Heat Notes: Johnson, McGruder, Waiters, Johnson
The Heat have had to use countless different lineup combinations throughout the season as players have come and gone due to injuries, but recently it has been Tyler Johnson that has become a key staple in the starting lineup.
As Ira Winderman writes for The Sun-Sentinal, Johnson has provided an energetic approach that has made him a perfect fit for the starting lineup, especially as Erik Spoelstra continues to look for ways to jumpstart his team.
The Heat have made several significant changes in the wake of Goran Dragic‘s injury, most notably converting Justise Winslow to being the team’s primary ball-handler and creator.
There’s more from the Heat:
- Ira Winderman also wrote about the amount of lineup changes the Heat have had to deal with this season and how certain players like Rodney McGruder have continued to adjust on a nightly basis.
- As Dion Waiters continues to work his way back from an extended injury absence, he firmly believes that in order for him to get back to his highest level of play, simply being on the court and receiving minutes is a must.
- As the Heat continue to shuffle through starting lineups, James Johnson‘s struggles continue to stand out. Ira Winderman discusses if there is a path to salvage Johnson as a starter moving forward.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Smart, Baynes, Irving
As the 2019 trade deadline approaches, more and more reports are surfacing regarding which teams are looking to make additions to their roster ahead of this season’s stretch run. Ken Berger of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Bradley Beal sweepstakes, in which it is revealed that the Raptors may be looking to add an elite shooting guard this season.
The Raptors have been one of the best teams – if not the best team – in the league so far this season and certainly have the ingredients on their roster for a run to the NBA Finals. However, the team’s shooting has slipped in recent weeks as they are down to 34.3% shooting on 3-pointers, good for 24th in the league (they rank 11th in attempts per game).
While it may be hard for the Raptors to enter the Beal sweepstakes (especially if the Wizards aren’t focused on moving him), it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Toronto does make a move to add another shooter to its rotation for the remainder of the season.
There’s more from the Atlantic division:
- Marcus Smart continues to shoot lights out (for his standards) from beyond the arc, which is helping him provide more value for the Celtics. As Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston points out, Smart is now shooting nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc, which is above league-average and well above his career average.
- After rolling out a dual big man lineup involving Al Horford and Aron Baynes for 863 minutes last season, Celtics coach Brad Stevens is planning on going back to the tandem more moving forward, as Taylor Snow reveals for the team’s website.
- After it was revealed that Kyrie Irving called LeBron James to apologize for being stubborn when he was a younger player, Chris Forsberg writes that Irving should be praised for admitting his imperfections.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/20/19
Here are Sunday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Magic have recalled rookie wing Melvin Frazier from their G League affiliate, according to a tweet from the team’s PR department. Frazier has appeared in just 3 games for the Magic so far this season.
- The Rockets have assigned center Isaiah Hartenstein to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. This was done ahead of the team’s expected signing of Kenneth Faried on Monday.
- The Trail Blazers announced in a press release that they have recalled Wade Baldwin and assigned both Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent to the G League.
- The Spurs have recalled rookies Lonnie Walker and Chimezie Metu from their G League affiliate in Austin, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express (via Twitter).
Pacific Notes: Kuzma, Cousins, Okobo, Suns
While many fans and analysts have focused on Lonzo Ball‘s and Brandon Ingram‘s development as the two key young players for the Lakers, so far this season it has been Kyle Kuzma that has provided the most value to the team. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes that Kuzma has emerged as the Lakers’ best young talent, especially in the wake of LeBron James‘ injury.
As Pincus points out, Kuzma has averaged nearly 25 points per game in the 10 games he has played without James, with the Lakers winning five of those contests. While Kuzma has struggled to hit 3-pointers (just 31.3% so far this season), he can score in a variety of ways while also providing another capable ball-handler.
Meanwhile, Ball’s jump shot continues to disappoint, while Ingram hasn’t looked comfortable playing alongside James, a big issue if he plans on being a crucial piece of the team in the years to come.
There’s more from the Pacific division:
- While DeMarcus Cousins made his return on Friday and will continue to work his way into a larger role moving forward, Nick Friedell of ESPN points out that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t plan on slowing the pace for Cousins to catch up.
- As Elie Okobo continues to adjust to life in the NBA, he was able to face (and learn from) his childhood idol Tony Parker over the past week as the Suns faced the Hornets on two occasions. Duane Rankin of Arizona Central writes about how Okobo grew up watching Parker.
- The Suns‘ call for public funds to renovate their arena will reach a vote in the upcoming week. As Bob Young details for The Athletic, the team is calling for $150 million in public funds to help make renovations to an arena that opened in 1992.
Lonzo Ball To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
Lakers guard Lonzo Ball will miss four to six weeks with a grade 3 left ankle sprain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Lakers also confirmed the injury and timetable in a press release.
Ball injured his ankle in Saturday night’s game against the Rockets and needed help getting off the court. While Ball struggled with injuries in his rookie season (he appeared in just 52 games), he had stayed healthy this season up until this point, appearing in all 47 games the Lakers have played.
So far in 2018/19, Ball is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, but continues to struggle with his shot, shooting just 40.6% from the field and 32.9% on 3-pointers.
Rajon Rondo was recently cleared for practice and is nearing a return, which will help a Lakers team that has fallen out of the playoff picture due to LeBron James‘ injury.
