Kevin Love Clashes With Cavaliers’ GM
Kevin Love lashed out at Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman after today’s shootaround, according to Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic. Love expressed “displeasure and disgust with the organization” in a tirade in front of players, coaches and front office members, sources tell the authors.
Today’s incident builds on a $1K fine that Love received for his actions on the bench during a lopsided loss in Toronto on New Year’s Eve. Love said he was angry about how selfishly the first team was playing, according to sources, and asked a coach to take him out of the game so he could calm down. He walked away from the huddle during a third quarter timeout and was seen smacking chairs in anger.
Vardon and Charania note that this isn’t the first time Love has been angry with the organization. He reportedly raised his voice at Altman late last season, and when threatened with a fine he responded, “Go ahead. I have plenty of money.”
Love is in the first season of a four-year, $120MM extension that he signed during the summer of 2018. However, he has been the subject of persistent trade rumors as Cleveland launched a rebuilding project following the departure of LeBron James.
Sources tell Vardon and Charania that Love would like to be traded to a contender, although he hasn’t expressed that desire publicly. After winning 19 games last season, the Cavs appear hopelessly out of the playoff race with a 10-24 record.
Kyrie Irving Gets Cortisone Shot, Hopes To Avoid Shoulder Surgery
Kyrie Irving is taking steps to avoid surgery on his injured right shoulder, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Talking to reporters today for the first time since Nov. 14, Irving said he got a cortisone shot on Christmas Eve and the team plans to see how he responds after about two months (Twitter link). Irving admitted he has considered an arthroscopic procedure on the shoulder, but is hesitant because it would sideline him for three to four months.
Irving consulted with a shoulder specialist in Phoenix before opting for the shot (Twitter link), adding, “There was some bursitis in there that was impacting me.” (Twitter link). He has missed 22 games since suffering the injury, which the Nets are calling a shoulder impingement, in a November 4 game against the Pelicans.
Irving believes he’s “doing a lot better” since the shot, although he is still struggling to lift his shoulder when he shoots jumpers, relays Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Nets looked like huge winners on the first day of free agency when they signed Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. With Durant sidelined for the season, they were counting on Irving to emerge as the team leader. He has averaged 28.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists, but has been limited to 11 games.
Pistons Notes: Griffin, Trade Deadline, Drummond, Wood
The Pistons got a relatively healthy season and a half out of Blake Griffin after the surprising trade that brought him to Detroit in January of 2018, but now they’re experiencing the “worst-case scenario” part of that deal, writes James Edwards III of The Athletic. Knee soreness has limited Griffin to 18 games this season as the Pistons are off to a 12-22 start that has them stuck in 11th place in the East. He’s posting career lows with 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, along with a .352 shooting percentage.
Griffin’s health issues made him a risky investment, but the bigger gamble was the huge contract he signed with the Clippers a few months before the deal. After making nearly $34.5MM this year, Griffin is owed $36.8MM in 2020/21 and has a $38.95MM player option the following season. That deal makes him extremely difficult to trade and presents an impediment for an organization that may be thinking about rebuilding.
Management rolled the dice on Griffin because they thought he would turn the Pistons into a perennial playoff team. However, Edwards notes that they were restricted from adding more talent because Griffin, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer combined for about $80MM in cap room when the trade was completed and all had more than a year left on their contracts.
There’s more from Detroit:
- It will be difficult for the Pistons to move any of their large contracts before next month’s trade deadline, predicts Keith Langlois of NBA.com. With everyone except the Hawks over the cap, Langlois doesn’t expect any deals that will help a team take a significant amount of salary off its books. Detroit will have more flexibility this summer when Jackson’s contract expires and Drummond may opt out of his $28.75MM salary for next season.
- Any championship window the Pistons may have had with their current roster is rapidly closing, observes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Even though the front office brought in some help this summer by adding Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris and Tim Frazier, it hasn’t been enough to overcome injuries. Beard believes Langston Galloway and Rose would be the most attractive pieces if Detroit decides to become sellers at the deadline.
