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Giannis Antetokounmpo, Harrison Barnes Named Players Of The Week

November 25th, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference, while Spurs forward Harrison Barnes has won the award in the West, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a perfect 4-0 week from November 18-24, helping the team climb out of the hole it dug itself early in the season. After dropping eight of their first 10 games this fall, the Bucks now rank sixth in the East at 8-9.

The two-time MVP averaged 32.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game in victories over Houston, Chicago, Indiana, and Charlotte. He made 61.2% of his 21.3 field goal attempts per game for the week.

While it was the 24th career Player of the Week award for Antetokounmpo, it’s a first-time honor for Barnes, who has appeared in 928 regular season games since entering the NBA as the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft.

According to the Spurs, Barnes is the first player since the Player of the Week award was introduced in 1979 to earn the first one of his career in his 13th season (or later). Barnes is also the first Spur to be named Player of the Week since DeMar DeRozan in January 2020, per the team.

Barnes’ Spurs went 3-0 this week, registering upset victories over the Thunder on Tuesday and the Warriors on Saturday. The 32-year-old forward played a key role, averaging 22.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .618/.600/.727 shooting line.

The other nominees for the Eastern Conference award were Hornets teammates LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome, Raptors center Jakob Poeltl, and Magic forward Franz Wagner.

In the West, Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Clippers teammates James Harden and Ivica Zubac, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins were also nominated (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Jerome, Ivey, Brown, Bulls

November 25th, 2024 at 2:00pm CST by Rory Maher

It’s still early in the season, but to this point, perhaps no player has boosted his stock ahead of 2025 free agency more than Ty Jerome.

After signing a two-year, minimum-salary deal with the Cavaliers in 2023, Jerome was limited to just two games last season due to an ankle injury. But the 27-year-old guard has had a remarkable start to the ’24/25 campaign, averaging 12.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in just 19.0 minutes per game through 18 outings. He’s posting a ridiculous shooting line of .597/.544/.879, for league-leading true shooting percentage of .736.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, as absurd as it might sound on the surface, considering the Cavs have three former All-Stars and a former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up all playing at a high level, there’s an argument to be made that Jerome has been the team’s early-season MVP, especially from an expectations standpoint. He ranks just 10th on the roster in minutes per game, but he has played exceptionally well when on the court.

Over the past four games alone, Jerome has set new career highs in points (29), field-goals made (10), three-pointers made (seven) and steals (four). He also tied his career-best mark with eight assists. The former Virginia star is averaging 22.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.0 APG and 1.3 SPG on .604/.556/1.000 shooting over that span (27.9 MPG), which is easily the best four-game stretch of his six-year NBA career.

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Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason, certainly isn’t lacking for confidence. The 22-year-old believes that he and Cade Cunningham have a chance to be a world-class backcourt. “The potential is limitless. Cade is an All-Star and will be one of the best players in this league,” Ivey told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “Our ability to share the floor has been special from day one. I believe we have the talent to be one of the best backcourts ever.”
Journeyman center Moses Brown, who signed a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract with Indiana last week amid season-ending Achilles injuries to James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, gave the Pacers a major boost in Sunday’s victory over Washington, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. After Myles Turner picked up a couple of quick fouls in the first quarter, head coach Rick Carlisle put in Brown, who responded by scoring Indiana’s first eight points. He finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, four rebounds and a block in 12-plus minutes. “He’s gotta rebound, run, be a great screen setter, roller and execute coverages to the best of his availability,” Carlisle said. “We play a different defensive system than he’s played in the past but he’s working at adapting. He’s a great kid. He really appreciates this opportunity. This was heart-warming to see.”
Are fans losing interest in the Bulls‘ new up-tempo playing style, which has seen the team give up at least 135 points in four of their last 10 games? Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune ponders that question, noting that the coaching staff and players are preaching patience despite acknowledging a slim margin for error defensively.

Cavaliers Notes: 15-0 Start, Jerome, Defense, Atkinson

November 18th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers joined illustrious company after defeating Charlotte on Sunday, becoming just the fourth team in NBA history to open a season with 15 consecutive victories, per Jenna West and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The other three teams were the Washington Capitols (15-0 in 1948/49), the Rockets (15-0 in ’93/94), and the Warriors (24-0 in ’15/16).

