Texas Notes: Nowitzki, Cuban, Parker, J. Johnson
The workplace misconduct scandal surrounding the Mavericks hasn’t changed Dirk Nowitzki‘s plans to play another season, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. As the organization prepares for an independent investigation, Nowitzki said Friday that he still expects to return for a 21st season.
“I signed up last summer for two years,” he told reporters. “I would love to play next year again. But we’ll kind of see how the rest of the season plays out and how I feel in the summer. But as of now, I want to play again next year. I feel OK. I only missed one game. So the body is holding up OK. I only missed one game and that one I could have played, too. Obviously, I didn’t have any major, major issues.”
There’s more new tonight out of Texas:
- Of the possible penalties facing owner Mark Cuban in the wake of the workplace scandal, the NBA isn’t likely to take away the franchise, Sefko adds. That happened to Donald Sterling, who was forced to sell the Clippers in 2014 after several of his racially charged statements became public. Sefko believes it’s more likely Cuban will be suspended or draft picks will be forfeited.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tells Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News that he likes the way veteran point guard Tony Parker has adapted to a reserve role since Dejounte Murray was named the starter last month. Now 35 and in the final year of his contract, Parker has adopted a new routine to keep him ready to come off the bench. “Tony has handled it fantastically well,” Popovich said. “He’s been a really mature, high-character guy. He understands what’s best for a basketball team.”
- Joe Johnson will continue to get playing time in a crowded Rockets rotation, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Johnson logged 22 minutes Friday night in his second game since joining the team and is making a quick impression. “Joe Johnson played really well,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s getting more comfortable, especially in the second half. I’ve known Joe forever and he’s a machine. He just keeps playing, doesn’t get tired, he’s strong, and just really understands his game. If you watch it, he’s really good.” The addition of Johnson may mean a lighter workload for Trevor Ariza, Feigen adds in a separate story. Ariza, who had been averaging 34.8 minutes per night, returned to the lineup Friday after missing nine games with a strained hamstring.
Community Shootaround: Wolves Without Butler
The Timberwolves came out of the All-Star break looking for their first division title and first playoff appearance since the 2003/04 season. But both are in peril after star forward Jimmy Butler tore his right meniscus in Friday’s game at Houston.
Butler has become the team leader after being acquired in a trade with the Bulls last summer. He’s Minnesota’s top scorer at 22.2 points per night as well as its best defender. As Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated notes, the Wolves are the poorest defensive team among the Western Conference contenders even with Butler on the court. Without him, their defensive rating slips to 115.7, which is five points behind the league-worst Suns.
Minnesota entered tonight’s play still atop the Northwest Division with a 36-26 record, but with a very small cushion for a playoff spot. The contenders are tightly packed in the Western Conference, with just three games separating the third-place Spurs and the ninth-place Clippers.
Of course, the Wolves aren’t the only team dealing with a missing star. Last month, the Pelicans lost DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, and this week Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters he’ll be surprised if Kawhi Leonard returns this season because of a lingering quad injury.
Butler reportedly intends to have surgery as soon as possible, although that could change when he gets a second opinion. If he does go through with the operation, he hopes to be back in four to six weeks, and the Wolves’ playoff fate may be decided by then. They have 19 games remaining after tonight, with many against teams that they’ll be battling against for playoff spots.
We want your opinion on Minnesota’s chances. Will young stars like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns step up their games while Butler is out? Or are the Wolves now a long shot to reach the postseason? Jump into the comments section below and tell us what you think.
Celtics Notes: Hayward, Smart, Irving, Baynes
Plans have been delayed for Celtics forward Gordon Hayward to start joining the team on road trips, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. The Celtics want Hayward, who suffered a brutal ankle injury on opening night, to do more conditioning and strength work on an anti-gravity treadmill before clearing him to travel.
“It doesn’t look like it’s any time in the next couple of weeks,” coach Brad Stevens said. “We talked the other day. He’s gonna do another alter-G process or progress starting on Sunday where he goes from 60 percent of his body weight all the way to 100, and then once he gets to 100 — once he can do stuff where he’s running or jumping, then it makes sense to bring him on the road.”
Hayward has said he hasn’t given up hope of playing again before the season ends. However, Stevens reiterated that the plan has always been to bring Hayward on the road for camaraderie and emotional support, rather than as an on-court contributor.
There’s more today out of Boston:
- Marcus Smart feels fortunate that he didn’t put himself out for the rest of the season when he punched a picture frame last month, relays Chris Forsberg of ESPN. Smart was sidelined for 11 games with lacerations on his right hand, but doctors told him a piece of glass barely missed shredding two tendons near the pinky on his shooting hand. A little further over and Smart probably would have needed season-ending surgery. “So, [the doctors said],’You should go play the lotto or something because you missed your tendons,'” Smart said. “They don’t understand it. They don’t really see how. So I thank God for that every day. It could have been worse.”
- Even though he asked to be traded, Kyrie Irving had a lot of adjustments to make when he was sent from Cleveland to Boston over the offseason. “Been a lot of newness, honestly,” he said in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “It’s an adjustment in itself. Being with a totally different group of guys, trying to bridge that gap with our group and trying to be my best self with our group. It’s been awesome. Trying at times, but well worth it.”
