Derrick Rose Reports To Cavs’ Facility
9:36am: Rose will resume treatment and rehab on his injured left ankle, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. As far as the Cavs are concerned, Rose is back with the team, tweets Wojnarowski.
“This has been a very challenging and difficult time for Derrick,” GM Koby Altman said in a statement. “We will continue to provide him with support and have patience as he re-joins his teammates and works his way back on to the court.”
8:57am: After spending nearly two weeks away from the Cavaliers as part of his “self-imposed exile,” Derrick Rose flew to Cleveland on Monday morning and intends to report to the Cavaliers’ practice facility, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Wojnarowski, Rose is expected to meet with Cavaliers front office officials in order to begin the process of returning to the franchise. While it’s not clear when Rose will get back on the court, the Cavs have a busy week coming up, with four games on tap between now and Saturday, so there should be plenty of opportunities to reintegrate the veteran point guard into the lineup if he’s healthy.
Rose, who sprained his ankle early in November, had grown frustrated a history of injuries that has prevented him from ever capturing his MVP form. The 29-year-old asked Cavs management for some time away from the team to contemplate his basketball future, but has apparently decided that he’s not ready to call it a career quite yet.
It remains to be seen how the Cavs will use Rose when he’s ready to return. The former Bull was the team’s starting point guard earlier in the season, but he wasn’t distributing the ball well (1.7 APG), and Cleveland was just 4-3 in his seven games.
The Cavs, who are currently riding an 11-game winning streak, have gone 12-3 without Rose active this season. Cleveland has had Jose Calderon in its starting lineup for the past seven games, so it’s possible the team won’t want to change what has been working. Additionally, looking beyond just the next couple weeks, Isaiah Thomas figures to assume that starting point guard role once he has fully recovered from his hip injury.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Carter, Randle, Jackson
While 40-year-old veteran Vince Carter was brought to a rebuilding Kings team to provide experience and leadership, he was signed as a player and not a coach for a reason, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes.
That reason, Carter and Kings head coach Dave Joerger agree, is to support the development of the team’s young players on and off the court. Although Carter did miss a handful of games with kidney stones last month, his goal when he’s healthy and active is to teach his teammates to play the right way – by leading by example.
Sure, Jones writes, Carter’s 11.7 minutes per game could go to Kings rookie Justin Jackson or raw sophomore Malachi Richardson, but his presence adds credibility to the organization in transition.
“I think the worst thing you can do is trot five freshmen and sophomores out there together,” Joerger said. “I’ve been told that by many, many people in management, and those who’ve gone through a rebuild. You try to have a nice mix.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers have emerged as a solid defensive force this season and much of that can be attributed to reserve forward Julius Randle. Joey Ramirez of the team’s official site writes that Randle’s versatility on that side of the ball – he’s adept checking everything from perimeter players to big men – can be chalked up to his showing up to training camp in the best shape of his career.
- Rookie Josh Jackson insists that his opting out of a predraft workout with the Celtics was because of a miscommunication between him and his agent and not because he didn’t want to play for a team stacked with veterans at his position, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald writes. “I’m not threatened by anybody, ever. I welcome competition,” the Suns forward said.
- Leave it to Kyrie Irving to understand Devin Booker‘s reality with the Suns. A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston writes that Irving toiled in Cleveland before LeBron James returned much the same way that Booker is in Phoenix. “He already has that mentality of being a killer,” Irving said. “Now it’s just getting pieces around him in order to be at a high level to showcase that.“
Jazz Notes: Mitchell, Gobert, Favors
While Jazz fans watched Gordon Hayward exit for Boston this summer, rookie Donovan Mitchell is doing everything in his power to help them move on, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders writes. Mitchell has not only thrived in his first season but stepped up as an immediate core piece capable of making a serious impact on games.
Over the course of the last 11 games, Mitchell has averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds. That’s been good enough to help the Jazz win seven of those contests and their last five consecutive.
Scotto writes that Michell’s emergence as a building block for the future will help the franchise turn the page from the Gordon Hayward Era.
There’s more from Utah:
- There’s a chance that Jazz center Rudy Gobert will be back in action Monday night, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News reports. Gobert has missed the last 11 games with a knee injury.
