Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Carroll, Russell, Horford, Noah
In an opinion piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Murphy writes that the Sixers should play Markelle Fultz this season if and when he is healthy enough to return, even though there is an argument to be made for shutting Fultz down for the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign.
Murphy opines that the Sixers often struggle to find an offensive dimension that allows opportunities for guys to create their own shots, the need for which increases during playoff time as defenses more readily prepare for the opposition. As veteran Ersan Ilyasova put it, “In the playoffs, when you play a seven-game series, you have to execute and kind of always bring something unique, because everybody’s studied each other.”
The Sixers had scored just 251 points on isolation plays this season, the fewest in the NBA, and they also rate poorly in pick-and-roll efficiency, scoring on drives, and getting fouled on drives.
Enter Fultz, who could be the type of player to possibly add this needed dimension to the Sixers’ rotation. “He can make us better,” head coach Brett Brown said. “… Just what he does in open court, what he does with a live ball. I think he can be different from any player that we already have. What I see in practice sometimes, you understand completely why he was the first player chosen in the NBA draft.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- In his first season with the Nets, veteran forward DeMarre Carroll has done everything asked of him and more, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Carroll has started at power forward and even played center, all while keeping an upbeat attitude through the team’s rebuilding. “I’m feeling good,” said Carroll. “This is the best I’ve felt in my career. I feel like playing with these young guys is rejuvenating me and making me feel even younger. I’ve just got to keep trying to show these guys by example, rather than doing the talking.”
- In another article for the New York Post, Lewis reports that Nets guard D’Angelo Russell is finally learning to work on his defense. Always a gifted scorer, Russell will continue to improve defensively as he gets older, bigger, and stronger, per head coach Kenny Atkinson.
- Current Thunder head coach Billy Donovan still speaks highly of his former player at Florida – Celtics big man Al Horford, reports Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “What I’ve always respected about (Al) is that it’s always about winning; he’ll do whatever he has to do to win and sacrifice whatever he has to to win.”
- Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t have much news to report on the Joakim Noah front, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN. Asked how the whole situation would resolve, Hornacek punted to general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills.
Southwest Notes: Green/Paul, Aldridge, Ginobili, Parsons
Late in Sunday night’s win over Minnesota, Gerald Green of the Rockets shoved Timberwolves big man Gorgui Dieng into the stands in retaliation for Dieng pushing Chris Paul to the floor after being fouled.
Green was ejected, causing Paul to speak out on his behalf, telling Rockets‘ beat writer Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he would take care of any fine levied against Green by the league. Said Green, “I’m just trying to be there for my teammate. I saw something happen and I reacted. I paid the consequences for it. I learned my lesson, got ejected, try not to do that again, and hopefully we’re going to move forward from this.”
Despite Green’s contrition, the league announced today that it has fined the Rockets swingman $25K for the incident, with no word yet on whether or not Paul with stay true to his word and foot the bill for Green coming to his defense.
There’s more coming out of the Southwest Division:
- With all of the uncertainty surrounding the injury to and possible return of superstar Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge has quietly saved the Spurs‘ season, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “I’m a leader, so I have to do what we need – playing defense, blocking shots, scoring,” Aldridge said. “It all comes with it. But my teammates have been great. Everyone has gotten better in this stretch. It’s been good for us.”
- In another article for the San Antonio Express-News, McDonald reports that Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr believes that Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili, 40, still has another year or so left in the tank. “I could see Manu playing when he is like 58, honestly,” Kerr said before Monday’s game. “He loves the game. He keeps himself in such great shape. I thought he was going to retire last year, so the fact he came back this year surprised me. (But) it wouldn’t shock me at all if Manu came back next year.”
