Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, CMB, Alvarado, Clowney, MPJ
Jakob Poeltl doesn’t know the root cause of the back problems that caused him to miss 33 games this season, but the Raptors‘ starting center appears to be at full strength now and is grateful the issue seems to be behind him, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Poeltl is averaging 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals while shooting 70.8% from the field in his last nine appearances (27.9 minutes per game). The 30-year-old logged a season-high 36 minutes in Sunday’s victory over Detroit, finishing with 21 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), 18 rebounds and five assists in a matchup against All-Star Jalen Duren.
“I felt fine, honestly,” said Poeltl, who hadn’t played 36 minutes in a game since Dec. 1, 2024. “Every game’s a little bit different, like you have different energy and stuff. I felt good on Sunday. Felt fine afterwards. Obviously, after a big game, you feel your body aching a little bit, but I think that’s normal for everybody, so I wasn’t too worried.”
Poeltl admits the uncertain nature of his back injury presented several challenges, Grange writes.
“I think the hardest part about it was that there wasn’t a steady timeline,” he said. “With most injuries, you kind of know how long it’s gonna take, and sometimes it takes a bit longer or sometimes it takes a little less time but, generally, you know what the recovery process is.
“But what the time was exactly in this scenario was a big question mark. Like, we almost made up some timelines, kind of hoping that this would be when I would feel better again but, realistically, it wasn’t something that time was just gonna fix. So, I think that was the hardest part.”
Poeltl being healthy has given Toronto a boost at both ends of the court, but he’ll face some difficult matchups over the next few weeks, starting with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic on Friday in Denver, Grange notes.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles won’t play Friday, but he should return from his left thumb sprain in the near future, Grange tweets. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said the rookie forward/center, who has been scrimmaging and doing reconditioning work, is “very close” to playing again. Friday will mark Murray-Boyles’ 10th consecutive absence due to the thumb, which he originally injured in January.
- Regardless of whether he’s playing or not, Jose Alvarado brings consistent energy to the Knicks, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Star point guard Jalen Brunson doesn’t take Alvarado’s impact for granted. “Absolutely, it helps the team no matter what,” Brunson said after practice Thursday. “You kind of wish he was on the court because he’s a little bit quieter than on the bench. He does so much for this team on and off the court. It’s constant energy. Kind of regardless of how he’s playing, he always has the energy. That’s a skill, that’s a skill that makes someone last in the league a long time. It’s great to have him.”
- Nets forward Noah Clowney, who suffered a right wrist sprain in Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City, was out for Friday’s matchup with New York and will likely miss Sunday’s contest at Sacramento as well, head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Fernandez added that Clowney would be reevaluated following Sunday’s game.
- When asked whether Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. could play again this season — he’s out at least two-to-three weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain — Fernandez essentially gave a non-answer, as Lewis relays (via Twitter). “So, two or three weeks and then obviously there’s a ramp up to go back to a competition level,” Fernandez said. “We cannot predict but it’ll be close. So we’re going to go through these two, three weeks, put the work in and then we’ll see where we are.”
Atlantic Notes: Garza, Raptors, Ingram, Sixers
A star at the college level for Iowa, big man Luka Garza was a two-time first-team All-American and was named the AP’s Player of the Year as a senior in 2020/21. However, due to concerns about how his game would translate to the pros, he fell to No. 52 in the 2021 draft and had trouble cracking the Pistons’ and Timberwolves’ rotations during his first four years in the NBA.
Now 27 years old and in his fifth NBA season, Garza is averaging a career-high 15.6 minutes per game through 59 appearances for the 46-23 Celtics, contributing 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per night with a strong shooting line of .569/.436/.770. Speaking to Spencer Davies of RG.org, the veteran forward/center said he had to commit to learning new skills beyond the ones that helped him excel in the NCAA game.
“Every summer, I dedicate myself, and even during the season, to improving myself, especially in the seasons where I didn’t play as much,” Garza told Davies. “That’s my main focus: getting better. I think, especially in the NBA, you’ve got to be able to adapt and change your game or mold it to find a way to have an impact on great teams.
“So for me, that impact is a little different than it was in college. Not playing as much back to the basket, not having the ball in my hands every possession like I did. But I think I’ve found ways to be extremely effective through screening, through offensive rebounding, and through scoring when the ball is in my hands in different moments. Picking and popping, shooting, stretching the floor. Adding the slow step, other stuff into my game has really helped me. And so, yeah, I definitely developed, and I’m a lot better than I was back then.”
