Texas Notes: Wembanyama, Rockets, Washington, Exum
All-Defensive Spurs center Victor Wembanyama intends to suit up for the French national team every time he gets the chance, per L’Equipe (hat tip to Eurohoops for the translation). The 7’4″ big man added that he plans to rejoin his countrymen for the EuroBasket competition next summer.
“I don’t know the exact dates, but there’s always time to make it work with the French team,” Wembanyama said. “You just have to sacrifice a bit of your physical preparation for the following season. So yeah, it’s definitely my goal to play for the French team every summer.”
Wembanyama indicated that he had spoken with new Team France head coach Frederic Fauthoux about his intentions.
“I’ve spoken with him briefly since he became coach. But we haven’t formally discussed any specific deadlines,” Wembanyama said.
The reigning Rookie of the Year averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game for the French national team during last summer’s Olympic games in Paris. France won its second consecutive silver medal thanks in large part to his efforts.
There’s more out of the Lone Star State:
- While they didn’t get past the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday, the Rockets proved that they belong in the conversation as legitimate threat in the West with their 91-90 tournament quarterfinal victory over Golden State, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “When you get a taste of winning, it’s from the other side,” guard Jalen Green said after the win. “It’s a side I ain’t been on in two, three years of this. You’re going to do whatever it takes. So I saw the opportunity to dive on the floor, and I took it. The results came out amazing.”
- In the midst of his best season yet, Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has emerged as a critical below-the-radar contributor, opines Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. To wit, Dallas has gone 1-5 without Washington available thus far this season. “[If] they watch the game and see how much dirty work he’s doing, he’s on the floor,” center Dereck Lively said of his teammate. “He’s gambling for loose balls. He’s trying to get a jump ball. He’s trying to get rebounds. He’s trying to attack the rim. He’s trying to shoot the ball. My man P.J. is an amazing player.”
- Injured Mavericks guard Dante Exum is taking big strides as he works his way back from a right wrist surgery, Curtis tweets. He has missed all 25 of Dallas’ games so far this year — the Mavericks have gone 16-9 without him. “He’s doing a lot of work with the left hand to be able to go both ways with his right and left,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “I think his attitude and he’s been working extremely hard. He looks great.” When Exum underwent surgery in early October, reports indicated he was expected to miss three months.
Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Brunson, Thibodeau, Barnes
It has been a roller coaster ride for Nets shooting guard Keon Johnson over the past year-plus, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Times (subscriber link), who notes that the former No. 21 overall pick was out of work when last season began before catching on with Brooklyn on a two-way deal in November.
The 6’5″ Tennessee alum earned a promotion to a standard partially guaranteed contract over the summer and is now a part of head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s rotation as he looks to hang onto his roster spot through the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 7, Lewis writes.
Through 23 contests so far, Johnson is averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .355/.315/.750. Although he had a couple DNP-CDs earlier in the season, he has been part of Brooklyn’s starting lineup for the past four games.
“I think good things happen to players that work really hard and they do whatever it takes for the team — Keon has been doing it,” Fernandez said. “And he’s not the only one right now. He’s in this position … because he deserves it. He still has work to do and improve, but I’m very happy with him. He’s a guy that can be very, very, very good defensively. He’s able to catch and shoot, he’s an amazing athlete, and all those things so far are important for us.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Former Knicks starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, who departed for Oklahoma City in free agency this summer, claimed he wouldn’t have let All-Star Hawks point guard Trae Young celebrate his NBA Cup victory atop the team’s logo on the Madison Square Garden court. All-NBA Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson had a succinct retort when asked about his former teammate’s comments, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Isaiah isn’t here,” Brunson said.
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau disputes the notion that his team has struggled defensively, Braziller writes in another New York Post story. “I think we’re top 10 in points allowed, we’re [12th] in points in the paint, we’re fifth in fast-break points allowed, we’re top five in second-chance points allowed, so those are all good markers,” Thibodeau said. “Defensive field goal percentage the last 10 games has been good. I think we’re 13th [overall]. It’s all moving in the right direction. Can it be better? Yes, and that’s what we’re aiming for.” Braziller notes that the team, which brought in All-Defensive Team forward Mikal Bridges and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns in separate offseason trades, currently ranks 16th in defensive rating, a dip from its ninth-place finish in 2023/24.
