Western Notes: Hyland, Mitchell, Schröder, McCollum, Lue
Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland will replace Kings rookie Davion Mitchell in the 2022 Rising Stars game Friday night in Cleveland, the NBA announced in a press release. Mitchell is currently suffering from a right hand injury.
Hyland, 21, was the No. 26 overall pick by Denver after two collegiate seasons with VCU. Through 46 games this season (18 MPG), he’s averaging 8.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG on .369/.346/.881 shooting.
Mitchell, 23, was the No. 9 overall pick by Sacramento after three collegiate seasons, the latter two with Baylor. He won a national championship with the Bears last season. Through 53 games this season (26 MPG), Mitchell is averaging 10.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG on .406/.326/.558 shooting.
Mitchell was also going to be part of the Clorox Clutch Challenge, a shooting competition where he was to team up with Scottie Barnes. The event will take place between the second and third Rising Stars games. A replacement will be announced soon, the league says.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Dennis Schröder has already shown how he can help the Rockets after just two games with his new club, writes Rahat Huq of The Houston Chronicle. Schröder started in place of the sick Kevin Porter Jr. Wednesday night and put up 23 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in 38 minutes in Houston’s 124-121 loss to Phoenix. Huq believes that Schröder’s addition will be beneficial for rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, who had nice games of their own with the German point guard running the show. However, he’s concerned that Schröder might hurt the development of Josh Christopher, who has been a regular member of the team’s rotation over the past few months and played just nine and 11 minutes the past two games. Huq also thinks if Schröder plays too much he could help add a few wins, which would be detrimental to the team’s lottery odds.
- CJ McCollum has been showcasing his stellar ability to create shots in his brief time with the Pelicans, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “It’s a process, man,” McCollum said. “I’m getting there. I like this type of challenge. It challenges you mentally. It challenges you physically. You have to study the game more and puts you in an uncomfortable environment. I’ve been in a comfortable environment my entire career. This is a great change for me and a great challenge.”
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue says that missing stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for much of the season has made him a better coach, per Mirjam Swanson of the Southern California News Group. “It has definitely made me a better coach this year, just trying to scratch and claw and win a game every single night,” Lue said. “Usually, you are in the playoffs and you try to win one game (at a time). It’s like that every single night.” The resilient Clippers are currently 29-31, eighth in the West.
Kings Waive Louis King
The Kings have waived two-way player Louis King, per Sean Cunningham of ABC10 (KXTV) Sacramento (Twitter link).
King, 22, went undrafted in 2019 after spending one season with Oregon. He caught on with the Pistons during his rookie year, signing a two-way contract and appearing in 10 games with Detroit, holding modest averages of 2.0 PPG and 1.0 in 6.2 MPG.
King signed a two-way contract with Sacramento at the end of last season, but he hasn’t made a significant impact at the NBA level. In 16 career games with Sacramento, including 10 this year, King averaged 5.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 11.8 MPG. He holds a career shooting line of .392/.327/.684 in 251 total minutes.
King has received much more playing time in the G League, appearing in 58 games (45 starts, 29.1 MPG) while averaging 14.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.4 SPG on .438/.349/.692 shooting. In 12 games with Stockton this season, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, he’s averaging 12.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG on .410/.269/.692 shooting.
The Kings now have one two-way spot available, but their 15-man roster is currently full.
Trail Blazers Notes: Hart, Simons, Watford, Winslow
The Trail Blazers acquired Josh Hart last week in the trade that sent CJ McCollum to New Orleans, and Hart is the exact type of player coach Chauncey Billups wants, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
“He’s my type of player from the standpoint of just being able to go and play both sides of the basketball and just be tough,” Billups said. “Not only tough, but skilled.”
Billups said Hart’s competitiveness shines through: “When he’s out there, he plays with a level of urgency that you love. I’m looking forward to just coaching him.”
In three games with his new club (all wins), Hart is averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on .600/.524/.765 shooting. Through 44 total games this season (33.7 minutes), he’s averaging 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on .514/.351/.754 shooting.
Here’s more from Portland:
- Hart and rising star Anfernee Simons have showcased great chemistry in their brief time together, Fentress writes in a separate piece for The Oregonian. “He’s going to have a long, successful career in this league,” Hart said of Simons, after Portland beat New York 112-103 on Saturday. “For me, it was just really cool to be able to play off of him and see him take over the game in the third and fourth.”
