Celtics Notes: R. Williams, Pritchard, Smart, Roster Spot
Robert Williams said he’s “feeling good” a week after straining his left hamstring and tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that he hopes to be able to play sometime during the Celtics‘ six-game road trip. However, Williams cautioned that there’s no target date for him to return and said he won’t try to rush back.
“It’s obviously something I want to do, but just trying to check these boxes and make sure it’s straight,” Williams about returning to the court. “It’s kind of tricky, because you can feel great and then get out there and do one hard move and get the pain back, so just trying to watch it.”
Williams added that he’s not sure what caused the injury, which happened during a March 3 game. He said the hamstring started to feel tight while he was running, and he wanted to keep moving to see if that would cause it to loosen up.
The Celtics are likely to be careful with Williams, who has dealt with a variety of injuries throughout his career. He missed the first 32 games of this season while recovering from maintenance surgery on his left knee and has been available for just 28 games.
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Payton Pritchard, who sat out Friday’s game with a heel issue, didn’t accompany the team for the start of the road trip, Himmelsbach adds. Coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t able to provide an update on Pritchard’s condition during tonight’s pre-game meeting with reporters. The Celtics may keep two-way player JD Davison on their active roster while Pritchard is unavailable, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
- Marcus Smart offered his support to Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who was fined $30K this week for harsh criticism of NBA officials, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Smart, who has been involved in numerous run-ins with referees during his career, said he has felt that some officials have “a personal vendetta” against him. “As players we just want that consistency,” Smart said. “Just like for us, we get emotional, too. But, for us, we get in trouble for it. And we just want that consistency around. And that’s it. So I had that in the past but, like I said, I’m going to let Fred do all my talking around that.”
- The Celtics appear content to wait to fill their open roster spot, Robb writes in a mailbag column. He points out that the team saves thousands of dollars in luxury tax payments every day that the slot remains open and that whoever is ultimately signed shouldn’t be a factor in the postseason. Robb expects the front office to move slowly and see if any emergency needs arise.
Warriors Still Uncertain About Andrew Wiggins’ Return
The Warriors haven’t received any indication on whether Andrew Wiggins will return to the team before the end of the season, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Coach Steve Kerr addressed the situation in his meeting with reporters before Saturday’s game, responding, “That’s the hope,” when asked if Wiggins is expected back at some point this season.
“We’re giving him his space, as we’ve talked about, as he deals with something that’s way more important than a game,” Kerr said. “If he’s able to come back, that would be great. And if not, then that’s the case. Whatever happens, we’ll handle it accordingly.”
Wiggins, who hasn’t played since February 13, missed the final game before the All-Star break due to a family matter and hasn’t returned. The Warriors have expressed their support, but have otherwise kept the issue private. General manager Bob Myers said in a radio interview last week that he expects Wiggins back before the playoffs.
The 28-year-old forward played a vital role in Golden State’s run to an NBA championship last season, averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 22 playoff games. He missed 15 games in December and January due to an adductor strain and an illness and has played just 37 contests overall.
In Wiggins’ absence, Donte DiVincenzo has been inserted into the starting lineup with Klay Thompson moving to small forward. The team’s bench is shorthanded at the wing with Gary Payton II still not ready to play after being acquired at the trade deadline and two-way player Anthony Lamb ineligible after reaching his 50-game limit.
Madeline Kenney of The San Jose Mercury News talked to Warriors players about Wiggins earlier this week and found they are trying to strike a balance between being supportive and respecting his privacy.
“Wiggs is my brother,” Jordan Poole said. “We’re giving him strength and all of the support that he needs and whenever he’s ready to come back, whenever he’s ready to join the team, he will. … He knows that we all have his back and he can take as much time as he needs and we’re all really good support system and wish him nothing but the best.”
Cavaliers Notes: Allen, Garland, Bench, Mitchell
A right eye injury that Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen suffered in Friday’s loss at Miami may not be as bad as the team originally feared, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Allen walked to the locker room with a towel over his eye after being swiped by Bam Adebayo during a battle for a rebound late in the fourth quarter. He’s listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game at Charlotte, but a source told Fedor that the eye “looked better than expected,” adding that Allen will “hopefully be back sooner rather than later.”
In his game story Friday night, Fedor asked coach J.B. Bickerstaff what a prolonged absence for Allen would mean to a team that’s battling to hang onto home-court advantage in the playoffs.
“Obviously, we would miss him,” Bickerstaff said. “We would miss all the things that he brings on both sides of the court. His ability to protect the paint, anchor our defense and just his spirit. Everyone would have to step up. A lot of that would put Evan (Mobley) at more of the 5 spot and he would have to take over those responsibilities. But we believe Evan is capable of doing so and we have other guys who can help as well. It’ll be opportunities for other guys to go and contribute, which is what they will want to do.”