- It has been a frustrating tenure so far in Memphis for Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons, but as reported by Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, Parsons believes he can get back to form next season barring any additional injury setbacks. “Obviously, there were high expectations coming here and I haven’t come close to meeting them. But in my head, it’s all health. I know if I’m healthy, I can play with the best of them. And I’ve shown flashes of that this year when I’ve played minutes.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/20/18
Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Suns have assigned veteran big man Alan Williams to their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, as part of his rehab process in returning from a torn right meniscus, per an official press release. In his first rehab assignment last week, Williams scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Northern Arizona.
- The Magic have assigned 10-day contract recipient Rodney Purvis to their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, per an official tweet from the team. Purvis, 24, has averaged 20.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 37 G League games so far this season.
Also, two other G League assignments transpired on Sunday:
- The Rockets assigned Zhou Qi to their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, per the G League’s official transaction log. Qi, 22, is averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 21 G League contests this season.
- The Nets have assigned Isaiah Whitehead to the Long Island Nets of the G League, according to the G League’s official transaction log. In 27 G League games this season, Whitehead, 23, is averaging 20.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG.
Celtics Notes: Smart, Irving, Morris, Thomas, McCarty
As indicated in previous stories, Marcus Smart is expected to miss about six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. The plan is for Smart to return to action should the Celtics make it to the second round of the playoffs and, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN, Smart is supremely confident that he will be able to return this postseason.
“I am confident [I’ll be back for the playoffs],” Smart said Monday night. “I had one of the top [hand] doctors do it. The surgery was a success… I’m real, real, real excited and eager to get back out there, whenever that is, hopefully it’s sooner than later, like I said. Hopefully the team can and, like I think they’re gonna do, is handle their business and have me back [in the postseason].”
Smart originally thought his injury was only a sprain, and even after further testing revealed more extensive ligament damage, he weighed non-surgical treatment options before finally deciding on having the surgery when doctors told him he risked further complications that might force him out of action for a longer period of time should he have tried to play before undergoing the procedure.
“The first [thing] was could I damage it any more?” Smart said. “When we went to get the second opinion, they said the same thing: The ligament is torn completely. There’s nothing else you can do. Then there was, ‘OK, could I possibly play with it and get the surgery afterwards?’ That came into play and when she said — the doctor pretty much said, ‘If it was me, I would get this now. The longer you wait, the harder it [will be] and cause more complications. So just get it over with and then there’s a possibility you could be back sooner than you thought.'”
There’s more out of Boston:
- All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving plans on obtaining a second opinion later this week for his ailing left knee, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
- Marcus Morris was fined $15K for “verbal abuse of a game official,” it was announced today by the NBA. The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Celtics’ 19-point loss to New Orleans on Sunday.
- Former Celtic and soon-to-be free agent guard Isaiah Thomas is willing to return to Boston next season, reports NBC Sports Boston. Asked on Twitter whether he would consider a reunion this offseason, Thomas tweeted, “Anything can happen.”
- Celtics assistant coach and former player Walter McCarty will interview for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Evansville, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Born and raised in Evansville, IN, McCarty is looking to become a head coach for the first time after also having spent time as an assistant at the University of Louisville and with the Pacers.
Magic Sign Rodney Purvis To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 18, 12:02pm: The move is official, the Magic tweeted.
MARCH 17, 12:57pm: The Magic plan on signing rookie guard Rodney Purvis to a second 10-day contract, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Purvis’ first 10-day deal runs through tonight.
Purvis, 24, has appeared in all five games for Orlando during his first 10 days, averaging 3.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game.
Purvis began the season playing for Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, where he averaged 20.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG with a .422/.389/.782 shooting line in 37 G League games.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/10/18 – 3/17/18
Every week, the writing team for Hoops Rumors creates original content to complement our news feed. Here are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- In this week’s Community Shootaround Series, we asked:
- Which NBA prospects are you most looking forward to watching during the NCAA Tournament?
- Which six backcourt players will make-up this season’s All-NBA teams?
- Luke Adams took an in-depth look into the Lakers’ 2018 Cap Room projections.
