NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/9/18
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Jazz have recalled Tony Bradley from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The no. 28 overall pick from the 2017 draft has played in eight games with Utah this season, posting a total of eight points in 28 minutes of action.
And-Ones: Wilkins, Pacers, Oubre, Young
Damien Wilkins, who was recently waived by the Pacers, envisions a future for himself in the NBA beyond playing for a team, as he tells David Aldridge of NBA.com.
“At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I really do want to work in the NBA,” Wilkins said. “I want to work in a front office. I want to be a front office exec one day. If that means starting from the coaching standpoint and moving up, that’s fine, too. I’m actually learning on the fly how to lead.”
Wilkins played in 19 games for Indiana this season after spending four seasons out of the league. He discussed how the game has changed since 2013 when he played for the Sixers.
“It’s a lot faster, that’s for sure,” Wilkins said. “You can tell that people now are like, in a hurry to get the ball. That’s how it seems. Everyone’s in a hurry to say, okay, go ahead. Literally, go ahead and score so we can get the ball back. That’s exactly what it feels like sometimes. Everyone’s like, we want to score, so do what you gotta do so we can get the ball inbounds so we can score.
“And the teams that play defense are the teams at the top of the league. It’s not rocket science. I’m surprised everyone hasn’t figured that out yet. You look at the Spurs and Golden State, even with their frantic pace, they still defend well. Boston is at the top of the league in defensive rating. Toronto, all those teams at the top. Houston has a better defensive roster this year, so it’s no surprise that they’re at the top of the league. That’s the changes I see; the game is a lot faster and everyone’s in such a hurry to get baskets, or to get shot attempts.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- A source tells Aldridge (same piece) that the Pacers could look to bring back Wilkins after the trade deadline. The soon-to-be 38-year-old averaged 1.7 points during his 19 contests with Indiana.
- Kelly Oubre, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the upcoming offseason, has turned to the corner for the Wizards, as Nate Wolf of NBAMath details. Wolf notes that Oubre has been key to Washington putting out a respectable bench unit, but also adds its second-unit has other concerns that could keep the Wizards from reaching their potential in the postseason.
- Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz (in a collaborate Insider piece for ESPN) examine the play of Oklahoma freshman Trae Young. The scribes compare Young’s offense to that of Doug McDermott, Damian Lillard, Jimmer Fredette and Stephen Curry while adding that Young’s physical limitation may prevent him from being selected with a top selection in the upcoming draft.
Isaiah Thomas’ Best Chance At Top Deal May Be With Cavs
Isaiah Thomas will be a free agent at the end of the season and league executives tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that the point guard’s best chance at a lucrative deal is with the Cavaliers.
Windhorst also hears that Cleveland will have interest in retaining Thomas regardless of whether or not LeBron James returns to the team, as long as Thomas can prove he’s past the hip injury. If James bolts, the Cavs cannot simply let go of other assets just because they will no longer be serious contenders for a championship.
According to Windhorst, although the Cavs made it clear behind the scenes that the Nets’ pick was the top piece in the Kyrie Irving trade, the organization will feel some pressure to keep Thomas, as he was the best player sent to Cleveland in the deal. The scribe also notes that owner Dan Gilbert loves underdogs and players who have overcome challenges. The Cavs paid $2.4MM to buy a draft pick in 2016 in order to take Kay Felder—an undersized point guard who went to a smaller university—because of Felder’s ability to overcome challenges. Felder didn’t work out for Cleveland, but Thomas’ career fits the mold of what caught Gilbert’s eye.
Thomas is making roughly $6.3MM this season, though he spoke last summer about desiring the max. That was before he was dealt to Cleveland and before he missed significant time with his hip injury. It was reported last week that the market for his services will be difficult to predict. However, the point guard is thriving in limited minutes with his new club and signs appear to be pointing in the right direction.
The Cavs have the league’s highest payroll at approximately $134.1MM, but they hold Thomas’ full Bird rights, which means they are eligible to go well beyond the cap to make him an offer.
The point guard market could help Cleveland retain Thomas at a rate lower than the max. Players such as Kyle Lowry and George Hill found out last summer that the market for veteran floor generals was underwhelming and both point guards settled for less than they were expecting just months before.
Furthermore, most of the teams projected to have cap space for a $20MM annual offer are not expected to make a play for an expensive point guard. The Bulls like what they have in Kris Dunn. The Sixers will continue to let Ben Simmons handle the one and the Mavs just drafted Dennis Smith Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick back in June.
Windhorst names the Nets, Suns, and Pacers as possibilities, but the scribe is bearish on all three, especially Phoenix since it already traded Thomas away once.
Thomas has played in three games with Cleveland (2-1 record) so far, taking some of the offensive responsibilities off of James’ plate. The point guard is averaging 15.0 points and 3.3 assists in 19.7 minutes per contest.
