Eastern Notes: Ware, Cavs Injuries, Shead, White
Heat second-year big man Kel’el Ware had 14 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in 34 minutes while making his third straight start in place of the injured Bam Adebayo on Monday. Miami pulled out an overtime win over Cleveland and coach Erik Spoelsta heaped praise on Ware.
“That’s the best game he’s played in a Miami Heat uniform,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I don’t care what the stats are. I know he had 20 rebounds. But those efforts on the glass were incredible. And he was reliable defensively. He was with it. He was in the right spots. (Evan) Mobley made a couple great shots, but Kel’el was there. He was there, doing the right thing.”
The Heat have won all three games Ware has filled in for Adebayo.
“I feel like that’s something they always wanted to see,” Ware said. “They’ve been wanting to see it from me. It feels [good] to see them encouraging me on that end and proud of me for bringing that out.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers will be missing three starters in their rematch against Miami on Wednesday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets. Darius Garland (injury management — left big toe), Donovan Mitchell (rest) and Evan Mobley (rest) are listed as out, while Larry Nance Jr. (knee contusion) is considered questionable.
- Jamal Shead has continued to give the Raptors a reliable play-maker off the bench in his second season, Michael Grange of Sportnet writes. “He’s able to do a lot of things,” forward Brandon Ingram said. “We know what he can do on the defensive end, but he’s able to attack the paint, he’s always searching for guys. He knows he’s playing with scorers, so when he gets the ball, he’s trying to attack, and he always knows where guys are.” In 10 games, Shead is averaging 6.4 points and 5.0 assists, compared to 1.1 turnovers, in 17.4 minutes per game. He’s making just $1.96MM this season and Toronto holds a club option on his contract for next season.
- Coby White (strained right calf) made it through a practice on Monday with the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. White, who has yet to make his season debut, could return at some point during the team’s upcoming road trip, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports, though he won’t play on Wednesday when they visit Detroit. ‘‘Everything that I heard was that it went well,’’ head coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘I think the biggest thing is always trying to find out the next day how it went. The plan right now . . . would be to get back into practice with us when we get back from Detroit. We’ll have three days. One of those days, we’ll certainly have contact. The plan is to get him into that practice pretty extensively.’’
Sixers Notes: Broome, 10-Game Start, Grimes, Barlow
Sixers rookie power forward Johni Broome has only made two cameo appearances this season. He’s trying to adjust to his NBA reality as a second-round pick, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“I’m just kind of trusting my work and my faith,” Broome said. “Obviously, it’s a little difficult at times because it’s kind of something I’m getting used to. But I understand what comes with it. So I’m taking it day by day. I’m not getting frustrated. I know I just have to keep working, keep staying ready. When Coach (Nick Nurse) feels like he’s ready to put me in, he’s going to put me in. Until then, like I say, I’m going to keep working and keep earning his trust however I can.”
Broome sprained his right ankle while playing with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats over the weekend. When he returns to action, he’ll likely spend most of the season with the Blue Coats.
“Wherever I’m at, I’m going to try to compete and get my work in,” Broome said. “If they want me to go down to the G League and play, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- They are off to a decent start at 6-4 but they could have won a couple more games with better crunch time execution, Tony Jones of The Athletic notes. All but one of their games has come down to clutch time, which is defined as a game being within five points or less with five minutes remaining. In three of their losses, they missed a shot on the final possession of the game. Guard Tyrese Maxey has seen a lot of positives. “I like that we can do a lot of different things, and I like that we can play a lot of different ways,” Maxey said. “We can play fast and we can play slow. We can play in the halfcourt, and we can play in transition. There are a lot of different things that we can do to win games.”
- Quentin Grimes has switched agents. Grimes will now be represented by CAA Basketball, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points tweets. Grimes, who was previously repped by agent David Bauman, went through a lengthy restricted free agency process over the summer and ultimately signed his $8.74MM qualifying offer. Grimes will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and also has the ability to veto any trade this season.
- Dominick Barlow worked out on the court before the Sixers faced the Celtics on Tuesday, Pompey tweets. Barlow will miss his seventh straight game due to a right elbow laceration.
- In case you missed it, center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Tuesday’s contest due to right knee soreness. It’s the first non-scheduled absence so far this season for Embiid, who had an MRI on his knee on Tuesday.