- Arthur Hill’s Weekly Mailbag addressed questions on whether LeBron James would consider joining the Knicks, the Knicks’ chances of drafting Mikal Bridges, and the future of Nerlens Noel.
- Luke Adams looked in on the current 10-day contract situation around the NBA.
- Chris Crouse passed along some late-season advice for fantasy basketball, including analysis on Anthony Davis, the Celtics, Ed Davis, Larry Nance Jr., and Luke Kornet.
- Luke Adams examined the disabled player exceptions used or expired during the 2017/18 season.
- Luke Adams listed the seven players who boosted their free agency value for this offseason.
- We introduced our 2018 NBA Draft Early Entrants List.
- In our one poll, we asked whether the Spurs will make the playoffs?
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/17/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Raptors have assigned rookie forward Nigel Hayes to their G League affiliate, Raptors 905, in time for tonight’s game against the South Bay Lakers, per an official tweet from the team. Hayes, 23, has averaged 15.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 39 G League games so far this season.
- The Knicks have recalled rookie guard Damyean Dotson one day after assigning him to the G League, according to an official tweet from the team. Dotson, 23, is averaging 8.5 MPG and 2.9 PPG in 35 games in the NBA this season.
- Lakers‘ rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been assigned to the South Bay Lakers in time for tonight’s game against Hayes and Raptors 905, the team announced today. Bryant, 20, has averaged 19.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 33 G League games this season.
Five Key Stories: 3/10/18 – 3/17/18
In case you missed any of the past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant for the foreseeable future after Thompson was diagnosed with a fractured right thumb and Durant suffered an incomplete rib cartilage fracture. Thompson will miss the next several games at the very least and Durant will be out at least two weeks. The Warriors lost to the Kings last night, at home, without the three All-Stars.
Celtics’ guard Marcus Smart is expected to miss six to eight weeks after being diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Based on this timetable, Smart would be on track to return around the end of the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics will also be without forward Daniel Theis for the remainder of the season after he tore the meniscus in his left knee.
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who has missed 19 games with a broken bone in his left hand, is planning to return to action this week, approximately seven to eight weeks after suffering the injury. Love hopes to be ready for the team’s March 23 game against Phoenix, but isn’t ready to set an exact return date.
The Mavericks are expected to be without swingman Wesley Matthews for the remainder of the 2017/18 season while he rests and rehabs a stress fracture in his right leg. Dallas is out of the playoff picture and has already been warned for tanking, so the absence of Matthews shouldn’t be a big issue for the team.
Kent Bazemore will miss the remainder of the 2017/18 season after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee against the Bulls on Sunday. Like Dallas, the tanking Hawks are not in the playoff hunt, so the club likely won’t be too devastated to lose one of their more productive rotation players.
Here are 14 more headlines from last week:
- The Bucks waived forward Mirza Teletovic in order to make room for newly-signed point guard Brandon Jennings.
- The Hawks signed rookie guard Jaylen Morris to a second 10-day contract.
- The Trail Blazers have filled the open spot on their 15-man roster by signing former first-round pick Wade Baldwin to a rest-of-season contract.
- Suns’ rookie guard Shaquille Harrison has signed a multi-year contract with the team.
- The Lakers signed forward Travis Wear to a second 10-day contract with the team.
- The Knicks will retain Troy Williams, who has signed a two-year contract with the team that runs through next season.
- The Clippers, as expected, will be without guard Avery Bradley for the remainder of the 2017/18 season after he underwent surgery to repair muscles related to a sports hernia.
- The Grizzlies have signed guard Briante Weber to a 10-day contract.
- The Hawks signed Antonius Cleveland to a multi-year deal.
- The Clippers have signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day deal.
- The Pelicans signed guard Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract.
- The Wizards have signed point guard Ramon Sessions to a rest-of-season contract.
- The Raptors signed Nigel Hayes to a second 10-day contract.
- The Jazz have signed guard David Stockton to a 10-day contract.
