Western Notes: Daigneault, Simons, Green, Curry, Beal
The Thunder‘s Mark Daigneault has been named a head coach for the All-Star Game with the team clinching the Western Conference’s best record through Feb. 2, the NBA announced on Sunday (via Twitter). Under the new format, the All-Stars will be split into four teams. One of Daigneault’s assistants will also serve as a head coach.
“An honor. A huge thank you to all the people that are behind the scenes in the organization that work with the players, not only this season, but in previous seasons,” the coach told sideline reporter Nick Gallo (Twitter link). “This has been a build, and a lot of people have their fingerprints on that.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons sat out Sunday’s game against Chicago due to a right elbow strain, the team’s PR department tweets. Simons, who had made just eight of 34 field goal attempts in his previous three outings, has now missed four games this season.
- Warriors forward Draymond Green has officially been ruled out of Monday’s game against Boston with a left calf strain, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Stephen Curry is listed as questionable due to an ankle sprain, though he told reporters on Saturday he plans to play.
- Suns wing Bradley Beal went through a workout on Sunday and is hopeful of playing against Cleveland on Monday. He’s listed as questionable after missing two games due to an ankle sprain. “It’s been good, it’s been smooth,” Beal told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I haven’t had any setbacks or anything out of the ordinary. All the imaging came back fully expecting to be nothing crazy. Just a little sprain.”
Southwest Notes: Morant, Pelicans Bench, Spurs Slump, Lively
The Grizzlies could play again without their floor leader on Monday. Ja Morant is listed as questionable against Minnesota due to right foot soreness, the team’s PR department tweets.
Morant, who is averaging 21.4 points and 7.5 assists, has already missed 18 games this season and is ineligible for postseason honors. He was also unavailable for Friday’s 28-point win over San Antonio.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans reserves have made a major impact during the team’s three-game winning streak, Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune writes. “This bench is a team that wants to win every minute that we get,” guard Jose Alvarado said. “We know that it can be 10 minutes, five minutes, two minutes or 20 minutes. We’re going to attack it like it’s the (NBA) Finals.” Alvarado led the bench brigade on Friday with 19 points, including six 3-pointers.
- The Spurs, who are headed to Paris to face Indiana, will look at the trip as a chance to turn their fortunes around. They have lost three straight and six of their last seven after falling to Miami on Sunday. “This hasn’t been our best stretch of basketball and there are some things we need to shore up, and we’ve played some really good teams and they’ve exposed some things,” acting coach Mitch Johnson told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re looking forward to Paris, but I don’t think we overlooked this team or in (losing twice to) Memphis.”
- The Mavericks list Dereck Lively as questionable to play against Charlotte on Monday due to a right ankle sprain, Grant Afseth tweets. Lively has missed the last two games after suffering the injury on Tuesday against Denver.
Western Notes: Murray, Moody, Powell, Williamson, Missi
Jamal Murray isn’t fazed by criticism. The Nuggets guard signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract extension in September and feels it comes with the territory, he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.
“I’m totally ready for it,” Murray said. “That’s why I literally signed up for it.”
Murray understands that with the big contract numbers comes increased scrutiny. He’s endured a roller coaster season thus far and admits he hasn’t played up to par.
“I think I deserve it, to a certain extent,” he said. “So I’m not gonna complain about it. And that’s what people do. They’re gonna talk about what they see. And if they don’t see me performing the way they want me to perform as a fan, they’re gonna let me hear it, or tweet about it or whatever they’re doing. … I mean, I admit I haven’t been playing well. So it’s not like it’s a surprise to me to hear it from everybody else if I’m saying it as well.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- In his fourth NBA season, the Warriors’ Moses Moody may have found his niche as an undersized power forward, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes. The 6’5″ Moody has played 54 minutes the past two games, mostly at power forward, and could see a lot more time there in the near future, as Draymond Green is expected to miss multiple games with a calf strain. “Moses seems to really thrive at the (power forward),” coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s his spot. He’s comfortable using his strength and the ability to stretch the floor.”
- Norman Powell is a candidate to make the All-Star reserves in his 10th season and the Clippers swingman is gratified how this season has played out thus far, he told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. He’s averaging a career-high 23.7 points per game. “It was always an individual goal,” Powell said. “It was, ‘I want to be an All-Star. I want to be on that stage. I want to be in the same position that I saw my favorite players being in growing up. And honestly it’s surreal. … It’s been 10 years and I kind of take it as a little shot or a little chip on my shoulder when everybody is talking about, ‘Oh, this is his 10th year in the league and this and that.’ It just adds to the beauty of being mentioned now as an All-Star, this being my 10th year.”
- The Pelicans could be without two frontcourt starters against Utah on Monday, both due to non-COVID illnesses. Rookie Yves Missi, who did not play Friday against the Jazz, and Zion Williamson are both listed as questionable, according to a team press release. Williamson has averaged 20.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in four games since returning from a hamstring strain.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Risacher, Mitchell
Could the defending champions be lacking in confidence? The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn believes so. The Celtics have become an unreliable team capable of crumbling in crucial moments of games, according to Washburn. They are losing games that would have won last season, though they still have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The injury-riddled Sixers have lost five straight and they can’t form a coherent rotation until they get more key players back in action, coach Nick Nurse told the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey. “We gotta just get a little healthier around a lot of positions right now to get to where we can get a little decent clarity,” he said. Joel Embiid, Paul George, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin and KJ Martin all missed Saturday’s loss to Indiana.