Pistons Sign Wendell Moore Jr. To Two-Way Deal, Waive Colby Jones
3:22 pm: The Pistons have officially signed Moore and waived Jones, the team announced today (via Twitter).
11:17 am: The Pistons are signing guard Wendell Moore Jr. to a two-way contract, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, who reports that the team is waiving Colby Jones to open up a roster spot for Moore (Twitter links).
Moore has been seeking another NBA opportunity since the Celtics waived him during training camp. Detroit’s coaching staff is quite familiar with Moore — he spent part of last season with the Pistons organization.
A late first-round selection in 2022, Moore played two seasons with the Timberwolves. The Pistons acquired him in an offseason trade and he appeared in 20 games before he was waived at the trade deadline in February. He then joined the Hornets on a two-way contract about a week later, finishing the season in Charlotte. Boston brought him in this offseason on a training camp deal.
Overall, Moore has seen action in 90 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points in 8.1 minutes per contest. Last season, he played in a combined 36 games and averaged 4.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 13.9 MPG.
Jones received seven minutes of garbage time in one game this season. An early second-round pick in 2023, Jones appeared in 30 games off the bench for Sacramento as a rookie, then played a combined 39 games for the Kings and Wizards last season.
Jones was traded by Washington to Oklahoma City in June, but the Thunder immediately waived his non-guaranteed $2.22MM contract. The Pistons added him on a two-way deal in late July.
Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.
Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.
Central Notes: Giannis, Duren, White, Okoro
The Bucks folded in the late stages of a 122-115 loss to Houston on Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 37 points, eight rebounds and three assists but couldn’t sustain that same level of production in crunch time, Eric Nehm of The Athletic notes. In the final five minutes, Antetokounmpo had one field goal, went 2-of-6 from the free throw line, and committed two turnovers.
“We didn’t execute as well (as them),” Antetokounmpo said. “The ball was sticking a lot… Whenever we were double-teaming or trapping the pick-and-roll, they were moving the ball, finding the open man. They were able to make some shots and we did the complete opposite.”
The Bucks superstar is listed as probable to play against Dallas in the second game of a back-to-back on Monday, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pistons are shooting for the seventh straight victory when they host the Wizards on Monday. They pulled out a 111-108 road win over Philadelphia on Sunday. During the winning streak, Cade Cunningham is averaging 29.2 points and 11.2 assists per game, while center Jalen Duren — who is headed to restricted free agency — is averaging 23.5 PPG and 13.5 RPG.“He’s been dominant,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Duren, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “The way he helps us protect the rim, the job he does on the boards, the threat that he is in the pick-and-roll and in the pocket … he’s a guy that can connect our group, too. He’s another guy who can facilitate and playmake, and then he’s an elite communicator, which has been a huge growth for him defensively. He’s talking to guys, always in the right spot, so I thought he was great again (Sunday).”
- Coby White (strained right calf) has yet to play this season, but the Bulls guard is expected back soon. Coach Billy Donovan anticipates he’ll make a seamless return to the rotation, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel pretty good about him coming back,” Donovan said. “He’s always been a team guy. The rhythm for him individually, he’s going to work through that, and in time, it will get better, but in terms of him seamlessly coming back, I don’t worry about the chemistry at all, not with him. He plays the right way. Being around these guys, his IQ, his years in the league, I think he’ll know how to come back and integrate himself.” White was assigned to the G League’s Windy City Bulls on Monday to get some practice time, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets.
- Isaac Okoro faced his former team on Saturday when the Cavaliers defeated the Bulls, 128-122. The Bulls forward, who was traded by Cleveland during the offseason, scored 19 points with four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. “I had a wonderful five years in Cleveland,” Okoro said, per Johnson (Twitter link). “They treat their players right –coaches, front-office staff. I love all these guys. But once tip goes up, it’s Bulls vs. Cavs.”
Bucks Forward Taurean Prince Out Indefinitely With Neck Injury
Bucks reserve Taurean Prince has a herniated disk in his neck and is expected to miss a significant period of time, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
The team released an update via social media (Twitter link), which indicated that Prince underwent an MRI last week that revealed the herniated disk. The veteran forward will be sidelined indefinitely as the team’s medical staff and external specialists determine the best treatment plan.
Prince has appeared in eight games this season but missed Milwaukee’s last two contests after going 0-for-5 from the field against Toronto in 21 minutes of action on Tuesday. He’s averaging 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 21.1 minutes per game.
