Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Spurs, Simmons, Turner, Mavericks
Even though the Pelicans have started the season with a disappointing 8-20 record, head coach Willie Green has noticed plenty of improvement since opening night, Christian Clark of Nola.com writes.
New Orleans is 5-5 in its last 10 games, which includes a 109-93 home victory over Detroit on Friday. The team has been playing without star forward Zion Williamson due to his foot rehab.
“One of the things that I look at is our assists,” Green said. “How much we’re moving the ball. How much we’re sharing the ball. In our wins, we do a good job of just moving the ball … Some of our losses, we get a little stagnant. But in some of our losses, it comes down to making shots. I do see a lot of improvement, which is the key.”
There’s more out of the Southwest Division today:
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich credited his team’s recent success to having a healthy starting lineup, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Nevertheless, the team holds just a 9-15 record, good for fourth-worst in the Western Conference.
- Ben Simmons would welcome the chance to play for Popovich if the Spurs could acquire him, Marc Stein of Substack writes. As we previously relayed, momentum is building toward Simmons being traded, but the Sixers still want an All-Star talent for him. Simmons has yet to play this season as he waits for the team to move him.
- The Mavericks would boost their defense and frontcourt production by trading for Pacers center Myles Turner, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News writes. Indiana is reportedly open to trading Turner, and the 25-year-old is seeking clarity on his role with the team. Dallas has lost seven of its last 10 games and owns a 12-13 record.
Zion Williamson Suffers Setback In Rehab
Pelicans star Zion Williamson continues to experience soreness in his surgically-repaired right foot, the team announced in an injury update today. As a result, his training intensity will be reduced for an extended period in order to help his bone heal.
Williamson, 21, underwent foot surgery last offseason and his bone hasn’t healed like the team expected it would. Medical imaging showed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal, the team said.
The Pelicans cleared Williamson to participate in full team activities on November 26, which included playing in four-on-four games. However, the Duke product started to experience soreness just over a week later, delaying his potential in-game return.
New Orleans (8-20) has played all 28 of its games without Williamson this season. In 61 outings last season, Williamson averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 33.2 minutes per contest, shooting 61% from the floor.
Heat Notes: Robinson, Martin, Dedmon, Okpala
Despite his shooting percentages decreasing so far this season, Heat swingman Duncan Robinson is still vital to the team’s offensive gameplan, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
As Chiang notes, Robinson has made just 33% of his threes, but his impact goes far beyond the accuracy. Since he shot 45% in 2019/20 and 41% in 2020/21, teams fear his ability to hit outside shots, which opens up driving lanes and spreads the floor for other players.
“He doesn’t have to make shots,” teammate Max Strus explained. “Obviously, he wants to shoot better. But just him being on the floor spaces the floor so much for us because guys aren’t going to help off of him.
“He has the reputation, everybody knows how good of a shooter he is. So guys aren’t going to help. He opens up so much floor space and when he’s in actions as a trigger, he creates so much for our offense because guys overreact to everything. He’s really valuable out on the floor at all times.”
In addition to his ability to spread the floor, Robinson’s durability has been commended by Heat officials. According to Chiang, the forward is on track to play in his 174th consecutive game on Saturday against Chicago, which would tie a franchise record set by Glen Rice in 1994.
Here are some other notes out of Miami:
- Caleb Martin is proving to be a “slam dunk” bargain, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinal writes. Martin has been one of the league’s best players on a two-way contract this season. Most recently, he pitched in 28 points, eight rebounds and two blocks during the team’s 113-104 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday.
- In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman examines whether the Heat are getting enough out of backup center Dewayne Dedmon. The 32-year-old has been starting in place of Bam Adebayo (torn UCL). In 26 games, he’s averaged 5.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 15.6 minutes.
- KZ Okpala impressed coaches and teammates alike with his performance against the Bucks, Chiang writes for the Miami Herald. Okpala recorded 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench, allowing Miami to play small with P.J. Tucker at center for various parts of the game.
Southwest Notes: Kidd, Doncic, Valanciunas, Bane, Murray
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes Luka Doncic would benefit from focusing less on the officiating, Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes. Doncic frequently holds discussions with the referees, taking his attention away from other on-court matters.
