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Injury Notes: Nets, Giannis, Morant, Poole, Hayes

November 27th, 2024 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

There’s good news and bad news for the Nets on their latest injury report, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. Leading scorer Cam Thomas has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Phoenix due to left hamstring soreness. Thomas, who has also dealt with an illness and a sore back as of late, was removed in the third quarter on Monday vs. Golden State to “protect him from himself,” in the words of head coach Jordi Fernandez.

Big man Noah Clowney will join Thomas on the sidelines, having been ruled out for a second straight game due to a left ankle sprain. Brooklyn has yet to provide an update on the results of an MRI Clowney underwent on his injured ankle, Lewis notes.

A banged-up Nets team could get some reinforcements soon, however. According to Lewis, Nic Claxton (lower back soreness), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain), and Cameron Johnson (right ankle sprain) are all considered questionable to play on Wednesday. Claxton and Finney-Smith each missed Monday’s game, while Johnson exited in the first half.

Ben Simmons is also off the injury report after sitting out on Monday due to lower back injury management.

We have a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Originally listed as probable due to a left calf strain, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was a late scratch vs. Miami on Tuesday due to swelling in his left knee, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As Owczarski notes, Antetokounmpo had surgery on that knee during the summer of 2023.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant played on Monday for the first time since November 6, but he has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit due to a new injury, a left knee contusion, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant downplayed the ailment after the game on Monday: “A little knee to knee. Everybody know I get back up every time. … Quick little stinger, get out the way and just take care of it now.”
Wizards guard Jordan Poole missed a second straight game on Tuesday due to left hip flexor soreness, per the team (Twitter link). Poole had initially been listed as questionable, so it sounds as if the issue is a day-to-day one rather than one that will keep him sidelined for an extended period.
In his first game back following a two-week absence due to a right ankle sprain, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes re-aggravated that same ankle injury during the final minute of Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix. He had to be helped to the locker room, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links), who says the team plans to provide an update on Hayes on Wednesday afternoon.

And-Ones: Playoff Format, Trade Market, All-Star Game, More

November 22nd, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Luke Adams

If the NBA expands to 32 teams in the coming years, executives for Western Conference teams are hopeful it will provide the league an opportunity to revisit the idea of seeding the playoff teams one through 16, regardless of conference, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).

Assuming Seattle and Las Vegas, the presumed frontrunners, get teams in the next round of expansion, a current Western Conference team – likely one of the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, or Pelicans – would have to move East to balance out the two conferences. Given the relative strength of the East vs. the West, those three clubs may push hard to be the one chosen, but that battle could potentially be avoided by revamping the postseason seeds, Windhorst suggests.

“It would be the right thing to do for the health of the league,” one West general manager told ESPN. “It’s not just about fairness, it’s about giving the fans the best playoff product.”

A change along those lines would require the approval of at least three-quarters of the NBA’s teams (23 of 30), as Bontemps observes, which means at least eight Eastern Conference teams would have to get on board with the idea, potentially voting against their own interests.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Bontemps and Windhorst suggest in the same ESPN story that many scouts and executives around the NBA believe the 2024/25 in-season trade market will take a while to get going. Trades this early in the season are somewhat rare anyway, and new CBA-related restrictions related to aprons and hard caps have only made deals more challenging. “We were looking at a trade concept the other day and there were three reasons the other team wouldn’t be allowed to do it,” one general manager told Windhorst. “One of the rules I didn’t even know about.”
In another Insider-only story for ESPN, Bontemps ranks all 30 NBA teams’ cores, listing each club’s top three building blocks based on both present and future value. The Celtics (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White) top the list, while the Nets (Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Cam Thomas) come in at No. 30.
Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic provide some additional details on the proposed changes to the NBA’s All-Star format, noting that since the league is expected to split its All-Stars into four teams, the head coaches for the top two teams in each conference (four in total) will likely be invited to All-Star weekend to coach a squad. As Vardon and Vorkunov detail, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for the players on the winning All-Star team to earn $100K, while the players on the losing team earns $25K. The NBA and NBPA need to renegotiate those figures before formally implementing the new format, which would result in three losing teams instead of just one.
In a memo sent to team officials, the NBA urged its players to take extra precautions to secure their homes in the wake of a string of burglaries affecting Bucks big man Bobby Portis and Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, among others. Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press has the story.

Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Claxton, Barnes, Embiid

November 22nd, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons can expect the same reception he usually gets when the Nets travel to Philadelphia tonight, but it’s unlikely to affect him, writes Dan Martin of The New York Post. Simmons, who called the hostile reaction “funny” during his last trip to Philly in February, is finally healthy and contributing on a regular basis, Martin notes. He had 10 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Charlotte, which marked the first time this season he has been available for three straight games.

