Community Shootaround: Injuries
Scan the headlines on our website and most of them involve injuries to star players.
Ankle sprains. Toe sprains. Calf strains. Knee soreness. Shin problems. Back problems. You name it, somebody in the trainer’s room has got it.
There are always going to be injuries during the course of a season but it seems as if today’s players are more susceptible, despite supposed advancements in training methods and dietary practices.
Coaches are more than willing to give their regulars an occasional game off, something that commissioner Adam Silver recently addressed concern about, considering that many fans buy tickets to see the best players in action. Early this week, Warriors coach Steve Kerr rested his Big Three and Andrew Wiggins and it wasn’t the only time during the first six weeks of the season he’s done that.
Yet the extra rest doesn’t seem to have any impact on keeping players healthy.
Look back 20 seasons ago and you may be surprised to see how rare it was for top players to sit out a game. Among the top 50 scorers in the 2002/03 season, 32 of them missed five or fewer games during the regular season.
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Allan Houston, Antawn Jamison, Jalen Rose and Jamal Mashburn – all among the top 15 in scoring – appeared in every game. Tim Duncan and Stephon Marbury missed only one game apiece, and Dirk Nowitzki sat out just two games.
The schedule back then was more difficult than it is now. There were more back-to-backs and occasions when teams played four games in five nights. Yet players across the league regularly answered the bell and suited up.
Now, it’s very rare for any player to appear in all 82 games, let alone the stars of the team.
That brings us to today’s question: Why do think so many players are getting injured and nursing ailments? Do you believe current training methods and practices are flawed, or are there other factors at play?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Southeast Notes: Butler, Morris, Wizards, Vaillancourt
Jimmy Butler could rejoin the Heat during their current road trip, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. Coach Erik Spoeltra left that possibility open, indicating that Butler is working out in Miami. Butler, who has been dealing with right knee soreness, has only appeared in 13 games this season and has been sidelined since Nov. 16.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Monte Morris was back in action for the Wizards on Sunday after the point guard missed the last three games because of right ankle soreness, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. However, lottery pick Johnny Davis (right groin soreness), Rui Hachimura (right ankle soreness) and Kyle Kuzma (lower back pain) were inactive.
- Injuries have created havoc for the Wizards’ rotation and weakened their bench, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The Wizards’ second unit is 20th in net rating (-1.2) and 26th in plus/minus (-3.3). The reserves rank 25th offensively (108.6), compared to ninth defensively (109.8).
- Former Hornets broadcaster Gerry Vaillancourt has passed away, according to a team statement tweeted by the P.R. department. He was a radio and TV broadcaster for the team from 1990-2002. The cause of death was a heart condition that Vaillancourt, 72, was diagnosed with 25 years ago, according to Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer.
Atlantic Notes: Brunson, Tucker, Anunoby, Nets
Knicks fans can breathe a sign of relief. There was concern that a right quad contusion could force Jalen Brunson to miss his first game since signing with the club. However, Brunson was in the lineup for their game against Memphis on Sunday, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.
The high-priced free agent entered the game leading the Knicks in scoring (21.8 points per game) and assists (6.5).
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- P.J. Tucker is noted for his defensive prowess, but he can’t be a total non-factor on offense for the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Tucker, who signed a three-year, $33.2MM deal after opting out of the final year of his contract with the Heat, is averaging just 3.7 points and 3.3 shot attempts in 19 starts. “I don’t come down and start the game, thinking about scoring,” he said. “I start the game out thinking about winning, making plays to win and help everybody else get shot in their spots. That’s how I play.”
- Mavericks star Luka Doncic is impressed with the hounding defense that Raptors forward OG Anunoby plays, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Doncic had to work hard to score 26 points in 43 minutes with Anunoby shadowing him. “He’s an amazing player, and I would say on both ends,” Doncic said. “I think he is the steals leader in the NBA, but offensively he got so much better. I’m impressed with his game; he’s an amazing player.”
