Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins Questionable For Game 6
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has seen his status downgraded to questionable ahead of his team’s must-win Game 6 against the Lakers on Friday, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Slater reports that Wiggins has suffered a left costal cartilage fracture. This is the area of the rib cage that connects the ribs to the sternum.
It’s discouraging news for the Warriors, who are coming off a blowout 121-106 Game 5 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday. In that victory, Wiggins scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting, his best output in 12 playoff games this season. He also pulled down seven rebounds, dished out an assist and notched one steal.
For the series, the 6’7″ combo forward out of Kansas is averaging 16.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 0.6 SPG across 33.2 MPG. The Lakers still lead the Warriors 3-2, meaning Golden State will have to win out to advance to its second straight Western Conference Finals appearance.
If Wiggins sits, it will be fascinating to see which player head coach Steve Kerr opts to insert into his starting lineup. Among Warriors players already seeing rotation minutes in this series, Moses Moody makes the most positional sense, but perhaps Kerr will decide to reinsert a bigger floor spacer like JaMychal Green back into his first five, or shift center Kevon Looney to a starting role and move Draymond Green back to power forward.
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Upgraded To Available For Game 6
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has been given the green light to suit up tonight in a possible closeout Game 6 against the Suns, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Murray had previously been considered questionable to play due to a non-COVID-19 illness that has also impacted his other teammates.
Having Murray available will allow Denver to field a relatively healthy lineup against a Phoenix team that will be down two starters in point guard Chris Paul, still out with a left groin strain, and center Deandre Ayton, who will be shelved for the first time in this series with a rib contusion he sustained in Denver’s Game 5 victory.
Murray has been a huge component of the Nuggets’ success thus far in helping lead the club to a 3-2 series. The 6’3″ guard has averaged 24.6 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG through the first five games.
Denver leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and will now carry a significant health advantage into Phoenix. The action tips off at 9 pm CT.
Warriors Notes: Poole, Wiggins, Payton, Game 5
Warriors guard Jordan Poole has had an erratic second-round performance against the Lakers. Around the league, his overall postseason play this year has rival executives unsure to what extent Golden State still views the 23-year-old as a foundational piece for the younger core of its roster, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Poole inked a four-year extension worth a guaranteed $123MM this past summer. That lucrative new deal will take effect next season.
“I don’t know why the Warriors rushed to overpay him,” an executive told Pincus. “They could have given him the same money this summer. At least then, they’d know what his contract would mean to their situation,” the Eastern Conference executive continued. “He’s earning more than [Andrew] Wiggins, and Wiggins is way more valuable than Poole.”
Pincus wonders if the Warriors may look to offload Poole’s contract and negotiate new long-term deals with veterans Draymond Green, who has a player option for 2023/24, and Klay Thompson, who will be extension-eligible next season.
There’s more out of Golden State:
- Wiggins holds no hard feelings about how his entry into the NBA played out, writes Mark Medina of Sportsnaut. Wiggins, the No. 1 draft pick in 2014, was selected by the Cavaliers before becoming the centerpiece of a trade to the Timberwolves that landed Kevin Love in Cleveland. Lakers All-NBA small forward LeBron James, now Wiggins’ opposition in his Warriors’ ongoing second-round playoff series, went on to appear in four straight NBA Finals alongside Love. “It’s the business side of basketball,” Wiggins said. “People get traded all the time. At the end of the day, they have a ring and I have a ring. It worked out.”
- In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Warriors guard Gary Payton II spoke about his offseason free agency, a challenging injury, and his return to the Warriors at the trade deadline. Payton wanted to re-sign with Golden State, where he had just won a title in 2022, as a free agent, but instead wound up taking a more lucrative three-year, $26.1MM deal with the Trail Blazers. “This is probably like my only one [long-term deal],” Payton said. “You know me, I’m like, ‘Yeah. I ain’t got probably one or two of these left, so I got to take it.'” A core muscle injury temporarily put his trade back to the Warriors in jeopardy, but ultimately Golden State decided to go through with the deal and bring him back. He’s now starting in the team’s second-round playoff series. “It was just a little hill,” Payton said of the injury. “But I feel like last year showed them last season if fully healthy can happen.”