There’s more on the Cavaliers:
- A quad injury that forced Darius Garland to miss the game in Miami is considered minor, but it could prevent him from playing again Sunday, Fedor adds. Garland suffered the injury in the second half of Wednesday’s game and wasn’t able to take part in the team’s shootaround or his pregame workout on Friday.
- The Cavaliers agreed to a buyout with Kevin Love because he fell out of their rotation, but Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that several prominent bench players haven’t been as productive since Love left. Dean Wade, Caris LeVert, Ricky Rubio and Cedi Osman are all playing fewer minutes than their season averages and have struggled to contribute since the buyout occurred.
- Playing two straight games in Miami allowed the Cavaliers to experience something close to a playoff atmosphere, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Cleveland won on Wednesday and the teams had an off day to make adjustments before playing again Friday. “That’s what the playoffs are going to be,” said Donovan Mitchell, one of just two Cavs starters with playoff experience. “If this was a playoff series, we still won one, and that’s kind of the mindset.”
Pelicans Notes: Ingram, Zion, McCollum, Hayes
The Pelicans may not have either of their star forwards available as they begin what could be the most important stretch of their season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA. Zion Williamson will be sidelined until at least March 22 with a strained right hamstring, and Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game after spraining his right ankle on Wednesday.
“(Ingram’s) done some pool work today,” coach Willie Green said Friday. “He’s done some work on the floor. He’ll be questionable tomorrow.”
Currently 10th in the West at 32-34, the Pelicans will play three games in the next four days against teams close to them in the standings. After hosting the Thunder tonight, New Orleans will face the Trail Blazers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday.
There’s more on the Pelicans:
- While Ingram and Williamson have both missed more games than they’re played this season, CJ McCollum‘s durability has helped New Orleans stay afloat, Clark adds. McCollum has fought through multiple illnesses and recently began wearing a splint because of an injured right thumb, but he has appeared in 59 of the Pelicans’ 66 games. “CJ has been a warrior for us all season,” Green said. “Like you said, he has played through being sick. Playing through the thumb injury, which we know. He understands the magnitude of our games coming up. We’re leaning on him a ton.”
- Williamson hasn’t played since January 2, but a source close to the situation tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that the team still expects him to return before the regular season ends. Williamson was averaging 26 points per game before the injury, and his presence could have a major impact on the playoff race.
- A sprained ankle that sidelined Larry Nance Jr. has created more playing time for Jaxson Hayes, Clark notes in another NOLA story. Hayes hasn’t become the player the Pelicans thought he would when they selected him with the eighth pick in the 2019 draft, but he sometimes shows why the team was so high on him. He had 14 points in 24 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Mavericks, making all six of his shots and closing down the lane against Dallas on defense. New Orleans considered trades involving Hayes before last month’s deadline, according to Clark, but opted to hold onto him in his contract year.
Knicks Notes: Hart, Quickley, Toppin, Fournier, Barrett
Josh Hart appears open to a long-term contract with the Knicks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said in a discussion about the team with Ian Begley of SNY. Hart has been a perfect fit since being acquired from the Trail Blazers at the trade deadline, and he has quickly become a favorite of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Hart has a $13MM player option for next season, but he’s expected to turn it down and test the market. Scotto said Hart enjoys being in New York and will likely get a three- or four-year offer from the team.
Begley adds that the Knicks wouldn’t have parted with a future first-round pick along with Cam Reddish unless they were confident that they could keep Hart. He notes that Hart has talked about his connections to team president Leon Rose as well as Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle and is looking for stability after being traded four times in his first six NBA seasons.
There’s more on the Knicks from Scotto and Begley:
- Teams may have missed an opportunity by not trading for Immanuel Quickley earlier this season, per Scotto, who says there were rumors that New York would have taken a first-round pick in return. Quickley is now among the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors and may be in line for a rookie scale extension this summer. Begley suggests the Knicks’ offer will have to be “something significant” to get Quickley to accept, adding that he’s not likely to give them a “home team discount.”
- Randle’s reemergence should make Obi Toppin a strong trade candidate, according to Scotto. The third-year power forward is playing just 14.6 minutes per game and will make $6.8MM next season. Begley states that the Knicks talked to several teams about Toppin before the deadline, including the Pacers, but no one was willing to offer the draft assets they wanted in return for the former lottery pick.
- New York will also look for a taker for Evan Fournier, who will have a virtual $18.8MM expiring contract next season because there’s a team option for 2024/25. Fournier was brought up in trade talks with the Raptors involving OG Anunoby, but Toronto was asking for three first-round picks and the Knicks weren’t confident about re-signing Anunoby when he reaches free agency in 2024, Scotto says. The Lakers also had some interest in Fournier earlier in the season, Begley adds.