“I would lean toward playing 5-on-5 a bit more,” Kidd explained. “You’re not going to get any calls. Officials, they tend to not stop the game to change calls. You have to understand there’s a point in time in games — dead balls — to be able to talk to officials.
“While the game is going on, transition defense is one of the things we’ve talked about that we have to get better. If we’re lobbying for calls during live play, it puts us in harm’s way. … Just some things have got to be a little bit more important. I think we’re going to get better at understanding as a team when to talk to officials. Not just Luka.”
As MacMahon notes, Doncic agreed with his coach’s advice. The Mavericks are just 11-11 and have lost seven of their last nine games.
There’s more from the Southwest Division tonight:
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com examines why Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas has worked to expand his range. Valanciunas has made 30 of his 65 three-point attempts (46%) this season, good for one of the league’s best clips. The most threes he has ever made in a season is 32 (in 2019/20). “The big guy is evolving by being able to stretch the floor and shoot the 3,” Valanciunas said. “Being able to handle the ball. Those things, I wanted to add to my game as well. I don’t want to disappear. I want to be successful in this league. Whatever it takes to be successful.”
- Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane recorded 29 points and nine rebounds to help defeat the Mavericks on Saturday. After the contest, Bane reflected on the Mavericks passing over him in the 2020 draft, as relayed by Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News. “I mean, Josh Green was drafted in front of me,” Bane said. “I don’t know if he played tonight, but that’s on them. That’s not on me.”
- Spurs guard Dejounte Murray is taking a leap with the franchise this season, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Murray is averaging a career-high 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game, shooting 45% from the floor.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Lillard, Finch, Rockets
Now that the Trail Blazers have fired general manager and president of basketball operations Neil Olshey, Dan Devine of The Ringer wonders if the move will jump-start the process of Damian Lillard asking for a trade.
Olshey’s firing came less than 24 hours after Portland lost to San Antonio 114-83, but the team clarified that he violated the franchise’s code of conduct. The decision came following a month-long investigation into complaints that Olshey had created a toxic work environment.
On the court, Portland’s product hasn’t been much better. The team has struggled defensively and is a mediocre 11-13, allowing 145 points to Boston in its most recent loss.
“My biggest concern at the moment is I want us to compete harder,” head coach Chauncey Billups said after the San Antonio game, as relayed by Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I want us to be more competitive in every game. And I don’t feel like every night we do that. And that concerns me.”
Here are some other notes from the Northwest Division:
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Quick examines what could be next for the Trail Blazers. Portland, having promoted director of player personnel Joe Cronin to interim GM after firing Olshey, has upcoming games against the Clippers on Monday and Warriors on Wednesday, followed by a four-game homestand.
- The National Basketball Coaches Association and president coach Rick Carlisle apologized to Timberwolves coach Chris Finch for a statement that was released when he was hired this year, as relayed by Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The statement accused the Wolves of not conducting a thorough and diverse search for a head coach. “We apologized to Chris for that,” Carlisle said. “That wasn’t fair to him. It was no reflection on who he is as a person, coach or anything like that. This summer we got a chance to talk to him about it when we met as an association. It’s pretty clear why he got the job. I’m really happy for him.”
- The Rockets currently hold the league’s longest win streak at five games, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. Head coach Stephen Silas admitted the streak is good for the team’s confidence, especially when the club had lost 16 of its previous 17 games. “It feels good, especially considering where we came from, but there’s been some things that led to it and it’s more about those things that led to it than the actual results,” he said as part of a larger quote.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Hield, Wainright, Davis, Bagley III
Following a strong start to the season, the Clippers have lost seven of their last 10 games and currently own a 12-12 record. Los Angeles has seen good and bad moments this year, but head coach Tyronn Lue believes the team can still improve its play-making, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes.
“We had the plays that were there to be made,” Lue said after the team lost 104-99 to Sacramento on Saturday. “We just didn’t make them.”
