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Clippers Notes: Chemistry, Harden, Westbrook, Frank, Batum

November 3rd, 2023 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Head coach Tyronn Lue said James Harden is in better shape “than I thought it would be” after the new Clippers guard participated in a scrimmage on Wednesday, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

“He pushed the pace, he pushed the basketball, made plays for his teammates and he looked really good,” Lue said.

However, Lue realizes that developing chemistry among four ball-dominant players like Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook will be an ongoing process.

“When you have four guys that can score the basketball and make plays, you know, this is just gonna be a process understanding our rotations, how we want to play, who we want to have on the floor together,” Lue said.

We have more on the Clippers:

  • Even though Westbrook and Harden were teammates in Oklahoma City, they bring different styles that will require constant adjustments, Lue told Mark Medina of The SportingTribune.com. “Russ is more attack, get downhill and speed and pace. James is more slow, playing his game and so it’s a difference,” Lue said. “It’s a big difference between those two guys. Now when you’re staggering those guys, it’s going to be a different pace to the game.”
  • President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank isn’t worried about Harden making sacrifices, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. “James Harden should have been an All-Star last year,” Frank said. “But he’s a 10-time All-Star. He has an elite skill set, and all he cares about is one thing: He wants to win a championship for the L.A. Clippers. He wants to be part of something bigger than himself. He’s had all the individual awards. He’s about doing something really special.”
  • In a detailed analysis, The Athletic’s Sam Amick elicited opinions from numerous scouts regarding how, or if, Harden can blend his skills with the current Clippers roster.
  • Nicolas Batum, one of the players dealt to Philadelphia in the Harden blockbuster, thanked the Clippers organization and their fans on social media. Batum noted that the organization and fans embraced him at “the lowest point in my career.” The veteran forward fell out of favor in Charlotte before joining the Clippers prior to the 2020/21 season.
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Pacific Notes: George, Kawhi, Durant, LeBron, Huerter

October 25th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

As he enters his age-33 season, Clippers forward Paul George is thinking about the legacy he’ll leave behind when his NBA career is over, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. And George isn’t happy that he has no championship hardware to show for his four years in Los Angeles (or his nine NBA seasons before that), as injuries have repeatedly sidelined him and fellow star Kawhi Leonard.

“My legacy here is just haven’t been able to finish,” George said. “I think in a lot of ways, injury-prone, inability to finish. So can’t even say that — like, I never go into a summer like, ‘Hey, what do I need to work on to get better, what do I need to’ … I got to just try to find a way to stay healthy.”

The Clippers appear to approaching the 2023/24 season with a heightened sense of urgency. Head coach Tyronn Lue talked prior to training camp about a need to take the regular season more seriously and not just be looking ahead to the playoffs. And with both George and Leonard healthy entering the season for the first time in three years, the rest of the team has noticed a shift in the group’s collective mindset, Greif observes.

“Night-and-day different, just in terms of intensity at training camp,” Clippers guard Norman Powell said.

Here’s more from out of the Pacific:

  • Leonard, who underwent surgery on his torn ACL in July of 2021, spoke repeatedly last year about the idea that the injury requires a two-year recovery period to get back to full strength. The Clippers forward reiterated that point on Tuesday, confirming he feels as good now as he has since injuring his knee in 2021. “I feel good and I’m ready to go,” Leonard said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “… Talking to guys [who suffered ACL injuries] and seeing when they do start feeling good or just trusting your knee, it’s just something that you feel and I mean one day just turns around for you.”
  • Suns forward Kevin Durant tells Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports that it was “good to have stability” this summer after a tumultuous final year in Brooklyn. Durant also admitted that he’s starting to think about what his life will look like after he retires from the NBA, though he added that he wants to play for “as long as I can.”
  • While much has been made over the years of LeBron James‘ desire to play with son Bronny James before he retires from the NBA, a new Beats by Dre commercial voiced by LeBron’s wife Savannah references the Lakers star’s desire to play with son Bryce James as well, notes ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). Bryce, 16, is three years younger than Bronny.
  • Kings head coach Mike Brown flirted during the preseason with the idea of having Chris Duarte replace Kevin Huerter in the team’s starting five, but Huerter will be the starter at shooting guard to open the season, Brown confirmed on Tuesday (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
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Pacific Notes: Green, Durant, Allen, Booker, Beal, Lakers, Westbrook, Huerter

October 23rd, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green won’t play in the Warriors’ opener on Tuesday, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Green was sidelined prior to training camp by a left lateral ankle sprain. He was cleared for 5-on-5 action on Sunday and participated in Monday’s practice.