The Celtics made Garza a priority in free agency last summer when they traded away Kristaps Porzingis and lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet to rival suitors. He received a guaranteed two-year, minimum-salary contract, meaning he’ll be on a team-friendly $2.8MM cap hit next season before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency again in 2027.
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- While it might not happen right away, the expectation is that the Raptors, who are currently carrying 14 players on standard contracts, will sign a player to a 10-day deal to fill their 15th roster spot before making a rest-of-season commitment to anyone, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
- In his first full season with the Raptors, forward Brandon Ingram has appeared in 66 games and counting, his highest single-season total since his rookie season in 2016/17. While there’s an element of luck involved in Ingram’s availability, he and the Raptors also put a lot of effort into keeping him healthy this year, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca details (Twitter links). “It took a lot of work, a lot of preparation, a lot of dedication from everybody,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “I am super grateful for the group of people we have that care so much, and for BI and the way he has handled the whole process.”
- Tony Jones of The Athletic explores best- and worst-case scenarios for the rest of the Sixers‘ season, noting that – while it’s a long shot – there’s still an outcome in play where they’re eliminated in the play-in tournament and then move into the top four of the draft on lottery night, keeping their protected first-round pick that would otherwise be sent to Oklahoma City.
Atlantic Notes: Murray-Boyles, Nets, Knicks, Edgecombe
Raptors rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles has missed the team’s past eight games due to a sprained left thumb, but his return shouldn’t be far off. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), Murray-Boyles took part in practice on Tuesday, with the club set to assess how he responds to that session before determining whether he’ll be available for Wednesday’s game in Chicago.
Even if Murray-Boyles isn’t cleared to play tomorrow, head coach Darko Rajakovic expects to have him back at some point during the upcoming five-game road trip, which begins on Wednesday and runs through next Wednesday in L.A., tweets Lewenberg.
Murray-Boyles had emerged as a key contributor for Toronto prior to the injury. He has started 18 of his last 19 outings, averaging 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 27.7 minutes per game while shooting 60.3% from the floor during that stretch.
Here are a few more items of interest from across the Atlantic:
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic wonders if this year’s Raptors are the equivalent of last season’s Pistons, a limited offensive team without enough shooting that nonetheless played a scrappy brand of basketball, exceeded expectations, ended a postseason drought, and pushed a higher seed in the first round of the playoffs.
- There are five “touch points” that will determine how quickly the Nets accelerate their rebuild, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post: How their rookies develop, where their lottery pick ends up, the results of the upcoming postseason, whether a star becomes available, and how free agency plays out.
- In a mailbag, Ian Begley of SNY.tv outlines why Knicks head coach Mike Brown is reluctant to make changes to a struggling starting five and notes that Mikal Bridges has played a key role in the club’s defensive turnaround while slumping offensively.
- With Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George all unavailable, the Sixers have won three of their last four games with young role players like VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Justin Edwards leading the way, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones observes, Edgecombe is gaining important reps as Philadelphia’s go-to scorer, which could serve him well down the road. “I was being double-teamed against Brooklyn,” Edgecombe said, referring to Saturday’s game in which he scored 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting. “I had never been doubled in my life. I guess I just have to go back and look at the film.”
And-Ones: Fournier, Mamukelashvili, Queta, NCAA Tourney
Veteran wing NBA Evan Fournier, who currently plays for Olympiacos in Greece after spending 12 seasons in the NBA from 2012-24, said in an interview with L’Equipe that he expects to retire as a player at the end of his current contract, which expires in 2028 (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
Fournier, 33, also indicated that he’d be interested in representing France again at the 2027 World Cup and/or 2028 Olympics if the national team wants him on its roster.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili remains focused on competing in the NBA for the foreseeable future, but he told Ric Bucher of Full Court Passport (YouTube link) that he likes the idea of eventually finishing his career and spending his retirement years in Europe. Specifically, Mamukelashvili is intrigued by the possibility of competing in the NBA’s European league. “The talent will be there, and I think it’s going to compete with college and even the NBA,” the Georgian big man said of NBA Europe, per Eurohoops. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops, and hopefully, down the line, I will have my chance to play over there.”
- Celtics center Neemias Queta, Heat forward Pelle Larsson, and Cavaliers swingman Jaylon Tyson are among the role players highlighted by John Hollinger of The Athletic within a story on the unheralded contributors enjoying breakout seasons.
