Nikola Jokic

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Westbrook, Cancar, Murray

November 20th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

After a pair of dismal performances in New Orleans and Memphis during the first two games of a Nikola Jokic-less road trip, the Nuggets bounced back on Tuesday, securing a 12-point victory in a rematch with the Grizzlies. It was a group effort, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, with Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun, and Russell Westbrook among those who had strong showings and made up for the absence of the three-time MVP, who has been out for personal reasons.

“We’re not always going to have the luxury of being able to rely on one person,” Nuggets forward Peyton Watson said prior to the game. “… Without him, our mindset should change. I don’t think that it should stay the same. I think we should all take it upon ourselves that we have more responsibility. … I think that’s something that’s a privilege, being able to be in these situations and be counted on and have the pressure on us.”

Head coach Michael Malone, who said before the game that he wasn’t sure whether or not Jokic would be available when the Nuggets return home on Friday to host the Mavericks, also stressed the importance of learning to win when the superstar center isn’t available.

“All we talked about all day long is: ‘We’ve lost two in a row, and don’t waste on energy on who’s not here; we have enough talent in the room to get the job done,'” Malone said, per Durando.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Westbrook finished Tuesday’s win with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists, making him the first player in NBA history to reach 200 career triple-doubles (story via ESPN.com). “It’s hard to put into words,” teammate Julian Strawther said of the accomplishment. “Two-hundred triple-doubles is a lot. I don’t even know if I’ve got 200 career games.” It’s possible Westbrook’s record will eventually be broken by a current teammate — Jokic ranks fourth on the league’s all-time triple-double list with 136.
Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar exited Tuesday’s game in the second quarter due to a left knee sprain and didn’t return, as Durando details for The Denver Post. It’s the same knee in which he tore his ACL last summer. Asked after the game if there’s any fear of another tear, Malone said he had yet to speak to the medical staff. “I would hate to be premature with any speculation in terms of what happened,” the Nuggets’ coach said. “When I spoke to him at halftime, he was in good spirits. He seemed to be fairly pain-free. It just felt a little uncomfortable when he came down. So we’ll get with our training staff, and we’ll kind of get a better idea of what’s going on with that. And hopefully it’s nothing major and we can get him back out there, because I thought Vlatko with that second unit was really, really effective.” Prior to the injury, Cancar had scored five points and grabbed four rebounds in 11 minutes of action.
Murray, who signed a four-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, had struggled entering Tuesday’s game, averaging 17.3 points per game on 39.9% shooting (30.2% on three-pointers). The standout guard enjoyed one of his best nights of the season in Memphis on Tuesday, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Murray said he’s fully healthy and just needs to be more assertive offensively. “I take full accountability,” Murray said of his recent slump. “It’s not easy when you aren’t playing well. It hasn’t been easy with guys like Nikola and Aaron (Gordon) out. We were fully capable of winning these last games. But, for me, I have to play better. I have to take account for that. It starts with me.”

Injury Notes: Banchero, Jokic, Wemby, Grizzlies, Knicks

November 19th, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Magic announced on October 31 that Paolo Banchero had been diagnosed with a torn right oblique, they said he would be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. However, the expectation was that he would likely be sidelined well beyond that window.

So when will we see Banchero back on the court? If it’s up to the All-Star forward, he’ll make his return in about a month.

“This isn’t from the medical team or anything, but the way I feel and I’ve been feeling, I think before Christmas,” Banchero said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter video link). “Maybe that’s a week before, a couple days before. I think I can get back before Christmas.”

As Banchero acknowledged, the decision will ultimately be up to the Magic’s medical team, so he’ll defer to the experts if they’re not ready to clear him by Christmas.