“He’s doing really well but we don’t feel like it would be wise to throw him out with so little scrimmage time on the floor,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ll reassess as the days go.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Suns star forward Kevin Durant will play in Golden State on Tuesday for the first time since he left the franchise and signed with Brooklyn. Durant says he’s looking forward to it. “I’m excited to play in front of those fans,” Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I had some incredible moments there and we built a bond that doesn’t really have to be spoken about, me and the fans in the Bay Area. Feel like they’ve been supporting me way before I came there, actually. Then once I became a part of the Warriors, they just went even harder in support of myself and my teammates.”
  • Durant believes a recent addition to the Suns, wing Grayson Allen, will thrive with so many offensive threats around him, according to Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. “When he gets the opportunity to play with myself, (Devin Booker) and (Bradley Beal), I think the floor opens up even more for him, and we could play off him a little bit more as well,” Durant said. “He’s just a guy that can fit in. You see how many teams he’s played on and how well he’s played at each stop, so we’re expecting him to have a solid year this year.”
  • Speaking of Booker and Beal, they’re listed as questionable to play on Tuesday. Booker is dealing with left big toe soreness, while Beal has experienced lower back tightness. “We’re hopeful that they both play,” coach Frank Vogel told Rankin.
  • Jarred Vanderbilt and Jalen Hood-Schifino won’t play in the Lakers’ opener, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Vanderbilt is dealing with left heel soreness while Hood-Schifino has a right patella contusion. Hood-Schifino will be reevaluated by team doctors on Nov. 3.
  • Russell Westbrook says he’s striving to be a positive force with the Clippers and won’t mind taking criticism if it eases the pressure off of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. “When I’m playing, let me make sure I can make the game as easy as possible,” Westbrook said. “I take all the bullets for anybody. I take all the heat. I don’t really give a (darn) because I know what’s important to my teammates and to me that’s the most important part.”
  • Kings coach Mike Brown has challenged Kevin Huerter to be tougher defensively and he’s accepted the message, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I just think it’s early,” Huerter said. “For me, I’m not worried about the offensive side of the court right now. I think, like you guys have heard throughout this preseason, for us as a team and individually, it’s (about) being better on the other side of the court. We know what we’re capable of — really with anybody on the court — offensively. We’ve just got to continue to buy in and play the right way and do the things we’re supposed to on the other side.”
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Clippers Still Won’t Include Terance Mann In James Harden Trade

October 18th, 2023 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers‘ refusal to part with Terance Mann continues to be the main obstacle to a potential trade involving Sixers guard James Harden, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Two people involved in the negotiations tell Amick that the teams talked again on Monday, with Philadelphia offering to give up Harden in exchange for Mann, an unprotected first-round pick, a first-round pick swap and other players to match Harden’s salary. However, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank refused to make Mann available, which has been the team’s position since trade talks began.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said Frank was being “unserious,” according to Amick’s sources, and sarcastically suggested the Clippers should offer Paul George if they’re so determined to hold onto their lesser assets. Frank quickly dismissed the idea of parting with George.

Amick notes that the exchange leaves negotiations at the same impasse where they began when Harden made his trade demand in late June. The Sixers don’t have any traction on a deal with L.A. or anyone else as the start of the season looms next week.

Harden showed his displeasure with the situation by skipping Wednesday’s practice and has been away from the team since Sunday. A report earlier today said management plans to give him a chance to explain his absence before imposing any fines, which would start at $2,500 for a missed practice and could reach $389K for each missed game.

Harden is communicating with the Sixers through general manager Elton Brand, according to Amick. Harden remains angry at Morey over the way his contract was handled, and it’s not clear what his intentions are regarding the October 26 season opener.

The Sixers believe Harden’s anger should be directed at the Clippers, Amick adds. The position of Philadelphia’s front office is that Harden could have the trade he wants if L.A. would include Mann, and the Sixers would be left with enough assets to pursue a high-level player who could replace Harden and keep the team in title contention.