- Payton’s move to the starting lineup, an efficient shooting night inside the arc for Stephen Curry, more proactive offense from Green, and improved play from Poole and Wiggins are credited by Medina in a separate piece as key reasons the Warriors saved their season on Wednesday in a Game 5 home win.
Celtics Shifting Robert Williams Into Starting Five
Ahead of a potential elimination game tonight in Philadelphia, the Celtics have opted to swap center Robert Williams into their starting lineup for guard Derrick White, per Shams Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
The Sixers, led by newly-minted league MVP Joel Embiid and veteran point guard James Harden, currently lead Boston 3-2, and have an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 22 years with a home victory tonight.
As The Athletic’s duo notes, Williams had served as the team’s All-Defensive Team starting center during Boston’s 2021/22 season, which resulted in an NBA Finals run. Injuries have limited his availability this season, and he has been used in more of a reserve capacity, with White replacing him in a smaller first five.
“Just [gives] us a different look,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of the switch, Weiss tweets. “Rob gives us a lift on the defensive end.”
Sources inform Charania and Weiss that backup guard Payton Pritchard could also see additional time tonight after enjoying an active run in mop-up duty during the end of a Game 5 blowout loss.
Northwest Notes: Holmgren, Timberwolves, Malone, Nuggets
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren continues to rehabilitate from two surgeries related to the Lisfranc right foot injury he suffered last year, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman.
As Mussatto notes, Oklahoma City has indicated Holmgren may play for the Thunder’s 2023 Summer League team, and anticipates he will be able to suit up in time for the 2023/24 season. Mussatto collected a variety of quotes from Holmgren’s Thunder colleagues about their teammate, who missed his entire rookie season after being drafted second overall.
“Chet is a great competitor,” rookie Jaylin Williams raved. “We played against each other in college and then we played against each other when we first got here, and we always talk about the college game, smack talking to each other.”
“Off the court, he’s a really good kid,” All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Then on the court, competitor. The kid wants to be good. I think that’s the biggest thing. Like he wants to be really good and he wants to prove himself to the world. That fire in him is impressive. It’s impressive. I think because of that he’s going to be a heck of a basketball player.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Following a very active 2022 offseason, Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune believes that the Timberwolves should operate more patiently this summer. Souhan notes that Minnesota has been plagued by wild swings from management in recent years and says the team needs to avoid repeating that behavior in the 2023 offseason.
- Nuggets head coach Michael Malone wants to make sure that Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker has a harder time scoring, writes Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Booker poured in 47 points on 20-of-25 shooting from the floor in Phoenix’s 121-114 Game 3 victory over Denver. “He’s going to score,” Malone acknowledged. “The sheer volume of shots he’s going to take, he’s going to score… But we can’t allow him to go 80% from the field when he goes 20 of 25. Being into him, being more physical, more aggressive, showing him more of a crowd, hopefully that doesn’t allow him to start off with 18 points and shooting into a big basket the rest of the night.”
- After winning the first two games of their second round series vs. Phoenix at home, the Nuggets regressed to cough up a Game 3 loss on the road, writes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. “I think we were just a little bit slow,” All-NBA center Nikola Jokic said. “I don’t want to say, sleepy, but they were making the first move and we were reacting.”
Pacific Notes: Craig, Murray, Vanderbilt, Curry, Warriors
Suns swingman Torrey Craig unpacked how his team has been approaching its defense of his former Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray in the two teams’ ongoing playoff series, Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic writes.
“Jamal’s a skilled player, man,” Craig remarked. “He’s really crafty with different finishes, and his jumpshot and his ability to get to the rim and mid-range and 3s… Just be physical with him. Crowd him. Don’t let him get to his spots easy because he’s one of those guys if let him get in the groove, he can get it going.”
Thus far in the series, Murray is averaging 25.3 PPG on .426/.280/.917 shooting splits, along with 7.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG. Denver leads 2-1.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division:
- Versatile Lakers power forward Jarred Vanderbilt has thus far seemed up for the challenge of defending Warriors All-Star point guard Stephen Curry in their playoff series matchup, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “He’s a tough cover,” Vanderbilt said of Curry. “We have a lot of bodies to throw at him. Starting with me, Dennis (Schröder), I think everyone did a great job of chasing him around kind of wearing him down and making it hard for him… That is my calling on the team. I like those matchups. Those challenges. That is what I’m here to do,”
- The Warriors, trailing the lower-seeded Lakers 2-1 in their second-round playoff series, are striving to figure out how to improve, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “You got to be more poised than we were,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s easier in a regular season to respond to a tough stretch. Everything is magnified in the playoffs. So a tough stretch can turn into a longer stretch … we let our foot off the gas and the Lakers took advantage of that.”