- Christian Wood‘s future in Detroit will be tied to Drummond’s decision on his player option, Beard adds in the same piece. Wood will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it’s unclear how much the Pistons would be willing to give him to continue in a backup role. However, he would be an option as a starter if Drummond opts out and signs elsewhere.
Zion Williamson Practices, Still No Return Date Set
Zion Williamson went through his first full practice today since having meniscus surgery in October, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. The Pelicans are hoping the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft will be able to make his NBA debut sometime this month, but coach Alvin Gentry said there’s still no projected date for that to happen (Twitter link).
Gentry told reporters that Williamson definitely won’t play during the team’s current road trip, according to a tweet from the Pelicans. New Orleans has a game tomorrow in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Saturday in Sacramento before returning home Monday.
In a video link from the team, Williamson called it a “great experience” to be back at practice and said he would have started two weeks ago if the decision had been up to him. He added that even he doesn’t have a clear idea of when he might start playing. “It’ll probably be one of those moments, like when it came to my college decision, I’ll (wake) up and I’ll know,” he said.
Not only was Williamson a full participant in today’s practice, he stayed afterward for extra work, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link). Williamson practiced his free throws with assistant coach Fred Vinson and worked out with assistant Michael Ruffin as well.
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Robinson, Bullock, Predictions
Carmelo Anthony received a hero’s welcome as he returned to Madison Square Garden with the Trail Blazers last night, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Anthony was cheered during pre-game introductions and every time he touched the ball. The cheers grew even louder when he scored, as the fans offered their thanks for his six and a half years of service to the Knicks.
“The love was definitely felt tonight,” Anthony said. “From the fans that were here, just the city as a whole, just being back. I think that feeling is kind of hard to explain. But for me to kind of get that ovation, I think I’ve always had the love from the city like that. But to be back in this building where I spent so many years, that love felt extremely good tonight.”
It was only Anthony’s second trip back to Garden since being traded in 2017, and he celebrated with a season-high 26 points. He admitted to reporters that he’d like to see the Knicks retire his number some day.
“I did glance up at the rafters today during the national anthem,” Anthony said. “You know, they say in life you’ve got to envision, so I was envisioning seeing Anthony hanging up there.”
There’s more from New York this morning:
- The difference in the fan reactions to Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis may have something to do with the return the Knicks got for each player, suggests Marc Berman of The New York Post. While the Porzingis deal brought back Dennis Smith Jr. and a ton of cap room that failed to deliver a star, the package for Anthony included a second-round pick that turned into Mitchell Robinson. The second-year center delivered one of his best performances Wednesday, making all 11 of his shots from the field in a 22-point, eight-rebound night. “I honestly think he’s getting better and better and better,” Anthony said of Robinson. “I don’t really think he understands how good he is or how good he can be and his ceiling. The way he plays is perfect for the way the Knicks play.”
- Reggie Bullock made his Knicks debut last night, giving the team five healthy shooting guards for the first time this season, Berman notes in a separate story. Playing his first game since spinal fusion surgery in July, Bullock scored 11 points in 15 minutes as Wayne Ellington and Allonzo Trier both remained on the bench.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic offers several Knicks predictions for 2020, including no first-round pick in exchange for Marcus Morris, roster moves to get rid of Ellington and Bobby Portis by the end of February, and no Mark Jackson or Masai Ujiri in the team’s future.
Reactions To The Death Of David Stern
Tributes are pouring in from every corner of the NBA for former commissioner David Stern, who died Wednesday at age 77. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski calls him “a visionary and a dealmaker and a tyrant and a revolutionist.” Stern commanded respect and often instilled fear during his 30 years of running the league. He’s being remembered as an indispensable figure who lifted the NBA out of its financial woes and took it to a place of unprecedented prosperity.