Sources tell Amick that Philadelphia already has trades lined up that would fetch a first-round pick in exchange for Mann. That pick would be used as part of a package to acquire another star later in the season. The Sixers see that as an equitable outcome considering the otherwise limited return they would be getting in exchange for Harden, according to Amick.

However, Harden believes L.A. has already made a reasonable offer and Morey is “moving the goalposts,” Amick adds. The Clippers have offered two first-round picks, but Morey isn’t satisfied with their quality because they have protections and could eventually turn into second-rounders if they don’t convey by a certain date.

Harden’s absence is the latest step in his desire to create an uncomfortable situation for the Sixers until he’s traded, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN stated in an appearance on NBA Today (video link).

“Somebody close to him told me this is only the beginning of what he plans to do here,” Shelburne said.

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Pacific Notes: Green, Harden, Clippers, Mann, Suns, Durant

October 17th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Draymond Green, who suffered an ankle sprain in an offseason workout, is making good progress, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). Green has been cleared to do light on-court workouts (shooting drills, etc.) and his return to full practices and scrimmages will depend on his continued progress. He’ll be reevaluated again on Sunday.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • Despite some promising signs from their current roster in the preseason, a trade for James Harden stills holds appeal for the Clippers, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. He fits the timeline of the team’s other stars and coach Tyronn Lue often prefers having a more traditional point guard who can run an isolation-heavy offense. The Clippers also realize the roster has not undergone enough change after last season’s postseason flameout.
  • There’s still a good vibe around the Clippers thanks to the improved health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register notes. “Last year, it was tough because we felt we had opportunities to do something special and PG goes down and Kawhi goes down after Game 2 (against the Suns),” Lue said. “You never want to see anyone get injured, but a lot of people said, ‘Oh they’re hurt again,’ or whatever, but the biggest thing is they’re messed up mentally because they want to be out there. Seeing them come back 100 percent and being healthy and just the vibe of our team is totally different.”
  • Following up an earlier reports on the stalled trade discussions between the Clippers and Sixers, a source told Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer (Twitter link) that Los Angeles remains unwilling to part with Terance Mann or additional draft capital. That makes it increasingly likely Harden will be on the Sixers’ roster at the beginning of the regular season.
  • The fifth starter for the Suns beyond Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic could vary depending matchups, coach Frank Vogel told Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link) and other media members. Josh Okogie has generally been considered the frontrunner for the starting job.
  • The Suns’ big three are holding each other to a high standard, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. “It’s always good to get work in with some of the best players in the world,” Kevin Durant said. “It’s like iron sharpening iron over there. We hold each other to a high standard. So it’s always good to get some of that post-practice work. The more days we stack together, the better.”
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Pacific Notes: Okogie, Clippers, Covington, Kuminga

October 12th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Suns are headlined by the trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, with the recently acquired Jusuf Nurkic manning the middle. That leaves one spot on the starting lineup open and, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, wing Josh Okogie has the inside track for that slot.

Okogie’s smothering defense is earning him extended playing time, Fischer writes, and he’s showcasing his ability to do all the little things during the preseason. According to Fischer, head coach Frank Vogel has been appreciative of the wing’s ability to guard one through four on the floor. The Suns aren’t loaded with stellar point of attack defenders, but Okogie is showing he can play that role.

“Every time you have a team there’s a couple holes that need to be plugged, and I feel like I try to fill in those gaps,” Okogie said.

It’s been a long journey for Okogie, who began his career with the Timberwolves. According to Fischer, he spent some time with former Wolves star wing Jimmy Butler, who took him under his wing. His experience with Butler, along with others, helped prepare him for the load of playing with stars.

“He knows that people don’t know him for that, but he’s a really great dude. He pays attention to everything. He cares about the little guys,” Okogie said. “He was helping me how to navigate. Taught me a couple things on how to guard and how to play the game in his short time there.”

Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports notes that Okogie has shined so far in the preseason and is solidifying his starting role. Okogie finished with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals on Tuesday night.