- RJ Barrett hasn’t been in Thibodeau’s closing lineups recently, and Scotto believes the Knicks would be willing to use him as a trade chip if they chase a star player this summer.
Kevin Love: Leaving Cavaliers Was “Incredibly Hard”
Kevin Love ended his time with the Cavaliers after nearly nine seasons when he accepted a buyout last month, but leaving Cleveland wasn’t an easy choice, he tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Love, who signed with the Heat, talked about the decision to move on after facing his former team for the first time Wednesday night.
“Professionally, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do without question,” Love said. “I think you guys know how much I love Cleveland and Ohio. All the fans there have always supported me and the team. Naturally, winning there makes it bigger than guys like myself, Kyrie (Irving), Bron (LeBron James). Even here I look up and see the championship banners and I’m like, ‘That’s special.’ I go back to Brecksville and I’m like, ‘We did that. We really did that.’ That was incredibly hard to do after eight and a half seasons.”
Although Love still feels a strong attachment to Cleveland, he wanted to find a situation where he could still play. Love had been out of the Cavs’ lineup since January 24, missing several games due to lower back pain and then being pulled from the rotation when Dean Wade returned from injury.
Love wasn’t effective this season and it became harder for coach J.B. Bickerstaff to find minutes for him. The 34-year-old forward shot just 38.9% from the floor in 41 games and was a glaring liability on defense as rival teams targeted him in the pick-and-roll. A lingering thumb injury also limited his effectiveness.
“I think it was a really tough decision for him to take me out of the lineup,” Love said of Bickerstaff. “I think they wanted to go young and stick with those guys, especially Ricky (Rubio) and Dean getting back from injury. They wanted to get the guys more minutes. But the natural frustration is you want to be out there, you want to have those conversations in the locker room, you want to be in those timeouts, those type of situations.
“I think it like all came so fast for me and there wasn’t any prospect of me going back out there and playing — and I wanted that. I was hungry for that. I was foaming at the mouth for that. Those were really tough conversations, but those are ones that I’m grateful they had with me so I was able to find something else and find a place where I could be happy and play.”
According to Fedor, Love reached out to Wade after finalizing his buyout to let him know there was no animosity and to encourage him to take advantage of his opportunity. He also talked to Rubio, his teammate in Minnesota before they reunited in Clevland, about taking over as the team’s veteran leader.
Love remains close to his former teammates and is still on their group text chat, Fedor adds. He greeted several of them before Wednesday’s game and said it’s an odd feeling to see them on the opposing sideline.
Winding up in Miami was an unexpected development for Love, who was hoping to retire in Cleveland. Now he’s adjusting to a new team that could potentially meet the Cavs in a playoff series.
“That’s in my mind and my vision, I thought it would be Cleveland without a doubt, especially after last year and the start of this year,” Love said. “Now you’ve got to put that in the rearview. It is tough after eight and a half years, moving in the middle of the season and still living out of a hotel, but in terms of welcoming me with open arms and a class organization, the Miami Heat have been just unbelievable. I can see why they have that rich history and have had so much success because they have been so good to me.”
Steven Adams Out At Least Four More Weeks
Grizzlies center Steven Adams had a stem cell injection on Wednesday as part of his treatment for a PCL sprain in his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter). His condition will be reevaluated in about four weeks.
Adams hasn’t played since January 22, but there had been hope that he was nearing a return. He was doing 5-on-5 work in practice in late February, and coach Taylor Jenkins floated the possibility that he might be able to play on the team’s recent road trip, which wrapped up Tuesday.
With a month left in the regular season, it’s almost certain that Adams won’t be back before the playoffs. His availability for the postseason will depend on how his knee responds to the latest treatment.
The news on Adams continues a brutal week for the Grizzlies, who saw Ja Morant step away from the team for an indefinite time following a gun-related incident over the weekend and learned that Brandon Clarke will be lost for the season with a torn Achilles. That means Memphis, which has fallen into third place in the West after three straight losses, will have to finish the season without two of its frontcourt rotation players.
The Grizzlies’ recent downturn began after Adams suffered his injury. He’s averaging 8.6 points and 11.5 rebounds in 42 games and brings a physical presence in the middle that has been missed.
The 29-year-old agreed to a two-year extension before the start of the season and is under contract through 2024/25.
Lonzo Ball May Need Third Surgery On Knee
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball may have to undergo a third surgical procedure on his injured knee, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Another operation would likely mean six more months of recovery and rehab time, Wojnarowski adds.
Sources tell Woj that Ball’s Klutch Sports representatives are working with the team to consult with specialists before a decision is made. Another procedure would sideline the 25-year-old guard until the fall and would affect his ability to prepare for next season.
