Warriors’ Kerr On Curry: ‘Got To Get Him Some Rest’
3:37 pm: Curry will sit out Tuesday’s game against the Bucks, Anthony Slater of The Athletic confirms (Twitter link).
10:42 am: After Stephen Curry made just 6-of-21 shots from the floor and turned the ball over a season-high seven times in Monday’s loss to Denver, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, that the star guard is “tired.”
“Steph’s been carrying us for a month,” Kerr said. “He’s been amazing. He’s tired, so we got to get him some rest. Just, you can see it. He doesn’t have his energy right now.”
Curry played some of his best basketball of the season coming out of the All-Star break last month, averaging 30.1 points per game on .521/.437/.963 shooting during a stretch of eight wins in nine games. However, his output lately has been less consistent — in Golden State’s past four games, he has put up 20.8 PPG with a .375/.341/.952 shooting line.
“He’s exhausted right now,” Kerr said. “So we’ve got to absolutely consider giving him a night and getting him rejuvenated for the sake of him and the remainder of our games. But we’ll see. I think he’s been tired the last few games, and so we’ve got to find a way to get him his juice back.”
Kerr said the team would consider “potentially” resting Curry on Tuesday vs. Milwaukee in the second game of a back-to-back set. The Warriors were holding Curry out of one game when they played on consecutive days earlier in the season, but he has appeared in both ends of each of the team’s three most recent back-to-backs.
For his part, the two-time MVP said he feels “fine,” though he admitted that his back has been bothering him since last Thursday. He was listed as questionable before Monday’s game due to a right lower back strain.
“Obviously I didn’t play great at all (vs. Denver), so everybody including Coach is going to try to figure out why,” Curry said. “Mostly the turnovers, dumb plays all night, but I had a really good run. You expect to have a level of consistency and whatnot, so when it doesn’t happen it becomes a question. I feel like (it’s) more so my back I was dealing with the last couple of days, see how that responds tomorrow, but otherwise feel pretty solid.”
Star forward Jimmy Butler, who has been playing a complementary role since arriving in Golden State at the trade deadline, suggested he and the team will make an effort to reduce take some of the pressure off Curry.
“It’s OK to be tired, and that’s on myself and on us as a unit to pick up the slack for him,” Butler said. “Everybody wants to think that he is superhuman. He is not. He is our leader, and we must protect him at all times.”
Wizards’ Kispert Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Out For Season
Wizards wing Corey Kispert will miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after undergoing surgery on Tuesday in New York City to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to the Wizards, Kispert is expected to make a full recovery from the injury – which he sustained in the third quarter on Saturday vs. Denver – prior to the start of next season.
Kispert made 61 appearances off the bench for the Wizards this season, averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 26.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .451/.364/.852. A talented outside shooter, the former Gonzaga standout has knocked down 38.2% of 5.2 three-point attempts per game over the course of his four-year NBA career.
Kispert was one of 11 players to sign a rookie scale extension during the 2024 offseason, having finalized a four-year, $54MM deal that will go into effect in 2025/26. He’s the second of those 11 rookie extension recipients to be ruled out with a season-ending injury in the past 24 hours — Pelicans swingman Trey Murphy sustained a shoulder injury on Monday that will prevent him from suiting up again in ’24/25.
With Kispert sidelined for the rest of the season and Bilal Coulibaly likely in the same boat due to a hamstring injury, there will be more playing time open on the wing in D.C. for players further down on the depth chart.
AJ Johnson, Jaylen Martin, and Colby Jones are among the players who should be in line for increased roles. All three established new career highs in minutes on Monday in Portland with Kispert on the shelf — Johnson played 35 minutes, Martin played 28, and Jones logged 25.
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Popovich, Grizzlies, Jensen
Rockets wing Amen Thompson is making progress in his recovery from an ankle sprain and could return to action as soon as this Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.
“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”
Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
- The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
- Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.
Domantas Sabonis Injures Ankle In Monday’s Win
Playing on Monday for just the second time since returning from a six-game absence due to a hamstring strain, Kings center Domantas Sabonis suffered two new injuries over the course of the team’s win over Memphis and was forced to exit the game early, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee details.
