L.A. Notes: George, Leonard, Rondo, McGee
Paul George is almost ready to return to the court after going through his first five-on-five practice yesterday, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. Coach Doc Rivers told reporters that George’s debut with the Clippers could come tomorrow against the Raptors, although Wednesday against the Rockets or Thursday against the Pelicans remains more likely.
No matter when it happens, George, who was involved in one of the highest-profile trades of the offseason, is eager to stop rehabbing and start playing. He had surgery on both shoulders shortly after the Thunder were eliminated from last season’s playoffs and has been operating on a limited basis since training camp opened.
“I’m used to being in this rehab stage and knowing what it takes to get my body prepared,” George said, referring to a broken leg he suffered in 2014. “It’s a long process. But with me going through it and having a drastic injury in my leg, I know what to expect. I know what pressure to put on myself and what pressure not to put on myself.”
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Monday’s game will mark Kawhi Leonard‘s first meeting with the Raptors since leading the team to the NBA title in June, notes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard said he meets a lot of Canadians in Southern California and they thank him for bringing a championship to the country. “The guys, the journey,” Leonard responded when asked what he will remember from his season in Toronto. “Also the country. The city was amazing. And it’s just so much, you can keep going on and talking about it.”
- Rajon Rondo is getting closer to his season debut for the Lakers, but it won’t come today against Toronto, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The veteran guard, who is recovering from a calf injury, went through a full workout Saturday and will participate in another practice today to help build his endurance.
- Lakers center JaVale McGee won’t complain about a reduced role as long as the team keeps winning, relays Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. McGee is playing 25% fewer minutes and taking half as many shots as he did last season, with much of his time going to Dwight Howard. “Being on Golden State set me on (a path), let me have a mindset to where I’m not worried about minutes,” McGee said. However, he added, “If we’re losing and this is happening, then it’s a different situation.”
Celtics Notes: Brown, Hayward, Green, Smart
Jaylen Brown suddenly has a much larger role in the Celtics’ offense after Gordon Hayward suffered a fracture in his left hand last night, writes Sean Deveney of Heavy. Brown responded right away, scoring 30 points in the win at San Antonio, with 18 of those coming after Hayward left in the game in the second quarter.
It’s a chance for Brown to prove he’s worth the four-year, $115MM extension that Celtics management gave him last month. It was a surprise to many after Brown’s scoring average dipped to 13.0 PPG in a disappointing second season, but he believes it was a matter of what he was being asked to do.
“I wouldn’t say (the game) slowed down,” he said. “I just think a different role, more opportunity. I keep preaching that. I don’t think I had the same opportunity last year.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Hayward will meet with doctors tomorrow to determine if surgery is necessary, and coach Brad Stevens believes it might be the quickest path to playing again, Deveney relays in the same story. “It sounds like, should he decide that, the surgery option might actually be a better timeline,” Stevens told reporters after the game. “We’ll see what that all plays out to be. Who knows? It’s too bad.” The injury happened shortly before halftime as Hayward collided with LaMarcus Aldridge on a screen. He was wearing a cast on the hand as the team returned home.
- The emergence of Javonte Green gives the Celtics another weapon to help survive the loss of Hayward, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. Green has modest stats through six games, averaging just 3.0 points per night, but his numbers per 36 minutes (19.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 55.6% shooting) are similar to Hayward’s. Green earned the Celtics’ final roster spot after making a strong impression during Summer League and in the preseason.
- Marcus Smart was fined $15K for criticizing the officials after Thursday’s game in Charlotte, according to Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. “I wish they would call the game the right way, you know?” Smart said. “A lot of calls that they called, I didn’t understand where the fouls were. And it just seems like, whenever I get the ball and I’m on offense, I can’t get a call.”
Knicks Notes: Porzingis, Ntilikina, Payton, Garland
Despite the stance taken by the front office since the Kristaps Porzingis trade, the Knicks weren’t forced to deal their 24-year-old star last winter, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Porzingis may have made a trade request, but he had limited leverage for getting out of New York. A restricted free agent over the summer, Porzingis could have signed an offer sheet with another team that the Knicks would have had the option to match or he could have accepted New York’s one-year qualifying offer, a risky proposition considering his injury history.
Either choice would given management more time to make the changes in team culture that they have been discussing. Plus, they had the advantage of giving him more money and a longer contract than anyone else could have offered.
The Knicks’ return makes the deal look especially bad. The $70MM in cap space that the trade opened up was used on short-term contracts for complementary players after the top targets signed elsewhere. Dennis Smith Jr. has been in and out of the point guard rotation and doesn’t look like a future star. DeAndre Jordan, whom the Knicks hoped would help attract his close friend, Kevin Durant, wound up joining Durant in Brooklyn. That leaves New York with two future first-rounders as the payment for dealing what was supposed to be their foundation player.