Okogie averaged 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds with the Suns last year in his first season with the team. He re-signed with Phoenix this offseason.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Clippers have a battle for the starting power forward position taking place, with Terance Mann and Robert Covington both looking to lock down the starting position that was once held by Marcus Morris, Law Murray of The Athletic writes. Murray writes that, barring a trade, it’s looking like one of those two will start. Covington said he has “a vendetta” in his approach to this season after a lost year in which he played sparingly, Murray writes. Murray concludes that Mann has the best qualities if the Clippers want to downsize but Covington’s size and ability to make plays on defense make him appealing.
  • Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was complimentary of Covington’s game after L.A.’s preseason game on Tuesday, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times points out (Twitter link). According to Greif, Lue said he wants to see more of the trio of Covington, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing together. “[Covington]’s length and blocking shots, deflections, his cutting is important offensively, and he also rebounds, so just his activity on the defensive end, like I said makes us a different team,” Lue said. “You add Kawhi and PG to that mix, [Russell Westbrook] and then [Ivica Zubac] anchoring it, that’s pretty tough to handle.” Covington started the Clippers’ preseason game on Tuesday.
  • Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is dealing with a jammed thumb and he’s questionable for Golden State’s preseason tilt against the Lakers on Friday, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews tweets. According to Andrews, he’s not doing live work yet in practice but went through individual work.
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Clippers Notes: Lue, Hyland, George, Mann

October 9th, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Tyronn Lue is trying to instill a sense of urgency in the Clippers, starting with a competitive training camp and an emphasis on results in the preseason, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Lue played 11 years in the NBA, so he understands how players sometimes approach exhibition games, but he wants to avoid falling into that trap.

“Veteran players, they always try to ease into it,” Lue said. “And I wanted to try to change that mindset of just establishing who we are from day one.”

L.A. didn’t have a full roster for Sunday’s opener against the Jazz in Hawaii. Russell Westbrook and Nicolas Batum were both rested, and Marcus Morris was held out of the game after suffering a left groin injury in Saturday’s practice. He’s also expected to miss Tuesday’s contest.

“I know it doesn’t count, but we still can establish … offensively pushing the pace, attacking the basket, having great spacing defensively and being physical one through five, just bringing our physicality,” Lue told reporters before Sunday’s game.

There’s more on the Clippers:

  • Bones Hyland was impressive while taking Westbrook’s spot in the starting lineup, Greif adds. Hyland may not get many chances to run the offense alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, especially if L.A. winds up trading for James Harden, but he looked comfortable in that role on Sunday. “I just love Bones’ aggression,” George said. “I thought off the bounce, him getting to his shots, getting to his points on the floor, his play-making, his creativity. And I know he’s not a defensive guy, but he gives great effort on the defensive end and he’s long, he’s quick, he makes plays on both ends. We appreciate that from the guard spot, so he’ll tie in well with what we’re doing.”
  • Terance Mann has heard his name mentioned in Harden rumors all summer, but he’s focusing on what he can bring to the Clippers, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. On top of the trade speculation, Mann recently became eligible for a three-year contract extension worth up to a projected $56MM and he said he would welcome a long-term deal with the team.
  • Jud Winton has received a promotion to vice president/assistant general manager, the Clippers announced (via Twitter).
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Clippers Notes: Westbrook, George, Morris, Defense

October 4th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Media day was much different this year for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook than it was in 2022 when he was a virtual outcast on the Lakers, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Westbrook conducted a “jovial” 17-minute session with reporters, which Swanson notes is about 11 minutes longer than he talked to Lakers media last year. He expressed a desire to win a title, but added some philosophy about other things that can happen along the way.

“Every team comes into media day, training camp, we’re going to win a championship, and we understand that’s the goal,” Westbrook said. “But personally the championship-or-bust mentality to me is just not a real thing. It’s like a thing that people make up. Like winning a championship or bust. It’s not true. You can accomplish a lot more. You can create brotherhood. You can learn so much more about people. You can figure out ways how you can as a team, collectively. There’s just so many lessons that I’ve personally learned.”

Westbrook’s unhappy experience with the Lakers turned around after he was traded to Utah at the deadline and joined the Clippers following a buyout with the Jazz. He was the pure point guard the team had been needing, and he raised the level of play before injuries shut the door on L.A. in the postseason.

