LaMarcus Aldridge Exits Game With Ankle Injury
LaMarcus Aldridge could potentially undergo an MRI tomorrow for a right ankle injury that he suffered in the first quarter of the Spurs’ 121-116 loss to the Pelicans tonight, according to a tweet from Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. Aldridge attempted to return to the game after sustaining the injury but did not play in the second half.
There’s no word as to the severity of the injury, and the MRI could simply be precautionary, but for an already short-handed team missing superstar Kawhi Leonard and in the midst of a tight playoff race, the latest setback could prove devastating.
With 7:17 remaining in the first quarter, Aldridge landed awkwardly after attempting to block a shot attempt by Rajon Rondo. He fell to the floor but was able to stay in the game until the 3:02 mark, when he headed to the locker room. Aldridge returned in the second quarter for little over four minutes of game time before calling it quits for the night.
Aldridge, 32, was averaging 22.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 56 games before tonight’s contest and was named to his sixth All-Star team earlier this season.
Southwest Notes: Gasol, Harden, Mills, Powell
The Grizzlies are on a 10-game losing streak and Marc Gasol is admittedly highly frustrated, he tells Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. As he sees it, the NBA is about winning, not about getting more repetitions for younger players or player development, which, in Gasol’s view, should be left to the G League. In a piece for Yahoo Sports, Chris Mannix adds that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledges the frustration that Gasol is experiencing.
“A guy as competitive as he is, and a guy who every day matters to him, whether it’s practice, drill work, three-on-three, he’s trying to win… A guy who is so unselfish, he doesn’t care how many points he scores. The only thing that matters to him are wins and losses. I think we all understand and appreciate guys who are that way. There’s no doubt about it, it’s frustrating for him.”
Despite the frustration, Gasol is trying to improve different areas of his game, says Bickerstaff.
“He’s working on different parts of his game. The way teams are playing, you don’t see a ton of post-up opportunities any more, (so) he’s working on his face-up game, he’s working on a different array of shots, in the paint, how he gets to those spots, things like that. Playing from the perimeter, being able to attack off the catch versus other big guys. Those things we’ve seen him be able to implement. He’s been able to implement them quick. As soon as he puts his mind to it, he can add it that night.”
There’s more news out of the Southwest Division:
- The Rockets have the best record in the NBA and are currently one game ahead of second-place Golden State in the loss column. FiveThirtyEight gives them the best odds (40%) of winning the NBA title. And as MVP-favorite James Harden sees it, “this is (Houston’s) year”, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Spurs guard Patty Mills has replaced incumbent Danny Green in the starting lineup for now, reports Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. As is typical for head coach Gregg Popovich, he wouldn’t elaborate on the change, but Mills appears to give the Spurs a bit more offensive firepower in the first unit, while Green improves the second-unit’s defensive presence.
- Mavericks big man Dwight Powell is making a case to be the team’s primary center moving forward, opines Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Averaging 14.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest over the last seven games, Powell excels at playing hard. “(T)he thing I like about Powell is you’re going to get unconditional, boundless energy and the highest of high-care factors when it comes to the team,” said head coach Rick Carlisle.
Northwest Notes: Teague, Butler, Shabazz, Millsap
If the Timberwolves want to continue their winning ways while All-Star Jimmy Butler is sidelined, point guard Jeff Teague must continue to play with pace and aggression, opines Britt Robson of The Athletic Minnesota.
Despite an apparent tendency and preference to let his teammates get involved as playmakers, Teague no longer has that luxury, at least for the time being, with Butler out of the equation. Teague must also continue to push the pace of play, as he has done in the team’s last two games.
In fact, in the team’s first full game since Butler’s injury, Minnesota launched a season-high 35 three pointers, primarily a product of Teague’s ability to get into the half-court offense quickly, beat defenders off the dribble, and present a viable threat to score at the rim or kick it out to the perimeter for a shot or extra pass.
As head coach Tom Thibodeau described, “We have to make sure we get to the right spots so we can get that pass out. And once you get that pass out, usually the second pass will get you a great shot.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves‘ reserve guard Shabazz Muhammad is not likely to be bought out after all, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. When asked about the possibility, Thibodeau simply said, “Nope, we like the team we have.”
