Bulls Notes: DeRozan, White, LaVine
With two starters and one reserve sidelined due to long-term injuries, Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan has assumed a bigger responsibility offensively, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, center Nikola Vucevic and reserve forward Torrey Craig are all on the shelf, which has compelled DeRozan to play an average of 38.7 minutes per game this month.
DeRozan suggested that his veteran awareness has helped him find moments in a game where he can tactically rest, even when he’s on the hardwood.
“Me just knowing when a TV timeout is coming,” DeRozan said. “Me knowing a foul is going to happen at some point. Me understanding if you need to tie your shoe, it’s a lot of little things that go into it. If you’re not in the penalty, you can take a foul… Playing so long, you kind of understand when a stoppage is going to come and take advantage of those moments. When a timeout comes, sit there until that two minutes, 30 seconds is up. Just take advantage of the little gaps when you can because you know you want to be out there.”
Head coach Billy Donovan acknowledges he is somewhat worried about the mileage he’s putting on the 34-year-old.
“I’m concerned about that,” Donovan said. “I mean, he’s great. I talk to him all the time. But it’s kind of the situation we’ve been in with Torrey out, Vooch out and Zach out. I want to be mindful of that and always talk and communicate with him. He has played a lot of minutes and I probably need to look at that.”
There’s more out of Chicago:
- Bulls point guard Coby White praised his teammates for their resilient resurgence following the team’s nadir thus far this season, a 124-97 blowout loss to the Celtics on November 28, writes Johnson in a separate piece. “At that moment, when adversity hit and we were at our lowest this season, we could’ve all grew apart,” White said. “Instead of doing that, we all came together. I think that contributes to how we played in the month of December.” Chicago has gone 9-5 this month. In December, White is averaging 22.6 PPG on .469/.402/.815 shooting, along with 6.4 RPG and 5.7 APG, across 14 bouts.
- Billy Donovan revealed that LaVine, still dealing with right foot inflammation, could participate in contact practice for the Bulls late next week, Johnson writes in an additional article. “If (his recovery) continues to go like it’s going, I think that’s a very, very strong possibility,” Donovan said. After a two-game East Coast road trip, Chicago will return home for a game against the Hornets on Friday. “He has responded well [to treatment],” Donovan added.
- In case you missed it, the present trade market for LaVine, a maximum-salaried former All-Star, remains fairly limited.
Northwest Notes: Thunder, Finch, Gordon, Hardy
At 21-9, the Thunder are currently the second seed in a deep Western Conference. The team’s excellence is in part a credit to the ongoing greatness of its Big Three, as Joel Lorenzi The Oklahoman details.
Oklahoma City’s triumvirate of top-tier talent is made up of All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, rookie center Chet Holmgren, and power forward Jalen Williams. Williams put on an offensive masterpiece in a 129-120 win against the Knicks Wednesday, scoring a career-most 36 points.
“He just gets more comfortable — every game, every week — with his reps,” Gilgeous-Alexander raved of the second-year forward. “Biggest thing with him was just him being aggressive early in his career. He’s starting to get around to that and trust his work.”
Williams also noted that his two-man game with Holmgren is improving by leaps and bounds.
“We’re trusting each other a lot more than we had been earlier in the year,” Williams said.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Although the Timberwolves are current a Western Conference-leading 24-7, head coach Chris Finch is convinced the team still needs to improve its scoring attack, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “There’s a lot of ways to be immature,” Finch said. “And generally, this team has been very mature. But we’ve got to grow up offensively. It’s time.”
- After suffering a dog attack on Christmas night that left him with hand and face lacerations, Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is set to return to the team, informing Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (Twitter link) that he will be able to play on Monday against the Hornets. His own Rottweiler is the dog responsible for biting him on Christmas, Gordon reveals. “He’s a good boy,” Gordon claimed. Prior to the news, reserve point guard Reggie Jackson indicated that Gordon was more focused on the reigning champs’ progress this season than his own recovery, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. “Aaron’s still concerned about the team,” Jackson said. “He wants to be back with the group, but we just want what’s best for him.”