Orlando lost its first four games after Banchero went down, but has hit its stride as of late, picking up six straight victories and moving into third place in the Eastern Conference at 9-6.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

Last season’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year will both remain sidelined on Tuesday. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic isn’t injured, but will miss a third consecutive game for personal reasons as his team visits Memphis, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – who missed Saturday’s loss to Dallas – won’t be available vs. Oklahoma City due to a right knee contusion, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Grizzlies center Zach Edey (left ankle sprain) will miss a game for the first time this season on Tuesday, joining star guard Ja Morant (right hip subluxation; pelvic muscle strains) on the inactive list vs. Denver. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details, Grizzlies two-way guard Cam Spencer – who has been out all season due to an ankle injury – is inching closer to making his debut, having been cleared for five-on-five action.
Knicks guard Miles McBride has missed the past three games due to what the club is calling right knee inflammation. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post notes, McBride hyperextended that knee last month, though the Knicks didn’t confirm that the two issues are related. Bondy also provides an update on Precious Achiuwa (hamstring strain), citing a source who is optimistic the big man will be cleared to begin practicing with the team on its five-game road trip that begins Wednesday in Phoenix.

Nuggets Notes: Saric, Malone, Jokic, Watson

November 17th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

After recently being pulled from the Nuggets‘ rotation, Dario Saric found himself in the starting lineup Friday night, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The move was made out of necessity because Nikola Jokic was absent for personal reasons, and Saric responded with nine points, eight rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes.

“He allowed us to play when we were organized like we usually play,” acting head coach David Adelman said. “Obviously, Nikola is an unworldly player, but Dario allows you to play in the pocket. He allows you to play off the elbow. … Early in the game, we had a nice flow because we were playing through him.”

Saric had expected to be a rotation fixture when he signed a two-year, $10.6MM contract with Denver over the summer. But a slow start for both him and the team forced coach Michael Malone to make changes. The Nuggets won five straight games and Malone was reluctant to tinker with the new lineup, but he assured Saric that he would eventually get a chance to earn regular playing time again.

“We talked about the situation, why was the decision made,” Saric said. “Obviously, the second unit wasn’t that good in that time, so he kind of made the decision that it would be me.”

There’s more on the Nuggets:

Malone missed Friday’s game because his daughter had a volleyball match in the state tournament, Durando states in a separate story. “From being a coach’s son and growing up around this, and the things you miss as a dad, really cool that he’s there,” Adelman told reporters. “That’s something you don’t want to miss. It’s one game (for the Nuggets). Whatever. That’s really important to her. It’s really important to their family. So I’m glad he’s there.”
Adelman refused to provide any details about the reasons for Jokic’s absence, Durando adds. “Things at home for somebody, that’s their business,” Adelman said, “and when he feels like he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.” The three-time MVP will also miss today’s game against Memphis, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Jokic and his family are fine and there’s no cause for alarm, adds Katy Winge of Altitude TV (Twitter link).
Adelman experimented with a small-ball lineup that Malone introduced last week featuring 6’7″ Peyton Watson at center, Durando notes in the same piece. Although Watson reached double figures in scoring by halftime, the Nuggets had trouble getting rebounds with him in the middle.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Collins, Filipowski, Flagler

November 15th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic has been ruled out for Friday’s game in New Orleans – Denver’s first NBA Cup matchup – for personal reasons, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes.

The Nuggets have a +11.3 net rating in Jokic’s 381 minutes on the court this season, compared to a -28.5 mark in the 109 minutes he hasn’t played. While that doesn’t bode particularly well for tonight’s contest, they’ll be facing a banged-up Pelicans squad that’s missing six rotation players, so it’s still a winnable game.

Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric, and DeAndre Jordan are among the candidates to play frontcourt minutes in Jokic’s absence.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Although some of John Collins‘ numbers, including an identical 37.1% three-point rate, look similar to the ones he posted last season, the veteran big man looks more comfortable so far in his second season with the Jazz, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who points to Collins’ increased usage rate, improved assist rate, and better on/off numbers as positive signs. After deploying him as their starting center for much of last season, the Jazz are using Collins more as a power forward – primarily off the bench – this fall and the role seems to suit him better, says Larsen. Collins still probably still isn’t a positive trade asset, but his value is moving in the right direction, Larsen adds.
Jazz rookie Kyle Filipowski played well in his fourth career start on Thursday, registering 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and holding his own when switched on Luka Doncic, Larsen writes. Of the six players Utah has drafted over the past two seasons, Filipowski was the lowest pick (No. 32 overall in 2024), but he has looked like the promising prospect of the bunch so far this season, Larsen contends.
Former Baylor standout Adam Flagler, who has been in the Thunder‘s system since going pro in 2023, has logged just 25 total minutes across seven appearances at the NBA level since signing a two-way contract in February, but he continues to develop in the G League, where he has emerged as a leader this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, per Rylan Stiles of SI.com. “I have always been a guy that has led by example but wanting to be more vocal, especially for the team,” Flagler said. “Being here for a second year now, knowing what to expect is big for me to put guys in place and let them know they not out there by themselves.”

Northwest Notes: Thunder, SGA, Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves

November 13th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

With Chet Holmgren sidelined until sometime in 2025 and Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams still not ready to return, expect the Thunder to fully lean into small-ball lineups, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The team has the roster flexibility to add a veteran center via free agency if it so chooses, but head coach Mark Daigneault seems to enjoy playing small, Lorenzi notes — now it has become a necessity rather than an option.

In their first game without Holmgren on Monday, the Thunder ran out a starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, making their point guard (Gilgeous-Alexander) the tallest player on the court at 6’6″. And the three reserves who saw the most minutes – Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Ajay Mitchell – were no more than 6’5″.

Still, the Thunder made those small lineups work and pulled out a victory over the Clippers, largely due to the heroics of Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a career-high 45 points, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. According to Thunder PR, the guard became the first player in NBA history to have at least 45 points, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks in a game. Gilgeous-Alexander won’t play like that every night, but he’s confident Oklahoma City can keep winning games despite missing its big men.

“We’ve been there before,” he said, per Youngmisuk. “We’ve won games playing small, and we can do it again.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Walker Kessler‘s absence on Tuesday due to right hip soreness highlighted the lack of quality defenders on the Jazz‘s roster, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who suggests that’s an area the team will need to address via player development or roster additions — or both. After giving up 120 points to Phoenix on Tuesday, Utah ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (117.6) and dead last in net rating (-13.0).
The Nuggets got off to a shaky start this fall, but they’re on a roll as of late, riding a five-game win streak into Friday’s game in New Orleans. They’ve had to lean heavily on star center Nikola Jokic to pick up those victories — the three-time MVP is averaging 38.1 minutes per game, far exceeding his previous career high of 34.6 MPG. In a pair of stories for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando explores whether the Nuggets can keep winning while better managing Jokic’s playing time and considers whether it makes sense for the club to target a center on the trade market. For what it’s worth, Durando believes acquiring a shooter will be a greater priority for Denver than trading for a center.
Following an ugly 14-point Timberwolves loss to Portland on Tuesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic says Minnesota needs to recapture the edge and ferocity that characterized last season’s 56-win squad. This year’s Wolves have made things too easy for their opponents and are “opening doors they used to slam in people’s faces,” Krawczynski writes.

Nikola Jokic, Darius Garland Named Players Of The Week

November 11th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has won the award for the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Jokic led the Nuggets to a 4-0 record during the week of November 4-10, posting a ridiculous stat line of 29.5 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 14.5 assists per game. He had triple-doubles in all four games and registered a shooting line of .566/.500/.897 in wins over Toronto, Oklahoma City, Miami, and Dallas.