“He likes playing and he’s a competitor,’’ Cam Thomas said of Simmons. “He likes that kind of atmosphere. I’m sure he’ll be ready to go and have an impact and do everything for us on the court.”

There has been speculation that Simmons might be moved by the trade deadline because of his expiring $40.3MM contract. However, the Nets have been better than expected with a 6-9 record that has them in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. If they decide to pursue a postseason spot ahead of a high draft pick, Simmons could play an important role in helping them win.

“It’s just his presence in that last game, his physicality, his engagement,’’ coach Jordi Fernandez said. “I was very excited to see that. I told him that because he impacted the rest of the group. It’s that energy of, ‘I want to play with him because he’s gonna give me the ball. He’s gonna be physical on defense.’”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

After missing three games with a back strain, Nets center Nic Claxton plans to return tonight, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). Claxton told reporters that he’s been experiencing pain in his back since the offseason, and it might be a while before he’s fully healthy.
Scottie Barnes said he “felt great” Thursday night as he returned to the Raptors‘ lineup after missing 11 games with an orbital bone fracture, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Grange points out that Barnes replaced Davion Mitchell in the starting lineup and might have the skills to be successful as an oversized point guard even when Immanuel Quickley returns from his injury. “The way he shares the ball, the way he’s playing unselfishly — I don’t want Scottie Barnes to be anything outside of Scottie Barnes,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “I just need him to be the best version of himself. And when he’s that, he’s really raising the people around him to another level. He’s making everybody around him better.”
Sixers center Joel Embiid attended this morning’s shootaround but wasn’t an active participant, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid is listed as questionable due to the left knee injury management that has affected his availability since the start of the season.

Injury Notes: Nets, Knicks, Spurs, Heat, Rollins

November 21st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets center Nic Claxton has returned to practice and will be listed as questionable to play on Friday in Philadelphia, the team announced today (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).

Claxton has missed the past three games due to a back strain. The club announced last Friday that he would miss at least a week, but it sounds like he might not be out any longer than that.

Another injured Nets center is also inching closer to a return. According to the club, Day’Ron Sharpe has begun one-on-one workouts with coaches and the plan is for him to be integrated into team activities within the next seven-to-10 days. Sharpe has been on the shelf since training camp due to a left hamstring strain.

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

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau provided some injury updates on Wednesday ahead of a victory over Phoenix, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays. Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) is expected to be cleared to practice during the team’s current five-game road trip, while Mitchell Robinson (ankle) has started shooting but hasn’t yet been cleared to practice or run. Bondy says Robinson is more likely to return sometime in the new year than in December and adds that Miles McBride (knee) is considered “a true day-to-day” and could return as early as Saturday in Utah.
Victor Wembanyama (right knee contusion) and Devin Vassell (left knee soreness) will each miss a third consecutive game on Thursday when the Spurs take on Utah, but the team considers both players day-to-day and doesn’t view either issue as serious, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I don’t feel like it will be too extended of a time,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “Minor stuff. … Both of them want to be out there very badly.”
Jaime Jaquez (ankle), Terry Rozier (foot), and Josh Richardson (heel) didn’t participate in the Heat‘s practice on Thursday, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Rozier underwent an MRI on his sore right foot, which has been an issue throughout the season and caused him to miss Monday’s game vs. Philadelphia, but that MRI came back clean and he’s aiming to return to action on Sunday vs. Dallas, according to Winderman and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).
The Bucks are now listing Ryan Rollins‘ injury as a “left shoulder dislocation” rather than “left shoulder instability,” but head coach Doc Rivers expects the two-way guard to try to rehab the injury and play through it rather than undergoing surgery, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “I’m able to do things on it. So it’s kind of one of those decisions like, are you willing to endure some of the pain of it. Pain tolerance, honestly,” Rollins said, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Are you willing to play through it? Is it important enough for you to play at this moment? A bunch of variables went in to it. I feel like I’m good enough to play though for right now.”

Nets’ Claxton Out At Least One Week With Back Strain

November 15th, 2024 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

Nets center Nic Claxton has been diagnosed with a lower back strain and will receive an epidural injection later today, according to the team (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv).

The plan is to reevaluate Claxton in one week, meaning he’ll miss at least Friday’s and Sunday’s games against the Knicks, as well as Tuesday’s contest vs. Charlotte. In a best-case scenario, he’d make it back for next Friday’s matchup with the Sixers in Philadelphia, but it’s certainly possible he’ll remain sidelined for longer than a week.

Claxton missed the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury and was rounding back into form in recent weeks, having reclaimed his spot in Brooklyn’s starting lineup last Monday (November 4). The big man has averaged 8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, a career-high 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 24.8 minutes per game across his first 11 appearances (five starts) this season.

