Wizards Notes: Culture, Bryant, Smith, Mathews
The culture in Washington has changed dramatically from last season and Ish Smith believes the team the Wizards could be on a similar path to the one the Nets are on, as he told Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance after the team’s recent win over the Celtics.
“Brooklyn, I thought, did a great job of it last year. They’ve been doing a great job over the last two years – they haven’t had any true superstars, but now they do,” Smith said. “They’ve just been playing hard and guys have emerged out of nowhere.
“You look at Joe Harris; Joe Harris wasn’t a household name, now he is one. Spencer Dinwiddie, I can go down the line, all of those guys who played really, really well and held down the fort – and they made it to the playoffs last year. Obviously, D’Angelo [Russell] was a household name and everybody knew who he was, but I thought Brooklyn had laid that [foundation] down. We’re just trying to play hard, try to play smarter. We’re embodying who Coach [Scott] Brooks is. Coach Brooks is a fighter and that’s who he was his whole career. I think we’re doing a great job of doing that these last few games.”
The Wizards have had a stockpile of injuries and players without much brand recognition have stepped up. Here’s more on the unique squad out of Washington:
- The front office would like to promote Anzejs Pasecniks, who is on a two-way deal, to the 15-man roster, though good luck guessing which player would be waived if that happens. Gary Payton II‘s contract for the season became fully guaranteed on Tuesday, which makes the Wizards roster 15-for-15 in guaranteed contracts.
- Thomas Bryant could make his return to the court this weekend. The Wizards play the Hawks on Friday and the Jazz on Sunday.
- Wizards guard Jordan McRae spoke about how Smith, has impacted the club “Ish [Smith] is doing what Ish does. We’ve been going through droughts where we can’t score. Him being the point guard, him being the leader that he is, he’s taken it upon himself,” McRae said. We recently detailed how Smith is channeling his inner Steve Nash for the Wizards.
- Brook said there is no update on Garrison Mathews, who is dealing with an ankle sprain, Fred Katz of The Athletic relays on Twitter.
Pacific Notes: Dedmon, Giles, AD, Kerr, Clippers
Kings head coach Luke Walton said earlier this week that making Dewayne Dedmon inactive for three consecutive games wasn’t related to the big man’s desire to be traded and wouldn’t necessarily be permanent, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. Sure enough, an injury to Richaun Holmes gave Dedmon an opportunity to get back on the court on Tuesday.
In fact, Holmes’ absence paved the way for two big men who had been out of the rotation earlier in the season to play significant roles. Harry Giles got his first career NBA start, while Dedmon played 32 minutes off the bench. The duo combined for 20 points and 18 rebounds, helping to lead the Kings to a comeback road win over Phoenix.
According to James Ham of NBC Sports California, both centers received praise from Walton after the game, with the Kings head coach telling reporters that Giles gave the club some “good minutes” and Dedmon “took full advantage” of his opportunity.
With Giles facing unrestricted free agency at season’s end and Dedmon hoping to be dealt, it’s possible neither center has a place in the Kings’ future. But having both players perform well could open some doors for Sacramento at the trade deadline — at the very least, it will help keep the team in the playoff race while Holmes recovers.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- While Anthony Davis will be eligible to earn a projected $202MM over five years with the Lakers on his next contract, he may be more inclined to sign a three-year deal with a player option, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. That would give Davis the chance to opt out and sign a more lucrative long-term contract in 2022, when he has 10 years of NBA experience.
- The NBA has fined Warriors head coach Steve Kerr $25K for “verbally abusing” a game official and failing to leave the court immediately after being ejected, the league announced today in a press release. Kerr expressed his displeasure with a call in the second quarter of Monday’s game vs. Sacramento, yelling “Wake your a– up!” at referee Jason Goldenberg.
- Jovan Buha of The Athletic explores the likelihood of the Clippers adding a veteran like Darren Collison, Aron Baynes, or Thaddeus Young. Buha views a trade for Baynes or Young as a long shot, but believes the Clips shouldn’t hesitate to open a roster spot for Collison if he’s willing to sign with them.