After a slow start, Denver is riding a five-game winning streak and holds a top-four spot in the West at 7-3. Jokic, meanwhile, has full-season averages of 29.7 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 11.7 APG as he makes a case for a fourth MVP award. He leads the league in both rebounds and assists per game.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, had another perfect week, with victories over the Bucks, Pelicans, Warriors, and Nets to push their overall record to 11-0. Garland, who is enjoying a bounce-back fall after an up-and-down 2023/24 season, led the way with 25.0 PPG and 7.3 APG on a scorching-hot .617/.576/.875 shooting line.

Garland is the second Cleveland guard to be named the East’s Player of the Week this season — Donovan Mitchell earned the honor last Monday.

Jokic beat out Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, and Norman Powell for the award in the West. In the East, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Jayson Tatum, and Franz Wagner were the other nominees (Twitter link).

Northwest Notes: Braun, R. Williams, Mitchell, K. Williams

November 10th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Christian Braun is learning from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in his first season as a full-time Nuggets starter, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Murray, whose locker is next to Braun’s, often tells the 23-year-old to stay in attack mode.

“‘Keep shooting the ball. Keep being aggressive. Get up more attempts,’” Braun told The Post. “Constantly. When he’s hurt. When he’s not playing. He’s, before the game, telling me he wants me to do this. During the game, he sees this. He’ll point it out. … It’s not just shooting. He wants to challenge me. ‘Hey, I want you to pick this guy up full court.’”

Braun has been one of the bright spots of the early portion of the season in Denver, establishing new career highs in several categories (16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on an elite .558/.500/.818 shooting line in 35.3 MPG) while being tasked with slowing down the opposing teams’ top perimeter scorer. He has also posted a positive plus/minus in each of the Nuggets’ nine games thus far.

Here are a few more notes from the Northwest Division:

In his first regular season game in a little over a year, Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams made an immediate impact, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). Williams only played six games last season due to a serious knee injury, then was slowed by a hamstring strain in training camp. In Friday’s loss to Minnesota, the 27-year-old notched 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 17 minutes, only missing one field goal attempt and converting his first career three-pointer. “Defensively, he’s all over the place,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “He’s vocal. He’s talking. His activity, Rebounds, blocked shots, he kind of does it all. He’s got a knack for it. And then on the other end, you never look at him as a three-point threat, but he stepped up and knocked that one down.”
Williams’ return was obviously a welcome sight, but it will also impact the Trail Blazers‘ rotation. Minnesota’s lineup features plenty of size, so Billups felt comfortable playing Williams alongside Deandre Ayton or Donovan Clingan. However, that won’t always be the case, Fentress writes. “There’ll be some nights that it doesn’t happen, that we won’t play that way based on matchups,” Billups said. “But some teams, they present opportunities for you to do so.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, the No. 38 overall pick of June’s draft, continues to impress in his rookie season, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Mitchell, who has played in each of the Thunder’s nine games during their 8-1 start, recorded 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), two rebounds, and career highs of seven assists and three steals in Friday’s victory vs. Houston.
Thunder swingman Kenrich Williams, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, is making progress toward a return. He was assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — for a practice on Saturday before being recalled, Stiles tweets.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Braun, Strawther, Murray, Jokic

November 8th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While general manager Calvin Booth has taken some criticism during the past couple years for letting veteran role players get away in free agency and attempting to replace them with youngsters, several recent Nuggets first-round picks are making positive strides this fall, having come up big in the team’s two wins this week.

With starters Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon unavailable due to injuries, Denver has leaned on 2022 first-rounders Peyton Watson and Christian Braun and 2023 first-rounder Julian Strawther in closing lineups alongside Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. That five-man unit has a net rating of +41.7 in 18 minutes in the past two games, both of which the Nuggets won by two points.

“I’m saying to myself, ‘Holy s–t … I never envisioned this lineup being out there to close the game,'” head coach Michael Malone said after Monday’s victory over Toronto, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (subscription required). Malone went back to the same group in the fourth quarter two days later to help secure a win over the undefeated Thunder.