- Nets guard Kyrie Irving hopes the team can get hot during a seven-game homestand that began with a win over Portland on Sunday, Mark Sanchez of the New York Post writes. “I think this is essential for our season,” Irving said. “Just to be able to establish some great habits at home like we’ve been doing, but now we’ll be tested on a seven-game home stretch. I’m looking forward to just being in front of our fans. But more important, being in front of our home environment and being able to flourish out there.”
Bulls Notes: Williams, Caruso, Inconsistent Output
The play of 21-year-old Bulls starting power forward Patrick Williams has steadily improved month-over-month this season, and the 6’7″ forward out of FSU registered his excitement about that growth, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
As Johnson observes, Williams averaged 7.1 PPG and 2.0 RPG while shooting 35.3% on 2.4 threes per game in October. He is putting up 11.3 PPG and 5.2 RPG thus far in November, while connecting on 50% of his 3.3 long-range looks a night this month.
“I think I’m still figuring it out,” Williams said of his play. “But I’m 100 percent locked in on being the player that I want to be… I always felt I had what it took to be a really good player in this league. But now I’m starting to feel like I have what it takes to be a star and a superstar in this league. I’m kind of trying to take that role on and build on it day-by-day… Kind of trying to take it in my own mind now and show that on the court.”
There’s more out of Chicago:
- Bulls reserve guard Alex Caruso sprained his right ankle during Chicago’s overtime loss to the Thunder on Friday. He sat out the contact components of a team practice Sunday due to the injury, and is now questionable to play for Chicago against the Jazz on Monday, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I just know there was a point in regulation where I could tell his foot was bothering him,” head coach Billy Donovan said regarding the timing of the injury. “The last 2 minutes of overtime, it looked like he planted and I could tell he winced pretty severely. He said, ‘You gotta take me out.’ He didn’t feel like he could move well enough.”
- The 8-11 Bulls have had an up-and-down season thus far. Chicago is continuing to strive for steadier output this season, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley notes that the team’s middling record belies some of its more impressive performances, including a pair of victories over the Celtics and wins over the Bucks, Raptors and Heat. Losing several close games in 2022/23 has cost Chicago. “I think that’s just where we are,” All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan said. “Kind of went through so many emotions already 20 games into the season. Sometimes you’ve got to soak in that hurt and kind of generate that to being competitors, and that’s where I think we are now.’’ The team is hoping to stack up some wins on the remaining four games of its road trip, but will have to do so against several postseason-contending Western Conference clubs in the Jazz, Suns, Warriors, and Kings.
- In case you missed it, All-Star Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine was initially upset at being benched late in the fourth quarter last week, during an eventual 108-107 loss to the Magic. LaVine later clarified that he holds no ill will toward Donovan for the benching.
Southwest Notes: Alvarado, Ingram, Kidd, Collins
Pelicans reserve point guard Jose Alvarado has evolved into an important contributor for New Orleans in his second season, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic in an extensive feature. Guillory notes that Alvarado provides the Pelicans with a burst of energy in his minutes off the bench, especially on defense.
“A lot of people told me that the sophomore year is a slump year for some guys,” Alvarado told Guillory in an interview. “I wanted people to say, ‘Oh, he improved. What else can he do?’ … Obviously, the GTAs and playing defense is who I am. I accept that. But I’m also a complete basketball player. I can be a great point guard. I’m a knockdown shooter. I think there are a lot of things I can do on the court to help this team.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans All-Star small forward Brandon Ingram is considered day-to-day with a left big toe contusion, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). Lopez adds that imaging indicated the ailing digit had incurred no serious structural damage.
- The 9-9 Mavericks have lost three straight games, but the team is striving to stay focused, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is currently 1-6 in its road games, and will play an excellent Bucks club in Milwaukee on Sunday in the second game in a back-to-back set. The club has struggled mightily from long range. “We’re able to get into the paint,” head coach Jason Kidd noted. “We’re able to get to the rim and finish. But right now we’re just not shooting the ball straight.”
- Spurs reserve center Zach Collins was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from Saturday’s 143-138 loss to the visiting Lakers after he hit L.A. point guard Russell Westbrook in the head while fighting for a rebound. Per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News, the impact was not deliberate. “I shouldn’t have jumped on the pump fake, but I did,” Collins said. “And then the worst thing you can do is give up an and-one in that situation, so I was just trying to come down and hit his arm so the ball wouldn’t get up to the rim.”
Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Milton, Niang, Toppin, Harris
Raptors star big man Pascal Siakam, who has been sidelined with a right adductor strain since November 4, was cleared for contact and fully participated in a team practice on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (via Twitter).
Lewenberg tweets that Siakam feels that he is improving daily, and remains deferential to Toronto’s medical staff when it comes to managing his ailment.
Toronto has upgraded Siakam’s status to questionable ahead of the team’s game against the Cavaliers on Monday night, reports Marc Stein (Twitter link). If Siakam is determined to be not quite ready for Monday’s game, he could return to the floor against the Pelicans on Wednesday, Lewenberg adds.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Sixers reserves Shake Milton and Georges Niang, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents in 2023, have been playing well in the absence of injured Philadelphia stars James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, writes Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Neubeck notes that Milton, who hadn’t received much playing time of late, has exhibited an enticing display of scoring, ball-handling, and off-ball defense as a fill-in starter that could earn him more minutes long-term. Neubeck adds that Niang’s reliable three-point shot has opened up the team’s offense when he plays.
- Knicks backup power forward Obi Toppin is hoping to return to his early-season long-range shooting form, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I feel like I’m still taking the right shots, it’s just not falling,” Toppin told Botte following a practice on Saturday. “I’m just in a little lull right now, and I’m gonna break out of that real soon. Have to start hitting shots again, and continue making the right plays. But I know I don’t have to shoot good to play good.” Toppin has shot just 16.7% from deep in his last five games. The 6’9″ big man had made 42.4% of his triples during New York’s first 14 contests.
- Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris has seen his minutes reduced as his three-point shooting takes a dip, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Harris has shot just 2-of-16 from the floor across his last three Brooklyn games. “We really shortened the rotation,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. Only eight Nets players logged for 10 minutes or more in a 128-117 Friday loss to the Pacers. At 12:02, Harris played the fewest minutes among that top eight.
Five G League Players Making Bids For NBA Call-Ups
The NBA G League’s regular season won’t begin for another month, but all 30 NBAGL teams are currently competing in the Showcase Cup, a round-robin event that culminates in a single-elimination tournament at the G League’s Winter Showcase from December 19-22.
We’re only midway through the 16-game Showcase Cup, with each NBAGL team having played between seven and 10 games so far, but a number of standout performers are making their mark.
Some of those top players, like Luka Garza of the Iowa Wolves or Jaden Hardy of the Texas Legends, are already under contract with NBA teams and aren’t free agents. But many of the G League players turning heads are free to sign with any NBA club at any time.
Listed below are five early G League standouts who are making strong cases to be considered for NBA call-ups at some point this season. This is hardly a comprehensive list of the NBAGL’s top performers — it’s a safe bet that many more will receive NBA consideration in the coming days, weeks, or months, especially when the 10-day signing period begins in January. But these five players are worth singling out for their early-season play.
Let’s dive in…
Sharife Cooper, G, Cleveland Charge
A two-way player with the Hawks last season, Cooper accepted a two-way qualifying offer from Atlanta in July, but was waived shortly thereafter and spent training camp with the Cavaliers, becoming an affiliate player for Cleveland.
In 10 games so far for the Charge, Cooper has been one of the G League’s most dynamic offensive players, pouring in 25.3 points per game on .489/.433/.811 shooting while also chipping in 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per night.
Cooper isn’t a consistent defender, but his offensive ability will intrigue NBA evaluators. He’s the G League’s reigning Performer of the Week after posting back-to-back 40-point games on November 15 and 17 and has helped lead the Charge to a 6-4 record.
Carlik Jones, G, Windy City Bulls
Jones, 25 next month, got a brief taste of NBA action last winter as a 10-day hardship signee for the Mavericks and the Nuggets, appearing in five total games for the two teams. After spending training camp with the Bulls, he’s back in the G League this season for the Windy City Bulls, whose 6-2 record places them atop the Central.
Jones has been a major reason for Windy City’s early success, leading the team with 17.5 PPG and 8.1 APG. After struggling to consistently make his three-pointers in his first pro season in 2021/22, the former Louisville standout is hitting 41.9% of his treys so far this season and making 1.6 per game.
