Southeast Notes: Suggs, Brogdon, Coulibaly, Williams, Salaun, Diabate
Magic guard Jalen Suggs won’t play in Monday’s game against Charlotte due to a left hamstring strain, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Suggs has started all of Orlando’s previous 18 games, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Suggs signed a five-year, $105.5MM extension last month.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Malcolm Brogdon has provided a calming influence on the Wizards since returning from a thumb injury, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post writes. Brogdon has scored 33 points with six assists over the last two games. “When things go awry or things are feeling sticky … Malcolm is a surefire way for us to get back in the groove of what we’re trying to do,” teammate Corey Kispert said. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
- Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’s improved defensively in his second season by “not respecting” his opponents as much and “getting more physical with them,” he told Wizards reporter Bijan Todd (Twitter link). Coulibaly has racked up eight steals and three blocks over the past four games.
- With Grant Williams suffering a season-ending knee injury, Hornets coach Charles Lee will have to try to replace Williams’ production in the short term with Tidjane Salaün and two-way player Moussa Diabate, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer points out. That’s because Mark Williams and Nick Richards are still on the mend from injuries. Williams hasn’t played for nearly a year and Richards is recovering from a rib injury.
Central Notes: Mitchell, Allen, Giannis, Lillard, Sheppard
Signing Donovan Mitchell to an extension was crucial to the Cavaliers’ stability, center Jarrett Allen told Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype. Mitchell inked a three-year, maximum-salary extension in July. Cleveland owns the league’s best record, having improved to 17-1 with a win over Toronto on Sunday.
“Donovan is a star. He’s a top-10 player in the league, some would say, and I would say,” Allen said. “Cleveland needs someone like that. Cleveland needs someone to hold onto like that and root for. It got the city excited again knowing that we had one of the best players in the NBA to stick with us. For the Cavs, you can see how it’s helping us now. He’s able to take over games and lead the team to victory.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- If Greece qualifies for Eurobasket 2025, Giannis Antetokounmpo intends to play with his national team, HoopsHype relays via an interview with Antonis Kalkavouras from Gazzetta. “Not (just) to be with them. To see them and play with them again (in the summer),” the Bucks superstar said.
- The Bucks have won four straight and six of their last seven. It’s an indication that Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are feeding off each other, Eric Nehm of The Athletic details. “I think (we’re) just kind of honestly are getting to the point where we’re tuning everybody else out,” Lillard said. “It’s just a lot of communication between the two of us, you know? It has nothing to do with people saying, ‘Oh, y’all need to do this or let’s try that.’ It’s like he sees what he sees. I see what I see. And we gotta use each other in that way, and I think it’s just leading to more times where when I’m having it, we’re putting people in position to where I’m throwing the ball to him.”
- Don’t expect to see Ben Sheppard back in the Pacers rotation any time soon. Coach Rick Carlisle says it’ll be “weeks, not days” before he returns, indicating that the MRI results were worse than anticipated, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Sheppard, who has appeared in 13 games including five starts this season, is recovering from an oblique injury.
New York Notes: Simmons, Nets, Thibodeau, Towns
The Nets want Ben Simmons to be a bigger factor on offense but it’s not happening. Simmons, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 5.4 points and 6.6 assists in 24.6 minutes per game. On Friday, Simmons contributed only two points and four assists in 26 minutes against Philadelphia.
“That’s the normal minutes he’s played. Again, we need him to rebound, we need him to push the pace and to find his teammates. We need him to be aggressive,” first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez told Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Again, it was probably not a great game by him and by us as a team.”
We have more on the New York teams:
- After losing six of their last eight games, the Nets began a difficult three-game journey to the West Coast, starting with Sunday night’s contest at Sacramento. “It’s the NBA. We know who we’re playing against,” Cameron Johnson said, per Lewis. “We know what Sacramento brings. We know what Golden State brings. We know what Phoenix brings — and it’s really good, high-level players. So, yeah, we do. It is a bit of a wake-up call. But we understand what we’re getting ourselves into.” Dennis Schröder missed the game with right ankle soreness, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets.
- It may come as a shock to some people but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has never been ejected by the officials as a head coach, a span of over 900 games. How is that possible? The Athletic’s James Edwards discusses that subject with a trio of prominent retired referees — Steve Javie, Danny Crawford and Bill Spooner. “He wasn’t complaining on every play and didn’t cross the line, so when he did start complaining a little bit, you’d show him respect because he treated us with some respect,” Javie said.
- Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable to play against Denver on Monday due to a left calf contusion, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets. Towns is averaging 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in his first season with New York. He shot just 6-for-19 from the field, scoring 16 points in 39 minutes, against Utah on Saturday.
