Central Notes: Turner, LaVine, Antetokounmpo
The Pacers will see Myles Turner return to action tonight, Nate McMillan told the media, including the team’s official Twitter account. Turner has missed seven games since suffering a concussion in the team’s season opening victory.
Turner, 21 years old, is the new cornerstone of the Pacers franchise now that Paul George is off with the Thunder. He will, however, be charged with the tough task of sliding into a lineup that has found success playing a faster style of basketball than what he saw over the course of his rookie and sophomore seasons.
Last year Turner averaged 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. If he can return to action alongside his new and familiar Pacers teammates without disrupting the 5-3 squad’s flow, Indiana could be even better than they’ve looked thus far. Turner will come off the bench in his debut.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- After three years with Nike, Bulls guard Zach LaVine has agreed to a four-year, $35MM shoe deal with Adidas, Nick DePaula of ESPN says. The prolific slam dunk contest champion has been sidelined with a torn left ACL since last February.
- It seems that Giannis Antetokounmpo is perfectly comfortable suiting up for a small market team like the Bucks. As Marc Stein of the New York Times writes in a feature dedicated toward the budding superstar, Antetokounmpo doesn’t particularly like flashy cities like L.A. or Miami.
- The Bulls don’t have a set date for when Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis will meet for the first time following their fight, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.
Atlantic Notes: Morris, Porzingis, Holmes
The Celtics will get Marcus Morris back tonight, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston tweets. The 28-year-old forward will make his debut with the franchise after coming over from the Pistons in a trade last summer.
Expect Morris to come off the bench in his Celtics debut with a minute restriction of around 20, Blakely adds in a second tweet.
Last season Morris averaged 14.0 points in 32.5 minutes per game for the Pistons. This year he’ll look to provide toughness and veteran leadership to a Celtics team eager to prove that they’re deep enough across the board to win the Eastern Conference.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Leave it to former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni to understand what current coach Jeff Hornacek is going through as the man on the sidelines under the New York media spotlight. “He’s been around the game forever,” D’Antoni told Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “But you do have to get through the noise. Whether you listen to it or not, I don’t know. Hopefully he doesn’t. The way the team is playing right now, it looks good . . . Just don’t respond and don’t listen to it and if you don’t, you can live a very happy life.“
- The Sixers have plenty of big men but that doesn’t mean head coach Brett Brown isn’t still excited about the return of Richaun Holmes, who has missed the first two weeks of the season with a wrist injury. The center will return to action tonight, Keith Pompey of The Inquirer writes. “His breakaway-like rim-to-rim speed in early offense is A-plus,” Brown said. “There is sort of tenacity and toughness. He wears his heart on his sleeve that I think adds to what we are trying to do anyways. But there’s just a bounce to Richaun Holmes that makes him different.“
- The emergence of Kristaps Porzingis has brought a familiar but rare buzz back to Madison Square Garden. Barbara Barker of Newsday wrote about the excitement that surrounds the Knicks now, for the first time since Linsanity in 2012.
NBA G League Affiliate Players For 2017/18
Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 (plus two two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to their G League squads.
The players have a say in this decision — if they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re under no obligation to become affiliate players. Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system appeals to many of those preseason cuts. Especially since they’ll continue to be NBA free agents while they play in the G League.
There are a few other rules related to G League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a G League team can’t be an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted free agents from the current year are commonly signed and assigned.
Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a G League affiliate, so there are four teams with no place to send affiliate players.
With all that in mind, here are the NBA G League affiliate players to start the 2017/18 season, per the league’s official site:
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers)
Austin Spurs (Spurs)
Canton Charge (Cavaliers)
Delaware 87ers (Sixers)
And-Ones: G League, Draft Lottery, Wiltjer, Davis
The NBA G League season will tip off on Friday night, with a record-setting 26 teams set to compete this year. While that still leaves a handful of NBA clubs without affiliates of their own, G League president Malcolm Turner tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he’s confident the number of teams in the league will increase to 30 within the next couple years.
