Vit Krejci Has Left Knee Procedure, Back By Start Of Next Season
Rookie Thunder shooting guard Vit Krejci addressed a left knee injury with an arthroscopic procedure, according to Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman (Twitter link). Oklahoma City expects Krejci to return to the floor by the beginning of the 2022/23 NBA season, Mussatto tweets.
Mussatto points to the surgery as the probable reason behind Krejci’s missing the team’s exit interviews on Tuesday.
After signing a multiyear contract ahead of the 2021/22 NBA season, the 21-year-old appeared in 30 games in his first NBA season, averaging 6.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 1.9 APG. He posted shooting splits of .407/.327/.864.
Krejci was a small part of a concerted youth movement for a rebuilding 24-58 Thunder squad. The team has been accumulating draft assets and prioritizing young players around star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It remains to be seen whether this injury will set back Krejci’s role in the team’s rotation next season.
California Notes: Fox, Sabonis, Clippers, Wiggins, Gasol
With a 27-49 record, the Kings are on track to miss any kind of NBA postseason for the 16th straight year. Sacramento currently sits at the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference, 4.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Spurs for a chance at a play-in tournament appearance. As the team’s opportunity to qualify for the play-in slips away, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee wonders if top scorers De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will return to the hardwood this year.
The Kings have just six games left on their schedule for the 2021/22 NBA season. Fox has missed the club’s last five games with right hand soreness, while Sabonis has sat for the last three due to a left knee bone bruise.
“Well, we’ll see,” interim head coach Alvin Gentry commented on the two Kings veterans’ availability this year. “They’re working out every day and they’re trying to get to the point where they can come back and play, so we won’t know that. It’s a day-by-day thing. I don’t know any other way to answer it but that. … Fox is on the [team’s current road] trip with us. He’s spending a lot of time working out and trying to see where it takes him.”
There’s more out of California:
- Prior to Paul George‘s return to the floor tonight against the Jazz, the Clippers have had to handle the majority of their NBA season without George or his fellow All-Star Kawhi Leonard, writes Mark Medina of NBA.com. Including tonight, George will have missed 49 of L.A.’s 76 games thus far this season, while Kawhi hasn’t played at all. The team has held steady without George and Leonard, and seems to have a firm grip on the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 36-39 record as of this writing. “We’re building that foundation and culture that we can win, no matter who’s on the floor,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I think we’ve taken on that mentality.” A midseason team meeting helped steady the Clippers’ resolve. Veterans Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson were particularly vocal during the team discussion, Medina reveals. Lue has been open to experimenting with his players this season, opting to employ 24 unique starting lineups so far.
- After making the first All-Star team — and first All-Star start — of his NBA career, Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins has failed to step up as a scorer with his starrier veteran teammates sidelined or playing hurt, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Instead, Wiggins has regressed. During a recent five-game road trip, the Warriors went 1-4, and Wiggins failed to take on more of the scoring load. He averaged 16.6 PPG on 41.1% field goal shooting, and coughed up the ball 2.4 times a night. “We expected more out of everybody,” starting center Kevon Looney said of the team’s performance. “I wouldn’t just put it all on him… We all had some plays and some things we would want to do better in that game, so I wouldn’t just put it on [Wiggins].”
- During a conversation on The Old Man And The Three with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter podcast, retired six-time All-Star big man Pau Gasol said that he is weighing the possibility of an off-court position with the Warriors. “I’m exploring a potential role with a team,” Gasol said. “I’ve been going a little bit under the radar with the Warriors, and they’ve kind of opened their doors for me to come in and be part of meetings, see the guys a little bit, and talk to some of the guys.” In a legendary 18-year NBA career, the seven-footer suited up for the Grizzlies, Lakers, Bulls, Spurs and Bucks. Gasol appeared in three NBA Finals and won two titles with the Lakers.
Southwest Notes: Brooks, Bane, Murray, Zion
Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks aimed some critical comments toward former teammate Andre Iguodala, following Memphis’s blowout 123-95 victory over Iguodala’s Warriors on Monday, as Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area relays.
“We all had the vision,” Brooks said in press conference remarks following the contest. “He didn’t, which is perfect. Send him back to the Warriors and let him do his thing over there.”
Iguodala famously opted against joining the Grizzlies upon being traded from Golden State to Memphis in 2019. Instead, the veteran practiced away from the club in anticipation of a trade or buy-out. The Heat would eventually trade for a package top-lined by Iguodala and Jae Crowder ahead of a 2020 NBA Finals run. Iguodala would remain with Miami until the summer of 2021, during which the three-time champion signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal to return to the Warriors.