- Center Aron Baynes is sitting out another game tonight with a sprained left elbow, the Celtics tweeted. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage, relays Jay King of MassLive. “He’s still sore,” Stevens told reporters. “But he’ll see our team docs and do the MRI thing tomorrow.”
Butler May Have Surgery, Hopes To Return For Playoffs
8:04pm: Butler will get a second opinion on his knee before committing to surgery, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He will see another doctor tomorrow.
FEBRUARY 24, 6:57pm: Jimmy Butler plans to undergo surgery for his torn right meniscus and could be ready to play again in four to six weeks, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. A formal timetable for his return will be set after the operation.
Butler suffered the injury in Friday night’s game in Houston. X-rays came back negative, but an MRI conducted today showed the full scope of the damage. The Timberwolves put out a statement this afternoon calling it a “meniscal injury,” but it was later revealed to be a tear.
Since being acquired from the Bulls in an offseason trade, Butler has played a key role in Minnesota’s rise to the top of the Northwest Division, averaging 22.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while serving as the linchpin of the defense.
There are fewer than seven weeks remaining in the regular season, so Butler could return in time for the playoffs if everything goes well with the operation. Of course, qualifying without Butler won’t be easy. The Wolves, who in a 13-year playoff drought, are in fourth place in the West at 36-26, but are just one game ahead of the ninth-place Clippers in the loss column.
Northwest Notes: Butler, Anthony, Millsap, Jazz
In the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s meniscus injury, the Timberwolves find themselves in a worse position than their Western Conference rivals who have lost star players, writes Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. With the trade deadline already passed, Minnesota has few options to replace Butler if he is sidelined for several weeks or the rest of the season.
The Grizzlies lost Mike Conley early in the season and started pointing toward next year before Christmas arrived. Rudy Gobert of the Jazz and Paul Millsap of the Nuggets both had time to heal before the stretch run. The Pelicans were able to deal for Nikola Mirotic when DeMarcus Cousins got injured. The Spurs have a successful foundation to fall back on without Kawhi Leonard.
None of those benefits are available to the Wolves, who are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Coach Tom Thibodeau has relied heavily on Butler on both ends of the court since acquiring him from the Bulls in an offseason trade. Butler ranks second in the league in minutes per game at 37.1 and is the key to a defense that becomes the NBA’s worst without him on the court.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Some tears can’t be fixed surgically, meaning the meniscus has to be removed, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. That leads to a faster recovery, adds Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), but it has become less popular since Dwyane Wade had it done and blames it for his ongoing knee pain.
- Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony is enjoying himself away from the stress that marked most of his time in New York, relays Tim Keown of ESPN. Anthony’s tenure with the Knicks was marked by disappointing results and a long public feud with team president Phil Jackson. “In New York, there was so much going on with the organization and the city,” Anthony said. “It was very tense up there, and you never really get a chance to have stability there. Here, man, I’m having fun with the game again. The joy of it — that’s what guys know me as: laughing and smiling and enjoying the game. I think over the past couple of years I’ve lost that, and I think guys around the league have seen it.”
- After climbing to sixth in the Western standings, the Nuggets face the challenge of incorporating two injured players back into their rotation, writes Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post. Mason Plumlee returned to the lineup Friday, and Millsap is expected back soon. “It’s just great to have those guys back,” said coach Michael Malone. “We’ll figure out who plays and when they play, but being healthy with 24 games to go [is] a good thing to be.”
- The Jazz, who haven’t hosted an All-Star Game in 25 years, have submitted a formal bid to bring the game to Utah in 2022 or 2023, according to Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News.
Jimmy Butler Suffers Meniscal Injury
4:50pm: The injury is a meniscus tear and Butler is deciding among several options for treatment, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
FEBRUARY 24, 3:47pm: The team has reported that an MRI taken this afternoon revealed a meniscal injury and that more detailed updates as to Butler’s progress will be issued when more information becomes available.
FEBRUARY 23: Jimmy Butler will undergo an MRI on Saturday for a right knee injury that he sustained in the third quarter of the Timberwolves‘ 120-102 loss to the Rockets on Friday, according to the team’s PR department.
Butler underwent X-rays after tonight’s contest, which returned negative, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. There is some optimism out of Butler’s camp that he might have avoided a torn ACL, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets.
With 3:25 left in the third, Butler grabbed an offensive rebound and collapsed to the hardwood after his right knee buckled. Butler was helped off the court by teammates and was not able to put pressure on his injured leg.
Butler, 28, has averaged 22.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 55 games this season. He is shooting the ball at a career-best .476% clip and leads the league with 37.5 minutes per game. He was selected as a 2018 NBA All-Star, but sat out the game to rest.
The severity of Butler’s injury is unclear, but Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis recently suffered a torn ACL as his left knee buckled and forced him to the hardwood in obvious pain.
Needless to say, a season-ending injury to Butler would hamper the Timberwolves’ championship aspirations. Minnesota currently owns fourth place in the Western Conference.
Jazz Give Naz Mitrou-Long Second 10-Day Contract
The Jazz have signed Naz Mitrou-Long to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on its website.