Pacific Notes: Harrell, Kings, Daniels, Temple
The Clippers are 11-4 since the beginning of February, have moved into the eight place spot in the Western Conference, and are only 2.0 games back of fourth place New Orleans and a first-round home playoff series. Part of the improved play for the Clippers has been the emergence of pleasant surprise Montrezl Harrell, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
“You just learn more and more about him as you coach him,” Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said. “You never know a guy until you coach a guy. When we got him, we looked at him as an energy guy, a guy that can play defense. That’s what he did everywhere he’s been. And then every practice he gets in, he keeps scoring. And scoring. And then we started thinking, ‘Maybe he can score a little bit.’ He’s been better than that. He’s been great.”
Harrell is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and shooting 63.1% from the field for the Clippers while only playing 16.2 minutes per game, and has improved upon those numbers lately, averaging 17.8 PPG in his last five games.
There is more news out of the Pacific Division:
- The Kings have officially been eliminated from playoff contention, leading Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee to analyze the team’s plan of attack in free agency this summer. Jones opines that while certain restricted free agents like Aaron Gordon, Rodney Hood, Julius Randle, and Clint Capela may be appealing, their current teams will all but assuredly match any reasonable offers the Kings may put on the table.
- Despite the season the Suns are battling through, veteran guard Troy Daniels believes that it’s still important to put in the work and stay professional, writes Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Daniels also hopes to rub off on some of the younger guys on the team, saying, “It’s hard to stay motivated for games sometimes going through a season like this. (But) I think it’s something these young guys will learn. To survive in this league, even if you’re a lottery pick, you always have to be working on your game, tuning it up.”
- In another piece for The Sacramento Bee, Jones notes that he doubts a scenario where Garrett Temple leaves the Kings this offseason. Temple, who has an $8MM player option for next season, is unlikely to find more money on the open market, and has become an important locker room voice for a young Sacramento team.
Southeast Notes: Walker, Hawks, Isaac, Wall
The Hornets have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this year. Expected to make the playoffs and owing a payroll nearing $120MM, a seldom few could have foreseen a 29-38 record through the first week and a half of March and the word “rebuild” come into the picture.
And according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, team leader and All-Star point guard Kemba Walker isn’t sure he’s prepared to undergo another rebuilding effort in Charlotte. “I’m not sure. Nobody wants to lose. Especially not me,” Walker said at practice Friday, following the Hornets’ fifth consecutive loss.
Walker, who was part of a Bobcats team (before becoming the Hornets) that went 7-59 in his rookie season, has one season left on his contract, which will pay him a team-friendly $12MM, making him a hot commodity on the trade market this summer. When asked about what the offseason may have in store, he added, “I haven’t thought about any of that. It’s something I’ve got to deal with whenever it happens. It’s just not something that has come up to me.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders takes a look at how the bottom-dwelling Hawks can go about their rebuilding efforts in a positive way. Davies opines that Atlanta is already ahead of the curve due to focusing on giving their young core of Taurean Prince and rookie big man John Collins valuable playing time and experience at the expense of veterans. The next step is bringing in a young, talented front court player such as Mohamed Bamba or DeAndre Ayton to pair with Collins.
- Magic rookie Jonathan Isaac is trying to stay patient through the rustiness associated with returning from an injury, writes John Denton of the team’s official website. Isaac, who missed four months with an ankle injury, still has the confidence of head coach Frank Vogel, who said, “(Isaac) is a 20-year-old young man who is still finding his way on the offensive end. I encouraged him to be more aggressive than he’s been. To his credit, he plays within himself, but there’s going to be some growing pains that come along with that. I was just happy with the spirit that he played with (on Friday).”
- The Wizards still don’t know when to expect All-Star point guard John Wall back from injury, but per an AP report (via USA Today), Wall is looking to closer to form after working out on the floor in Miami about a half-hour before the Wizards visited the Heat on Saturday night.