Zach Edey

Southwest Notes: Butler, Wembanyama, Edey, Eason

December 5th, 2024 at 7:01pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Mavericks are trending upward despite Luka Doncic missing six of their past nine games due to knee and wrist injuries. Entering Thursday, they’ve won nine of their last 10 games and sit at 14-8, third in the Western Conference after reaching the NBA Finals in the spring.

The Mavs made midseason changes in each year under general manager Nico Harrison, including the deadline-day acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford that helped propel last season’s Finals run. Could they make another splash at the 2025’s deadline? A report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on Monday indicated that there has been “quiet discourse” in league circles about Dallas being a potential landing spot for Heat star Jimmy Butler, a Texas native.

However, Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal is skeptical the Mavericks will complete a trade for Butler this season, largely due to the fact that they’re financially limited during the season.

“You’ve got to look at the money before anything else,” an NBA executive told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Moving that kind of salary midseason is almost impossible for a contender with this CBA. The salary-matching rules are brutal, and unless you’re sending out another massive contract, moving around contracts to fit roster spot limits is tough. For Jimmy, we’re talking about a player making more than Luka and Kyrie (Irving)—it’s tough to see how that adds up.”

On top of that, the Mavericks would have to gut their rotation to make the math work on a potential deal. Butler makes $48.7MM this season. The executive Afseth chatted with suggested a sign-and-trade in the offseason would be the most viable way for Butler to work his way to Dallas, but it still wouldn’t be very viable unless Irving and Butler (both hold player options for next season) sacrificed financially on their next contracts.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Spurs star second-year center Victor Wembanyama suffered a back injury Tuesday against Phoenix, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Wembanyama is dealing with a sore lower left back and will miss Thursday’s game against the Bulls. However, the injury doesn’t seem serious — Orsborn tweets that the Spurs are expected to upgrade Wembanyama to questionable for Friday’s game against Sacramento, though his likelier return date would be on Sunday against New Orleans.
Grizzlies first-round rookie Zach Edey has missed the past eight games for Memphis after suffering an ankle injury. Though he made encouraging progress earlier this week, Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal says Edey’s return will have to wait. The big man practiced with the G League’s Memphis Hustle on Wednesday, but the team didn’t feel he was ready to play afterward. “As he was going through testing it out, we weren’t comfortable where he was at,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’re going to gradually progress him over the next couple of weeks.”
While his team ultimately lost the game, Tari Eason helped the Rockets overcome a season-high 31-point deficit to force overtime with a career-high 27 points on November 2 vs. the Warriors, earning praise from Draymond Green for his performance and his energy. The former LSU forward expressed gratitude for Green’s comments, but offered a simple explanation for his career game against Golden State, according to Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. “I don’t like the Warriors,” Eason said at the time. He expanded on his feelings about the Warriors this week: “They won their first championship when I was 14 years old. I was a fan of another player in the NBA. I kind of grew up hating them. That just carried over. I don’t like them winning. I don’t like the shimmy. I don’t like all that stuff. But they’re a dynasty for a reason. We’ve got to beat them.” Eason and Green will both miss Thursday’s matchup, but they could be back in action when the two teams square off again on Dec. 11.

Southwest Notes: Edey, Smart, Sochan, Rockets

November 29th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies center Zach Edey, who is out for a sixth consecutive game on Friday due to a left ankle sprain, is moving closer to a return, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Head coach Taylor Jenkins addressed the rookie’s status ahead of Friday’s matchup with New Orleans.

“With Zach, I think probably end of the week or middle of next week,” Jenkins said. “We’re starting to get him ramped up a little bit more on the court, so hopefully it’s on the shorter term.”

Jenkins clarified after the game that his reference to the “end of the week or middle of next week” was about Edey’s ramp-up process rather than his projected return date (Twitter link via Cole).

The Grizzlies are back in action on Sunday vs. Indiana before heading on the road to face Dallas on Tuesday and then returning home to host Sacramento next Thursday. Based on Jenkins’ comments, it sounds like could make it back by the end of that stretch if all goes well with his ramp-up.

