And-Ones: Broadcast Rights, Hawk-Eye, Panic Meter, Sophomores
Local broadcasting rights for 15 NBA teams have been ironed out, at least for this season, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports. The league and Diamond Sports Group have reached an agreement that would guarantee Diamond’s regional sports networks will provide those local broadcasts.
That organization is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Some of the contracts it had in place were signed through 2030. Now, all the individual broadcast agreements will last only through this season. Diamond runs Bally Sports Regional Networks.
The bankruptcy court must approve this agreement.
We have more from around the NBA:
- Major issues regarding the Hawk-Eye optical tracking system used by the league this year were recently detailed by Ben Dowsett of The Guardian. Dowsett now tweets that the problems have persisted and even worsened. Tensions between team analytics staffs and the NBA league office were on display during a “disastrous” league-wide conference call on Monday, according to Dowsett.
- Which teams rate the highest on the “Panic Meter” two weeks into the season? In the view of Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Bulls and Grizzlies are at the top of the list.
- Some players make big strides from their rookie season to their sophomore campaign. The Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe and Pistons’ Jalen Duren have made significant jumps thus far, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who also takes a look at some sophomores who are slumping in the early going.
Southeast Notes: Black, James, Avdija, Gallinari
Anthony Black made his first career start against the Lakers on Saturday in place of injured Markelle Fultz and the rookie Magic guard left a strong impression, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
Black, the sixth pick of the June draft, contributed 11 points and two assists and didn’t make a turnover in 30 minutes.
“He embraces moments, he’s got a high-basketball IQ, he’s tough and he’s a team guy,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He’s willing to make the easy play, the easy pass and the right decisions. Those are things that stand out the most and his maturity for a young man in his rookie year.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- LeBron James, whose Lakers played against Miami on Monday, spoke at length about his time with the Heat. James indicated he had a singular purpose when he bolted his hometown team to play there, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I came here for one reason and for one reason only, to win championships. That was my only goal,” he said. “That’s the only reason that I teamed up with (Dwyane Wade) and (Chris) Bosh. Because I felt like I couldn’t do it in Cleveland. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent, I did what I thought was best not only for my career but for me at that point in time.”
- Wizards forward Deni Avdija, who signed a four-year extension last month, has displayed an improved perimeter shot in the early going. He has made half of his 3-point attempts so far this season, Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes. “I’m making better decisions. I’m smarter,” Avdija said. “I’m more experienced. And I feel like my shot has really improved. It’s still early in the season — I want to knock on wood — but it’s heading in the right direction. I feel like I’m making really good steps.”
- Avdija drew comparisons to current teammate Danilo Gallinari entering the 2020 draft. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. says that comparison doesn’t hold up. “I would not have compared those two coming out of the draft… Maybe it’s more just the path to the NBA is in sync,” Unseld told Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “Playing professionally at a young age, getting drafted, coming to the States. That path I think is probably where it ends.”
Blazers’ Robert Williams To Undergo Right Knee Surgery
6:15pm: Williams is facing potential season-ending surgery to repair bone and ligament damage in his right kneecap, Shams Charania and Jared Weiss of The Athletic report (Twitter link). Alternatively, Williams could choose a cleanup procedure with a two-to-three month recovery timetable.
5:04pm: Robert Williams continues to be plagued by knee issues during his young career.
The Trail Blazers’ big man will undergo right knee surgery, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Medical professionals and Williams’ agent are discussing what type of procedure is necessary and the timeline for his recovery, Wojnarowski adds.
Williams was injured during Portland’s game against Memphis on Sunday. He missed the start of last season with the Celtics after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee.
Williams has been backing up another newcomer to the Blazers via trade, Deandre Ayton. He was part of the Celtics’ package that brought Jrue Holiday to Boston. Portland also received Malcolm Brogdon and draft assets in that blockbuster.
Williams was averaging 6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his first six games with Portland.
Williams appeared in just 35 regular season contests with Boston last season, including 20 starts. He hasn’t appeared in more than 61 games since being drafted in the first round in 2018. Noted for his all-around defense, he holds career averages of 7.3 points, 6.9 points and 1.7 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game through 215 regular-season appearances.
Over the course of his career, Williams has also missed games due to hip, back, ankle, foot and toe injuries. Moses Brown and Jabari Walker are the logical candidates to absorb Williams’ minutes while he recovers.
Williams has a four-year, $48MM contract that runs through the 2025/26 season. It includes some incentives, such as making the All-Defense team and appearing in 69 or more regular season games.
Warriors To Host 2025 All-Star Game
The NBA has selected the Warriors and the San Francisco Bay Area to host All-Star weekend in 2025, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).