Southeast Notes: Len, Fultz, Isaac, Wizards
Although Alex Len has only made nine starts this season, he has been the Hawks‘ most effective center and is the one most often included in their end-of-game lineups. So when he heard the rumors last week linking Atlanta to Andre Drummond, he couldn’t help but wonder about his place on the roster, as Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details.
“I would never want to get traded because I love this team, and I want to be here,” Len said of his situation with the Hawks. “The NBA is a business though, and you just have to control what you can control. When I (heard the Drummond talks), I just said that all I can control is what I do on the court. All I can do is continue to work and focus on that.
Len will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so whether or not the Hawks make a move for a center, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back on the roster in 2020/21. Still, he thinks he can have a role in Atlanta even if the team acquires Drummond or another big man.
“I do think I bring value off the bench, even if (the Hawks) bring in another great big. I can still come off the bench and do what I do,” Len said, according to Kirschner. “For the future, I think I’m a pretty good fit with the young guys. At the same time, it’s up to the team to decide what they want to do. But I love this coaching staff. I love these players. I see myself being here for a while, even if my role is to come off the bench. Whatever it is, I want to be here.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- After two turbulent years to begin his NBA career, former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz has found a happy home in Orlando, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Fultz is coming off perhaps his best game as a pro, a 25-point showing in a Monday win over Brooklyn. “The biggest thing is that I took the time to get healthy,” Fultz said of the strides he has made with the Magic. “I’m feeling very good. My body’s feeling good, and that’s the biggest thing. I just think that I took the time to make sure my shoulder was right, and everything with my body is right, and now I’m back to being me.”
- The Magic will treat Jonathan Isaac‘s knee injury without surgery, a team official tells Robbins (Twitter link). The standout forward is expected to be sidelined until at least March, and perhaps for the rest of the season.
- The Wizards‘ 2019/20 season will almost certainly end with a spot in the lottery, but it won’t be a lost year in D.C., according to David Aldridge of The Athletic, who says the organization is identifying some promising building blocks for the future.
Heat Waive Daryl Macon, Sign Gabe Vincent
3:11pm: The Heat have officially signed Vincent and waived Macon, the club confirmed in a press release.
2:29pm: The Heat are signing G League guard Gabe Vincent to a two-way contract, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). To open up a spot for Vincent, the club will waive current two-way player Daryl Macon, Jackson adds.
Vincent, 23, went undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2018 and joined Sacramento’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. After an unspectacular NBAGL rookie season in 2018/19, the 6’3″ guard has enjoyed a breakout year for Stockton, with 23.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.2 APG to go along with a .474/.423/.900 shooting line in 20 games (31.8 MPG). He leads the G League with 88 made three-pointers.
That performance caught the attention of the Heat, who will make a change to one of their two-way slots a week in advance of the January 15 deadline for signing two-way players. Miami will aim to make Vincent the club’s next two-way success story after Duncan Robinson developed into an NBA starter and Chris Silva became a regular contributor. If he signs today, Miami’s newest two-way player will be eligible to spend up to 26 days in the NBA before the G League season ends in March.
Macon, meanwhile, will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers. He has appeared in 12 total NBA games over the past two seasons for Dallas and Miami, while averaging 19.1 PPG in 58 total G League contests for the Texas Legends and Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Magic’s Aminu Out At Least 12 Weeks Following Knee Surgery
It looks like it may be a lost first season for Al-Farouq Aminu in Orlando. The Magic announced today in a press release that the veteran forward has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Orlando doesn’t offer a specific timetable for Aminu’s return, announcing that he has been ruled out indefinitely. However, the team noted it will be approximately 12 weeks before he’s re-evaluated. That means he’s unlikely to return before April, and there’s a chance we won’t see him on the court again this season.
Aminu, 29, was one of the first free agents to come off the board during the summer of 2019, agreeing to a three-year deal with Orlando worth the full mid-level exception. He was coming off a solid season in Portland in which he averaged 9.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG on .433/.343/.867 shooting while playing strong defense.
However, Aminu has been limited to just 18 games during his first season with the Magic, having been sidelined with his torn meniscus since the start of December. Even when he was healthy, the veteran struggled in a part-time role, with his shooting line dipping to an abysmal .291/.250/.655.