Stern brought salary caps, maximum contracts, and dress codes to the league. He marketed individual players, starting with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird before launching a worldwide superstar in Michael Jordan. He sold the game to a global market that expanded to include China when he negotiated the deal that brought Yao Ming to the NBA.
Wojnarowski relates a story by Manu Ginobili, who grew up watching NBA highlights thanks to a deal that Stern negotiated with Argentina Channel 9 in his first year as commissioner in 1984.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t even dream of playing in the NBA,” Ginobili said. “Nobody ever from Argentina played in the NBA when I was 10. I was watching MJ’s [highlights] and thinking he was from another planet, that he was unreachable, untouchable — the same as Magic and Larry. And then I find myself, years later, raising the same trophy as they did.”
There are more remembrances of Stern this morning:
- One of Stern’s towering acts was the support he gave to Johnson in 1991 when the Lakers’ star announced he had tested positive for HIV, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The public had little understanding of the disease at the time, Zillgitt recalls, and many thought Johnson was about to die. Stern threw the full support of the league behind him and hired a prominent AIDS researcher so he could learn more about what to expect. “David Stern was such a history maker,” Johnson tweeted last night. “When I announced in 1991 I had HIV, people thought they could get the virus from shaking my hand. When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All Star Game in Orlando and then play for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world.”
- Jordan, who dealt with Stern extensively as a player and owner, also released a statement, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. “Without David Stern, the NBA would not be what it is today,” he said. “He guided the league through turbulent times and grew the league into an international phenomenon, creating opportunities that few could have imagined before. His vision and leadership provided me with the global stage that allowed me to succeed.”
- LeBron James believes the league should find something to name in Stern’s honor as a lasting tribute, relays Mark Medina of USA Today. “He definitely should have something named after him,” James said. “Either if it’s an award, or, I don’t know, a day? During the course of an NBA season, there’s a ‘David Stern Day.’ I don’t know. We can figure it out.” James added that Stern and Dr. James Naismith “are two of the most important people for the game of basketball,” and believes the league office will find an appropriate way to honor his memory.
Central Notes: Rose, Bulls, Markkanen, Turner
A minutes restriction has helped Derrick Rose stay healthy in his first season with the Pistons, but he believes he would be OK without it, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Rose, who has been on the court for 28 of Detroit’s first 34 games, is limited to about 27 minutes per night. It’s a decision made in conjunction with the medical staff to help preserve the 31-year-old guard, who has a long injury history.
“I feel good, but it’s not up to me with the minutes; it’s up to the coaching staff and the (training) staff to come up with it,” Rose said. “Of course, I want to be out there, but I guess they see something I don’t, and they’re worried about it — just being cautious with me.”
Coach Dwane Casey has been spreading the time out equally, playing Rose for about 6 or 7 minutes each quarter. He has excelled under the limitation, averaging 16.8 points and 5.9 assists per night and shooting nearly 33% on 3-pointers.
“I promise you, I would love to play him more and Derrick would love to play, but he can’t, I mean physically,” Casey said. “We don’t want to put him in that situation, his body in that situation. So according to the game, we have to be creative.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- A challenging January schedule could determine if the Bulls are sellers at the trade deadline, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Despite a 13-21 record, Chicago is only 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, but nine games during the month will be against teams with winning records. The Bulls are only 1-12 so far against teams .500 or better. Cowley notes that Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine, who will both be restricted free agents this summer, could be moved if the team falls out of contention, along with Thaddeus Young, who has expressed unhappiness about his playing time.
- The Bulls need to find more minutes for Lauri Markkanen, argues K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. With coach Jim Boylen using a 10- and sometimes 11-player rotation, Markkanen is averaging about two minutes per game less than last season.
- Pacers center Myles Turner has a new agent, tweets Grant Afseth of Original Turner’s. A league source tells Afseth that Turner signed with Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/31/19
Here are Tuesday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Pacers assigned Alize Johnson to their affiliate in Fort Wayne, then recalled him and Victor Oladipo later in the day, the team announced in a pair of tweets. Oladipo has been practicing with the G League team as he rehabs from a quad injury he suffered last season.