- In a piece for The Athletic Minnesota, Jon Krawczynski details Butler’s decision to have surgery on his damaged right meniscus. Fortunately for Butler and the Timberwolves, the procedure was neither a major repair nor a removal, and the hope is that he will be able to return to action without facing some of the long-term risks involved with removal.
- With last night’s loss to the Clippers, the Nuggets have fallen to ninth place in the Western Conference, percentage points behind the Clippers, who now also own the the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams. Part of the problem recently is Denver’s defense, reports Gina Mizell of The Denver Post. Head coach Mike Malone is particularly frustrated, saying the recent struggles defensively have left him “questioning (his) whole being as a coach.”
- In brighter news for the Nuggets, forward Paul Millsap played last night for the first time since he injured his left wrist on Nov. 19.
Central Notes: LeBron, Clarkson, Portis, Booker
Despite never playing college basketball himself, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has a pretty strong opinion of the sport’s governing body, the NCAA, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Asked recently about the federal investigation into college basketball recruiting, James called the NCAA a “corrupt” organization and said the NBA needs to further develop a minor league-type system.
“I don’t know if there’s any fixing the NCAA. I don’t think there is,” James said. “It’s what’s been going on for many, many, many, many years. I don’t know how you can fix it. I don’t see how you can fix it… The NCAA is corrupt, we know that. Sorry, it’s going to make headlines, but it’s corrupt.
“We have to shore up our G League, continue to expand our G League… I just looked at it like the farm league, like in baseball. Or you look at pros overseas; some of those guys get signed at 14, but they get put into this farm system where they’re able to grow and be around other professionals for three or four years. Then, when they’re ready, they hit the national team, or when they’re ready, they become a pro. So I think us, we have to kind of really figure that out, how we can do that.”
Here’s more from out of the Central:
- Jordan Clarkson was largely seen as a price the Cavaliers had to pay to rid themselves of Isaiah Thomas while simultaneously obtaining the young, reasonably priced Larry Nance Jr. Yet, Clarkson has performed admirably thus far in Cleveland, and as relayed by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs believe three-point shooting could actually become a strength for the career 33% shooter from deep.
- The Bulls have Bobby Portis under contract through next season and can make him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago takes an in-depth look at whether Portis fits into Chicago’s rebuilding plans.
- We found out earlier today that Trevor Booker plans to sign with the Pacers after his release from the Sixers is finalized. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype opines that Booker will be a great fit with Indiana’s offense, immediately providing a new threat to score in transition and when cutting to the basket.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/24/18
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA.
- The Pacers have assigned rookie Ike Anigbogu to their G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced via press release. Anigbogu has appeared in 10 games for Indiana so far this season, averaging 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds per game. He has also appeared in 14 games with the Mad Ants, averaging a modest 6.6 points per contest.
- After being assigned to the G League on Thursday and then recalled for last night’s game against Dallas, Lakers rookie center Thomas Bryant has once again been assigned to the South Bay Lakers for the team’s two contests this weekend, per the team’s official site. Bryant has averaged 19.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 28 contests with South Bay this season.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/17/18 – 2/24/18
Every week, the Hoops Rumors’ writing team creates original content to complement our news feed. Below are the original segments and features from the past seven days:
- We asked you to vote on three different Polls:
- Which team will earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference?
- Which team will earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference?
- Will the current favorite, James Harden, take home the 2017/18 MVP?
- As part of our Community Shootaround series, we asked:
- What more, if anything, does the NBA need to do revamp the All-Star Game?
- From a cap flexibility standpoint, what is the best option for the Knicks regarding Joakim Noah?
- In his Weekly Mailbag, Arthur Hill answered readers’ questions regarding potential buyout targets for the Cavaliers, the future of the Magic, and the Pistons’ potential with both Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin on their roster.
- As part of our Hoops Rumors Glossary series, Luke Adams gave an in-depth analysis of the Gilbert Arenas Provision and Luxury Tax Penalties.
- Luke also explored how much 10-day contracts are worth this season, both in terms of player salaries and cap hits.
- Our latest 2018 Free Agent Stock Watch focused on the Pelicans.