- Mamukelashvili and Queta are two of several minimum-salary players who should be in line for significant raises on their next contracts, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan, who also examines players like Suns guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, suggests Mamukelashvili could earn a starting salary of $8-10MM on his next deal and speculates that Queta’s floor will be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM+).
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic identifies nine players he’s excited to watch in the NCAA Tournament, including top-five prospects like Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, as well as a few projected to be drafted later in the first round, such as UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Alabama’s Amari Allen.
Luka Doncic, Bam Adebayo Earn Player Of Week Honors
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league office (Twitter links). The awards cover games played from March 9-15.
Doncic led the Lakers to a 3-0 week by averaging 37.3 points, 11.0 assists and 10.3 rebounds per game. He came one assist away from registering three consecutive triple-doubles, had 51 points on Thursday vs. Chicago, and made a last-second basket to defeat Denver in overtime on Saturday.
The selection of Adebayo was a foregone conclusion after his historic 83-point game against the Wizards, which represented the second-highest single-game scoring output in NBA history. Overall, Adebayo averaged 41.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest last week as the Heat won two of three games.
Doncic became the second player to win a third Player of the Week award in 2025/26, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For Adebayo, it’s his second Player of the Week selection this season and the fourth of his career.
Devin Booker (Suns), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Kawhi Leonard (Clippers), Austin Reaves (Lakers) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were the other nominees from the Western Conference. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren (Pistons), Brandon Ingram (Raptors) and Jalen Johnson (Hawks) were the other nominees from the East.
Raptors Notes: Barnes, Ingram, Shead, Murray, More
The Raptors picked up a much-need win over Phoenix on Friday after dropping six of their previous eight games, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Scottie Barnes, who entered Friday with a questionable tag due to an illness, was under the weather but made the biggest play of the game, blocking Jalen Green‘s dunk attempt from behind after Green initially drove past him.
“Got out there. Was a little tired and a little winded,” Barnes said after logging 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in 31 minutes. “Fight through and make it to live another day.”
Toronto was clinging to a four-point lead with 43 seconds remaining at the time, and the block led to a fast-break dunk for RJ Barrett, resulting in a four-point swing. It was the Raptors’ first victory over a team with a winning record since January 25, Grange notes.
“It’s pretty amazing. We hit adversity,” said Barnes. “We had two options, to either quit (or) go out there and fight. This just shows the character of this team. We went out there and fought and got a dub. This was a great game. They had us in that first half. We fought back; we made winning plays.”
Brandon Ingram, who had been in a slump in recently, had a game-high 36 points (on 13-of-20 shooting) while chipping in seven rebounds, three assists and a steal, Grange adds.
“I think it was an urgency to compete and most of all stay together,” Ingram said. “We’ve been through some times where the other team was scoring offensively and we weren’t able to stop the bleeding or find a rhythm on the offensive end. At those times, we would put our heads down a little bit and sort of take it upon ourselves to try to fix it. I think tonight we just stayed connected.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, Friday’s victory was important for a number of reasons. Not only did it improve Toronto’s position in the postseason picture after the team had fallen into play-in territory, but it showed the group wouldn’t just lay down after falling behind. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game he was not happy with how the team responded to an incident involving Dejounte Murray and Jamal Shead near the end of Wednesday’s loss at New Orleans. Murray made a three-pointer to put the Pelicans up 18 points with 1:24 remaining, then stood over Shead, who had stumbled, and taunted him (YouTube link). Only Immanuel Quickley halfheartedly came to Shead’s defense. “I thought that we did not handle the situation the way we want and how we were supposed to,” Rajakovic said. “Our players had conversations with each other. They know that’s not the true picture and image of our team. They all agreed that’s never going to happen again.” Both Koreen and Grange observe that the team quickly rushed to aid Barrett after a flagrant foul by Grayson Allen on Friday.
- For his part, Shead seemed more bemused by Murray than upset, Grange writes. “I think in the moment I was just like, ‘Oh snap, he’s over me.’ That was about it,” Shead said before chipping in six points and eight assists in 25 minutes off the bench against the Suns. “We were really focused on the outcome of the game. We just weren’t happy with that. It got blown out of proportion a bit. We weren’t really focused on that. … I don’t think I responded in any type of way … (but) if it comes up again, I think we’ll respond a little differently.“
- In another story for Sportsnet, Grange details how the bond between Ingram and Shead has been symbolic of the team’s chemistry this season. “I think I’m connected to the underdog’s personality,” Ingram said. “People that bring the energy in the room, that have high character. (Jose) Alvarado’s like that, Jamal’s like that. And he (Shead) loves the game of basketball, like, I feel like he really loves the game of basketball. He has the knowledge, and he wants to get better. He wants to learn. He has an open ear. He listens, but he also responds well, too. So, I think it’s just easy to connect.”
