Kris Dunn Out Indefinitely After Entering Concussion Protocol
The Bulls will be without sophomore guard Kris Dunn for an indefinite period of time after he entered the league’s concussion protocol on Wednesday, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes.
Dunn fell awkwardly after a dunk Wednesday night, landing face first on the United Center floor. Initial test results suggested that Dunn had been cleared of concussion symptoms, but he did fall hard enough to chip and dislocate his two front teeth.
Dunn will not travel with the team when it leaves for a three-game road trip on Friday.
In what’s been widely regarded as a breakout season, Dunn has averaged 13.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Bulls. Backup point guard Jerian Grant is expected to slide into the starting lineup during Dunn’s absence.
Derrick Rose Set To Return Tonight
For the first time in 31 games, Derrick Rose will suit up for the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The 29-year-old guard, however, will be on a minute restriction when the team faces off against the Magic.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has said that Rose will come off the bench in his return. In seven early-season starts for the Cavs prior to the bone spur and ankle injury that sidelined him for two months, Rose put up 14.3 points and 1.7 assists per game.
His addition back into the rotation could bump Cedi Osman out of consistent playing time. We also wrote earlier this month that Rose’s return could reduce Dwyane Wade‘s minutes.
Rose’s ankle injury was the latest in a famously long line of health woes. That, of course, contributed to the period of uncertainty in late November when Rose was said to be contemplating his future in basketball.
NBA Suspends Arron Afflalo Two Games
The NBA has suspended Magic guard Arron Afflalo two games for his role in an altercation with Timberwolves forward Nemanja Bjelica, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
On Tuesday night, Afflalo got tangled up with the 29-year-old Wolves forward and ended up launching a wild haymaker that careened off the back of Bjelica’s head and neck. Bjelica put Afflalo in a headlock before the two were eventually separated.
The suspension, which will be in place for tonight’s Magic-Cavaliers game, targets Afflalo and not Bjelica presumably because Afflalo appeared to be the one to escalate the situation, while Bjelica looked content containing Afflalo and defusing the situation.
Jazz Notes: Favors, Sefolosha, Exum
The Jazz have been charged with the task of growing and developing their way into the postseason all over again, Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. All things considered, they’re off to a decent start.
The scribe offers up a scathing critique of how Gordon Hayward handled his exit from Utah, suggesting that Hayward left the team out in the cold, unlike ex-Pacers star Paul George, who at least gave Indiana’s front office a clear heads up that he had an interest in leaving.
While Monson sheds light on a handful of the assets on board in Utah, from trade candidate Derrick Favors to underwhelming fourth-year forward Rodney Hood, he also places some blame on general manager Dennis Lindsey for not having a better read on the Hayward situation prior to last offseason.
Of course the best thing going for the Jazz is their core duo of Rudy Gobert and rookie Donovan Mitchell. Everything will revolve around those two players, Monson says — that’s a particularly intriguing thought for Utah, considering that Gobert is just 25 years old while Mitchell is 21.
There’s more from the Jazz today:
- As the trade deadline draws closer, Derrick Favors is hearing his name pop up in more and more speculation. The 26-year-old has managed to successfully tune out the conversation thus far, Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News writes.
- In the same feature for The Deseret News, Woodyard reports that forward Thabo Sefolosha‘s knee surgery went successfully on Wednesday.
- After being cleared for non-contact basketball activities, Jazz guard Dante Exum has set his sights on returning to action after the All-Star Break, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. Exum damaged ligaments in his shoulder during preseason.
Lakers Sign Gary Payton II To Two-Way Deal
JANUARY 15: The Lakers have officially signed Payton to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JANUARY 14: The Lakers are planning to sign Gary Payton II to a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Payton began the 2017/18 campaign with the Bucks, but despite starting six games for the team, averaged just 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Payton will slide into the vacant two-way slot that the Lakers opened up on Friday with the release of Vander Blue.
Per Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, Payton is expected to join the team in Memphis ahead of the Lakers-Grizzlies tilt on Monday.
Payton has yet to make much of a mark at the NBA level but drew attention at Oregon State thanks to his Hall of Fame father. Gary Payton Sr., of course, suited up for the Lakers in the twilight of his career.