Five Key Stories: 2/17/18 – 2/24/18
If you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the more noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
Despite being medically cleared to return, Spurs All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard may not play the rest of this season, per head coach Gregg Popovich. Leonard, who missed the first two months of the season with a lingering quad injury, was shut down by the team after appearing in just nine games. As we relayed earlier this season, Leonard’s prolonged absence has caused stress within the Spurs organization, and the deteriorating relationship between the team and its star player could affect his decision when free agency arrives in 2019.
The Mavericks have one of the worst records in the NBA, and with no shot at making the playoffs, owner Mark Cuban has admitted that it would be in the team’s best long-term interest to keep piling up losses this season. Cuban further admitted to telling some of the Dallas players during a recent dinner that losing is the team’s best option. The NBA was none too pleased with Cuban, fining the outspoken owner $600K for his comments.
In even more bad news for what became a terrible week for the Mavericks, the team has hired outside counsel to investigate allegations of a corrosive workplace culture involving misogyny and sexual harassment. Sources have made it clear that Cuban was not involved in any sexual harassment himself, though most believe it hard to imagine that a hands-on owner would be unaware of such issues surrounding his franchise. For what it’s worth, Cuban strongly condemned the situation, calling it “abhorrent.”
A plethora of 10-day contracts were signed this past week, with nine different teams adding to their roster.
- The Magic signed former first-round pick Rashad Vaughn.
- The Knicks signed Troy Williams, who was waived by the Rockets earlier this month.
- The Trail Blazers signed former lottery selection Brandon Rush.
- The Cavaliers signed rookie Marcus Thornton to his first NBA contract.
- The Wizards signed a former player of theirs – point guard Ramon Sessions.
- The Hawks signed rookie and former Maverick Antonius Cleveland.
- The Pelicans signed rookie Walter Lemon Jr.
- The Suns signed Shaquille Harrison – and waived Josh Gray to open a roster spot.
- The Pacers signed G League veteran Trey McKinney-Jones.
The Suns and Mavericks are among the teams viewed as potential offseason suitors for Magic power forward Aaron Gordon. And while both Phoenix and Dallas should have plenty of cap space to make a compelling offer, Gordon will almost certainly be made a restricted free agency by Orlando, meaning they will be able to match any offers.
Here are 10 additional headlines from last week:
- The Hawks and veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova, 30, are nearing an agreement on a buyout.
- The Hall of Fame announced 13 finalists for 2018, including likely first-ballot hall-of-famers Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash.
- Lakers newly-acquired big man Channing Frye underwent an appendectomy and will be out for the foreseeable future.
- Brazilian center Tiago Splitter, overcome by hip issues over the last few years, announced his retirement.
- The Hornets and soon-to-be former general manager Rich Cho will officially part ways at the end of this season.
- Despite only being the sixth-seeded team at the time of his injury, Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis believes New Orleans was a legitimate title contender with a healthy DeMarcus Cousins.
- The NBA will return to Seattle for the first time since 2008 when the Kings and Warriors play next preseason at KeyArena.
- While still in its infancy, the NBA has discussed a postseason play-in tournament to determine the bottom two playoff seeds in each conference.
- In addition to the 10-day contracts signed above, the Mavericks are planning to sign Scotty Hopson to a 10-day deal.
- The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Thunder are all keeping an eye on a potential Joakim Noah signing in the event he reaches free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pelicans A Title Contender With Healthy Cousins?
In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols over All-Star weekend, Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis shared what he thought of the Pelicans’ ceiling before teammate DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“We could have gone through the playoffs. No one could really stop us as bigs. We go to the Finals if we went,” Davis told Nichols. “[Teammate Rajon Rondo] reminds us of it: ‘You guys are the two best bigs. I know what it takes to win championships; we got it.'”
Before Cousins’ injury, Davis and he were on pace to become the first teammates ever to each average 25 points and 10 rebounds per game for a season. Moreover, New Orleans was in sixth place in the West and climbing in the standings and Cousins was averaging MVP-caliber numbers.
Cousins will be a free agent this summer, so it’s interesting to wonder whether Davis genuinely believes the Pelicans could have realistically competed for a title this season or if he was just flattering Cousins as a recruiting tactic.