Porzingis, who will make his first trip back to Madison Square Garden this week after facing his former team Friday, told reporters that the situation could have ended differently. “Of course, of course. Of course,” he said. “As I said, I have nothing negative to say, it’s in the past. I’m grateful for those years that I spent in New York. It’s a great experience.”
There’s more this morning from New York:
- Frank Ntilikina seems firmly established as the team’s top point guard after a breakthrough performance in Dallas, observes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The 2017 lottery pick had 14 points, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks as the Knicks grabbed a rare road victory. “Frank looked great,” Porzingis said. “… I know his work ethic, his mindset. I’m happy to see him play and play well and show the things he’s been capable of doing.
- Ntilikina’s emergence leaves the future of the team’s other point guards in doubt, notes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Elfrid Payton, who will miss his sixth straight game today with a hamstring issue, is looking like a questionable signing considering his history of health problems. Smith, who rejoined the team Friday after being away 11 days following the death of his stepmother, has shot a combined 1 of 11 in his last three games.
- With the Cavaliers in town today, the Knicks will get a look at Darius Garland, whom they were considering taking if they had been able to find a deal to move back in the draft, Berman adds in a separate story.
Latest On Dion Waiters
The medical episode that Heat guard Dion Waiters experienced during a team flight was a panic attack that resulted from “consuming a THC-infused edible,” sources tell Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The incident happened after Thursday’s game in Phoenix, which Waiters missed because of a stomachache. He was trying to relieve that condition when he took a substance that he wasn’t familiar with, according to the ESPN writers, and received medical treatment when the plane landed in Los Angeles. Heat officials declined to comment on the report.
THC is included on the NBA’s list of banned substances. The league, its teams and the Players Association are all prohibited from releasing information about the testing or treatment of players in the anti-drug program, tweets salary cap expert Albert Nahmad. The only exceptions involve suspension or dismissal of players for drug violations.
Nahmad notes that players with marijuana violations are required to enter into the league’s marijuana program. There is no penalty for a first violation, but the league imposes a $25K fine for a second offense, a five-game suspension for a third offense and longer suspensions for subsequent violations (Twitter link).
South Florida Fox Sports Radio host Andy Slater reported Friday that Waiters overdosed on “gummies,” which is a term for an edible form of marijuana. Gummies have been readily available in Denver, where the Heat began their latest road trip, since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana.
Waiters has yet to play this season and has only been on the bench for two of the team’s nine games. His contract includes a $1.2MM bonus if he plays 70 games, but that seems unthinkable now, especially in light of the new revelations. Waiters is signed through the end of next season and is owed a total of $24.75MM.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/9/19
Here are Saturday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Bulls recalled Denzel Valentine and Daniel Gafford from their Windy City affiliate, according to Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago. Both stayed two days on their latest assignment. Valentine, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since October 26, had a 25-point outburst last night. Gafford has played a combined six minutes in two NBA games.
- The Jazz tweeted that they have assigned guard Miye Oni to their affiliate in Salt Lake City. It’s his fifth assignment of the season.
- The Knicks assigned Ignas Brazdeikis to their Westchester affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
Five Key Stories: 11/2/19 – 11/9/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
Kawhi Leonard‘s load management plan drew a lot of complaints this week when it wiped out a potential matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the league decided that the way the Clippers are handling their new star is within the rules. However, the NBA office later fined the team $50K for making conflicting statements about Leonard’s health.
Paul George is targeting next week to make his debut with the Clippers. He has been sidelined since having surgery on both shoulders over the summer and wasn’t able to participate in a five-on-five practice until today. George is expected to start playing either Wednesday in Houston or Thursday in New Orleans.
The Hawks lost one of their brightest young stars when John Collins was suspended 25 games for violating the league’s anti-drug program. Collins contends he took a supplement that was “contaminated with an illegal component” and plans to appeal the suspension, which would keep him off the court until December 23.
Heat guard Dion Waiters, who has been at odds with the organization since a preseason argument with coach Erik Spoelstra, had a medical incident on a team flight Thursday night. Waiters reportedly passed out on the plane and suffered a seizure when he was awakened. He hasn’t played yet this season.
Memphis center James Wiseman, considered a possibility for the top pick in the 2020 draft, was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, but played Friday after obtaining an “emergency temporary restraining order.” The issue involves money that Tigers coach Penny Hardaway gave to Wiseman and his family to help them move to Memphis last year.
Here are 10 more noteworthy headlines from around the basketball world this week:
- The Warriors‘ rash of injuries to star players continued with the news that Draymond Green suffered a torn ligament in his left index finger. He’s expected to miss a “few games.”
- The Raptors lost Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to long-term injuries. Lowry will miss at least two weeks with a fracture in his left thumb, while Ibaka is out indefinitely with a sprained right ankle.
- The Raptors will also be without Patrick McCaw for at least four weeks after he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
- Trail Blazers center Zach Collins will be sidelined at least four months after opting for surgery on his injured shoulder.
- Former Rockets forward/center Kenneth Faried is reportedly close to signing a one-year deal with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in China.