Darius Garland (25 points, 12 assists, five rebounds), Ty Jerome (24 points, eight assists), Evan Mobley (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Jarrett Allen (21 points, 15 rebounds) led a balanced attack for Cleveland, which won by 14 points despite playing without star guard Donovan Mitchell, who was resting. As Lloyd notes, the Cavs have the best offensive rating in the league, having scored at least 130 points six times, which is a franchise record; they nearly accomplished the feat again on Sunday, finishing with 128.

The Cavs will face their biggest test of the season on Tuesday in Boston against the defending champion Celtics, who are 11-3, good for second place in the East.

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Head coach Kenny Atkinson complimented Jerome following Sunday’s game, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “He’s one of our best players right now,” Atkinson said. “It’s always nice having another ball-handler out there so D.G. doesn’t get worn out.” For his part, Jerome said the victory was a byproduct of the team’s depth. “Just a deep, complete team,” Jerome said. “Kenny said after the game, ‘We go one through 18 and we’re 18 deep.’ Something we pride ourselves on.” The 27-year-old guard, who was limited to just two games last season due to an ankle injury, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
While their 15-0 start has been remarkable, Atkinson said he’s unhappy with how the defense has performed of late, according to Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavs gave up 73 points in the first half — and 126 overall — in Friday’s victory over Chicago, then 114 to Charlotte on Sunday.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN takes an in-depth look at how the Cavs’ offseason plans have paid off in a major way to open ’24/25. Atkinson, who was hired in late June to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, has implemented several changes, particularly on the offensive end, and has “total buy-in” from the team’s star players, Windhorst writes. “This is rare,” Atkinson said. “We just have this incredible chemistry and an incredible understanding and respect for one another. It’s beautiful to watch.”

And-Ones: TNT Lawsuit, Diamond Sports, Handy, Johnson, More

November 15th, 2024 at 11:12am CST by Luke Adams

Rumors began to circulate on Wednesday that the NBA and TNT Sports have opened settlement talks in an attempt to resolve the lawsuit Warner Bros. Discovery filed against the NBA earlier this year, according to Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports.

“I know [both sides] want to solve this,” one source told Front Office Sports.

“It has to be soon,” another source said. “They don’t want to let it drag on.”

Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT’s parent company, sued the NBA after the league refused to recognize its matching rights and argued that TNT’s offer didn’t match the specific terms of the league’s deal with Amazon Prime. A settlement has always been considered the most likely outcome, since neither the NBA nor TNT is believed to be seeking a lengthy trial process that results in confidential details becoming public.

As McCarthy and Perez note, settlements are typically financial, but it’s not out of the question that the league could award TNT a smaller broadcast rights package after leaving the network out of its latest round of media rights deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon.

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Diamond Sports Group, the parent company of the FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports), will emerge from bankruptcy following a federal judge’s ruling on Thursday, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. Viewers will have the option of subscribing on a season-long, monthly, or per-game basis to their local Diamond Sports network to watch NBA broadcasts, per The Associated Press. Diamond, which broadcasts games for 13 NBA teams, will also offer subscriptions through Amazon Prime Video, though the exact details of that arrangement have yet to be announced, Drellich adds.
Phil Handy, a veteran NBA assistant coach who won titles with the Lakers, Raptors, and Cavaliers, will be the head coach of a team in Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 professional women’s basketball league debuting in January, says Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Handy became a coaching free agent in the spring when the Lakers fired all of their assistants after letting go of head coach Darvin Ham. Handy is one of six Unrivaled head coaches announced on Friday by the league (Twitter link).
In the wake of rumors that Anadolu Efes wing Stanley Johnson is exploring other professional options, the former NBA lottery pick stated on Twitter that he’s “very happy” with Efes and doesn’t plan on leaving the Istanbul-based club anytime soon. Johnson has had a very modest role in EuroLeague competition so far, averaging just 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game across seven outings.
John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a closer look at 10 relatively unheralded role players who have gotten off to strong starts this season, including Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Grizzlies big man Jay Huff, and Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome, among others.

Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Dosunmu, Bulls

November 2nd, 2024 at 8:32am CST by Tristan Tucker

While searching for a new head coach this offseason, the Cavaliers sent out a request for all candidates to come prepared with an outline for Evan Mobley‘s future, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Now-head coach Kenny Atkinson presented a plan for how Mobley could continue building his relationship with Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and space the floor despite not being a traditional shooter, like Draymond Green in Golden State.