“Talk about the epitome of ‘Project Dynasty,'” Watson said after Monday’s win, before earning his first start of the season, logging 34 minutes, and making a game-saving block in Wednesday’s victory. “Obviously, me and CB came in together, and that’s my road dog, but also adding Julian to our young core, it meant a lot to us. That was just kind of a little preview of what’s to come for us.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

After missing three consecutive games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Murray is poised to make his return on Friday vs. Miami. Malone told reporters that he expects Murray to play as long as he has no setbacks during his pregame routine, tweets Benedetto.
Only five players in NBA history – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James – have won at least four MVP awards. Could Jokic join that exclusive club this season? Bennett Durando of The Denver Post considers that question, speaking to several Nuggets players who raved about their All-NBA teammate. Russell Westbrook referred to Jokic as “the best player on the planet,” DeAndre Jordan noted that the big man’s triple-doubles have become commonplace, and Braun pointed out that Jokic continues to expand his game. “It seems like he gets better every year,” Braun said. “I don’t know that — he definitely improved, but he can do whatever you need. So this year, he sees that we need to hit more threes. Seems like he’s taking more threes.” Through eight games, Jokic’s three-point percentage (51.4%) and three-point attempts per game (4.4) are career highs. He’s also leading the NBA in assists (11.0) and rebounds (13.5) per game while scoring a career-best 28.8 points per night.
In case you missed it, the Nuggets control one of the top 15 largest trade exceptions in the NBA, though their position relative to the luxury tax line may make them reluctant to use it to take on more salary during the season.

Nuggets Rumors: Booth, Malone, Jokic, Murray, George, KCP

November 1st, 2024 at 11:04am CST by Rory Maher

In an interesting feature story, which is worth reading in full, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne explores the philosophical “disconnect” developing within the Nuggets as they try to capitalize on Nikola Jokic‘s remaining prime years.

As Shelburne writes, Denver has lost four veteran role players — Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Reggie Jackson — from the team that won the championship in 2023. General manager Calvin Booth acknowledges those departures have created some internal tension between the players and coaching staff and the front office.

“There was this urge to compete, especially from the players and the coaches and even myself,” Booth told ESPN. “You want to win, especially coming off the heels of winning the championship. And that’s probably where the tension started.

“What are you guys trying to do? Are you trying to win? Are you trying to develop? I think everybody had the best intent going in. There was buy-in. But I think competition and the focus on that can distract you from the buy-in.”

Multiple sources tell Shelburne that the Nuggets have been discussing a contract extension with Booth for months, and a deal is expected to be reached soon. Booth has largely focused on finding young players on affordable contracts to build out the Nuggets’ depth due to the roster-building restrictions of the new tax aprons, but head coach Michael Malone has typically turned to more proven veterans.

Shelburne points to big man Zeke Nnaji as “perhaps the best example” of the disconnect between Booth and Malone. After the Nuggets signed him to a four-year, $32MM rookie scale extension last offseason, the 23-year-old Nnaji saw his minutes and effectiveness decline in 2023/24, and he has only played two minutes through the first four games of this season.

Here’s more on the Nuggets, all courtesy of Shelburne:

For his part, Jokic declined to weigh in on any strain between the front office and coaching staff regarding the team’s roster construction, telling Shelburne, “That’s not my job.” However, forward Michael Porter Jr. says players are well aware that the team could look much different next offseason, depending on how the Nuggets perform in 2024/25. “If we don’t win it this year,” Porter told ESPN. “We all know they might have to break it up.”
A team source told Shelburne that guard Jamal Murray “was basically on one leg” by the end of last season’s playoffs, which saw Denver fall to Minnesota in the second round. After he struggled in the postseason and Olympics, the Nuggets signed Murray to a four-year, maximum-salary extension. They thought he’d enter training camp “with something to prove,” but sources tell Shelburne there has been some concern with his early-season struggles, particularly with his shot and conditioning level.
According to Shelburne’s sources, the Nuggets checked in on Paul George‘s availability this offseason while he was still a member of the Clippers, but Denver was unwilling to include former first-round picks Christian Braun, Peyton Watson or Julian Strawther in those talks, and the Clips had no interest in taking back long-term salary. Shelburne suggests Denver offered Porter and Nnaji for George.
Shelburne also hears from sources who say the Nuggets could have received either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Josh Green in a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks that would have sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Dallas. The Nuggets declined, and the Mavericks ended up trading both of those players in separate sign-and-trades involving Quentin Grimes and Klay Thompson, while Caldwell-Pope signed with the Magic as a free agent.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Randle, Wolves, Thunder, Blazers

