Community Shootaround: Sixers’, Bucks’ Slow Starts
When the Sixers and Bucks squared off in a nationally televised opener, it was billed as a battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Milwaukee won the game by 15 points with Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out the contest.
Since that point, both teams have floundered. The Bucks head into the week with a 4-9 record and their other three wins came against Toronto and Utah – the teams that occupy the bottom of their respective conference standings – and Detroit. The Bucks needed a 59-point outburst from Giannis Antetokounmpo and overtime to defeat the Pistons, who would have won in regulation if rookie Ron Holland hadn’t missed two free throws in the final second.
The Sixers, the biggest spenders on the free agent market, have been even worse. They’re 2-10 with both wins coming in overtime.
To be fair, injuries have played a major role. Khris Middleton has yet to make his season debut for the Bucks as he rehabs an ankle injury. Damian Lillard hasn’t played since last Sunday due to a concussion.
The Sixers haven’t seen what their Big Three can do. Embiid has only appeared in two games and George has missed half of their contests. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t played since Nov. 6 due to a hamstring injury.
Despite all that, it’s still eye-opening to see those two franchises near the bottom of the standings a month into the season. There has been speculation that Antetokounmpo may eventually ask for a change of scenery. Until the Bucks start beating better teams, no one can take them seriously.
Philadelphia will undoubtedly get better when Maxey returns but Embiid’s knee issues remain an ongoing concern. The Sixers currently rank last in the NBA in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.
That brings up to today’s topic: Do you think the Bucks and Sixers will turn things around or will their struggles continue? Which one is more likely to become a contender this season? Do you feel they need to make some moves to change their fortunes or do they just need to have better luck injury-wise?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Thunder, Hartenstein, Ayton
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards racked up 36 points in an overtime win over the Kings on Friday. He also racked up a fine, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Edwards was docked $35K by the league for making an obscene gesture on the playing court. The incident, which saw Edwards give a Sacramento fan the middle finger (Twitter link), occurred during the first quarter.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Chet Holmgren‘s pelvic injury has forced the Thunder to use smaller lineups. They got out-rebounded by 55 boards in the two-game span that followed Holmgren’s injury, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman notes, but also forced 48 turnovers in those contests. “A little bit is just the mentality of trying to get our best players on the court, regardless of position,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s been something we’ve prioritized for a period of time now, and that’s often been perimeter players at different times, as it is now.”
- It may not be long before the Thunder are able to use more traditional lineups. Key free agent pickup Isaiah Hartenstein was spotted working out and dunking during the pregame against Phoenix on Friday, Lorenzi tweets. Hartenstein, the former Knicks center, fractured his left hand last month.
- Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton underwent imaging on his injured right index finger which revealed a deep contusion of the proximal phalanx, according to a team press release. Ayton sat out Sunday’s game against Atlanta and the team said additional updates will be provided as appropriate. The big man is averaging 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.
Northwest Notes: Clingan, Sharpe, Avdija, Gobert, Kessler
With Robert Williams sitting out and Deandre Ayton sidelined by a finger injury, Trail Blazers lottery pick Donovan Clingan had his best outing of the season in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. In 31 minutes, Clingan racked up 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks.
“I love defense,” Clingan told Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “It brings energy to the team. That’s how you win ballgames.”
Shaedon Sharpe also had a big night with 33 points in 36 minutes. Coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled with Sharpe’s assertiveness.
“Shae is such a teammate and he doesn’t want to step on anybody’s toes and wants to just kind of fit in,” Billups said. “And I’m telling him, ‘No, you need to go.’ I’ve got to force him. But he’ll get used to it. He loves that we depend on him to do some of those things. The more that happens, the more he’ll get used to it.”
Sharpe will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Deni Avdija, who is now coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers, had a notable outing against Minnesota on Tuesday. He accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. In Wednesday’s win, Avdija added seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Billups believes Avdija is well suited for a bench role, according to Aaron Fentress of Oregonlive.com. “Deni is tough,” Billups said. “He plays with a lot of fire. And we need that. We got a lot of kind of easy-going chill guys out there, and his mentality, we need it.”
- The Timberwolves have a 6-6 record after those back-to-back losses to Portland. Rudy Gobert told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he blames himself for the latest defeats. “Those two games are mostly on me defensively,” Gobert said. “I need to set the tone for the team, and I haven’t done it these last two games.”
- Jazz center Walker Kessler hasn’t played since Saturday and he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. The team is labeling the ailment as right hip bursitis. Kessler is averaging 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest.
Pacific Notes: Kings, DeRozan, James, Beal
Kings sixth man Malik Monk is out at least two weeks due to a right ankle sprain. Who will fill his role? It’ll be a collective effort, according to Kings head coach Mike Brown.
Sacramento lost by 20 points to the Spurs on Monday and the reserves were outscored 37-21.
“We’re definitely going to have to collectively step up,” Brown told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “There’s not one guy that can do it.”