Prince was a starter for most of last season, appearing in 80 games for the Bucks, including 73 starts. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.1 minutes per contest. Milwaukee re-signed him on a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract this summer.
Prince’s ability to guard multiple positions on defense and knock down three-pointers on offense makes him a valuable rotation player on the wing. He converted a career-high 43.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2024/25.
Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers has used smaller starting lineups this season with A.J. Green and Gary Trent Jr. manning the wings. The loss of Prince could result in more minutes for Kyle Kuzma and Amir Coffey.
Prince, 31, began his NBA career in 2016 and has had stints with the Hawks, Nets, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Lakers.
Northwest Notes: Hartenstein, Edwards, Hardy, Markkanen
Isaiah Hartenstein erupted for a 33-point night in the Thunder‘s win over Sacramento on Friday. Along with his career high in points, Hartenstein grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots.
“He was on one today,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “Hart is a great player. We were able to find him, and he had a great game. He made it very easy for us.”
Hartenstein is averaging a double-double for the banged-up Thunder, with 12.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in the early going this season.
“He’s played great as time has gone on here,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s getting better and better with his teammates here inside the system. He was obviously highly impactful at the beginning, but he’s only gotten better, especially on the offensive side of the floor.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- In his second game back from missing four due to a right hamstring strain, Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards poured in 37 points in a 40-point romp over Utah. “He’s our leading light, and he’s got to be aggressive, and he’s got to be himself,” head coach Chris Finch told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s what we need. And I thought he played quick and clean. Thought we all did to start the game, and it was just really good, really fun to watch.”
- Jazz coach Will Hardy has been very vocal this season and that’s by design, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s all intentional,” Hardy said. “There is a real process right now of trying to have all of our players, especially our young players, understand that every time you take the court, you’re trying to win.” Hardy’s team is currently holds a 3-6 record. “I feel like I need to give the team the urgency every single night to not let moments pass them by, to not take their minutes for granted, to not take this moment in their career for granted — because nothing’s guaranteed,” he said.
- Lauri Markkanen was held to 12 points in 21 minutes on Friday but the Jazz forward is still averaging 28.3 points per game, which would easily be a career best. “He can truly play any style,” Hardy told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “He can play with anybody there. You could name any All-Star player, and I would say Lauri could play with them. Because he doesn’t dribble too much, because he’s not really an iso player, because he’s not a pick-and-roll ball handler who needs X number of screens a night. It’s nice having somebody who’s that caliber player who doesn’t necessarily dictate your style. There are certain players that dictate the style you kind of have to play. Lauri gives us a lot of flexibility. It’s a real luxury as a coach and it would appear that that would be a luxury from a team-building standpoint.”
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Johnson, Hardaway Jr., Brown
Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.4 points per game, down from his career-high of 29.6, and he’s attempting 15.1 shots per game, compared to the 19.5 he averaged last season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to Nuggets head coach David Adelman, who would prefer to see the points more evenly distributed.
“If we can get through games without having to post him up 25 times, I think that’s beneficial for us and his body,” Adelman said. per Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “But if the game demands it, he will. And I think he’ll score like he needs to. But staying in the split game and the elbow game, it can get redundant, but I think it keeps everybody involved. And he keeps everybody involved anyway, because he’ll get doubled in the post or whatever it is. But (we’re) trying to play that team game as much as we can.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Denver is taking a ‘What, me worry?’ stance on Cameron Johnson‘s slow start. Acquired from the Nets during the offseason, Johnson is averaging just 7.5 points per game on 36.2 percent shooting. “He’s getting good looks. We’re looking for him and stuff. I think it’s all part of the game,” Jamal Murray told Durando. “Everybody knows Cam can shoot. If you go look at his career, he can shoot the ball. So he didn’t just lose his arm.” Murray’s coach expressed similar thoughts. “Cam’s going to have a night soon and somebody else may not play a lot, and we’ll talk about their production. But who really cares if we’re winning?” Adelman said.
- Tim Hardaway Jr., who started regularly for the Pistons last season, has become a key reserve for the Nuggets. He’s scored in double digits during five of eight games this season. “He’s such a weapon, and he can get his shot off so easily and quickly,” Adelman told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “It’s a big deal. You know, a lot of teams have the athleticism these days. But a guy that releases the ball that quickly and gets it off, it’s a big deal. And not to mention, he just really knows how to play. Tim fits right in.”