This is the second major injury for the Magic, who also lost Jonathan Isaac to a potentially season-ending knee injury. The club announced last Thursday that Isaac would be re-evaluated in eight-to-10 weeks.
With neither Aminu nor Isaac expected back anytime soon to fortify the frontcourt, the Magic will have to rely more heavily on forwards like Aaron Gordon and Wesley Iwundu as they look to hang onto a playoff spot. Orlando is currently the No. 7 seed in the East, with a 17-20 record and a three-game cushion on the ninth-seeded Hornets.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Victor Oladipo Targeting January 29 Return
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo is aiming to return to action on January 29 when Indiana hosts the Bulls, he tells Shams Charania of Stadium (video link).
“That can change, that might not change, who knows,” Oladipo said. “But it’s definitely good to have something to look forward to, especially after 12 months of wondering and hoping and not being sure and 12 months of the unknown.”
Oladipo hasn’t played in an NBA game since January 23, 2019, when he suffered a torn quad tendon. An ESPN report last month suggested that the 27-year-old was aiming to make it back onto the court in late January or early February, so his new target date lines up with that timeline.
While the Pacers will be thrilled to have Oladipo back in their lineup, they’ve played well without him this season, led by the likes of Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis.
Currently, Indiana is 23-14, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference. The five teams between No. 2 and No. 6 in the East are separated by just 3.5 games, so the Pacers remain very much in the hunt for a top-four seed. Their playoff push should be buoyed by Oladipo’s return, though he may need some time to shake off the rust.
Before going down with his quad injury, the veteran guard had been named an All-Star in each of his first two seasons in Indiana. He has averaged 21.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.6 APG, and 2.1 SPG on .461/.362/.780 shooting in 111 games since joining the Pacers in a blockbuster 2017 trade.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kevin Love Vows To “Be Better” After Recent Outbursts
After a series of incidents in which he displayed his frustrations with the Cavaliers on and off the court, Kevin Love expressed remorse when he talked to reporters on Tuesday, as Tom Withers of The Associated Press writes.
“I wasn’t acting like a 31-year-old, I was acting like a 13-year-old,” Love said of his recent behavior. “That was not me.”
The Cavaliers fined Love $1K for an incident during the team’s New Year’s Eve game vs. Toronto, when Love reportedly said the club was playing selfishly and was seen smacking chairs on the sidelines in anger. The standout power forward later had an alleged altercation with general manager Koby Altman, then expressed frustration on the court during Saturday’s game vs. the Thunder when he didn’t get the ball while he had Chris Paul guarding him.
Love is on the trade block in Cleveland and prefers to be dealt, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, due to his expensive, long-term contract, Love’s value is already limited to some extent, and one league executive who spoke to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com noted that the big man wasn’t helping his case with his recent outbursts. While Love’s mea culpa on Tuesday could help alleviate concerns about his behavior, it remains to be seen whether Cleveland will find a deal before the February 6 deadline.
We’ll have to wait to see what’s next for Love and the Cavs, but the 31-year-old spoke to Fedor candidly about the incidents that have made the news over the last week or two. Fedor’s piece is worth checking out in full, but here are some of the highlights from Love:
On The Athletic’s report detailing Love’s “emotional verbal outburst” toward Altman:
“There was no altercation, there was no screaming match. I was actually shocked when guys were telling me about the article and what had come out. I’d heard about everything about 10 minutes before the game. I didn’t know who it came from, it didn’t come from me. Like I said, there wasn’t anything that happened at shootaround that warranted something like that.
“It was a conversation we had, but there was no blowup, there was no me talking about how much money I have. I’m an a–hole. But I’m not that big of an a–hole. … That was like a two out of 10. It was really nothing.”
On his on-court show of frustration during Saturday’s game against the Thunder:
“I knew it immediately. Looking back and seeing it, I was a s—head. It looks really bad. Everybody thought it was directed at Collin (Sexton). It was directed at Coach (John Beilein). Coach was saying, ‘Swing four, swing four’ and I’m like, ‘We’re in the bonus, it’s the last shot and Chris Paul is going to foul me or I’m going to get to the free throw line or I’m going to score.’ So I ran out there, launched the ball to Cedi (Osman) and I was really, really frustrated.”