- With three wins in their past four road games, the Jazz are in an improved headspace, in the view of head coach Will Hardy, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Overall, it’s been a good road trip,” Hardy said. “We’ve been playing much better basketball the last three weeks than the beginning of the season… I do think our team is trending in the right direction.”
Charles Bediako Tears Meniscus, Cut By Spurs
4:00pm: Bediako’s agent Daniel Green has revealed that the big man tore his left meniscus and is now slated to be on the shelf for the next six-to-eight weeks, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
3:11pm: Two-way center Charles Bediako has been cut by the Spurs, according to a team press release.
San Antonio initially inked the seven-footer to a two-way contract after he went undrafted out of Alabama this past summer. He averaged 7.7 PPG and 6.9 RPG for San Antonio’s Austin NBAGL affiliate across 11 games.
Bediako was an All-SEC Tourney and SEC All-Defense honoree, averaging 6.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG,, 1.7 BPG, 0.7 APG and 0.6 SPG in two years for the Crimson Tide.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, salaries for two-way players are not fully guaranteed until January 7.
Bediako’s departure now leaves a two-way slot open on the Spurs’ roster next to shooting guard David Duke Jr. and power forward Dominick Barlow. How San Antonio opts to move forward with that opening remains to be seen.
Los Angeles Notes: Kawhi, Harden, Christie, Davis
According to Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, star wing Kawhi Leonard practiced for “a little bit” on Thursday, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Leonard, 32, has been inactive for the Clippers’ last three games due to a hip injury, and is considered questionable against the Grizzlies Friday night.
When healthy, Leonard has looked like his All-Star self this season. The two-time Finals MVP is averaging 24.4 points per game on .521/.429/.877 shooting, along with 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per night.
There’s more out of the City of Angels:
- Clippers star point guard James Harden is maintaining an approach of consistent, positive communication on the floor, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. “You see after practice James is grabbing six guys every day and just going through pick-and-roll drills, how he wants the bigs to screen it,” Lue said. Carr notes that Harden’s two-man game with starting center Ivica Zubac is also doing well. “I don’t think there was one point where it clicked,” Zubac said. “We do it a lot at the facility and we do it a lot in the games and all that repetition game after game helps and we’re still not there yet. He still gets mad at me sometimes when I slip out or if I don’t flip a pick. I still sometimes don’t know what he wants so there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but with repetition and with games it’s going to get better.”
- In a Thursday blowout win over the Hornets, second-year Lakers shooting guard Max Christie earned rotation minutes for the first time since December 15, observes Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Christie made an instant impact on both ends of the floor, scoring 10 points while making 3-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws. He also chipped in seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal while registering a +18 during his 24 minutes of action. Though 12 of those 24 minutes happened during a garbage time fourth quarter, Christie was also a key contributor during the 12 meaningful rotation minutes he logged.
- After helping propel his team to a 133-112 demolition of the Hornets, Lakers star center Anthony Davis discussed the club’s intriguing versatility and mentioned that he believes the team’s recent starting lineup will stick, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Head coach Darvin Ham is currently starting LeBron James at point guard, Taurean Prince at shooting guard, Cam Reddish at small forward (he was injured Thursday), Jarred Vanderbilt at power forward, and Davis at center. “I think that’s going to be the lineup,” Davis said. “And that first group — me, Bron, TP [Prince], Cam, Vando — we just got to keep logging minutes and keep figuring it out, especially on the defensive end. We’re all five defensive-minded players and we like playing defense so we’ll keep figuring out these schemes and how we can be better, and then, offensively, we’ll just figure it out.”
Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart To Miss 10-14 Days With Toe Sprain
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart apparently is worse for wear two weeks after incurring a right great toe sprain during Detroit’s December 15 loss to the Sixers. According to a press release from the team, Stewart will be shelved for the next 10-to-14 days to recuperate from the injury.
After initially missing two games on Dec. 16 and 18, Stewart had been attempting to play through the toe injury. He returned for three games before sitting out Thursday’s loss to Boston.
