Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

Sixers Notes: Okafor, Brown, Colangelo, Embiid

Center Jahlil Okafor wasn’t among the players identified as “keepers” for next season by Sixers coach Brett Brown in a news conference today. Brown listed Ben Simmons, Joel EmbiidTimothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Richaun Holmes, Robert CovingtonDario Saric, Nik Stauskas and T.J. McConnell, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Okafor was the subject of numerous trade rumors prior to February’s deadline. and his future with the organization remains uncertain. Brown said Okafor understands this is an important offseason for him (Twitter link), adding, “Our mission this summer is to get his body right.” (Twitter link). GM Bryan Colangelo, who also spoke to reporters today, didn’t say that trading Okafor will be a priority, but he noted, “If a deal comes along that makes sense for both, we’ll listen.” (Twitter link).

There’s more today out of Philadelphia:

  • Brown and Colangelo both identified shooting as the Sixers’ most pressing offseason need. Brown said the team also needs to find a backup power forward, sign some veterans, assess Simmons’ abilities as a point guard and find the right shooting guard to play alongside him, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.
  • Brown added that early-season injuries to Simmons and Jerryd Bayless were the biggest obstacles the Sixers faced in their 28-54 season (Twitter link). Simmons fractured a bone in his right foot during training camp and missed the entire year. Bayless, who signed a three-year, $27MM deal last offseason, tore a ligament in his left wrist during camp and was limited to three games. “You felt like you just blew out your backcourt in about a week,” Brown said.
  • The Sixers are expecting a much healthier version of Embiid next season, Pompey tweets. After missing his first two NBA seasons, Embiid was limited to 31 games in his rookie year. Although he played spectacularly, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, Embiid was on a minutes restriction and Philadelphia’s medical staff was very cautious about his availability. “I don’t think back-to-backs will be an issue” for Embiid next season, Colangelo said.
  • Colangelo promises an aggressive approach in free agency, saying, “If there is the right free agent to spend money on, we will.” (Twitter link). The Sixers will enter the July bidding with more than $50MM available under the salary cap. Colangelo also vowed to be “prudent and wise” with any signings (Twitter link).

Jahlil Okafor, Robert Covington Done For The Season

The Sixers announced they have shut down Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington for the season’s remaining seven games (Twitter links). Okafor had been sidelined with right knee soreness, an ailment “exacerbated by impact in game at OKC.” Meanwhile, Covington suffered a slight tear of his lateral meniscus.

With the Sixers out of the playoff picture, there was little reason to ask Okafor and Covington to play through injuries. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Nik Stauskas can expect to see a bump in minutes while Covington recuperates, and Shawn Long will receive time at center alongside Richaun Holmes.

The short-handed Sixers will face Cleveland at 7:30pm EDT.

Sixers Notes: Saric, Holmes, Okafor

Consider Dario Saric and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot a testament to the benefit of players developing in Europe. Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently published a column about how the Sixers’ pair gained more from their experiences abroad than they would have in a single year with an NCAA program.

Their background in European system and style, et cetera, completely helps them be expedited when they enter an NBA court,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown told him, “unlike a one-and-done guy from Kentucky or Duke.”

Past and present big men Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, of course, are one-and-done guys from Kentucky and Duke.

Hayes argues that Saric and Luwawu-Cabarrot have a maturity and toughness that has allowed them to excel this season. The former has put up 19.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game since Feb. 9 while the latter has added 7.6 points per despite only getting promoted to the starting lineup on March 11.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • The solid play of Richaun Holmes has validated the Sixers’ decision to ship Noel off to Dallas, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Noel posted 24 points and 9 rebounds twice in his 171 game stay with Philadelphia, Holmes has done it twice in the past ten days.
  • Though he’s missed action with a sore knee, the Sixers have no plans to shut down Okafor for the remainder of the season. Head coach Brett Brown suggested to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer that doing so would over-dramatize the injury.
  • Don’t get it twisted — while the current executive staff is getting a lot of credit for the upstart Sixers, the Iceberg Theory of Success is applicable. Josh Wilson of Fansided’s The Sixers Sense explains.