Less than three minutes into the game, Sabonis took an inadvertent shot to the face from Luke Kennard while the Grizzlies guard was battling for defensive position (video link). Sabonis was left with a bloody gash over his left eye and received stitches before returning to the court in the second quarter.
During the first minute of the second half, Sabonis badly turned his right ankle as he drove toward Memphis’ basket, falling to the floor in pain (Twitter video link via Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento). He had to be helped to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the night.
Asked after the game about Sabonis’ status, Kings head coach Doug Christie couldn’t offer any updates, but he said he was “hoping for the best,” a sentiment expressed by the big man’s teammates.
“It sucks,” Zach LaVine said. “Obviously, getting hit in the head early on with the stitches. He gets bumped and bruised because he plays so damn hard. I haven’t been able to talk to him, but Domas wants to be out there as much as anybody.”
“It looked pretty bad,” Malik Monk added. “But Domas (is) strong. He’ll probably be back sooner than we think.”
Another Sabonis absence would obviously be bad news for the 34-33 Kings, who are battling for a playoff spot and currently hold the No. 9 spot in the Western Conference. They’re just 3-6 in games Sabonis has missed this season and have a -3.8 net rating when he’s not on the court (compared to a +3.8 mark when he is).
While it’s less important from a team perspective, it’s worth noting that another extended absence could cost Sabonis a shot at end-of-season award consideration. Sacramento has just 15 games left in the season and the 28-year-old must play at least 20 minutes in seven of those contests to meet the requirements for the 65-game rule. He’s considered a strong candidate for an All-NBA spot.
Bradley Beal Out At Least One Week
Suns guard Bradley Beal will miss at least one week before having his left hamstring strain reevaluated, head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters on Monday night, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Beal exited Sunday’s loss to the Lakers after playing just 15 minutes. The team initially referred to his injury as left hamstring soreness but has since changed the diagnosis to a strain.
The veteran guard subsequently sat out Monday’s blowout win over Toronto and will also miss games on Wednesday vs. Chicago and Friday vs. Cleveland before having his injury reassessed ahead of next Monday’s matchup with Milwaukee.
It has been a challenge for Beal to stay healthy this season. While he has appeared in 48 of Phoenix’s 69 regular season games to this point, the 31-year-old has also missed time over the course of the year due to calf, toe, ankle, knee, and elbow issues.
“I feel bad for Brad,” Budenholzer said on Monday. “We’ve just got to find a way to try to keep him healthy. Hopefully, get him right.”
In his 48 appearances (33 starts), Beal has averaged 17.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game, with a strong shooting line of .505/.395/.813.
Two-way player Collin Gillespie took Beal’s place in the lineup on Monday, making the first start of his NBA career. Gillespie logged 23 minutes on Sunday and 16 on Monday, well above his season average of 8.0 MPG, and appears poised to continue playing a rotation role this week.
Pelicans’ Murphy To Miss Rest Of Season With Shoulder Injury
Pelicans wing Trey Murphy has been diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder, the team announced late on Monday night (via Twitter). Murphy underwent an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
The injury occurred less than one minute into Monday’s blowout loss to Detroit. Murphy had a pass knocked away by Pistons wing Ausar Thompson on the Pelicans’ opening possession and dove on the floor trying to corral the loose ball (video link). He stayed down in obvious pain, grabbing at his shoulder, which was dislocated on the play, per the club.
Murphy will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season as a result of the injury.
The Pelicans are well out of postseason contention at this point, so Murphy’s absence for the final few weeks of the season won’t compromise their ability to contend. Still, it’s the latest setback in what has been a brutal, injury-plagued year for the franchise.
Virtually all of New Orleans’ key players missed significant time as a result of some sort of health issue this season, with Murphy the third starter to suffer a season-ending injury — Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles tendon in late January, while Herbert Jones underwent surgery in February to address a shoulder injury similar to Murphy’s.
The Pelicans didn’t offer any additional updates on Murphy’s treatment plan or recovery timeline, so it’s unclear if and when he’ll undergo surgery and how much time it might take him to get back to 100%. The club stated that further updates will be shared as appropriate.
