Southeast Notes: Fultz, Hunter, Len, Magic
The Magic‘s performance as of late without point guard Markelle Fultz has highlighted his importance to the club, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The Magic are 1-6 since Fultz was lost for the season with an ACL tear. Fultz’s savvy court vision had been a key component of the Magic’s offense.
“We’ve got to figure something out to try to get us going into offense smoother and understand how we’ve got to play,” shooting guard Terrence Ross noted. “With no Markelle we’re trying to figure it out, but it’s tough. So we’ve got to keep going at it.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Hawks wing De’Andre Hunter has grown into the club’s most reliable player, with an improved offensive attack, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic opines. Hunter’s development can be a boon to the franchise in both the short and long term. “He has a chance to be really, really special,” Hawks center Clint Capela said. “To be able to guard the star on the opposite team every night, (it) has been amazing to see that.”
- With the Wizards losing starting center Thomas Bryant for the year due to a torn left ACL, the club may need to shore up the position with some additional help. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington posits that recently-waived big man Alex Len could be an intriguing defensive fit for the team.
- Given the season-long absences of recently-extended young starters Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, Josh Robbins of The Athletic explores whether or not it makes sense for the Magic to tank for a high draft pick this season.
Thunder’s Josh Hall Out Due To COVID-19 Protocols
Thunder rookie small forward Josh Hall will miss at least tomorrow’s tilt against the Clippers due to the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman (Twitter link).
Hall was inked to a two-way contract by the Thunder in December after going undrafted straight out of high school via Moravian Prep in Hickory, North Carolina. The 6’9″ wing has yet to crack the regular rotation, averaging 7.8 MPG in five games for the Thunder.
Details on the exact nature of Hall’s absence have yet to emerge. It is possible the 20-year-old is being withheld from game action and isolating as a precautionary measure after returning a positive or inconclusive test result for the novel coronavirus.
Alternately, Hall may also be absent due to the league’s contact tracing protocols. If it’s determined he was a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19, he would need to continue to test negative for seven days following exposure.
Atlantic Notes: Nets Big Three, Tatum, Curry, TD Garden
Nets general manager Sean Marks is hopeful that the team will be able to extend Brooklyn’s new Big Three of forward Kevin Durant and guards James Harden and Kyrie Irving, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The three stars, all of whom can become free agents in 2022, will not be eligible to ink contract extensions until the new league year commences in August.
“We’re definitely committed to these guys,” Marks said in a local radio interview on WFAN. “We’ll continue to build with this group, and we’ll just see where it goes. But hopefully it’s a lot longer than a year-and-a-half.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Though Celtics All-Star small forward Jayson Tatum remains closer to an on-court return for Boston, he will remain unavailable for at least Friday’s tilt with the Sixers, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets. Tatum has not played for Boston since the team’s 116-107 win over the Wizards on January 8.
- Sixers starting shooting guard Seth Curry has seen his health status upgraded to probable ahead of Philadelphia’s Friday game against the Celtics, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Curry has not played since injuring his right ankle in a 122-109 January 6 defeat to the Nets. Since then, he tested positive for COVID-19, but has since cleared league protocols and now is working on his conditioning ahead of a return.
- The Celtics have inked a 15-year extension on their current lease with their home arena, TD Garden, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. The contract will keep Boston home games located at TD Garden through the 2035/36 season.
NBA Moves Back Start Times For 20 Games
As the NBA begins implementing new same-day COVID-19 PCR testing protocols, the league will be moving back the start times for 20 upcoming games to accommodate testing, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
These games will be moved to at least 8 p.m. local time during the week and 7 p.m. or beyond on the weekends, Bontemps adds.
The first two impacted games will be the Heat/Nets and Pistons/Sixers bouts scheduled for January 23. Both will be moved to 8 p.m. EST tip-off times. The latest impacted game listed at present is the Cavaliers/Timberwolves contest on January 31, which will move to 7 p.m. CT.
The full list of affected contests is viewable right here, via JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors.
The RT-PCR molecular test can pinpoint genetic viral material in a subject using a laboratory method called polymerase chain reaction. These tests are quite accurate and lab results are generally available on the day of the test.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Lakers, Kings, Zubac
Through lineup additions and subtractions, as well as new offensive sets implemented by their new coach, the Clippers are feeling more confident in their chemistry this season than they did during their disappointing 2019/20 run, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“I feel like our energy is way better this season,” forward Marcus Morris said. “It’s a new season; it’s a new team.”
The Clippers have won four straight games, even with key rotational players missing. New additions Serge Ibaka and Luke Kennard have managed to fit in nicely.
“Hopefully, you guys see it, just how well we are meshing,” star forward Paul George said. “We are going to continue to build off of that; we like where we are at and like where we are heading, and we want to see this thing play all the way through.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Adjusting to their not-insignificant roster turnover has yet to be an issue for the Lakers, says Rob Mahoney of The Ringer. The team has added four core new rotation players: new starters Dennis Schröder and Marc Gasol, plus key new bench additions Wesley Matthews and Montrezl Harrell.
- The slumping Kings are 5-10 despite an encouraging 3-1 season start, and James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area opines that it may be time to infuse the starting lineup with new blood. The club is on a four-game losing streak, and has lost nine of its last 11 contests. “It sucks losing. You can never accept it, well, I can never accept it,” big man Marvin Bagley III said after a lopsided 115-96 loss to the Clippers on Wednesday.
- Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who started for the club last year, has looked more comfortable in his new role off the bench this season, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. The newly-signed veteran Ibaka has supplanted Zubac as the starter.
Atlantic Notes: Payton, Raptors, LeVert, Johnson
Elfrid Payton remains the starting point guard for the Knicks ahead of breakout rookie Immanuel Quickley and veteran off-guard Austin Rivers thanks to Payton’s solid defense, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was diplomatically effusive in his praise of both Payton and Quickley, the latter of whom Berman notes has become a fan favorite. “I love both guys — they’re different and bring different things to the team,’’ Thibodeau said Sunday. “Elfrid, when you look at his defense and size, a lot of these guards, particularly point guards in the NBA today, they’re a load to deal with. Elfrid has a good understanding how to defend them.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Nets-turned-Pacers wing Caris LeVert was notified by Brooklyn GM Sean Marks during their 2020 offseason that he might be traded in 2020/21, according to J Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “Sean was very honest with me from the first time the rumors came out. He told me don’t rule it out,” LeVert said. “I didn’t know it was going to happen. I just knew that it was a possibility and there was a lot of speculation.”
- With the Raptors having finally established a consistent rotation, the team is rebounding from an ugly beginning to its season, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. Toronto is on a three-game win streak following a 2-8 start. “I think that we’re continuing to find out things about our team that are improving the team,” head coach Nick Nurse said yesterday. “Guys are comfortable with the guys that we’re putting out there and I think those guys have chipped in pretty considerably.
- Hustling in practice has carved out a rotation role for Raptors reserve forward Stanley Johnson, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. “I think the important quality is that he’s maintained … a really strong work ethic day in and day out, which isn’t easy to do for somebody who’s been in the league for a while when you’re not hitting the court for really long stretches of time,” Nurse said. Johnson is averaging 14.7 MPG for Toronto in 11 contests.
Western Notes: Patterson, Lakers, KP, Lonzo
In his second year with the Clippers, reserve power forward Patrick Patterson is impressing his Los Angeles teammates and coaches with his preparation, according to Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register.
“Coming in every single day and getting (his) work in, condition-wise, shots, always putting in the extra time,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said of Patterson’s prep work, despite a limited on-court rule thus far. “Pat Pat has been doing a good job of playing five-on-five with the young guys, and just keeping his flow.”
There’s more out of the Western Conference:
- Complacency may be the toughest adversary the reigning champion Lakers confront during the 2020/21 season, says Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register. Though the defensive-oriented champs have lost two games they led entering the fourth quarter this season after not dropping a single such game during 2019/20, their offensive output has improved notably, Goon opines.
- Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis has been trending upward since his return to game action, according to Dwain Price of Mavs.com.
- Fourth-year Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has struggled to fit in on the hardwood during his second season with New Orleans, writes Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer. After failing to agree to terms on an extension by the deadline this season, Ball will be a restricted free agent this summer. Though he’s a savvy player and good defender, Ball’s jump shooting (just 38.7% from the floor) has limited his efficacy this season.
Killian Hayes Out At Least Eight More Weeks
The right hip subluxation that has sidelined Pistons rookie lottery selection Killian Hayes since January 4 will keep him off the court for at least the next eight weeks, the club announced today in a press release. Detroit will re-evaluate the 19-year-old point guard and determine a return timeline after that period.
When he first incurred the injury, Hayes was originally projected to miss about four to six weeks should a specialist determine he would not require surgery.
The silver lining to this extended absence, however, is that Hayes will apparently not require a surgical procedure to address the injury, per David Aldridge of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Veteran point guards Derrick Rose and Delon Wright will continue to soak up most of Hayes’ minutes as the rookie continues to recover. Third-year point guard Frank Jackson may get additional run. Forwards Jerami Grant and Blake Griffin will be relied upon for supplemental ball-handling.
Across his first seven NBA games, Hayes especially struggled on offense. He sported an underwhelming slash line of .277/.250/.500.
Jeremy Lamb Cleared For First Game Action Since February
Pacers team doctors have green-lit wing Jeremy Lamb to return to game action for the first time this season, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). Head coach Nate Bjorkgren would not divulge whether or not Lamb will play in tonight’s contest against the Mavericks, Agness adds.
Whenever Lamb does come back for Indiana, it will mark his first on-court appearance since tearing his left ACL on February 23, 2020 in a 127-81 loss to the Raptors. The 6’5″ swingman, 28, is in the second season of a three-year, $31.5MM contract he signed with the Pacers in 2019.
Across 46 games with Indiana (including 42 starts) of a possible 90 contests (including the 2020 postseason), he averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.2 SPG. He posted a promising slash line of .451/.335/.836.
With starting small forward T.J. Warren and new addition Caris LeVert sidelined indefinitely, Lamb’s return will provide the Pacers with a much-needed offensive boost on the perimeter.
NBA Announces 11 New Cases In Latest Round Of COVID-19 Testing
Eleven of 502 NBA players have recorded positive test results for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 during the last week since the league’s last announcement on January 13, the NBPA tweeted today in a new statement.
Per the NBA and NBPA, players who test positive or have been discovered to have been in close contact with someone who later tested positive are quarantining per the league’s guidelines.
Last week, the league found positive results for 16 of 497 players tested. The NBA has now announced 90 confirmed positive tests since players reported for training camp in early December, though some who tested positive during the preseason may have been camp invitees who have since been cut.