- Bruce Brown played a major role in their championship run in 2023. The hard-nosed guard is looking to make the same kind of defensive impact in the playoffs this season, according to Durando. “Later in the season (referees will) let things go just because they know you’re a physical defender,” he said. “(The Thunder’s) Lu Dort has a reputation as being a physical defender, so they don’t really call much on him. So (I’m) just trying to do that.”
Celtics Notes: Brown, White, Walsh, Simons
Jaylen Brown believes the officials are making a point against him. The Celtics forward ripped the officiating after a late no-call against Utah on Monday and he felt that played a role in Boston’s loss to Orlando on Friday.
“I think in the fourth quarter, I think the officials made their point,” Brown said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “So I get it. I’ll keep my mouth closed.”
Boston held a one-point lead midway through the fourth quarter on Friday but lost by 13. Brown finished with 32 points but only shot two free throws.
“In the fourth quarter, I missed some good looks that I could have got my feet set just a little bit more,” Brown said. “And then it compounded, turned into some turnovers, and then they scored. For our team, they probably need me to make those shots. I’m human. If I shoot a shot and I feel good about it, I feel good, but you know, I’ve got to be a little better, I guess.”
We have more on the Celtics:
- Should the Celtics have traded Derrick White instead of Jrue Holiday during their salary-shedding offseason? Brian Robb of Masslive.com tackles that question in his latest mailbag. Robb believes that Boston would have gotten a bigger haul for White but that Holiday’s contract would have still been an albatross for the organization. White’s four-year, $118MM contract extension kicked in this season; Holiday, 35, is in the second year of a four-year, $134.4MM deal that includes a player option.
- Swingman Jordan Walsh has gotten some playing time this month, averaging 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes per contest. A 2023 second-round pick, Walsh is increasingly gaining coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust. “He just chips away at it,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “Again, that was a high-level of professionalism to be ready, and he just every day treats it as if he’s going to play. So I think that mindset is kind of what you have to have, and he handled it well, and he’s got to keep that up. But he works at the same pace regardless of if he’s playing or not, and that says a lot.”
- Anfernee Simons, acquired from Portland in the Holiday trade, played sparingly in the first half at Orlando. Simons, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, bounced back and contributed 11 fourth-quarter points. “I thought he responded pretty well,” Mazzulla said, per Souichi Terada of Masslive.com. “I thought he was more aggressive in the second half. There was no message there. He just has an understanding of what we have to do on both ends of the floor. I thought he did a much better job of that in the second half.”
Pistons Notes: Duren, Cunningham, Stewart, Klintman, Jones
Jalen Duren‘s impressive start continued on Friday, as the Pistons center dominated inside with 30 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in a victory over the Nets. He’s now averaging 19.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
“We’ve put together a plan over the summer for him and he was as dedicated to that plan as anybody,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “He worked relentlessly on his game. He’s always had the talent. I think the confidence is coming now, too, so he can see what he can do against other guys. You watch how much more aggressive he is offensively with the ball in his hands. I think last year it was a lot of him getting set up. We wanted him to attack more. We want him to try to create for himself more, put more pressure on the defense. I think he’s done that. It all comes down to the work that he’s put in.”
Duren will be one of the top restricted free agents on the market next summer. The Pistons were unable to sign the fourth-year big man to a rookie scale extension prior to last month’s deadline.
“He’s dominant,” Cade Cunningham said. “He’s not waiting. He’s attacking every game. Really can’t enough be said about how he’s approached the game lately and he has all the ability in the world to do what he’s been doing. It’s exciting.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Cunningham supplied 34 points and 10 assists against Brooklyn. Duren and Cunningham became the first Pistons teammates with 30-plus point double-doubles in the same game since Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond did it on Dec. 18, 2015 against Chicago, the team’s PR department tweets.
- Isaiah Stewart departed in the second quarter after he rolled his left ankle. The Pistons were already without starting forward Tobias Harris, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury. That opened up an opportunity for 2024 second-round pick Bobi Klintman, Sankofa notes. In his second appearance this season, Klintman scored two points, grabbed four rebounds and added an assist in 12 minutes.
- The Pistons claimed big man Isaac Jones off waivers from the Kings on Thursday. Bickerstaff believes Jones’ style will fit right in with the team’s identity, Sankofa tweets. “There’s an energy. He has a similar spirit to the group of bigs that we have already,” the coach said. “He’s a fighter, he’s a scrapper, his interior skills. He just gives us a boost there.”