It’s troubling news for the Pistons, who are currently riding the worst single-season losing streak in NBA history, with 28 losses and counting. Stewart, 22, has been the club’s starting power forward all season. Through his 28 healthy games, he has posted averages of 10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.6 blocks across 30.7 minutes per night.
Marvin Bagley III and Kevin Knox are candidates to start in Stewart’s place, while fellow No. 2 lottery pick James Wiseman could get increased run off the bench.
Detroit has ostensibly winnable contests on its docket in the immediate future, with sub-.500 teams on the schedule for two of the next three games. The Pistons will match up with the 12-18 Raptors on Saturday and then have a date with the 13-19 Jazz on January 3. But not having one of their best frontcourt players available could certainly hurt the Pistons’ chances of securing their first victory since October.
Bucks Notes: Middleton, Season Start, Lillard
Bucks star small forward Khris Middleton has had to adjust to his new role in Milwaukee’s offensive hierarchy, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
With the arrival of All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, Middleton is now a distant third when it comes to receiving touches, behind the ex-Trail Blazer and two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton is also still dealing with effects from a lingering right knee injury and Achilles tendinitis.
“That’s part of my role now,” Middleton said. “Figuring out when to be aggressive, when to be a play-maker and when just to fit in.”
“Dame has the ball, I have the ball and maybe [Middleton] has the ball a little bit less,” Antetokounmpo said. “Throughout this whole season, he’s been playing his role perfectly. You could not ask for more. The minutes that he’s been given, and those are going up slowly, slowly, slowly. Maybe one day he can play back-to-backs. But right now I think Khris is doing an unbelievable job, being mature, being OK with his role and playing the game the right way.”
There’s more out of Milwaukee:
- Although the Bucks are now 22-7 and the second seed in the East, the team is well aware growth is still possible and important, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee’s defense without Jrue Holiday along the perimeter has been a huge problem this season. “We gotta get better,” Antetokounmpo said. “We are good, but we have to get better. There’s things that have to happen offensively and defensively. Like, it has to be automatic. Everybody has to be working on a string. Everyone has to be on the same page. We are on the same page at times, but at times, we’re not on the same page. And our talent helps us, obviously. And it’s good to be able to be talented and still play an ugly game and still win.”
- The Bucks with Lillard in fold got off to a mildly underwhelming start to the season, but they’re beginning to turn things around, Collier writes in a separate piece. “You put a lot of really good players together, it takes time to jell, get to know each other and make things work for everybody,” Lillard said. “We’re getting more comfortable… It’s different when you can communicate a little differently. You know what somebody likes. You know what somebody wants. You know how to make it work.” The club has now gone 8-1 in December. This month, the team has the top offense in the NBA (125.9 points per 100 possessions). The Bucks are a middle-of-the-road 19th in defense on the year, a huge leap from being the No. 29-ranked defense through the season’s first five games.
- In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Last week, he averaged 36 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.8 SPG.
Atlantic Notes: Martin, Bridges, Thomas, Tatum
The Sixers have an intriguing trade chip in wing KJ Martin, but he’s hoping to prove that they should keep him around, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I’ve been traded twice already, so I feel like I have an understanding [that] stuff happens for a reason,” Martin said. “If I stay here, then hopefully, you know, I’m trying to get the opportunity to show what I can do. You feel me? I never am the type of person to be super, super down on myself about stuff that I really can’t control.”
Martin’s minutes have been significantly reduced, now that he’s playing on a legitimate contender. He started 49 of 82 games for Houston last season, but is averaging only 5.5 minutes in 15 appearances with Philadelphia.
“Obviously, it’s an adjustment,” Martin said. “Last season, I played 29, 30 minutes a game. So that’s the only tough thing about it. I have 200-plus games under my belt at this point and I just want to go out and compete.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Nets forward Mikal Bridges recently voiced his sympathy towards his former Suns head coach Monty Williams, now coaching the Pistons through a 26-game losing streak, writes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. “Definitely wouldn’t want that on anybody, especially not Mont,” Bridges said. “Such a great dude and works so hard and really good coach. So it’s tough… That’s my guy. Obviously, I don’t want him losing like this.”