Until Claxton returned to the starting five, Ben Simmons had gotten the nod as the Nets’ starting center. Simmons has been coming off the bench as of late and head coach Jordi Fernandez spoke this week about the former No. 1 pick looking comfortable in his natural point guard position, but it’s possible Simmons will rejoin the starters until Claxton gets healthy.

Nets reserve center Day’Ron Sharpe has yet to make his season debut due to a hamstring injury. Noah Clowney, who earned one start earlier this season when Simmons was out and Claxton was still on a minutes limit, would be another option for Brooklyn at center.

The Nets have gotten off to a respectable 5-7 start this season, but they’ve been at their best with Claxton on the floor. His +5.7 net rating ranks first among Brooklyn players; the club has been outscored by eight points per 100 possessions when he’s not on the court.

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.

Lakers Notes: Hayes, Cap, Goodwin, Possible Trade Targets

November 13th, 2024 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, the team announced today. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, the injury occurred during Tuesday’s practice and will force Hayes to miss at least a few games. The club’s plan is to reevaluate the big man’s ankle in one-to-two weeks.

Hayes has played a regular role in the Lakers’ rotation this fall and is coming off his best game of the season. He had 12 points, six rebounds, and a block in 21 minutes of action during Sunday’s win over Toronto, with the Lakers outscoring the Raptors by 21 points during his time on the floor.

The Lakers are also missing center Christian Wood, who will be out until at least mid-December, so their options in the middle will be limited until Hayes is ready to return.

Anthony Davis figures to handle the majority of the minutes at the five, with two-way center Christian Koloko also in the mix. Small-ball lineups that deploy a forward like LeBron James or Rui Hachimura as the de facto center will also be an option for head coach J.J. Redick.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

The Lakers are now operating just $30K below the second tax apron rather than $45K below it, since they took on a $15K cap charge for Jordan Goodwin, who was injured prior to the season while on an Exhibit 9 contract with the team, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. The second apron isn’t technically a hard cap for the Lakers at this point, but if they aggregate salaries in a trade this season, it would become one.
The Lakers consider it a priority to add frontcourt depth, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Insider link). However, the front office has “been met with more closed doors” than usual while scouring the trade market, according to McMenamin. It’s unclear whether that’s a function of the cap, tax, and apron restrictions facing teams around the league, a reflection of the limited appeal of the Lakers’ trade chips, or a combination of both.
During a discussion about possible Lakers trade targets on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), McMenamin said Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas is “certainly a name that’s legitimately still on the Lakers’ radar.” McMenamin also mentioned Robert Williams of the Trail Blazers and Nic Claxton of the Nets as possible targets for L.A., though that sounded more like speculation than hard reporting. “Because they won in 2020 with the Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee combo next to Anthony Davis,” McMenamin explained, “Anthony Davis never let go of that idea that, ‘That’s my best chance to win with LeBron, to have that extra layer defensively,’ and quite frankly, help him get through the slog of the regular season in terms of the beating that he’ll take on the block battling these guys.”
In case you missed it, the Lakers plan to have rookie guard Bronny James suit up for the South Bay Lakers only during home games, rather than having him travel on the road with the G League affiliate. Shams Charania reported those plans last week, but they’ve reemerged as a popular topic of discussion today after Brian Windhorst criticized the decision on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link).

Atlantic Notes: Powell, Quickley, Brown, Simmons

November 10th, 2024 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Norman Powell played for the Raptors from 2015-21. The veteran forward is enjoying the best start of his career with the Clippers this season, averaging 25.5 points per game. Toronto traded him for Gary Trent Jr. and now Powell, 31, has emerged as an offensive force, while Trent is no longer on the Toronto roster.

“I’ve always had the confidence in myself and the belief that when an opportunity came to be one of the go-to guys every single night and I can play at a high level and compete against the top guys,” Powell told Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “That’s the reason I’ve worked so hard. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a long time, so I’m just excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

Powell had 24 points in the Clippers’ two-point win over the Raptors on Saturday.

We have more on the Atlantic Division:

Immanuel Quickley, out since the Raptors’ opener due to a pelvic injury, gave his club an immediate offensive boost upon his return. He had 21 points and four assists in 26 minutes against the Clippers. “He was just turned up, and he obviously turned us up offensively, defensively,” wing Ochai Agbaji told Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “He brought a lot for us.”
Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics’ lineup against the Bucks on Sunday after missing the previous four games with a strained left hip flexor. He had 14 points in 37 minutes. Brown had been listed as questionable on Boston’s injury report. Brown was averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in six games entering the contest.
New Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is reluctant to start both Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons due to Simmons’ offensive limitations. Simmons, a free agent after the season, views himself as a starter but will accept whatever role he’s given. “For the flow of the team, whatever the team needs me to do in terms of whether it’s coming off the bench or starting, I’ve got to do. So, that’s what coach wants right now,” Simmons said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Atlantic Notes: Claxton, Simmons, Boucher, Brown

November 5th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Nic Claxton received his first start of the season on Monday. Claxton, who signed a four-year deal worth up to $100MM during the summer, had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in a win over Memphis. He missed the preseason due to a hamstring injury.

