Southwest Notes: Williamson, Spurs, Mavs’ Sale, Morant
Following his poor performance during the in-season tournament last week, Zion Williamson received plenty of criticism in the media. He responded with a dominant performance against Minnesota on Monday, pouring in 36 points in the Pelicans’ 121-107 win.
As for the criticism, this is what Williamson had to say, as relayed by the New Orleans’ Times-Picayune’s Rod Walker: “If it comes from a great place, and a place where they want to see me do better, thank you. If it comes from anywhere else, everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. Can’t control that.”
However, there’s no guarantee he will play against the Wizards on Wednesday. Williamson suffered a left ankle sprain in the late going on Monday and is listed as questionable, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs’ lack of a lead ball-handler was apparent once again in their 17th consecutive loss on Monday. They shot 5-for-41 from the field in the 93-82 loss to Houston and their point total was the lowest for any NBA team this season. Kelly Iko of The Athletic notes that former starting point guard Tre Jones logged just 16 minutes. “He’s definitely the floor general,” Keldon Johnson said. “He gets them (the second unit) into sets.”
- While Mark Cuban is in the process of selling a majority stake in the Mavericks franchise, there’s one holdout among the minority owners. Mary Stanton informed the franchise she won’t be selling her stake at this time, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, who previously reported that all of the minority shareholders would be bought out. Stanton is the widow of Horace Ardinger, an original shareholder who bought a 4.13% stake in the franchise in 1980. A Board of Governors vote on the sale will be held on Dec. 20.
- With the 25-game suspension of Grizzlies star Ja Morant nearing its end, he found himself testifying during the first day of an immunity hearing at Shelby County Circuit Court on Monday, Baxter Holmes of ESPN reports. Morant claimed he acted in self-defense when he punched a teenager at his home in July 2022. The incident occurred during a pickup basketball game. Morant said the teen struck him with a basketball. “I hit him first — to protect myself,” Morant said.
Lakers Notes: James, Davis, Tourney Payout, Injury Report
LeBron James and Anthony Davis reaffirmed their top-10 status among the league’s players during the Lakers’ run to the in-season tournament championship, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes.
The tournament also gave the team a blueprint for how to be most effective in the postseason — utilizing one skill guard (Austin Reaves or D’Angelo Russell) and multiple wings next to Davis and/or James.
However, James doesn’t want to think too far ahead.
“We want to put it in perspective that it’s still December. We like where we are right now but we want to continue to work our habits, continue to get healthy as well. But I think right now where we are in December, I would take it,” he said.
We have more on the Lakers:
- James is energized by the growth the team showed during the tournament, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register notes. Los Angeles won all seven tournament games by an average margin of 19.3 points. “Every moment we grew,” James said. “Guys have felt a lot more comfortable in their roles. We’ve had a pretty good understanding of rotations. You know who you’re going to be playing with and you know what you guys want to do out on the floor.”
- While $500K — the bonus given to the players on the 15-man roster for winning the tourney — might not be a big financial boost for the team’s stars, it was a boon for some of their young players and minimum salary vets, Marc J. Spears of Andscape notes. Rookie forward Maxwell Lewis, who has a $1.1MM salary, is grateful those stars recognized that. “Obviously, [James] doesn’t need it. Just him wanting to do it and helping us out because we’re the young guys is a blessing … What I learned about this environment is that when money is on the line, it is much more serious,” Lewis said.
- James (calf) and Davis (adductor) were listed as questionable against Dallas tonight but they’ll play, Price tweets. However, Jarred Vanderbilt (back spasm) will sit out. Rui Hachimura is also available despite a nasal fracture, Grant Afseth of DallasBasketball.com tweets.
Spurs’ Charles Bassey Suffers Season-Ending ACL Injury
Spurs big man Charles Bassey has a torn left ACL and will miss the remainder of the season, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets.
Bassey suffered the injury on Sunday while playing for San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs. Bassey was averaging 3.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game with the NBA club in 19 appearances this season.
Bassey had been sent to the G League to get more playing time. His last NBA outing was Dec. 1, a 19-minute stint against New Orleans.
This isn’t the first major injury he’s suffered since joining the Spurs. His 2022/23 season was cut short in mid-March due to a non-displaced patella fracture.
Bassey, who played with Philadelphia in his rookie season, signed a four-year, $10.2MM contract with San Antonio in February. However, the final two years of the contract are not guaranteed. He’s making $2.6MM this season in the second year of the deal.