- There’s no denying that the Jazz are built around center Rudy Gobert but Derrick Favors has filled in admirably for his injured teammate over the course of the past month. “I just want to basically come out and show everybody that I’m back. I’m 100 percent now,” Favors told Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News. The 26-year-old former third-overall pick (and pending free agent) was once regarded as part of Utah’s future core but he has failed to stay consistently healthy throughout his seven-year career.
- Several members in the Jazz organization had a feeling that Gordon Hayward wouldn’t be returning to the squad via free agency last summer. As Zach Lowe of ESPN details, center Rudy Gobert took notice when Hayward uncharacteristically stopped responding to text messages prior to his final decision.
Atlantic Notes: Tatum, Embiid, Hardaway Jr.
The Celtics acquired one of the league’s top clutch performers in Kyrie Irving last summer but they also got their hands on another reliable late-game closer. Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes that, just one and a half months into his NBA career, Jayson Tatum is in good company among the NBA’s leaders in fourth-quarter production.
To be more specific, Tatum – the 19-year-old out of Duke – averages 4.4 fourth-quarter points this season, trailing only Irving’s 7.0. More impressively, however, Tatum sits ninth in the entire NBA for points in the last five minutes of a close game, posting the highest field-goal percentage of anybody else in the top 20.
“He’s very comfortable. He’s not making a bigger deal than it is,” veteran teammate Al Horford said.”He’s just going out there and playing basketball. He has a lot of confidence. He’ll continue to get better, and he’s been getting better since the first game of the season. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead with him.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Philadelphia basketball scene icon Sonny Hill thinks that Sixers big man Joel Embiid could be the next Wilt Chamberlain, Keith Pompey of The Inquirer writes. “I said to him, you got a chance to be a young Wilt Chamberlain,” the 81-year-old Hill said. “I’ve never ever told that to anybody before. So what he’s doing right now, I kind of saw that before he even got healthy.” Hill is the founder of Philly’s Sonny Hill League and serves as an executive advisor with the team.
- Veteran NBA journeyman (and current Suns forward) Jared Dudley, a Boston College alum, spoke highly of the Celtics‘ culture this weekend. “In this league, it’s tough to have an owner that gives the GM time,” he told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “Once you have that — and you have that here — the next thing is the coach. And even when Brad Stevens came in the league — even when the Celtics weren’t good — his reputation was as a players’ coach, a friendly offense where everyone would be able to have the ball. That’s what you want, even if you’re a role player. I’m a role player, and I want to touch the ball to feel like I’m involved.“
- Count Tim Hardaway Jr. among the Knicks‘ growing list of inactive players. Howie Kussoy of the New York Post writes that the two-guard with a previously undisclosed leg injury joined Kristaps Porzingis on the sidelines on Sunday.
Heat Notes: Waiters, Adebayo, Winslow, Roster, Deadline
Dion Waiters has shown improvements to his game but Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra wants to see his guard take further steps to improve his all-around game, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes.
“I really like the progress he’s making,” Spoelstra said of Waiters. “I know his shooting numbers aren’t showing it right now, not necessarily his turnovers. I think those will come down. I think his shooting percentage will come up because he’s starting to understand different reads, different coverages, the responsibility of having to make plays for our basketball team.”
Waiters, 25, is enjoying another solid season in Miami after he enjoyed a breakout campaign last season. Waiters signed a four-year, $52MM deal to remain with the Heat. While the improvements are noticeable, Spoelstra added that Waiters needs to maintain his focus throughout each game and not lose focus.
“Now, the other side of that is helping him improve all the other 45 minutes of the game offensively, which he is coming a long way,” Spoelstra said.
Below you can read more news out of the Miami Heat organization:
- In his Ask Ira column, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel addressed the Heat’s decision to start both Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow. While neither man is a scoring threat, Spoelstra prefers to replace injured players with “someone who least impacts the overall rotation.” Thus, it allows the Heat to start with one lineup and gradually mix in other players throughout the game.
- In another installment of Ask Ira, Winderman breaks down the Heat roster and examines why it has been difficult for the team to achieve consistency.
- December 15 will be the first day teams can trade players who were signed during this past offseason. While the Heat have not made a December trade in their 30+ years of existence, Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel breaks down the likelihood of Miami swinging a deal and which players could be on the trading block.