- Following a 127-97 blowout loss to Los Angeles on Saturday, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic wonders if the Warriors‘ inconsistency this season could be coming back to haunt them in these playoffs for good. Kawakami believes that Golden State is still capable of greatness, but points the team’s lackluster 11-30 road record as an indicator that it has had its struggles this year.
Atlantic Notes: Brunson, Butler, Celtics, Embiid
Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson continues to deal with the sore right ankle that caused him to be listed as questionable ahead of New York’s second game against the Heat.
Brunson ultimately played and performed well in the Knicks’ 111-105 Game 2 win. He scored 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. His status for Game 3 in Miami, however, remains murky.
Per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Tom Thibodeau claimed Brunson “didn’t do much” in the team’s practice Thursday, and is considered “day-to-day.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Given the uncertain availability of Heat All-NBA swingman Jimmy Butler, the Knicks are gearing up to play against two iterations of Miami on Saturday, per Peter Botte of The New York Post: one with Butler and one without him. “The good thing about the situation that we just went through is we played one game where he played and one game where he didn’t play,” Thibodeau said. “So we know style of play, what he brings, how they’ll be different when he plays. We also know how they’ll play when he doesn’t play.”
- The Celtics worked hard to earn a 121-87 blowout victory over the Sixers to even their series to a 1-1 record, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston point guard Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, made it a priority to lock down Philadelphia’s backcourt. “Our defense has been slipping,” Smart said, “and we just wanted to come out and get back to what we do best.”
- Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said today that MVP center Joel Embiid‘s knee is responding well following his return to the floor for a Game 2 loss to Boston, per Rich Hoffman of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Just his speed that he reached, his explosions, they were very close to normal,” Rivers said. “That was great for us to see and more importantly, great for him to be able to do it and see that he can do it, and have very little swelling or anything like that.” Embiid scored 15 points, blocked five shots and pulled down three boards in 27 minutes of action, playing in his first game back from an LCL sprain.
Suns Notes: Paul, Ishbia, Game 3, Series
Suns star point guard Chris Paul has been officially ruled out for Friday’s crucial Game 3 matchup against the Nuggets, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
Paul departed Phoenix’s Game 2 loss in Denver with a left groin strain, and had been considered doubtful to play in either of the Suns’ first two home contests in the series. Game 5, if needed, will return the series to Ball Arena.
Ahead of Paul being officially ruled out, Suns head coach Monty Williams had revealed that Paul did no on-court work in a team practice Thursday, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter video link).
“Obviously we are going to miss Chris,” Suns All-Star forward Kevin Durant said following the practice. “And what he brings to the table. We just got to go out there and play our game, play together, we try not to think too much about it and try to move the ball and play together… and put yourself in a good position.”
There’s more out of Phoenix:
- After Diamond Sports Group filed a lawsuit against the Suns franchise for leaving current broadcast home Bally Sports Arizona in favor of Gray Television Inc. and Kiswe, new team owner Mat Ishbia issued a response, Rankin writes in a separate piece. “Nobody is surprised by this lawsuit and it will not stop the Phoenix Suns and Mercury from making our games available to as many people as we possibly can,” Ishbia said. “I firmly believe the future success of the NBA and WNBA is about getting our product to everyone who wants it versus just the people who pay for it.”
- The Suns return home to Phoenix in an 0-2 hole during their second-round series against the Nuggets. The team is eager to put a win on the board, writes Rankin in another article. “It’s new adversity, it’s all part of the playoffs,” Phoenix center Deandre Ayton said. “The [thing] is, it’s really enlightened us, you know. Now we got to grit and grind. Now we’re desperate. I kind of like it.”
- Despite trailing Denver in the series, the Suns can still rally to win, opines Chris Coppola of The Arizona Republic. Coppola believes the team’s starting frontcourt of Durant and Ayton must step up, and that Phoenix’s home crowd could help elevate the team as well.