Los Angeles, playing without Kawhi Leonard (torn ACL rehab), hoped to address its play-making issues by re-signing Reggie Jackson and acquiring Eric Bledsoe this past summer. Nevertheless, the franchise clearly has some work to do if it hopes to make the playoffs for a fourth straight season.
There’s more from the Pacific Division tonight:
- James Ham of The Kings Beat examines whether the Kings can survive the Buddy Hield experience. Hield, who’s averaging 15.9 points on 39% shooting this season, has played noticeably better during the team’s wins and worse during its losses.
- The Suns‘ packed early-season schedule and injuries prompted head coach Monty Williams to give Ishmail Wainright a little playing time, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (video link). Williams hadn’t planned on giving players on two-way contracts minutes entering the season.
- The Kings defeated the Clippers in its most recent game behind strong performances from Terence Davis and Marvin Bagley III, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. Davis finished with 28 points and four rebounds (6-of-11 from deep), while Bagley recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in just under 20 minutes off the bench.
Eastern Notes: Avdija, Heat, Pacers, Nash
Wizards forward Deni Avdija is emerging as a reliable shot-blocker for the team, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Avdija doesn’t have a reputation as a rim protector, but has recorded 18 blocks in 20 games, surprising even himself.
“Wow,” Avdija said. “I’m just taking pride, to be honest with you. I’m stepping onto the court, trying to guard the best guys, trying to help the team to really protect the paint.”
As Hughes notes, Avdija recorded just 15 blocks in the 54 games he played last season. Washington has harped about the importance of playing better defense this season, a philosophy that Avdija and his teammates have bought into. The team ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference at 14-9.
Here are some other notes from the East:
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat could be in danger of burning out their veterans. Players such as Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker and Dewayne Dedmon have been tasked with carrying bigger workloads in the absences of Jimmy Butler (tailbone), Bam Adebayo (thumb) and others.
- The Pacers are hitting the reset button after losing four straight games, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star writes. Indiana lost to Miami on Friday 113-104, had an off day Saturday, then had an intense practice on Sunday. “I thought we had a great practice (Sunday),” Malcolm Brogdon said. “It was honestly like a training camp practice. We went hard (Sunday), and I think that’s what we needed. We just gotta come out and compete, man. We gotta play with desperation on a high level.”
- Nets head coach Steve Nash believes the Eastern Conference is as deep as it’s ever been, Peter Botte of the New York Post writes. In addition to Brooklyn, the East has the defending-champion Bucks, the wild-card Heat and several other teams that could compete for a championship. “The simple answer is it’s about as strong as the East has been for a long time,” Nash said after his team lost to the Bulls on Saturday. “There aren’t any ‘gimmes,’ so to speak. The West is terrific and has some great teams at the top, but the East is deep. Every night, it seems like a battle. I think it’s good for the balance of the league and for this kind of depth and parity. It feels like since the ’90s, we haven’t seen that, but it’s been exciting to see such a competitive Eastern Conference so far.”
Southwest Notes: Morant, Doncic, Williamson, Jones
Grizzlies star Ja Morant is making progress in his rehab from a left knee sprain, but his timeline for a return still hasn’t changed, according to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant suffered the injury against the Hawks on November 26.
“He’s been responding really well to the treatments, the lift sessions that he’s had and we’re sprinkling in just small doses of on-court work just to make sure his knee’s moving and seeing how he’s responding day to day,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said.
As we previously relayed, Jenkins said Morant would miss multiple weeks. Prior to injuring his knee, the 22-year-old was averaging a career-high 24.1 points per game in 19 contests. Memphis has still managed to win all three of its games without him, including a record 73-point victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) will miss Saturday’s contest against the Grizzlies, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Joining him will be Kristaps Porzingis (left knee contusion) and Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons). Dallas is just 4-6 in its last 10 games.
- Andrew Lopez of ESPN examines whether the return of Zion Williamson can stabilize the Pelicans‘ season. Williamson (foot surgery rehab) has yet to play this season, leading to New Orleans accruing the third-worst record in the West at 7-18. In 61 games last season, he averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 33.2 minutes on 61% shooting.