Clippers Notes: Paul, Rivers, Rebuild
Chris Paul, who was traded from the Clippers to the Rockets in the offseason, is preparing for his return to Staples Center on Sunday when Houston faces the Lakers. While the atmosphere will be different, with mostly Lakers fans in attendance, Paul is still returning to the city he called home for six seasons.
While Paul plays for a different team, he still keeps in touch with former teammates, particularly Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Sam Amick of USA Today Sports writes. Jordan has been in the news as a possible trade candidate due to the Clippers’ poor play knocking the team out of playoff contention in the Western Conference. Whatever happens with Jordan’s career, Paul is clear that he will remain close friends with 29-year-old center.
“I talk to DJ just about every day,” Paul said to USA TODAY Sports. “(About) everything. Life, hoop, everything. But I talk to him just about every day. Seriously … I always wish (the Clippers) the best, but for me – DeAndre, I talk to DJ literally about every day. And Jasen Powell, who’s the head trainer, I talk to him almost every day too.”
Check out other news surrounding the Clippers below:
- Clippers’ guard Austin Rivers was fined $25,000 for swearing at a fan during the team’s Thursday night loss to the Jazz, the NBA announced on Saturday, per Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
- The MCL injury to Blake Griffin compounded the Clippers’ struggles and it is just the latest string in bad luck for the team, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. Current Timberwolves guard and former Clippers standout Jamal Crawford chalked up the Clippers’ rough stretches to one thing:“It was just sometimes bad timing,” he said. “I remember, just bad timing.”
- After a rash of injuries and poor play, it’s time for the Clippers to start the rebuilding process, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines. Hamilton notes that the Clippers have a $119MM payroll committed and most of the team’s best players are currently injured. If the team wants to clear space and put forth a capable team, now is the time to do it, he adds.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/03/17
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
- The Nets have assigned guard Isaiah Whitehead to their affiliate, the Long Island Nets, the team announced in a press release on Sunday. Whitehead has averaged 6.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.8 APG in eight games with Brooklyn this season.
- The Timberwolves have assigned center Justin Patton to their affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, according to the team’s media relations department (via Twitter). The Timberwolves acquired the draft rights to the 20-year-old Patton in the same deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, but he has yet to play this season due to surgery on his left foot.
- The 76ers have recalled guard Furkan Korkmaz from their affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Korkmaz has appeared in five games for the Sixers this season.
- The Hawks have recalled forward Nicolas Brussino from their affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Brussino has appeared in four games for Atlanta this season.
Weekly Mailbag: 11/27/17 – 12/3/17
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Do you think DeMarcus Cousins will be moved at the trade deadline? — Antonio Sosa
That depends on the Pelicans’ performance between now and the February 8 deadline, which depends heavily on the health of Anthony Davis, who will undergo further examination today for a groin injury. The pairing of Cousins and Davis has been much smoother this season, and the Pelicans have moved into contention for a Western Conference playoff spot with a 12-11 record. Cousins is making a little more than $18MM in the final year of his contract and will be among the top names on the free agent market next summer. He’s putting up typical numbers of 25.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and seems happy in New Orleans. Unless Davis is out for months and the Pelicans’ season falls apart, there’s little reason to expect them to part with Cousins.
What kind of return should Bulls fans expect for Robin Lopez? — Jesse, via Twitter
At 29, Lopez doesn’t fit in with the youth movement in Chicago, and although he might help a contender, he won’t be easy to trade. Lopez has another year left on his contract at more than $14.35MM. If he goes anywhere, it will have to be to a team with no expectations in free agency next year. Chicago wasn’t planning to rebuild so soon when it traded for Lopez in the summer of 2016, and the Bulls may be stuck with him for another year until his expiring contract makes him a more valuable asset.
Did David Fizdale get a raw deal in Memphis, and is it time for the Grizzlies to start rebuilding? — Shane, via Twitter
Fizdale is well regarded around the league and certainly deserved more than 101 games to prove himself as a head coach. However, he did the worst possible thing a coach can do, which is to feud with his star player. Reports out of Memphis say Fizdale and Marc Gasol hadn’t been on good terms for months, and the situation reached a boiling point last week when Gasol was kept on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of a loss. Management will always side with the player making millions over the easily replaceable coach. As far as rebuilding, the Grizzlies have dropped 11 in a row and have the fifth-worst record in the league. It may seem like time to rebuild, but the bulk of their salary is tied up in three players, Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, none of whom will be easy to trade with their enormous contracts.