This year’s No. 9 overall pick had been playing some of his best basketball prior to the injury. In his last four full games before getting hurt, he averaged 13.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game off the bench, with a .581/.800/.923 shooting line and a +26.6 net rating.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Marcus Smart had his best game of the season – and one of his best outings since joining the Grizzlies – on Wednesday vs. Detroit, racking up 25 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals in just 20 minutes of action. As Cole details in a separate story for The Memphis Commercial Appeal, injuries have limited Smart to just 30 total appearances since he arrived in Memphis, but Wednesday’s performance was a reminder of why the Grizzlies traded for him and what he can bring to the team.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan participated in 5-on-5 work on Friday, another sign that he’s close to returning from the thumb surgery that has sidelined him since November 4, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I think we’re going to have our full team finally in (Sacramento on Sunday) or at least in Phoenix (on Tuesday), hopefully,” point guard Tre Jones told reporters.
Through 20 games, the Rockets hold a 14-6 record and control the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. With three days off before Sunday’s showdown with the No. 1 Thunder, head coach Ime Udoka spoke about what he’s liked from his team so far this season and areas where he still sees room for improvement. “Offensively, I think we’re doing a great job on the glass. We wanted to be No. 1 at that,” Udoka said, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I think our pace can improve and it has. It was a little slow early. The shooting, we wanted to become a better shooting team, and we’d have some more wins now due to that. But nobody tries to miss shots on purpose. Guys take the right ones, and we can live with the result.”

Grizzlies Notes: Edey, Williams, Injuries, Draymond, Jenkins

November 20th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

A left ankle sprain forced Grizzlies center Zach Edey to the inactive list for Tuesday’s game against Denver and will keep him sidelined for more time beyond that. Speaking to reporters ahead of Tuesday’s contest, head coach Taylor Jenkins said that Edey would be considered “week-to-week” as a result of his ankle injury (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

That’s a somewhat vague timeline, but it suggests Edey will miss at least Wednesday’s game vs. Philadelphia and Saturday’s matchup with the Bulls. Memphis will be in action on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday next week, so we’ll see if the rookie big man is able to make it back for any of those contests.

Here’s more out of Memphis:

In just his third game back after missing the start of the season due to a left tibial stress reaction, Grizzlies wing Vince Williams exited Tuesday’s loss in the second quarter due to a right ankle injury, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It’s not yet clear if the injury will cause Williams to miss additional games, but I’d be a little surprised if he suits up for Wednesday’s contest vs. the Sixers.
Injuries to Edey, Williams, and star point guard Ja Morant have been setbacks for a Grizzlies team that was finally on the verge of getting healthier, but Memphis players remain confident in their ability to withstand the plague of injuries and remain firmly in the playoff mix, Cole writes for The Commercial Appeal. “I feel like that’s been one of our stronger assets to our group — just staying together and weathering the storm,” Desmond Bane said. “And they will be back. It takes time. … When they’re back, everything gonna be clicking.”
Scotty Pippen Jr. added that he believes the Grizzlies’ unfortunate run of injuries since the start of the 2023/24 season has just been a matter of bad luck. “I have been other places before, and over here, we are definitely taking care of our bodies,” Pippen said. “The trainers, everyone is on top of it. … A lot of these are just freak injuries. I don’t want to say it’s anything we are doing because everyone is in the weight room and everyone is taking care of their bodies — cold tub, hot tub, all of that.”
In the latest episode of the Draymond Green Show (YouTube link), Warriors forward Draymond Green took aim at the Grizzlies, their head coach, and their rookie center, as Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays. Green referred to Jenkins as “too emotional” and claimed he sets a bad example for his team, criticizing the Grizzlies’ head coach for his post-game comments about a foul Green committed on Edey that was later upgraded to a flagrant 1. “(Jenkins was) crying about a little take foul on the big man (Edey), so what he’s going to do in turn is cry,” Green said. “He’s supposed to protect Ja Morant. You’re setting him up to where Ja Morant’s going to be protecting him. He’s a big man. If (Jenkins) didn’t come out crying for his big man, who then came out crying, he’s big enough to possibly have fooled people that he could be a little tough. And now nobody believes him.”

