Pistons Notes: DSJ, Knox, Grant, Rookies
Instead of heading to the G League, Dennis Smith Jr. will get a chance to revive his career in Detroit, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Smith and a second-round pick were the price the Knicks paid to acquire long-time Tom Thibodeau favorite Derrick Rose. The move is another step in the rebuilding process for Detroit, which already owns the league’s worst record at 5-18.
It’s the second trade in 24 months for Smith, who had two disappointing seasons in New York after being acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis deal. He fell far out of the rotation after Thibodeau took over and got into just three games this season. He’s far more likely to get playing time with the Pistons, especially with Killian Hayes recovering from a torn labrum in his right hip. Detroit saved nearly $2MM in the deal and will get a few months to evaluate Smith before deciding whether to extend a $7MM+ qualifying offer when his rookie deal expires after this season.
A bigger prize for Detroit is the draft pick, which originally belonged to the Hornets, Edwards states. The Pistons also own the Raptors’ second-round choice, along with their own first-rounder, which currently has the best odds of being No. 1 overall. The team is positioned to add more young talent in a draft class that is considered to be one of the best in years.
There’s more this morning from Detroit:
- The Pistons were initially asking for Kevin Knox instead of Smith, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who speculates that the Knicks could be saving Knox for another trade.
- Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes free agent addition Jerami Grant should be an All-Star selection (video link from The Detroit News). Grant has stepped up his game since signing with Detroit, averaging 24.0 PPG, double what he scored last year in Denver. “I hope the true basketball fan sees what he’s doing, the all-around game, not just the scorer,” Casey said.
- Edwards and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic examine the progress of the Pistons’ rookies through the first third of the season. Hayes was still adjusting to the NBA when he suffered the injury, Saddiq Bey has been a valuable shooter but is otherwise limited offensively, and Isaiah Stewart has been impressive with his energy and competitiveness.
Southwest Notes: Cuban, Pelicans, Rockets, Wood
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spoke to his team prior to the club’s game against the Warriors on Saturday night, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes.
Cuban addressed the locker room at the request of head coach Rick Carlisle, whose Mavs are now 3-7 in its last 10 games.
“He was just very encouraging about the entire situation,” Carlisle said. “He reiterated that we’ve had the toughest schedule in the league to this point, that we have an opportunity here and none of these games are going to be easy.
“He just wanted everybody to know that he was fully supportive of everything and everybody. Good stuff from the heart.”
The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 134-132 in the contest, led by Luka Doncic‘s 42 points, seven rebounds, and 11 assists. The team, which has been impacted by injuries, holds the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 10-14.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans have emphasized the meaning of “trust” in recent games, Christian Clark of Nola.com writes. New Orleans is on a three-game winning streak, and Stan Van Gundy, Zion Williamson, and others pointed to that as one reason why. “It’s just coming together and telling each other we trust each other to make the right play,” Williamson said. “Ultimately, I think it’s just trust with us.”
- The Rockets are continuing to struggle with slow starts, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. Houston dropped a 116-106 contest to the Spurs on Saturday with another relatively slow start, causing the team to fight an uphill battle the rest of the game. The club is still 7-3 in its last 10 outings.
- Houston will have to adjust without the likes of Christian Wood, who suffered a right ankle sprain last week and will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis, Feigen notes in a different story. The Rockets started DeMarcus Cousins on Saturday, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. “You just go to know your personnel,” John Wall said. “It’s two different guys. It’s the game of basketball, knowing your guys and knowing where your guys like the ball and what type of position they like to be in. That’s my job, to make the game easier for him and put them in the right positions to be successful.”
Southeast Notes: Brown Jr., Rozier, Winslow, Vucevic
Wizards forward Troy Brown Jr. described his experience with COVID-19 on Sunday, giving a behind-the-scenes look on the subject – including Washington’s recent outbreak – in an article for BasketballNews.com.