Ball has already been through two operations since suffering a torn meniscus in the knee on January 14, 2022. Although he was originally projected to miss just a few weeks, complications keep pushing back the timeline and Ball has already been ruled out for the rest of this season.
Ball’s original surgery was 14 months ago, and he underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in September to clear up lingering issues with his knee. Wojnarowski’s sources say that Ball has made incremental progress since then, but he still can’t run, cut or jump without feeling pain in the knee.
Ball came to Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal with the Pelicans in the summer of 2021. He helped lead the Bulls to a 27-13 record before the injury, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games. In his absence, Chicago dropped to the sixth seed last season and is currently 11th in the East at 30-36.
Ball still has one season left on his contract at $20.5MM, along with a $21.4MM player option for 2024/25.
There’s little chance that Chicago will petition the NBA to have Ball’s injury declared career-ending, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. The Bulls would still owe Ball the remainder of his contract, and Marks points out that even if his salary is removed from the cap, the team wouldn’t have room this summer.
Injury Notes: Durant, Doncic, Ingram, Fox, Morris
Kevin Durant missed what was supposed to be his first home game with the Suns after turning his left ankle during warmups Wednesday night, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Durant was taking part in an individual drill with coaches when he slipped on the floor as he started to shoot (video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). He landed on the court, but was able to get up and finish his workout, Windhorst adds.
Shortly afterward, the Suns announced that he would miss the game due to ankle soreness. Durant, who returned seven days ago after missing six weeks with an MCL sprain, reported some swelling in the ankle after the incident. He was in a walking boot after the game, Rankin tweets.
“We’ll get more testing done tomorrow,” coach Monty Williams said, “but right now it’s just an ankle sprain and we don’t have anything official to report.” (Twitter link from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports)
Durant has played just three games for Phoenix since being acquired from the Nets in a blockbuster trade last month. He’s averaging 26.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 69% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range.
There’s more injury news to pass along:
- Mavericks star Luka Doncic plans to get an MRI on Thursday after leaving tonight’s game with a left thigh strain, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Doncic was favoring his left leg as he walked into a post-game media session and replied “not good” when reporters asked how he felt, Lopez adds. Doncic said he has been dealing with pain in the thigh for about a week, according to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I think we all can see he’s not moving well, so shooting, defensive, it’s affecting everything,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s trying to fight through it and help his teammates, but he had to leave.”
- In the same game, the Pelicans lost Brandon Ingram to a right ankle sprain late in the first half, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA. Ingram later returned to the team’s bench in street clothes. He missed two months of the season with a toe injury before returning in late January.
- Kings guard De’Aaron Fox sat out Monday’s game with a sore left hamstring, but he expects to be ready for Thursday, tweets Sean Cunningham of KTXL. Fox is also experiencing wrist pain, but he plans to play through it.
- Monte Morris played tonight after missing the Wizards‘ last six games with lower back soreness, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Bucks Notes: Middleton, Holiday, Roster Moves, Wigginton
The Bucks have been almost unbeatable when Khris Middleton has played this season, but coach Mike Budenholzer was in no rush to put him back in the starting lineup, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Before posting 24 points and 11 assists in a starting role Tuesday night, Middleton had been used off the bench since returning to action on January 23.
Budenholzer was being deliberately cautious with Middleton, who missed the first 20 games of the season due to injuries. Milwaukee is now 18-4 in games that Middleton has played, and Budenholzer plans to keep him in the starting unit for the rest of the season.
“I think it’s just more important to get the minutes,” Middleton said. “I mean, starting is kind of up in the air or whatever. Finishing games and playing minutes I think is what most guys want to do. They want to finish games, they want to play as many minutes as they can.”
There’s more on the Bucks:
- Jrue Holiday missed Tuesday’s game with soreness in his neck, and Budenholzer called it more of an ongoing issue than a sudden injury, Owczarski adds. “Visiting with him a little bit, I think it’s just kind of been coming … it’s just kind of gotten kind of progressively worse,” Budenholzer said. “Hopefully it’s short term. We’ll just see how he feels day to day.” Holiday has been listed as probable for Thursday’s game against the Nets, Owczarski tweets.
- Players are supportive of moves to bolster the roster with veterans such as Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic, even though it cuts into minutes for some players already on the team, Owczarski notes in another Journal-Sentinel article. “They do a great job of bringing high quality guys in, guys that are unselfish that want to sacrifice anything they can for the team to win,” Middleton said of the front office. “But then also I think we have an easy locker room, easy guys to get along with, many guys from different backgrounds but we have one common thing in mind and that’s to win. When you put all that together it’s easy for guys to come in and fit.”
- Lindell Wigginton‘s two-way deal with the Bucks is for two years, Hoops Rumors has learned.