Keon Ellis, Jordan McLaughlin, Doug McDermott, Trey Lyles and Alex Len are the reserves that Sacramento will rely on with Monk on the shelf. The backups accounted for 46 points in a 23-point win over Phoenix on Wednesday.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Kings swingman DeMar DeRozan departed Wednesday’s game with lower back tightness, Anderson tweets. Acquired by Sacramento in a sign-and-trade, DeRozan is averaging 22.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 12 starts. DeRozan, 35, played 79 games for Chicago last season.
- LeBron James continues to pile up records and milestones. The Lakers superstar reached another one on Wednesday, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record three straight triple-doubles. James, who will turn 40 next month, had 35 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in a win over Memphis. “Just being very patient and taking what the defense gives me,” James said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I’ve been doing it for a while. So, I understand time and score. I understand the waves and the swings of the game. So, it’s nothing new to me.”
- Bradley Beal‘s first season with the Suns was marred by injuries and under-performance. He admitted to The Athletic’s Fred Katz that it took a mental toll on him. “I was in a funk (last season),” Beal said. “Not gonna lie. I was in a funk.” Part of the reason was the lack of a true point guard. “We didn’t love it as a team (last season),” Beal said. “The dynamic we had — we didn’t have a (point guard), which everybody crucified us on. It was tough. It was very tough. Everybody was kinda out of position last year, not necessarily what made them who they are.” Beal had 28 points in an overtime loss to Sacramento on Sunday and 24 points in a win over Utah on Tuesday but didn’t play against Sacramento on Wednesday due to a calf injury.
Anthony Davis Plans To Play Wednesday Despite Eye Injury
The latest Anthony Davis injury turned out to be just a minor scare.
Davis says he’s “fine” after getting poked in the eye during Monday’s game, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. It occurred when he blocked a dunk attempt by Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl.
A visit to an ophthalmologist went well, even though there was still visible redness in the center of his eye after the Lakers practice on Tuesday. Davis says he’ll play against Memphis on Wednesday.
“Nothing happens next,” he said in terms of monitoring the eye injury. “I go about my days as I would any other day. There’s nothing I need to do. The next step is getting some more sleep and getting ready for tomorrow.”
Davis is off to an MVP-style start, averaging 31.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He missed a game last week due to a heel injury.
Davis suffered a corneal abrasion in March after getting poked during a game against Golden State. He wore goggles in practice on Tuesday but plans to shed them for Wednesday’s game.
“I wore goggles. For three years when I was younger. I just don’t want to, to be honest,” he said. “Obviously, the doctors said I didn’t have to. Now if it gets to a point where a doctor’s orders are to [wear them] … if it gets to that point where my eye doctor tells me that I need to wear them, then of course I will. But I’ve been cleared to go out and play without them.”
Eastern Notes: Schröder, Thibodeau, Allen, Rivers, Horst
Dennis Schröder is playing some of the best ball of his career and he isn’t oblivious to the fact that he could be playing elsewhere at some point this season, the Nets guard told Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
“I’ve been in the league 12 years, and people have talked about my name in trade talks for 12 years. [And] I’ve been traded twice,” Schröder said. “… So [gossip] is going to happen. They use it as an event where they can promote who is on the block. I don’t really care.
“But I’ve bought into this system right now because they pay my checks, and I’m doing my job every single day, and I’m always professional about it, always going to make the most out of it. Get one percent better every single day. And whatever happens, happens. I understand it’s a business, but no worries here.”
Schröder, who is averaging 19.5 points and 6.2 assists per game, has an expiring $13MM contract.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks depleted their depth with some blockbuster moves this offseason and coach Tom Thibodeau has shown a reluctance to trust his reserves, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. In their last three losses, Thibodeau basically ran a six-man rotation in the second half with Miles McBride as the lone reserve receiving meaningful playing time.
- The Cavaliers will look to stay unbeaten on Wednesday at Philadelphia but they could go without their starting center. Jarrett Allen is listed as questionable due to a lower left leg strain, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. Allen appeared a little hobbled on Monday, according to Fedor, when he was limited to nine points, five rebounds and one block in 26 minutes against Chicago.
- It’s unlikely that Doc Rivers is on the hot seat after the Bucks’ 2-8 start, considering Rivers received a four-year, $40MM contract after Adrian Griffin was fired in midseason, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick. General manager Jon Horst is under pressure after a few disappointing seasons, and league sources told Amick that there’s skepticism he’d be given the leeway to make another coaching change this soon.
Western Notes: Wembanyama, Thompson, Booker, Reddish, Russell
Victor Wembanyama enjoyed his best game of the season against Sacramento on Monday. The second-year Spurs star racked up 34 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. He knocked down half of his 12 three-point attempts and the team’s interim coach wants him to keep hunting shots after a slow offensive start to the season.
“He makes shots every day,” Mitch Johnson said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “He missed really good shots to start the year, and I understand why it’s a talking point. But I don’t think we ever wavered on him not making shots. I think it is just the percentages evening out at this point.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Klay Thompson feels even better now about his decision to move on from the Warriors and join the Mavericks, he told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Thompson says it was a necessary move mentally as well as career-wise. “Honestly, it’s rejuvenated me and done something I needed bad just for my mental and my career,” Thompson said. “So, I really feel the love here, and I feel highly valued that I can do great things.” Thompson is averaging 13.8 points in 3o.1 minutes per night while starting 10 games.