Payton was waived by Milwaukee on December 18 when the Bucks opted to bring Sean Kilpatrick aboard on a two-way contract.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/14/18
Here are the G League moves from around the league today:
- The Kings have recalled sophomores Georgios Papagiannis and Malachi Richardson from the Reno Big Horns, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets. Papagiannis has averaged 13.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for the G League affiliate.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Ante Zizic from their G League affiliate in Canton, the team announced on its website. Zizic has averaged 16.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season with the Charge.
2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: New York Knicks
The Knicks may not end up in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but there’s no denying that the franchise is headed in a better direction than it was this time last year. Addition by subtraction in the organization has given the rest of the franchise room to grow.
Although the Knicks have shown that they’re capable of winning ball games this year, it would be foolish for the team to abandon what has morphed into an organic rebuild to chase short-term gains.
This summer, the Knicks would be wise to stick to their plan and manage their growth responsibly. While they’ll have their hands tied financially where it matters most, how they handle their few free agents could shed light on their mentality heading forward.
Ron Baker, PG, 25 (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $8.9MM deal in 2017
Baker endeared himself to head coach Jeff Hornacek last season and immediately became the wealthiest third-or-fourth-string point guard in the NBA. The Knicks may envision Baker as Frank Ntilikina‘s eventual primary backup, hence their paying more than they needed to re-sign him, but that doesn’t even matter. As much as we all love Ron Burgundy, he won’t find more than the $4.5MM 2018/19 player option he has with the Knicks anywhere else in the NBA.
Michael Beasley, PF, 29 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2.1MM deal in 2017
There’s simply no denying that Beasley is capable of filling the stat sheet when given an opportunity. He’s done it sporadically throughout his career but most recently last month while Tim Hardaway Jr. nursed a leg injury. Beasley signed a one-year, “prove it” deal with the Knicks last summer, but the only thing up for debate is whether or not he can dutifully transition back out of the Madison Square Garden limelight and become a consistent producer off the bench for a team trending in the right direction. Beasley’s likely too old to attract attention from a team amid a traditional rebuild, so he’ll have to establish himself as an emotionally mature, volume scorer off the bench if he wants to get paid. If he does, I’d buy in.
Jarrett Jack, PG, 34 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2.4MM deal in 2017
The Knicks brought a face familiar to New Yorkers in to keep the starting point guard position warm until Ntilikina is ready to take over. By all accounts, the former Nets guard has done everything one could expect from a 34-year-old journeyman who had played just 34 games across the previous two seasons. The Knicks will presumably have the option to bring him back on the cheap next season if they’d like to extend their current backcourt arrangement, but he’ll have more interest from contenders now that he’s shown he can stay on the court.
Enes Kanter, C, 26 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $70MM deal in 2015
A move to the spotlight in New York City has brought Kanter’s value close to where it was in 2016 when he signed a substantial contract extension in the wake of an excellent half-season stint with the Thunder. Kanter has deficiencies, no doubt, but the basketball collective seemed to overreact slightly when he didn’t immediately live up to his lofty contract in the first few years of the NBA’s Small Ball Era. I expect Kanter back in New York with his 2018/19 player option because the city seems to suit him and I can’t envision a situation in which he’d be more immediately valuable than the one he lucked into thanks to the Carmelo Anthony deal.
Doug McDermott, SF, 26 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $10.4MM deal in 2014
While McDermott has done a fine job providing solid minutes off the bench in his first Knicks season, the biggest takeaway from his 2017/18 campaign so far is that his ceiling is right about where people thought it was after a ho-hum career start in Chicago. McDermott could be a low-key valuable add for a team seeking a minor piece, though the Knicks may be better off letting him walk and freeing up the space for a more ambitious signing.
Kyle O’Quinn, C, 28 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $16MM deal in 2015
O’Quinn is a consistently efficient big man who has bulldozed his way into New York’s frontcourt logjam because he’s simply too effective to keep on the sidelines. Despite his production, however, the Knicks would benefit from flipping him for something, because it would clear more minutes for players like Kanter and Willy Hernangomez. Wherever O’Quinn ends up, he would hit free agency this summer as a lumbering big man in a bear market. For that reason, expect him back on his $4.3MM player option with an eye on 2019.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Community Shootaround: Hassan Whiteside
There is an element of uncertainty to Hassan Whiteside‘s role with the Heat. One can glean at least some semblance of understanding into how Erik Spoelstra views the big man through a series of post-game quotes from earlier this afternoon, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel writes.