Sixers Notes: Long, Brown, TLC, Anderson, Embiid

Shawn Long is likely to stick with the Sixers after his 10-day contract expires, Jessica Camerato of CSN reports. Long, whose contract expires Wednesday, has earned the respect of coach Brett Brown.

“I think we’re going through that,” Brown said of making a decision on Long’s contract. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I have no desire, personally, to look elsewhere. He’s a part of what we’ve been doing.”

“We feel like he’s ours. His ability to step out and make a three, his ability to have a finesse move at a post, he does have length, he does play hard, he is fluid in his movements. All those things give you hope that maybe there is a place for him. He’s young, he’s a good young man, he works. There’s really nothing but positives that come to my mind when you mention his name.”

As Camerato mentions, the health of Tiago Splitter may influence the team’s decision to tender Long another contract. As Keith Pompey of Philly.com recently reported, the team was considering working Splitter out with the Delaware 87ers.

More from the City of Brotherly Love…

  • While injuries have decimated the Sixers’ lineup, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has impressed in his rookie season, Bob Cooney of Philly.com writes. “Luwawu-Cabarrot isn’t all the way there yet, but he has turned his game into something that could be very complementary next season,” Cooney writes. “He uses his athleticism very well on both ends of the court, and for a team that is always going to be in need of perimeter defense, that is a huge asset. His floor vision has improved to the point where he is a legitimate triple threat when the ball is in his hands. He hasn’t even really had the chance to play with Embiid yet, which could be so helpful in opening lanes and giving more time for jumpers.”
  • Deadline acquisition Justin Anderson held a Q&A with Ed Barkowitz of Philly.com. Anderson claimed to have “gotten over” the shock of being traded, and now embraces a “great opportunity” in Philadelphia. “Here, they have high expectations for me. I’m willing to grind and work. It’s a young team that’s going to play hard and fast.”
  • Anderson also relayed a funny tidbit about Joel Embiid, who he tried to recruit for the University of Virginia: “I tried to recruit him to come to Virginia. I was his host when he came on his official visit. Downstairs (from the dorm), there was big glass windows and he didn’t see the glass and he just walked right into it. It was hilarious. But the cool thing came when I asked him what he wanted to do. Do you want to go out? Do you want to get food? Movies? He said, “I’m just trying to go to the gym.” So it was like 12 o’clock at night and we went back to the gym to get some work in. It was impressive.”
  • Coach Brown has proven himself as the leader of this team, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. While there are still questions about Brown’s long-term future within the organization, some coaches around the league are “amazed” he’s managed a 23-42 record. “I think he should be coach of the year,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “You talk about all the players that are out with injuries, but every day, he is upbeat, he’s teaching, he’s coaching, and he’s trying to put his team in a position to win. I am a big fan of coach Brown.”

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jennings

The Raptors own the second best record in the Eastern Conference, but executives around the league are skeptical that they can truly compete for a title, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. One executive told Ding that Toronto is “one-and-a-half” players away from being title contenders.

Skepticism surrounds the team’s title chances, but there’s no denying the franchise’s stranglehold on the division, as the Raptors are in great position to take home the Atlantic for the third consecutive year. Here’s more from the division:

  • The Sixers waived Hollis Thompson on Wednesday, which left Nerlens Noel as the last player left on the roster from when The Process began, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet writes. With Thompson off the team, first-round pick Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will see more playing time. “Having Timmy now here and trying to play him more, you’re going to see an athleticism on the wings, you’re going to see a fearless mindset attacking the rim,” coach Brett Brown said. “He is an elite athlete if he is anything, and he’s different than all of our other wings. He really, really is different. I think his catch-shot game is coming around. I feel like [president of basketball operations] Bryan Colangelo did a really good job of selecting him.”
  • Brandon Jennings said the Knicks need more accountability, adding that the team needs to get comfortable with each other, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays. “Guys are still together. I just wish we would hold guys, we would hold each other a little more accountable for what we do on the court,” Jennings said. “I definitely like confrontation. I definitely like being coached and being told when I’m doing something wrong. So those are things that I really think we need to start doing within each other and the team because that’s what good teams do.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/14/16