- Devin Booker is still adjusting to Mike Budenholzer‘s rotation patterns. With past coaches, Booker often played the entire first quarter. That hasn’t happened this season — Budenholzer prefers to utilize his players in shorter bursts, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. “Probably the last eight years of my career, I played the first 12 minutes,” the Suns star guard said. “Trying to find a rhythm, but at the same time, set guys up. It’ll come.”
- The Lakers are off to a 6-4 start and the Orange County Register’s Khobi Price offers 10 observations through the team’s first 10 games. He notes Cam Reddish has made the most of his increased playing time since being added to the rotation last week and that bench scoring has jumped since D’Angelo Russell was moved to the second unit.
Raptors Notes: Quickley, Rajakovic, Agbaji
Immanuel Quickley has endured an unfortunate string of injuries and another one has cropped up. The Raptors guard has been diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his left elbow, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. He’ll be reevaluated in a week.
As Michael Grange of Sportsnet notes (Twitter link), Quickley missed all of training camp and four preseason games with a thumb sprain. He also sat out eight games with a pelvic contusion from a fall in the season opener. The elbow injury comes after he returned for two games. Quickley averaged 75 games a season in the past three seasons.
We have more on the Raptors:
- Head coach Darko Rajakovic knows what the organization wants out of him this season, as he told The Athletic’s Eric Koreen in a Q&A session. “This year the focus is very clear. We need to develop young guys. We need to develop our roster,” he said. “The main thing, the most important thing, is being dedicated to the process of the development — individually and as a team. And this year for us, process has to be more important than the outcome of some of those games. That’s not saying that you’re not competing. That’s not saying that we don’t want to win. I think it’s completely opposite. As you can see, we are undermanned, but we are really competing and staying in all of those games against really good teams.”
- Rajakovic and his staff deserve credit for the team’s competitiveness in the early going, despite its shortcomings. He has also earned the right to be second-guessed on some of his late-game decisions in the final two minutes of a close game, and Grange details some moves that Rajakovic could have handled differently.
- When the team picked up the fourth-year option on Ochai Agbaji‘s contract, there were legitimate reasons to question the move. That’s not the case anymore. Through 11 games this season, he’s averaging 14.0 points while shooting 58.8% from the field and 47.7% on 3-point tries. “Summer league wasn’t the way I wanted it to go. I would say I was a little discouraged after that, but that was kind of just motivation even more for me going back into (team) mini-camps that we had just to kind of go and prove myself again and kind of re-establish that confidence,” Agbaji told Koreen. “Summer league and last year, I’ll always tell people now, those were kind of just the building blocks of me. Obviously you have to have those down days to have up days.” Agbaji is eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.
Kings’ Top Reserve Malik Monk Out At Least Two Weeks
Malik Monk didn’t play against San Antonio on Monday and the Kings guard will miss several more games. He has been diagnosed with a moderate right ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat via a team press release (Twitter link).
X-rays revealed no structural damage to the ankle, which he injured during the second quarter against Phoenix on Sunday.
Monk, one of the NBA’s top reserves, is averaging 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 10 games this season. He had a career year last season, averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 72 games off the bench. Monk parlayed that into a four-year, $78MM contract during free agency over the summer.
The Kings also offered two other injury updates. Big man Orlando Robinson is progressing from the left MCL sprain he suffered during training camp on Oct. 3. He has been cleared for contact and the team will update his status in the coming days.
First-round pick Devin Carter is progressing from left shoulder surgery he underwent in July. After a four-month follow-up appointment with a medical specialist, he was cleared for unrestricted shooting. Additional updates will be provided in January. The club offered a timetable of six months following the surgery.
Western Notes: Lively, Timberwolves’ Ownership Dispute, Williamson, Finch
Mavericks second-year big man Dereck Lively could return to action on Tuesday, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. Lively had missed last four games due to sprained right shoulder. He told MacMahon he had a “good practice” on Monday in San Francisco and hopes to play against the Warriors.
“Just got to see how I feel when I wake up, but it’s been steady progress and I’m feeling good,” said Lively, who is listed as questionable to play.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The three-person arbitration panel is deliberating after last week’s hearings regarding the Timberwolves’ ownership dispute, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. Krawczynski hears that it could take a few months before a ruling is handed down. A group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore is trying to gain majority ownership while current owner Glen Taylor is seeking to retain control.
- The Timberwolves are off to a ho-hum 6-4 start and head coach Chris Finch is starting to second-guess some of his moves, Krawczynski writes. In a one-point loss to Miami, Finch pulled Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Mike Conley with his team up by three points. Conley missed all three of his shots after returning to the game and also had a turnover. “I probably should’ve stuck with Nickeil,” Finch admitted after the game. “He was playing really well.”
- Zion Williamson felt discomfort in his left hamstring on Thursday, the day before the Pelicans faced the Magic, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports. “We kind of pulled him out of practice,” head coach Willie Green said. “Sat him the next game. He got a scan. We found out the severity of what his injury was.” Williamson was diagnosed on Saturday with a left hamstring strain that will sideline him indefinitely.