The All-Star Game next season will take place at Chase Center, Golden State’s arena, on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. The Chase Center opened in 2019. The Warriors previously hosted NBA All-Star weekend in the Bay Area in 2000 at Oakland Arena and in 1967 at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
“It has been 25 years since the NBA All-Star Game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we are delighted to bring the NBA’s marquee event to Chase Center in 2025,” Warriors CEO Joe Lacob said in a statement. “In addition to the significant economic impact and tourism business that NBA All-Star will drive, we look forward to hosting various events in San Francisco and Oakland to bring together basketball fans from all over the world.”
This season’s All-Star weekend will be hosted by the Pacers in Indianapolis from Feb. 15-18.
Injury Notes: Murray, Fox, Gilgeous-Alexander, Fultz, Beal
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray departed their game against Chicago on Saturday after just 10 minutes. He’s been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and won’t be available for Denver’s contest against New Orleans on Monday, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.
We have more injury-related updates:
- Kings guard De’Aaron Fox won’t play against Houston on Monday due to an ankle injury, according to James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com (Twitter link). It’ll be the third straight game that Fox has been out of the lineup.
- Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss his second straight game on Monday due to a left knee sprain, Brad Rowland tweets.
- Magic guard Markelle Fultz, who’s dealing with left knee soreness, is listed as questionable to play on Monday against Dallas, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. Fultz has missed the last two games. Gary Harris (strained right groin) has already been ruled out.
- Bradley Beal could make his Suns debut as early as Wednesday against Chicago, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Beal has been sidelined since training camp due to a back ailment.
Atlantic Notes: Batum, Claxton, Harden, Barrett
Nicolas Batum is expected to make his Sixers debut on Monday when they face the Wizards, Chris Hayes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets.
Batum was included in the James Harden blockbuster. He’s been away from the Sixers for personal reasons but returned to Philadelphia over the weekend. Batum was a rotation player for the Clippers for three-plus seasons and averaged 18 minutes pere game this season before the deal.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets center Nic Claxton suffered a high left ankle sprain in the regular season opener and admits he’s exasperated by the lingering injury, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Claxton has shed a walking boot, but has yet to return to action. “It’s been frustrating, especially getting hurt the first game of the season, and even the way to the way I did it. But it’s coming along. I’m day-to-day now, just trying to keep myself in a good space, keep supporting my teammates,” he said. “After a couple days … I saw it was taking a little bit longer than I expected and everybody expected. Like I said, it’s frustrating but it’s an 82-game season, so what can you do? I’m not going to put myself in harm’s way. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”
- Harden will make his Clippers debut against the Knicks and Jalen Brunson believes they could be an offensive juggernaut, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post relays. “Another weapon for them,” Brunson said. “They have a lot of great players over there. Really impressive résumés and all that stuff, and their careers have been nothing short of spectacular. So, it’s a lot of firepower. We’ve just gotta be ready to go.”
- Knicks wing RJ Barrett has missed the last two games with knee soreness. Coach Tom Thibodeau indicated that Barrett could return on Monday. “He said he’s feeling a lot better,” Thibodeau said. Barrett is averaging 21 points this season.
Northwest Notes: KCP, Porter Jr., Jazz, Thunder
Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has set a goal of making the All-Defensive Team, The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando writes.
“I feel like I’ve been snubbed a couple years from that. Or even just being mentioned,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve even been mentioned in that category, and now it’s a goal this year. I’ll make some noise, so they can’t ignore me.”
Coach Michael Malone typically assigns KCP to guard the opponent’s top guard. He already held Desmond Bane and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to poor shooting performances this season.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Speaking of the Nuggets and defense, Malone awarded Michael Porter Jr. with the team’s defensive player of the game “chain” for the way he blanketed Luka Doncic on Friday, Harrison Wind of TheDNVR.com relays. “Part of it is experience,” he said. “Playing against certain players, just being out there on the floor more over the years, you naturally get better. Part of it has to do with how I feel physically. My ankle doesn’t feel 100%, but I’ve kind of figured out how I should be playing guys on defense in ISO situations. And that’s not crowding them. It’s using my length. I think it’s just something you get better with over time.”
- The Jazz have the league’s worst half-court defense in the early going and the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen opines that the players simply aren’t taking enough pride at that end of the floor. The Jazz allowed 123 points in just 95 Minnesota possessions on Saturday. “We’ve got way too many moments where we’re not doing a good job on the ball. We’re not doing a very good job with secondary defenders. The activity has been pretty lackluster in general,” coach Will Hardy said.
- The Thunder assigned Ousmane Dieng, Aleksej Pokusevski and Tre Mann to the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. According to Thunder beat writer Brett Dawson (Twitter link), the Blue held a scrimmage on Sunday and it allowed that trio to get in some five-on-five work.
L.A. Notes: Harden, Clippers, Hayes, Prince, Vincent, Lakers
James Harden will be on some sort of minutes restriction in his Clippers debut on Monday against the Knicks, Adam Zagoria relays in a NJ.com story.
