Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Melton, Maxey, Tucker, King
Dominant performances from Joel Embiid (35 points) and James Harden (29 points and 13 assists) were the difference in the Sixers‘ comeback win over the Knicks on Christmas Day and served as a reminder that the team’s star power can make up for some shortcomings, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Before Embiid and Harden really got rolling and helped the Sixers pull away, De’Anthony Melton played a key role in keeping the club in the game, according to Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that the guard began the afternoon by making his first five 3-point attempts.
The performance bumped Melton’s season-long 3-point percentage to an impressive 39.2% and contributed to ongoing speculation about whether he might keep his spot in the starting lineup even when Tyrese Maxey returns from his foot injury.
According to Mizell, it’s hard to imagine Maxey not eventually regaining his starting job, but if he has a minutes limit when he returns, the team could bring him along slowly by initially having him come off the bench. Melton also could find himself playing crunch-time minutes in certain situations where a defensive specialist is required, Mizell notes, since neither Harden nor Maxey is a lock-down defender.
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- The Sixers’ recent hot streak seems to be renewing enthusiasm about the upside of this year’s squad. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote after Friday’s win over the Clippers that the 76ers are starting to live up to their preseason billing as a title contender, while Rich Hofmann of The Athletic said after Sunday’s victory over New York that the club is finally showing off its offensive firepower. Philadelphia had the NBA’s 17th-best offensive rating (111.2) through its first 24 games, but has posted the league’s third-best mark (118.1) during its current eight-game winning streak.
- Sixers forward P.J. Tucker revealed on Friday that he has been battling a pinched nerve, which he referred to as a “dead hand,” for the last few weeks, tweets Mizell. Tucker has been playing through the injury, but intends to keep working on it with the team’s trainers and physical therapists, Mizell adds.
- In the wake of the Sixers signing Louis King to a two-way contract to replace Saben Lee, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com considers what King could bring to the team, suggesting that the former five-star recruit might be a “more intriguing lottery ticket” than Lee was.
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Stein’s Latest: Kuzma, Tampering, Lasry, Rockets, Wood
There’s a rising belief around the NBA that Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma will be “gettable” prior to this season’s trade deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.
Based on the whispers he has heard, Stein has a hard time envisioning Kuzma wanting to remain in D.C. beyond this season. If the Wizards have heard those same rumblings and consider them credible, it would make sense for the club to recoup some value for the standout forward on the trade market rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Kuzma is enjoying a career year in his second full season with the Wizards, averaging 21.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 3.5 APG in his first 33 games (35.4 MPG). He has a $13MM player option for 2023/24, but has already indicated that he plans to decline it to become an unrestricted free agent.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The penalties the NBA has handed out for tampering and free agency gun jumping have been widely regarded as toothless, Stein writes. “If second-round picks are the only punishment,” one general manager said, “nothing will ever change.” As Stein observes, the NBA made a show of instituting more punitive anti-tampering rules in 2019, but hasn’t taken full advantage of those new measures, including the ability to fine teams up to $10MM for instances of “egregious” tampering.
- There’s has been increased chatter about the possibility that Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry is open to selling his share of the franchise, Stein writes. Lasry and Wes Edens have been the team’s primary owners since 2014.
- Although it seems unlikely that the Rockets would welcome a reunion with James Harden, given how his last stint with the franchise ended, Stein notes that Houston’s rebuild has progressed slowly so far and says team owner Tilman Fertitta is widely believed to be “antsy” to accelerate the process and return to contention. If that’s true, the Rockets could be in the market for veteran help with their cap room next summer even if Harden doesn’t return.
- The “consistent signals emanating from Dallas” in the early part of this season have suggested that a contract extension for Christian Wood is unlikely, according to Stein. Still, he points out that the Mavericks big man has been playing well as of late and had some encouraging moments on defense without needing to play alongside Maxi Kleber.
Blazers’ Winslow Expected To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Trail Blazers forward Justise Winslow, who exited last Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to a left ankle injury, has been officially diagnosed with a grade 2 ankle sprain, the team announced on Monday night in a press release.
Portland didn’t provide a formal timeline for Winslow’s potential return, but indicated he’ll be reevalauted in two weeks, so it’s safe to assume he’ll remain sidelined through at least the first week of January.
Winslow has already missed the Blazers’ last two games. Even if he’s able to return as soon as he’s reevalauted on January 9, he’ll remain on the shelf for another five contests.