Thunder’s Ousmane Dieng Diagnosed With Fractured Finger
The Thunder have suffered another frontcourt injury. Forward Ousmane Dieng sustained a small fracture in his right ring finger while playing for the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue on Friday. He will be reevaluated in three to four weeks, according to the team.
Dieng has appeared in 16 Thunder games this season, including an 11-minute stint against Portland on Wednesday. He was assigned to the Blue on Friday after Isaiah Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams returned from injuries. Dieng was averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per contest for OKC.
Dieng appeared in 33 games off the bench for the Thunder last season and 39 in his rookie campaign the previous season. The 2022 lottery pick had his $6.67MM option for the 2025/26 season picked up by the club last month.
OKC’s frontcourt has been in a state of flux all season. Dieng joins two frontcourt rotation players currently on the sidelines. Chet Holmgren is out indefinitely due to a hip injury and Jaylin Williams is recovering from a hamstring injury.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Thompson, Stewart, Trades
Cade Cunningham missed Saturday’s loss to Orlando and his Pistons teammates struggled to fill the huge void. Detroit had more turnovers than assists in the 11-point loss while Cunningham sat out with a hip injury.
“Obviously those injuries are tough when you take a blow to the tailbone-ish area. That’s the core of where your movement starts. He’s obviously pretty sore, but feels like he’s improving. We’ll just take it day by day and see how he gets better,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press.
Cunningham was injured during the late going of Detroit’s game against Charlotte on Thursday. He’s listed as doubtful to play on Monday against Toronto, Sankofa tweets.
We have more on the Pistons:
- Ausar Thompson is no longer on the injury report and is positioned to make his season debut as soon as Monday. Thompson’s rookie season was short-circuited by blood clotting issues. The second-year forward could impact the team defensively, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic describes in detail. Thompson’s return will likely mean reduced minutes for Wendell Moore Jr., rookie Ron Holland and Simone Fontecchio, Patterson notes.
- Isaiah Stewart is receiving more minutes at center this season and prefers that role, compared to being a stretch four, he told Forbes contributor Mat Issa. “I love being back at center on offense,” Stewart said. “Playing at the power forward spot, I wasn’t really involved in too many actions. At the center spot, I’m constantly setting screens and using my body.”
- In Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois’ latest mailbag post, he predicts the odds of a significant in-season move being pretty low, less than 20 percent. While there might be a minor move near the trade deadline that could net a second-round pick or two, Langlois doubts the front office will be particularly active this season.
Pacific Notes: Waters, Powell, Hachimura, Hayes, Booker
With De’Anthony Melton out for the season due to a knee injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has at least temporarily decided to go with Lindy Waters III as the team’s starting shooting guard, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Waters, who started the past three games, has impressed Kerr with his ability to move without the ball, cut to open space and space the floor.
It’s quite a surprise that Waters has become such a valuable member of the team. He was acquired from the Thunder in a draft-day trade for a late second-round pick.
“He’s a good fit in that (starting) group,” Kerr said. “I like bringing Buddy (Hield) off the bench.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Norman Powell missed the Clippers’ game against the Magic on Wednesday and will also miss Friday’s contest against the Kings, according to The Associated Press. Powell, who is averaging a career-best and team-leading 23.3 points, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
- Rui Hachimura has been sidelined by a sprained left ankle, missing three games, and Jaxson Hayes has been sidelined for four games since spraining his right ankle during a practice. Lakers coach J.J. Redick is hopeful both players will return to action next week, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
- Kerr made a point of telling the media at the Paris Olympics that Suns guard Devin Booker was the “unsung MVP” for Team USA. Booker appreciated the praise, he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker said. “That was probably something that was weighing on his heart throughout the whole process. I said it a year prior what I wanted to do for that team and what we want to do for the country.” Booker’s aim now is to win a championship, something that many of his Olympic teammates have already achieved. “Most of the guys that were there, they have done it,” Booker said. “They have been champs. That is the standard for them. Anything less than that, they don’t want nothing to do with it. It’s contagious … It’s all I want.”
Doncic Has Wrist Injury, Out At Least One Week
10:06am: Doncic underwent an MRI which revealed a right wrist sprain, the team’s PR department tweets.
9:37am: Add Luka Doncic to the list of superstar players missing multiple games this season due to an injury.
Doncic is dealing with a right wrist injury and will be reevaluated in a week, Marc Stein reports (Twitter link).
The Mavericks guard was wearing a wrap around his wrist when he met the media after Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal notes (Twitter link). Doncic scored 26 points in 30 minutes during that victory over New Orleans.