- The Hawks offered a clarification regarding Zaccharie Risacher‘s injury. Initially listed as left adductor irritation, it’s now called a strain, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. The Hawks are expected to provide an update on the 2024 top pick prior to Wednesday’s game. Risacher was injured last Tuesday.
- Donovan Mitchell bounced back in a big way from his eight-point outing against Oklahoma City, pouring in 36 points in a victory over Minnesota on Saturday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com notes. That was the highest scoring output by the Cavaliers guard since a 37-point performance against Chicago in mid-November.
And-Ones: All-Star Voting, New Leagues, Midseason Awards
The third update on fan voting for the All-Star Game has Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant heading the list of Western Conference frontcourt players, the NBA announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic have received the most votes among Western Conference backcourt players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Karl-Anthony Towns are the top three vote-getters among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, while LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard have the most votes among the conference’s backcourt players.
The fan vote counts for 50 percent regarding All-Star starters. Player voting and a media panel’s selections are weighed at 25 percent apiece. Fan voting ends Monday and the All-Star starters will be revealed on Thursday during a TNT broadcast.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Will a new basketball league to challenge the NBA come to fruition? According to Bloomberg.com, a group of investors being advised by Maverick Carter, LeBron’s business partner, is seeking to raise $5 billion from private capital sources to form an international basketball league. James himself is not part of the efforts to form this new league, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The investors, which includes multiple private equity funds, are looking to form a league consisting of six men’s teams and six women’s teams playing games around the world, Charania adds.
- Speaking of international games, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast that discussions have been held regarding a new European league, Eurohoops relays. “One of the things we’ve been discussing is whether, before adding NBA franchises in Europe, there’s an opportunity to create an independent league there. This could leverage the enormous interest in basketball in major European capitals like Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid— and other major cities that love basketball,” Silver said. Discussions between the NBA and FIBA regarding the proposed league have previously been reported.
- Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and Liam McKeone hand out their midseason awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year. Mannix chooses Gilgeous-Alexander as his midseason MVP, while McKeone selects Jokic. They also take a look at the highs and lows of the season so far.
Embiid Has Swollen Knee, Out At Least 7-10 Days
Joel Embiid‘s injury issues continue to pile up.
The Sixers star center experienced increased swelling in his left knee during an on-court workout on Thursday, according to a team press release. The 2023 league’s Most Valuable Player will miss the team’s upcoming road trip and be reevaluated in approximately 7-10 days.
Embiid has missed the last six games due to a left foot sprain. The foot sprain has healed, according to the release. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the knee swelling.
After seeing action in only 39 regular season games last season due to a variety of ailments, Embiid has appeared in just 13 games this season. He’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest, a sharp drop from last season when he posted averages of 34.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.6 APG.
Following what was considered a highly successful offseason that reshaped the roster, the Sixers are enduring what increasingly appears like a lost season. They’re 15-24 after losing their last four games and now face a tough stretch with road matchups against Indiana, Milwaukee and Denver before returning home to face the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.
Embiid signed a three-year, fully guaranteed maximum-salary extension in September that runs through the 2028/29 season.
Cavaliers Interested In Nets’ Cameron Johnson
The Cavaliers have expressed interest in acquiring forward Cameron Johnson from the Nets, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.
Cleveland’s front office has at least discussed Johnson as a potential target and inquired about his availability. Some rival team officials believe Cleveland will make a serious run at acquiring Johnson, Vardon adds.
The Nets have already dealt away Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in their zeal to open up cap space and pile up draft assets. Johnson, who has been battling an ankle injury in recent weeks, might be their most valuable remaining asset. He’s averaging a career-best 19.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33 starts. Johnson is also shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field, including 42.8 percent beyond the arc.
Johnson is in the second year of a four-year contract that includes $90MM in guaranteed salary and $18MM in incentives. The Cavaliers’ desire to acquire Johnson is tempered by the fact that the Eastern Conference leaders lack draft capital and do not want to move any of their top eight players. While they do have plenty of second-round picks to dangle, the Cavs can’t deal any of their first-rounders earlier than the 2031 draft.
Caris LeVert‘s expiring $16.6MM contract would be a logical piece to include in a proposed deal with a rebuilding team, though he’s averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in a reserve role.
Cleveland has been searching for a starting small forward for several seasons. Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have received the bulk of the starts at that position. Wade might be more suited to a backup power forward role, Vardon notes, and Okoro has been unable to establish himself as a consistent starter since he was drafted in the 2020 lottery.
The Cavs have the top-rated offense in the league but they have one of the NBA’s smallest backcourts. Their 134-114 loss to the Thunder on Thursday was an example of how opponents with length on the perimeter can hold them down. The playoffs tend to be slower, more halfcourt-oriented slugfests and Johnson could help them in that area.