Winslow isn’t part of Portland’s starting lineup when the team is fully healthy, but has started 11 of his 29 games this season and ranks sixth on the team with 26.8 minutes per contest. Although his offensive production – 6.8 points per game on .409/.311/.714 shooting – is modest, he’s a versatile defender and solid play-maker (3.4 APG) who grabs a few rebounds per night (5.0).
With Winslow and Nassir Little (hip fracture) unavailable, the Blazers will have to lean more heavily on reserves like Shaedon Sharpe, Trendon Watford, and Keon Johnson in the short term. Offseason signee Gary Payton II is also believed to be nearing his season debut and should provide additional depth off the bench.
Pistons Waive Braxton Key, Sign Jared Rhoden To Two-Way Deal
DECEMBER 27: The Pistons officially waived Key and signed Rhoden on Monday, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
DECEMBER 26: The Pistons are waiving two-way forward Braxton Key and signing guard/forward Jared Rhoden to fill their open two-way spot, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Rhoden, 23, went undrafted over the summer after four years with Seton Hall. He played for Sacramento’s Summer League team and then signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Trail Blazers, but Portland doesn’t have a G League affiliate and he was waived before the season started.
The College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta’s affiliate) secured Rhoden’s G League rights in the NBA G League draft in October. In 16 games (25.3 minutes) with the Skyhawks, he put up 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds on .547/.514/.821 shooting.
Rhoden is the second Skyhawk who will be promoted to a two-way deal today, joining A.J. Lawson, who is reportedly signing with the Mavericks.
Key, 25, spent most of last season in the G League with Philadelphia’s affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, earning a spot on the NBAGL All-Defensive Team. He signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Sixers and appeared in a couple games, then caught on with the Pistons at the end of 2021/22, first on a 10-day contract, then a two-way deal, averaging 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.2 blocks in nine games (21.2 minutes).
The 6’8″ forward has rarely seen the court for the Pistons this season, making just three appearances for nine total minutes. He has spent most of ’22/23 with their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, averaging 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks on .441/.256/.615 shooting in 13 games (31.3 minutes).
Wizards Notes: Avdija, Wright, Goodwin, Hachimura
Wizards forward Deni Avdija practiced on a limited basis on Monday after missing the last two games with lower back soreness, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Avdija is the only player on the injury report and he’s listed as questionable, the team tweets. Will Barton, who has also battled back soreness, practiced on a limited basis as well.
We have more on the Wizards:
- With Rui Hachimura and guard Delon Wright back in the rotation after missing significant time due to injuries, the team’s defense should be on the improve, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post notes. Wright could be the team’s best perimeter defender. “We’ve talked about at length his ability to contain one-on-one,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “Hopefully, that helps minimize some of the points in the paint. He’s got great size, hand activity.”
- Two-way player Jordan Goodwin is expected to remain with the team for the time being despite the return of Wright, Wallace reports in the same story. The Wizards want to avoid overloading Wright, starter Monte Morris and the other guards. Goodwin has a solid grip on the third-string point guard spot over No. 10 pick Johnny Davis, who has appeared in 14 games with the G League’s Capital City Go-Go.
- Hachimura has been indispensable to the Wizards’ second unit this season because of his ability to provide instant offense, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Despite missing 16 games, Hachimura leads the Wizards in double-digit scoring games off the bench with 14. It’s a pivotal season for Hachimura, who’s headed for restricted free agency next summer with a current qualifying offer of $8,486,620.
Community Shootaround: Hield, Turner
Buddy Hield and Myles Turner are two of the bigger names churning through the rumor mill this season. The Pacers’ duo could potentially deliver some valuable assets in a trade, whether they’re packaged together or dealt separately.
The Pacers are at the .500 mark after losing on Monday and would qualify for the play-in tournament if the season ended today. They have two dynamic backcourt pieces in Tyrese Haliburton and Rookie of the Year candidate Bennedict Mathurin.
No one looks at Indiana as a serious contender for the Eastern Conference title. Dealing one or both of those veterans could move the Pacers closer to that eventual goal.
The longest-running rumor involving Hield and Turner is a possible trade for the Lakers’ Russell Westbrook and his expiring contract, along with Lakers’ draft picks. Turner’s name has been linked to a variety of other teams, including the Raptors, Clippers and Warriors.
