Eastern Notes: Ball, Turner, Vucevic, Agbaji, Raptors
Hornets head coach Charles Lee heaps a lot of praise on his star player LaMelo Ball. However, there are areas where Ball can continue to grow, he told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
“The goal for him is to continue to get better every day and I think try to work on his leadership,” Lee said. “But outside of the leadership, just being a great two-way player on both sides of the court. I think that goes into how he can continue to lead by example with his daily defensive preparation. I think that I’ve seen a lot more on-ball pressure, shift activity and multiple efforts from him over the last couple of weeks, which has been great for himself, for our team.
“And I think offensively he continues to take what the game is giving him, which was a big part of our success last game (in San Antonio). If they are going to put two on the ball, he’s trusting the pass, he’s trusting his teammates. If they don’t put two on the ball, it’s a great opportunity for him to be able to score. There’s so many elements that he can continue to add to his game, certainly with the ball. He’s getting better off the ball and that’s all we can ask of him, is to continue to compete and trust his teammates and keep building his leadership.”
In 44 starts, Ball is averaging a career-best 25.4 points, 7.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He’s considered a player to monitor going forward as a possible trade candidate, though at least one report suggested the Hornets have no interest in moving him.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pacers have struggled recently, dropping four of their last six games. Big man Myles Turner feels Indiana can still make a deep run in the postseason, as it did last spring. “We just have all the pieces we need. I think that at times, sometimes teams are like, ‘If only we had this, if only we had that.’ That’s not really the case for us,” Turner told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda.com. “I think we have everything we need to compete. It’s just a matter of making all the pieces fit and just get hot at the right time.”
- The Bulls currently hold the last play-in spot in the East. Center Nikola Vucevic, a prime trade candidate this offseason as his contract expires after next season, says he remains focused on the postseason. “I’m totally focused on being here and trying to help the team make this push,” Vucevic told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Regardless of what’s going on, I try to stay professional. I want to be a teammate that brings it every day, works hard. You don’t want to be the guy where everybody is locked in, and you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing. Totally locked in. Trying to find my rhythm with the [calf] injury. I think if we get healthy, we have a shot, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
- Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji returned on Sunday after missing seven games due to an ankle sprain. He made a significant impact, Michael Grange of Sportnet notes. Agbaji finished with 19 points in a three-point loss to the Trail Blazers while displaying his usual defensive work ethic and athleticism. Toronto has already exercised its $6,383,525 option on Agbaji for next season. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension beginning in July.
- Any efforts the Raptors have made to go into tank mode are being neutralized by some of the other teams aiming for the lottery, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Toronto won games against Washington, Philadelphia and Utah last week.
Northwest Notes: Thybulle, Hartenstein, Holmgren, Jazz, Edwards
Matisse Thybulle played only six minutes in his season debut with the Trail Blazers on Sunday but he made a major impact. He blocked a three-point attempt by Orlando Robinson as time expired in the three-point victory, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes.
“It was fun,” Thybulle said. “My head was spinning a bit, got tired a lot faster than I was expecting, but felt like I fit in well. Felt like I was able to contribute early, which was something I was hoping to be able to do. And then, was able to recover from a mistake late in the game and save it.”
Head coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled to have the defensive stalwart back in action. Thybulle had been sidelined by knee and ankle injuries for most of the 2024/25 season.
“Obviously, you saw how he hadn’t played all year, and game’s on the line, you see, I trust him,” Billups said. “Just throw him out there.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder‘s big man pairing of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren was particularly effective in a win over Milwaukee on Sunday. Hartenstein had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Holmgren had 16 points and eight rebounds. They also combined for six assists. “It’s improved over the course of games we’ve done it. … I think early on, when we were playing that lineup, it was against perimeter oriented teams, which can skew your impression of it,” head coach Mark Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “(Sunday) we used it against a team it was impactful against.”
- The Jazz were fined $100K last week for holding out a healthy Lauri Markkanen, so they tried a new tanking strategy against the Raptors on Friday, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Instead of making Walker Kessler inactive, the Jazz chose to dress the rotation center but not play him. Markkanen sat the entire second half while Collin Sexton played only 20 minutes and was held out during crunch time. That trio started against a much better opponent, the Timberwolves, on Sunday and the Jazz lost by 26 points.
- Anthony Edwards, who was named Western Conference Player of the Week, has improved as a facilitator and The Athletic’s Fred Katz details his development in that aspect. Edwards has especially gotten better in reading defensive coverages and exploiting its weaknesses, Katz notes.