Bassey’s latest injury could open up more playing time for fellow reserve center Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Celtics Waive Two-Way Player Nathan Knight
Two-way player Nathan Knight has been waived by the Celtics, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets.
The 6’8” forward hasn’t appeared in any games this season. He came off the bench in 38 games last season for Minnesota.
Overall, he has appeared in 108 regular season games with the Hawks and Timberwolves, averaging 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game. The Wolves declined their team option on Knight during the offseason and didn’t issue a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
He signed with the Knicks but was waived during training camp. Knight was signed to one of Boston’s three two-way spots on Oct. 22.
Knight has seen action in 12 games with Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine, averaging 8.9 points and 8.3 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game.
Boston now has one two-way spot open. Guard JD Davison and center Neemias Queta occupy the other two-way spots.
International Notes: Nader, McLemore, Frazier, Walker
Abdel Nader has signed with the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the remainder of the 2023/24 NBL season, the team says, (Twitter link via Olgun Uluc of ESPN). The NBA’s Suns waived Nader back in February 2022 and he never worked his way back into the league. Nader, 30, appeared in 202 NBA games with the Celtics, Thunder and Suns.
We have more from around the international basketball world:
- Longtime NBA guard Ben McLemore has parted ways with Greece’s AEK Betsson, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. It was his first stint in Europe after playing in China last season. In Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League, McLemore averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in seven appearances. McLemore played for the Kings, Grizzlies, Rockets, Lakers and Trail Blazers over the course of his nine-year NBA career, which spanned from 2013-22.
- Greece’s Promitheas Patras has signed former NBA guard Tim Frazier, according to Eurohoops. Frazier previously played in that country with AEK Athens and, most recently spent time in France with SIG Strasbourg. The 33-year-old averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds with AEK in 2022/23 and posted 8.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds over seven games with Strasbourg. He appeared in 289 NBA games, most recently in 2021/22 when he saw action in 12 contests with the Magic and Cavs.
- Kemba Walker is enjoying his transition to European basketball, playing for AS Monaco, Eurohoops relays. In an interview with Joe Arlauckas of The Crossover, Walker said, “I wanted to have a new experience. I wanted to try to experience the world. And it’s really been an easy adjustment. These guys welcomed me with open arms, treated me with a lot of respect. Just really made my transition super easy.” The former NBA All-Star had a nine-game stint with the Mavs last season.
Pacific Notes: Beal, Durant, Paul, Thompson, Tucker, Lakers
Suns wing Bradley Beal will be in action for just the fourth time this season when Phoenix faces Golden State on Tuesday. He hasn’t played since Nov. 12 due to a back injury.
“I’m excited,” Beal told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic after Monday’s practice. “It’s been a process for sure. It’s been a game of patience, but definitely ready.”
However, it’s not a given that the team’s big three will all be in action at the same time. Kevin Durant is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain. Beal will be playing with Devin Booker for the first time.
“I’m beyond excited (to play with Booker),” Beal said. “He’s playing at an elite level right now. It was tough the last couple of games just seeing him double teamed, triple teamed.”
Grayson Allen is listed as out due to a groin injury.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors’ Chris Paul and Klay Thompson are expected to play on Tuesday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Paul missed the last game with an illness and Thompson sat out Sunday’s practice because he was under the weather. Both practiced on Monday in Phoenix.
- P.J. Tucker has seen his playing time evaporate with the Clippers and it might be tough for him to break into the rotation again, Law Murray of The Athletic opines. Murray notes that Tucker lacks the height to deal with most big men, the athleticism to deal with most guards, and the offensive punch to be a helpful wing at this stage of his career. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that numerous contenders are looking at potentially acquiring Tucker.
- The Lakers will hang an in-season tournament championship banner from the rafters. It will be unveiled Dec. 18 and will feature a different shape and color than the team’s 17 NBA championship banners, Marc Stein tweets.
Bulls, DeRozan “Far Apart” On Contract Extension
The Bulls and veteran wing DeMar DeRozan are far apart on a potential contract extension, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (video link).
DeRozan is in the final season of a three-year, $81.9MM contract. He’s making $28.6MM this season and will be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t ink an extension.
Chicago was in a similar situation with center Nikola Vucevic last season but wound up re-signing him to a three-year, $60MM deal just before free agency.