“It’s not out of the question that we may find ourselves launching another four teams for [the 2018/19 season] to get us to 30. But I think the realistic timeframe is ’19/20,” Turner said. “Washington is already confirmed for ’18/19. It’s been well reported that New Orleans, where they stand in the process. We expect they will announce within the next month or two, and Portland and Denver are also well down the road in the process of doing it as well, and so we’re excited about that.”
Turner is also encouraged by the fact that the average distance between NBA teams and their affiliates has come down significantly in recent years, allowing franchises to make better use of those affiliates. According to Turner, as recently as five years ago, the average distance between an NBA team and its G League affiliate was about 550 miles — now it’s approximately 120 miles.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Rather than holding the 2018 draft lottery in New York next spring, the NBA will have the event take place in Chicago on May 15, followed by the combine – also in Chicago – from May 16-20, the league announced on Thursday.
- Within his latest article for ESPN.com, Zach Lowe wonders if the Magic could be a viable landing spot for Eric Bledsoe, and takes a look at how the Kings‘ veteran free agent acquisitions have underachieved so far.
- Former Rockets forward Kyle Wiltjer signed a one-year deal this week to play with Olympiacos in Greece, as Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net details. Wiltjer was in camp with the Raptors this fall and was set to play for Toronto’s G League team before deciding to head overseas instead.
- Veteran big man Glen Davis, who recently signed a G League contract, wasn’t claimed by a team on waivers and will now enter the available player pool, a source tells Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). G League teams set their opening-night rosters this week and likely aren’t looking to make changes right away, so Davis may have to be patient as he waits for an opportunity.
SVG: Pistons Not Trading Jackson For Bledsoe
After trade rumors surrounding Eric Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson swirled on Thursday, Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy once again assured his starting point guard that no deal is in the works, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News details.
“It was crazy yesterday,” Van Gundy said on Friday. “I left practice yesterday and there’s a rumor out on Reggie and Bledsoe so I had to get home and call Reggie and say we’re not trading you for Bledsoe. I don’t usually address all of them, but it’s early in the (season). You can’t address all of them at the trade deadline, but I felt the need to address this.”
Van Gundy acknowledged that Pistons general manager Jeff Bower is active when it comes to reaching out about trade possibilities and doing his due diligence. However, SVG confirmed that a rumored deal involving the Pistons, Suns, and Pelicans – described yesterday as “dead’ – doesn’t have legs. The hypothetical three-team swap would have seen the Pistons give up Jackson and a first-round pick in exchange for Bledsoe.
For the Pistons, it’s a situation eerily reminiscent of one that took place last January. At that time, reports linked the Pistons and Jackson to a possible Ricky Rubio trade, and Van Gundy publicly denied that such a deal would happen. He was right about that, and there’s no reason to believe he’s misleading reporters and fans about the possibility of a Bledsoe deal either.
Still, the fact that Van Gundy keeps having to come out and shoot down reports involving Jackson suggests that the Pistons continue to explore possible point guard deals, even with the 27-year-old off to a strong start this season. For his part, Jackson says he’s not worried about his name popping up in trade rumors once again.
“I don’t pay attention and really don’t care (about rumors),” Jackson said. “I’m still in Detroit and still here to compete and make my team the best it can be. If something else happens, it happens. That’s not something I’m concerned about.”
Fantasy Hoops: Simmons, Dunn, Irving
Jonathon Simmons took an unconventional path to the NBA, grinding through the G League before landing a deal with the Spurs. Simmons enjoyed success in San Antonio, thriving as both a complementary piece and as a top dog when stepping up for the team during Kawhi Leonard‘s absence in last season’s playoffs.
The fit and versatility led many to believe the at-the-time restricted free agent would be part of the organization’s long-term future. However, the Spurs surprisingly allowed Simmons to become an unrestricted free agent and the Texas native inked a three year, $20MM deal with Orlando.
The Magic are one of the league’s top early-season surprises, powered by a change in offensive strategy and a Simmons-led second-unit. The team ranks third in the league in pace, adding nearly six possessions per game over their 2016/17 totals, and Simmons’ slice of the offense has made him a fantasy darling.
He’s a contributor in many categories, scoring 15.8 points per game while shooting 52.4% from the field. He’s chipping in 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and nearly a steal per contest. He owns the highest usage rate among those in the team’s rotation and coach Frank Vogel’s confidence in him suggests his role is not in question.
