2021 February | Hoops Rumors

Bulls-Raptors Game Postponed

February 28th, 2021 at 9:43am CST by Arthur Hill

Tonight’s game between the Bulls and Raptors has been postponed, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The decision was made because Toronto doesn’t have the league minimum of eight players available due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing (Twitter link).

The Raptors are dealing with a virus outbreak that affected Pascal Siakam and most of their coaching staff for Friday’s game. At least one coach reportedly tested positive, while the rest are in quarantine. Siakam, who reportedly returned an inconclusive rapid test on Friday, is expected to be out of action through the All-Star break, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Toronto has two games remaining before the break, and both may be in jeopardy considering the league’s policy of being cautious amid coronavirus outbreaks. The Raptors are scheduled to host the Pistons on Tuesday and the Celtics on Thursday.

The Bulls shouldn’t be affected, as they just arrived in Florida on Saturday, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. They will return home for Monday’s game against the Nuggets. It remains to be seen if today’s news will have any effect on the Rockets, Toronto’s opponent on Friday, who are scheduled to face the Grizzlies tonight.

The Raptors had been one of just four teams without a postponement during the first half of the season, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The only remaining unaffected teams are the Lakers, Clippers, and Nets.

Tonight’s game is the 34th to be postponed since the season began, and the 30th caused by the virus. Three others were due to harsh weather in Texas last week and one was a scheduling choice to accommodate a makeup game. You can see the complete list here.

Austin Rivers Not On Knicks’ Bench For Saturday’s Game

February 28th, 2021 at 8:56am CST by Arthur Hill

The end of Austin Rivers‘ stay with the Knicks could be close after he wasn’t on the bench for Saturday’s game, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post.

A team official told Berman that Rivers was at Madison Square Garden, but was getting treatment for a sore ankle. He wasn’t listed on the pre-game injury report and there was no mention of an injury in the box score, where he was designated as DNP-Coach’s Decision.

Rivers was removed from the rotation after the Knicks traded for Derrick Rose three weeks ago. Elfrid Payton has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but coach Tom Thibodeau gave the extra minutes to little-used Frank Ntilikina instead of Rivers.

Rivers, 28, signed a three-year contract with New York in November, but only the first season of the deal is guaranteed. Through 21 games, he is averaging 7.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.0 minutes per night. He has played five total minutes in the last nine games and was the only player not used in Thursday’s blowout of the Kings.

A sprained ankle suffered by veteran big man Taj Gibson Saturday night could hasten Rivers’ departure, Berman adds. The Knicks, who are already without starting center Mitchell Robinson, have a full roster and would have to waive someone to add another frontcourt player. Thibodeau said after the game that team president Leon Rose “will look into players that are available.’’

Kevin Durant Will Still Serve As All-Star Captain

February 27th, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant won’t play in next Sunday’s All-Star Game and he may not even travel to Atlanta for the event, but he will remain one of the team captains, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN.

Durant hasn’t played since February 13 because of a strained left hamstring, and the decision to have him skip the All-Star Game was made this week after a follow-up MRI. The Nets‘ medical staff believes Durant needs additional time to return to full strength.

Durant will continue with rehab and will be re-evaluated after the break. Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis was selected as his replacement for the All-Star Game, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will replace KD as one of the game’s 10 starters.

As captain, Durant will participate in the All-Star draft along with LeBron James to choose which players will be on each team. The event will be televised March 4 on TNT.

Raptors Notes: Scariolo, Trade Deadline, Lowry, Hall

February 27th, 2021 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sergio Scariolo is prepared to serve as acting head coach of the Raptors for as long as necessary, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Scariolo got his new responsibilities Friday when Nick Nurse and five members of his staff were placed in health and safety protocols. The team responded with a victory over the Rockets.

The win capped a hectic week for Scariolo, who was in Poland last weekend with the Spanish national team for a pair of FIBA EuroBasket qualification games. He flew to Florida on Monday and entered quarantine, as required by league guidelines. Thursday afternoon marked the first rumors that Nurse and most of the coaching staff wouldn’t be available for Friday’s game.