Davis is under contract with New Orleans through the 2020/21 season, but says that hearing former players such as Kevin Garnett express regret about not asking sooner for a trade to a more competitive franchise has made him think.
“It makes you think, ’cause you’re wondering if you’re following in that same path,” he said. “But then again, you’re like, ‘This year could be the year.’ So, just got to take it year by year and just see, and see where the team is going, what direction they want to go to and just see where their head is.”
Southeast Notes: Olynyk, Hornets, Wizards, Wade
When the Heat signed Kelly Olynyk to a four year, $50MM contract this offseason, the team had to structure bonuses into his contract as a means to fit his first-year salary within the rules of the CBA. So with a current cap hit of $10.6MM, Olynyk could actually see his salary increase to $11.6MM if he reaches a $1MM bonus for playing at least 1,700 minutes during the regular season.
Per Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, Olynyk only needs – barring injury – to average 18.2 minutes per game for the remainder of the season to reach the bonus, well below his 23.4 per game season average. And while it may be difficult for Olynyk to keep that pace given the emergence of Heat rookie Bam Adebayo and the recent focus of more playing time for Hassan Whiteside, he doesn’t seem to mind too much.
“I mean, it’s obviously nice to get,” he said. “But it’s not something that you’re stressing about or striving toward. You want to be able to play minutes to help the (Heat) succeed, to help the team win, and whatever comes with that, comes with that.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- In an extensive Q&A with Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford touched upon a number of subjects, including why the roster talent hasn’t translated to wins, the progress of rookies Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon, and whether Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is back to form after recovering from two seperate shoulder surgeries.
- Despite currently sitting at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards are only a mere five games ahead of ninth-place Detroit and must be careful not to slip out of the playoff race, authors Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Washington has the toughest remaining schedule in the East and third-hardest in the NBA, according to BasketballReference.com, so as Buckner writes, the team has little room for error.
- Dwyane Wade is back in Miami, and for four of the Heat’s youngest players, this is welcome news, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow, and Whiteside all have fond memories of their time with Wade the first time around, and they reveal what they learned most from Wade when asked how he most helped their game/career.
Northwest Notes: George, Schedules, Rose
As we’ve already touched upon, fans in Los Angeles who hope to see Paul George don a Lakers uniform next season serenaded the five-time All-Star with chants during this past weekend’s All-Star festivities. And while Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook would obviously like to see George remain in Oklahoma City, the speculation about George’s future likely won’t stop until a decision is made this summer, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
George, who is scheduled to make $20.7MM next year on the final season of his current contract, has the ability to opt out and become a free agent this summer. Doing so would afford him the chance to make upwards of $30MM next season in the first year of his new contract, whether it be with the Thunder or another team.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports that while some NBA executives still feel that George is drawn by Los Angeles and will leave unless the Thunder reach the NBA Finals, others have become increasingly skeptical that he’ll depart Oklahoma City. Regardless of what happens, George says he wants wherever he ends up to be a long-term commitment.
“I’m not looking to bounce around and play for multiple teams throughout my career,” George said. “The decision I make will ultimately be to build something. So, this next decision, whatever it is, is to make sure I’m there for a duration.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Some members of the Timberwolves believe that the new NBA schedule, implemented this season to reduce the number of back-to-back games and ensure teams now don’t play four games in five nights, is actually making the season feel longer, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “You can tell there’s a big difference,” says Taj Gibson. “A lot of guys are getting hurt. The fatigue is there.”
- The Jazz, on the other hand, have one of the most favorable slates in the whole league going forward after drudging through a 5-10 December that saw them play the toughest schedule in the NBA. And Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News opines that the favorable schedule could see Utah, now 10th in the Western Conference standings, move as high as the No. 5 spot by the time the playoffs roll around.
- In another article for the Star Tribune, Zgoda writes that Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler, while a fan of free agent guard and former teammate Derrick Rose, will not try to influence the team to sign Rose. “That’s not my job,” Butler said. “Is he a hell of a player? Yeah. But that’s up to Thibs and everybody else to figure if he has a place on this roster and this team. Obviously, I’ve played with him before. I know the talent he has. (But) It’s not my job to say.”