Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard Cleared To Return
Starting Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard has been given the green light to return to the floor for Indiana on Sunday against the Grizzlies, the team has announced (Twitter link). The Gonzaga alum has been out since November 6 with knee tendinitis.
Nembhard has only been available for seven games this season. Across those contests (all starts), the he averaged 7.3 points per game on .385/.231/.800 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in 4.7 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals per bout.
Nembhard and fellow starter Aaron Nesmith, who remains out with a lingering ankle injury, have been sidelined for most of the 9-11 Pacers’ season. Third-year wing Bennedict Mathurin has been starting in Nesmith’s stead, while two-way guard Quenton Jackson has been starting for Nembhard.
According to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, head coach Rick Carlisle has indicated that Nembhard will play “a limited number of minutes,” but is set to reclaim his starting role.
Carlisle added that Nesmith and Ben Sheppard (oblique) are still “weeks away” from returning to the hardwood, Dopirak tweets.
Southeast Notes: Poole, Wizards, Butler, LaMelo
Veteran guard Jordan Poole considers the Wizards‘ recent struggles necessary for the team to eventually take the leap to the next level. Following a 121-96 home defeat to the Clippers on Wednesday, Washington’s 13th in a row, Poole addressed reporters post-game, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
“It’s just a matter of figuring things out,” Poole said. “Good things take time… You’ve got to go through it. Every organization has to go through tough times in order to figure out what the good times are like, if that makes sense. You’ve got to figure it out, you’re building a foundation, you’re laying pieces. It’s not supposed to be easy.”
Washington is currently 2-15 on the year, and in prime position to earn a top lottery pick for next year’s loaded draft.
Across 15 games this season, the Michigan alum is averaging 20.3 points on a .449/.432/.883 slash line. He’s also dishing out 4.7 assists and pulling down 2.1 rebounds per.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Just a month and change into their 2024/25 season, the Wizards are already feeling the effects of their rebuild, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “To me, we don’t really have a choice,” rookie guard Kyshawn George said Wednesday. “It’s too easy to just give up, and you lean on the people that are around you. I think we have a great group of guys as persons that hold each other accountable. We’re all working toward the same goal — the players and the coaching staff and the whole organization. So, it’s too easy to just say, ‘OK, this is what it is, and we’re not going to get better.’”
- Heat All-Star wing Jimmy Butler was held out of the fourth quarter of the team’s eventual 98-94 Wednesday win over the Hornets due to an achy back, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Reserve center Kevin Love is also dealing with back issues. He departed the Heat’s 106-103 loss to the Bucks on Tuesday ahead of the second half and missed the Charlotte game. “He’s not comfortable enough to play today or finish the game yesterday,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday of Love. “But he’s dealt with it before and we’ll see how he feels when we get back.” Butler is considered probable to suit up for Miami’s next game on Friday, while Love is merely questionable, Chiang writes in another story.
- Hornets All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball will sit out Charlotte’s NBA Cup clash with the Knicks on Friday due to a sore left calf, per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Boone notes that Ball has enjoyed a fairly healthy start to the year, appearing in all 18 contests for the 6-12 Hornets so far. Always a prolific scorer, the 6’7″ pro has topped himself this year, averaging 31.1 points per game on .430/.356/.848 shooting splits. He’s also chipping in 6.9 dimes and 5.4 boards per contest.
Northwest Notes: Williams, Nuggets, Thunder, McDaniels
Star Thunder forward Jalen Williams departed the first half of Oklahoma City’s 105-101 road win Wednesday over the Warriors with a right eye injury, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.
All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled mightily without Williams. He shot just 5-for-16 from the floor in the second half.
Oklahoma City center Isaiah Hartenstein opined that the team’s general approach to the game should not have been greatly changed even with the absence of Williams late. Instead, with Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot not falling, the team struggled to close out Golden State, nearly squandering its entire 19-point lead.