However, Haynes’ sources said it’s unlikely that will occur with DeRozan. A more probable scenario is that they’ll look to move him rather than risk losing their leading scorer without getting some assets back for him.
“I was told that if DeRozan and the Bulls, if they cannot reach a contract extension, it is pretty likely that the Bulls may look to move DeMar DeRozan at the trade deadline,” Haynes said. “I don’t think the Bulls want to be put in a situation where DeMar DeRozan can walk in free agency and they get nothing in return.”
Haynes stressed that the Bulls aren’t currently shopping DeRozan, who is averaging 21.8 points, 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per night. His shooting averages are down, compared to the last two seasons.
He posted averages of 24.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds last season while shooting 50.45 from the field. He’s made 44.2% of his field-goal attempts through Chicago’s first 21 games this season.
The Heat and Knicks are among the teams that have previously been named as destinations that would appeal to DeRozan. The Lakers have also been thrown into the mix as a possible suitor.
At the start of the season, DeRozan said he wasn’t the type of player who pushes for a trade: “I feel like I wouldn’t be able to lay down comfortably if I went somewhere and said, ‘(Expletive) trade me. I’m tired of this.’ That’s just not me. I’m going to compete, be the best version I can be and let it go from there.”
Southwest Notes: VanVleet, Mavs’ Sale, Pelicans, Williamson
Fred VanVleet is averaging 37.8 minutes per game, the highest mark of any NBA player besides Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey. VanVleet, who signed a whopping three-year, $128.5MM contract to join the Rockets this summer, doesn’t mind a heavy workload.
“I’m a gamer, man,” VanVleet told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I never want to come out of the game. I’d play 48 if they would let me.”
VanVleet feels he needs to be on the court most of the time to organize his young teammates.
“Some of the things I bring, it’s hard to replace,” VanVleet said. “With such a young team, obviously, I have to do a little bit more. It’s something I have been accustomed to, and actually, I take a lot of pride in it.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Mavericks franchise is even more valuable than previously reported. With Mark Cuban selling the majority share of the franchise to Las Vegas Sands Corp., the valuation is expected to be approximately $4 billion, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). The valuation was previously said to be in the $3.5 billion range. A Board of Governors vote on the proposed sale is reportedly scheduled to take place on Dec. 2o.
- The Pelicans entered their game against Minnesota on Monday still smarting from their in-season tournament semifinal loss to the Lakers, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune. They lost by 44 points in a national-televised pounding. “We addressed the game,” coach Willie Green said. “… It was a letdown. It’s not our standard. It’s not who we’ve been. We wanted to get back to practice as soon as we could.”
- It’s time for Pelicans forward Zion Williamson to show what he’s truly made of, William Guillory of The Athletic opines. After an embarrassing performance against the Lakers, Williamson took hits in the media, particularly for his weight and conditioning. Williamson needs to channel that criticism constructively and learn how to deal with failure, Guillory writes.
Community Shootaround: Pistons, Spurs Losing Streaks
Entering Monday’s action, the longest current winning streak in the league belonged to the Timberwolves with six straight victories. No other team had an ongoing streak longer than four games.
As for losing streaks, well that’s a different story. In terms of futility, the Pistons and Spurs are on record-setting runs.
Detroit was supposed to show significant improvement with the return of Cade Cunningham, who missed most of last season with a shin injury. Instead, the Pistons have fallen into a bottomless abyss. They’ve lost 19 straight, easily surpassing their previous single-season losing streak of 14 games.
The Spurs’ franchise was revitalized by winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in the draft lottery. Wembanyama mania was prevalent during the offseason and during camp.
However, San Antonio is only making news now by going 5 ½ weeks without a victory. The Spurs have dropped 16 straight, tying their franchise mark.
Both teams are in action tonight, with Detroit hosting the in-season tournament runners-up Pacers and San Antonio visiting much-improved Houston.
The remainder of the Pistons’ schedule before Christmas looks like this: a home-and-home with Philadelphia, at Milwaukee, at Atlanta, home vs. Utah, and at Brooklyn.
San Antonio’s remaining pre-Christmas schedule goes like this: two home games vs. the Lakers, home vs. New Orleans, at Milwaukee, at Chicago, at Dallas.
That brings us to our topic of the day: Will the Pistons and/or Spurs end their lengthy losing streaks before Christmas? If so, which opponent will they defeat to end their slides?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 12/11/2023
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