On the idea that he hates playing with Sexton:
“No. I don’t hate Collin. You know Collin and I’s relationship. That’s so dumb. Are there times where he has poor decision-making and bad shots? Of course! By the way, it’s the same thing with me and same thing with Tristan (Thompson) not kicking the f—ing ball out when he’s in the post and there’s five guys on him. You just have to keep correcting it.
Collin’s 21 years old. So many guys are losing sight of that. DG (Darius Garland), he’s 19. KP (Kevin Porter Jr.) is 19. These guys are learning. This is where I can’t relate because I didn’t have the ball in my hands at that age. I was more like, get it off the glass and hit transition threes, get to the free throw line, rebound, but he has the ball in his hands and has to make decisions.”
On his outlook going forward:
“(The behavior is) not going to happen moving forward. There will be some frustration, there will be some human moments where it’s out there on the floor. I’ve told you guys all along I read like a damn cheap novel and I wear my emotions on my sleeve, but I need to be better.
“Obviously, this has been extremely tough, especially with what our record indicates. I’m not perfect. Still working on myself on and off the court and this is about that. It’s about me getting better and helping these guys because I promised I would. I would like to (help them) — at least, from here on out. I don’t care if I’m here for five more months or five more weeks I’m going to try to do my best by these guys and by the coaching staff. That’s on me.”
Knicks Rumors: Trades, Portis, Fizdale, Davis
Several teams who have been in touch recently with the Knicks have come away with the impression that the team isn’t simply looking to trade for rebuilding assets such as draft picks, expiring contracts, and young prospects, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Those teams say New York has shown interest in acquiring “starter-level players” who can help the team in the short term as well as in the future, sources tell Begley.
While seeking only short-term upgrades would be a mistake for the 10-27 Knicks, it makes sense for the club to consider a variety of trade options rather than focusing exclusively on dumping its veterans for draft picks. Still, it’s hard to envision many scenarios in which the organization could use its most expendable trade chips to acquire a starter-level player who could be retained for multiple seasons.
Perhaps if the Knicks go that route they’ll target players who are a year or two away from restricted free agency and could be more comfortably re-signed than a player like Marcus Morris, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Players like Kyle Kuzma and Malik Beasley might fit that bill, though finding a Knicks package that would work financially and would appeal to a contender like the Lakers or Nuggets could be tricky.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Bobby Portis is drawing trade interest from multiple teams, Begley writes in a separate story for SNY.tv. Begley suggests that Portis’ pseudo-expiring contract could appeal to teams seeking a frontcourt piece, though I suspect the big man’s modest production (9.9 PPG on 44.0% shooting) and $15MM cap hit will limit his value.
- Former Knicks head coach David Fizdale said during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo that he has “no ill feelings” toward the franchise following his dismissal, as Malika Andrews of ESPN.com relays. “That’s the business we’ve chosen,” Fizdale said. “I respect those guys greatly. I miss the hell out of them. … I obviously learned a ton from it and I was just really grateful to have that opportunity to say I was the head coach of the Knicks.”
- During his radio appearance, Fizdale stated that the “media market” and “scrutiny” in New York put a lot of pressure on people within the Knicks’ organization and make it a “tough environment.” However, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News takes exception to Fizdale using outside pressure as an excuse for the Knicks’ failures, arguing that media and fans largely gave the club a pass for tanking away the 2018/19 season and weren’t responsible for the team’s questionable roster moves.
- Anthony Davis had New York on his list of preferred destinations when he asked for a trade out of New Orleans, but he wasn’t interested in talking about the Knicks when the team visited the Lakers this week, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m kind of just over the whole situation,” Davis said. Asked what appealed to him about the Knicks, he replied, “That was all in the past. I don’t talk about no other team than the Lakers.”
Pistons Notes: Griffin, DPE, Jackson, Kennard
After Blake Griffin opted to undergo surgery on his troublesome left knee, head coach Dwane Casey offered some comments on the power forward’s absence, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News relays (Twitter links).
