Clippers Notes: Lue, Hyland, George, Mann
Coach Tyronn Lue is trying to instill a sense of urgency in the Clippers, starting with a competitive training camp and an emphasis on results in the preseason, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Lue played 11 years in the NBA, so he understands how players sometimes approach exhibition games, but he wants to avoid falling into that trap.
“Veteran players, they always try to ease into it,” Lue said. “And I wanted to try to change that mindset of just establishing who we are from day one.”
L.A. didn’t have a full roster for Sunday’s opener against the Jazz in Hawaii. Russell Westbrook and Nicolas Batum were both rested, and Marcus Morris was held out of the game after suffering a left groin injury in Saturday’s practice. He’s also expected to miss Tuesday’s contest.
“I know it doesn’t count, but we still can establish … offensively pushing the pace, attacking the basket, having great spacing defensively and being physical one through five, just bringing our physicality,” Lue told reporters before Sunday’s game.
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Bones Hyland was impressive while taking Westbrook’s spot in the starting lineup, Greif adds. Hyland may not get many chances to run the offense alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, especially if L.A. winds up trading for James Harden, but he looked comfortable in that role on Sunday. “I just love Bones’ aggression,” George said. “I thought off the bounce, him getting to his shots, getting to his points on the floor, his play-making, his creativity. And I know he’s not a defensive guy, but he gives great effort on the defensive end and he’s long, he’s quick, he makes plays on both ends. We appreciate that from the guard spot, so he’ll tie in well with what we’re doing.”
- Terance Mann has heard his name mentioned in Harden rumors all summer, but he’s focusing on what he can bring to the Clippers, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. On top of the trade speculation, Mann recently became eligible for a three-year contract extension worth up to a projected $56MM and he said he would welcome a long-term deal with the team.
- Jud Winton has received a promotion to vice president/assistant general manager, the Clippers announced (via Twitter).
Pistons Notes: Thompson, Hayes, Bagley, Livers
Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson looked worthy of being a starter in his first preseason game, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The 20-year-old small forward replaced Jaden Ivey in the starting lineup for Sunday’s overtime loss to Phoenix and posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes. He also drew a tough defensive assignment, guarding Devin Booker for most of the afternoon.
Coach Monty Williams was impressed by what he saw from Thompson, but pointed out areas where he needs to improve.
“He’s got to play with force all game,” Williams said. “I thought there were times when he thought he was in position, and I got to show him on the film that if he sprinted to the spot and used his athletic ability to shift out as opposed to walking to the backside of the defense … he’s going to be much better.”
Ivey had an efficient game off the bench, scoring 15 points while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 3-for-6 beyond the arc. Williams told reporters not to read too much into Sunday’s lineup decision, but Edwards observes that Thompson and Ivey will likely compete for the final starting spot once Bojan Bogdanovic returns from a right calf strain that kept him out Sunday.
There’s more from Detroit:
- Killian Hayes followed up a strong camp with an impressive performance in the preseason opener, Edwards adds. The fourth-year guard, who will be competing for minutes in a crowded backcourt, registered 13 points, seven assists and five steals in 21 minutes. Monte Morris didn’t play Sunday due to injury, and Hayes took advantage of the chance to show Williams that he’s deserving of a spot in the rotation.
- Sunday’s game didn’t do anything to clear up the rotation in the frontcourt, notes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Before starting center Jalen Duren sprained his right ankle in the first half, James Wiseman was the only big man to come off the bench. After the intermission, Marvin Bagley III scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 22 minutes. “He just came in and played with a great deal of force,” Williams said of Bagley. “His dives were productive. He wasn’t putting the ball down in traffic. Defensively, I thought he did a much better job calling out screening actions which helped our guards out. For him to sit over there and come in and have an effect says a lot about his mindset and discipline to stay locked in.”
- Isaiah Livers is likely to see regular minutes when he returns from his sprained ankle, Edwards states in a mailbag column. He notes that Lively can handle either forward spot, and Williams seemed impressed with him before the injury.