- Jason Quick of The Athletic recently wrote an in-depth profile of two-way rookie Trendon Watford, who has become a regular member of Portland’s rotation since the start of 2022. “I’m just scratching the surface,” Watford said. “I’m going to keep getting better.”
- After dropping six straight games, the surging Blazers have won four in a row, due in no small part to the high-energy, all-around contributions of Hart and Justise Winslow. “I think he has found a home,” Nurkic said of Winslow, according to Quick of The Athletic. Through six games with Portland, Winslow is averaging 12 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 31.3 minutes per contest.
- Winslow concurs with Nurkic’s assessment, per Casey Holdahl of the team’s website. “I was just traded here, I’m very happy to be here. God works in his beautiful ways,” said Winslow. “I’ve found a home. I don’t want to go anywhere, I’ve got one more year on this contact. It feels like everyone here is kind of fresh. There’s people in the organization that’s been here a long time but the coaching staff, a lot of the players just got here… I think it’s a good time for me in my life and also my basketball career.” Winslow was acquired as part of the trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/17/2022
Click here for a transcript of Hoops Rumors’ live chat on Thursday.
Our next live chat will take place next Thursday at 11 a.m. Central time.
Poll: Which Team Will Win Eastern Conference?
With the All-Star break set to begin after tonight’s games, it’s as good a time as any to check in on the NBA’s playoff race and assess which teams are best positioned to finish the season strong and make a deep postseason run.
We’ll start today with the Eastern Conference, which is more competitive in 2021/22 than it has been in years.
No team has been able to pull away from the pack in the East so far, with the 38-21 Bulls currently hanging onto the No. 1 seed by a half-game. If the season were to end today, Chicago’s .644 winning percentage would be the lowest mark for a conference’s top seed since Detroit went 50-32 (.610) in 2002/03.
However, while the East may lack a dominant team, the conference makes up for it in depth. The top five seeds are all within three games of one another, and the top eight seeds are all at least four games over .500 — the same certainly can’t be said of the West, where the 29-31 Clippers are in the No. 8 spot.
The parity in the Eastern Conference has created a fascinating playoff landscape. Instead of having one or two clear-cut favorites to represent the conference in the NBA Finals, the East has at least five or six teams that could realistically make it.
The aforementioned Bulls have the East’s best record despite having dealt with injuries and COVID-related absences to key players all season long. If they’re healthy in time for the postseason, they’ll be an incredibly tough out, especially with DeMar DeRozan shooting the lights out like he has lately.
The 37-21 Heat have also been affected by injuries, but have been dangerous when healthy. Their preferred starting lineup of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, and P.J. Tucker has a +13.5 net rating for the season.
The Bucks (36-23) are the defending champions, having proven in last year’s playoffs that they can win big games and big series. The upstart Cavaliers (35-23) are on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of postseason experience, but have one of the NBA’s best defenses and added some more offensive firepower at the deadline by acquiring Caris LeVert.
Further down the standings, the Sixers (34-23) and Nets (31-27) made themselves legitimate title threats by completing a deadline-day trade to acquire stars who actually want to play for them. James Harden is expected to make his Philadelphia debut after the All-Star break, while Ben Simmons will play at some point for the Nets, who will also be getting Kevin Durant back in the coming weeks.
The Celtics (34-26) and Raptors (32-25) were out of the East’s playoff picture earlier this season, but have been two of the conference’s hottest teams as of late. Boston’s +5.4 net rating and 104.9 defensive rating both rank first in the conference, while Toronto’s length and defensive versatility has created problems for many of its opponents — the Raps have a 6-3 record against the East’s current top three seeds.
Of course, the Hornets (29-30), the Hawks (28-30), and a couple others teams remain in the mix for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, but unless Atlanta can replicate its late-season success from a year ago, a spot in the NBA Finals is an extreme long shot for any of those clubs.
What do you think? Who’s your current pick to come out of the Eastern Conference? How many teams in the wide-open East do you think have a realistic chance to make the NBA Finals?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Which team will win the Eastern Conference?