“[Atkinson]’s just empowering me, like, ‘You gotta go and attack. Look to score for us,’” Mobley said. “And he does that with everybody. If someone is open on the wing and they pass up a shot, shoot it. That’s his whole philosophy.”

The Cavaliers have big plans for Mobley, including turning him into more of an offensive hub. The team wants him to score more in transition and believes he’ll be even more of a passing threat if teams think he’s looking to score at all times.

Atkinson’s vision is paying off in the early going for Mobley, who spent the offseason building bulk and muscle, according to Katz. He’s bringing up the ball at a career-high rate and his 18.3 points per game would also be a career high if it holds through the season.

“[Mobley] more so has a more a ‘f— you’ attitude this year,” teammate Tristan Thompson said. “I think this summer was good for him developing. Like, he knows he’s that guy. I think sometimes you gotta have that arrogant confidence in yourself. Before, he was kinda playing timid. … But now it’s more like, he knows he’s a f—ing problem.”

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Mobley isn’t the only Cavalier enjoying early-season success, with the team as a whole out to a 6-0 start. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst write in an Insider-only story, the Mobley-Donovan Mitchell duo is the team’s most used two-man grouping, a change from last season that’s paying dividends. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor (subscription required), the team’s +102 point differential through six games is the best in franchise history. In a separate subscriber-only story, Fedor writes that depth is helping drive Cleveland’s hot start, with players like Ty Jerome standing out at the back end of the rotation.
In the same ESPN+ story, Bontemps and Windhorst explore Pacers‘ star Tyrese Haliburton‘s slow start to the season and where the Bucks can go from here after a disappointing 1-4 start.
Ayo Dosunmu‘s role with the Bulls has fluctuated since he entered the league, as he has spent time as a starter and filling more of a sixth man role. Through six games this season, Dosunmu has yet to make a start. However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, Dosunmu doesn’t care whether he starts or not. “I believe I’m a starting-caliber player in this league,” Dosunmu said. “[Bulls coach Billy Donovan] does also. But whatever it may be to help the team win, that’s the route I go.“
The Bulls are off to a resilient start to the season, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes. They’ve orchestrated two 20-point comebacks in their 3-3 start to the season. “We know who we are,” forward Patrick Williams said. “We’ve got a bunch of competitors in this locker room, a lot of guys that don’t want to lose and love to win. I think that shows through the way that we play. We’ve got to get back to the drawing board on why we’re getting in these deficits in the first place. Against the best teams, you can’t come back from 20 down.“

Central Notes: Rondo, Tyson, Okoro, Jerome, Duren, White

October 3rd, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Tristan Tucker

When Rajon Rondo got married this summer, his first NBA coach Doc Rivers was one of the attendees, Baxter Holmes of ESPN writes. Rivers motivated and encouraged Rondo to get into the coaching sphere this season.

That’s exactly what Rondo is doing, as he’s serving as a guest coach for the Bucks during training camp. According to Holmes, Rondo will remain with the Bucks through the rest of the season in an unspecified role. Rondo has said he “absolutely” hopes to be a head coach some day.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into coaching,” Rondo said. “You just can’t say, I’m going to be a coach, and then everything works out and that’s how it happens. So certain personalities have to mesh, [and there’s] a lot of sacrifice. There are certain things that I’m learning. The morning meetings, the amount of hours you’re spending watching film, it’s a lot.”

Rondo declined to say whether he received any other offers from teams. However, it was reported in June that he was high on the list of preferred staff members for new Lakers coach J.J. Redick.