Jay Huff, F/C, South Bay Lakers
Huff began the 2021/22 season on a two-way contract with the Lakers and made brief appearances in four NBA games before being waived in January. The 24-year-old is still in the organization at South Bay and has emerged as one of the G League’s most fearsome rim protectors — he has blocked 35 shots in his first eight games this season and comfortably leads the league with 4.4 BPG.
Huff’s impact has gone beyond his shot-blocking ability. He’s also one of South Bay’s go-to scorers, averaging 17.9 PPG on 68.1% shooting; he leads the club with 8.9 RPG; and he has even shown off some play-making ability, averaging 3.1 APG.
If Huff can boost his three-point rate a few points (currently 29.4%), he’ll become an even more appealing target for NBA teams looking to develop a frontcourt prospect.
James Akinjo, G, Westchester Knicks
Although Akinjo earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team during his final college season in 2021/22, the Baylor guard struggled mightily with his shot, making just 38.3% attempts from the field and 29.5% from beyond the arc. So it has been encouraging to see him boost those averages to 46.4% and 46.7% in his first seven G League games.
The Westchester Knicks are just 1-6 so far, but Akinjo has been a bright spot, pouring in 19.9 points per night and tying for the G League lead with an impressive 11.1 assists per game.
Jontay Porter, F/C, Wisconsin Herd
The younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., Jontay Porter is a former five-star recruit whose college career was derailed by a pair of ACL tears. He’s still just 23 years old though and has been healthy through the Herd’s first 10 games.
Despite playing just 26.2 minutes per game and primarily coming off the bench, Porter has filled up the box score in Wisconsin, averaging 16.2 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.8 BPG while making 3.1 three-pointers per game at a 46.3% rate.
The Grizzlies took a flier on Porter during the 2020/21 season and played him in 11 games — it may be just a matter of time before he earns another shot at the NBA level.
Draft-And-Stash Prospect Ismael Kamagate Hopes To Play For Nuggets In 2023/24
French center Ismael Kamagate remained in his home country after being selected 46th overall in the 2022 NBA draft and is spending the season with Paris Basketball. However, Kamagate – whose NBA rights are held by the Nuggets – hopes to make the move stateside next summer, he told Julien Lesage of Le Parisien (hat tip to Dario Skerletic of Sportando).
According to Kamagate, he’s in frequent contact with the Nuggets’ scouts, coaches, and general manager Calvin Booth.
“They often come to Paris, they come to the games, we talk about my performance,” Kamagate said. “They tell me what I need to work on, so it’s going well, it’s constructive. I have to show that they can trust me.”
Competing in France’s top basketball league (LNB Pro A) and the EuroCup, Kamagate has been impressive so far this season, averaging 10.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.1 BPG in 13 total games, with an eye-popping .811 FG%. The 21-year-old told Le Parisien that he’s happy he chose to spend the year in Paris, but likes the idea of playing next season in Denver, which he referred to as a “very nice city.”
“It is inspiring to think that one day I will be able to train and play with Nikola Jokic,” Kamagate said.
As long as they have space on their standard roster, the Nuggets would be able to bring Kamagate over on a one- or two-year minimum-salary contract or a two-way deal at any time, including in the 2023 offseason. If they want to give him a three- or four-year commitment, the Nuggets would have to use cap room or some of their mid-level exception to sign him.
We’ll have to wait to see whether or not the big man is in Denver’s plans for 2023/24.
T.J. Warren Nearing Nets Debut
Nets forward T.J. Warren is targeting a December 2 return vs. Toronto, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Instagram video link). That would mean Warren would remain sidelined for three more games before making his season debut at home on Friday.
Warren, who signed with Brooklyn as a free agent during the offseason, has been on the shelf since December 29, 2020 due to foot problems, so if he can make it back this week, it would be his first NBA game action in nearly two years.
Although the Nets haven’t confirmed Charania’s report, the team has been sharing positive updates on Warren’s rehab process. Most recently, head coach Jacque Vaughn said on Friday that the veteran had progressed to a “mix of five-on-five with coaches and players,” per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.