Bucks’ Jericho Sims Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out Four Weeks
Bucks reserve center Jericho Sims underwent surgery on Monday morning to repair a torn ligament on his right thumb, according to a team press release (Twitter link). He is expected to be sidelined for approximately four weeks with a likely return for the playoffs, the statement adds.
Sims suffered the thumb injury on Saturday against the Pacers, but had initially planned to play through it. He finished the game against Indiana and suited up on Sunday against Oklahoma City, playing 12 scoreless minutes with four rebounds.
However, head coach Doc Rivers had indicated before Sunday’s game that the injury wasn’t a minor one and that surgery was one of the treatment options under consideration.
Sims, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has played 14 games off the bench since the Bucks acquired him in a deadline deal. He’s averaging 2.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game with his new team, having earned a rotation role in large part due to Bobby Portis‘ 25-game suspension.
Milwaukee acquired Sims in the four-team deal that sent Khris Middleton to Washington. The former second-round pick out of Texas spent the first three and a half years of his career with the Knicks.
Tyler Smith and Pete Nance could see more playing time the rest of the regular season, as the Bucks are thin at the five spot until Portis’ suspension ends.
Sixers Rule Out Paul George For Rest Of Season
The Sixers have declared that Paul George will miss the remainder of the season due to adductor and knee injuries, officially announcing the decision on Monday (via Twitter).
“George has received injections in both his left adductor muscle and left knee,” the team said in its statement. “Following the procedure, George is medically unable to play and will be out for at least six weeks.”
It’s a fitting conclusion to a lost season for both George, last summer’s top free agent, and the Sixers. The 34-year-old was limited to 41 starts this season due to his injuries. When he did play, it wasn’t up to his usual standards. He averaged 16.2 points per game in 2024/25 after having averaged at least 21.5 PPG in each season since 2015/16. He also put up 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 32.5 minutes per night.
George’s last appearance came on March 4, when he scored just seven points in 30 minutes against Minnesota.
George was Philadelphia’s top target as it hoarded salary-cap space prior to last offseason. He signed a four-year max contract worth approximately $211.6MM in July. He’s due to make $51,666,090 next season and $54,126,380 in 2026/27. He holds a $56,586,670 option for the final year of his contract when he’ll be 37.
The Sixers can only hope that George stays on the court for longer stretches in the next few seasons and the contract doesn’t become an albatross. He was supposed to be the final piece of a championship puzzle, giving the team a high-level wing to join dominant center Joel Embiid and star guard Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid’s lingering knee issues limited him to 19 games before he was ruled out for the rest of the season late last month.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Hardy, Jones, Rockets, Spurs
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been playing some of his best basketball of the season this month, averaging 31.3 points per game on 52.4% shooting in his past six outings. However, the two-time All-Star continues to be bothered by nagging injuries.
After missing Saturday’s win over Miami due to right shoulder soreness, which has been a recurring issue this season, Morant has been ruled out of the Grizzlies’ contest in Sacramento on Monday due to left hamstring soreness, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It will be the 26th game that Morant missed this season and the fifth time that he has been sidelined for multiple consecutive games.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The banged-up Mavericks could get some injury reinforcements soon, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein has heard that Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Kai Jones (left quad strain) are “in contention” to be activated for Wednesday’s game in Indiana. Hardy and Anthony Davis have been recalled from the G League after being assigned to the Texas Legends earlier today to practice (Twitter link).
- Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux of The Athletic take a closer look at the Rockets‘ cap situation, exploring what the team might do this offseason with Fred VanVleet, whose contract includes a $44.9MM team option for 2025/26. Turning down that option and signing VanVleet to a new multiyear deal with a smaller first-year salary might be in the best interests of the Rockets while also benefiting VanVleet, who is 31 years old and may not have many more chances to earn a significant payday.
- The Spurs will be without their top two players – Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox – for the rest of the season, but acting head coach Mitch Johnson doesn’t intend to use injuries as an excuse as his team has slid down the standings to No. 13 in the West. “I don’t think it’s bad luck. I think it’s the league,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ health issues, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “Twenty-five teams are probably going through this. … Every now and then you have a team that has one of those years and kind of stays healthy, no unexpected circumstances. We have had stuff this year. So have a lot of teams we’ve played. No one cares. No one feels sorry for you.”
Dunn, Ellis Among Impact Role Players Ineligible For All-Defense Consideration
In the wake of Tony Allen‘s jersey retirement ceremony in Memphis, John Hollinger of The Athletic revisits Allen’s six All-Defensive seasons for the Grizzlies and notes that the veteran guard wouldn’t have made All-Defense in five of those six years if the NBA’s current 65-game rule had been in place.