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Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson — the No. 20 overall pick this year — is making a strong first impression in training camp so far, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Our rook has impressed me,” Max Strus said. “He plays basketball the right way. He’s mature in the way he carries himself. He’s not out here asking for the ball or trying to do too much. He’s just trying to get in where he fits in. As a rookie, that’s not easy to do always. It’s impressive to see that. It’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.” All three Cavs players who were asked for their immediate standout named Tyson, who has shown a little bit of everything, including rebounding, defense, and shooting. While Cleveland has a deep rotation, there’s a chance Tyson will make an impact right away.
Isaac Okoro admitted that he considered taking the Cavaliers‘ one-year, $11.8MM qualifying offer in order to hit unrestricted free agency next year. He eventually signed a three-year contract that includes $33MM in guaranteed money. “In my head I was like, ‘Nah, I think Cleveland wants me and I want to be here.’ I wanted to be here,” Okoro said. Fedor writes in a separate piece that head coach Kenny Atkinson is considering an expanded role for Okoro, who will be expected to screen more often and diversify his game.
In the same piece, members of the Cavaliers continue to point to Ty Jerome as a standout player in camp, per Fedor. “Ty has been one of the best players in camp in my opinion,” Darius Garland said. Jerome could be a surprise member of the rotation due to the fact that he was previously coached by Atkinson in Golden State and the front office likes him.
Jalen Duren served as an effective rim-runner and shot-blocker during his first two seasons as a member of the Pistons. However, according to Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press, Detroit is hoping to unlock other aspects of Duren’s game — namely his play-making. He has been working on those skills in camp, and with just three true play-makers on the roster, Duren might be leaned on sooner rather than later. “I think we’re going to let him play with the ball some,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Whether he defensively rebounds the ball and has the ability to bring it up the floor some, whether he catches it on the elbow and we play split action and he can make those reads. So I think just trying to diversify where he touches it, and then we’ll keep building from there.“
DeMar DeRozan left the Bulls for the Kings this offseason, but he’s still giving advice to Most Improved Player runner-up Coby White, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. White is aiming to limit the number of off nights he has as a scorer after breaking through last year. “It’s got to be an every night thing. … I’ve got to build on this,” White said. “That’s what I talked to DeMar a lot about, how he prepares for every moment.“

Cavs’ Ty Jerome Undergoes Surgery On Right Ankle

January 26th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle earlier this week, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). There’s no set recovery timeline for Jerome, according to Fedor, who says the 26-year-old will be out indefinitely.

Jerome signed a two-year, $5MM contract with Cleveland last offseason following a solid season in Golden State. In 45 appearances for the Warriors last season, he averaged 6.9 points and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per night, with a strong shooting line of .488/.389/.927.

The Cavaliers originally envisioned Jerome – a longtime Koby Altman favorite – as a player who could provide depth in the backcourt. After Ricky Rubio announced in August that he was stepping away from the game, the plan was for the newcomer to take over backup point guard duties behind Darius Garland.

Instead, Jerome made just two appearances for the Cavaliers before being sidelined due to a severe high ankle sprain. Reporting near the end of November suggested that Jerome had changed his treatment plan due to frustration about his slow recovery process. A few weeks later, Fedor reported that the guard’s recovery had plateaued and that his lack of progress had “confounded” the team’s medical staff.

According to Fedor, this week’s procedure was completed following recent imaging on that troublesome right ankle at the Cleveland Clinic and is intended to address an impingement in the ankle. There’s optimism that the surgery represents Jerome’s best chance to put the injury behind him and return to action before the end of the season.

With Garland and Jerome injured and the now-retired Rubio no longer on the roster, the Cavaliers have gotten by in recent weeks by having Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert take on more ball-handling responsibilities, with two-way player Craig Porter Jr. providing backup minutes at the point.

Central Notes: Lillard, A. Jackson, Smith, Merrill, Jerome

December 20th, 2023 at 6:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks guard Damian Lillard became the 51st player in NBA history to surpass 20,000 career points in Tuesday’s victory over San Antonio, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. Lillard scored a season-high 40 points, shooting 14-of-22 from the floor, 7-of-12 from long distance, and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.

“I don’t want to fake downplay it like it’s nothing,” Lillard said. “I know it’s a big deal. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s a rare space to be in.”

According to Megargee, Lillard is the eighth active player to reach the milestone, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan and Chris Paul. Lillard, James, Harden and Curry are the only players in league history to record at least 20,000 points, 5,000 assists and 2,000 three-pointers, Megargee adds.

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Rookie Bucks wing Andre Jackson Jr. recently started two games in place of Malik Beasley, who was out with an illness. Beasley reclaimed his starting job on Tuesday, but Jackson will continue to receive rotation minutes, head coach Adrian Griffin told reporters, including Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). “He did a tremendous job the past couple games. … We’re all extremely pleased with his progress so far,” Griffin said as part of a larger quote. Jackson, 22, was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
After missing the past nine games with a left knee bone bruise, Pacers big man Jalen Smith will be active for Wednesday’s contest vs. Charlotte, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Smith had been one of the more productive reserves in the league on a per-minute basis prior to the injury, averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds on .707/.667/.741 shooting through 14 games (15.4 MPG).
Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill hasn’t played much this season, averaging just 8.4 MPG in his 13 appearances prior to Monday’s game. But he was instrumental in the Cavs’ overtime victory over Houston on Monday night, scoring a career-high 19 points while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 24 minutes, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Merrill, whose contract is non-guaranteed, converted 5-of-10 from behind the arc in an expanded role with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out for the next several weeks.
In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, a source tells Fedor that Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome‘s recovery from a high ankle sprain has reached a “plateau,” and his progress (or lack thereof) has “confounded” the team’s medical staff. Jerome, who signed a two-year deal with the Cavs as a free agent over the summer, remains in a walking boot and is out indefinitely, Fedor writes.

