Southwest Notes: Rockets, Moore, Bickerstaff
A number of Rockets players have seen new opportunities arise following James Harden‘s hamstring injury, among them journeyman Briante Weber and Houston native Gerald Green, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
The Rockets have opted to slot supersub combo guard Eric Gordon in as the starting two beside Chris Paul, allowing Weber to fill the role of primary backup point guard. Green, similarly, has seen an opening as the team’s backup shooting guard.
Green, a 31-year-old, 11-year veteran, signed with the Rockets in late December while Weber, a two-way signee, has spent the majority of the campaign with Houston’s G League affiliate in Rio Grande Valley.
Including the 27 points he dropped off the bench on Wednesday, Green is averaging 13.8 points per game for the Rockets while Weber has seen his role with the big league club grow considerably since December 22.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans can attribute much of their success this season to the hot hand of seven-year veteran E’Twaun Moore, John Coon of the New Orleans Advocate writes. “He’s a good shooter and he’s had more opportunities than he normally would have during a season,” head coach Alvin Gentry said. “We’ve got two really good big guys in there and they create double-team situations and they’re very unselfish players, so they’re willing passers.“
- While interim Grizzlies head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has embraced some of the team’s young players, the results on the court aren’t all that different than what previous coach David Fizdale was producing. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that the new bench boss remains committed to the team’s process.
- New Rockets owner Tilman Feritta isn’t phased by the team’s recent slide, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. “I’m not worried about [the struggles]“, Fertitta said. “It’s a five-game stretch. Hopefully we have all of our downs now and we have all of our ups later. It’s amazing what injuries have to do with these teams winning and losing, too.”
Pistons Notes: Drummond, 10-Day Contracts, Marjanovic
Sidelined Pistons big man Andre Drummond doesn’t need to be medically cleared to return to the court following a bruised rib injury, it’s simply a matter of where his pain tolerance sits, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.
The Pistons play the Sixers tomorrow – the potential third installment of Drummond’s personal series against Joel Embiid – but there’s no guarantee that Drummond will be a part of it.
“It’s is a pain-tolerance thing. Everybody has had them,” Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said after a Thursday practice that Drummond missed. “It’s hard to breathe and hard to move. Whenever he’s comfortable enough to go, he’ll go. It’s a painful injury, no question.”
In the first four years of his career, Drummond only missed three games total.
There’s more from Detroit:
- Friday marks the first day that NBA teams are permitted to sign players to 10-day contracts and it’s “possible” that the short-staffed Pistons will look to bring in temporary relief, Keith Langlois of the team’s official site tweets.
- He may be the most efficient scorer in NBA history but Boban Marjanovic isn’t a practical option for Stan Van Gundy on a nightly basis when Andre Drummond is healthy. Chris Herring of Five Thirty Eight broke down how the reserve’s game stacks up historically and what’s preventing him from seeing more time on the court when the starter ahead of him is in the lineup.
Sixers Waive Jacob Pullen
The Sixers have released two-way guard Jacob Pullen, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. The point guard had played sparingly for the big league club, seeing NBA action in only three games.
Pullen inked his two-way deal in October and played in 14 games for the franchise’s G League affiliate in Delaware, averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 assists per game in the process.
The 28-year-old’s release will open a roster spot for the Sixers. Currently James McAdoo holds the team’s other two-way slot.
Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Porzingis, Okafor
The Sixers have yet to narrow down a return timeline for rookie Markelle Fultz but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have big plans for him in the future, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
“The design of our team was […] with him in mind and Ben Simmons in mind,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown said, “And then you have a bunch of Danny Greens. You do, you have a bunch of receivers.”
Limited to just four games prior to a mysterious shoulder injury, Fultz didn’t have much time to make a positive impression. While his 6.0 points per game leave much to be desired, Pompey reiterates that the guard was drafted to be a complete offensive weapon for the Sixers.
“I feel like, when you see in doses [Fultz] play, you are reminded of what he was brought in to do,” Brown said. Fultz recently started scrimmaging with the Sixers.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks are embroiled in a tough stretch and much of that may have to do with star forward Kristaps Porzingis wearing down. “I’m tired. I’m so tired right now,” Porzingis told Ian Begley of ESPN after the second game of a back-to-back. “I have one day now to rest my legs and then get back and play better and have more energy and also try and bring the team’s energy up.“
- He may not have broken any records in his Barclays Debut but Jahlil Okafor filled a role admirably for the Nets on Wednesday. “He was solid, understood what we do, what we’re doing,” head coach Kenny Atkinson told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “It’s just going to take him time. He really understood our system, and was in the right place.“
- Notice something different about Knicks sophomore Ron Baker last night? The guard took the floor with a protective mask, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday wrote prior to the contest. The point guard admirably, but unsuccessfully, set out to contest an Anthony Davis dunk on Saturday night and paid the price.