The Wizards had nine players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols at one point last month, with half of its roster contracting the virus. Brown provided valuable perspective into what it was like for him and his teammates as they made it through an unprecedented situation.
“When they told me that I tested positive, I wasn’t surprised,” Brown wrote in his story. “I had already started quarantining, so it wasn’t a shock; the positive test just confirmed my suspicions. I’ve taken COVID very seriously and been very safe since this all started, but I still got it. When I got the news, I wasn’t too scared. I don’t know if I’ll have any long-term issues that are related to COVID, but I try not to worry about that since it’s out of my control. My mindset is this: It happened and I can’t do anything about it, so I’m just trying to stay as positive as I can, live day-by-day and not worry.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer examines how Terry Rozier might be affected if LaMelo Ball continues to start for the Hornets. Ball started in his third game on Sunday, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help defeat the Wizards.
- Just one year after being traded to Memphis, Justise Winslow‘s health issues have made it difficult to judge the deal that sent him from the Heat to the Grizzlies, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. Winslow has yet to appear in a game for his new team and is currently dealing with a hip injury.
- The Magic are hoping that Nikola Vucevic is rewarded with an All-Star spot this season, Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “I think every person on the team is rooting for him to be an All-Star,” teammate Cole Anthony said. “I think 100%, he deserves it.” Vucevic has averaged a career-high 23.1 points per game in 24 contests, also averaging 11.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. His 42% shooting mark from 3-point range is the highest of his career.
And-Ones: Korver, Executive Of The Year, Olympics, Bone
Veteran shooting guard Kyle Korver is pondering his playing future after spending 17 straight seasons in the NBA, as relayed by Mark Medina of USA Today.
“I’m not sure. I’ve talked to a few teams about it,” Korver said of a potential return. “Coming out of the bubble, I believe in honoring the game. I believe you honor the season with a good offseason. Coming out of the bubble with the quick turnaround, I didn’t feel I really did that. So I don’t want to cheat the game.
“If I want to go play, I want to go play well. I haven’t signed any paperwork. My wife asks me this question every day. It’s one I have a hard time finding my exact words for. So I haven’t signed paperwork yet. I’ve enjoyed being with my family, and it’s been a challenging season across the board for the league and for the players. But we’ll see. I don’t know.”
Korver also discussed multiple other subjects with Medina, including the Bucks’ walkout in the bubble, the Jacob Blake shooting, and the racial justice movement.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Ariel Pacheco of Basketball Insiders examines the Executive of the Year watch, taking a detailed look into which executives could be under consideration for the award this season. Naturally, Pacheco mentions Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who constructed a championship team last season and is coming off a respectable offseason.
- Joe Vardon of The Athletic explores whether NBA players will be able to represent Team USA at the Summer Olympics. The NBA Finals are set to extend into late July, with a potential Game 7 falling on July 22. Team USA is scheduled to open against France on July 25. “We’d like it if players on the roster could be replaced, even after [the tournament] starts,” managing director Jerry Colangelo said, recognizing the Olympic rules must be changed to allow this. As of right now, it’s unclear who will head to Tokyo on behalf of Team USA.
- The Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ G League affiliate) have acquired Jordan Bone and a 2021/22 third-round pick from the Lakeland Magic (Orlando’s G League affiliate), the team announced in a press release. In return, the club sent the returning player rights to J.P. Macura, the returning player rights to Doral Moore and a 2021-22 second-round pick. Bone was most recently on a two-way contract with the Magic.
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, Miller, Hampton, Muscala
20-year-old rookie Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is turning heads with his play as he continues to carve out more playing time, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
“I think he’s way better than people are realizing,” Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell raved. “He knows the game better than people expect. He makes these exciting plays out of nowhere.”