Although it has been a forgettable season in New Orleans, it was a career year statistically for Murphy, who increased his scoring average to 21.1 points per game while also setting career highs in rebounds (5.1) and assists (3.5) per game. The fourth-year swingman started 51 of the 53 games he played in ’24/25, posting a shooting line of .454/.361/.887.
Murphy signed a four-year, $112MM rookie scale extension with the Pelicans last offseason. That contract will go into effect for the 2025/26 league year.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Hardy, Jones, Rockets, Spurs
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been playing some of his best basketball of the season this month, averaging 31.3 points per game on 52.4% shooting in his past six outings. However, the two-time All-Star continues to be bothered by nagging injuries.
After missing Saturday’s win over Miami due to right shoulder soreness, which has been a recurring issue this season, Morant has been ruled out of the Grizzlies’ contest in Sacramento on Monday due to left hamstring soreness, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It will be the 26th game that Morant missed this season and the fifth time that he has been sidelined for multiple consecutive games.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The banged-up Mavericks could get some injury reinforcements soon, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein has heard that Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Kai Jones (left quad strain) are “in contention” to be activated for Wednesday’s game in Indiana. Hardy and Anthony Davis have been recalled from the G League after being assigned to the Texas Legends earlier today to practice (Twitter link).
- Kelly Iko and Danny Leroux of The Athletic take a closer look at the Rockets‘ cap situation, exploring what the team might do this offseason with Fred VanVleet, whose contract includes a $44.9MM team option for 2025/26. Turning down that option and signing VanVleet to a new multiyear deal with a smaller first-year salary might be in the best interests of the Rockets while also benefiting VanVleet, who is 31 years old and may not have many more chances to earn a significant payday.
- The Spurs will be without their top two players – Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox – for the rest of the season, but acting head coach Mitch Johnson doesn’t intend to use injuries as an excuse as his team has slid down the standings to No. 13 in the West. “I don’t think it’s bad luck. I think it’s the league,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ health issues, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “Twenty-five teams are probably going through this. … Every now and then you have a team that has one of those years and kind of stays healthy, no unexpected circumstances. We have had stuff this year. So have a lot of teams we’ve played. No one cares. No one feels sorry for you.”
Dunn, Ellis Among Impact Role Players Ineligible For All-Defense Consideration
In the wake of Tony Allen‘s jersey retirement ceremony in Memphis, John Hollinger of The Athletic revisits Allen’s six All-Defensive seasons for the Grizzlies and notes that the veteran guard wouldn’t have made All-Defense in five of those six years if the NBA’s current 65-game rule had been in place.
The 65-game rule doesn’t simply require players to appear in at least 65 games to earn end-of-season award consideration — it requires them to reach the 20-minute threshold in at least 63 games and to play 15 or more minutes in two others.
Allen came up short of 65 total games in three of his six All-Defensive seasons and had fewer than 63 games of 20-plus minutes in two additional seasons, despite making more than 65 appearances in each of those two years. His résumé isn’t unique among All-Defensive honorees. As Hollinger points out, the entire All-Defense second team in 2021/22 would have fallen short of the 65-game requirement.
With defensive standouts like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis on track to play fewer than 65 games this season, there could be some spots on this year’s All-Defensive teams up for grabs for less obvious candidates. But a few of the league’s most impactful defensive role players are already ineligible for award consideration.
Hollinger singles out Clippers guard Kris Dunn as a prime example. Dunn leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus and ranks second in the league in steal percentage, behind Dyson Daniels. He also ranks third among qualified players in deflections per 36 minutes and has been a driving force behind a Clippers defense that has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.
Dunn has also played in 60 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed the 65-game minimum, but he has played 20-plus minutes in just 44 of those contests. With only 14 games left in the Clippers’ season, Dunn will fall short of the games-played requirement for award consideration, despite a strong case for All-Defense.