Nerlens Noel On Track For Early February Return?
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle provided an update on Nerlens Noel‘s recovery timetable today, indicating that the big man is two weeks away from stepping up his activity (Twitter link via Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com). According to Carlisle, if Noel doesn’t experience any setbacks, he could get back on the court in early February.
Noel, 23, played a limited role for the Mavericks before going down with a thumb injury in December. In 18 games (six starts), Noel averaged 4.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG in just 12.5 minutes per contest. As such, his return likely won’t have a major on-court impact for the Mavs, who remain out of playoff contention anyway.
Nonetheless, the timing of Noel’s recovery could prove fortuitous for Dallas as the team considers potential trades. This year’s NBA trade deadline is earlier than usual, landing on Thursday, February 8. If Noel’s rehab progresses as hoped, he should be back on the court by that point, boosting his trade value.
While Noel has the ability to veto any trade that involves him, he would likely welcome an opportunity to go a team willing to give him a more consistent rotation role, if not a starting job. Still, it remains to be seen whether any club offers anything of value for the former sixth overall pick. Noel would lose his Bird rights if he’s traded, so potential suitors may simply prefer to pursue him in July, when he’ll reach unrestricted free agency.
George Hill: Season Has Been ‘Frustrating’
A free agent in the summer of 2017, George Hill inked a three-year, $57MM deal with the Kings, the largest contract of his NBA career. However, Hill and the Kings have been a mismatch so far, resulting in a frustrating season for the veteran point guard, as Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee details.
“Very frustrating,” Hill said. “I’ve never been through anything like this, not ever. It’s not what I expected, a little more difficult than I anticipated. I think as a team we all get along. We like being around each other, like doing things together. But we’re still trying to learn each other, and it’s a different style of play. I’ve just got to figure things out.”
Brought in as a veteran mentor for Sacramento’s rookie point guards De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason, Hill has struggled with his role and has seen his production drop off precipitously. After averaging a career-high 16.9 PPG in Utah last season, Hill is scoring just 10.1 PPG this season, along with a modest 2.7 APG.
With Hill set to earn $20MM this season and $19MM next year, his contract won’t be an easy one to move before next month’s trade deadline. Still, the 31-year-old – aware that his stint in Sacramento isn’t playing out like he or the team had hoped – sounds prepared to move on if the Kings go in that direction.
“One thing I’ve learned is that you have to keep your bags packed,” Hill said. “You never know. If it happens, it happens. But I’ve made great relationships in this locker room and with this club. If I leave, I’ll look them in the face, shake their hand and thank them for the opportunity.”
Kyler’s Latest: Lakers, Mavs, Grizzlies, Magic
The Lakers and Mavericks both currently sit comfortably in the lottery, with little chance of making a run at a playoff spot this season. Still, there’s a sense in NBA circles that the two teams could be logical trade partners, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Kyler cautions that there have been zero talks between the Lakers and Mavericks about a potential Luol Deng trade, but he suggests that if any team is willing to roll the dice on Deng and his exorbitant contract, Dallas might be that team. The Mavericks have some expiring contracts that would appeal to L.A., and if the Lakers attached Julius Randle and a future draft pick to Deng, that could pique the Mavs’ interest, Kyler writes.
Of course, within the last month, we’ve heard that the Lakers aren’t interested in parting with future first-round picks in order to move Deng, and a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the club had essentially given up hope of another team taking on the veteran forward’s unwieldy contract. So even if the Mavericks represent the best potential fit, the odds of a deal remain slim.
Kyler’s latest piece for Basketball Insiders includes several other items of interest on a handful of lottery teams, so let’s round up a few highlights…
- The Grizzlies are unlikely to make any franchise-altering moves before next month’s trade deadline, which means Marc Gasol probably isn’t going anywhere. Still, they’re a team worth watching, according to Kyler, who points to Tyreke Evans as a potential Memphis trade candidate.