Atlantic Notes: Nurse, Harden, Sharpe, Walker, Knicks
Head coach Nick Nurse is determined to prevent James Harden‘s standoff with Sixers management from becoming a distraction as he prepares the team for the start of the season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Harden went through all of training camp without incident, but was held out of Sunday’s preseason opener. With his trade request still looming, Nurse and the rest of his players aren’t sure if Harden will be on the roster when the season tips off in two weeks.
“I think that we knew (that) in the interview process, and the whole time James was a free agent,” Nurse said. “They talked to me, ‘How do you feel about if he’s here or if he isn’t?’ He certainly could have turned down his option and gone somewhere else. That was a possibility. But, like, you know my job is (to) work together with the front office. I believe in those guys. They got a track record of bringing in players, putting good teams together and my job is to coach the guys that are there. And that’s what I will do.”
Pompey notes that Nurse had other opportunities after his success in Toronto, as he interviewed with the Bucks and Suns and was considered the leading candidate for both jobs. Those teams are considered title contenders after major offseason acquisitions, but Nurse didn’t mind accepting the challenges in Philadelphia.
“I’ve got a job to do, and sometimes that job has a few things you’ve got to work through,” he said. “It’s not perfect on a lot of professional sports teams, right? You are paid to work through some things. That’s what we are trying to do.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets coach Jacque Vaughn plans to use more drop coverage this season, which could mean a larger role for backup center Day’Ron Sharpe, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The change in philosophy, plus having another big man on the court, could solve Brooklyn’s long-standing problems with rebounding. “When we switch 1-through-5 … it wasn’t so much Nic (Claxton) or I was getting cooked every play,” Sharpe said. “It was more so we’re out on the perimeter, they’re shooting the ball, the other guys (are) down there getting the rebounds. So, personally, I like to drop better. I like getting boards, I like being physical. And I don’t like when I feel like my matchup is killing me, either. So at the end of the day, I feel like it’s going to help us a lot.”
- After spending last season with the Lakers, Lonnie Walker will face his former team Monday night as he tries to earn a spot in the Nets‘ rotation, Lewis adds in a separate story. Vaughn said he wants to see Walker attack the rim and stretch the floor with his outside shooting.
- Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau admits it will be a “tough call” to make the final roster cuts, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy examines the candidates who will be fighting for spots throughout the preseason.
Pistons Notes: Stewart, Bagley, Wiseman, Livers, Thompson
It didn’t take long for new Pistons coach Monty Williams to identify Isaiah Stewart as one of his team leaders, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Stewart appears to be locked in as Detroit’s starting power forward heading into his fourth season. He is one of the team’s top defenders, and Williams believes his teammates respond to his approach to the game.
“It’s his character, it’s his toughness, but more importantly he works, and guys respect work,” Williams said. “In this culture, when you walk into this gym and you’re not working, you stand out. And he leads it. He and Jalen (Duren) have led the charge. Those guys are on the floor every day together getting sweat equity in, and it sends a message to the team.”
Stewart will see time at center as well as power forward this season, and he’s working to improve his jump shot so he can help to space the floor. The front office showed its belief in Stewart this summer by giving him a rookie scale extension worth up to $64MM, and Sankofa notes that he’s the only one of the team’s three first-round picks from 2020 to be extended.
“It made sense for us,” general manager Troy Weaver said of the new contract. “You always want to have a player or players on the team who are symbols for what you want to be about, and he’s that on and off the floor. Who he is as a person and what he brings to practice, what he brings as a teammate.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- With Stewart and Duren projected as starters, Marvin Bagley III and James Wiseman are competing for one rotation role in the frontcourt, Sankofa adds in a separate story. Both are former No. 2 overall picks who weren’t able to find success with their original teams, and the Pistons were willing to give them a second chance when they became available. Williams called it a “tough spot” for Bagley and Wiseman because they both have the talent to succeed. “Bags has a body of work. Wise is still young and learning,” Williams said. “They both have enough ability to command that spot. We’re just going to wait and see who steps up and takes it.”
- Isaiah Livers was in the competition for power forward minutes before suffering a sprained ankle that will cause him to miss six to eight weeks, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The rotation that Williams uses to start the season will likely be adjusted when Livers returns.