Warren was one of the NBA’s most impressive players during the 2020 bubble in Orlando, averaging 31.0 PPG in six games to increase his season-long scoring average for 2019/20 to a career-high 19.8 PPG on .536/.403/.819 shooting.
The Nets presumably aren’t expecting to see that version of Warren right out of the gate following such a lengthy absence. But even if he’s not quite his old self, the 29-year-old is capable of providing a boost to the club’s offense, and he has the size and athleticism necessary to guard multiple positions on defense.
Hoops Rumors Glossary: Ted Stepien Rule
While a rule like the Gilbert Arenas provision can flatter its namesake, the late Ted Stepien, former owner of the Cavaliers, may have preferred not to go down in history as the reference point for the Ted Stepien rule.
Stepien owned the Cavs in the early 1980s, and made a number of trades that left the franchise without first-round picks for several years. As a result, the NBA eventually instituted a rule that prohibited teams from trading out of the first round for consecutive future seasons. It’s now informally known as the “Stepien rule,” even though the Cavs owner isn’t explicitly mentioned in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Because the Stepien rule applies only to future draft picks, teams are still permitted to trade their first-rounders every year if they so choose, but they can’t trade out of the first round for back-to-back future drafts.
For instance, since the Celtics have traded their 2023 first-round pick to Indiana, they aren’t currently permitted to trade their 2024 first-rounder. Following the 2023 draft, the Celtics would regain the right to trade that 2024 first-round pick, since their ’23 first-rounder will no longer be considered a future pick.
The Stepien rule does allow a team to trade consecutive future first-round picks if the team has acquired a separate first-rounder from another team for either of those years. So if Boston were to trade for another team’s 2023 first-rounder, that would give the Celtics the flexibility to move their 2024 pick without having to wait until after the 2023 draft.
Teams are permitted to include protection on draft picks. This can create complications related to the Stepien rule, which prevents teams from trading a first-round pick if there’s any chance at all that it will leave a team without a first-rounder for two straight years.
For example, the Trail Blazers have traded a lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick to Chicago — it will only convey if it falls outside of the top 14. That traded 2023 pick is protected all the way through 2028, and as long as there’s still a chance it won’t convey immediately, the Blazers are prevented from unconditionally trading any of their next few first-round picks.
Portland could trade a conditional 2025 first-round pick, but a team acquiring that pick would have to accept that it would be pushed back one year every time the pick Portland has traded to Chicago doesn’t convey.
[RELATED: Traded first round picks for 2023 NBA draft]
Teams will have to take the Stepien rule into account at this season’s trade deadline as they mull including draft picks in deals. It’s why the Lakers, for instance, don’t currently have a tradable first-round pick prior to 2027.
As part of the Anthony Davis blockbuster, Los Angeles agreed to send its 2024 first-rounder to New Orleans, but the Pelicans have the option to defer that pick until 2025. As a result, the Lakers can’t trade their 2023 or 2026 first-rounder, since moving either one could put them in position to be without first-round picks in consecutive future years.
Here are a few more rules related to trading draft picks:
- The “Seven Year Rule” prohibits teams from trading draft picks more than seven years in advance. During the 2022/23 season, a 2029 draft pick can be traded, but a 2030 pick cannot be dealt.
- The Seven Year Rule applies to protections on picks as well. If a team wants to trade a lottery-protected 2029 first-rounder at this year’s deadline, it can’t roll those protections over to 2030. For example, one of the picks the Timberwolves sent to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade is a top-five protected 2029 first-round pick. If that pick falls in its protected range, Utah will instead receive Minnesota’s 2029 second-rounder, since picks in 2030 and beyond were off limits when the two teams negotiated the protections.
- A team can add protection to a pick it has acquired as long as there wasn’t already protection on the pick. For instance, the Jazz currently control the Timberwolves‘ unprotected 2023 first-round pick. If Utah wants to include that selection in a trade, the team could put, say, top-three protection on it.
- For salary-matching purposes, a traded draft pick counts as $0 until the player signs a contract.
Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.
Earlier version of this post were published in previous years.