“Leadership is one of my biggest qualities,” he said Monday. “It’s something that I really embrace and enjoy.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

  • Paul George confirmed on Wednesday that he’s engaged in extension talks with the team, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. He told reporters that negotiations are “active but both sides have to be on the same page and that’s just what we’re trying to figure out.”
  • After 12 NBA seasons, Marcus Morris is used to hearing his name in trade talks, Greif adds (Twitter link). With a $17.1MM expiring contract, Morris was involved in rumors throughout the summer. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a veteran,” he said. “You go with the flow, if it happens it happens, if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a Clipper. I’m a Clipper until I’m not. I’m here to help the team in any capacity.”
  • At media day, coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the need to improve on defense and challenged his team to finish in the top five in that category this season, per Law Murray of The Athletic.
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Durant, Curry, LeBron, Other U.S. Stars Express Olympic Interest

October 2nd, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024 Olympics in Paris were a popular topic of discussion on media days around the NBA in Monday, with many of the league’s biggest American stars expressing interest in representing Team USA next summer.

Suns forward Kevin Durant, who won Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020, was adamant in addressing his 2024 plans, telling reporters, “I will play in the Olympics next year,” according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Durant’s Suns teammate Devin Booker also indicated that he would accept an invite from USA Basketball, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, while KD’s former Warriors teammate Stephen Curry told reporters, “(I) definitely want to be on the team,” per Reynolds.

Lakers forward LeBron James, who was rumored last month to be recruiting his fellow U.S. stars to play at next year’s Olympics, confirmed his interest, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. His teammate Anthony Davis wasn’t prepared to commit yet, telling reporters that it’s too early to say whether he’ll play (Twitter link via Buha).

Of course, one of the biggest question marks for Team USA is Joel Embiid, who has yet to take part in an international competition and has citizenship in France and the U.S. in addition to his native Cameroon.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN relays (via Twitter), Embiid said today that he’d like to play in the Olympics but is still weighing his options. While the U.S. and France have already qualified, Cameroon will compete in a qualifying tournament next summer in the hopes of earning a spot in the 12-team Olympic field. Embiid, who was reportedly given an October 10 deadline by the French team, said he hopes to make his decision “in the next few days.”

“I love all three options,” Embiid said, per ESPN. “Cameroon, I’m born there, I’m from there and I always want to represent my country. But the goal is also to play in the Olympics. If we had a chance, or if we would qualify for the Olympics, that will be an easy decision. But that’s still up in the air. And I really do want to play in the Olympics.”

Here’s more on the potential Team USA roster, which can only accommodate 12 players:

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Clippers Notes: Kawhi, PG13, Holiday, Harden, Preston

September 29th, 2023 at 12:06am CST by Rory Maher

Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have dealt with a litany of injuries since they joined L.A. in 2019, but they’re “fully healthy” and ready to go for training camp, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters, including Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).

The news was expected, as Frank was mostly just confirming what head coach Tyronn Lue said on a podcast a few weeks ago.

Frank also said the Clippers have talked to both players about possible contract extensions, according to Youngmisuk (Twitter link). Frank described it as a “process,” but the team hopes to continue to build around Leonard and George.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

  • At the same press conference, Frank said that while he likes the roster he’s assembled, the Clippers won’t hesitate to be aggressive in looking for upgrades if the opportunity arises, according to Janis Carr of The Orange County Register (subscriber link). “We like our team,” Frank said. “(But) you are always looking for ways to get better, both individually and as a team. Typically, if you follow the probability, the greatest way to get better is internal improvement. But from our standpoint, we’ll always be aggressive in trying to find ways to improve the team. I like our approach, but we’ll always look for ways to get better.”
  • The Clippers have been linked to All-Star guard Jrue Holiday, who is from the Los Angeles area. Law Murray of The Athletic makes the case that Holiday would be a better fit for the Clips than disgruntled star James Harden, noting that Holiday is a far superior defender. Holiday’s contract also aligns with Leonard’s and George’s, Murray adds, with all three players holding player options for 2024/25. Harden, meanwhile, is on an expiring deal and is not extension-eligible, but Holiday will be later this season.
  • Point guard Jason Preston‘s non-guaranteed salary becomes guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before this Sunday. Frank said the team is still weighing its options and the decision will likely come down to the wire, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
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