October 30th, 2024 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

One key reason the Nuggets were unable to defend their title last season was a lack of roster depth, which forced head coach Michael Malone to lean too heavily on his starters. Malone found himself falling back into old habits in Monday’s overtime win over Toronto as he tightened his rotation down the stretch and played all his starters at least 39 minutes in the first game of a back-to-back set.

“Obviously we found ourselves in a game (Monday) night that we kind of shortened our rotation up a little bit in the second half, feeling the pressure of trying to get the first win of the season,” Malone said before Tuesday’s game vs. the Nets, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “And when you look at the box score after the game, especially going into the second night of a back-to-back in Brooklyn, you have your starters all at or near 40 minutes. And that’s not sustainable. We can’t do that. Game three, it was cool, man. Let’s get our first win, kind of take a deep breath. But that’s not sustainable.”

Several key Denver players also logged major minutes on Tuesday as the team once again required overtime to get past a non-playoff opponent. Nikola Jokic helped seal the victory with 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists in nearly 41 minutes of action.

Still, it was evident Malone was trying to avoid overextending his starters — four of the five played fewer minutes on Tuesday than they had on Monday, with Russell Westbrook stepping up off the bench to contribute 22 points and five assists in his best game as a Nugget so far.

“It’s hard to win in this league,” Westbrook said. “People think it’s easy, man. It’s hard. Especially when you’re a team that’s won year after year and always been in the running for NBA championships. It’s hard. We’ll get everybody’s best shot. We’ve gotta be prepared for it. However we’ve gotta get wins right now, we’ll take them.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about the impact the preseason trade to Minnesota had on him and his family and how his adjustment period is going so far. Randle admitted that he was “really thrown off” by the timing of the deal but was happy about his destination. “We had training camp in two or three days. My mindset was ready to go to Charleston for (Knicks) training camp,” he said. “It took me like a night or two (to accept it). The next morning. I was extremely happy because I forgot everything else and thought about the basketball side … It’s not that I was thinking I couldn’t get traded. I kind of had an idea (trade talks) were going on, but I think it would happen more during the season or closer to the trade deadline because the summer already passed.”
The Timberwolves had the NBA’s No. 1 defense last season, but they’re still figuring things out on that end of the court following their offseason roster changes, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes in the wake of a 120-114 Wolves loss to Dallas. “We do feel like we have some physicality now in Donte (DiVincenzo) and Julius. It gives us a little bit more defensive versatility too,” head coach Chris Finch said. “That’s not to say we have all the answers right now even in that. We’re still trying to figure out some defensive chemistry.”
No NBA team is winning the turnover battle more effectively so far this season than the Thunder, who have forced the most opponent turnovers per game on defense (20.7) while committing the second-fewest per game on offense (10.7). Zach Kram of The Ringer takes a closer look at how replacing Josh Giddey with Alex Caruso in Oklahoma City’s rotation has helped make an already strong defense even better in the early going.
The Rip City Remix (the Trail Blazers‘ affiliate) and the Grand Rapids Gold (the Nuggets‘ affiliate) are among the G League teams to recently announce training camp rosters. Former lottery pick James Bouknight‘s headlines the Remix’s roster, while the Gold’s squad includes former Bulls two-way player Andrew Funk.

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