Atlantic Notes: Demin, Sixers, Ingram, Shead
The Nets’ top rookie, Egor Demin, is out for the season due to a left foot injury. Demin didn’t want his first season cut short, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, but the pain he was experiencing in his foot grew progressively worse.
“He’s been a kid that wants to play, wants to be out there, wants to develop — and nothing better than playing real games to get better at this level,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Obviously when you have discomfort and it doesn’t allow you to play at that level, we had to find solutions. We were trying to find the best way. And at the end of the day, the good thing is it’s [a] non-surgical procedure, which is good.”
The expectation is that Demin will be able to avoid surgery as a result of being shut down now.
“Obviously the summer and getting him to work and get better throughout the process and having a summer is important,” Fernandez said. “So, the fact he’s not going to be able to play these 20-some games, it’s not the best, because he wants to and we value real reps. But his health is the number one priority. And we’re very, very optimistic and positive about it.”
Dr. Andrew Brief of the Ridgewood Orthopedic Group said the Nets made the right move.
“He might just have a high pain tolerance. But it seems like an opportune moment for the Brooklyn Nets to shut him down now, given the fact that he’s having symptoms, and he’s had recurrence,” Dr. Brief told Lewis. “It’s probably affecting his play, and the team is not in the situation right now where they’re playing for a playoff spot.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Sixers are already without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. due to injuries for tonight’s game at Detroit. Adem Bona (back) and Johni Broome (knee) are also listed as out and Andre Drummond (back) is listed as questionable, which means the team will be severely depleted up front, Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports tweets.
- Raptors forward Brandon Ingram‘s shortcomings become more apparent when he’s not on the floor with star forward Scottie Barnes, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Ingram’s weaknesses as a top option have surfaced during the team’s recent nose dive. Ingram is a willing passer but not a quick decision-maker, according to Koreen, and he’s been in a shooting slump.
- Raptors guard Jamal Shead showed some signs of breaking out of his offensive slump. He had nine points, three assists and no turnovers in 20 minutes against New Orleans on Wednesday. Prior to that, he was shooting just 20 percent from the floor in the month of March, Michael Grange of Sportsnet notes. Overall, Shead is shooting 36.8 percent from the field and he needs to be more of a scoring threat to be an effective NBA player, Grange contends.
Pelicans Notes: Hot Streak, Murray, Ingram, Tough Stretch
The Pelicans‘ second-half surge continued on Wednesday with a 122-111 win over Toronto. Trey Murphy III had 28 points and Dejounte Murray supplied 27 as New Orleans collected its 22nd victory, surpassing last season’s win total. The Pels have won seven of their last 10 games.
“We’re trying to build winning habits every day on and off the court,” Murray told Les East of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “Every game is a playoff game. There’s nothing like building momentum going into the offseason.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- Murray has reached double-digit points in all seven games he has played since returning from his Achilles injury and has increased his scoring average to 17.6 points per game. “He’s bringing a fire and competitiveness,” Borrego said, per East. “He’s infusing confidence and fight and this group is rallying around that. It’s his shot-making, his defense, his communication, his leadership.”
- In his return to New Orleans, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram had 22 points but didn’t score in the fourth quarter. He said “everybody showed love” in his visit with his new team. Ingram said New Orleans was his home away from home after getting dealt by the Lakers in 2019. “It reminded me of home. I can say this, how ‘ghetto’ it was *laughs*. The slang. Everything. It just reminded me of home,” he told Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link). “When I traveled around town, it reminded me of Kinston (North Carolina). There was connectivity from me walking in different restaurants, the love that we shared. It always felt like home.”
- Wednesday’s contest vs. Toronto began a stretch of nine of 10 games against teams that currently are in the playoffs or at least the play-in tournament, Rod Walker of NOLA.com notes. “It’s a great measuring stick to see where we’re at,” coach James Borrego said. “I think since a little before the All-Star break, we’ve played good basketball. We’ll get tested again here coming up, which is great for us. That’s where you want to be. And we’re going to treat it as such.”
