Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Cunningham, Garza, Stephenson
The Cavaliers‘ improved play this season has put them in position to be unhappy after a win, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Victories have been rare in Cleveland over the past three seasons, but with the Cavs in fifth place in the East at 28-19, coach J.B. Bickerstaff is stressing the importance of a strong performance every night.
That’s why he was upset Saturday after watching his team struggle to put away the Thunder. Bickerstaff was displeased over a lack of effort and an offense that produced 23 turnovers and only 22 assists.
“It’s an understanding of the bigger picture of what we’re trying to get done and the seriousness of every game for us and what it means,” he said. “That’s part of our growth and maturation. There’s games like this where if you lose these games, you’re looking back in April and they matter.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Head coach Dwane Casey wants to take some of the ball-handling duties away from Cade Cunningham, who is running the offense and handling much of the scoring for the short-handed Pistons, per Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Injuries to Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and Killian Hayes have resulted in Cunningham taking on a larger-than-expected share of the offense. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting him off the ball,” Casey said. “Find another ballhandler. When we get Kelly (Olynyk) back, get his time up as a point five, allowing Cade to play off the ball a little more and that’ll take the pressure off Cade, because to bring the ball down the floor, create his own shot, that’s too much.”
- Pistons rookie center Luka Garza has cleared the health and safety protocols and is focused on reconditioning so he can start playing again, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
- The Pacers have to make a decision on Lance Stephenson, whose 10-day contract expires tonight, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Stephenson joined the team under the hardship provision at the start of January, but because all of Indiana’s players cleared protocols by the time that deal expired, he had to sign a standard 10-day contract. The Pacers have the options of giving him another 10-day deal or signing him for the rest of the season. He has averaged 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 11 games.
Atlantic Notes: Harden, Sharpe, Rivers, Celtics
James Harden believes the lingering effects of last year’s hamstring injury are gone and he’s ready to play at an MVP level again, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Harden was dominant Friday in the Nets‘ win over the Spurs, putting up 37 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds along with a highlight dunk that should calm any fears about his explosiveness.
Brooklyn will need those type of performances to remain in contention for the top spot in the East with Kevin Durant likely sidelined until after the All-Star break with a sprained left knee and Kyrie Irving limited to road games because of New York City’s vaccine requirement. Harden feels ready to lead the team while it’s short-handed.
“Yeah, I’m definitely back,” he said. “It’s just throughout the course of the year we had so much going on (with) our team. A lot of injuries and whatnot, and obviously the situation with Kyrie, so it’s really difficult to get a rhythm like we all want to. But we just got to continue to fight, continue to take one game at a time and push through it. Eventually this thing is going to come together where we’re all together and we all make a really, really huge run at this thing.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Nets have found their most effective center combination with rookie Day’Ron Sharpe starting and LaMarcus Aldridge as his primary backup, Lewis notes in a separate story. “I thought (Sharpe) did some great things,” coach Steve Nash said Friday, “got 10 rebounds and was a good screener-and-roller. Looked a little bit tired at times and then (Aldridge) was super-solid making shots and a big night for him coming back.”
- Sixers coach Doc Rivers snapped at a reporter who questioned his coaching tactics after the team let a 24-point lead get away in Friday’s loss to the Clippers, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. When asked how much his coaching decisions contributed to the defeat, Rivers responded, “Would you ask (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) that question? No you wouldn’t. So don’t ask me that question. I’ve earned that.”
- The Celtics need to abandon their lineup that has Robert Williams and Al Horford playing together, argues Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Boston had a minus-31 rating in the 15 minutes that Williams and Horford shared the court in Friday’s loss to Portland.
Northwest Notes: McCollum, Cousins, Vanderbilt, Mitchell
CJ McCollum returned to the Trail Blazers’ lineup this week, but the team is much different than when he suffered a collapsed lung in early December, writes Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. Damian Lillard is out indefinitely after abdominal surgery and Anfernee Simons has blossomed as a star with the starting guards absent. Before he began playing again, McCollum addressed his teammates to let them know he’s willing to accept a complementary role in the offense.
