Nets Notes: Pelle, Shumpert, Claxton, Big Three
Norvel Pelle could make his debut with the Nets in tonight’s game against the Raptors, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Pelle signed with the team last week to add size in the middle, where Brooklyn has been short-handed since parting with Jarrett Allen in the James Harden trade.
“My career is based off of defense,” Pelle said. “I’m a big rim protector my whole life, so just coming in and filling a role.”
Pelle was preparing to head to Orlando for the G League bubble when his agents told him the Nets were interested, Botte adds. The 28-year-old had to quarantine for a week, but he participated in his first practice Thursday and may see some playing time tonight as a backup to DeAndre Jordan. Pelle played 24 games for the Sixers last season, but he admits feeling “a little nervous” being in the same locker room with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Harden.
“It’s hard to explain, you have all these great individuals that are all on one team and sometimes you’re just in awe of the things that they do,” Pelle said. “Sometimes you have to realize you’re playing, too.”
There’s more Nets news to pass along:
- Iman Shumpert, who signed with Brooklyn on Sunday, is “completely available” for tonight’s game, coach Steve Nash told Botte for the same story. The Nets concentrated on defense with both free agent additions, hoping to improve a unit that is currently ranked 27th in defensive efficiency. Second-year center Nicolas Claxton, who hasn’t played this season because of a knee injury, is “still a few weeks away,” Nash added. “Nothing imminent with him. … I don’t want to put a timeline on it because he’s not that close,” Nash said. “He’s getting there. He’s definitely improving. Hopefully he can start playing with the guys next week.”
- Sam Amick of The Athletic talks to three NBA scouts about the Big Three experiment in Brooklyn. While they’re impressed by the Nets’ talent level, they raise concerns about the on-court fit, overall defense and the lack of size.
- A NetsDaily story examines the trade assets the team has left after giving up so much to acquire Harden.
Warriors Notes: Oubre, Green, Wiseman, Thompson
The Warriors‘ faith in Kelly Oubre throughout his early-season struggles paid off in a big way Thursday night, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Oubre posted a career-high 40 points in a win at Dallas after shooting just 37.6% from the field coming into the game.
“Obviously for Kelly, it’s been a rough first quarter of the season,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And yet within that span, he’s had some excellent games for us. He’s played very well at times; he’s just had some really poor shooting nights during that span that people have locked in on, but Kelly’s getting more comfortable. Guys in the locker room love him and want to help him continue to get comfortable, and this was obviously a great night for him and for the whole group.”
Golden State traded for Oubre to provide another reliable wing scoring option with Klay Thompson lost for the season due to a torn Achilles. Oubre averaged a career-best 18.7 PPG last season with the Suns, but his shot hasn’t been falling consistently since the deal. He had made just 24 3-pointers all season before sinking seven last night.
“It’s honestly been a great learning experience for me,” Oubre said. “I take it back to me being a freshman in college again because it was more of a psychological change. I had the tools to take it to the next step, but mentally I had to slow myself and wrap everything (together) and find my flow.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Thursday’s game also showed what Draymond Green is capable of doing in a small-ball lineup, Friedell adds in the same story. With centers James Wiseman, Kevon Looney and Marquese Chriss all sidelined by injuries, Green dished out 15 assists while playing a point-center role. “Draymond’s one of the best defenders in the game, and also one of the best playmakers,” said teammate Damion Lee. “He’s always looking to find guys, to get guys shots.”
- Stephen Curry believes watching the offense last night should be an educational experience for Wiseman, who is expected to return in a week or so, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “It’ll be good, I’m sure, for Wise to see how that ball was moving (tonight and this week) and that he can play that way as well and still dominate the game the way he’s capable of with his size and presence at the rim,” Curry said.
- Even though Thompson hasn’t played since the 2019 NBA Finals, he ranks 10th in the Western Conference backcourt in the first round of All-Star voting, notes Alex Shultz of SFGate.
