Kyle Anderson Out 2-to-4 Weeks With Ankle Sprain
The Grizzlies have revealed that Kyle Anderson will miss at least 2-to-4 weeks with a grade two left ankle sprain. The team’s PR department sent out a tweet detailing the injury and timetable.
Anderson was one of the main free agency additions for the Grizzlies and had started 38 of the team’s 41 games this season while playing nearly 30 minutes per contest. Anderson joined Memphis as a restricted free agent during the 2018 offseason when the Spurs decided not to match the Grizzlies’ four-year, $37.2MM offer sheet.
Anderson has averaged 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this season. The Grizzlies have struggled in recent weeks, having fallen out of the playoff picture and down toward the bottom of the Western Conference.
Pacific Notes: Green, Ayton, Gilgeous-Alexander
A hot topic during the NBA season so far has been the inconsistent play and effort from the Warriors. Whether it is a result of injuries or struggles from key star players, the Warriors just haven’t played to the best of their abilities during the first half of the regular season. As Monte Poole writes for NBC Sports California, Draymond Green is ultimately the key to the Warriors turning things around and hitting their stride.
Poole writes that Green can look like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate one night, only to produce a pedestrian effort the next game. Green’s offensive struggles are no secret, especially with his inability to hit long-range shots cramping the Warriors’ floor spacing. But Poole believes that Green being fully engaged defensively on a more consistent basis will provide the team with that extra energy to compete at their highest level.
With DeMarcus Cousins set to return in the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how he fits on the floor and what he provides for a Warriors team clearly searching for their competitive edge.
There’s more from the Pacific division:
- At a recent practice, Suns rookie big man Deandre Ayton discussed the fact that he feels the pressure of expectations, mainly as a result of his competitiveness and desire to win.
- After getting off to a very strong start, Clippers‘ rookie guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled in recent weeks as he has hit the “rookie wall.” However, as Andrew Greif points out for The Los Angeles Times, Doc Rivers continues to be impressed with the young guard’s work ethic and understands that he will need more time to get over the hump this season.
- As the Suns have played better in recent weeks, head coach Igor Kokoskov has enjoyed having the ability to tailor and adjust his rotation on a game-to-game basis depending on the energy from his players and that night’s matchup. Katherine Fitzgerald of The Arizona Republic details how the team’s young players and bench depth have improved in recent weeks.
Timberwolves Waive James Nunnally
In the latest move in a busy day for the Timberwolves, the club is waiving guard James Nunnally, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The transaction will happen in advance of Nunnally’s contract guarantee deadline this week.
After playing in Europe for the past two seasons, Nunnally signed with the Timberwolves during free agency, as Minnesota was looking to add players that could space the floor and provide solid defense. However, Nunnally was not a regular part of the rotation and rarely saw the court during his time with the Wolves.
The 28-year-old wing only played 64 minutes this season, averaging 2.1 points per game while knocking down 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers. The emergence of Josh Okogie and the additions of Robert Covington and Dario Saric pushed Nunnally further out of the rotation.
If Nunnally doesn’t catch on with another NBA team right away, a return to the EuroLeague is a viable possibility, given his past success overseas.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/6/19
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Hawks recalled rookie big man Omari Spellman ahead of their Sunday night stint against the Miami Heat, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Spellman has appeared in 23 games for the Hawks this season, averaging 6.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Timberwolves Fire Tom Thibodeau
The Timberwolves have fired Tom Thibodeau as their head coach and president of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (via Twitter). After dealing with the Jimmy Butler fiasco, the Timberwolves currently sit at 19-21 and are on the outside looking in on the Western Conference playoff picture.
Krawczynski is also reporting that Ryan Saunders will take over as head coach on an interim basis while Scott Layden will still serve as the team’s general manager.
Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that Fred Hoiberg is a serious candidate to become the team’s GM or coach. Hoiberg previously served as the Timberwolves’ assistant GM before leaving to be the head coach at Iowa State University. Wojnarowski also believes that Monty Williams may emerge as a serious candidate for the coaching position due to previous interest that the Timberwolves had in bringing Williams in as head coach.
Team owner Glen Taylor spoke to the media about the decision to fire Thibodeau, stating that “we’ve gone up through halfway through the season and I don’t think we’re where we thought we would be or where we think we should be.” Taylor also expressed a desire to make the playoffs, believing that making such a change with half the season left may give the Wolves a chance to do so.
In two and a half seasons with the Timberwolves, Thibodeau had a 96-107 regular season record, leading the club to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2004. However, his decision to acquire Butler from his old team in Chicago ultimately led to his downfall. Although the All-NBA swingman helped Minnesota win 47 games in 2017/18, his offseason trade request – and Thibodeau’s initial reluctance to grant that request – created several weeks of drama within the organization and didn’t reflect well on Thibs.