McDaniels was selected by the Wolves with the No. 28 pick out of Washington in the 2020 draft. He is averaging 17.4 MPG in 17 games. McDaniels played nearly 24 minutes in last night’s 120-118 loss to the Thunder, scoring 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Veteran Thunder forward Darius Miller is relishing his time back on a basketball court after missing all of the 2019/20 season due to a ruptured Achilles, as Joe Mussato of the Oklahoman details. “I was trying to figure out how to walk again last year around this part of the season,” Miller said, “so I’m just happy to be able to get out here and compete and play basketball again.” The 30-year-old got injured in a three-on-three game in August 2019 while with the Pelicans. He has played in six games for the Thunder. Miller scored a season-high nine points on three made three-pointers in a 106-103 Friday loss to the Timberwolves.
- Nuggets rookie point guard R.J. Hampton has shown enough flashes to potentially convince the club he deserves more playing time, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post. “He’s proven he’s trustworthy,” head coach Mike Malone said after Hampton played a career-high 27 minutes last night in a 119-114 loss to the Kings. The No. 24 pick in the 2020 draft, who spent his age-18 season with the New Zealand Breakers, scored a career-high 7 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
- Veteran Thunder center Mike Muscala has entered the league’s concussion protocol after suffering a concussion during the club’s 120-118 defeat of the Timberwolves last night, per Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman (Twitter link).
De’Andre Hunter To Undergo Meniscus Surgery
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter will undergo a lateral meniscus arthroscopic debridement procedure, the team announced on social media. The surgery is scheduled for Monday in Atlanta.
Hunter, the No. 4 pick in 2019, has missed the last four games due to right knee discomfort caused by wear and tear. An update will be provided on his status in approximately two weeks, the team said.
Atlanta has started the season with a 11-12 record. The 23-year-old Hunter has appeared in 18 contests, averaging 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 32.2 minutes per game. He’s shot 51% from the floor and 37% from deep during those games, starting in every outing.
The Hawks are already playing without shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who suffered an avulsion fracture in his right knee last month.
California Notes: Haliburton, Smailagić, Gasol, George
Kings rookie shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton, selected with the No. 12 pick out of Iowa State in the 2020 draft, is looking like a great long-term addition for Sacramento, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
The 6’5″ two-guard is averaging 11.8 PPG, 5.4 APG, and 3.8 RPG across 20 games for the Kings. He also holds sparkling shooting numbers, boasting a slash line of .484/.433/.867.
“Ty has that ‘it’ factor,” veteran Kings forward Harrison Barnes said. “He’s going to be special in this league for a long time on and off the floor.”
There’s more out of California:
- The Warriors are sending second-year big man Alen Smailagić to join their G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, for the Orlando NBAGL “bubble” campus season, according to a team press release. Across 14 games, the 6’10” Smailagić averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 9.9 MPG during his rookie season in 2019/20. He has yet to play for Golden State this year, having undergone knee surgery last month.
- Though Lakers starting center Marc Gasol is averaging a career-low 3.8 PPG (albeit in a career-low 19.4 MPG), Los Angeles head coach Frank Vogel is not concerned, according to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Gasol’s shooting numbers, however, are a bit unsettling: he is connecting on just 36.8% from the field and 31.7% from deep. He made 38.5% of his three-point looks last season. “He’s out there to defend and rebound and play-make from the top of the key and sometimes that’s going to mean he’s going to get a couple of good looks at the 3-point line, a few short rolls and some other situations, some post-up on switches and whatnot,” Vogel said.
- Clippers star forward Paul George has been sidelined for the past two games with a bone edema in his foot, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Head coach Tyronn Lue would not speculate on the duration of George’s absence. “I don’t know,” he said. “We’re going to miss him. We wish him a speedy recovery.” George is averaging a stellar 24.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 5.5 APG in 20 games this season.
Heat Notes: FA Signings, Offseason, Nunn, 2020 Finals Run
The free agent role player additions the Heat acquired this summer, Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless, have underwhelmed in Miami thus far, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Bradley, signed to a two-year, $11.6MM deal (with a team option for year two), is averaging 8.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.4 APG and 0.7 SPG in just 10 games, and will now miss at least 3-4 weeks of action due to a right calf injury. Forward Harkless, signed to a one-year, $3.6MM contract, is out of the Heat’s rotation. He has appeared in just nine games for Miami, averaging a career-low 10.7 MPG.
