like, ‘What’s the long term? What’s the long term?'”
Even though Irving could turn out to be a rental, GM Nico Harrison said he had no qualms about acquiring the mercurial guard, MacMahon tweets. “I don’t see any risk at all. I actually see risk in not doing it,” Harrison said.
The Athletic’s Tim Cato takes a look at the early returns on the Luka Doncic-Irving partnership. Cato notes that the trade has eaten into the Mavs’ depth and has created more defensive issues. On the flip side, the offense has hummed when they’ve played together and the team is more competitive when Doncic needs a breather.
While the Mavs are 0-2 with Doncic and Irving playing together, Doncic is excited about his new backcourt partner, MacMahon writes. “He’s an amazing basketball player, and I think it’s going to be really fun,” Doncic said.
In a story for SportsBusinessClassroom.com, Eric Pincus breaks down all the financial aspects of the Kyrie trade with the Nets, including the math behind Irving’s and Finney-Smith’s trade bonuses.

Fischer’s Latest: Suns, Irving, VanVleet, Mavs, Nets, Bridges, Simmons

February 14th, 2023 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Before acquiring Kevin Durant from Brooklyn, the Suns also inquired about the possibility of trading for Kyrie Irving, and there were rumblings around the NBA about Phoenix trying to land the two Nets stars as a package, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. That’s similar to what Chris Haynes reported last week on an episode of his #thisleague UNCUT podcast.

Haynes cautioned not to dismiss the possibility of the Suns pursuing Irving in the offseason if things in Dallas don’t work out, and Fischer conveys a similar sentiment, writing that “a future reunification of Durant and Irving with the Suns will loom on the periphery of both Phoenix and Dallas’ stretch runs.”

Although Chris Paul still occupies the point guard spot in Phoenix, he’ll turn 38 this spring, so the Suns are already working on a potential succession plan. Phoenix was viewed prior to the trade deadline as a team that could be in on Fred VanVleet this summer if the Raptors point guard tests free agency, and Fischer expects the club to explore other contingency plans as well.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Mavericks‘ decision to gamble on Irving raised some eyebrows around the NBA, says Fischer. As he explains, sources close to the situation say that – despite some outside speculation about the franchise’s ceiling – Luka Doncic hadn’t begun to consider a future outside of Dallas this season. But if things go sideways with Kyrie, that could “escalate real concerns about Doncic’s timeline in Dallas,” Fischer writes.
Even after trading Durant and Irving, the Nets believe they have enough talent to be a playoff team, and Fischer says the “smart money” would bet on them seeking win-now moves in the offseason rather than taking another step back. To that end, Brooklyn didn’t seriously entertain trade offers for Mikal Bridges despite serious interest from the Grizzlies, whose pursuit of Bridges began when he was still with the Suns.
The Nets are widely expected to gauge the trade market for Ben Simmons this offseason, according to Fischer. However, the former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up will still have two years and $78MM+ left on his contract after this season.

Luka Doncic Expected To Return Saturday

February 11th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is expected to return to action on Saturday night vs. the Kings, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The team has officially listed Doncic as probable to play (Twitter link).

Doncic has missed the last four games due to a right heel contusion. His return has been much anticipated not just because he’s an MVP candidate but because his first game back will also mark his first game playing alongside new Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.

Irving has been Dallas’ leading scorer in his two games since joining the team, both wins. He scored 24 points in Los Angeles on Wednesday as the Mavs knocked off the Clippers, and had 25 in Sacramento on Friday night as the Mavs won the first game of their back-to-back set vs. the Kings.

On Friday, in his first comments to reporters since Dallas acquired Irving, Doncic wished former teammates Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith well and expressed excitement about teaming up with his new backcourt mate.

“We’ll obviously miss them here, but Kyrie’s Kyrie, man,” Doncic said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “NBA champion. Probably the best ball handler ever in the game. Amazing player, and he’s going to be fun to play with.”

Doncic said on Friday that he was still experiencing pain in the heel, but added that it felt “way better every day.”

Southwest Notes: Irving, Doncic, Brooks, Popovich

February 9th, 2023 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Before he took the court for his first game with the Mavericks Wednesday night, Kyrie Irving talked to reporters about what went wrong in Brooklyn, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Irving said there were times he felt “very disrespected” by the Nets during his tumultuous three and a half years with the organization. He admitted he was at an impasse with the team in extension negotiations and claimed he wasn’t “getting transparency and honesty from people in the front office.”

“I worked extremely hard at what I do,” Irving said. “No one ever talks about my work ethic though. Everyone talks about what I’m doing off the floor. So I just wanted to change that narrative, write my own story.”

Irving’s off-court behavior dominated the headlines during his time in Brooklyn, highlighted by his inability to play for much of last season due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine and his suspension in November for his online promotion of an antisemitic film. Irving added that he wishes he had done more research on the Nets’ front office before he and Kevin Durant opted to sign with the team in 2019.

“I left them in fourth place — I did what I was supposed to do,” he said. “I took care of my teammates, was incredibly, incredibly selfless. And in my approach to leading, I just want to do all the right things for myself, not to appease anybody.”

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It didn’t take long for Irving to impress his new Mavericks coaches and teammates, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. With Luka Doncic missing his third straight game due to a right heel contusion, Irving delivered 24 points and five assists in a road win against the Clippers. “That’s how talented he is,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “He makes things look easy. He works on his craft. He’s a pro, up for any challenge.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban expressed confidence that Irving and Doncic can work together despite both being ball-dominant guards and said Doncic was fully on board with making the trade, per Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “Go for it. We need talent,” Cuban responded when asked about Doncic’s stance on the deal. “He’s a Hall of Fame player, and I’d love to play with talent. Why would you not want to play with him?”
Dillon Brooks‘ teammates came to his defense after he was booed by the home crowd Tuesday in the midst of a bad shooting night, according to Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Brooks’ combination of erratic offense and tenacious defense makes him a polarizing player among Grizzlies fans, creating a difficult decision for general manager Zach Kleiman on whether to try to trade him before today’s deadline.
The Spurs made one significant trade late Wednesday night, sending Jakob Poeltl to the Raptors, and longtime coach Gregg Popovich said he has confidence in general manager Brian Wright’s ability to reshape the team, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.