Members Of Heat Organization Fear Jimmy Butler Situation Could Get Uglier
Members of the Heat organization, including players, coaches and staffers, have grown weary of Jimmy Butler‘s feud with the front office and it’s feared that the situation could get even worse, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports.
With his team-imposed seven-game suspension over, Butler could return to action against the Nuggets on Friday. However, there’s a sense of dread in the organization that Butler could become even more of a distraction.
One unnamed source within the organization told Shelburne, “I don’t know how he can come back to this locker room,” while another informed her, “We don’t want him back.”
Butler reiterated his demand to be traded to president of basketball operations Pat Riley during the suspension while the team was away on a six-game road trip. Butler was furious at the length of the suspension and the potential $2.35MM in lost salary, according to Shelburne, who says the possibility of a reduction waned because Butler failed to show enough contrition.
Here’s more from Shelburne’s story:
- Butler was stunned when Riley publicly criticized him after last season for missing playoff games. Butler also felt the organization had prioritized Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro over him, especially when Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra essentially anointed Adebayo as the team leader when Udonis Haslem retired.
- Butler’s preferential treatment during his years with the Heat is detailed, including staying in his mansion in Boulder, Colorado during the 2023 Finals. He’s also been allowed to fly privately or stay at a different location than the team on road trips.
- During the first half of a game against Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, Butler went to the locker room because of a sprained ankle, then left the arena because he told the team’s medical staff that he was feeling sick. He didn’t play the next three games and some team officials began to regard Butler as somewhat AWOL. During the last of those absences, Butler posted a video of himself playing soccer.
Central Notes: Jackson, Beal, Hardaway, Mitchell
Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. suffered a right hip contusion late in the first half against Orlando on Wednesday, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Jackson did not return in the second half. Milwaukee is currently playing without Gary Trent Jr., who strained a left hip flexor against the Magic on Jan. 12.
We have more from the Central Division:
- What are the chances that the Pistons — the only team currently with cap room — will acquire Bradley Beal from the Sunsl? Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois writes in his latest mailbag that he doubts Beal would waive his no-trade clause to come to Detroit. Langlois is also skeptical that the Pistons’ front office would want to hamstring their cap flexibility by taking on Beal’s contract, which has two more years remaining.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. has not only become a valuable part of the Pistons’ rotation, he’s also embraced the role of veteran leadership. Hardaway, a free agent after the season, was acquired from Dallas in an offseason trade. “We’re here for a great cause,” he told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic regarding the team’s veteran acquisitions. “We’re here to help the young guys and do the best we can to make their jobs easier out there on the floor. They’re doing a great job of listening and being sponges.”
- In a subscriber-only story, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor describes how Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell delivered a vintage performance against Indiana on Tuesday to avenge a loss to the Pacers two days earlier. Mitchell, who has focused more on spreading out the offensive wealth this season, scored 35 points in the victory, his highest output since Dec. 1.
New York Notes: Towns, Hart, Embiid, Nets, Johnson
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns missed Wednesday’s overtime victory over Philadelphia due to a thumb injury. He has a bone chip in the thumb, which he injured during a loss to Detroit on Monday, but plans to play through it, Peter Botte and Stefan Bondy of the New York Post report.
The thumb is also sprained but surgery isn’t necessary or anticipated, either during or after the season, the Post duo adds. Towns is averaging 25.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in his first season in New York.
We have more on the New York City teams:
- Josh Hart called out unnamed Knicks teammates after recent losses for letting “egos” and “individual agendas” get in the way of team goals. Coach Tom Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Hart needs to choose his words more carefully, Bondy writes. “I think oftentimes the next day after you look at the film, you’re putting a mic in front of someone right after a game. And sometimes they may say things, we all may say things that we wish we had not said until you watch the film the next day,” the coach said. “And then there’s usually a pretty good reason why something occurred. So before you say something, you probably should think.”
- The Knicks are fortunate they didn’t go all in and trade for Joel Embiid when rumors circulated last season about the team’s interest in the Sixers center, Bondy opines. They would have squandered their draft capital and other assets for an oft-injured center still owed $300MM due to his extension without injury protections. Of course, Philadelphia never actually made Embiid available.
- The games just keep getting uglier for the rebuilding and tanking Nets, as they suffered the worst loss in franchise history on Wednesday. The 126-67 pummeling by the Clippers was also one of the 10 biggest routs in NBA history, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. “This is not the time to point or deflect anything,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “It’s time for everybody to own, and I will own first. The guys kept fighting; I don’t think that they quit. And it’s one of those days that you don’t do anything right, you don’t have that right energy and togetherness. But you try and you just need a little bit more focus and all these things.” Cameron Johnson, who could be moved before the trade deadline, missed the second game of a back-to-back due to a sprained right ankle, Lewis adds.
- With the front office clearing more cap space than any other team for next offseason and hoarding draft picks in trades, the Nets have the flexibility to make a franchise-altering move, Lewis writes for the New York Post (subscription required). The big prize would be Giannis Antetokounmpo if he ever asks out of Milwaukee, as the Nets covet the superstar forward.