- The “dream scenario” for the Magic would be to move Bismack Biyombo before the deadline, but they’re highly unlikely to find a taker for that contract. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier may also emerge as trade chips, but Aaron Gordon almost certainly isn’t going anywhere — the “prevailing thought” is that he’ll be retained by Orlando as a restricted free agent this summer, says Kyler.
- The Hawks appear open to listening to inquiries on Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, but their current asking prices are probably too high to work anything out, reports Kyler.
Knicks Considering Trey Burke Call-Up
After briefly joining the Knicks in the fall, veteran guard Trey Burke was waived and landed with New York’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. Now, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, some members of the Knicks’ organization want to bring Burke back to the NBA roster.
Burke, the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, has excelled in the G League so far this season, averaging an impressive 27.3 PPG to go along with 5.4 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.0 SPG. The 25-year-old has also posted a very respectable shooting line of .493/.421/.828.
With the Knicks’ offense struggling a little as of late, there’s some desire in the front office to re-add Burke to the mix, reports Bondy. However, the Knicks would need to clear a spot on their 15-man roster in order to sign the former Michigan star. Jarrett Jack‘s salary remains non-guaranteed and veteran point guard Ramon Sessions could be expendable, but the club may prefer to trade a player to open up a roster spot, Bondy notes.
Since Burke is on a G League contract and not a two-way deal, any NBA team could sign him outright from Westchester, so the Knicks might have to act fast if they want to keep him in the organization. Teams figure to start calling up G League players more frequently this month, with 10-day contracts becoming an option as of Friday and the annual G League Showcase taking place in Mississauga, Ontario next week.
Spurs Tried Hard To Acquire Kyrie Irving
Back when he was on the trade block in July and August, Kyrie Irving reportedly had San Antonio on his list of preferred destinations. And according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs weren’t just a bystander as the Cavaliers were considering their options. The Spurs “tried really, really hard” to land Irving, Woj said on ESPN late last night, per Ramona Shelburne (Twitter link).
Patty Mills, Tony Parker, and Dejounte Murray have handled point guard duties for the Spurs this season, and while they’ve been solid, the team clearly would have received a boost at the position by trading for Irving. However, it’s not clear what sort of package the front office could have put together that would have enticed the Cavs.
Unlike the Celtics, the Spurs weren’t holding any particularly attractive draft assets, since their own future first-round picks are unlikely to land in the lottery. LaMarcus Aldridge, who had yet to sign his new contract extension when Irving was dealt, could have been a trade chip. Danny Green probably would have appealed to Cleveland as well, but if the Cavs wanted to acquire a starting-caliber point guard for Irving, finding a match would have been tricky — Parker is 35 years old, Mills won’t be trade-eligible until January 15, and the 21-year-old Murray isn’t yet ready for a huge role.
While the Spurs’ pursuit of Irving didn’t pan out, Woj’s report on their strong interest in the former Cavs guard is the latest indication that San Antonio continues to explore ways to add star power, particularly at the point guard spot. The Spurs were also frequently linked to Chris Paul last spring before he was traded to Houston.
Clippers Rumors: Williams, Austin Rivers, Doc
Swingman C.J. Williams is nearing the end of his 45-day limit with the Clippers and admits the situation weighs on him, as he told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Williams scored a career-high 18 points on Tuesday in his 37th day with the club. Once he reaches the limit, he’ll either have to spend the rest of the season in the G League or receive a standard contract. The Clippers do have an open roster spot, as Turner notes. “It’s hard not to think about it,” Williams told Turner. “But once the game comes, I’m focused on the game, focused on what I’m doing. I can’t really think about what’s going to happen in the future.”
In other developments involving the team:
- Austin Rivers has missed the last two games with a sore right Achilles tendon. The combo guard is listed as questionable to play on Thursday. The club sent him to another specialist just to make sure the injury is not more serious than the original diagnosis, Turner writes in a separate story. “I know he was working out the last couple of days and had some discomfort. So they’re going to reevaluate his foot again,” coach and father Doc Rivers said. “I think they are going to send him to another guy and see what’s going on.”
- The Clippers have managed to hang around in the playoff race despite injuries to several key players. That’s made this a rewarding season thus far for Doc Rivers. “I just love coaching this team,” he told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. “There are so many reasons we could have thrown in the towel. [Sunday], we had four of our top six scorers out. We have it over and over again and somebody else steps up. This team is a resilient team.”
- Earlier today, we asked you for your predictions on how the rest of the Clippers’ 2017/18 season will play out. Join our discussion right here.