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.

Southwest Notes: Antetokounmpo, V. Williams, Bane, Edey, Doncic, Pelicans

November 18th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Tristan Tucker

Despite recent reporting indicating that rival scouts and executives view Houston as a favorite to make a big in-season splash, NBA insider Marc Stein writes at Substack that “consistent whispers” around the league point to the Rockets waiting until the offseason to buy more time to see if a big trade target shakes loose.

Houston expressed interest in trading for Kevin Durant this past summer and was immediately rebuffed by Phoenix. According to Stein, similar rumors are starting to percolate about a potential down-the-line Rockets pursuit of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As we’ve relayed, the Bucks aren’t expected to entertain any offers for their franchise legend even amid a 4-9 start to the year. But the Rockets’ treasure chest of draft assets and young players could put them in prime position to be a suitor if Antetokounmpo ever decides to ask out of Milwaukee.

Stein notes that Giannis has an admiration for Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon. Antetokounmpo is selective about who he works out with, but hasn’t been shy about training with Olajuwon, who Steins says would be a strong recruiter in this specific scenario.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After missing the first 12 games of the season for the Grizzlies, rotation wing Vince Williams Jr. made his return on Friday, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes (Subscriber link). In his first two games back with the team, Williams is averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists as part of the rotation. Williams broke out for the Grizzlies last season, starting in 33 games and averaging 10.0 PPG. Meanwhile, Desmond Bane returned from a seven-game absence on Friday, playing off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. He started the team’s next game on Sunday.
Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey exited Sunday’s contest against the Nuggets with an ankle injury and did not return ESPN reports. It’s unclear what the severity of Edey’s injury is, but he left when the Grizzlies were up by 18 points, so there’s a chance he was held out for the rest of the game as a precautionary measure.
Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic continues to be listed as probable on the team’s injury reports, but the type of injury he’s dealing with in recent games has changed. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, Doncic was affected by a left groin strain before that listing was changed to a right knee contusion. When asked about his injury status, Doncic said he feels “a little bit less” than 100% right now. “I mean, it’s probably a matter of time, just, there’s not a lot of time to rest, but I’ll get better. I promise,” Doncic said.
The Pelicans are 2-8 in their last 10 games as injuries continue to mount, with almost every member of their regular rotation suffering some sort of injury. New Orleans’ most recent loss came to former Pelicans player JJ Redick‘s Lakers. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Redick acknowledged that New Orleans’ health issues are preventing them from reaching their potential. Redick played in New Orleans from 2019-21 alongside Brandon Ingram, who finished Saturday’s game with 32 points and eight assists, and Zion Williamson, who missed the matchup with an injury. “With Zion, the biggest thing is him being healthy,” Redick said. “We all want to see Zion perform and play because he’s a special player. I got a chance my second year, before I got traded, to see sort of the version 1.0 of Point Zion. It’s been fun to watch that from afar as he’s gotten opportunities to initiate the offense and be the ball handler in the pick and roll.“

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Christie, Draymond, Waters, Fox, Kings

November 16th, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After losing four of their first five road games of the season, the Lakers were encouraged by their performance on Friday in San Antonio, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Anthony Davis scored 40 points and LeBron James set a personal record with his fourth consecutive triple-double as L.A. pulled out a five-point victory over the Spurs.

“That’s what we want to do,” Davis said. “We want to be just as good of a road team as we are a home team. And we can’t do that if we don’t come out and compete. We’ve been just a different team when we’ve been out on the road. The way we compete, share the ball, play together at home, is totally different than when we get on the other side on the road. So we did that tonight.”

As Woike writes, the play of reserve wing Max Christie was another positive sign for the Lakers. After falling out of the rotation as of late, Christie logged a season-high 30 minutes on Friday with Rui Hachimura out due to a sprained right ankle and was a plus-23 in those minutes, contributing 11 points, three rebounds, and a pair of steals. the 21-year-old said it helped to know that head coach J.J. Redick still had faith in him.