“He has earned the trust. You know, when we put the ball in his hands, typically, he makes good things happen,” Vogel said of the team’s top offseason signee.
Simmons is owned in 34% of ESPN leagues, a figure that should be much higher. Check your waiver wire and scoop him up if your league-mates have been neglecting this fantasy asset.
Here’s more fantasy notes and analysis from around the league:
- While the Jimmy Butler trade initially appeared to be a lopsided transaction, Kris Dunn‘s progress will go a long way toward overturning that notion. Dunn sat out the Bulls‘ first four games with an injured finger, but he showed promised over Chicago’s last two outings, accumulating a total of 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists over 52 minutes of action. The starting point guard spot in the Windy City is up for grabs and Dunn’s potential to take the reins makes him worthy of a speculative add.
- Dennis Smith Jr. has the talent to compete for the Rookie of the Year award, as I detailed in a piece for NBAMath, but he’s not cutting it from a fantasy standpoint. The Mavericks point guard scoring just 12.3 points per game on 39.8% shooting and savvy owners should take advantage of his hype by dealing him for a more useful fantasy player.
- Considering Kyrie Irving in daily fantasy against the Thunder tonight? Look for another option. OKC has suffocated opposing point guards this season, allowing the second-fewest points and the fifth-lowest field goal percentage to opposing floor generals. The team also ranks fourth in turnovers forced and sits in the bottom third in rebounds and assists allowed to the position. Irving’s stats at the end of the night will look fine, but they likely won’t be worth his high price point in daily.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Statistics are current through Friday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Al-Farouq Aminu Expected To Miss 2-3 Weeks
Al-Farouq Aminu, the Trail Blazers’ starting small forward, will be sidelined for the next two or three weeks due to a sprained right ankle, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. The club has confirmed the diagnosis and the timeline.
Aminu, 27, had been off to a solid start this season, averaging 9.4 PPG and a career-high 8.1 RPG through eight games. He was also knocking down three-pointers at a career-high rate, making 1.6 per game with a .433 3PT%.
“It’s tough,” Damian Lillard said of his teammate on Thursday. “Chief (Aminu) is a huge part of our team. He does a lot of things that might not get mentioned all the time, might not show up on the stat sheet, but he’s as big a part of our team as just about anybody. Whatever the situation might be somebody’s going to have to step up and we’re going to have to figure out a way to get some wins.”
While Aminu will be sidelined until later in November, the Blazers did get another injured power forward, Noah Vonleh, back this week. Vonleh shifted into the starting lineup for Portland on Thursday in what was just his second game of the season.
Rookies Caleb Swanigan and Zach Collins also could see a bump in playing time during Aminu’s absence, while Maurice Harkless may see more minutes at power forward, Richman writes.
2018 NBA Free Agent Power Rankings 2.0
We’re still nearly eight months away from the start of the NBA’s 2018 free agent period, but next year’s free agent class has taken a significant hit within the last month or so.
Since we published our initial 2018 free agent power rankings in mid-September, several top free-agents-to-be have signed contract extensions, with Russell Westbrook, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, and Gary Harris among the players coming off the board. All four of those guys were in our top 10 last time around.
As such, the newest installment of our free agent power rankings for 2018 will look a little different, and not just because the players who inked extensions are no longer on our list. Early-season performances and injuries will play a role in our rankings, and we’re making a couple extra players eligible for the list this time around.
One is Nikola Jokic, who has a $1.6MM team option for 2018/19. We typically don’t include players with team options or non-guaranteed salaries in our free agent rankings, since their teams are expected to just pick up those options, keeping them off the free agent market. But in the Nuggets’ case, it actually might make sense to turn down Jokic’s option — if they do that, he’ll be a restricted free agent. If they exercise the option, Jokic would be eligible for unrestricted free agency the following year.
The other newly-eligible player on our list is Robert Covington, who technically doesn’t show up yet on our 2018 free agents list. We avoid moving players with non-guaranteed 2017/18 salaries to subsequent free agent lists until their salaries become guaranteed. In Covington’s case though, that’s a mere formality. He’ll become a free agent in ’18 unless the Sixers extend him before then.