The two Pacers could help a current contender in very different ways. Hield’s biggest selling point, of course, is his perimeter shooting. He’s currently second in the league in 3-pointers made, as well as percentage of points via the long ball.
Hield is signed for one more season, though his salary actually drops from approximately $21.2MM this year to $19.3MM in 2023/24.
Turner is arguably the league’s premier shot-blocker. He has led the NBA in that category twice and is currently ranked tied for third (2.1 per game). He’s also averaging career bests in points (16.2 PPG), rebounding (7.9 RPG) and 3-point shooting (41.3%).
Turner can be an unrestricted free agent after the season, though he and his reps have reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions with Indiana management regarding an extension.
That brings us to today’s question: Should the Pacers look to deal Hield and/or Turner and collect more future assets? Or should they should hold onto them, and even sign Turner to an extension?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Western Notes: Sabonis, Walker, Wiggins, Warriors
Kings big man Domantas Sabonis has an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets via a team press release. Sabonis suffered the injury against Washington on Friday and the extent of the damage was determined by team physicians and outside specialists. Sabonis, averaging 17.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 6.7 assists, has decided to try to play through the injury and is listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game against Denver.
We have more Western Conference news:
- Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he’ll watch Kemba Walker‘s minutes more carefully, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Walker has missed the last two games due to soreness in his left knee and is listed as questionable to play Tuesday against the Knicks. Walker poured in 32 points in 42 minutes against Cleveland on Dec. 17, shortly after Dallas signed him.
- Andrew Wiggins won’t return to the Warriors’ lineup until he gets more practice time, Kendra Andrews of ESPN tweets. Warriors coach Steve Kerr provided the update on Wiggins, who hasn’t played since Dec. 3 due to a groin injury. He’ll miss his 11th straight game on Tuesday.
- Playing the Grizzlies on Christmas Day provided the Warriors with a much-needed jolt, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. The Warriors, spurred by Memphis’ trash talking, picked up six technical fouls but also a 14-point victory. “I think it gets us to the appropriate level of intensity,” center Kevon Looney said. “We’ve had two guys ejected against them, which is never good. But we usually find a way to win those games. Every time we play them, we have our antennas up. We’re ready to play.”
Atlantic Notes: Brunson, Harris, Grousbeck, Ainge, Achiuwa
The injury news regarding Jalen Brunson isn’t all that bad for Knicks fans who saw their point guard depart the Christmas Day loss to the Sixers during the second half. Brunson has a sore hip and is questionable to play against Dallas on Tuesday, the team tweets. Brunson has not missed a game since signing with the Knicks over the summer.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets forward Joe Harris had an MRI on his sore left knee which revealed only swelling, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. Harris missed his second consecutive game on Monday and will also sit out the road game against Atlanta on Wednesday. The club is hopeful the injury will heal with rest.
- Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck told Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe that he insisted to former Celtics exec and current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge during his coaching search he couldn’t hire both Will Hardy and Joe Mazzulla away from Boston. Ainge, of course, chose Hardy as head coach. Mazzulla became the Celtics’ head man when Ime Udoka was suspended. Ainge was OK with Grousbeck’s demand. “They were very generous to give us permission to talk to them,” he said.
- Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa practiced on Monday and could return sometime this week, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Achiuwa is doubtful for Tuesday’s game against the Clippers. Achiuwa has been out since Nov. 9 with partial ligament tears in his right ankle.
Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo Out Monday For Heat
Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have been ruled out for Monday’s contest against the Timberwolves, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Butler, who recently expressed his frustration with his inability to stay on the court due to a variety of injuries, suffered a right ankle sprain in Friday’s loss to Indiana. The veteran forward was previously listed as questionable, but was ruled out after testing the ankle during Miami’s shootaround on Monday morning, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
Adebayo is dealing with a non-COVID illness. Unlike Butler, he has been mostly healthy this season — this will be his fourth missed game, with the Heat going 1-2 in his three absences thus far, per Winderman.
Unfortunately, Adebayo’s primary backup at center, Dewayne Dedmon, was also ruled out Monday due to “ongoing plantar fasciitis in his left foot,” Winderman adds. The team will likely lean on a pair of rookies (first-rounder Nikola Jovic and two-way big man Orlando Robinson) to fill minutes in the middle.
The Heat have been dinged up seemingly all season long, and being without their two best players certainly won’t help matters tonight. They are currently 16-17, the No. 9 seed in the East.