- Williams’ emphasis on defense gives rookie Ausar Thompson a chance to earn a starting spot, adds Edwards, who observes that Thompson may already be the team’s top defender. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jaden Ivey are at the greatest risk of being replaced, but Edwards notes that moving either to the bench would take scoring punch away from the starting lineup.
Joel Embiid To Play For Team USA In Olympics
Sixers center Joel Embiid has committed to Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Embiid informed USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill of his decision Thursday morning, sources tell Shelburne. She adds that Embiid and Hill met for nearly an hour earlier this week in Fort Collins, Colorado, where the Sixers are conducting training camp.
Because Embiid was born in Cameroon and has citizenship with both the U.S. and France, he was eligible to play for any of those teams. Shelburne’s sources said he wants to help Team USA become the No. 1 nation in international basketball again after it failed to medal at this year’s World Cup.
Embiid recently told ESPN that he would love to represent his home nation, but he was hesitant to commit because Cameroon hasn’t qualified for the 2024 Olympics. France reportedly gave Embiid an October 10 deadline to reach his decision.
Next year’s competition, which will be held in Paris, will mark Embiid’s first appearance in the Olympics. He will be a welcome addition to an American team that was routinely out-rebounded by larger opponents during the World Cup.
A six-time All-Star, Embiid is the NBA’s reigning MVP, having averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocks on .548/.330/.857 shooting in 66 games (34.6 minutes) in 2022/23. The 29-year-old led the league in scoring for the second straight season.
Knicks Notes: Grimes, Barrett, Hart, Offseason
Quentin Grimes worked with a pair of former NBA guards to get ready for the upcoming season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In addition to his annual summer workout with University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, Grimes spent time refining his jump shot with JJ Redick. According to Bondy, the idea came from head coach Tom Thibodeau and assistant Darren Erman, who recognized that Redick was proficient with the type of plays they want to see from Grimes.
“I know JJ Redick was one of the best shooters ever in this league. His conditioning was otherworldly, stuff like that. So I just tried to get in the gym with him, learn little things, how he would come off screens, pin downs, because I knew that would be some of the plays that were going to be run for me this season,” Grimes said. “So hopefully I’ll be prepared for them when I get my number called.”
Grimes is hoping to become more of a play-maker with the freedom to break down defenses. Bondy notes that he averaged just 1.89 seconds with the ball when it came to him last season and only 1.1 dribbles per touch. With Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle dominating the ball, Grimes was assigned to a catch-and-shoot role.
“It’s a good thing for me because I can space the floor, create driving lanes for RJ, whoever has the ball,” Grimes said. “But like I said, Thibs and (the assistant coaches), we had conversations this season like if I got the ball out there and I can make a play, go make a play.”
There’s more from New York:
- Barrett hopes to build on his World Cup performance, Bondy adds in a separate story. He was one of the top contributors to Canada’s bronze medal run, averaging 16.8 PPG while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. “I think I learned the game a little bit more,” Barrett said. “It’s crazy physical. Refs don’t care. It’s a lot different over there. But it was fun. I really kind of just did the same thing, my same thing, played the same game. I feel like I’m a guy — whether it’s the league or it’s FIBA — I kind of do the same stuff.”
- Playing power forward won’t be a new experience for Josh Hart, even though he’s undersized for the position at 6’4″, Bondy states in another piece. Hart said he guarded fours in Portland with Jerami Grant on the perimeter, which helped him to become an exceptional rebounder for his size.
- Knicks fans shouldn’t be alarmed that the team didn’t make any major moves this summer, contends Zach Braziller of The New York Post. He defends the front office’s decision not to chase Damian Lillard or anyone else who was on the market while preserving the team’s assets for a more significant addition in the future.
Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Williams, Craig, Donovan
In an interview with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu said he’s embracing the opportunity he has in training camp after an uneven second season. With Lonzo Ball still injured, there’s an open competition for the starting point guard role that also involves Jevon Carter and Coby White. The team invested in all three players this summer, re-signing Dosunmu and White while adding Carter in free agency.