As usual, our list reflects each player’s current expected value on the 2018 free agent market, rather than how we think they’ll perform on the court for the 2017/18 season. For instance, an older player like J.J. Redick has solid short-term value, but didn’t make our top 20 because he’s unlikely to sign a huge multiyear deal next summer. In other words, age and long-term value is important.
Without further ado, here’s the second edition of our 2018 free agent power rankings:
- LeBron James, F, Cavaliers, (player option)
- Kevin Durant, F, Warriors (player option)
- Paul George, F, Thunder (player option)
- Nikola Jokic, C, Nuggets (team option; RFA)
- DeMarcus Cousins, C, Pelicans
Although his team is struggling to start the season, James remains a dominant force. Yet he has looked mortal in recent weeks, slowed in the preseason by an ankle injury and unable to will the Cavaliers to wins against opponents they should beat. The door is open for Durant to take over the No. 1 spot at some point during the season, though the distinction between the top two shouldn’t matter much.
Meanwhile, Cousins is off to a monster start in New Orleans, and while I still think George’s two-way ability and Jokic’s age make them slightly more valuable assets, Cousins may force my hand and make me bump him into the top three if he keeps playing like this (30.1 PPG, 13.0 RPG).
- Chris Paul, G, Rockets
- Aaron Gordon, F, Magic (RFA)
- DeAndre Jordan, C, Clippers (player option)
- Jabari Parker, F, Bucks (RFA)
- Avery Bradley, G, Pistons
Paul slips out of the top five this time around, and is in danger of falling further as the season progresses. If CP3 continues to battle injuries and doesn’t adjust to the Rockets’ pace and style of play as well as the team hopes, it’s hard to imagine him getting a long-term, maximum salary contract next summer at age 33.
I may be overreacting to Gordon’s hot start, but he’s finally locked in at the power forward spot and has looked tremendous so far for Orlando, averaging 20.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG with a .561/.577/.739 shooting line. The former fourth overall pick is only 22 years old, and if he becomes a reliable three-point threat this season, he’s going to be in line for a massive payday in 2018.
Parker’s placement in this list is tricky — the fact that Andrew Wiggins signed a max extension buoyed my confidence in Parker getting a huge contract of his own in July, but that will hinge on him coming back strong from his ACL injury. For now, I’m betting on that happening.
- Robert Covington, F, Sixers
- Clint Capela, C, Rockets (RFA)
- Jusuf Nurkic, C, Trail Blazers (RFA)
- Zach LaVine, G, Bulls (RFA)
- Isaiah Thomas, G, Cavaliers
Covington and Capela are somewhat overlooked on their respective clubs, perhaps dismissed as merely “role players.” But they’re terrific role players. Already a reliable defender, Covington has improved his three-point efficiency in the early going this season, making an impressive 3.4 threes per game at a 48.2% rate. He likely won’t keep up that pace, but three-and-D specialists do very well in free agency and he’s set to get a big raise.
As for Capela, his game isn’t as well-rounded as you might like, and it remains to be seen if he’ll ever be the sort of player who can average 30+ minutes per game. So far in 2017/18 though, the 23-year-old is averaging a double-double (13.3 PPG and 11.4 RPG), providing rim protection (1.6 BPG), and practically never missing a shot (.707 FG%).
Nurkic, LaVine, and Thomas all have the potential to jump into the top 10 by season’s end, but LaVine and Thomas will have to get back on the court and show that they’re fully healthy first. As for Nurkic, he has been plagued by injury issues throughout his career, but his main problem at the moment is that the Blazers have been a much more effective scoring and rebounding team with him off the court this season. Nurkic’s stock will improve as those numbers do.
- Danny Green, G/F, Spurs (player option)
- Elfrid Payton, G, Magic (RFA)
- Rodney Hood, G, Jazz (RFA)
- Carmelo Anthony, F, Thunder (player option)
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, Lakers
Like Covington, Green is playing the three-and-D role to perfection this year. After being named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team last season, Green is knocking down a career-best 43.8% of his three-point attempts in 2017/18. He’ll be 31 next July though, limiting his long-term earning potential.