- Fourth-year All-Star Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was able to go through a light workout on Sunday with Toronto assistant coaches, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Barnes injured his right ankle in a 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday, and it is anticipated that he will be sidelined for multiple weeks. Toronto’s best two-way player, Barnes is averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 boards, 7.4 dimes, 1.3 steals and 0.7 rejections in his 14 healthy games for the 7-19 squad.
Southwest Notes: Smart, Grizzlies, Sheppard, Thompson
Ahead of an eventual win for his new team over his old one, Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart reflected on the Celtics’ decision to trade him as part of the three-team deal that sent center Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The Celtics went on to win the title in the first year after the trade.
As Bobby Manning of CLNS Media (Twitter video link) relays, Smart was surprisingly generous in his assessment of the transaction.
“Great trade, business-wise, just wish they would’ve went about it a little differently, letting me know,” Smart said.
The Celtics drafted the 6’3″ wing with the No. 6 pick in 2014 out of Oklahoma State. He spent his first nine NBA seasons with the team, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors on the 2021/22 squad that made the Finals.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- By besting Boston on its home floor in a 127-121 victory Saturday, the Grizzlies snapped a 10-year losing streak at TD Garden, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way, with Morant scoring 32 points and registering a near triple-double (nine rebounds, nine assists), and Jackson adding 27 points. With the win, Memphis improved to 16-8 record on the season.
- Rookie guard Reed Sheppard is finally beginning to look at home on the hardwood for the Rockets, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “I think just being out there every day, just learning as much as I can,” Sheppard said. “Every game is different. There is a lot going on. So, I think I’m just learning as much as I can and enjoying it. A lot of it comes from experience.” As Feigen notes, Sheppard has looked overly cautious and tentative on offense in the early going, perhaps too focused on avoiding mistakes on a rising playoff team with lots of wing depth. Sheppard is playing 11.8 minutes per night and has made just 32.1% of his three-point tries, but the team is confident that his shooting stroke will come around. “I see the game slowing down for him and understanding where his shots are going to come from, and adjusting to the physicality and size of defenders,” head coach Ime Udoka said.
- Ascendant Rockets forward Amen Thompson believes he’s rounding into form as an elite defender on the wing, as he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “I view myself as one of the best defenders,” Thompson said. “Obviously, I think it’s very hard to score on me. I think my presence is known on defense.” The second-year swingman is a big part of the reason why the 15-8 Rockets boast the league’s third-best defense entering Sunday’s games.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Timberwolves, Jokic, Malone
Anthony Edwards‘ improving ability to stay patient on the offensive end has started to pay off for the Timberwolves, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“I’m young, I still want to get my (shot) off,” Edwards said. “It’s frustrating sometimes, but I got to understand the bigger picture.”
The All-Star shooting guard is trying to be more egalitarian in his approach as he faces even more defensive attention with Karl-Anthony Towns gone. Minnesota is currently on a four-game win streak, improving the team’s overall record to 12-10.
“We gotta do a little bit better job of providing clean spacing around some of that time that he is getting doubled,” head coach Chris Finch said. “But I thought he did a great job of getting off of it, embracing it. Getting downhill, mixing it all up.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Still just 23, Edwards is beginning to establish a confident leadership style with the Timberwolves, notes Chris Hine The Minnesota Star Tribune. The All-NBA guard may be intense, but he’s also an enthusiastic supporter of his teammates. “As much as he gets on you, he’s 10 times more on your side when you’re doing the right things or something positive happens,” point guard Mike Conley said. “There’ll be games where I’ll make three threes in a row, and he’ll be like, ‘Mike, you might be the best shooter in the world. I’ve never seen anybody shoot like that. I’ve never seen that.’”