“He has a lot of belief in a lot of us and I think he definitely has a lot of belief in me and I can appreciate that coming from a head coach,” Christie said. “I know you know how I can play and I think tonight was a very good example of that, when I’m just out there playing free, playing the way I know I can play instead of just trying to over-complicate things.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Draymond Green‘s foul on Zach Edey in the third quarter of the Warriors‘ win over the Grizzlies on Friday has been upgraded to a flagrant 1, the league announced today (via Twitter). As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the Grizzlies were upset that the foul wasn’t reviewed at the time after Green appeared to pin Edey’s lower leg to his body using his elbow and forearm, causing the big man to trip (video link). “It definitely wasn’t a basketball play,” Edey said.
Lindy Waters earned his second start of the season for the Warriors on Friday night, but left the game late in the first half and didn’t return after hyperextending his left knee while blocking a shot (video link). Brandin Podziemski started the second half in Waters’ place, notes Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox blew past his previous career high of 44 points by pouring in a franchise-high 60 in a loss to Minnesota on Friday. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee has the story, including quotes from Fox, his teammates, and head coach Mike Brown. “He’s an All-Star and the sky is the limit for him,” Brown said. “He knew we needed help. He put us on his back, and he almost carried us to the finish line, but he did everything in his power to get us there.”
The Kings will be missing a pair of stars on Saturday vs. Utah, as both Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan have been ruled out due to lower back tightness (Twitter link via Anderson). It’s DeRozan’s second consecutive missed game.

Grizzlies Notes: Jackson, Morant, Edey, Bane, Williams

November 15th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning over 50 games in back-to-back seasons, the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries in 2023/24 and finished with a 27-55 record. As demoralizing as that season was, the team was able to find some silver linings. One was the offensive emergence of big man Jaren Jackson Jr., the only starter to remain relatively healthy — his 30.4% usage rate in ’23/24 dwarfed his previous career high.

“It was just a huge opportunity,” Jackson told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I haven’t ever been put in a position to be that offensively free in probably my life. Just getting those experiences, I can take that to any year that I have going forward.”

“Last year was a huge boost in his growth offensively,” head coach Taylor Jenkins added. “It was definitely an unintended opportunity, obviously as unfortunate as last season was, but his development was one of the brightest spots I could see.”

Jackson has carried those offensive strides over to ’24/25, matching his career-high 22.5 points per game through his first 10 outings and scoring much more efficiently (.547 FG%, .392 3PT%) than he did a year ago (.444/.320).

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, meanwhile, served a 25-game suspension to start the season, then was active for just nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that kept him out of action for the next 10 months. Obviously, that wasn’t an ideal outcome for the rising star, but he believes the experience could benefit him in the long run.

“I’d say it was for the better,” Morant said, per MacMahon. “It allowed me to lock in mentally, focus more. I was able to be around my family a lot during my recovery process, being able to travel, feel human again, go to my AAU teams’ games, watch them win, watch the joy that they have being out there playing. It had me itching to get back on the floor.”

Here’s more on the Grizzlies:

Morant is still on crutches and is considered week-to-week as he recovers from a right hip subluxation and pelvic muscle strains, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who spoke to sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon Michael Gerhardt about Morant’s diagnosis and potential recovery timeline. “Based on what the reports are, I’d say it could be anywhere from three-to-six weeks for a return to play,” Gerhardt said, noting that the injury is an uncommon one for basketball players.
Ahead of this year’s draft, some teams didn’t have Zach Edey on their first-round boards, sources tell MacMahon. However, the Grizzlies were happy to select him with the No. 9 overall pick and made him a day-one starter. Edey has come off the bench in Memphis’ past three games, but Jenkins said that move wasn’t meant to be a demotion for the rookie and that it was designed to let the team evaluate different lineup combinations. Mark Medina of Athlon Sports has more on the Grizzlies’ belief in Edey and the early stages of his NBA career.
Vince Williams (left tibial stress reaction), who has yet to make his season debut, isn’t the only injured Grizzlies player who is close to returning. Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) is also listed as questionable to play on Friday in Golden State after missing Memphis’ past seven games, tweets Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com. Both Williams and Bane participated in today’s shootaround and their availability vs. the Warriors will be determined after pregame workouts, Wallace adds.