“From the beginning, we were growing a base, we had a base and we kept building and building and building and more guys got on the train and we were able to create something like this and keep building this dynasty and this program up to new heights,” Brooks said of the Grizzlies, currently the West’s No. 2 seed thanks to a 53-23 record. “Just an amazing feeling to see guys grow every single year. I’ve been here the longest so I’m just happy to see each player grow in their role and to try to exceed their role, which is amazing to see.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who has enjoyed a breakout year in Memphis, is relishing his tenure as a reserve point guard in the absence of injured All-Star Ja Morant, writes Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant’s backup, Tyus Jones, has moved into a starting role. “It’s growing on me a little bit,” Bane said of running point. “At first I liked playing off the ball, but I’m starting to get more comfortable kind of figuring out my spots and where I can attack with the ball in my hands.” For the first time ever at the NBA level, the second-year guard recently notched four straight games with five assists or more.
- At 2.1 steals per game, Spurs All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray is the first San Antonio player to lead the league in steals since former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard did so during the 2014/15 NBA season, notes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “He’s got a natural ability in that area,” raved head coach Gregg Popovich said. “He reads things and sees the spatial relationships. That’s all him.” Murray himself cites his speed for this defensive skill. “I think that’s just me having quick hands, the vision of it, knowing how to time it,” Murray said. “I’m not in it to be the league leader. That’s just Dejounte trying to be active on both ends of the floor. If that helps us get wins, I’m going to continue to try and get better at it.” Thanks in large part to the play of Murray, the 31-44 Spurs have climbed their way into the Western Conference’s play-in tournament bracket as the present No. 10 seed, though they are tied by record with the Lakers.
- 2021 All-Star Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who has missed the entire 2021/22 NBA season thus far due to a foot fracture, traveled with his teammates on a multi-game road trip for the first time this year, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, though Williamson is still indefinitely sidelined, he appears to be approving in his rehab. The 32-43 Pelicans are the West’s ninth seed even sans Williamson, and appear poised to make a play-in tournament appearance.
Lakers Health Updates: Davis, Nunn, LeBron, Gabriel
Lakers star big man Anthony Davis is aiming to return to action this weekend, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Davis has been shelved since spraining his right foot and MCL on February 16. He has missed 37 games for Los Angeles all told this season, including the past 17. The 6’10” big man has produced at a typically high clip this year when healthy, but his shooting numbers and defense have dipped. He is averaging 23.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.3 BPG and 1.2 SPG through his 37 healthy contests.
Sporting a 31-44 record, the Lakers currently occupy the Western Conference’s 11th seed. The team owns a record identical to that of the tenth-seeded Spurs, but the Spurs sport a better intra-conference record. Even with Davis back in the fold this weekend, an extended absence for LeBron James could doom the depth-challenged team’s play-in tournament odds.
The rest of L.A.’s schedule will not get much easier down the home stretch of the 2021/22 season. Across five of their final seven games, the Lakers will face off against four Western Conference playoff-bound teams in the Jazz, Nuggets (twice), Suns, and Warriors.
Here are a few more Lakers-related health updates:
- Haynes’ sources have informed him that combo guard Kendrick Nunn, one of just five Lakers players earning more than the minimum this year, is expected to miss the rest of the 2021/22 season. Nunn has not played a single game for Los Angeles since incurring a bone bruise in his knee during the 2021 preseason. He signed a two-year, $10MM contract with L.A. during the 2021 offseason with a player option for 2022/23. Given his health predicament, it seems likely he will pick up that option.
- According to Haynes, All-Star forward LeBron James is expected to miss his second consecutive game on Thursday after rolling his ankle during a 116-108 loss to the Pelicans on Sunday. Thursday would mark the four-time MVP’s 20th missed contest this year.
- Reserve power forward Wenyen Gabriel, who has emerged as an important role player for Los Angeles, has been listed as day-to-day going forward after suffering a left ankle sprain, tweets Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Didi Louzada May Make Blazers Debut This Week
Trail Blazers wing Didi Louzada has been listed as probable to debut for Portland on Wednesday when his new team faces his former team, the Pelicans, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN (via Twitter).
Yesterday, Portland revealed that big man Jusuf Nurkic and guards Eric Bledsoe and Anfernee Simons would join star point guard Damian Lillard on the shelf for the rest of the 2021/22 NBA season as the team looks towards the future.
Since being included in the blockbuster trade that sent shooting guard CJ McCollum to the Pelicans, Louzada has been recovering from a meniscus surgery he underwent while still with New Orleans.
The second-year wing has appeared in just two games during the 2021/22 season. He could get some extended time for a tanking 27-48 Trail Blazers club hopeful to avoid a play-in tournament appearance.