“But that shouldn’t change the way we play,” Hartenstein said of Williams’ departure. “I think we didn’t execute the way we should have. … We shouldn’t have been in that situation.”
There’s more out of the Northwest:
- The Nuggets have had difficulty scoring in the “middle eight” of their first halves — the final four minutes of the first quarter and first four minutes of the second, observes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “We were talking about that the other day, about how I think there’s only one time in the first 16 games this season that we’ve won the last four minutes of the first quarter and the first four minutes of the second quarter,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Every other game, (we lose) that eight-minute stretch, which coincides usually with Nikola (Jokic) being out. So there are a lot of nights where I think we actually get off to good starts. That we’re actually playing well. And then we have that stretch, that four-, six-, eight-minute stretch where the bottom falls out. … And the second half for whatever reason has been better.” According to Durando, Denver ranked No. 2 overall in second-half net rating ahead of their most recent matchup, and No. 29 in first halves.
- Beyond their offensive issues in the “middle eight” period of first halves, the Nuggets have also shown slippage on defense early on this season, thanks in part to Aaron Gordon‘s extended absence. During their 122-103 win Wednesday against the Jazz, at least, the Nuggets appeared much improved on that end of the floor too, Durando writes in another Denver Post story. Point guard Jamal Murray picked up opponents for all 94 feet. “Being more physical from the start of the possession,” Murray said of his better defensive effort. “Not (letting) them get to their spots easy or set their screens where they want to set it. Stuff like that. So I think as a group, not just one or two guys, but getting everybody to do that (is important). And we were doing a good job of talking — I’m talking about this game. We’ve been doing a terrible job. But we did a better job today, of switching and talking, and even if there is a mistake or a blow-by, having help behind it.”
- After being named to the 2024 All-Defensive Second Team, Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels is looking to level up this season, aspiring to be named to the All-Defensive First Team in 2025, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. He’s currently in the first season of a five-year, $131MM contract extension he inked with Minnesota in the 2023 offseason. “That is one of my goals, being [First Team],” McDaniels said. “I was [Second Team] last season. It’s a big goal. First Team, we take it first step by step. For me, I guard the best players. I’m not shutting them down, but I make it tough for them. I make their [shooting] percentages lower.
Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, NBA Cup, Buzelis
Bulls wing Ayo Dosunmu has emerged as perhaps Chicago’s best two-way player, despite a recent shooting slump, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Dosunmu, for one, is not concerned about his career-worst 28.2% shooting from three-point land to start the season.
“Take the shots when they’re there,” Dosunmu said. “I understand that I put a lot of work into my jump shot. I’m not really worried about that. When it’s all said and done, I know that I’ll be at a certain percentage. That’s typically how it goes when you put the work in.”
Head coach Billy Donovan considers the fourth-year guard out of Illinois to be the engine of the club’s blisteringly quick offense.
“I’ve put a lot on him as far as the pace-setting for us because he’s so fast coming down the floor,” Donovan said. “Guys are running with him and he’s pushing it ahead, spraying it around, he’s getting into the teeth of the defense, flattening the defense out, but there’s probably been a sacrifice a little bit there with his scoring where he hasn’t had as many opportunities.”
Through his first 20 games (seven starts), the 6’5″ pro is averaging 11.8 points, plus a career-high 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
There’s more out of Chicago:
- Despite an 8-12 overall record, the Bulls have an opportunity to qualify for the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a win against Boston on Friday, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago is atop East Group C, alongside the Hawks and Celtics, sporting a 2-1 record in group play. That said, a win is unlikely against the reigning champs, who are 15-3 on the year and fairly healthy. Poe opines that it would behoove Chicago to lose as much as possible — including in the NBA Cup — with an eye on the 2025 draft lottery.