And-Ones: Trade Possibilities, Contract Decisions, Bell, Johnson, Rookies

November 14th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Several should-be playoff contenders have struggled through the earlier parts of the season, either due to injuries or pieces not fitting together. While in-season moves don’t usually pick up until after the New Year, closer to February’s trade deadline, several teams appear to be scouring the market for help.

The Bucks are chief among those teams, stumbling out to a 4-8 record in the early part of the season. In an Insider-only piece, a group of ESPN writers agree that the Bucks’ most likely course of action is to see if their three-point shooting evens out. Milwaukee doesn’t have much flexibility, but players like Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. are shooting below their typical averages. Waiting it out might be the best and only course of action for now, although Jamal Collier notes that they’ve expressed interest in a defensive wing.

The Heat have several questions about their future after not agreeing to an extension with Jimmy Butler. Butler’s ankle injury has complicated matters further, but Tim Bontemps writes that the Heat aren’t in any rush to make moves. They entered the season wanting to see how their team looked in the first half of the season, and according to Bontemps, that thought process hasn’t changed.

While New Orleans has the flexibility to make a trade, its season is hampered by numerous injuries. Michael C. Wright indicates that the Pelicans seem more likely to stand pat this season and not make major moves since they’ve never paid the luxury tax and don’t seem to be in any rush to do so with a team that sits at 3-9. Brandon Ingram could make some sense as a trade piece, since he was unable to agree to an extension with the Pels before the season, but his trade market would be limited given his unrestricted free agent status at the end of the year.

The Knicks and the Sixers haven’t jumped out to the starts they’ve wanted, but they appear likely to approach that situation in different ways. New York needs frontcourt help, but should get Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson back from injuries at some point this season. After trading for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, a major move doesn’t seem to be in the cards. However, the Sixers – who also need frontcourt size – could dangle KJ Martin‘s $8MM pseudo-expiring deal in any move. They’ve always been aggressive under president Daryl Morey, and that’s not likely to change.

While several teams need help, it seems as though most should-be contenders don’t have many options available to them on the trade market — for now.

We have more from around the basketball world:

In the new CBA landscape, managing finances has been more crucial for NBA teams than ever before. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report breaks down every team’s most pressing upcoming contract decision, including calls the Hawks, Mavericks and Magic must make on stars Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Paolo Banchero, respectively. According to Pincus’s sources, the Suns and Kevin Durant will add two seasons at $123.8MM to his contract next summer. Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas, Miami’s Butler, Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Minnesota’s Julius Randle will be at the center of some of the more interesting decisions explored by Pincus.
The Indiana Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – added Jordan Bell to their roster and waived Tyler Polley, according to a team release (Twitter link). Bell has spent part of the last two seasons with the Mad Ants, averaging 12.1 points in 60 games played. Bell was the 38th overall pick in the 2017 draft, playing the first two seasons of his career with the Warriors and winning a championship with them in 2018. Polley signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers this offseason.
Former NBAer Stanley Johnson may be on his way out of Turkish club Anadolu Efes, according to BasketNews’ Donatas Urbonas. Anadolu Efes was Johnson’s first European team, but he’s been exploring other options amid a potential departure and interest from other European clubs. Johnson, the eighth overall pick in 2015, has 449 games of NBA experience, making 104 starts. He holds career averages of 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in the NBA and has made just six EuroLeague appearances so far, ranking just 11th on his team in minutes played.
A pair of Grizzlies first-year players sit atop The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s first edition of this season’s rookie player rankings. Zach Edey, who is averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and Jaylen Wells, who’s averaging 11.2 PPG on 37.0% three-point shooting, rank first and second in Vecenie’s rankings. The Wizards also have reason for excitement, with three rookies ranking in the top 11. Jared McCain ranks third while No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is No. 6 in the rankings. Undrafted rookie Ajay Mitchell is eighth.