The 23-year-old has had a checkered NBA run thus far. Louzada was selected with the No. 35 pick in the 2019 draft by the Hawks, before having his draft rights traded to the Pelicans. He played with the Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL from 2019-21, then signed a contract with the Pelicans late into the 2020/21 NBA season, and appeared in three contests for New Orleans that year.
The NBA dealt Louzada a 25-game suspension due to a drug policy violation at the start of the 2021/22 season. He tore his medial meniscus in late January while playing a game for the team’s G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. The 6’5″ guard would eventually have a surgical procedure to treat the ailment in February.
Brandon Knight Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Mavericks
Free agent combo guard Brandon Knight has signed his second 10-day contract with the Mavericks, the team has announced in a press release (via Twitter). The Mavs, who have a full 15-man roster, completed the signing via the COVID-related hardship exception.
The 6’2″ veteran first inked a 10-day hardship exception deal with the Mavericks in December. In three appearances for Dallas, Knight averaged 10.0 PPG, 2.7 APG and 2.3 RPG across 18.2 MPG.
Across eight NBA seasons, the 30-year-old has averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.0 APG and 3.1 RPG in 449 contests. Knight was first selected by the Pistons out of Kentucky in 2011. The well-traveled Knight has also suited up for the Bucks, Suns, Cavaliers and Rockets.
In the short term, Knight could pick up some minutes with reserve guards Sterling Brown and Trey Burke both currently in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Dallas is in the midst of a concerted push up the Western Conference standings. The team has gone 6-4 across its last ten games and is currently the No. 4 seed in the West with a 46-29 record, just 1.5 games behind the Warriors, who could be without All-Star point guard Stephen Curry for several more games. Knight will add veteran leadership and scoring off the bench without Brown and Burke.
Since his first 10-day deal with Dallas expired, Knight has been suiting up for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBAGL, averaging 15.1 PPG, 4.4 APG and 3.5 RPG in 14 games.
Iowa Forward Keegan Murray Declaring For Draft
Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray, currently the No. 5 player on the ESPN big board, is declaring for the draft, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Murray played a bench role during his freshman season, averaging 7.2 PPG across 18 MPG as the offense focused around reigning 2020 Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza, a senior in 2020/21. Garza was eventually selected with the No. 52 pick by the Pistons during the 2021 draft.
As a sophomore, Murray handily established himself as a lottery prospect after gaining 15 pounds and growing an inch. In 35 games in 2021/22, he averaged 23.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 1.9 BPG across 32 MPG, posting a stellar shooting line of .554/.398/.747. Murray was voted Big Ten Tourney MVP in leading the Hawkeyes to the 2022 Big Ten tournament title.
Givony notes that the 21-year-old is presently a candidate for 2022 John R. Wooden, Naismith and Lute Olson awards. The 6’9″ forward looks likely to slot in as a versatile addition for whichever NBA club he joins, having operated at a variety of positions for Iowa and in his high school days at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“Before I came to Iowa I always played on the wing,” Murray said. “This was the first time I played the 4 and 5. We were small in the Big Ten. I’ll do whatever is needed to win because of my skill-set. This year I needed to play the 5. I feel like in the NBA, I can play 2 to 5. I can adapt to any position I’m put in.”
“I’m looking forward to showing NBA teams my versatility on both ends of the court,” the 2022 consensus All-American First Teamer added. “I’m a lot more athletic than people realize. I’m as competitive a player as you’re going to get. It doesn’t show from my facial expressions, but I love the game of basketball and competing every single night was a blessing for me. I’m not worried about what spot I get drafted.”
Sixers Notes: Maxey, Embiid, Harden, Title Chances
While All-Stars Joel Embiid and James Harden will play larger roles, the contributions of second-year Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey could be an X-factor in determining the postseason ceiling for this star-studded Philadelphia club, writes Jared Dubin of FiveThirtyEight.
Maxey’s true shooting numbers have risen dramatically since Harden joined the team and Maxey shifted to off-ball duties more often, Dubin notes. His scoring averaged has increased, even as his usage and assist numbers have dropped a bit. Maxey, who has yet to be a net positive defender, will need to maximize his abilities on that end for Philadelphia to make a playoff push, Dubin adds.
There’s more out of Philly:
- Sixers All-Star guard James Harden thinks his teammate, All-Star center Joel Embiid, is worthy of 2022 MVP honors, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “He deserves it, man,” Harden said. “I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I already see his mindset. He wants to win. Some guys just want numbers, but he has both. He has the mentality of winning, and he scores the ball at a high level. I think he’s prepared himself, especially coming off last year, for this year to be one of his best years.” Through 60 games for Philadelphia, Embiid is averaging 29.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 4.3 APG. With a 46-27 record, the Sixers are currently the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference.