- Bulls lottery pick Matas Buzelis continues to navigate a steep learning curve in his rookie season, writes Cowley in another article. The 6’10” forward has gotten a major playing opportunity thanks to the extended absence of starting four Patrick Williams. “[The playing time is] very important,” Buzelis said. “I’m looking at it as an opportunity to play in the NBA. I’m super-thankful to play. Every time I step on the floor, I’m thinking of it as a blessing. I’m not taking it for granted. But every time I step out there, I’m going to keep learning, keep getting better.” Across his last four games, Buzelis is averaging 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks in 23.0 minutes per night. On the year, he’s been averaging 4.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 11.4 MPG.
- In case you missed it, backup Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball returned to action on Wednesday in a loss to the Magic. It marked his first action since suffering a sprained right wrist on October 28.
Southwest Notes: Pippen, Huff, Wembanyama, Vassell
Grizzlies reserve guard Scotty Pippen Jr. enjoyed one of the best nights of his career in his father’s former home arena, per The Associated Press.
In the United Center, against his Hall-of-Fame dad Scottie Pippen‘s old team, the Bulls, the younger Pippen scored a career-high 30 points on 13-of-16 shooting from the field, while chipping in 10 assists, in a 142-131 win.
“It’s a dream come true,” Pippen Jr. said. “It’s crazy to say I put up 30 and 10 in the gym where my dad had played… It means everything to me and my family. I talked to my dad tonight about coming in here and playing. He just told me to go out there and kill it, so that’s what I tried to do.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Grizzlies reserve center Jay Huff almost ditched his NBA dream for Italian EuroLeague squad Olimpia Milano, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “We talked to them,” Huff said of Olimpia Milano. “Really liked them. Still do. Their head coach is awesome. Ettore Messina, he’s the man. So we were close. Living in Milan would have been fun. And I know plenty of guys that have gone overseas that should be in the NBA right now. It’s all about fit and opportunity.” Grizzlies assistant coach Johnny Carpenter, a video coordinator at UVA when Huff was there, recommended the big man link up with Memphis. Huff signed a two-way deal and was promoted to a standard agreement soon after.
- After missing three contests with an injury, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama helped San Antonio mount a 17-point comeback and best the top-seeded Warriors, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The 7’4″ big man scored 25 points, dished out nine dimes, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots. “I did find my rhythm physically,” Wembanyama said. “It was a little hard to come back in terms of conditioning in the first half. There’s a switch I’m trying to flip on demand. Strong catches, quick moves, not holding the ball, but also taking my time, taking shots with confidence, good feet and good preparation for the shot.”
- Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson has defended his team’s cautious approach to guard Devin Vassell‘s recovery from a left knee bone bruise, per Tom Osborne of The San Antonio Express-News. “We said at the start of this thing we were going to be conservative with him, so he’s probably frustrated as much as anybody with us a little bit,” Johnson said. “But we have a big picture in mind here and he’s trending really, really well.”
Hornets’ Grant Williams Out For Season With Torn ACL, Meniscus
2:37pm: The Hornets have confirmed Williams’ ACL tear and say in a press release that he’ll be out indefinitely.
12:12pm: Hornets forward Grant Williams tore his ACL, meniscus and other connected ligaments in his right knee during his team’s 125-119 defeat to the Bucks on Saturday night, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN.
Williams will miss the rest of the 2024/25 NBA season, according to Charania.
The 25-year-old was in the midst of a productive second season in Charlotte. Across his 16 healthy games this fall while playing behind starters Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, Williams averaged 10.4 points per game on .439/.365/.838 shooting splits. He also logged 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night.
The Tennessee alum was initially selected by the Celtics with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He had some memorable moments with Boston, but was plagued by shooting inconsistency in the postseason. A bit undersized for his defensive assignments at 6’6″, Williams ultimately moved on to the Mavericks as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023. He inked a four-year, $53.3MM deal as part of a three-team sign-and-trade.