- The Nets beat the Pistons 126-115 on Saturday, which gave Detroit an NBA record-tying 26-game losing streak. Nets guard Cam Thomas acknowledged in a postgame interview with the YES Network (YouTube video link via ESPN) that Brooklyn does not want to be the club that the Pistons beat to end their losing streak. “Obviously, you don’t want to be that team [to lose to Detroit], so we just wanted to come out, be aggressive and try to get a win tonight,” Thomas said. Brooklyn will face Detroit again on Tuesday.
- Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum is doing his darnedest to play through a painful sprained ankle for the East’s No. 1 seed, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. He missed one contest with the injury, against the Kings, before returning for a blowout win over the Clippers on Saturday. “I’ve been out for three days, and I don’t like missing games,” Tatum said. “So I was excited to get back out there with the team and play today.”
Northwest Notes: Conley, Thunder, Nuggets, Jackson
Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley is feeling revitalized at age 36 as a leader for the team with the West’s best record, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“You see it, not only with his approach but his ability to make huge plays, whether it be a steal in transition, obviously the threes, get the ball to the right people at the right time, close the game, quarterback the defense,” head coach Chris Finch said. “On and on it goes.”
“This is probably the best shape I’ve been in, in a long, long time,” Conley said. “I’m prepared to play however long I need to play. I tell [Finch] if I get tired, but I never do that. I want to be on the court as much as I can and help the guys, so we just keep communicating, and hopefully I can just keep going.”
The six-footer is averaging 11.5 PPG on .464/.445/.952 shooting, along with 6.3 APG and 2.9 RPG. Conley is in the final season of a three-year, $68MM million deal he signed when still with the Jazz. He’ll reach unrestricted free agency this summer, and if he can keep playing like this, he may still have more solid salaries waiting for him.
“I’ve still got it,” Conley said. “My age doesn’t matter, man. I’m still moving good, so I’m happy.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- A trio of former Thunder stars offered high praise for Oklahoma City’s upstart young club and fanbase, following an up-close-and-personal encounter this week, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Clippers stars Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Paul George, who all had multiple successful seasons with the Thunder, fell 134-115 in Oklahoma City on Thursday. “This reminded me of when I was here in the beginning of the Thunder Up days,” Harden said. “And it’s beautiful. It’s been a long time as far as the rebuilding process, but I think it’s exciting. These fans deserve some good basketball.” Harden was drafted by the Thunder in 2009, and was flipped in 2012 to the Rockets. George spent 2017-19 with Oklahoma City, alongside Westbrook. And while he only spent two seasons with the Thunder, he developed a strong connection with the community. He had high praise for Thunder center Chet Holmgren. “He’s a talent,” George said. “We didn’t quite figure it out because he’s not necessarily a big. He can play and move like a guard and a wing, so he gave us some problems.” Westbrook was drafted by the Thunder in 2008, and played there until 2019, winning an MVP in 2017. “It’s like home for me,” Westbrook said. “I grew up here… I’m grateful and gracious for their appreciation of the way I play basketball and the way I compete.”
- The Nuggets, much vaunted for their offense, have seen their efforts on the other end of the ball come to the fore of late, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post details. In the second half of an eventual 102-95 win over the Hornets, Denver outscored Charlotte 17-0 to start the third frame, while the Hornets went 0-for-20 from the field at the opening of the quarter. “We wanted to win tonight because of our defense, not our offense,” defense-first power forward Aaron Gordon said.
- Nuggets sixth man Reggie Jackson, who was a high school legend at nearby Palmer High School, is reveling in his pro time with Denver, Durando writes in another piece. A big element of his time in town now has been his ability to reconnect with old friends and teammates. “That’s the best part of being back,” Jackson said. “If I have the urge to go see somebody, I can just go drive down there. Getting to see my childhood friends, their families grow, and getting to experience that and actually be around. Being gone so long in the NBA, it’s fun to finally have these moments and be close to them. I’m happy to be back home.”