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

  • The Suns have sent Tyler Ulis and Alan Williams to the Northern Arizona Suns, the team announced today in a press release. It will be the first D-League assignment of the season for both players, who are likely to be recalled to the NBA following tonight’s game against Santa Cruz.
  • Rookie swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is back from the D-League, with the Sixers announcing his recall today in a press release. Luwawu-Cabarrot was assigned for Tuesday night’s game, and helped the Delaware 87ers get a win, posting 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
  • The Rockets have recalled rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team (Twitter link). Wiltjer has been the second-leading scorer for the Vipers so far this season, averaging 19.7 PPG in 10 games.
  • Rakeem Christmas is headed back to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers announced today in a press release. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Friday, so it’s not clear if Christmas will stick with the team for that game, or if he’s just being sent down for practice.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/13/16

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Kings have recalled a pair of rookies, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Richardson has been the leading scorer for the Reno Bighorns this year, averaging 21.0 PPG in 11 games, while Labissiere has contributed 14.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate.
  • The Sixers have assigned first-rounder Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the Delaware 87ers, according to a press release from the club. He’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s NBADL squad tonight against the Oklahoma City Blue.
  • Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije will be heading back to the Grand Rapids Drive for the team’s games on Wednesday and Friday, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed today (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com). Unlike last time, Stanley Johnson won’t be joining them on this assignment.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/30/16

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:

4:55pm:

  • The Nets have assigned a pair of players to the D-League, sending Yogi Ferrell and Chris McCullough to the Long Island Nets, the team announced today in a press release. Long Island will host an afternoon contest against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Thursday, so the duo will likely suit up for that game.

12:54pm:

  • As expected, the Hawks have assigned 2016 first-rounder DeAndre’ Bembry to the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Since Atlanta doesn’t have its own D-League squad, Bembry will play for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s affiliate.
  • A day after being recalled by Golden State, rookie center Damian Jones has been sent back to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Santa Cruz had an early game today, which Jones participated in — he picked up two points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
  • In addition to confirming Nerlens Noel‘s D-League assignment (noted below), the Sixers announced today that they’ve recalled Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the Delaware 87ers after a brief D-League stint for the rookie.

9:52am:

  • The Sixers are sending Nerlens Noel to their D-League affiliate for injury rehab purposes, league sources tell Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. According to Spears, Noel, who has yet to make his 2016/17 debut after undergoing a knee procedure, is set to practice on Wednesday with the Delaware 87ers, Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate. Like Jerryd Bayless, who was recently assigned to the 87ers on a rehab assignment, Noel is not expected to play in any games during his time in Delaware. The big man hopes to return to the Sixers by mid-December.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/29/16

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

10:35pm:

  • The Spurs have recalled Bryn Forbes, Nicolas Laprovittola and Dejounte Murray from their Austin affiliate, the team announced on its website.
  • The Nets have recalled forwards Anthony Bennett and Chris McCullough from their Long Island affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Both started Long Island’s game today and were available for Brooklyn’s game with the Clippers.
  • The Raptors have quickly recalled Caboclo and VanVleet, whose assignments to the D-League were noted below (Twitter link).

2:07pm:

  • After getting a rare shot at playing time for the Raptors on Monday night in the team’s blowout of the 76ers, Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet have been re-assigned to Raptors 905, according to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. As Murphy writes, the schedules for Toronto’s NBA and D-League teams overlap neatly this week, so Caboclo and VanVleet could be up and down a couple more times.
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who received some playing time on the other side of that blowout in Toronto on Monday, has been assigned to the Delaware 87ers in advance of the team’s Tuesday night contest, according to a press release issued by the Sixers. The 2016 first-rounder has appeared in 11 games for Philadelphia so far, and one for Delaware.
  • Former first-round pick Josh Huestis has been re-assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder announced today in a press release. Huestis has appeared in a pair of games for the D-League squad so far, averaging a modest 9.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/22/16

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Sixers have recalled Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot from the D-League, according to a press release issued by the club. The first-round rookie helped the Delaware 87ers get past the Greensboro Swarm on Monday, contributing 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
  • After sending him to the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday, the Jazz have recalled forward Joel Bolomboy from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Bolomboy scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Blue on Monday.
  • The Nets have sent Chris McCullough back to the D-League, the team announced today. McCullough will get a chance to play for the Long Island Nets on Wednesday afternoon, then should be recalled to Brooklyn for the team’s Wednesday night game.