“Ultimately, I think that competition is going to help our team in the long run,” Dosunmu said. “We go at each other and try to kill each other in practice. When we’re on the court together, it’s going to make our team much more smooth. Me going into my third year and our core group being together pretty much the same time, it’s getting time for us to turn the corner.”
After falling to the second round in the 2021 draft, Dosunmu became a contributor right away in his first season, starting 40 of the 77 games he played and earning second-team All-Rookie honors. With only a two-year contract, he got to test the market earlier than most players and decided that staying in Chicago was his best move.
“I came into free agency with an open mind that I could be playing anywhere,” Dosunmu said. “Put my feelings aside and basically try to secure what’s best for me and my game and my family for the future. Ultimately with praying, leaving it up to God, that was my path, to sign back with the Bulls.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Coach Billy Donovan said Patrick Williams will play an integral role this season, but the specifics are still being defined, Johnson adds in another story. Williams worked with the starters on the first day of training camp, but Donovan used Torrey Craig with that unit on Wednesday and plans to give Alex Caruso some time at power forward as well. “I think every player wants to start,” Williams said. “But I want to come in and play my game, however that plays out with the coaching staff. Part of being on a team is you have to trust the people you’re on a team with. You have to trust the plan they have for you. You might have to sacrifice.”
- Craig believes he can provide something the Bulls have been lacking, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “A little bit of toughness,” he said, “a little bit of an edge for guys with raw emotion to say how they feel and wear those emotions on their sleeve.’’ Cowley notes that Patrick Beverley provided those same qualities when he signed with Chicago in February, but he left for Philadelphia during the offseason.
- The Bulls’ added depth has Donovan contemplating a 10-man rotation, Cowley states in a separate story. Donovan may need the team to get off to a fast start, as oddsmakers have him listed as a 4-1 favorite as the first coach to be fired this season, according to the Sun-Times.
Warriors Notes: McGruder, Green, Saric, Paul, Thompson
Before Rodney McGruder signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the Warriors, his closest connection with Draymond Green came through an expletive-filled tirade that Green delivered three years ago, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. After McGruder had a verbal confrontation with Juan Toscano-Anderson, Green went on a two-minute postgame rant asking when McGruder became his team’s “tough guy.”
“Draymond and I talked it out before I got here,” McGruder said. “It’s all love. It’s just the competitive nature of the game. You say things, you do things, then you move on.”
Green has become one of McGruder’s top supporters, Letourneau adds, because he can identify with the work the 32-year-old guard had to put in to carve out a role in the NBA. McGruder went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2013, then spent time in Hungary and the G League before earning a contract with Miami. He finds himself trying to earn another roster spot late in his career, which Letourneau notes involves the challenge of beating out veteran forward Rudy Gay.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Dario Saric had offers in free agency from several teams that needed frontcourt depth, but he opted for a veteran’s minimum deal with Golden State because he saw a good fit with the roster, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. “I looked (around at different opportunities) a little bit those couple days,” Saric said. “I looked a little bit at the Warriors, how they run stuff, how I can fit there. Obviously I think I can. … I hope I’ll prove to fans that I deserve to be part of this team.” Saric’s decision reunites him with former Suns teammate Chris Paul, and he’s confident they can duplicate the pick-and-roll chemistry they had in Phoenix.
- Paul’s priority will be to keep the offense flowing when Stephen Curry isn’t on the court, states Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. At media day, coach Steve Kerr said the team has always struggled to get points without its star in the game. “Even when we had Kevin (Durant) and that group that won back-to-back titles, our whole goal for the non-Steph minutes was to just put a great defensive team on the floor and win those minutes with defense,” Kerr said. “We’ve never really generated great offense with Steph on the bench. Chris will help us do that.”
- Kerr plans to continue the practice of having Klay Thompson guard some power forwards, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr wants to have Curry, Paul and Thompson on the floor together frequently, and Andrew Wiggins is needed to match up with high-scoring small forwards.