Payton and Hood beat out the 33-year-old Anthony here due to their youth and their upside, but Carmelo may provide the better return on investment for the next year or two.
As for Caldwell-Pope, he remains a confounding player to evaluate. After an impressive sophomore season in 2014/15, he showed few signs of improving his production during his ages 22 and 23 seasons in Detroit, and his age-24 season in L.A. has been no different to date. KCP is young enough that a breakout could still be coming, but for the time being, it may be hard to justify a substantial long-term investment in him.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Community Shootaround: Early-Season Surprises
The NBA season is just over two weeks old, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t already been a few surprises. From the Magic’s success to the “Greek Freak’s” utter dominance to Ben Simmons‘ channeling of Magic Johnson, there has been no shortage of eyebrow-raising moments in the early going.
- Frank Vogel has the Magic playing well above what anyone expected. ESPN’s preseason power rankings slotted Orlando at 24. To his credit, Vogel has strayed from the physical, grinding style that defined his best Pacers teams in favor of a fast-paced attack predicated on ball movement and good floor spacing. Perhaps that explains Aaron Gordon‘s newfound accuracy from long-range – in his first three NBA seasons, Gordon never cracked 30% from three-point range. This season, he’s hitting over 57% from deep. It is a guarantee that Gordon will regress, but will the same be true of the Magic?
- Giannis Antetokounmpo was a star last season, averaging about 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per contest. But his performance through eight games this season has made those numbers look pedestrian. The “Greek Freak” is leading the league in scoring at 31.3 PPG, pulling down 10.6 RPG and handing out 5.1 APG. His superior athleticism is evident, but his efficiency – he is shooting 60% from the floor – is deadly. If these early season numbers hold, he’s a near lock to earn MVP honors.
- Ben Simmons missed his entire rookie campaign due to injury. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, Simmons obviously had the talent to project greatness, but a year off from basketball can build up rust on even the greatest athlete (see: Jordan, Michael). This makes Simmons’ dominance through eight games a surprise. He is stuffing the stat sheet at 18.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG and 7.9 APG. Lonzo Ball garners a lot of attention for basketball and non-basketball reasons, but Simmons is the one with the dominant game reminiscent of Magic Johnson in style and stature.
We want to know what you think. Which early-season player or team performances have surprised and impressed you? Which are likely to last and which are a flash-in-the-pan? Please share your thoughts in the space below.
Porzingis’ Brother: Knicks Need To Keep KP Happy
The brother of big man Kristaps Porzingis has suggested that the talented Latvian eventually re-signing with the Knicks is not at all a foregone conclusion, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Janis Porzingis, who serves as an agent and mentor for his younger brother, said that the Knicks’ ability to offer the most money and long-term security is of little consequence. He also stated that Kristaps’ decision to skip last season’s exit interview was a calculated one.
“(Skipping the exit interview) wasn’t an emotional decision,” Janis told Latvian publication Sports Avize, as translated by Eurohoops.net. “It wasn’t a spontaneous action. We had been thinking about it for a long time and it was considered an honest, well-thought decision we came up with together.”
Janis went on to lob grenades in the direction of former Knick and current Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony, taking issue with the fact that Melo was seemingly complacent with the Knicks’ lack of direction. And lest the team take solace in the notion that jettisoning Anthony would secure Porzingis’ loyalty, his brother flatly implies that the franchise needs Kristaps more than he needs the Knicks.
“From their point of view, Kristaps is the focal point at the moment so you cannot upset him much or otherwise, at the end of the season, he will say, ‘It’s not so cool here,'” the older Porzingis brother said. “The second question is: Who is the New York audience coming to watch now? To a large extent, it’s Kristaps. So the organization has to take that into account.”
Things could continue to get dicey next summer, with Porzingis eligible for a five-year maximum extension valued somewhere around $150MM. It seems likely the team will offer such an extension, but whether or not it is signed by Porzingis appears far less certain. If his goal is to reach unrestricted free agency as soon as possible, Porzingis could sign his qualifying offer when he becomes an RFA in 2019, then hit the open market as a UFA in 2020.