Fantasy Hoops: Chriss, Green, Capela, LaVine
Hope everyone is enjoying 2018 thus far. Check out some fantasy basketball notes to start your year off right:
Marquese Chriss has started to pick up steam. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while hitting nearly three shots from behind the arc per contest and making nearly 56.8% of his shots from the field. He’s available in approximately 70% of ESPN leagues, but that figure should be much lower. Scoop him if he’s available in yours.- James Harden, who will miss at least the next two weeks, led all players in points per game during the month of December with 33.6 per contest. While he’s out, take a look at newly signed Gerald Green. Over the past week, Green is averaging 21.0 points per game while nailing 21 of his 35 attempts from behind the arc. That kind of efficiency won’t continue, but the volume makes him a solid fill-in for those with an available bench spot.
- Another Rockets player to watch during Harden’s absence is Clint Capela. The big man is seeing a slight uptick in attempts (11.0 per game vs 8.9) since Harden hit the sidelines in addition to producing at his usual useful rates in the rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage categories.
- Zach LaVine is nearing his debut for the Bulls. Check to see if he is available in your league, as he is in nearly 46% of ESPN leagues.
- Kristaps Porzingis had some interesting comments following a recent loss, telling ESPN’s Ian Begley that he was tired. It’s a situation worth monitoring as the Knicks could opt to hold the big man out more frequently in order to help keep him fresh.
Jahlil Okafor Talks Fit In Brooklyn, Offense, Role
Jahlil Okafor believes that Brooklyn is the right place for him to reach his potential.
“I’m pretty confident, just talking with the guys in the locker room, and it’s all been positive feedback with the coaches,” Okafor said (via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
Okafor was seemingly on the trade block every year since being drafted by Philadelphia with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Immediately after the big man was dealt to the Nets, D’Angelo Russell, who went one spot ahead of Okafor in 2015, reached out to convince him that the franchise was the right landing spot.
“D’Angelo is somebody I talk with often and he loves it here,” Okafor said. “He had nothing but positive things to say to me even before I stepped foot into the facility, and everything he said is true. They really care about us, the player development has been amazing and just even off the floor it’s been a good time.”
In addition to working on conditioning, Okafor had to adjust his offensive game. Brooklyn’s defense is similar to the scheme Okafor ran in Philadelphia, but the new offense is much different.
“The offense was something that was all new to me, completely different offense, completely different pace,” Okafor said of the Nets’ 3-point-heavy attack. “It’s only been two weeks, so I don’t want to sit there and say I’ve developed an amazing 3-point shot. That’s something we’ve been working on. But in the end of the day, I know what I do; I know what I’m able to do to help this team, and that’s not going to be me shooting 3s.”
How many minutes will the big man receive upon re-entering the rotation? The team didn’t provide specifics, but coach Kenny Atkinson told Okafor that he would be eased into action.
“He didn’t tell me I was limited. He just told me he was going to work me up, build me into playing big minutes,” said Okafor. “From a basketball standpoint, it was difficult, but in the grand scheme of living life, it’s not that bad. I’m in the NBA and I was able to work on my craft every day and get better, so I’m looking forward to playing.”
Paul George Discusses Lakers’ Chatter, Offseason Trade
Paul George, who can hit free agency after the season, has been linked to the Lakers for years and all the chatter over the offseason resulted in Los Angeles absorbing a $500K fine for violating the league’s anti-tampering rules.
George previously described the talk of his desire to play in Los Angeles as “overstated,” while maintaining that winning is the top priority. Today, he told the media that he has no regrets about discussing the Lakers and reiterated that he’s not solely focused on playing in his home state.
“No, no regrets at all. All that was said was that a destination I would love to go to,” George said (via NBA.com). “There wasn’t, you know, a ‘hey, gunpoint to the head, send me here.’ I just stated somewhere that I wanted to go play. You ask 80, 70 percent of the guys in the league if they would love to go back home and play for their city, play for their home, that’s all I stated. I would have loved to go back home and play for my city.”
George also briefly touched upon the deal that sent him to the Thunder during the media session. “I thought this trade that went down was a win-win for both sides,” the small forward added. Oklahoma City sent out Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers to bring PG13 to town.
George, who was a huge fan of Los Angeles and Kobe Bryant growing up, will play the Lakers in the Staples Center for the first and only time this season on Wednesday, as the Thunder will not make another trip to the city to take on Magic Johnson’s squad.
Central Notes: Oladipo, Thomas, Contracts
Victor Oladipo will remain out of the lineup for Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee. The Pacers haven’t won a game since the shooting guard injured his knee against the Pistons last week and coach Nate McMillan understands why the team has struggled.
“He was doing a lot for us, as far as scoring and leading transition and bringing a kind of leadership role and energy that our guys feed off of,” McMillan said of Oladipo (via Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star. “You know, it’s not only the fans [he engerizes] with his playmaking.”