Grizzlies Notes: Huff, Jenkins, Morant, Edey

October 28th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Jay Huff earned his promotion by delivering when called upon, Jenkins said in the pregame press conference on Monday. Huff had his two-way deal converted into a standard four-year contract on Monday.

“He took full advantage of his opportunity. Once he signed here, he was a participant [in the] offseason workouts with his teammates, and then at the start of the season, we learned a lot,” Jenkins said. “Obviously, we had studied him in college and his first couple of years in the NBA, but he’s more dynamic than I remember. The way he can run the floor [and] obviously his shooting has been a great addition to this group, especially at the four or five position. Some versatility there offensively, the principles that we’re talking about, how he moves without the ball. I think he’s picked up on that great.

“… And then defensively, he’s still learning our system, things that we need to do to deploy him. But I think he was Defensive Player of the Year in the G League last year. … This guy has said multiple times that he’ll accept any role, and it’s great to see that he got rewarded for that, because that just adds to the depth that we need for the season.”

We have more on the Grizzlies:

Huff’s contract includes two guaranteed years with partial guarantees for the third season and a fourth-year team option, The Athletic’s John Hollinger tweets. That option would be partially guaranteed if it’s exercised.
Ja Morant missed Monday’s game due to right thigh soreness, the team’s PR department tweets. Morant averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 assists in the first three games after playing just nine times last season due to a suspension and shoulder surgery.
Zach Edey was touted as a potential Rookie of the Year but he’s off to a slow start. Edey is still adjusting to the NBA pace, he told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “We didn’t really get up and down too much at Purdue,” Edey said. “We were more in the half court, slow the pace down. But it’s just basketball. You just have to adjust.”

Southwest Notes: Alvarado, Pelicans, Morant, Edey, Adams, Rockets

October 26th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

With Dejounte Murray sidelined for at least four-to-six weeks, the Pelicans will be counting on recently extended guard Jose Alvarado to move up the depth chart and take on a bigger role this fall, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

“Jose’s gotta step up big time for us,” head coach Willie Green said. “We all love Jose and we know he brings it night in and night out and we know he’s going to step right up to the plate and get it done for us.”

Alvarado played 13 minutes on Friday in New Orleans’ first game without Murray and contributed four assists and three steals, but also went scoreless and committed four turnovers. He’ll likely see more minutes in the days and weeks to come, but the Pelicans leaned more heavily on guards CJ McCollum (40 minutes) and Jordan Hawkins (29 minutes) to complete a comeback win over Portland on Friday.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

After missing most of last season due to a shoulder injury, Ja Morant looks fully healthy this fall, but only played 28 minutes in Wednesday’s opener and 24 on Friday. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins, noting that Morant sat out three of five preseason games, said the team is still getting its star point guard up to full speed during a stretch of six games in nine days, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “We’re working with him and the medical team about how we want to deploy him over this stretch right now,” Jenkins said. “Obviously he was out for a portion of preseason, so getting his game legs and conditioning right.”
At the conclusion of the Grizzlies‘ loss to the Rockets on Friday, rookie Zach Edey met Steven Adams at halfcourt and spent more than two minutes talking to the former Grizzlies center. Edey, referring to the conversation as “big man stuff,” declined to go into specifics after the game, but said he welcomed the opportunity to get some advice from a player whose game he admires. “That’s somebody I’ve been watching for a while,” Edey said, according to Cole. “So everything he’s telling me, I’m listening to.”
The combination of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason on the second unit helped provide the shut-down defense the Rockets needed to pull away from Memphis in the second half of Friday’s game. As Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details, the defensive potential of that Thompson/Eason duo off the bench is something that excites the team. “We always talk about what we can do defensively and how we’re going to be special if we’re locked in,” Eason said. “We just gave each other that look and talked with (head coach) Ime (Udoka) and knew we had to turn it up a notch.” Houston outscored the Grizzlies 25-11 in the 7:20 the two wings played together in the second half.

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