- With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon sitting, Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic took on more of a scoring burden than ever before, racking up a career-best 56 points – on a career-most 38 field goal tries – against Washington. But it still wasn’t enough to hold off the Wizards, who snapped a 16-game losing skid, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
- Following the Wizards loss, Nuggets leaders Jokic and head coach Michael Malone spoke frankly about the team’s disappointing start to the season, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Denver is now 11-10, good for just the No. 9 seed in the West. “We have to realize that we all have to start participating in our own recovery,” Malone said. “That’s where I take blame for us to be 11-10, because obviously I’ve a done a poor job as a head coach in preparing this team, not only to win, but to go out there and execute.” For his part, Jokic pulled few punches in criticizing the club’s slippage this fall while refuting the notion that Malone is solely to be blamed. “Today, and the last couple of games, were really bad for us,” Jokic said. “We’re really going in the wrong direction. I think it’s everybody’s fault. It’s not just Coach’s fault. It’s not his fault that we cannot make shots. It’s not his fault that we don’t communicate.” Over the past two offseasons, Denver has seen three of the top seven players from its 2023 title team depart in free agency, without convincingly replacing any of them. The Nuggets may be paying the price for those exits.
Southeast Notes: Daniels, Ware, Wizards, Williams
Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, acquired as part of Atlanta’s blockbuster trade that shipped Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans, put the defensive clamps on Murray during the former Hawk’s first game against his old team, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Murray was limited to shooting just 2-of-15 from the field against the Hawks on Monday, while Daniels notched 19 points on 50% field goal shooting.
Murray was the subject of frequent boos from the Atlanta home crowd, and couldn’t get much offense cooking against Daniels. Daniels has emerged as the defense-first backcourt partner for Trae Young that the Hawks had hoped Murray would be when they first acquired him from the Spurs in 2022.
The 21-year-old Daniels is in the third season of his rookie-scale deal, and seems to be fitting in nicely with his new squad. So far this year, the 6’8″ guard is averaging a career-best 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 3.0 assists per night.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- The Heat sent rookie center Kel’el Ware to their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, this week for the first time this season, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Ware has played a grand total of 69 minutes across Miami’s first 20 contests this year, so his stint with the Skyforce will give him a chance for increased reps. The seven-footer was selected with the No. 15 pick out of Indiana.
- The Wizards‘ epic losing streak has reached 15 games, approaching the team’s franchise record, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Washington tied that record, 16 straight defeats, just last season. The Wizards could potentially match or even break that tally in the coming days. Washington next plays Dallas (Thursday), Denver (Saturday), and Memphis (Sunday), all Western Conference squads with winning records.
- Hornets center Mark Williams suited up for his first game in almost a year, a 110-104 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. Williams had been sidelined with a lingering strained tendon in his left foot this fall after missing most of last season due to a back issue. Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes that the big moment signified a positive step forward for the young center. Notching just nine minutes of action, the seven-foot big man scored four points on 1-of-4 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line. He also pulled down three rebounds and blocked one shot.
Knicks Notes: R. Brunson, Sims, Payne, Kolek, Achiuwa
The NBA has closed its inquiry into the Knicks‘ decision to promote assistant coach Rick Brunson, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Brunson, the father of All-NBA New York point guard Jalen Brunson, was recently promoted to a lead assistant gig under head coach Tom Thibodeau. Rick Brunson earned his new role with the Knicks during the same offseason his son inked a four-year, $157MM contract extension to stay with the team long-term.
Jalen Brunson would have been eligible for a five-year maximum contract worth an estimated $269MM had he waited to reach free agency this summer, so the belief is that the NBA was poking around to make sure there was no cap circumvention involved in Rick’s promotion and raise.
The elder Brunson, a former league journeyman guard, has been a coach since 2007 and has served on staffs in Denver, Chicago, Charlotte and Minnesota. He has been working under Thibodeau in New York since 2022, the same summer Jalen joined the team as a free agent.