“We are learning that we have tools and capacity to react to really weird situations, to emergency situations … like this, or I imagine a hundred more that happen all over the world to every person, to every company, every sports club, whatever,” Scariolo said. “We are learning that sometimes we love to have a great plan going from day one to the last one, (but) it’s good to know that we are able to react to different circumstances. We learned how not to panic and try to face what’s going on with a positive attitude.”

There’s more on the Raptors:

Toronto isn’t making an effort to move Kyle Lowry, Smith states in an examination of the team’s position ahead of the March 25 trade deadline. Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby should be considered untouchable, Smith adds, and the team prefers to hold on to Norman Powell. That means any trade will have to involve the bench, where the Raptors hope to upgrade without taking on a lot of long-term salary.
Lowry’s agent disputes a report Friday that the point guard is eyeing a move to the Sixers. Appearing on Sirius XM Radio, Mark Bartelstein said there’s no truth to the story (hat tip to Brad Botkin of CBS Sports). “There was a story today that he’s pushing to go to Philadelphia. That’s just not true,” Bartelstein said. “That story came out today, and so I had to get on the phone with (Raptors president) Masai (Ujiri) and (general manager) Bobby (Webster) and make sure they knew that certainly wasn’t coming from us.”
For Donta Hall, signing a 10-day deal with the Raptors just meant going from one G League team to another, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Hall has been impressive in his first two games and may eventually get a chance in Toronto because he’s a natural center.

Jrue Holiday Expected Back Sunday

February 27th, 2021 at 7:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past 10 games while in the league’s health and safety protocols, will likely play Sunday against the Clippers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Holiday was able to practice today and has made progress with his conditioning this week, Wojnarowski adds.

Milwaukee was just 5-5 without Holiday, who was acquired from the Pelicans in a four-team trade during the offseason. The Bucks have slipped into third place in the Eastern Conference and have seen their scoring, point differential and assists per game all decline with Holiday sidelined.

The 30-year-old, who has a $26.765MM player option for next year, was having a productive season before being forced off the court. Through 23 games, he was averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 50% from the floor and 38.7% on three-pointers.

Texas Notes: Wall, Oladipo, Spurs, Porzingis

February 27th, 2021 at 7:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets may continue to alternate guards John Wall and Victor Oladipo during back-to-back games, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. There are injury concerns with both players, and coach Stephen Silas indicated he plans to be careful with them.

“We’re still kind of working it out,” he said. “Victor obviously is coming off the foot injury. John participated today in the limited practice that we had, but he’s getting treatment on the foot that got landed on (Friday) night (against Toronto). We’ve had some early conversations because haven’t cemented what the plan is going to be. I wouldn’t say that both will play both (games).”

Back-to-backs will be a greater concern in the second half of the schedule, as Houston has 10 of them in its 38 games. Assuming both players remain with the team past the March 25 trade deadline, that could pose a major obstacle to turning the season around.

“It hasn’t been great in the first half not having one of those guys on the basketball side,” Silas said, “but the long-term prognosis, the health, has to be first and foremost and we have to figure out the basketball part around that.”

There’s more NBA news from Texas:

The Rockets are trying not to focus on the 10-game losing streak that has dropped them nearly to the bottom of the Western Conference, Feigen adds in a separate story. Today’s practice featured a long video session that concentrated on correcting mistakes. “We just got to keep getting better, man,” Oladipo said. “Stay optimistic and positive. I know it’s tough right now, obviously. It’s easy to kind of go the negative route. That’s not going to solve anything. In fact, it’ll make things worse. It’s just us. We’ve just got to figure out a way to win every night.”
The Spurs are missing five players due to health and safety protocols, and coach Gregg Popovich doesn’t expect to have a full team again until after the All-Star break, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. Popovich said the five players — Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Rudy Gay, Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon — won’t all return at the same time.
Kristaps Porzingis has been cleared to return for the Mavericks tonight, tweets Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t see him going into the high 30s or anything like that, but we have not talked about any specific minutes limits,” coach Rick Carlisle said of Porzingis, who missed the past three games with back tightness. “Everything’s very positive at this moment.”