There’s more out of South Beach:
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if the Heat have a Plan B for the 2021 offseason after their top target, reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, signed a lucrative extension with the Bucks during the offseason. Winderman posits that the Heat should not sacrifice one of their intriguing younger players for veteran help, as they did last season in the deal that brought Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala, and Solomon Hill to the Heat from the Grizzlies in exchange for Justise Winslow.
- With Avery Bradley and Goran Dragic sidelined by injury, 2020 All-Rookie First Teamer Kendrick Nunn has answered the bell with efficient offense, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes. Nunn had been supplanted in the rotation during the 2020/21 season behind starter Tyler Herro and bench guards Bradley and Dragic.
- With the Heat currently near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 8-14 (as of this writing, though they are in action against the Knicks today), Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald wonders if Miami’s 2020 Finals run the result of charmed circumstances while the Heat were in the Orlando “bubble” campus. “We haven’t been playing good basketball,” All-Star wing Jimmy Butler acknowledged.
Nets Notes: Pelle, Shamet, Irving, Drummond
Center Norvel Pelle played just 17 minutes before fouling out Saturday in his first game with the Nets, but he showed how he can help the team as a rim protector, writes Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. Pelle, who had to wait through a seven-day quarantine after signing last week, blocked three shots during his short stint. Coach Steve Nash expects better things once Pelle works through conditioning issues.
“He’s out of shape a little bit for NBA standards,” Nash said. “You could see him out there. I was proud of him for fighting through, trying to get his legs and his lungs going. He obviously has some instincts blocking shots, which is I think his reputation and why we looked at him. I was proud of the way he conducted himself and worked hard.”
Iman Shumpert, the Nets’ other free agent addition, didn’t play at all Saturday, and Nash isn’t sure when he’ll make his debut. He also had to quarantine and won’t participate in his first practice with the team until Monday.
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- Landry Shamet seems to have rediscovered his shot and could be a valuable scoring option off the bench, Schiffer adds in the same story. He’s averaging 12 PPG and shooting 40% from 3-point range in his last five games. “Just change a few things mentally, stay solid, simplify,” Shamet said of breaking out of a slump. “It’s not the end of the world. It’s basketball. It’s just knowing what I’m capable of and knowing that I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing, working hard, taking care of my body, doing everything I’m supposed to be doing. It’s mostly mental.”
- Kyrie Irving‘s sprained finger isn’t expected to be a long-term concern, according to Greg Joyce of The New York Post. Irving missed Saturday’s game and is being considered day-to-day. “(Irving) genuinely has a swollen finger and took a knock to it (Friday),” Nash said. “So hopefully it’s day-to-day. I think everybody’s proceeding as it is.”
- ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is the latest media figure to comment on the possibility of the Nets acquiring Cavaliers center Andre Drummond after a buyout. On Friday’s pre-game show, Wojnarowski said Drummond might be willing to take a buyout if the Cavs don’t trade him by the March 25 deadline. He suggests the Nets could offer Cleveland Spencer Dinwiddie, who is out for the season with an ACL injury, but other teams are also interested in the 27-year-old guard.
Larry Nance Jr. Out Approximately Six Weeks With Broken Finger
11:42am: Nance suffered a fracture in his fourth metacarpal and will have surgery Monday morning, a source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Cavaliers confirmed the injury and said he is expected to miss approximately six weeks, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
10:29am: Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to have surgery after fracturing a finger on his left hand in Saturday’s game, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Nance is likely to miss four to six weeks.
Nance just returned to action last night after being sidelined with a sprained right wrist. He has been an important contributor to a young Cleveland team hoping to reach the playoffs, averaging 9.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 33 minutes per night. He’s one of the leaders of the defense and is second in the league at 1.9 steals per game.
Nance suffered the injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). He still managed to play 23 minutes.