- The Warriors recalled Alen Smailagic from Santa Cruz, according to a press release. Smailagic is averaging 16.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 12 G League games.
Atlantic Notes: Horford, Richardson, Rozier, Prokhorov
Al Horford hasn’t had a smooth transition to his new team after leaving the Celtics for the Sixers this summer, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Many expected Philadelphia to rise to the top of the East after adding the five-time All-Star, but Horford is still searching for his role in the offense alongside Joel Embiid.
Horford is averaging 12.6 PPG, his lowest scoring total in eight seasons, and his 46.0% field goal percentage and 6.6 rebounds are the lowest figures of his career. However, he averages 18.6 PPG in the six games Embiid has missed, suggesting his reduced numbers are tied to opportunity.
“I’m out (there) for the team and doing what I can to help us,” Horford said. “But offensively, I’m very limited with the things that I can do. So I can’t control that stuff. So all I have to do is make sure I’m there for the team, trying to do everything I can to help us win.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Josh Richardson discussed the need for more “accountability” after today’s blowout loss in Indiana, Pompey tweets. The Sixers trailed by more than 30 points in the second half. “I don’t think that there’s enough accountability in our locker room right now, honestly,” he said. “I think that we got some new guys, who don’t want to step on toes, including myself. I feel like we kind of go play, and don’t compete as much. There’s been games that we have and it’s been great. But when it’s not going good, we got to hold each other accountable. I think that’s where a lot of our problems start.” (Twitter link)
- Former Celtics guard Terry Rozier notices the difference between this year’s 23-8 team and last year’s underachieving squad, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Rozier admits there may have been more talent last season, but the players seem to be enjoying the game more now. “Talent, it can’t always get you to where you want to go,” he said. “You’ve got to have the guys that want to be good, want to play hard, want to learn — stuff like that. Obviously you can have all the talent in the world; if you don’t put it together and everybody don’t buy in, it’s not going to work out. And I think that’s what we got caught up in last year.”
- Former Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov was named Russian businessman of the year by Forbes Russia after netting a profit that may have reached $2 billion when he sold the team and Barclays Center, relays Net Income of NetsDaily.
Jazz Notes: Clarkson, Ingles, Morgan, Zanik
Jordan Clarkson has quickly transformed the Jazz bench after being acquired in a trade with the Cavaliers last week, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Clarkson was brought in to add more scoring punch, but he has also surprised with his defense while adding a burst of energy to the second unit.
“He’s been everything we thought he was going to be these past three games,” teammate Donovan Mitchell said, “and he’s learning all this on the fly and still playing well, and that’s tough to do.”
Clarkson is averaging 16.0 PPG in three games since joining the Jazz, including a 20-point outburst in last night’s win over the Pistons. Before the trade, Utah ranked next to last in the league in bench scoring at 26.9 points per night.
“I’m trying to learn every day,” he said. “When we come in for practice I’m very attentive and everyone is talking to me. I’m just trying to pick everything up as quick as possible.”
There’s more from Utah:
- Joe Ingles turned his season around this month by adjusting to the new way defenses are playing him, relays Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Other teams have been copying the Rockets‘ playoff approach of shading to his left and forcing him to go right on screens. It took Ingles a while to adjust, but now he’s become proficient on 3-pointers while moving to his right. He has shot 55% from beyond the arc this month.
- Rookie forward Juwan Morgan may be headed for a larger role, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. Morgan was waived in training camp, but played well enough in the G League that the Jazz signed him last month. Utah likes Morgan’s defensive versatility, but there are questions about whether he can shoot well enough to become a regular part of the rotation.
- General manager Justin Zanik may not be done shaking up the roster after adding Clarkson last week and waiving Jeff Green to sign Rayjon Tucker, Jones suggests in a separate story. He notes that the Jazz could still use more depth on their reserve unit, including an upgrade at backup center, which is currently being handled by Tony Bradley and Ed Davis.