Kings guard Keon Ellis is in the same boat, Hollinger observes. Another player with high marks in categories like defensive box plus-minus, steal percentage, and deflections per 36 minutes, Ellis has appeared in 64 games but reached the 20-minute mark in only 41 of them, so he won’t reach the required minimum either.
Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder‘s best defenders, will need to play 20-plus minutes in 10 of the team’s final 14 games to qualify for award consideration. Rockets wing Amen Thompson, currently sidelined due to an ankle sprain, is still seven 20-minute games shy of the required minimum.
Pistons big man Jalen Duren recently argued that his frontcourt mate Isaiah Stewart deserves a spot on an All-Defensive team, and Fred Katz of The Athletic agreed. However, Stewart has long been ineligible for consideration — he has logged at least 20 minutes in just 24 of his 62 outings this season.
The 65-game rule currently only applies to certain awards. A player doesn’t have to meet the criteria in order to qualify for Rookie of the Year, an All-Rookie team, or Sixth Man of the Year.
In Hollinger’s view, All-Defense should get the same treatment, with the 65-game rule either relaxed or eliminated, since players who receive All-Defensive consideration often play much different roles than players who get votes for awards like MVP and All-NBA.
What do you think? Should the requirements of the 65-game rule apply for All-Defensive candidates? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents.
Anthony Edwards, Coby White Named Players Of The Week
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been named the Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Bulls guard Coby White has won the award for the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the second time in Edwards’ career – and the first time this season – that he has earned Player of the Week honors. He led the Timberwolves to a 3-0 week from March 10-16, as the team defeated Denver, Orlando, and Utah by an average of 17.7 points per game.
During those three games, Edwards averaged 32.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .515/.382/.789. His best outing came against Utah on Sunday when he racked up 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting.
White, who is in his sixth NBA season, had never won a Player of the Week award to this point. He’s being recognized for leading the Bulls to a 2-1 week that included wins over Indiana and Brooklyn, as well as a three-point road loss in Houston.
White averaged 27.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 36.5 minutes per game for the week, making 46.2% of his shots from the floor and 94.1% from the free throw line (16-of-17).
Edwards beat out fellow nominees Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Green, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Ja Morant in the West, while Jarrett Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, and Karl-Anthony Towns were the other nominees in the East, according to the league (Twitter link).
And-Ones: Simmons, Offseason, Trade Trends, RefMasters
It has been over a decade since Clippers guard Ben Simmons last played for Australia in an international tournament, but the former No. 1 overall pick tells Grant Afseth of RG.org that he hopes to take part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if he’s healthy and earns a spot on the Boomers’ roster.
“That’s what I’ve always wanted — to play in the Olympics,” Simmons said. “If I’m healthy and I’m good to go, then I’ll definitely be there.”
Simmons spoke in the past about the possibility of playing in the 2016, 2020, or 2024 Olympics. However, he withdrew in 2016 to prepare for his NBA rookie season and did so again in 2021 to focus on his individual skill development. Ongoing back issues prevented the three-time All-Star from being available for the 2024 event.
In addition to expressing early interest in being part of Australia’s roster for the 2028 Olympics, Simmons voiced his support for Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was named the new head coach of the men’s basketball team last week.
“He’s a great coach and a great person,” Simmons told Afseth. “I’m looking forward to talking to him and getting connected — continue to build our relationship going into the next Olympics.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an entertaining article for Bleacher Report, Eric Pincus looks ahead to the offseason and identifies three possible targets in free agency or via trade for all 30 teams. There’s some overlap along the way — for instance, Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford is considered a potential trade target for the Hawks, Pacers, Lakers, and Raptors.
- Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, NBA insider Jake Fischer examines some trade-related trends that have been created as a result of the new CBA, including an increase in deals involving three or more teams and a reluctance by teams to use their full mid-level exceptions in free agency, since those exceptions can now be used to acquire players via trade. “That will be a new trend,” one team strategist said. “More teams holding their mid-level exception open for the trade deadline.”
- Three years ago, the NBA’s referees released a social and educational app known as RefMasters, which is designed to help improve play calls and to expand the pool of up-and-coming officials. Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic takes a closer look at how it works and what its creators hope to accomplish.