“There will probably be something,” coach Tyronn Lue said of limiting Harden’s minutes. “We don’t want to just jump right into it and play him crazy minutes, so we’ll just talk to the medical staff and just see what’s best.”
Harden will also have to adjust to being off the ball on a majority of possessions when he’s sharing the backcourt with Russell Westbrook.
“That’s what we talked about the last two or three days, is just when they’re on the floor together, just making sure James is off the ball and let Russ be more of the point guard,” Lue said.
We have more on the Los Angeles teams:
- Jaxson Hayes is listed as questionable for the Lakers’ road game against the Heat on Monday due to a sprained left ankle, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Jarred Vanderbilt are already listed as out due to a variety of injuries. However, Taurean Prince is not on the injury report after missing the last two games due to a knee injury.
- Vincent won’t be able to play against his former team because of a knee injury, but he indicated he wanted to return to Miami during free agency. Vincent’s stock rose during the postseason, putting him out of the Heat‘s price range, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think I had a good playoff run, and I think that changed my value,” Vincent said. “I think once that changed, it just became more difficult. I think Miami wanted me to be there. I think I was naturally looking to return to the team I just had a Finals run with and the team I had been with for the last three or four seasons. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out. But my value had changed.” Vincent joined the Lakers on a three-year, $33MM deal.
- The Lakers have been outscored 117-54 in second-chance points through six games and coach Darvin Ham says it’s simply a matter of effort and positioning, Price writes. “You can’t scheme rebounding,” Ham said. “You’ve got to want to get the ball. Plain and simple. The shot goes up, if your opponent is in your area, you’ve got to get hits, put bodies on bodies and be the most aggressive one to the ball. That’s it. There’s no play I can draw up to get more rebounds.”
Southeast Notes: Wizards Arena, Kispert, Miller, Ball
The Wizards are looking to make major renovations to their arena and want public funding to pay for the majority of the bill.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Wizards as well as the NHL’s Capitals and WNBA’s Mystics, has asked D.C. for $600MM of public funding to renovate Capital One Arena, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports. That’s about 75% of the funds needed to carry out Monumental’s renovation plan. The remaining $200MM would be covered by Monumental, which is owned by chief executive Ted Leonsis.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards wing Corey Kispert has an ankle sprain but it’s not severe, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. While Kispert didn’t play on Friday, he’s not in a walking boot and the goal now is to reduce the swelling and let the ankle heal.
- In his latest mailbag, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer says he doesn’t expect No. 2 pick and Hornets forward Brandon Miller to start in the near future. He notes that Gordon Hayward is an unlikely candidate to come off the bench, given his salary, and he’s the player Miller would have to replace in the lineup. The rookie’s versatility off the bench is also a factor, Boone adds.
- Given how much time he missed last season, LaMelo Ball isn’t surprised he’s off to a slow start offensively. The Hornets point man is shooting 30.5% from the field in four games. “I ain’t hoop in a minute, so it’s just conditioning and getting all that back and everything,” Ball told Boone. “But I feel all right. I feel like stuff is going to come back. I’m just keeping positive.” Ball signed a five-year max extension this summer.
Clippers Notes: Chemistry, Harden, Westbrook, Frank, Batum
Head coach Tyronn Lue said James Harden is in better shape “than I thought it would be” after the new Clippers guard participated in a scrimmage on Wednesday, according to Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.
“He pushed the pace, he pushed the basketball, made plays for his teammates and he looked really good,” Lue said.
However, Lue realizes that developing chemistry among four ball-dominant players like Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook will be an ongoing process.
“When you have four guys that can score the basketball and make plays, you know, this is just gonna be a process understanding our rotations, how we want to play, who we want to have on the floor together,” Lue said.
We have more on the Clippers:
- Even though Westbrook and Harden were teammates in Oklahoma City, they bring different styles that will require constant adjustments, Lue told Mark Medina of The SportingTribune.com. “Russ is more attack, get downhill and speed and pace. James is more slow, playing his game and so it’s a difference,” Lue said. “It’s a big difference between those two guys. Now when you’re staggering those guys, it’s going to be a different pace to the game.”
- President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank isn’t worried about Harden making sacrifices, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. “James Harden should have been an All-Star last year,” Frank said. “But he’s a 10-time All-Star. He has an elite skill set, and all he cares about is one thing: He wants to win a championship for the L.A. Clippers. He wants to be part of something bigger than himself. He’s had all the individual awards. He’s about doing something really special.”
- In a detailed analysis, The Athletic’s Sam Amick elicited opinions from numerous scouts regarding how, or if, Harden can blend his skills with the current Clippers roster.
- Nicolas Batum, one of the players dealt to Philadelphia in the Harden blockbuster, thanked the Clippers organization and their fans on social media. Batum noted that the organization and fans embraced him at “the lowest point in my career.” The veteran forward fell out of favor in Charlotte before joining the Clippers prior to the 2020/21 season.