LeBron James Speaks Out Against All-Star Game
LeBron James has been an All-Star for the past 16 seasons, but he doesn’t believe this year’s game should be played, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The most prominent voice among NBA players, James told the media after Thursday’s game that he believes it’s a mistake to hold the event while the pandemic continues. Twenty-three games have been postponed since the season began.
“I have zero energy and zero excitement about an All-Star Game this year,” he said. “I don’t even understand why we’re having an All-Star Game.”
James is also unhappy about not having a mid-season break after a short offseason, calling it a “slap in the face” for him and his teammates. Because last year’s NBA Finals lasted through October 11, the Lakers had just 71 days off before training camp began.
The NBA and its players union reached an agreement Thursday to hold the game March 7 in Atlanta, rather than Indianapolis, which had originally been scheduled to host. Atlanta is one of nine cities currently allowing fans at home games. It isn’t clear whether other All-Star weekend events, such as the skills competition, 3-point competition and dunk contest, will be part of the arrangement.
“We’re also still dealing with a pandemic,” James said. “We’re still dealing with everything that’s been going on, and we’re going to bring the whole league into one city that’s open? Obviously, the pandemic has absolutely nothing to do with it at this point when it comes to that weekend. Obviously, you guys can see that I’m not very happy about it.”
Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was the first player to speak out publicly after the agreement was announced, calling it “stupid” and asking, “If we have to wear masks and do all this for a regular game, what’s the point of bringing the All-Star Game back?”
James adds a very loud dissenting voice, although his objections may not matter now that the union has agreed to go through with the game.
“It’s the agreement that the players’ association and the league came about. … It’s out of my hands,” James said. “I’ll be there if I’m selected. But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.”
Rockets Fear Extended Absence For Christian Wood
An MRI will be conducted today on Rockets center Christian Wood, who injured his right ankle in Thursday night’s win over the Grizzlies, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Wood had to be helped off the court after rolling the ankle on a drive to the basket during the third quarter. He split two defenders, but landed awkwardly and fell to the ground in pain. It’s the second time in less than three weeks that he has hurt the ankle. He missed three games after a similar injury on January 20, but sources tell MacMahon the Rockets are concerned it will be much longer this time.
“I don’t know,” coach Stephen Silas said after the game when asked how long Wood might be sidelined. “It didn’t look great. It was unfortunate.”
Acquired by Houston in a sign-and-trade during the offseason, Wood has emerged as an All-Star candidate, averaging 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds through 17 games.
DeMarcus Cousins will become the Rockets’ starting center while Wood is sidelined. He was outstanding in that role in the three games Wood missed in January, averaging 17.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per night. Cousins is playing on a non-guaranteed contract that won’t become fully guaranteed until the league-wide date later this month.
Houston doesn’t have much size apart from Cousins, so the team could be looking at a roster move if Wood is forced to miss several weeks.
“It was difficult for me,” Silas said of watching the injury. “I had to like sit down and collect my thoughts and gather myself. As good as he’s been playing, I mean, really just like a breakout season and doing everything we needed him to do … Yeah, it sucks.”
Nets Notes: Atkinson, Dinwiddie, Pelle, Big Three
Former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson will hardly recognize his old team when he sees them for the first time since being fired, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. After reportedly being considered for several head coaching jobs, Atkinson caught on as an assistant with the Clippers, who make their only visit of the season to the Barclays Center tonight.
Atkinson led the Nets back to respectability during his nearly four years with the team. He was fired last March in a surprising move, reportedly because of an inability to relate to star players. With Kevin Durant now healthy and James Harden acquired in a trade, Brooklyn’s future is based around stars.
“He’s done a great job everywhere he’s been,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. “Player development was always a strong suit in how he developed these young guys and other players; we’ve seen how good they’ve gotten.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- It would be surprising if Spencer Dinwiddie ever plays for the Nets again, contends Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. In a column with Danny Leroux discussing Brooklyn’s roster options, Schiffer notes that Dinwiddie may be tempted to opt out of his $12.3MM salary for next season and test the free agent market. Dinwiddie is expected to miss the rest of the year after ACL reconstruction surgery, but some teams still may be interested in trading for him, according to Schiffer and Leroux.