There’s more out of New York:
- Knicks reserve center Jericho Sims is becoming an underappreciated defender, thanks in large part to his athletic upside and abilities as a rim protector, contends Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Sims is limiting opposing players to connecting on just 33% of their buckets within six feet of the rack, Bondy notes. By contrast, All-Star starter Karl-Anthony Towns is allowing players he’s matched up against to make 73.2% of their takes from the same area. “He’s really worked hard at it,” Thibodeau said of Sims. “Very athletic. Great feet. And making the right decision at the right time. His athleticism is through the roof. He can react very quickly. And you need that. The rim protection is huge.”
- Backup Knicks point guard Cameron Payne, a former lottery pick, is hoping to not have to head back overseas anytime soon, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. “The biggest experience was me getting waived and going overseas,” Payne said. “I was just like, ‘I will not ever go back overseas.’ I credit the little things like getting on the floor, the things people don’t do. I take that to the game every night. I don’t want to go back overseas. That’s my identity. I’m going to play my heart out and do whatever I have to do to help the team win.” Payne played for Chinese club Shanxi Loongs in 2019, but ultimately returned stateside to play in the G League. He reasserted himself as an NBA player during a productive stint with the Suns that began in 2020 and has been a journeyman backup ever since. Payne’s solid ball control and efficient three-point shooting have made him a staple in Thibodeau’s rotation.
- Elsewhere in the same Edwards article, rookie Knicks guard Tyler Kolek discussed what it was like to prepare for the draft over the summer. “In the summertime, what I’m working on is whatever I think I need to get better at,” Kolek said. “I feel like every summer I’ve improved, going back to college and even high school. Even during this year, I’m still learning. I’m just trying to gain the trust of my teammates and trust of my coaches and pull as much as I can from.” The 6’1″ guard was selected with the No. 34 pick out of Marquette by the Trail Blazers, who traded his draft rights to the Knicks. Kolek has played sparingly this season, averaging 3.1 points per game on .417/.429/1.000 shooting splits in 14 outings.
- Knicks reserve big man Precious Achiuwa, who has missed the entire season so far with a left hamstring strain, has seen his injury status upgraded to questionable for this time this year for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Achiuwa re-signed a one-year, $6MM with the Knicks this offseason.
Clippers’ Terance Mann To Undergo Surgery On Broken Finger
Clippers swingman Terance Mann will undergo surgery to repair the fractured middle finger on his left hand, a team source tells Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 6’5″ wing incurred the injury during a 127-105 Tuesday victory over the Trail Blazers.
Mann, 28, is expected to be reassessed in three weeks, Murray adds. Murray notes that the ailment afflicts his non-shooting hand.
The Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner tweets that Mann is scheduled to go under the knife on Thursday.
Across 23 healthy bouts this season, including 11 starts, the Florida State product is averaging 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per night, with a .438/.340/.667 shooting line.
Despite not having All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard available for a single game this season while the former two-time Finals MVP deals with right knee inflammation, L.A. has gotten off to an impressive 14-9 start. Former MVP James Harden has been playing more like his Rockets-era self, while guard Norman Powell is scoring at a career clip.
Mann remains a solid two-way wing for the club, though he has yet to take a leap this season in line with the improvements of Harden or Powell. To wit, this season’s numbers are actually below Mann’s career averages of 8.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 1.9 APG.
Turner adds that Clippers forward Kobe Brown is set to be reevaluated in two weeks as he recovers from a herniated disc injury.
Grizzlies’ GG Jackson Out Another 6-8 Weeks For Surgery Recovery
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II has missed Memphis’ entire 2024/25 season thus far while recuperating from an offseason surgery to treat a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot.
Memphis announced on September 4 that the 6’9″ second-year pro would be reevaluated in three months. Having apparently completed that evaluation, the team believes he needs more time to recuperate.
According to a Grizzlies announcement (Twitter link), the team anticipates Jackson will be back on the hardwood in six-to-eight weeks.
Jackson was selected with the No. 45 overall pick out of South Carolina in 2023. He was joining a Grizzlies club then coming off two straight 50-win seasons, so he wasn’t initially expected to make much of a rotational impact. But Memphis was bit hard by the injury bug last year.