New York Notes: Jack, Noah, Hollis-Jefferson, Allen
Point guard Jarrett Jack, who was considered a candidate to be waived before the season began, has been an overlooked part of the Knicks‘ resurgence, according to Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. The 13-year veteran has made an impact since signing with New York in September, ranking 16th in the league with 5.9 assists per game and second in assist ratio. He has also brought a passing culture to the Knicks, who rank fifth in the league in assists after finishing 19th last season.
“When I got here I kind of gauged the lineup of the guys I was playing with … [and] it calls for somebody within that five, to kind of be like, ‘Hey man, I can’t try and barge my way into the offense,’” Jack explained. “I’ve got to sacrifice for the betterment of everybody and it’s been productive for us. I’m all good with just setting the table, understanding my role and knowing what’s been great and positive for the team.”
There’s more NBA news from New York City:
- Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek thinks Joakim Noah will benefit from the chance to get some playing time in the G League, Kussoy writes in a separate story. Noah has seen just three minutes of action since returning from a suspension, finding himself fourth in the center rotation. “It’s tough on all of them,” Hornacek said. “Periodically, we want to try to make sure we get them in at some point and get some minutes. It’s hard if you go two months and don’t play. That’s why you saw Jo get some tune-up work with the G-League team.”
- Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson returned to the court Saturday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, but he wasn’t in his customary starting position, notes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Hollis-Jefferson started the first 18 games he played this season, but coach Kenny Atkinson opted to stick with stretch four Trevor Booker. “We talked about it before the game,” Atkinson said. “Trevor had a really great game in Dallas, was feeling good. Rondae’s obviously coming back from an injury, so that was the thinking there.”
- Rookie center Jarrett Allen is still adjusting to life in the NBA, but he is making a strong impression on Atkinson, according to Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily. “I’m happy with how he fits our system, I’m happy with his competitiveness, happy that he gives us a 7-foot rim protector and rim-roller,” Atkinson said. “We’re very good defensively when he’s on the court, the analytics back that up, he’s what he thought.”
Central Notes: Thompson, Wade, Mirotic, LaVine
Along with Derrick Rose‘s reported desire to rejoin the Cavaliers, coach Tyronn Lue will have another lineup decision to make when Tristan Thompson becomes healthy enough to return, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Thompson, who moved into the starting lineup after beginning the season as a reserve, has been sidelined since early November with a strained left calf. He hopes to start playing sometime this week, though probably not in the Cavs’ next game, which is tomorrow.
Cleveland was just 1-4 with Thompson as a starter and has been more successful with a smaller lineup featuring Kevin Love at center. With Jae Crowder joining Love, LeBron James, J.R. Smith and Jose Calderon in the starting five, the Cavaliers, who have won 11 in a row, can put five shooters on the floor together. Lue noted Saturday that the team is 15-3 with Love as the starting center, so Thompson may have to adapt to a reserve role.
There’s more this morning from the Central Division:
- He may be biased, but James is endorsing teammate Dwyane Wade for Sixth Man of the Year, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade signed with the Cavaliers after agreeing to a buyout with the Bulls shortly before training camp. He was a starter for the first three games, but asked to come off the bench and has excelled as the leader of the second unit, averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 assists in 23.5 minutes in the new role. “Team success is always up there with winning an award, that’s just my personal opinion,” James said. “Then the impact you make on that second lineup, or whatever lineup that you’re in.”
- The Bulls will get some much-needed help with the impending return of Nikola Mirotic and Zach LaVine, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Mirotic is expected back this week after healing from facial fractures he suffered during a preseason skirmish with teammate Bobby Portis. Mirotic will likely join Portis as part of the second unit. The team is being more cautious with LaVine, who is recovering from a torn ACL. He is expected to start playing in late December or early January. “You can get excited watching him,” said executive VP John Paxson. “He has moments where his athleticism makes you go, ‘Wow, this would really help us on the court.’ But we have to make sure as he comes back that he’s really good to go. And even then we’re going to be cautious with his minutes.”
- Bulls guard David Nwaba returned Friday, even though he says his sprained right ankle hasn’t fully healed, Johnson relays in a separate story. Nwaba had earned a starting spot before the injury, which sidelined him for nearly all of November. He’ll probably return to a reserve role, especially with LaVine expected back.