“I started feeling it in the first quarter, but then it just got worse, but nothing serious,” Doncic said when asked about his wrist injury.
Doncic didn’t practice on Wednesday. He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game this season.
Dallas had just started to hit its stride, winning three straight contests heading into a three-game road trip. The Mavericks’ next game is at Denver on Friday. They also have games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, so Doncic will miss at least four contests.
Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie could all see increased playing time in his absence.
Pacers Sign Center Moses Brown
NOVEMBER 20: The Pacers have officially signed Brown, per NBA.com’s transaction log. The expectation is that he’ll be active in Houston vs. the Rockets on Wednesday, tweets Dopirak.
NOVEMBER 18: The Pacers are filling their roster opening by signing center Moses Brown, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.
Indiana has essentially been going with a 12-man roster, not including two-way players, after centers James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson suffered season-ending Achilles tears. Brown will provide much-needed depth in that area. Starting center Myles Turner is currently dealing with calf soreness.
Brown is expected to join Indiana on Wednesday, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. The big man’s contract will be non-guaranteed, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, meaning he’ll make $13,939 every day he’s on the roster.
Brown had been on the roster of the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate. Brown was signed and waived by the Knicks in October on an Exhibit 10 deal.
Brown hasn’t stuck with an NBA team for more than a single season since making his debut in 2019, but he has racked up 150 regular season appearances in stints with the Trail Blazers (twice), Thunder, Mavericks, Cavaliers, Clippers, and Nets. He holds career averages of 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game.
Brown spent the 2023/24 campaign under contract with the Trail Blazers, appearing in 22 games and posting averages of 3.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 9.1 MPG.
Southeast Notes: Wizards Losing Streak, Johnson, Carter Jr., Butler
The Wizards have lost eight straight and their last two outings were particularly ugly. They were blown out by Detroit and New York by a combined 48 points. Head coach Brian Keefe took ownership for the poor performances.
“I’m the leader of this team. I’m the head coach of this team,” Keefe said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “So I’ll take the responsibility for the last two nights, not playing up to the competitive disposition that we should be playing with, especially defensively. That will be addressed as a group, and we will get better. But that wasn’t … what our standards were, and we have to own that and we have to look at ourselves and we have to get better.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable to play against Golden State on Wednesday due to left lateral lower leg inflammation, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Johnson missed the Hawks’ win at Sacramento on Monday. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season after signing a five-year, $150MM extension prior to the season.
- Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has been upgraded to questionable for the team’s road game against the Clippers on Wednesday, beat reporter Dan Savage tweets. Carter, who signed a three-year extension last month, hasn’t played since Nov. 3 due to left foot plantar fasciitis.
- Heat forward Jimmy Butler missed four consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle. He was dominant in his return against Philadelphia on Monday, pouring in 30 points while adding 10 rebounds and five assists, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “We know what the expectation is when he’s healthy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “… He really set the tone by imposing his physical will on the game.” Staying on the court has been the issue for Butler. He has missed 20 or more regular-season games in three of the last four seasons, which is why the front office showed reluctance during the offseason to discuss a maximum-salary extension with him.
Pacific Notes: Ishbia, Durant, Ellis, James, Knecht
Suns owner Mat Ishbia told ESPN’s Shams Charania (video link) that he anticipates his team will be able to lock up Kevin Durant beyond his current contract, which expires in 2026.
“We expect Kevin to sign an extension and be with us for the long-term,” Ishbia said. “We hope he finishes his career here in Phoenix. That’s what we expect.”
Durant, 36, is currently sidelined by a left calf strain, but was averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game prior to the injury. Durant has a $57.4MM salary next season, the final year of his current contract. He declined to sign a one-year extension before the regular season but can sign a two-year deal during the 2025 offseason.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Keon Ellis came off the bench and scored a career-high 33 points in a controversial one-point loss to Atlanta on Monday. The Kings guard made nine 3-pointers for shorthanded Sacramento. “The way he shot the ball tonight was definitely incredible and kept us in the game,” De’Aaron Fox told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “He had big moments for us, and then getting to the line down the stretch, he was big for us.”
- LeBron James‘ increased play-making is one of five takeaways from the Lakers’ current five-game winning streak that Jovan Buha of The Athletic details. James is averaging 9.2 assists per game, the second-highest mark of his career. Another of Buha’s takeaways is the improved play of Max Christie, though he may not hold onto his rotation spot once injured players return to action.
- Dalton Knecht has scored 60 points in the last three games and The Athletic’s John Hollinger describes the rookie’s impact on the Lakers in his latest column. The 17th pick of the draft has made 40.4% of his 3-point attempts. He has filled a role for a much-needed shooter to balance the offense.