The 24-year-old guard didn’t get any playing time during his first 10-day deal. He appeared in one game and saw one minute of action with Utah on a two-way contract earlier this season. Mitrou-Long has spent most of the year with the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars, where he is averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
When Mitrou-Long’s second 10-day deal expires, the Jazz will either have to release him or sign him for the rest of the season.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/24/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
- The Pacers have assigned rookie Ike Anigbogu to their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced via press release. Anigbogu has appeared in 10 games for Indiana so far this season, averaging 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. He has also appeared in 14 games with the Mad Ants, averaging a modest 6.6 points per contest.
- After being assigned to the G League on Thursday and then recalled for last night’s game against Dallas, Lakers rookie center Thomas Bryant has once again been assigned to the South Bay Lakers for the team’s two contests this weekend, per the team’s official site. Bryant has averaged 19.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 28 contests with South Bay this season.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/17/18 – 2/24/18
Every week, the Hoops Rumors’ writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We asked you to vote on three different Polls:
- Which team will earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference?
- Which team will earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference?
- Will the current favorite, James Harden, take home the 2017/18 MVP?
- As part of our Community Shootaround series, we asked:
- What more, if anything, does the NBA need to do revamp the All-Star Game?
- From a cap flexibility standpoint, what is the best option for the Knicks regarding Joakim Noah?
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding potential buyout targets for the Cavaliers, the future of the Magic, and the Pistons’ potential with both Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin on their roster.
- As part of our Hoops Rumors Glossary series, Luke Adams gave an in-depth analysis of the Gilbert Arenas Provision and Luxury Tax Penalties.
- Luke also explored how much 10-day contracts are worth this season, both in terms of player salaries and cap hits.
- Our latest 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Pelicans.
Five Key Stories: 2/17/18 – 2/24/18
If you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the more noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
Despite being medically cleared to return, Spurs All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard may not play the rest of this season, per head coach Gregg Popovich. Leonard, who missed the first two months of the season with a lingering quad injury, was shut down by the team after appearing in just nine games. As we relayed earlier this season, Leonard’s prolonged absence has caused stress within the Spurs organization, and the deteriorating relationship between the team and its star player could affect his decision when free agency arrives in 2019.
The Mavericks have one of the worst records in the NBA, and with no shot at making the playoffs, owner Mark Cuban has admitted that it would be in the team’s best long-term interest to keep piling up losses this season. Cuban further admitted to telling some of the Dallas players during a recent dinner that losing is the team’s best option. The NBA was none too pleased with Cuban, fining the outspoken owner $600K for his comments.
In even more bad news for what became a terrible week for the Mavericks, the team has hired outside counsel to investigate allegations of a corrosive workplace culture involving misogyny and sexual harassment. Sources have made it clear that Cuban was not involved in any sexual harassment himself, though most believe it hard to imagine that a hands-on owner would be unaware of such issues surrounding his franchise. For what it’s worth, Cuban strongly condemned the situation, calling it “abhorrent.”
A plethora of 10-day contracts were signed this past week, with nine different teams adding to their roster.
- The Magic signed former first-round pick Rashad Vaughn.
- The Knicks signed Troy Williams, who was waived by the Rockets earlier this month.
- The Trail Blazers signed former lottery selection Brandon Rush.
- The Cavaliers signed rookie Marcus Thornton to his first NBA contract.
- The Wizards signed a former player of theirs – point guard Ramon Sessions.
- The Hawks signed rookie and former Maverick Antonius Cleveland.
- The Pelicans signed rookie Walter Lemon Jr.
- The Suns signed Shaquille Harrison – and waived Josh Gray to open a roster spot.
- The Pacers signed G League veteran Trey McKinney-Jones.
The Suns and Mavericks are among the teams viewed as potential offseason suitors for Magic power forward Aaron Gordon. And while both Phoenix and Dallas should have plenty of cap space to make a compelling offer, Gordon will almost certainly be made a restricted free agency by Orlando, meaning they will be able to match any offers.
Here are 10 additional headlines from last week:
- The Hawks and veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova, 30, are nearing an agreement on a buyout.
- The Hall of Fame announced 13 finalists for 2018, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash.
- Lakers newly-acquired big man Channing Frye underwent an appendectomy and will be out for the foreseeable future.
- Brazilian center Tiago Splitter, overcome by hip issues over the last few years, announced his retirement.
- The Hornets and soon-to-be former general manager Rich Cho will officially part ways at the end of this season.
- Despite only being the sixth-seeded team at the time of his injury, Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis believes New Orleans was a legitimate title contender with a healthy DeMarcus Cousins.
- The NBA will return to Seattle for the first time since 2008 when the Kings and Warriors play next preseason at KeyArena.
- While still in its infancy, the NBA has discussed a postseason play-in tournament to determine the bottom two playoff seeds in each conference.
- In addition to the 10-day contracts signed above, the Mavericks are planning to sign Scotty Hopson to a 10-day deal.
- The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Thunder are all keeping an eye on a potential Joakim Noah signing in the event he reaches free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.