Atlantic Notes: Walker, Embiid, Kanter
Celtics point guard Kemba Walker will return to the court tonight less than a week after he collided head-to-head with teammate Semi Ojeleye and had to be taken off the court in a stretcher.
“It was a scary moment for myself,” Walker said (via Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com). “When I was in the moment, it was pretty tough to be in, obviously. I know it was scary for everybody…It was tough, but thank God I’m OK.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (video link) hears that scouts around the league aren’t worried about Joel Embiid. Embiid has struggled this season (by his standards) with a new-look roster around him on the Sixers.
- Enes Kanter says he is “disappointed that former Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving won’t be making a return to the court in Boston today, as Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston relays. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now he’s hurt and not playing? I’m really disappointed. But there’s two games, of course, and he’s going to come back. And… we’re going to welcome him somehow,” Kanter said.
- Former Celtics guard Tony Allen said he’s long been a fan of Marcus Smart‘s game and applauds Smart’s improvement from behind the arc, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald passes along. “I won’t say he’s my protégé, really, but he’s become that 3-and-D player everyone wants,” Allen said. “With what he does defensively, he’s also become a shooter. He’s really transitioned to the new game.”
NCAA Upholds James Wiseman’s Suspension
The NCAA has upheld James Wiseman’s 12-game suspension and $11.5K required donation after Memphis appealed the original ruling, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Wiseman took to his Twitter to comment on the situation:
“Sometimes bad things happen to good people. God has never left me nor forsaken me throughout this process! God knows my destiny and I feel that even though hardships may be upon me! It too shall pass in the Grace of God. My journey isn’t finished, and this too shall pass.”
Wiseman, who is expected to be a top-three pick in the 2020 NBA draft, has only seen action in three contests so far, as he has been sitting out while awaiting the results of the appeal. The NCAA handed Wiseman this punishment “based on recruiting inducements his family received before he enrolled at Memphis and for competing in three games while he was ineligible,” the NCAA stated in its release.
The center was ruled ineligible on November 8, but was granted an “emergency temporary restraining order” and played that night against UIC. In his three games for Memphis, he has averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per night. He’s eligible to return on January 12 against South Florida.
Kevin Love Remains Committed To Cavs But Hears Trade Buzz
Speculation about the Cavaliers trading Kevin Love will continue until either the team trades him or moves a move to elevate the talent in Cleveland. Love hears the rumors, but doesn’t have a feel for what will happen next, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details.
“I’m just going to let the chips fall,” Love said. ‘‘I know that this is a young team. I think I can help them. I’m going to do right by Cleveland, the organization. This is a league where teams want to rebuild, teams want to go young but certain teams are looking for a piece, a guy who’s played in the Finals, a guy who has playoff experience. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think it definitely lessens the burden and the anxiety.”
While Love could certainly help a contender or playoff-bound team, he isn’t forcing a change of scenery.
”I’ve been committed to Cleveland since Day 1,” Love said. ”I know it’s been a little shaky at some points. It’s been really great at some points. But now I’ve found some semblance of balance in my life, not only on the court but away from it.”
What’s your favorite hypothetical Kevin Love trade? Take to the comment section below with your thoughts and opinions!
Heat Notes: Jack, Winslow, Waiters
The Heat have acquired Jarrett Jack‘s G League rights, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel relays (Twitter link). Jack is still free to sign with any NBA club at any time should there be interest from a rival franchise.
Here’s more from Miami
- In his latest mailbag, Winderman wonders whether Justise Winslow will re-enter the starting lineup for the Heat. Winslow is expected to return tonight, though his minutes will be monitored and coach Erik Spoelstra‘s decision could come down to how Duncan Robinson is playing once Winslow is up to speed.
- Dion Waiters can still help the Heat despite their deep roster full of talent, Winderman contends in the same piece. The scribe adds that Waiters’ playing time could come down to his willingness to accept a new role.
- In a separate piece, Winderman cautions that there is much we don’t know about why James Johnson has not played more this season. Johnson had conditioning issues early in the season, though it’s unclear how much those have cleared up.
Mavs Expected To Enter Andre Iguodala Sweepstakes
Andre Iguodala remains on the Grizzlies. He’s away from the team and the franchise is expected to trade him at some point this season. Many assume that Los Angeles will ultimately be where the former Finals MVP ends up but that’s far from a certain outcome.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com hears from rival executives that the Mavericks could be contenders for Iguodala’s services. Courtney Lee ($12.8MM) is on an expiring deal and the team could package him along with another young player or draft picks (Windhorst mentions Dallas’ extra second-round picks) to acquire Iguodala.
The Mavericks have the NBA’s best offense, though their defense is in the bottom half of the league, per NBA.com. Iguodala could bring his defensive prowess to a team that is already outproducing its expectations this season.
Southeast Notes: Hornets, Huerter, Mahinmi
Coach James Borrego is losing patience with the Hornets‘ defense and he’s not afraid to shake things up, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer relays.
“You have to value your time on the floor. This isn’t a God-given right to step on the floor and just go through the motions,” Borrego said recently. “If you’re not doing your job, if you don’t have great effort, if you’re not engaged from Minute 1, then I need to make a change — bring someone in off the bench or make a lineup change.”
Charlotte is 6-12 and the team has already started 12 different lineups this season. Borrego is searching for the best combination of players that will help the team win games regardless of each player’s contract status or seniority on the team.
As the Hornets look to right the ship, let’s take a look at more from the Southeast Division:
- Kevin Huerter has been cleared to begin some on-court activity, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com tweets. Huerter, who suffered a left rotator cuff strain earlier this month, will not play on the Hawks‘ upcoming road trip.