Knicks Notes: Rose, Ntilikina, Toppin, Quickley

February 27th, 2021 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Derrick Rose has shown Knicks fans that he can still ignite an offense, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. With Elfrid Payton injured, Rose stepped into the starting lineup Thursday and scored 18 points as New York put up 140 in a win over Sacramento.

“My confidence has always been there even though I’m not the same player, reckless or explosive player,” said Rose, who is averaging 11.8 PPG in eight games since being acquired from the Pistons. “I feel like I’m skilled. I felt like I’ve been working on my game prior to having — I mean, after all my injuries it’s about just showing it and adapting.”

Popper notes that one of the initial fears among fans was that Rose’s addition might take away minutes from rookie guard Immanuel Quickley. Instead, Rose has adopted a mentor’s role and they have often played together in the backcourt. Tom Thibodeau, who also coached Rose in Chicago and Minnesota, has watched his game progress over the years.

“I think his quickness is the same,” Thibodeau said. “And obviously I think as players get older, what they do is they get experience and they add things to their games. So he’s a lot different than he was when he was 22. And obviously, that athleticism is different now. But he also has the knowledge of all the experiences he’s been through.”

There’s more on the Knicks:

Frank Ntilikina put up decent numbers Thursday after not playing in two months, but it won’t guarantee him more playing time, Popper adds in a separate story. Ntilikina posted seven points, three steals, two assists and a plus-17 rating in 23 minutes. However, Thibodeau is reluctant to expand his 10-man rotation, and Ntilikina is likely headed back to the bench when Payton returns.
An early injury and Julius Randle‘s breakout season have prevented Obi Toppin from making an impact as a rookie, but he may get to display his skills in the Slam Dunk Contest, Popper notes in another piece. Toppin was a prolific dunker in college and has been a fan of the event for years. “It’s been a lot of guys in the dunk contest that I’ve been watching through my life that have really good dunks,” he said. “If the time comes for me to be in it and they say I’m in the dunk contest I’ll have to do a lot of studying and hopefully come up with something nobody’s seen.”
The Knicks would benefit from inserting Quickley in their starting lineup, argues Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer. Thibodeau’s preferred starting unit has a negative net rating, but the number is much better when Quickley, rather than Payton, is on the floor with the four other starters.

Bulls Notes: Kornet, Gafford, Trade Deadline, Porter

February 27th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Luke Kornet has taken Daniel Gafford‘s spot in the Bulls‘ rotation as coach Billy Donovan looks for better floor spacing, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Gafford began the season as Chicago’s primary back-up center, but has seen only limited action for the past two weeks. Kornet’s shot hasn’t been falling since the change, but having another three-point threat on the court puts pressure on opposing defenses.

“They’re worried about him shooting the ball,” Donovan said. “That just creates space in itself. And I think sometimes when you look at Gaff and (Thaddeus Young) together where maybe Thad is on the perimeter or Gaff is up at the top, or Gaff is low and Thad is on the perimeter, sometimes the floor spacing can be a little bit more difficult or challenging. It’s up to me to be a little more creative to try to work with those two guys together. But it’s been more just trying to create that gravity on the 3-point line where teams are a little bit more apprehensive to load up.”

Kornet is thrilled to have the opportunity after appearing in just two of the season’s first 23 games. The 25-year-old has an expiring contract and faces an uncertain NBA future if he can’t get playing time.

“It’s been great to play,” he said. “… I think, especially early on, I was just getting my legs under me. It took a minute. But I feel like I’m starting to do better just in terms of being able to help us control what shots we’re giving up and just make everything contested. And then offensively, just trying to space and keep the ball moving is the primary thing I’m trying to do.”

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls will hold an organizational meeting during the All-Star break to plot their strategy for the trade deadline, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times. Cowley speculates on what the team might be able to get in return for its most valuable trade assets: Young, Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine.
Even though Otto Porter Jr. won’t play again until after the break, there’s good news about the veteran forward, Cowley adds in a separate story. Donovan said Friday that Porter is starting to make progress with the back issues that have bothered him almost the entire season. ‘‘He’s been able to do a lot more the last three days,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘He’s ramped up quite a bit where he’s running, doing conditioning, shooting. There’s still no contact, but I was on the court with him (Thursday).’’
Chris Paul‘s performance as the Suns won Friday in Chicago exposed the huge need the Bulls still have at point guard, observes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. Chicago committed 19 turnovers in the game, including 10 in the fourth quarter as Phoenix pulled away.