“CJ was home watching us play a lot of games and I feel like we’ve gotten a ton better in so many different areas during that time,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “He recognized that and, not only recognized it, came back to the team and said ‘Don’t worry about fitting me back in. Just do what y’all do, I’ll be fine.’ That’s just the type of professional that he is. Didn’t surprise me but it was good and I’m pretty sure all the young guys were happy to hear that.”
Holdahl points to two plays in the closing minute of Friday’s win in Boston as evidence of McCollum’s commitment. Instead of forcing shots against a defense that was keying on him, McCollum got the ball to open teammates both times.
“I get in where I fit in,” he said. “I know how to play the game, I know what I have to offer to this team and I know how to contribute. I told them ‘Keep doing what y’all doing, be yourselves and I’ll do what I got to do.’”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The additions of Bryn Forbes and DeMarcus Cousins may solve the Nuggets‘ problem of inconsistent play from their reserves, notes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Forbes, who made his debut on Friday, is already impressed by the passing skills of Nikola Jokic. Cousins, who might play today after missing Friday’s game with a minor injury, will add an extra dimension to the offense, according to coach Michael Malone. “When you’re a four-time All-Star, and you’re a guy that can put 28 points a night up, he has talent,” Malone said. “So many times this year we’ve seen second units just switch everything. I think DeMarcus is a guy that it makes it hard for other teams to just say we’re going to switch one through five and live with it.”
- Timberwolves forward Jarred Vanderbilt saw his NBA career turn around after a trade that sent him from Denver to Minnesota two years ago, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “I was shocked when I got traded,” he said. “Honestly just because it was the realization that it wasn’t like college. … But looking back on it, I feel like it happened for the best, for me and my career. It allowed me to make a way and make a name for myself in this league.”
- Jazz star Donovan Mitchell remains in the concussion protocol and will miss today’s game against the Warriors, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Knicks Notes: Reddish, Randle, Barrett, Point Guards
Ten days after being acquired in a trade with the Hawks, Cam Reddish is expected to make his debut with the Knicks this afternoon, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Reddish has recovered from an ankle sprain that he suffered before the deal was made and he’s eager to start the next phase of his NBA career after two-and-a-half seasons in Atlanta.
“To be honest I didn’t know what was going to happen with the whole trade situation,” Reddish said. “I literally woke up to it all and ended up in New York. So, I’m just excited man to just get started. I can’t really control everything, minutes and stuff like that. But I can control my attitude and my effort. I’m going to do my best to give all that up.”
Incorporating Reddish into the lineup will be challenging as New York didn’t part with any rotation players in the trade. Botte suggests that Kemba Walker may sit out today because of knee soreness, but giving minutes to Reddish will eventually take time away from a young player such as Quentin Grimes or Obi Toppin. Coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about trying Reddish at power forward alongside Julius Randle at center.
“It’s a good question. See, I do love Cam’s size,” Thibodeau said. “Right now we’re focused more on the wing position at the two and the three. But eventually I do want to get a look at that, to see where that goes. … But I don’t think you could have enough wings, and that’s why we did the deal.”
There’s more from New York:
- Randle’s ongoing battle with fans and reporters isn’t the behavior the team needs from its leader, argues Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman talks to an unidentified person that handles personnel for a rival team who believes Randle’s struggles on and off the court are related to the $117MM extension he signed over the summer.
- With Randle still boycotting the media, RJ Barrett is emerging as a team spokesman as well as an on-court leader, Botte adds in a separate story. “I feel Year 3, also just being with this staff and these guys for a couple years now, it’s a lot easier for me, because I’m out there on the court experiencing things, seeing things, just trying to help in any way that I can,” Barrett said. “I feel that leadership is not just what you say. It’s what you do, how you act, how you comport yourself in the facility, on the court, in the games everywhere.”
- The recent poor play by Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley has accentuated the Knicks’ need to find a point guard, per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.
COVID-19 Updates: Olynyk, Whiteside, D. Johnson, Thunder
Pistons big man Kelly Olynyk, who returned this week after missing more than two months with a knee injury, has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets James Edwards III of The Athletic.
Olynyk, who signed as a free agent over the summer, played in two games before being sidelined again, bringing his season total to 12. He’s averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per night.