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Fox, Plumlee, Ingram
The Spurs are the hottest team in basketball, thanks in large part to the play of Victor Wembanyama. As San Antonio’s stock has risen, so have the MVP chants for the young Frenchman, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
“Of course it’s one of my goals,” Wembanyama said of being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. “I also understand I need to press down the gas a bit in the last part of the season to win that award.”
Wembanyama has averaged 24.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game this season on .506/.360/.810 shooting splits while playing just 29.3 minutes per game. The Spurs have won 16 of their last 17 games and hold the NBA’s second-best record (48-17).
McDonald notes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic make for some formidable competition for MVP recognition, but Wembanyama’s teammates believe their leader’s case is a strong one.
“We went from not making the playoffs to the second seed,” rookie Dylan Harper said. “There’s not a whole lot to debate.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- De’Aaron Fox is thriving as a play-maker for the Spurs of late, and it’s helping to drive their success, Tom Orsborn writes for the Express-News. “I just want to be at my peak physically and mentally towards the end of the season,” he said. “We’re getting there.” Fox’s coaches and teammates have been more effusive in their praise. Head coach Mitch Johnson said that the star guard had hit another gear, while Wembanyama chalked it up to a higher operating level. “What I see from him is great decision-making and really being at peace with the basketball gods, not forcing things, doing the right play,” Wembanyama said. Fox has had at least 19 points and nine assists in each of San Antonio’s last three games, all wins.
- Johnson values the experience that veteran center Mason Plumlee brings to the Spurs, Orsborn notes (via Twitter). “He was a rookie for (Kevin Garnett) and Paul Pierce in Brooklyn, so there’s quite a bit of experience and stories,” the 39-year-old coach said. “(He’s) played with high-level players and played a few different types of roles and has seen different levels of success.” Plumlee saw his first playing time with San Antonio on Tuesday night, grabbing one rebound in one minute of action as the Spurs took down the Celtics, 125-116.
- Coming into Wednesday, it had been 459 days since Brandon Ingram took the court in New Orleans, Rod Walker of NOLA.com writes, and his time there shouldn’t be undervalued by Pelicans fans, even though he’s now wearing a Raptors jersey. Walker calls Ingram one of the best players to ever play in New Orleans, noting that he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and was named to his first All-Star team as a Pelican. “He shares a lot of relationships here, so it should be a fun game,” interim head coach James Borrego said before the game. “I hope more than anything the city welcomes him back and embraces him. He gave a lot to this city. Blood, sweat, and tears. He was a competitor.”
Checking In On Open Roster Spots
As our tracker shows, the following teams currently have one spot available on their 15-man standard rosters:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors
The Nets have an opening after they decided not to re-sign rookie forward Grant Nelson, whose 10-day contract expired on Sunday night. They’re still operating below the salary cap, so there isn’t anything preventing them from signing another player.
The Warriors and Rockets are operating in luxury tax territory, and while they have plenty of room below their hard caps to add a 15th man, they’re probably not all that eager to increase their projected tax bills by bringing in someone who won’t play at all.
The Magic and Raptors are both operating less than $1MM away from the tax line, but each team has enough room to bring in a minimum-salary veteran on a rest-of-season contract without becoming a taxpayer, so if there’s someone out there they like, they don’t necessarily have to wait.
Toronto is expected to hold off at least a few more days though, in order to avoid a scenario in which the team wins a couple playoff series and Immanuel Quickley’s $500K bonus for making the Eastern Conference Finals pushes the Raptors’ salary over the tax line.
The Kings and Jazz are worth mentioning too. Sacramento’s 15th spot is currently held by Killian Hayes, whose second 10-day contract will expire on Saturday night. Utah, meanwhile, has two players — Mo Bamba and Andersson Garcia — signed to 10-day deals through next week.
Finally, there’s one notable team not mentioned in the list above because they technically have three open 15-man roster spots, not just one. That’s the Celtics. Boston is in the midst of executing an intricately timed plan to meet the NBA’s rules related to roster minimums for the rest of the season while narrowly staying out of the tax.
It’s a safe bet that Boston will stick with just 12 players for the maximum allowable 14 days before making a couple roster additions in mid-March. Current two-way player Max Shulga will likely get a promotion at that time for financial reasons (his rookie minimum salary wouldn’t be subject to “tax variance“). If all goes according to plan, the Celtics will be able to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season without surpassing the tax threshold.