Spoelstra was quick to praise Whiteside after a spirited third quarter on Sunday afternoon but didn’t ultimately play him down the stretch, citing the play of the team’s second unit.
“He made a big-time effort on both ends of the court. Even those offensive tips where we didn’t score, he was burning calories and expending a lot of energy. Those extra, multiple efforts are inspiring. I really believe those inspire the players coming in the game,” Spoelstra said. “[…] The next challenge is to be consistent. I love what he did in the third quarter.”
It’s unclear what will come of Whiteside’s time with the Heat. While he’s averaged a solid 13.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, he seems to have resigned to the fact that he may not enter games in fourth quarters.
“When those guys are playing great, I don’t come in,” he said. “Those guys were playing great.”
The Heat currently sit 25-17, fourth in the Eastern Conference. That’s a dangerous spot for a team with a coach known for bringing out the most in his players.
While 28-year-old Whiteside would qualify by most accounts as the team’s top talent, they’ve played .500 basketball without him and could presumably net a piece or two to help them down the stretch if they were willing to move him.
Given that Whiteside’s current role with the squad is so unconventional, would the franchise be better off to gauge the trade market for the big man?
Weigh in on what you think the Heat will end up doing with their center below.
Clippers Notes: Jordan, Griffin, Beverley
The time has come for the Clippers to trade DeAndre Jordan, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders writes. The big man’s name has been subject to speculation for much of the season but now a rebuild is inevitable.
While Jordan isn’t the problem, he can be part of the team’s solution heading forward, Hamilton writes. Re-signing the 29-year-old big man would keep L.A. competitive enough to miss out on the benefits of being a bad team — unloading him for parts could help the team set off in the right direction.
There’s more out of L.A.:
- An in-depth interview conducted by Marc Spears of The Undefeated sheds light on Blake Griffin‘s upbringing in Oklahoma. The scribe spoke with the power forward about everything from growing up biracial in Oklahoma to Chris Paul‘s departure.
- The Clippers’ second unit has taken to referring to itself as the Goon Squad, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes. Front and center of the bunch is Lou Williams, even though he’s spent time as a starter of late. “I am the leader of the Goon Squad. Yet and still,” Williams said. “I’ve started, what, six games this season? [Actually 11]. So I can’t really call myself a starter. I’m still a bench guy.”
- While his return to the court may still be months away, Patrick Beverley is thrilled to return to rejoin his team on the sidelines. “I’m ecstatic, I get to talk some [trash] on the bench today,” he told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. “[…] I wanted to stay in Houston until I was off the crutches, but I’m back. I’m back for good now.”
Bulls Notes: LaVine, Mirotic, Valentine
After an 11-month absence, Zach LaVine made his Bulls debut Saturday night. Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago writes that the solid showing serves as an excellent first step for the player who remains the centerpiece of the Jimmy Butler trade.
LaVine put up what seemed like an effortless 14 points in just 19 minutes of action in his first game of the year, but it’s his general playing style that will make Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg‘s life easier as the young team looks to develop into a winner.
“He’s such a smooth player and has a lot of confidence,” Hoiberg said. “To get out there back on the floor and with his teammates, I thought he played very effective and efficient. He played within himself.”
There’s more out of the Central Division tonight:
- In the same NBC Sports Chicago feature, Goodwill writes that the 22-year-old LaVine has and wants to be considered “the guy.” “I always thought of myself on being able to be ‘the guy.’ And being able to go out there, put the team on your back, city on your back, and I want to work to be that guy,” LaVine said.
- Although the team has thrived since his return, Nikola Mirotic remains intent on leaving the Bulls via trade, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. There is a sense that Mirotic and the team have reached an impasse when it comes to repairing the tension between him and Bobby Portis.
- The return of Zach LaVine has bumped Denzel Valentine to the second-unit. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that the 24-year-old handled the move professionally. Head coach Fred Hoiberg opted to push Valentine to the second unit, instead of Justin Holiday, because he has fared better with the team’s bench players and can be featured more as a playmaker alongside them.