In the frontcourt, injuries to Brandon Clarke, then-Grizzlies center Steven Adams, and Jaren Jackson Jr. opened up a rotational role for GG Jackson. Across 48 healthy contests last year, he averaged 14.6 points on .428/.357/.752 shooting splits, plus 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He was named to the 2024 All-Rookie Second Team for his efforts.
This season, even amidst further injury woes, the Grizzlies have managed to cobble together a far more robust start. Memphis is currently the No. 4 seed in the competitive Western Conference, with a 14-8 record.
Nuggets’ Vlatko Cancar Undergoes Knee Surgery
Nuggets reserve forward Vlatko Cancar had a successful left knee scope this week, Denver announced Wednesday (Twitter link). He will be reexamined in eight weeks.
The 6’8″ vet played in just four games this fall for the 11-8 Nuggets, averaging 2.3 points on 57.1% shooting from the floor, including 50% shooting from deep. He had been serving as the third-string, small-ball center behind MVP Nikola Jokic and new free agency acquisition Dario Saric to open the season.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post notes, Cancar has been away from the team since injuring the knee in a 122-110 victory over Memphis on November 19. The ailment was initially referred to as a sprain, but Cancar underwent further medical consultation and ultimately landed on an arthroscopic procedure as the best path forward.
The Nuggets selected the Slovenian standout with the No. 49 pick in 2017, though he remained overseas until 2019/20.
Cancar became a full-time rotation player in 2022/23, his best NBA season to date. The 27-year-old subsequently missed the entire ’23/24 season with a torn ACL in the same knee, and has since fallen further down head coach Michael Malone‘s depth chart.
A recovery timeline of eight-plus weeks means Cancar’s comeback will likely happen after this year’s February 6 NBA trade deadline. The forward/center is currently inked to a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal, meaning his money owed would be an afterthought in any deal. Still, he could be added as outgoing money to match salaries as part of a larger transaction for the capped-out Nuggets.
Pistons’ Bickerstaff Urges NBA To Reconsider Back-To-Backs Involving Cup Games
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes the pressure to win NBA Cup games causes players to treat them like veritable mid-season playoff bouts, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
On Friday, the Pistons defeated the Pacers 130-106 in an NBA Cup game. With that win, the Pistons improved to 3-0 in East Group B, tied by record with the Bucks. Milwaukee’s +29 point differential in its three wins is only marginally better than Detroit’s +28 as the two teams prepare to match up on Tuesday.
The Pistons subsequently had to travel to Philadelphia, where they fell in a blowout to the lowly Sixers on Saturday. Citing travel issues and the challenge of playing a back-to-back set that includes an NBA Cup contest, Bickerstaff said his squad was worn out for Saturday’s game.
“I mean, our guys were exhausted,” Bickerstaff said following the Philadelphia defeat. “We sat on the runway last night until 2:30, 3:00 in the morning. Got home at 4:00 in the morning in the snowstorm. They drove home, by the time they got to bed it was 5:00 a.m, 5:30 a.m. I thought they went out and they dug down… They tried to give it what they had. We just didn’t have it tonight, and that’s fair. They tried but today was just a rough day for them.”
Later during his post-game remarks, Bickerstaff advocated for the league to make some tweaks to its NBA Cup scheduling, specifically in regard to how it doles out back-to-back sets of games if one is part of the in-season tournament.
“I’ll scream it to the rooftops, and I hope people will pay attention and they’ll listen,” Bickerstaff said. “I think the league has done a wonderful thing by adding the Cup series. Obviously, as time goes on, there will be adjustments that are made to it, but you should not play a back-to-back after one of those games. The guys are competing their tails off to go out and win at a high level, and it’s just extremely difficult to come back the next night and have to play a back-to-back to follow it up.
“Hopefully, it’s something that they’ll look at. I’m not a scheduling expert by any means. I just think it’s extremely difficult for guys to go out and compete at that intensity that we’re asking them to.”
Patterson notes as a caveat that Detroit has gone 1-4 on the second night of back-to-backs this year, regardless of whether or not an NBA Cup game was part of the set.