Rockets Notes: Eason, Smith, Udoka, FA Targets
Rockets forward Tari Eason has switched agents. Eason is signing on with Wasserman, his new agency has announced (Twitter link).
Excel Sports Management had served as Eason’s prior representation to this point. Per Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal, Thad Foucher and Chafie Fields will be his Wasserman reps.
The 6’8″ forward out of LSU appeared in all 82 games for Houston in 2022/23, averaging 9.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.1 APG and 0.6 BPG off the bench.
There’s more out of Houston:
- 2022 Rockets lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. is switching his jersey number ahead of his second NBA season, from No. 1 to No. 10, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Smith had worn No. 10 while at Auburn, but former teammate Eric Gordon had already staked his claim to that number prior to Smith’s arrival. With the veteran shooting guard now on the Clippers, a path has been cleared for Smith to secure his former college digits.
- New Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was brought aboard after thorough vetting from Houston decision makers. Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the process of bringing the former Celtics head coach to the Rockets, who also seriously considered former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and ex-Hornets head coach James Borrego. Houston was said to be intrigued by the quick, strong bond Udoka had forged with Boston players during his lone NBA Finals-bound with the club.
- In a separate piece, Iko spoke with various scouts around the league about several possible free agent targets for the Rockets this summer. Iko took a look at former Houston guard James Harden, who won an MVP in 2018 with the Rockets, and restricted Lakers free agent Austin Reaves. Veteran forwards Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, along with Bucks wing Khris Middleton, were also examined.
Mike Budenholzer Fired By Bucks
5:06pm: The Bucks have made the news official in a press release.
“The decision to make this change was very difficult,” Bucks GM Jon Horst said in the statement. “Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success… This is an opportunity for us to refocus and reenergize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”
4:57pm: Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has been let go by the team, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Budenholzer had two years left on his contract with Milwaukee.
The 58-24 Bucks, owners of the top record in the league this season, were defeated in five games by the eighth-seeded Heat in a massive first round upset.
A perfect storm of circumstances led to the Bucks’ early ouster after they had been widely considered the team to beat in the East this season. All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had to depart the first game of the series with a back injury and missed the subsequent two bouts. He played well in the fourth and fifth contests, both losses.
All-NBA Miami swingman Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, enjoyed the series of his life, averaging 37.6 PPG on .597/.444/.708 shooting. He also chipped in 6.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, and 1.8 SPG. The Heat were without their second-leading scorer, guard Tyler Herro, following the first half of Game 1 in the series.
Budenholzer’s decision-making during the series came under scrutiny in its immediate aftermath, particularly his decision to not leave Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Brook Lopez in to wall off the paint from Butler during the closing seconds of regulation in Game 5. Instead, against smaller Bucks guards, Butler pulled off a miracle shot thanks to a perfect Gabe Vincent inbound pass, which propelled the Heat to an eventual overtime victory. Budenholzer was also criticized for not employing all his timeouts during the closing minutes of that must-win contest.
Following Milwaukee’s elimination, former Bucks assistant Darvin Ham disclosed that one of Budenholzer’s brothers passed away before Game 4 of the series.
After serving as an assistant for the Spurs under head coach Gregg Popovich from 1996-2013, Budenholzer took his first head coaching assignment with the Hawks for the 2013/14 season. Budenholzer led the club as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in ’14/15 and won his first Coach of the Year award for his efforts. He also served as the team president from 2015-18.
Budenholzer joined the Bucks in the summer of 2018, immediately leading the club to the Eastern Conference Finals and earning Coach of the Year honors in his first year. Under his stewardship, Antetokounmpo won two MVP awards, and Milwaukee won its first title since 1971, beating the Suns in six games in 2021.
Budenholzer owns a lifetime regular season coaching record of 484-317, having led the Bucks to a 271-120 (.693) record over the last five seasons. His career postseason record is 56-48, with a 39-26 mark for Milwaukee.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link), replacing Budenholzer will be among many items on a busy summer agenda for the Bucks. Lopez will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, three-time All-Star swingman Khris Middleton could join him on the open market if he declines his 2023/24 player option, and Antetkounmpo is eligible for what promises to be a pricey extension.