“It’s like when Rick Pitino said, ‘Larry Bird isn’t walking through that door.’ … Blake Griffin isn’t walking through that door,” Casey said. “…The 25 points, the leadership, the toughness, the presence of Blake — you’re not going to replace that.”
Griffin had been in and out of the Pistons’ lineup for much of the first half due to his nagging knee issues, appearing in just 18 games. Now that the former No. 1 overall pick is sidelined indefinitely, Casey notes that at least there should be more lineup certainty going forward.
“We know the direction right now,” Casey said. “We know what we’re dealing with — it’s not, ‘Is he playing or is he not playing?'”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- If the Pistons expect Griffin to miss the rest of the season, it would make sense for them to request a disabled player exception – which would be worth $9.26MM – before next Wednesday’s application deadline. Detroit likely wouldn’t use that exception to sign a free agent, given the team’s proximity to the tax line, but it could come in handy on the trade market. For instance, if the Pistons trade someone like Derrick Rose or Langston Galloway and take back a player on an expiring contract whose salary fits into the DPE, they’d create a trade exception worth $7.3MM, which could be used in the summer or next season.
- Reggie Jackson saw a specialist in Los Angeles and is making progress as he returns from a back injury, Beard tweets. There remains no timeline for Jackson’s return to the court.
- There’s also no update on Luke Kennard, Beard adds in another tweet. Two weeks ago, the Pistons indicated that the third-year guard would be re-evaluated on January 7, but it appears he’s still not ready to return from his knee injury.
- As we noted on Tuesday within our Griffin story, Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) says one source briefed on Detroit’s efforts to move Andre Drummond expressed confidence that a trade will be made by next month’s deadline.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
Anthony Davis Suffers Lower Back Injury
9:36am: According to the Lakers, Davis’ MRI revealed a gluteus maximus contusion, tweets Medina. He’ll be listed as questionable for Friday’s game, which sounds like a best-case outcome for the team. Even if AD does miss a game or two, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious.
8:46am: Davis’ MRI came back clean and he intends to travel with the team on its upcoming road trip, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s unclear whether or not he’ll actually play on Friday or Saturday, but it’s certainly good news for the Lakers either way.
8:24am: The Lakers got a scare on Tuesday night when star big man Anthony Davis fell awkwardly to the floor during the third quarter of the team’s win over the Knicks. After attempting to block a shot, Davis landed hard on his tailbone, suffering what the team called a sacral contusion (Twitter link). Head coach Frank Vogel referred to the injury after the game as a bruised tailbone (video link via Mark Medina of USA Today).
While X-rays were negative, Davis was scheduled to undergo an MRI late Tuesday night, so we’re still waiting for an official update from the team on the results and a potential recovery timeline. For now, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that AD is expected to miss the Lakers’ upcoming road trip to Dallas (Friday) and Oklahoma City (Saturday). It remains to be seen whether he’ll be sidelined beyond the weekend.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Davis was escorted out of the arena on Tuesday laying on the bed of a motor carrier and acknowledged he’d miss some time, but seemed confident that the injury wasn’t a significant one. “I’m fine,” he told Haynes.
Davis suffered his injury just hours after word broke that he had declined a contract extension from the Lakers. As we explained in our story on the subject, the decision doesn’t mean the 26-year-old isn’t committed to the franchise — it just makes more financial sense for him to become a free agent this summer, since his maximum salary will be higher at that time.
People around the NBA don’t expect Davis to leave the Lakers, and Vogel suggested in the wake of Tuesday’s injury that the star forward is at the center of the organization’s long-term plans.
“He’s one of our pillars,” Vogel said of Davis, per McMenamin. “He’s our present, he’s our future and he’s one of the best players in the world. So obviously he means a lot.”
With Davis out for at least the Lakers’ next couple games, Kyle Kuzma – who has been the subject of some trade rumors as of late – figures to get an opportunity to step into the starting lineup, a possibility he acknowledged after Tuesday’s win, as McMenamin relays.
“Coach always talks about ‘next man up,'” Kuzma said. “I just feel like if I have an opportunity, I’ll be fine. … I mean, I’m not Anthony Davis, so I’m just going to be myself. And just do me.”