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Chicago Bulls 23% (1,007)
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Milwaukee Bucks 21% (946)
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Miami Heat 14% (629)
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Philadelphia 76ers 13% (582)
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Boston Celtics 12% (530)
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Cleveland Cavaliers 6% (251)
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Toronto Raptors 5% (237)
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Brooklyn Nets 4% (170)
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Another team 2% (67)
Total votes: 4,419
And-Ones: MVP Race, I. Thomas, Draft, I. Clark
The top two finishers in last season’s MVP voting appear to be the top two candidates for this year’s award too, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Bontemps recently conducted a straw poll of 100 media members and found that Sixers center Joel Embiid narrowly – and unofficially – leads Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic in the MVP race.
As Bontemps details, Embiid received 45 first-place votes from the poll respondents, while Jokic got 43. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (nine), Suns guard Chris Paul (two), and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (one) were the other players who got first-place votes. Interestingly, Embiid was the only player to show up on all 100 five-player ballots, while Jokic was left off five.
Curry received 94 first-place votes when Bontemps conducted a similar straw poll in December, but the veteran sharpshooter has slowed down since his hot start, while players like Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo have made stronger MVP pushes.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to rejoin the Grand Rapids Gold – the Nuggets‘ G League affiliate – after the All-Star break, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Thomas had a very brief stint in Grand Rapids in December, scoring 42 points in his only NBAGL game before getting called up to the NBA. Thomas signed 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks before returning to the open market.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has published a new 2022 mock draft, while Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has updated his top-50 big board. Both draft experts currently have Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren at No. 1 and Jabari Smith of Auburn at No. 2, with Purdue’s Jaden Ivey moving up to No. 3 ahead of Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
- Veteran guard Ian Clark, who has 330 regular season appearances on his NBA résumé and won a title with Golden State in 2017, has signed with the Sydney Kings, the Australian team recently announced in a press release. Clark played in 60 games for New Orleans in 2018/19, but has been out of the NBA since then.
Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Rose, Barrett, Noel, Samanic
In their last game before the All-Star break, the Knicks had one of their worst losses of the season, letting a 28-point lead slip away against a Brooklyn team that was playing without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News contends that the ugly loss will only intensify the scrutiny on head coach Tom Thibodeau, who mismanaged his timeouts earlier in the week against Oklahoma City and faced criticism for keeping RJ Barrett on the court in the final moments of an out-of-reach game last Tuesday (Barrett injured his ankle with less than a minute left and the Knicks down by 15).
While Bondy says “the temperature on the coach’s seat only got hotter” on Wednesday, forward Julius Randle dismissed the idea that the players are tuning out Thibodeau’s message.
“Coach is amazing. I’m riding with Coach every day,” Randle told reporters after the game (video link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). “He challenges us and prepares us very well every day. His message is still ringing clear in the locker room. We’ve just got to execute.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- There’s optimism that point guard Derrick Rose will be able to return to action for the Knicks immediately after the All-Star break next week, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Rose has been unavailable since December 16 due to an ankle injury, but Wojnarowski says it looks like the former MVP should play next Friday vs. Miami, barring any setbacks.
- Thibodeau expressed confidence on Wednesday that Barrett will return right after the All-Star break too, telling reporters that the forward was “pretty close” to being ready but that the team wanted to give him an extra week to get back to 100%, per Steve Popper of Newsday.
- The prognosis wasn’t as positive for Nerlens Noel, who has been bothered this season by knee soreness and has missed the team’s last five games. Asked if Noel may ultimately require surgery, Thibodeau didn’t rule out the possibility, as Popper relays. “Yeah, it’s ongoing, so they’re checking that,” Thibodeau said. “Hopefully it responds better as we go.”
- Thibodeau is viewing the All-Star break as a “chance to reboot” for the Knicks, according to Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. “Everything is on the table now. Everything has to be merit-based. You earn what you get,” the head coach said. “You look at everything. How are we going to manage this. If a guy is playing good, he plays. If the team is functioning well he should play. The team has to come first for everyone.”
- The Knicks’ signing of Luka Samanic to a two-way contract hasn’t worked out, as the big man’s season has been marred by a left heel injury, Marc Berman writes for The New York Post. With Samanic still sidelined, it’s unclear if the team will consider making a change to that two-way slot for the rest of the season, says Berman.
Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Kuminga, Green, Buyout Market
A year ago, James Wiseman was the only member of the Warriors‘ youth movement, writes Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area. As a rookie center with only three games of college experience, Wiseman was asked to contribute right away for a franchise that had gotten used to competing for titles. He played 39 games, starting 27, before knee surgery brought his season to an early end.
This year, Wiseman has been joined by lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, along with Jordan Poole, who is already a dangerous scorer at age 22. Like many in the organization, Wiseman is optimistic about the team’s future and is especially impressed by Kuminga, who has been added to the Rising Stars Challenge.
“I’m actually proud of the dude because he works hard every day,” Wiseman said of Kuminga. “I’m just very proud that he is out there doing his thing.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Wiseman continues to make progress toward his season debut, participating in a 5-on-5 scrimmage on Tuesday, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Wiseman described himself as being in the late stages of the rehab process and said he expects to play a little in the G League before returning for the Warriors.
- Golden State issued a health update on Draymond Green, saying the veteran big man is expected back sometime after the All-Star break. Green has missed 19 straight games with lower back issues, and the next update likely won’t come until he returns to practice.
- General manager Bob Myers said during an appearance on 95.7 The Game that the expected returns of Green and Wiseman influenced his decision to not be active on the trade market. “If we thought Draymond was not going to be back, or Wiseman, and we thought some player would really help us, we would do that,” Myers said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “At this stage, as far as clamoring for a big guy, there isn’t an obvious, ‘Go get that guy,’ and he fits with what we do and can run our offense. It’s not just taking any big and saying, ‘This guy’s going to be able to rebound, block shots and be able to run your offense.’ Our offense is intricate. Our offense is complicated.”
- Coach Steve Kerr echoed the same sentiment, indicating that the Warriors don’t plan to chase anyone who gets bought out, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “Our issues go way beyond not having enough size,” Kerr said. “… If there is a player that good, he’s not on the buyout market.”
Anthony Davis Likely Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Injury
FEBRUARY 17: Davis will likely miss at least two weeks due to his right ankle sprain, according to McMenamin.
Due to the All-Star break, the Lakers will only play three games between today and March 2, but there’s certainly no guarantee Davis will be ready to return on March 3. He’ll undergo an MRI today on his injured ankle, head coach Frank Vogel confirmed after Wednesday’s game.
FEBRUARY 16: X-rays taken after Lakers star Anthony Davis injured his right ankle in tonight’s game were negative, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Davis will receive treatment during the All-Star break, and his condition will be re-evaluated once the break ends.
There’s no sign of a fracture, according to Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register (Twitter link). The team considers it a sprain and isn’t speculating on a possible recovery timeline, adds Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).
Davis took a scary fall in the second quarter of the game against Utah after landing on Rudy Gobert‘s heel and had to be helped to the locker room. The Lakers quickly announced that he wouldn’t return, tweets Bill Oram of The Athletic.
Davis, who has already missed 21 games this season, was sidelined for more than a month in December and January with a sprained MCL in his left knee. He also missed 36 of the 72 games last season.
Another long-term loss of Davis could be devastating for the Lakers, who have dropped three straight games coming into tonight and have fallen into ninth place in the West. They hold a three-and-a-half game lead over the No. 11 Pelicans for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Chris Paul To Undergo MRI On Injured Right Hand
Suns guard Chris Paul will have an MRI Thursday morning after hurting his right hand in tonight’s game against the Rockets, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Paul was ejected from the game in the third quarter after complaining to the officials about the injury, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Shortly after JT Orr whistled him for a technical foul, Paul had a pass deflected by Dennis Schröder and grabbed at his hand in pain after the play. He then bumped into Orr from behind, which drew a second technical and an automatic ejection and may result in further penalties from the league.
Paul was voted into Sunday’s All-Star Game as a reserve, so a replacement will have to be named if he can’t participate.
After leading the Suns to the NBA Finals last season, Paul has remained in the MVP conversation this year at age 36 by averaging 15.0 points and a league-high 10.8 assists through 57 games. A serious injury could affect the balance of power in the West, where Phoenix holds the top seed at 48-10.