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Carlisle, Sexton, Williams
The Timberwolves are truly gelling this season, and it all starts with their defense, writes Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports.
After a very bumpy 2022/23 season, Minnesota has looked like an altogether different team thus far in 2023/24. At 20-5, the club is currently the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference alone, three games ahead of the No. 2 Thunder.
Devine writes that the Timberwolves currently lead the NBA in points permitted per possession, and also boast the one of best defenses of the young century.
The Wolves’ length and size helps them stand apart on that end, thanks to its fearsome frontcourt tandem of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus its size on the wing with All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards and small forward Jaden McDaniels.
There’s more out of the Northwest:
- Following a 127-109 loss to Minnesota on Saturday, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was struck by the Timberwolves’ sheer ability, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “This is one of the best teams on the planet,” Carlisle reflected postgame. “These guys have really got it going here. The building is alive, the environment is way different than it used to be.”
- Combo guard Collin Sexton remains a critical energy player for the Jazz this season, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. His enthusiasm appears to be a big part of his charm, according to Utah head coach Will Hardy. “I love Collin to death,” Hardy said. “His intensity, his passion, his want to win, his energy is infectious… Collin’s a very endearing person.” Through 26 contests, mostly as a reserve, Sexton is averaging 14.3 PPG on .474/.333/.884 shooting splits, along with 3.3 APG and 2.7 RPG.
- Second-year Thunder forward Jalen Williams has carved out a significant role on Oklahoma City’s new “big three” alongside All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Chet Holmgren, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Williams is emerging as a secondary play-maker as well, and figuring out how best to work in tandem with Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren. “I think the biggest thing for me is just realizing what spots I’m in on a consistent basis and trying to rep those out continuously over this past summer,” Williams said. “And even now I feel like I also treat games like the most live reps you can get.”
Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Doncic, Exum, Rose
The Pelicans heated up on their latest road swing, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. New Orleans has gone 3-0 on its latest mini-road trip, and is currently riding a four-game win streak overall. The team returns home Tuesday, for a bout against Memphis.
“The guys are buying into what we are asking them to do,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are staying with it. We are trusting it. We are showing them the pictures when we watch film. We are getting on the floor and going over it again and again. Expressing to them how important it is to play with force, play with pace. Continue to share the ball. Just make the simple plays over and over again.”
New Orleans is currently 16-11 overall on the season. In the crowded West, that record is good for the conference’s seventh seed.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- All-NBA Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been performing at an MVP level this year, opines Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has steered Dallas to a 16-9 start on the year. His 32.7 points per game rank second in the league, and his 9.1 assists per game place him fourth. He was just named the West’s Player of the Week for his most recent four-game run, in which he averaged 36.8 PPG, 11.5 APG and 8.0 RPG while helped the Mavericks go 3-1.
- Mavericks guard Dante Exum has emerged as a critical running mate for Doncic this season, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. “He knows how to play,” Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s not judged on his scoring. He’s judged on doing the right thing.” Exum returned to the NBA this season after a two-year stint overseas. While starting the past six contests for Dallas, Exum has been averaging 30.8 minutes per night. Cato applauds the way Exum’s game fits in the Mavericks’ heliocentric offense around Doncic. “We try to attack personnel here (and) it’s working for us, it’s an advantage for us,” Exum said. “If it hasn’t worked for a couple plays, just getting the ball and saying, ‘Alright, getting guys connected, organized into an offense,’ that’s what I can do.”
- After departing a 103-96 loss to the Rockets on Friday with left hamstring tightness, Grizzlies reserve guard Derrick Rose is considered week-to-week going forward, reports Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). When healthy, Rose has been a solid bench contributor for an injury- and suspension-depleted Memphis club, averaging 9.1 PPG (.438/.344/.905 shooting), 3.5 APG and 2.0 RPG in just 18.9 MPG.