- Pelicans second-round pick Herb Jones has become one of the league’s best young defenders, William Guillory of The Athletic opines. Jones was drafted by New Orleans in July after spending four seasons at Alabama. “To be great on defense, you have to really want it,” he explained. “You have to play with a different kind of aggression, a different kind of desire. I take pride in always being the guy who’s ready to lay it all out there for my teammates. That’s what I care about the most.”
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Tatum, Fournier, Randle
Following Sunday’s loss against the Nuggets, the Knicks are now 11-12, giving them the 11th-best record in the Eastern Conference and putting them 5.5 games behind first place. After finishing last season fourth in the conference, the team’s sudden mediocrity is puzzling, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post contends.
“We have to understand we have to be more consistent and get guys healthy,” Julius Randle said, clearly not deterred by his team’s underwhelming start to the season. “But we’ll be fine. A great run could put us at the top of the East in two weeks. We just have to have a sense of urgency.”
New York signed Kemba Walker to a two-year, $18MM deal in free agency, but head coach Tom Thibodeau recently pulled him from the rotation. Walker struggled defensively and the starting lineup had noticeable chemistry issues. The team has since started Alec Burks in his place, choosing to keep Derrick Rose in his role off the bench.
Here are some other notes from the Atlantic:
- Celtics star Jayson Tatum dismissed the notion that he’s been playing selfish basketball, Jay King of The Athletic writes. A recent ESPN story from Tim Bontemps quoted an anonymous assistant coach who questioned how bad Tatum wants to win. “I laughed,” Tatum said when asked about the topic. “I think when people get upset or you get a reaction out of somebody, it’s probably because they feel like it’s kind of true. But I just laughed because I know it’s not true. I know my teammates, my coaches, anybody I’ve ever been around, selfish is the last thing.”
- The Knicks will need energy from Evan Fournier to help turn their season around, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Fournier, who signed a multi-year contract to join the team in free agency, has started in all 23 games this season. He’s coming off a campaign where he averaged 17.1 points per game, splitting time between Orlando and Boston.
- Speaking of Fournier, Peter Botte of the New York Post examines the recent disagreement between him and Randle that was caught on camera. The Knicks teammates engaged in a heated debate before halftime of the club’s loss to Chicago on Thursday. “It was a disagreement over I think the last defensive play about the double [team] and the rebounding,” Fournier said. “It was just frustration. But I think the key was it was communicating.”
Southeast Notes: Anthony, Yurtseven, Dedmon, Hornets
Magic guard Cole Anthony is an early-season candidate for Most Improved Player, Josh Cohen of NBA.com writes. Anthony is averaging 20.2 points and 6.0 assists per game on 43% shooting from the floor, up from last season’s averages of 12.9 points, 4.1 assists and 40% shooting.
“I think it is a reflection of his work ethic,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It’s a reflection of his confidence, and it’s also the confidence that his teammates have in him to be willing to take those shots.
“But again, you also have a group of guys on the floor that are willing to take shots, That’s what we’ve created and it’s the equalness of each guy willing to want to step in to be able to make the big play, so whoever it is they’re willing to have their number called and step in and make a play.”
Anthony is averaging 34.4 minutes per game (compared to 27.1 MPG in 2020/21), but his shooting marks have also improved across the board. The Magic drafted the 21-year-old with the No. 15 pick in 2020.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Heat rookie Omer Yurtseven stepped up in the absence of Bam Adebayo against the Pacers on Friday, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. Yurtseven received a season-high 19 minutes, recording 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. His production allowed P.J. Tucker to remain at power forward for most of the contest.
- Heat center Dewayne Dedmon is prepared to continue starting until Adebayo returns, Winderman writes in a separate article for the Sun Sentinel. Dedmon registered a team-high +11 net rating against Indiana. Despite losing by 26 to Cleveland two days prior, the team still managed to outscore the Cavs by two points in the 31 minutes Dedmon played.
- The Hornets are recalling Kai Jones, James Bouknight and Vernon Carey Jr. from the team’s G League affiliate, according to Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Boone also notes in a separate tweet that two-way players Arnoldas Kulboka and Scottie Lewis are being recalled. As we previously relayed, Charlotte is missing four players due to the health and safety protocols.