Olynyk joins teammates Jerami Grant and Luka Garza in the protocols, as the Pistons and Grizzlies are the only teams with three players currently affected by COVID-19.
Here are a few more protocol-related updates:
- Jazz backup center Hassan Whiteside has exited the protocols, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). However, he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game with the Warriors because of conditioning. Whiteside was the sixth Utah player in the protocols when he entered 10 days ago, but all of them have now been cleared.
- Raptors rookie forward David Johnson has been placed in the protocols, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. The two-way player has only logged two minutes in two games at the NBA level, but has played four games for the Raptors 905 in the G League.
- Thunder assistant coaches Mike Wilks and David Akinyooye have entered the protocols, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Head coach Mark Daigneault was in the protocols earlier this month.
Lauri Markkanen Believed To Have “Pretty Significant” Ankle Sprain
Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen left tonight’s game with what trainers believe is a “pretty significant” sprain of his right ankle, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Markkanen was injured on a collision with four minutes left in the second quarter and had to be helped to the locker room. A source tells Fedor that the team’s medical staff examined his ankle, but not his knee or Achilles. More information won’t be available until further testing is conducted.
Markkanen was trying to defend Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a drive to the basket, but landed awkwardly on his right leg and fell to the court. He was on the floor for a while, grabbing the ankle in pain, and couldn’t put much weight on it as he headed to the locker room.
The 24-year-old has been an important part of the turnaround for the Cavs, who were fifth in the East at 27-19 entering tonight’s game. Markkanen is averaging 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 37 games this season, and Fedor notes that he is shooting 41.4% from three-point range through 10 games in January.
Damian Lillard Discusses Surgery, Possible Return
Damian Lillard isn’t sure when he might be able to start playing again, but he won’t try to return until he’s fully healed from last week’s abdominal surgery, writes Anne M. Peterson of The Associated Press. The Trail Blazers guard provided an update on his condition today in his first press conference since deciding to have the operation to address his abdominal tendinopathy.
“I’m just a week from surgery,” he responded when asked about a timeline for returning. “We said we’ll re-evaluate my situation weeks out, six to eight weeks, and we’ll talk about it then. But I’m not in a rush. My number one goal is to win a championship. I’ve got to be in the best form of myself to make that happen and to be a part of that. So I’m not in a rush. We’ll talk about whatever that timeline is when we get to that point.”
Lillard has been dealing with abdominal pain for years, but the condition became particularly acute at the Summer Olympics. He rested for a few weeks before training camp, but said the pain returned when he started playing regularly again. Lillard’s Olympic teammate, Jrue Holiday, who underwent a core operation during the 2018/19 season, suggested the need for surgery while they were together in Tokyo.
“He was the first person that pretty much confirmed that I needed to have surgery because I sat out of practice one day and I was like, ‘I can’t move,’ and I was kind of just holding it. And he just started describing every single symptom,” Lillard said. “And he was like ‘I had it.’”
The uncertainty surrounding Lillard puts Portland in a difficult position with the trade deadline just 19 days away. At 19-26, the Blazers are clinging to the last play-in spot in the West and they face decisions on whether to try to move Robert Covington and Jusuf Nurkic, who both have expiring contracts, or to try to deal Lillard’s long-time backcourt partner, CJ McCollum, who has two more seasons and more than $69MM left on his contract.
Lillard indicated that he would be less likely to attempt to return this season if Portland’s front office decides to trade some of its core players and hope for success in the lottery.
“I mean, if we’re gonna play for a draft pick it wouldn’t make sense to me. Because I’m not gonna play for no draft pick. I’m just not capable of that,” he said. “So it’d be best if that was what we were doing, or what was decided, then it wouldn’t make sense for me to play.”
Pacers Guard Malcolm Brogdon To Be Shut Down For 10 Days
The Pacers will shut down guard Malcolm Brogdon for the next 10 days, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Brogdon will undergo a rehab program for his injured right Achilles.
Brogdon has only been able to play two games in the past month because of the injury, as well as a stay in the league’s health and safety protocols. He logged 17 minutes in a January 12 game against the Celtics and 26 minutes in Wednesday’s contest with the Lakers.