- Wizards center Ian Mahinmi, who is in the final year of his four-year, $64MM deal, is close to returning to the court and the big man wants to prove that he has something left in the tank, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reports. “This cannot be the end of this story,” Mahinmi told Hughes. “I’ve always wanted to be a valuable piece in that puzzle. So, in my mind, there’s still a lot of chapters left to be written.”
- In the same piece, which is worth a read, Hughes compares Mahinmi’s game in Washington to his previous stop in Indiana and finds that the center’s per-36 numbers are actually slightly better with Wizards. “I’m a guy that wants to anchor the defense and who understands defensive principles. That’s who I am and what I can do,” Mahinmi said.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/26/19
Here are Tuesday’s assignments and recalls from around the G League:
- The Celtics have assigned Tremont Waters to the Maine Red Claws, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Waters was selected in the second round of the 2019 draft.
- Jonah Bolden and Zhaire Smith are back with the Delaware Blue Coats, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Sixers recalled the pair for the team’s trip to Toronto earlier this week.
- The Wolves have assigned Jaylen Nowell to the Iowa Wolves, according to the team’s Twitter feed. The shooting guard has appeared in two games for Minnesota this season, seeing a total of 15 minutes with the club.
- Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels are heading back to the Hornets, the team announced on Twitter. The recall concludes Martin’s fourth stint with the Greensboro Swarm and McDaniels’ third.
Community Shootaround: How Can The Spurs Save Their Season?
What is going on with the Spurs this season? LaMarcus Aldridge doesn’t believe it’s any one thing that is causing the team to struggle.
“I can’t pinpoint a certain thing, movement, whatever. It’s just a unit, you know? We have to figure it out together. It’s about all five guys on the floor. We try to be better, try to figure it out, and we haven’t,” as the big man tells Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.
Three of the team’s top players (Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, and Dejounte Murray) are not strong long-range shooters, which has forced coach Gregg Popovich to play big men who can stretch the floor, such as Trey Lyles.
“They’re playing Lyles? Come on,” one rival scout told Bontemps. “Not in the West. Maybe you can play him and hope to get to ninth in the East or something.”
Bontemps mentions a possible DeRozan trade as something that could help the team improve by rebalancing the roster with shooters. However, the Spurs haven’t made an in-season trade in five years.
So that leads us to tonight’s topic: Should the Spurs make a deal to try and save their season? Which player should they ship away? Or should they stay pat without making meaningful improvements and potentially land a top-10 draft pick for the first time since 1997?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Wizards Notes: Chemistry, Wagner, Thomas
The atmosphere in Washington is much more upbeat than it was last season, as Troy Haliburton and I recently discussed on the Wizards’ Locked On podcast. Team chemistry is something that’s hard to measure (I’m no body language doctor as Bill Simmons would say), though this year’s edition of the Wizards are noticeably having fun playing basketball and they are outperforming their low expectations that many gave them entering the season.
The Wizards are second in the league on offense entering the night and while the team only has five wins on the season (5-9), many of the losses have been close with three of those by four points or less and a total of six losses by eight points or less.
As the team begins its four-game road trip, let’s take a look at more notes from Washington:
- Former University of Florida star Chris Chiozza is with the Wizards on the first leg of their road trip, the team announces. Chiozza is on a two-way deal with Washington.
- Moritz Wagner, who is helping the Wizards own one of the better bench units in the NBA, recently admitted to Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance that he has a ways to go on the defensive end. “I’m still learning too. It’s my second year and my first opportunity to actually play,” said Wagner, who came to the Wizards in the Anthony Davis three-way trade this offseason.
- Coach Scott Brooks left Isaiah Thomas and Ish Smith on the floor together in the Wizards’ recent contest against the Kings and Thomas feels the two point guards (both of whom came to the franchise this past offseason) can play together in the future. “I’ve played off the ball in my career a lot, it’s not that different,” Thomas told Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance after Sunday’s game. “It’s a different dynamic. I like playing off the ball, switching it up…Ish is a hell of a guard who changes the pace of the game and definitely finds everybody that is open. Hopefully, we can make that lineup happen a little more because I think it’s dynamic if we get used to playing together.”
- Thomas offered advice for 2018 No. 15 overall pick Troy Brown Jr., who has struggled with his shot recently. “Continue to work, it’s 82 games. You’re going to have good ones, bad ones, going to have a lot of them,” the veteran said. “You’ve got to continue, no matter how good your games are. I always say the best players have the shortest memories, whether good or bad.”
Danny Ainge Discusses Lessons Learned From 2018/19 Celtics
The 2018/19 Celtics came into the season with high hopes of competing for the Eastern Conference crown. Instead, the team underachieved and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wishes he would have made more changes and cleared certain logjams on the depth chart.
“I think that in hindsight, we should have cleaned out the roster a little bit to make it easier for [coach] Brad [Stevens], more joy for him to coach,” Ainge told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.
Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward re-joining a young squad that had just reached the Eastern Conference Finals caused a disruption of sorts within the organization. Younger players felt like they had already accomplished more than they had and reinserting the veterans into the rotation—giving both top roles—caused a rift.
“It just didn’t mesh,” Ainge said. “You know, it just didn’t, and I knew, and we talked about it.”
Ainge said that he didn’t make any major trades because the team got off to a nice start, winning 37 games before the All-Star break. This year’s Celtics are again off a hot start with the team winning 12 of their first 16 games.
In reference to last year’s team. Ainge admitted that he would be “a little bit more careful … building another team that had such equal depth” while also making it clear that Irving should not be scapegoated as the problem in Boston last season.
“I think it’s silly that Kyrie is targeted as the guy just because he’s not with us this year,” said Ainge, who thinks he was also part of the problem. “I’ll blame all the players and I’ll blame myself, and we’ll go from there.”