That experiment lasted just 47 games before Williams was traded again. As part of a transformative 2023/24 midseason deal, he was shipped out along with guard Seth Curry and a future first-round draft pick to the Hornets in exchange for P.J. Washington. With Washington in tow, the Mavericks marched all the way to the NBA Finals.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link), the Hornets will have the ability to file for a disabled player exception worth half Williams’ $13MM+ salary (approximately $6.5MM). However, while that exception gives teams extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t provide for an extra roster spot. Charlotte currently has all 15 standard roster spots occupied, so the team would need to create an opening to use a DPE.
At 6-10, the Hornets are currently the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference, tied by record with the Nets and Pacers. Losing Williams is a major blow to their bench depth.
California Notes: Coffey, Moody, Curry, Wiggins, Lakers
After spending nearly three full seasons on two-way deals, Clippers guard Amir Coffey graduated to a regular roster role with the team late in the 2021/22 season, then inked a three-year, $11MM deal that summer. This year, Coffey has emerged as a critical role player on an injury-laden L.A. club, including starting multiple recent games.
As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes, Coffey has been enjoying his bigger role this season. He’s averaging a career-best 10.1 points per game on .496/.450/.853 shooting, while also contributing 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per contest.
“It felt good,” Coffey said of a Wednesday start in which he scored 18 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. “I try not to get into minutes-wise or coming off the bench or starting. I just try to do my job when my name is called, so I got it going early tonight.”
Coffey reflected on his journey from being a borderline NBA player on a tenuous two-way contract to a real contributor on a 10-7 club.
“The G League is a grind, it’s a lot,” Coffey said. “So, just getting over that hump and getting to this point I’m in now, it means a lot. Like you said, the unseen hours – it’s thousands of ’em – just working on your game every day, trying to get better every summer and to end up in a position. This is a blessing.”
There’s more out of California:
- Warriors guard Moses Moody has learned how to best extract wisdom out of All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry, he tells Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “Steph is Steph,” Moody said. “He’s teaching and coaching with all the gems that he gives on the plane and in the locker room in conversations. He’s not going to offer it up for no reason if you don’t want it. He’s not going to force anything on you. But if you go ask him, he’ll open up and tell you whatever you want to hear. He’s smart. He knows what he’s doing in all aspects of life.” Moody inked a three-year, $39MM rookie scale contract extension with the Warriors last month that will kick in next season.
- Early signs seem to point to a bounce-back season for Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. An extended illness to his father, former NBA wing Mitchell Wiggins, forced Andrew to miss time in each of the last two seasons, and appeared to somewhat impact his rhythm on the court. Mitchell passed in September at 64. “The last couple of years have been very tough on him on a personal level,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Andrew. “I think he has some peace of mind. He came into camp in great shape.” Wiggins seems to have regained his perimeter defensive acumen, plus his scoring upside. Across 14 games this season for the West’s top-seeded Warriors, Wiggins is averaging 17.4 points per game on .477/.408/.770 shooting.
- Lakers forward Rui Hachimura returned to the starting lineup after a four-game injury absence due to a left ankle sprain, but it did nothing to save L.A. from the opponent that has been its Achilles heel the last several years, the Nuggets, on Saturday, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Los Angeles led at halftime, but collapsed in the third frame. “We were in a good rhythm and then we kind of relaxed for some reason,” Hachimura said. “And the third quarter, they just played harder. And we didn’t fight back. That was the game.” Denver decimated Los Angeles at home, 127-102. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Nuggets have won 12 of their past 13 encounters with the Lakers, which includes two playoff meetings in successive seasons.
Zion Williamson Not Near Return For Pelicans
Pelicans All-Star forward Zion Williamson is nowhere near being ready to return to the hardwood for New Orleans, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. The 6’6″ superstar, who sustained a left hamstring strain two weeks ago, has undergone “multiple treatments” on the affected hamstring, Charania adds.
Sources tell ESPN that the Pelicans were initially bracing for Williamson to miss at least four to six weeks as a result of the injury. However, it’s possible his absence will extend beyond that window, according to Charania, who notes that the former No. 1 overall pick has suffered multiple hamstring strains since entering the league. In other words, the team will be cautious with his recovery timeline.