Southeast Notes: Bogdanovic, Gallinari, Len, Dragic

February 27th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic has progressed his rehabilitation to include one-on-one play with contact, the team tweets. Bogdanovic hasn’t played since January 9 due to an avulsion fracture in his right knee. His next step will be reintegration into team practice. Bogdanovic was one of the premier acquisitions of the offseason, signing a four-year, $72MM offer sheet that the Kings declined to match.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Another of the Hawks’ high-level acquisitions, Danilo Gallinari, is showing signs that he’s prepared to make a bigger impact. Gallinari’s 38-point eruption against Boston on Wednesday is more of what the team expected when Gallinari arrived in a sign-and-trade with the Thunder, as coach Lloyd Pierce told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. “That’s Gallo. We know he’s capable. We know he can give us some more. We want him to give us more,” Pierce said.
Wizards center Alex Len has a strong bond with the team’s player development coach David Adkins and assistant Ryan Richman going back to his college days at Maryland. That was the biggest reason he signed with Washington after getting released by Toronto, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. “I’m kind of like the brother and D.A. is kind of like the uncle/father type of guy in the relationship, I would say,” Richman said.
Goran Dragic has shown he can remain a rotation player beyond this season, so the Heat might be inclined to retain the veteran point guard this offseason at the right price, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel speculates. Miami holds a $19.44MM option on Dragic’s contract for next season, which it will almost certainly decline. However, the front office could ask him to return for one of its smaller exceptions.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Pacific Division

February 27th, 2021 at 3:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Throughout the season, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents this off-season. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the Pacific Division:

Kelly Oubre, Warriors, 25, SF (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $30MM deal in 2019

The Warriors were willing to explode their luxury tax bill by using a $17.2MM trade exception to acquire Oubre. Initially, it looked like a colossal waste of money. He got off to a woeful start, missing 28 of his first 30 3-point attempts. Oubre has settled in this month, doing what he does best – providing offensive punch while helping out around the boards. He’s averaging 20.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG and shooting 44% from long range in February. Productive wings are always in demand and Oubre – though his perimeter shot is still inconsistent — should be able to attract offers similar to the one he signed two years ago with the Suns.

Markieff Morris, Lakers, 31, PF (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.33MM deal in 2020

Morris had his contract bought out by the Pistons last season in order to join a contender. He made a good choice, giving the Lakers some rotation minutes during their championship run. He re-upped with the Lakers this offseason and has retained his rotation role. Morris’ playing time has recently increased in Anthony Davis’ absence, but he hasn’t moved the needle. He’s shooting 38.9% from the field and 30.4% from deep after making 39.7% of his 3s for Detroit last season. It’s quite possible that Morris will see his playing time evaporate when Davis returns and/or the Lakers add a frontcourt piece.

Langston Galloway, Suns, 29, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2020

When Galloway signed with Phoenix for the veteran’s minimum, it initially appeared like one of the better under-the-radar moves of the offseason. It hasn’t worked out that way. At the moment, Galloway is under wraps. He was coming off a strong season for the Pistons, averaging 10.3 PPG off the bench while shooting 39.9% from the field and playing solid defense as well. With the Suns, Galloway finds himself out of the rotation with E’Twaun Moore absorbing most of the backup guard minutes. Galloway could still make his mark on a playoff team at some point.

Jabari Parker, Kings, 25, SF (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $13MM deal in 2019

Imagine if the Bucks had selected Joel Embiid in 2014 and waited out his foot injuries. Alas, Milwaukee chose Parker and missed out on a potential superstar pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Parker is on his fifth NBA team, though if you weren’t aware that he’s on Sacramento’s roster, it’s perfectly understandable. Due to a back injury, personal reasons, and now COVID-19 protocols, Parker has appeared in just two games this season. He’s still young enough to reestablish himself as an instant-offense reserve but he’ll probably be looking at veteran’s minimum deals in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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