The 65-game rule doesn’t simply require players to appear in at least 65 games to earn end-of-season award consideration — it requires them to reach the 20-minute threshold in at least 63 games and to play 15 or more minutes in two others.
Allen came up short of 65 total games in three of his six All-Defensive seasons and had fewer than 63 games of 20-plus minutes in two additional seasons, despite making more than 65 appearances in each of those two years. His résumé isn’t unique among All-Defensive honorees. As Hollinger points out, the entire All-Defense second team in 2021/22 would have fallen short of the 65-game requirement.
With defensive standouts like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis on track to play fewer than 65 games this season, there could be some spots on this year’s All-Defensive teams up for grabs for less obvious candidates. But a few of the league’s most impactful defensive role players are already ineligible for award consideration.
Hollinger singles out Clippers guard Kris Dunn as a prime example. Dunn leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus and ranks second in the league in steal percentage, behind Dyson Daniels. He also ranks third among qualified players in deflections per 36 minutes and has been a driving force behind a Clippers defense that has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.
Dunn has also played in 60 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed the 65-game minimum, but he has played 20-plus minutes in just 44 of those contests. With only 14 games left in the Clippers’ season, Dunn will fall short of the games-played requirement for award consideration, despite a strong case for All-Defense.
Kings guard Keon Ellis is in the same boat, Hollinger observes. Another player with high marks in categories like defensive box plus-minus, steal percentage, and deflections per 36 minutes, Ellis has appeared in 64 games but reached the 20-minute mark in only 41 of them, so he won’t reach the required minimum either.
Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder‘s best defenders, will need to play 20-plus minutes in 10 of the team’s final 14 games to qualify for award consideration. Rockets wing Amen Thompson, currently sidelined due to an ankle sprain, is still seven 20-minute games shy of the required minimum.
Pistons big man Jalen Duren recently argued that his frontcourt mate Isaiah Stewart deserves a spot on an All-Defensive team, and Fred Katz of The Athletic agreed. However, Stewart has long been ineligible for consideration — he has logged at least 20 minutes in just 24 of his 62 outings this season.
The 65-game rule currently only applies to certain awards. A player doesn’t have to meet the criteria in order to qualify for Rookie of the Year, an All-Rookie team, or Sixth Man of the Year.
In Hollinger’s view, All-Defense should get the same treatment, with the 65-game rule either relaxed or eliminated, since players who receive All-Defensive consideration often play much different roles than players who get votes for awards like MVP and All-NBA.
What do you think? Should the requirements of the 65-game rule apply for All-Defensive candidates? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents.
Anthony Edwards, Coby White Named Players Of The Week
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Bulls guard Coby White has won the award for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the second time in Edwards’ career – and the first time this season – that he has earned Player of the Week honors. He led the Timberwolves to a 3-0 week from March 10-16, as the team defeated Denver, Orlando, and Utah by an average of 17.7 points per game.
During those three games, Edwards averaged 32.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .515/.382/.789. His best outing came against Utah on Sunday when he racked up 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting.
White, who is in his sixth NBA season, had never won a Player of the Week award to this point. He’s being recognized for leading the Bulls to a 2-1 week that included wins over Indiana and Brooklyn, as well as a three-point road loss in Houston.
White averaged 27.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 36.5 minutes per game for the week, making 46.2% of his shots from the floor and 94.1% from the free throw line (16-of-17).
Edwards beat out fellow nominees Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Green, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Ja Morant in the West, while Jarrett Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, and Karl-Anthony Towns were the other nominees in the East, according to the league (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Simmons, Offseason, Trade Trends, RefMasters
It has been over a decade since Clippers guard Ben Simmons last played for Australia in an international tournament, but the former No. 1 overall pick tells Grant Afseth of RG.org that he hopes to take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he’s healthy and earns a spot on the Boomers’ roster.
“That’s what I’ve always wanted — to play in the Olympics,” Simmons said. “If I’m healthy and I’m good to go, then I’ll definitely be there.”
Simmons spoke in the past about the possibility of playing in the 2016, 2020, or 2024 Olympics. However, he withdrew in 2016 to prepare for his NBA rookie season and did so again in 2021 to focus on his individual skill development. Ongoing back issues prevented the three-time All-Star from being available for the 2024 event.
In addition to expressing early interest in being part of Australia’s roster for the 2028 Olympics, Simmons voiced his support for Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was named the new head coach of the men’s basketball team last week.
“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Simmons told Afseth. “I’m looking forward to talking to him and getting connected — continue to build our relationship going into the next Olympics.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an entertaining article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus looks ahead to the offseason and identifies three possible targets in free agency or via trade for all 30 teams. There’s some overlap along the way — for instance, Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford is considered a potential trade target for the Hawks, Pacers, Lakers, and Raptors.
- Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, NBA insider Jake Fischer examines some trade-related trends that have been created as a result of the new CBA, including an increase in deals involving three or more teams and a reluctance by teams to use their full mid-level exceptions in free agency, since those exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade. “That will be a new trend,” one team strategist said. “More teams holding their mid-level exception open for the trade deadline.”
- Three years ago, the NBA’s referees released a social and educational app known as RefMasters, which is designed to help improve play calls and to expand the pool of up-and-coming officials. Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic takes a closer look at how it works and what its creators hope to accomplish.
L.A. Notes: Powell, Harden, Hayes, Lakers’ Offseason
The Clippers didn’t ask much from Norman Powell as he returned to the court Sunday night, but they didn’t need a big contribution from their leading scorer in a 35-point win over Charlotte, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Playing for just the second time since the All-Star break, Powell scored seven points in 22 minutes and Carr observed that the enthusiasm he displayed as he skipped onto the court showed his excitement to be playing again.
Carr notes that coach Tyronn Lue has found a way to keep the team successful without Powell’s 23.4 points per game. While he was sidelined, Lue focused the offense around Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac and James Harden.
“(We were) understanding how we want to play through guys,” Lue said, “and I think we’re getting more comfortable playing through Kawhi, playing through Zu, and James is just James.”
L.A. has managed to stay in contention for an automatic playoff spot, trailing sixth-place Golden State by just a game and a half. Powell’s return comes at a good time as the schedule is about to get much tougher with home games this week against Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City.
“We pretty much need to win these games,” Leonard said. “Obviously, James is playing at a great level, Zu too. They played great individual basketball, being efficient and (Bogdan Bogdanovic) being great as well, making threes. It’s just been a collective group of thinking, just making shots that have been helping us.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Harden has a streak of 15 straight playoff appearances that dates back to his rookie season with the Thunder, Carr adds in a separate story. It’s the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history, but he’ll have to go through the play-in tournament to extend it if the Clippers can’t move into the top six.
- The Lakers also welcomed back an important player on Sunday as center Jaxson Hayes returned after missing the four-game road trip with a bruised right knee, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hayes tied his season high with 19 points while shooting 8-of-10 from the field, and Price notes that all his baskets came off assists from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. “Just the vertical spacer is massive,” coach J.J. Redick told reporters before the game. “It’s not just in pick-and-rolls, but it’s on drives. Just the threat of that that Jaxson has provided has been so good for Luka, for LeBron (James), for (Reaves), so excited to get that back.”
- Finding another center will be an offseason priority for the Lakers, whether it’s someone to take over the starting role or serve as a backup to Hayes, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said on his latest podcast (hat tip to BasketNews). L.A. acquired Mark Williams from Charlotte before the deadline, but eventually rescinded the trade due to concerns about Williams’ physical condition. Buha also expects the team to try to work out extensions with Doncic and Reaves and to reach new deals with James and Dorian Finney-Smith. Doncic will become eligible in August for a four-year extension worth an estimated $228.6MM.
Anthony Davis To Begin Practicing With G League Team
The Mavericks have assigned Anthony Davis and Jaden Hardy to their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. The team wants Davis to get some five-on-five work as he prepares for a possible return to action, explains Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Davis will practice today and is “very eager” about the prospect of playing again sometime this season, league sources tell NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). However, the decision to bring back Davis hasn’t been made yet because of the risk of aggravating his injury, Stein adds.
Davis was the centerpiece of the controversial deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers shortly before the trade deadline. Davis got off to a promising start in Dallas, but he suffered a left adductor strain in the third quarter of his February 8 debut and hasn’t been able to play since then.
Head coach Jason Kidd said recently that Davis “continues to trend in the right direction,” and this is further evidence that his comeback may not be far away. The Mavericks badly need reinforcements as they had just eight active players for Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, and their two-way players are nearing the end of their eligibility.
Davis was in the midst of another exceptional season in L.A. before the trade, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 52.8% from the field. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the 10th time, although he wasn’t able to play because of a previous injury.
Hardy, a third-year shooting guard, has been sidelined since March 3 because of a right ankle sprain. He’ll provide another long-distance threat for the Mavericks whenever he’s able to return, as he’s averaging 8.0 PPG and shooting 38.4% from three-point range.
Having Davis and Hardy back would greatly improve Dallas’ chances of holding onto 10th place in the West and earning a spot in the postseason. The Mavs have lost three straight games and eight of their last nine and lead 11th-place Phoenix by just a game and a half.