- Norvel Pelle‘s new deal is a minimum-salary contract with several guarantee dates, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. This season will become guaranteed at the league-wide date on February 24, while next season is fully non-guaranteed. Pelle would receive $150K if he’s still on the roster 30 days after the offseason moratorium is lifted, and $250K on opening night.
- Because of injuries, Durant, Harden and Kyrie Irving have only played together four times since Brooklyn’s Big Three was formed, but Zach Kram of The Ringer believes coach Steve Nash already has an ideal minutes distribution worked out. Charting their playing time so far, Kram finds that either Harden or Irving has been on the court for every minute of close games when they’ve both been available, and the Nets usually have at least two of their stars playing at the same time whenever all three are active.
George Hill To Miss At Least Four Weeks With Thumb Injury
George Hill will be sidelined after having a minor surgical procedure on his right thumb today, the Thunder announced in an email. The veteran guard will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault told reporters last week that Hill suffered a sprain to his thumb, but X-rays were negative. He hasn’t played since January 24, with Theo Maledon taking his place in the starting lineup.
Hill, who was acquired in a four-team trade in November, has appeared in 14 games this season, all starts, and is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists per night.
Grade 1 Calf Strain For Marcus Smart
1:27pm: Smart is now expected to miss two to three weeks with his left calf strain, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets.
10:31am: Smart is expected to miss one to two weeks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
8:56am: The Celtics are relieved this morning after finding out that guard Marcus Smart‘s injury is just a Grade 1 strain to his left calf, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Smart is expected to be sidelined for a while, sources tell Charania, but there were concerns that the injury was far worse.
Smart underwent an MRI this morning after hurting his leg in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Smart landed awkwardly while pursuing a rebound in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the court.
Smart didn’t appear to land on anyone’s foot, Bontemps adds, but he grabbed the back of his leg and fell to the ground in pain. He didn’t put any weight on the leg as he was taken to Boston’s locker room. The Celtics announced that he had a strained calf and wouldn’t return to the game.
“Yeah, everybody was concerned with his health,” Jaylen Brown said following the game. “And he just, trying to do our best to redirect that energy, because when one guy goes down, we’ve got to step up. Marcus is essential to our team, man — he’s been great. Whether the numbers show it or not, Marcus has been a leader on this team; he’s been somebody that has been looking to get guys the ball in the right spots, including me. So to have him go down in the middle of the game like that, definitely had everybody concerned. Hopefully, the MRI is negative and we get him and we can get some wins on the road.”
Smart, a first-team All-Defensive selection last season, has stepped up his offensive game this year. He came into Saturday’s game averaging 13.2 points and 6.0 assists, which are career-best marks in both categories.
An extended injury for Smart would have been difficult for the Celtics, who have played extended stretches without Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum. The team is already short-handed in the backcourt with rookie Payton Pritchard sidelined with an MCL sprain and Walker remaining on a minutes limit.
Warriors Notes: Thompson, Green, Poole, Schedule
Warriors guard Klay Thompson provided an update on his recovery from a torn Achilles as he joined the broadcast team for Golden State’s game Saturday night, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Thompson admitted that it “kills” him to have to miss a second straight season because of an injury.
“I’m living good,” he said. “To be back in the building that I’m so eagerly awaiting to play in. Just a little bored at times. Stuff’s slow with trying to let my Achilles heal and get to the next stage, which is mobility work, but I’m feeling good. I’m happy to be with my teammates, obviously. Unfortunately, I’m not playing. It kills me every day, but I plan on playing for a long time, and I don’t want to have any mishaps come this rehab.”
The interview marked Thompson’s first public comments since he suffered the injury during a workout in November. He has stayed around the team since his surgery, appearing frequently at home games to cheer on his teammates.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Draymond Green believes he needs more time to get his game back to where it should be, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Green, who missed the start of the season with a muscle strain in his foot, admits he’s not playing the way he is accustomed to. “I think I’m like two, three weeks away,” he said. “Continue to get in better shape. My speed is kind of getting there. I dunked the ball today. That was big time. I was really excited about that. That might’ve been my first dunk of the year. I’m not sure though. No. I got a dunk a couple games ago on two feet. That was my first one-foot dunk of the year.”