“It’s just still getting back into the swing of things. I had like one stint where I was really tired, but other than that, I was good. Just trying to communicate, just find my balance again,” Claxton told Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons sat out Monday in the second game of a back-to-back. Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez wants Simmons to shoot more often — he’s taken five or fewer attempts in his six games, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post notes. “He is physically getting where he’s supposed to be, and those attempts need to go up,” Fernandez said. “Because then we are all going to benefit from it. I don’t care about makes-misses. I just want to see shots going up. He’s more than capable of doing it, so he’ll get there for sure.”
Chris Boucher was in and out of the Raptors‘ rotation last season. He came back this season determined to reestablish himself as a reliable reserve. So far, so good. He’s averaging 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game. “I think there was a lot of stuff that I was doing that I kept saying I gotta do better, but I never changed it,” Boucher told Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “Obviously, when things are going well and you’re playing all the time you [think], well, I’m just going to keep doing what I’m going. But by the time I wasn’t playing, I was like, all right, well, now I’ve gotta figure it out or I won’t be here no more.” Boucher will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown will miss his third consecutive game on Wednesday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Brown is dealing with a hip flexor strain. He’s averaging 25.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest in the early going.

Atlantic Notes: Williams, Achiuwa, K. Johnson, Nets Lineup

November 2nd, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

A Grant Williams foul on Celtics star Jayson Tatum resulted in an ejection for the former Boston forward on Friday night (video link via NBA.com). Teammate Jaylen Brown took offense to the foul – ruled a flagrant two – and approached Williams after the hit, questioning his motives, according to The Athletic’s Jay King.

“It was for sure intentional,” Brown said. “What are we talking about here? Did y’all see the same play that I’m seeing? He hit him like it was a football play, like (former NFL linebacker) Ray Lewis coming across the middle or something. It is what it is. Grant knows better than that.”

Williams said he was trying to make a play on the ball and that the collision looked worse than it actually was. The Hornets forward said “if [Tatum] had prepared and actually turned his head to the left,” it wouldn’t have looked as gnarly.

“It was just a hard foul,” Williams said. “And we play them again tomorrow. It’s nothing crazy or beyond the means. We all know JT’s my guy, so nothing intentional.”

Celtics players weren’t so sure. Both Brown and Derrick White chided Williams for the play after the game. While the Hornets forward called Tatum one of his closest friends in the league, Brown made it clear there was nothing friendly about Williams’ play.

“Actions speak loud,” Brown said. “So it is what it is. We got the win, we’ll move on, but there’s no place in the game for that. I thought JT and him was friends. I guess not.”

Williams jokingly said after the game that he was preparing to have his former Celtics teammates over to his house after the game, but that they probably wouldn’t take him up on the offer anymore. Friday’s game served as a reunion for more than Williams. Former Celtic Kemba Walker is on Charlotte’s coaching staff, while Hornets head coach Charles Lee served as Joe Mazzulla‘s assistant last year.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks big man Precious Achiuwa is making good progress from his hamstring strain, but head coach Tom Thibodeau says he’s still not practicing, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. “He’s doing a little more on the court,” Thibodeau said. “Once a guy can start doing stuff on the court, then usually he’ll travel with us. Sometimes it’s better to keep him back [in New York] because we can do more rehab stuff at the facility.“
The Nets received a spark off the bench from Keon Johnson in a Friday win over the Bulls, Bridget Reilly of the New York Post writes. In just five second-quarter minutes, he hit five shots in a row, including a pair of three-pointers and a dunk. Johnson, who finished with a season-high 12 points in just nine minutes on the night, is on a minimum-salary contract that’s partially guaranteed ($700K) for this season and includes a team option for next season.
Nic Claxton hasn’t been starting for the Nets as he recovers from an offseason injury that held him out of the preseason. But as the New York Post’s Brian Lewis writes, head coach Jordi Fernandez is going to have to make some tough calls when it comes to who remains in the lineup when the team is fully healthy. The Nets have six players who have a case to start: Claxton, Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons. Out of those options, Johnson, Finney-Smith or Simmons are probably the likeliest candidates to move to the bench. “I mean, whatever. Personally, I feel like if I’m at full strength, then I’m a starter,” Simmons said. “That’s just what goes. But, yeah.“