- The Magic filled their open two-way slot by signing former LaSalle guard B.J. Johnson.
- Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman told reporters that he has no intention of trading Kevin Love.
- The Clippers received some good news on their proposed Inglewood arena as a lawsuit to block the project was denied by a Superior Court judge.
- Former Klutch Sports clients Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris signed with Roc Nation Sports.
- Despite a string of injuries to frontcourt players, the Trail Blazers don’t plan to address the shortage with a trade.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Central Notes: Griffin, Rose, Garland, Warren
Pistons forward Blake Griffin will make his season debut Monday against the Timberwolves, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Griffin missed the first 10 games while rehabilitating a sore knee and hamstring that have bothered him since the preseason. He had a surgical procedure on his left knee after last season ended.
Griffin has gone through several practices without experiencing pain, which convinced the team he is ready to starting playing. Markieff Morris, who had been starting in Griffin’s absence, will likely move to the bench. After several seasons shortened by injuries, Griffin played 75 games last year and earned third-team All-NBA honors with a 24.5/7.5/5.4 line.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Derrick Rose has missed four straight games with a hamstring issue, but he tells Ben Stinar of The Big Lead that Pistons fans don’t need to be concerned about his health. “I feel good,” Rose said after Friday’s game. “I feel like I could play, but the organization, trainers, feel like I’ll need a little bit more time.” He also said he’s happy with his decision to come to Detroit in free agency after reviving his career in Minnesota last season. Rose has averaged 20.8 points and 6.3 assists off the bench in the six games he has played since joining the Pistons. “I feel like it’s home,” he said. “The franchise, the organization, the staff. We’re transparent about everything, they communicate to me, I communicate to them. It’s open dialogue about anything.”
- Darius Garland‘s NBA career has gotten off to a rough start, but the Cavaliers aren’t panicking about their top draft pick, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland was attracted to Garland because of his shooting, but through seven games he is averaging just 7.6 PPG while hitting 29.2% from the field and 25.9% from beyond the arc. “This is his 11th real game in the last 12 months,” an unidentified member of the organization told Fedor. “Of course, he’s going to struggle early on with NBA competition. We believe in this kid.”
- The Pacers knew they were getting a scorer when they picked up T.J. Warren from the Suns, but he’s contributing on defense as well, observes Mark Montieth of NBA.com. “It’s hard to play defense when you’re 12-62 and the best player isn’t even trying to play defense or passing the ball,” said Trevor West, who serves as Warren’s trainer. “What people are seeing now is who T.J. actually is — a person who gets buckets on one end and locks people down at the other end. It’s personal for him. He doesn’t like getting scored on.”
Gordon Hayward Suffers Hand Fracture
Gordon Hayward suffered a fracture in his left hand during today’s game in San Antonio, the Celtics confirmed on Twitter.
Hayward appeared to be pointing to the middle or ring finger area on the hand as he was removed from the game, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. An X-ray in the locker room confirmed the fracture.
Hayward will see a specialist Monday to determine if he will need surgery, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The operation would take place Monday if doctors decide it’s necessary, but a timeline for him to return won’t be set until that ruling is made.
Hayward is off to a strong start this year and appeared to be fully healthy for the first time since fracturing his ankle on opening night of the 2017/18 season. He averaged 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists through the first seven games as the Celtics rose to the top of the East with a 6-1 start.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 11/2/19 – 11/9/19
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are our original segments and features from the past seven days:
- Our Offseason in Review series wrapped up with looks at the following teams:
- Luke Adams identified super-max candidates to watch this season.
- Adams also explained why free agents who sign now are ineligible to be traded for the rest of the season.
- Our Free Agent Stock Watch series focused on the Central, while our Trade Candidate series turned to the Pacific.
- In this week’s Community Shootaround, we asked about the long-term viability of the Cavaliers’ backcourt,
- This week’s poll questions asked:
Sixers’ Simmons To Miss Time Due To Shoulder Sprain
NOVEMBER 7, 5:46pm: Simmons will likely miss at least the Sixers’ next three games due to his shoulder sprain, league sources tell Haynes (Twitter link). Derek Bodner of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that Simmons will definitely miss Friday’s game vs. Denver and will be re-evaluated prior to Sunday’s game vs. Charlotte.
NOVEMBER 7, 10:13am: An X-ray on Simmons’ right should came back negative, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that the 23-year-old will be further evaluated later today.
NOVEMBER 6, 10:48pm: Sixers star Ben Simmons will be re-evaluated Thursday after leaving tonight’s game with what is being called a “minor” AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Simmons suffered the injury midway through the first quarter. He took a pass in the high post and collided with Royce O’Neale while spinning to his right.
Simmons tried to shake off the injury and had what appeared to be a heating pad on it after checking out of the game later in the quarter. He re-entered with 6:56 left in the second quarter, but took himself out about a minute and a half later and went straight to the locker room. Pompey states that he seemed to be having trouble moving the arm.