Dennis Smith Jr. To Return To Mavericks
Amidst reports of tension in the Mavericks‘ locker room between head coach Rick Carlisle and Dennis Smith Jr. – which led to reports that Smith was being put on the trading block – it appears that tension has subsided.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium is reporting (via Twitter) that Carlisle and Smith spoke on the phone and were able to have productive conversations. Smith will, in turn, report back to the team on Tuesday. Charania also tweeted that Carlisle apologized to Smith and expressed his remorse over the situation.
The Mavericks play the Clippers on Tuesday and the plan is for Smith to play in that game, which will be his first game since January 7.
For the season, Smith is averaging 12.6 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 37.5% on 3-pointers, a significant improvement from last season. While the Mavericks may continue to look for possible trades involving Smith, it appears tensions have calmed down for now.
Poll: Nets’ Playoff Chances
Heading into the 2018/19 season, many expected the Nets to make another jump in the standings as a result of their players developing and the quality depth they added in the offseason. However, there were no expectations that at the halfway point of the season, the Nets would be sitting in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference despite not having their best player available for the past two months.
The Nets are 21-23, which is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they were 8-18 in early December. Instead of focusing on getting the best draft pick possible, Kenny Atkinson continued to believe that his team could turn it around, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Since December 6, the Nets own the league’s 12th-ranked offense and 15th-best defense.
D’Angelo Russell has made strides as a playmaker and scorer, Spencer Dinwiddie is a top candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, and Joe Harris has provided elite shooting and floor-spacing.
Keep in mind that a lot of this recent run by the Nets has come without Allen Crabbe and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, not to mention Caris LeVert. The Nets use their depth and bench to their advantage on a nightly basis, which allows them to stay afloat when injuries strike.
With that being said, many still expect teams like the Pistons and Hornets to improve moving forward, while the Wizards have found new life since John Wall went down for the season. Do the Nets have enough top-end talent to lead them to the playoffs? Or will their strong bench and depth be enough for them to sneak in? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments!
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/13/19
Here are Sunday’s NBA G League assignments and recalls from across the league:
- The Wizards have recalled rookie wing Troy Brown Jr. from their G League affiliate, according to a tweet from the team. Brown has appeared in 21 games so far for the Wizards, averaging just 2.3 points per game.
- The Warriors recalled (via Twitter) rookie guard Jacob Evans from the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team’s G League affiliate. Evans has also appeared in 21 games this season, but is averaging just 4.4 minutes per game.
New York Notes: Knicks, Nets, Dinwiddie, Irving
The Knicks aren’t focused on contending this season, but that doesn’t mean that coach David Fizdale doesn’t have concerns about how his young team is playing. As Zach Braziller writes for The New York Post, Fizdale is frustrated with the lack of defense he is seeing on a nightly basis, and with good reason.
As Braziller points out, the Knicks have allowed at least 109 points in 21 straight games and currently rank 29th in the league with a defensive rating of 113.5, ahead of only the struggling Cavaliers.
Fizdale voiced his concerns regarding the team’s lack of weak side defense and the struggles to adjust defensive schemes. The Knicks may not be focused on the win-loss column, but Fizdale would surely love to see more effort and execution on the defensive end from his young players.
There’s more from the Atlantic division:
- While the Nets currently sit in seventh in the Eastern Conference, Brian Lewis of The New York Post points out that they will have to go through a tough stretch of the schedule in the near future, which will test their playoff chances.
- Speaking of the Nets, they would surely love to see Spencer Dinwiddie snap out of his slump as they enter this stretch of the schedule. As Brian Lewis points out, Dinwiddie is averaging just 11.5 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 35.1% and 16.7% from deep in the past four games, far cries from his season averages.
- Hopeful Knicks fans have certainly enjoyed seeing the frustration being expressed by Kyrie Irving recently. Marc Berman of The New York Post wrote about how the Knicks may be able to take advantage of Irving’s frustrations and the Celtics underachieving so far this season.
Southeast Notes: Huerter, Beal, Prince, Isaac
The Hawks are in the early stages of a rebuild. Having brought in a new coaching staff and with a new focus on player development, it has been very encouraging for the team to see Kevin Huerter break out in recent weeks. After slowly adjusting to the NBA, Huerter has received more playing time as of late and has been productive in his role. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic details Huerter’s recent stretch of play and what it means for the Hawks’ future.
For the season, Huerter is averaging 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while knocking down 38% of his 3-pointers. However, in January the 20-year-old guard is averaging 15 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while playing 38 minutes per contest.
As Huerter continues to develop alongside Trae Young and John Collins, it’s clear that the Hawks have quality young talent to grow and develop for years to come.
There’s more from the Southeast division:
- With Bradley Beal stepping up his performance in recent weeks to lead the Wizards without John Wall, Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington writes about Beal’s place among the best guards in the league.
- As Jonathan Isaac continues to develop and show defensive potential, he has already played in more games than last season, which is a good sign regarding his health and durability. John Denton of the Magic team website details the work that Isaac put in to strengthen his ankles over the summer.
- Speaking of injuries, Taurean Prince has returned from a left ankle sprain that caused him to miss the past 18 games for the Hawks. Prince is averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season.