Celtics Notes: Holiday, Mazzulla, Gabriel, Redick
Celtics owners, front office members and even Hall of Famers were raving about Jrue Holiday‘s performance Wednesday in his first practice with the team, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said the energy reminded him of the first practice session after Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were acquired in 2007. Co-owner Steve Pagliuca said Paul Pierce told him he had never seen anything to match Holiday’s intensity, then Pagliuca offered a few superlatives of his own.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen Jaylen Brown be stopped going to the hoop with a full head of steam, and he just ran right into Jrue,” Pagliuca said. “And that was it. It was incredible. One of the most incredible things I’ve seen in practice.”
Pagliuca added that the organization has been enamored with Holiday for years and had been hoping he would eventually become available. That opportunity arose after he was sent to Portland last week in the Damian Lillard trade, and the Celtics were determined that they wouldn’t be outbid when the Trail Blazers put him back on the market. Holiday said that as soon as the trade was finalized, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla sent him video clips of the team’s pick-and-roll coverages and offensive sets.
“From the beginning, (Mazzulla’s) told me my role is to do everything,” Holiday said. “Do everything, be all over the floor defensively, be able to control situations offensively, situations to calm us down and get good shots toward the end of games. But I think when it comes down to it, it’s about winning. It’s about keeping this culture of winning and Joe’s a part of that and the way he’s communicated with me has been awesome.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Holiday told reporters that the Celtics have already had discussions with him about a contract extension and are hoping to reach an agreement on a long-term deal as soon as he becomes eligible, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
- Holiday credits Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin for helping him get to a place where he wanted to be, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “Portland blessed me,” Holiday said. “Joe Cronin did a great job of communicating with me on how I wanted to proceed. … Working with him was very easy, very seamless, and made all of this possible.”
- Wenyen Gabriel, who signed with the Celtics on Tuesday, hopes to provide an answer to the team’s need for frontcourt depth, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Gabriel isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, but he believes he can provide what the team needs. “I’m not thinking they’re expecting me to do anything new that’s out of the character of what I’ve already done in terms of bringing energy, toughness, getting us extra possessions, being able to switch, being versatile out there, running the floor, being athletic, blocking shots,” Gabriel said. “There’s a lot of different things I can do defensively, being a good help defender. So there’s a lot of things that I already do as a player.”
- Former NBA guard JJ Redick revealed on his podcast that the Celtics offered him a job as an assistant coach last September and again when Damon Stoudamire left in March, relays Brian Robb of MassLive.
Clippers Notes: Westbrook, George, Morris, Defense
Media day was much different this year for Clippers guard Russell Westbrook than it was in 2022 when he was a virtual outcast on the Lakers, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Westbrook conducted a “jovial” 17-minute session with reporters, which Swanson notes is about 11 minutes longer than he talked to Lakers media last year. He expressed a desire to win a title, but added some philosophy about other things that can happen along the way.
“Every team comes into media day, training camp, we’re going to win a championship, and we understand that’s the goal,” Westbrook said. “But personally the championship-or-bust mentality to me is just not a real thing. It’s like a thing that people make up. Like winning a championship or bust. It’s not true. You can accomplish a lot more. You can create brotherhood. You can learn so much more about people. You can figure out ways how you can as a team, collectively. There’s just so many lessons that I’ve personally learned.”
Westbrook’s unhappy experience with the Lakers turned around after he was traded to Utah at the deadline and joined the Clippers following a buyout with the Jazz. He was the pure point guard the team had been needing, and he raised the level of play before injuries shut the door on L.A. in the postseason.
“Leadership is one of my biggest qualities,” he said Monday. “It’s something that I really embrace and enjoy.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Paul George confirmed on Wednesday that he’s engaged in extension talks with the team, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. He told reporters that negotiations are “active but both sides have to be on the same page and that’s just what we’re trying to figure out.”
- After 12 NBA seasons, Marcus Morris is used to hearing his name in trade talks, Greif adds (Twitter link). With a $17.1MM expiring contract, Morris was involved in rumors throughout the summer. “It’s part of the game. It’s part of being a veteran,” he said. “You go with the flow, if it happens it happens, if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a Clipper. I’m a Clipper until I’m not. I’m here to help the team in any capacity.”
- At media day, coach Tyronn Lue emphasized the need to improve on defense and challenged his team to finish in the top five in that category this season, per Law Murray of The Athletic.