- Harden continues to work through lingering left hamstring tightness, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He’s still not there,” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said. “But [in] three weeks, we really feel at the time, he’ll be there at 100%.” Harden has put up solid numbers in the games he has been able to play for Philadelphia, averaging 23.0 PPG, 9.9 APG, and 7.6 RPG across 13 contests.
- The Sixers now sit atop the Eastern Conference by percentage points over the Heat, losers of four straight. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if, record aside, Philadelphia is truly ready reach the NBA Finals this year. “Our focus is getting better every single day,” Joel Embiid reflected on the team’s development throughout the season. “We are not worried about the standings. We just want to get to a point where we know what we know we are doing at all times on the court, especially on the offensive side.”
Taurean Prince Fined $15K By NBA
The NBA has announced (via Twitter) that it is penalizing Timberwolves backup power forward Taurean Prince to the tune of $15K for “making an obscene gesture” during the third quarter of the club’s 116-95 victory over the Mavericks on Friday.
Prince got into an altercation with Dallas All-Star guard Luka Doncic, resulting in both players being assessed technical fouls, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). The win was big for the Timberwolves, who trail the Mavericks by just 2.5 games for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota is currently the No. 7 seed.
The 6’7″ Prince is averaging 7.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG across 16.7 MPG in a largely reserve role for an upstart Minnesota club. He boasts shooting splits of .458/.380/.764 in his first season with the team. A 2022 unrestricted free agent, Prince is in the last year of a two-season, $25.3MM deal he signed with the Nets in 2020.
Sporting a 43-32 record, Minnesota is in a good position to make its first postseason appearance since 2018, largely behind the play of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and second-year shooting guard Anthony Edwards. Prince has value around the league as a switchable veteran forward with shooting prowess, and could very well opt to sign the best possible deal for himself rather than sticking around in Minnesota next season.
Pistons Notes: Bagley, Jackson, Grant, Cunningham
New Pistons reserve power forward Marvin Bagley III, a restricted free agent this summer, is hoping to stick around Detroit on his next contract, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
The Pistons, currently the No. 14 seed in the East, are 6-9 in their games with Bagley available. Beard observes that the former No. 2 overall pick has shown his scoring touch in many of those contests, hitting double figures in 13 of his 15 games with his new club. The fourth-year big man, who holds averages of 14.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.9 SPG across 27.1 MPG for his new team, has been a good fit in Detroit’s offense thanks to his skills as a post scorer, according to Beard.
“I’m telling you, this team is going to be great. We’ve got a lot of great pieces and I’m excited to be here and a part of it, and just building something with this team,” Bagley said. “We’ve got a great team here and we’re going to be something special if we continue to lock in on that and look at the bigger picture and continue to keep getting better every single day.”
Boasting a roster full of high lottery draft selections, including Bagley and 2021 top pick Cade Cunningham, the 20-54 Pistons appear well-positioned to build for the future. Their low standing this season guarantees that they will be able to add another lottery prospect in the 2022 draft.
There’s more out of Detroit:
- This past Friday, Pistons reserve point guard Frank Jackson was available for Detroit for the first time in 11 games following a lingering spine issue. Jackson played without any limits on his availability, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “No one [including Jackson] has minute restrictions at all,” Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said ahead of the game, a 100-97 loss to the Wizards. “He went through practice yesterday and shootaround today. We’ll be smart with it and not have him out long stretches just to be prudent. But he should be 100%.” The fourth-year guard is averaging 10.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.0 APG in 22.2 MPG for Detroit this year. He scored two points in 14:56 minutes of action Friday.
- Pistons starting power forward Jerami Grant left Detroit’s most recent contest against the Wizards with a left calf strain and did not return to action, the team announced (Twitter link). He remains sidelined today for Detroit’s afternoon contest against the Knicks, and Bagley is starting in his stead.
- Pistons rookie point guard Cade Cunningham has emerged as a late-season contender for Rookie of the Year honors. James Edwards III of The Athletic examines Cunningham’s case for the award. Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Magic wing Franz Wagner, and Thunder shooting guard Josh Giddey are the other top candidates. Cunningham’s stellar counting stats of 17.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 5.5 APG are cited, though his inefficient scoring is listed as a detriment. To be fair, an ankle injury forced Cunningham to sit during the team’s preseason and training camp, and his early-season shooting struggles could be credited in part to his not getting that crucial prep time with the team before starting his first NBA season.