In his six healthy contests for New Orleans, Williamson averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He posted a shooting line of .452/.333/.667 during those bouts.
Injuries and fitness have been a major impediment to Williamson’s pro career. Since being selected with the No. 1 pick out of Duke in 2019, Williamson has already missed 48 or more games in three separate seasons due to various maladies. Charania notes that the forward has only been available for 190 of over 400 potential regular season contests.
The Pelicans have fallen on hard times with a rash of long-term injuries beyond just Williams. Aside from Williamson, forward/center Herbert Jones, and guards Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins have all missed extended time this year. The team is currently 4-12 in the competitive Western Conference.
New Orleans did get some good news Friday, at least. Will Guillory of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Hawkins and Brandon Ingram, who missed Wednesday’s game with a bilateral ankle sprain, will suit up for the Pelicans for their NBA Cup tilt against the Warriors.
Southeast Notes: Williams, Richards, Zeller, Coulibaly, Wizards
The Hornets‘ top two rotational centers, starter Mark Williams and his backup Nick Richards, have rejoined team activities, Charlotte announced on Thursday (Twitter link).
Williams has been sidelined for the last 11 months, first due to a back issue and now as a result of a left foot tendon strain. Richards is recovering from a right first rib fracture. Sixteenth-year veteran big man Taj Gibson has been starting in their stead.
The seven-foot Williams has battled health issues in each of his three professional seasons thus far. Last season before going down, he was averaging a career-best 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.8 steals per night.
Richards, a fifth-year Kentucky alum, had averaged a double-double (11.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) during his five healthy games this fall.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Hawks reserve center Cody Zeller is currently not with the team, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). The 6’11” big man has been away from Atlanta all year due to personal reasons, and is currently considered week-to-week.
- The struggling Wizards are hoping that an improved emphasis on rebounding will help improve their defense, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.
- Second-year Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly was in the league’s concussion protocol this week, sources inform Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). He was inactive on Monday after getting elbowed in the mouth on Sunday. However, head coach Brian Keefe stated that Coulibaly was a “full participant” during the club’s Thursday practice, and Robbins tweets that Coulibaly is not on the Wizards’ injury report for Friday’s matchup vs. the Celtics, so it sounds like he won’t miss any additional time.
Paul George Suffers Bone Bruise, Will Miss At Least Two Games
NOVEMBER 21: George was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left knee and an MRI showed no structural damage, the team announced Thursday according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). The nine-time All-Star will miss at least Friday’s game against the Nets and Sunday’s game versus the Clippers. He’ll be reevaluated on Monday.
NOVEMBER 20: Sixers All-Star forward Paul George departed Philadelphia’s matchup against the Grizzlies on Wednesday after hyperextending his left knee, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
It’s the same knee that caused George to miss time to start the season. He hyperextended it in a preseason game on October 14 and didn’t make his regular season debut until November 4.
There are no updates yet on whether the latest setback will force George to the sidelines again or how much time he might miss. The 6’8″ vet will presumably undergo further testing and imaging to determine the severity of the injury.
If George is forced to miss time again, it will further delay the efforts of Philadelphia’s new big three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and George to establish chemistry with their teammates and with each other. The three All-Stars hadn’t all been active for the same game until Wednesday; the trio has still yet to make it through a full contest together.
Across his seven healthy games prior to Wednesday, George had been averaging 16.7 points per game on .396/.288/.815 shooting splits, his lowest scoring output since an injury-shortened six-game stint in 2014/15. The 34-year-old had also been logging 5.6 boards, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per night.
Embiid has only appeared in four of Philadelphia’s 14 contests this year, while Maxey has been available for eight.
The Sixers ultimately fell to Memphis on Wednesday, 117-111. The loss puts Philadelphia in the NBA’s cellar with a league-worst 2-12 record.