- Jordan Poole turned in possibly the best game of his career the night before leaving for the G League bubble, Slater adds in the same story. Poole, who has been alternating playing time with Mychal Mulder as a reserve guard, scored 16 points in 21 minutes. He has appeared in 15 of the Warriors’ 20 games this season, but averages just 9.5 minutes, and the team decided to send him to the G League to get more playing time. “The G League isn’t looked at as having a negative impact,” Poole said. “I wasn’t getting minutes, I wasn’t playing, I wasn’t able to get on the floor and in the G League, I will be able to play 30-plus minutes.”
- Golden State’s January 15 game at Phoenix, which was postponed because the Suns didn’t have enough available players, has been rescheduled for March 4, according to the Warriors’ website.
Southeast Notes: Westbrook, Herro, Anthony, Hunter
Frustrations may be boiling over for Wizards guard Russell Westbrook, who was involved in his second on-court incident of the week Friday night, writes Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports. Westbrook was ejected from the loss to the Hawks after a game-long battle with Rajon Rondo. They both received technicals for a second-quarter altercation, then Westbrook picked up another one after shoving Rondo in the fourth quarter.
Westbrook was also involved in a double-technical incident Tuesday in Houston during an exchange with John Wall, the player he was traded for in December. The combination of losing and a sub-par shooting year are undoubtedly contributing to Westbrook’s short fuse.
“Honestly, it’s more on me,” he responded when asked about the dispute with Rondo. “I cannot allow myself to stoop down to anybody’s level. That’s not my character, who I am.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat may have another looming COVID-19 problem, according to an ESPN story. Tyler Herro learned at halftime Saturday night that someone he lives with has tested positive for the virus. He’s not sure yet if he’ll have to quarantine. Kendrick Nunn didn’t play Saturday because the team was awaiting his test results, but he was cleared by the second quarter. Jimmy Butler returned after missing 10 games due to health and safety protocols.
- The Magic are being patient with first-round pick Cole Anthony as he goes through the ups and downs of being a rookie, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Anthony, who has moved into the starting lineup for the past 12 games, has impressed teammates with his desire to improve. “He’s hard on himself,” said James Ennis, who serves as a mentor to Anthony. “He doesn’t like making mistakes. I give him credit. He’s tough. It’s hard to find young guys like that. He listens, also. So it’s hard to find young guys that come in and listen and want to compete and just want to be perfect.”
- The Magic aren’t likely to re-sign Evan Fournier when he becomes a free agent after this season, Robbins adds in the same piece. Although Fournier is only 28, Orlando has some cap concerns after giving extensions to Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz. Robbins expects the team to explore trade offers for Fournier if it falls out of the playoff race before the March 25 deadline.
- De’Andre Hunter‘s condition will be reviewed this week after an MRI Saturday showed articular wear and tear in his right knee, the Hawks announced in a press release. Hunter will be held out of Monday’s game against the Lakers.
Jordan Bell Released By Wizards
JANUARY 31: Bell will join the Erie BayHawks in the G League bubble, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors. Before the 10-day contract, the Wizards designated Bell as one of their four flex-affiliate players with plans to have him play for the BayHawks. Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, isn’t participating in the Orlando bubble.
JANUARY 30: The Wizards have given center Jordan Bell an early release from his 10-day contract, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Bell was signed last Saturday under the hardship provision when Washington had seven players sidelined, Katz explains (Twitter link). The six who were in health and safety protocols for COVID-19 will all be back by tomorrow, leaving no room for Bell. The Wizards already have a full roster with 15 guaranteed contracts and both two-way slots filled.
Bell, 26, appeared in three games during his brief stay in Washington, averaging 3.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per night. He helped to fill a gap in the middle with Thomas Bryant lost for the year with an ACL injury and Moritz Wagner in the NBA’s protocols.