Brogdon, the team’s starting point guard, has appeared in 28 games this season, averaging 18.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per night. However, he’s shooting a career-low 30.7% from three-point range.
Brogdon’s condition is part of a terrible run of injuries for the Pacers, who have lost Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis in the past week. T.J. McConnell had hand surgery last month and may miss the rest of the season, while T.J. Warren has yet to play this season because of a foot fracture.
Central Notes: Allen, Caruso, Turner, Markkanen
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer is defending Grayson Allen after he committed a Flagrant 2 foul Friday night that caused Bulls guard Alex Caruso to suffer a fractured wrist, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Allen has been accused of dirty play since he was in college, and Chicago coach Billy Donovan raised those allegations after Friday’s incident, saying that Allen “has a history of this.”
Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game, Budenholzer offered condolences for the injury, but said he doesn’t believe Allen did anything to purposefully put Caruso at risk.
“Competition is tough and there are things that happen in the games that are unfortunate,” Budenholzer said. “And I know that Caruso is going to miss some time and I feel for him. I don’t want that for any of our opponents, for anybody, but there was nothing that was done intentionally.”
The league office is still reviewing the play to determine if there will be further punishment for Allen, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Caruso didn’t think his injury was serious when he left the arena Friday night, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. He and the Bulls found out this morning that the wrist is broken, which will sideline him for at least six-to-eight weeks. Johnson points out that this was only the second game back for Caruso after weeks of dealing with hamstring and foot injuries, along with a lengthy stretch in the health and safety protocols.
- Despite being one of the league’s best shot blockers and part of the Pacers‘ foundation for the last six and a half years, Myles Turner is no stranger to trade rumors. In an interview with Mark Haynes of ClutchPoints, Turner says he has gotten accustomed to hearing his name thrown around. “I would say the first time I’ve dealt with trade rumors was probably like four years ago,” Turner said. “I didn’t know what to think of it. As the summers progressed, I kept hearing more things, and that stuff was almost getting done. I kind of got used to hearing it all the time. I just took it as part of the business.”
- Lauri Markkanen‘s versatility has enabled the Cavaliers to succeed while starting three big men, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “People get so caught up in his offensive game — shot-making, shot-taking — that they don’t pay attention to all the other things that he does for us,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We would not be able to play the lineup and the size that we play without him. Us being unique and different is because of him and his ability to do that. We don’t lose sight of that. We don’t let him lose sight of that.”
Lakers Notes: Davis, Westbrook, Vogel, Johnson
Lakers big man Anthony Davis will be a game-time decision Sunday in Miami, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Davis, who has missed the last 16 games with a sprained left knee, is listed as questionable in the team’s latest injury report.
Davis suffered the injury in a December 17 game when an opposing player fell to the court and collided with his knee. He was cleared for full-contact workouts earlier this week, and there has been optimism that he might be able to resume playing during the current road trip.
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Russell Westbrook and coach Frank Vogel both want to move beyond the issue of Westbrook being benched for the closing minutes of Wednesday’s game, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Westbrook and Vogel acknowledged that they discussed the situation leading up to Friday’s contest in Orlando, which saw the former MVP back in his regular role. “I’ve been doing my job since Day 1 and doing everything that’s been asked of me since I got here,” said Westbrook, who admitted being angry over the situation. “And I’ll continue to do that for the betterment of the team and doing what’s best for us and finding ways to implement how I can make an impact on this team.”
- There were reports that Vogel received permission from the front office to handle Westbrook as he saw fit, but Vogel said Friday that he didn’t talk to anyone in management before opting to keep Westbrook on the bench, believing the decision was his alone to make, Goon adds in the same piece. “I’ve got full autonomy to make any coaching decisions necessary to win games. That is something that has always been persistent there,” said Vogel, who has faced speculation that his job might be in danger. “I do communicate with the front office on everything I’m considering and there’s a strong alignment there. What it ultimately comes down to … we talk about a lot of different things and I have autonomy to make the final decisions.”
- Stanley Johnson, who signed his third 10-day contract on Monday, was in the starting lineup for the beginning of the second half Friday, notes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Vogel attributed the move to matchups, and it worked as L.A. went on a 19-2 run to take control of the game.