Central Notes: Jerome, Pistons, J. Smith, Connaughton, Bulls

November 30th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Frustrated by his slow recovery from a severe right ankle sprain, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome has adjusted his treatment plan in the hopes of accelerating his return to the court, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

As Fedor details, Jerome recently had the ankle immobilized within a cast, which he’ll wear for about a week. The hope is that he’ll be able to resume individual workouts after having the cast removed.

“He is recovering,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Tuesday. “They’re doing different steps with him and trying some new things, different things in order to help him. He’s doing another treatment now and I’ll let the medical staff talk about timeline when they put all that together. He’s trying something different than just the normal rehab.”

Jerome has long been a favorite of Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman, according to Fedor. When he signed a two-year deal with the team this past summer, the plan was for him to be mentored by veteran point guard Ricky Rubio.

Instead, due to Rubio’s absence, Jerome was thrust into the backup point guard role to open the season, then suffered the ankle injury in just his second game as a Cavalier. While it hasn’t been an ideal start to his time in Cleveland, Jerome is trying to look at the bright side, telling Fedor, “Guess it’s better to be injured early rather than late.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Following a team-record 15th consecutive loss on Wednesday, Pistons head coach Monty Williams suggested that “this group struggles with adversity,” which is one reason why the slump has only gotten worse, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic expects lineup changes to be around the corner, with Bojan Bogdanovic likely to start when he makes his season debut — that could happen as soon as this Thursday or Saturday, says Edwards.
Pacers center Jalen Smith‘s leg injury isn’t as serious as the team initially feared, but he has been diagnosed with a left knee bone bruise and a left heel contusion and will miss at least the next two games, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Isaiah Jackson is the leading candidate to take Smith’s spot in the rotation, while two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe is being called up from the G League to provide depth, Dopirak adds.
In an in-depth story for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Owczarski takes a look at the journey Pat Connaughton has taken to secure his place in the NBA as a reliable role player for the Bucks, as well as the work he has done in Milwaukee off the court.
While it’s one thing to be beaten by more talented teams, the slumping Bulls have also had more “low-effort moments” during their recent losing streak, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Central Notes: Bulls, Cavs, Thompson, Pacers

October 17th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The starting lineup has received more attention this fall, but the Bulls are also still determining which players will make up their closing lineup, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. While it seems safe to assume that Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, at least, will be part of those groups, head coach Billy Donovan suggested that different end-of-game scenarios might call for different looks.

“We have a lot of guys that can finish in certain situations,” Donovan said. “Theoretically, you’re up by five points with maybe 20 seconds to go, maybe you decide to go all defense in that situation. The last five minutes of the game, based on who the other team has out there, maybe we feel we have guys that have guarded a guy particularly well. So I do feel we have some versatility certainly defensively, to play a number of guys closing a game.”

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The Cavaliers‘ starting lineup on Monday – in a game its five regular starters sat – could provide a glimpse at what the team’s second unit will look like when the season begins, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Damian Jones made up the team’s replacement starting five, with Georges Niang and Emoni Bates as the first two players off the bench.
Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson, whose defensive ability may earn him a starting job, relishes the idea of becoming the club’s perimeter stopper, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s the most exciting thing for me, that they trust me to go out and guard those guys,” Thompson said after matching up with Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Detroit’s first two preseason games. “I’ve always believed those are the guys I want and now those are the guys who are going to make me better and learn more.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle pushed back on Monday against the idea that his starting lineup is settled, telling reporters that Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin need reps alongside Tyrese Haliburton before any final decisions are made, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton missed the Pacers’ first two preseason games, but looked good as part of the new-look starting five on Monday vs. Atlanta, expressing enthusiasm about the pace that Indiana’s tentative starters can play with. “With Obi and Benn and Bruce, those are guys that can really get up and down the floor,” Haliburton said. “… As long as we get stops and rebound, not many people are going to beat us up and down the floor.”