Thibodeau’s firing represents a continuation of a trend in the NBA’s head coaching ranks. Within the last two years, four head coaches who held president of basketball operations titles within their respective organizations have had those responsibilities removed or have been fired altogether. Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), Doc Rivers (Clippers), and Stan Van Gundy (Pistons) were the others. Gregg Popovich of the Spurs is now the only NBA head coach who is also his team’s head of basketball operations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Carroll, Brown, Rozier, Hezonja
The Nets have been surging in recent weeks, and the team’s hot streak has coincided with strong play from DeMarre Carroll, who is finally gaining comfort after returning from ankle surgery on November 9. As Brian Lewis writes for The New York Post, Carroll has been providing stellar and consistent play off the bench, averaging nearly 17 points and 6 rebounds per game in his last five contests, while knocking down 50% of his 3-pointers.
Carroll’s turnaround couldn’t have come at a better time for the Nets, who are missing Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allen Crabbe and Caris LeVert due to injuries.
Coming into the season, Carroll was expected to play a key role for the Nets as a small-ball power forward. Due to his injury and early struggles this season, he lost that role and has had to work to regain it. Now he is a key cog on the Nets’ bench unit, which is one of the best in the league.
There’s more from the Atlantic division:
- After getting off to a rough start this season, Jaylen Brown has stepped up his play in recent games for the Celtics. As Sherrod Blakely points out for NBC Sports Boston, Brown has finally started to hit shots in recent games and has resembled the player he was last season on a more consistent basis.
- Speaking of struggling Celtics, Terry Rozier continues to navigate his smaller role now that the team is healthy. As Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald points out, Rozier is struggling with accepting the smaller role for the good of the team versus constricting his career to being a backup point guard.
- In their recent win over the Lakers, the Knicks received strong contributions from Mario Hezonja. However, as Marc Berman writes for The New York Post, Hezonja and Enes Kanter are two parts of the Knicks’ rotation that have seen their roles decrease significantly in recent weeks as their future with the team is in question.
Cavaliers Sign Cameron Payne To 10-Day Contract
5:25pm: The signing is now official, the Cavs announced in a press release.
4:33pm: After releasing Patrick McCaw earlier in the day, the Cavaliers will sign point guard Cameron Payne to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Payne was most recently with the Bulls, as he was traded to Chicago during the 2016/17 season. Unfortunately, Payne struggled with injuries, as he only appeared in 67 games for the Bulls since that 2017 trade. For his career, Payne has averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 32.9% from beyond the arc.
This appears to be another tryout for Payne to latch on to an NBA roster, but he will likely be behind both Collin Sexton and Matthew Dellavedova in the rotation.
76ers Release Demetrius Jackson
The Sixers are waiving point guard Demetrius Jackson, who was on a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Charania, Jackson will go on to sign a contract to play in China. The 76ers have also confirmed the move, per a press release from the team.
Jackson appeared in six games for the 76ers this season, averaging 3.7 points per game while shooting 33.3 percent on 3-pointers. Jackson has bounced around the league since he was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft. His most notable stop was with the Rockets last season, in which he played in 12 games but struggled to hit shots.
The 76ers will likely look to fill that two-way spot as they continue to figure out the depth and rotation behind their big three of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid.
Poll: Pelicans’ Playoff Chances
Coming off of a strong 48-win season and Western Conference Semifinals appearance, the Pelicans were widely expected to build on that success with a roster that, while flawed, played to the team’s strengths and style of play. Adding Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle around the core of Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic and Anthony Davis appeared to be solid moves on the surface, but injuries and poor play in close games have plagued the Pelicans so far.
The Pelicans currently sit at 16-21, good for 14th in the Western Conference. Payton has only played in six games so far, while Mirotic has missed significant time with an ankle injury, appearing in just 25 games. While Holiday, Davis and Randle have stayed healthy, the team’s lack of point guard and wing options have hampered their play.
What’s more troubling is that the Pelicans are 6-14 in clutch games, with an 87.2 offensive rating and 110.1 defensive rating in such situations. Their -22.9 net rating in the clutch is 29th in the league, behind only the Cavaliers. This is in stark contrast to last season, when the Pelicans went 30-20 in clutch games while posting a +8.2 net rating.
While many consider Davis to be an MVP candidate, he can only do so much with this current roster, despite having Holiday and Randle alongside him. The Pelicans have been one of the best offensive teams in the league (they currently own the league’s fourth ranked offense), but have been plagued by their 26th-ranked defense.
With that being said, the Pelicans are still just four games out of the playoff picture at the moment, with the surprising Kings holding down the eighth seed. There is certainly time for the Pelicans to turn things around just enough to squeeze into the playoffs, especially if they can stay healthy and/or make a trade to bolster the team’s depth in the backcourt or on the wing.
How do you feel about the Pelicans’ playoff chances? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments section!
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/18
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Hornets announced on Twitter that Dwayne Bacon has been assigned to their G League affiliate in Greensboro. Bacon has appeared in 17 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 5.5 points per game.
- The Rockets have recalled Brandon Knight from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets are thin in the backcourt as a result of injuries to Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.
- The Hawks have assigned rookie forward Omari Spellman to the Erie Bayhawks and have also transferred Alex Poythress to the Bayhawks, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- The Lakers have recalled Svi Mykhailiuk, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga from the South Bay Lakers, according to a tweet from the team’s G League affiliate.
- The Warriors have assigned rookie wing Jacob Evans to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a tweet and press release from the team’s PR department.