Oladipo, who’s in the first year of a four-year, $84MM deal, came to Indiana via the Paul George trade and he’s played at an All-Star level, helping the Pacers become playoff contenders. Despite losing the last four games, the franchise remains in the mix, entering the day with sole possession of the eighth seed in the conference with a record of 19-18.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Isaiah Thomas will be a free agent at the end of the season and a front office executive tells Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer that his potential earnings are hard to predict. Some teams may overlook his hip injury while others will scratch him off their list entirely because of it. O’Connor notes that a Kyle Lowry-level three-year, $100MM deal may be Thomas’ best case scenario while the worst case would be a lucrative one-year, prove it deal.
- Another executive tells O’Connor (same piece) that Thomas’ best offer could come from a team looking to use the Washington product as a short-term bridge option at the point. The executive adds that the Bulls and Mavs are franchises that fit the mold.
- The Cavaliers are planning on an initial 20-to-22 minute restriction for Thomas and the “flow of his comeback” will determine the amount of court time he will receive going forward, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Thomas will make his debut for Cleveland tonight against Portland.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/27/17
Here are the notable G-League transactions around the NBA today:
- The Hornets have recalled Malik Monk from the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The 2017 No. 11 overall pick appeared in one G League game and he scored 25 points.
- The Spurs have assigned Derrick White to the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. White has played in six games to date with the G League club and he’s averaging 11.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.
- The Wolves have assigned Justin Patton to the G League, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Patton has already appeared in six games for the Iowa Wolves, scoring 9.5 points per contest.
Central Notes: Trade Deadline, Love, Dunn
Coach Stan Van Gundy, who is also the team’s president of basketball operations, doesn’t think the new trade deadline will have much of an impact. The trade deadline this season is February 8th, two weeks earlier than normal, so that it no longer dominates the chatter during All-Star weekend.
“I don’t think it will change anything,” he told Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors. “It’s just that the flurry of rumors and a few moves will happen at a little earlier date. It doesn’t matter where they put it.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Kevin Love was reluctant to make the switch to center but he understands that it gives the Cavaliers the best chance to beat the Warriors, as he tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think there is something to be said for me playing the 5 and logging most of the minutes there,” Love said. “I think we match up better, maybe, but it’s just so hard to say without [Stephen Curry] being on the floor.”
- Kris Dunn, who came to the Bulls in the Jimmy Butler trade, earned his spot in the starting lineup and coach Fred Hoiberg has confidence in the young playmaker. “The players see through it if you just give the position or starting spot or minutes,” said Hoiberg (via Sam Smith of NBA.com). “You have to earn it and Kris has. It’s [also] very important you have a guy you have confidence in who can make the right play down the stretch. We’ve trusted him and put the ball in his hands. And there’s his willingness to learn in a lot of situations.“
Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.
Predicting The Future: Markelle Fultz
When Markelle Fultz made his debut earlier this season, he became just the third No. 1 overall pick in history to come off the bench. Sarah Todd of The Philadelphia Inquirer notes that the other two top selections who did not start right away ended up having underwhelming careers.
Anthony Bennett, who was a surprise No. 1 overall pick, began with the Cavs’ bench unit and he never made his way into the starting lineup for Cleveland. He was sent to Wolves in the Kevin Love deal and he ended up only starting three games during his lone season in Minnesota. After a stop in Toronto where he played in just 19 games (no starts), he landed in Brooklyn for just 23 games (one start). Bennett now plays in the G League.
Andrea Bargnani spent the majority of his rookie season on the bench, though he accumulated 314 starts in Toronto over the ensuing six seasons. He peaked during the lockout-shortened 2011/12 season, sporting a player efficiency rating of 17.9, though he never made an All-Star team nor became a top contributor to a winning team.
Bennett was arguably the worst No. 1 pick in history, though Fultz’s early troubles do not mean that he will compete with Bennett for that distinction. It’s more likely that the point guard ends up rivaling Bargnani’s career—someone who plays around 10 seasons in the league, but never really lives up to the hype—than ending up in the G League like Bennett.
It’s too early to definitely say whether Fultz is a bust or whether this is simply a minor roadblock on the way to a Hall of Fame career. There’s a wide range of possibilities between a Bennett-type fall and a James Harden-type rise and there are benchmarks in between those two extremes.
Fultz could make an All-Star team. He could make an All-NBA team or he could struggle and never meet any of the expectations that come with being a No. 1 overall pick. Even if he doesn’t meet those expectations, he could remain in the league and make a nice living as a secondary player. He could be Bargnani.
How do you see Fultz’s career shaking out? Will he meet or exceed any of the expectations of being the top overall selection of the 2017 draft? Will he be better or worse than Bargnani?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!