Cavaliers Notes: Allen, LeVert, Mobley, Playoffs
The right eye contusion that sidelined Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen for four games still hasn’t fully healed, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, the big man was able to return to action on Tuesday in Brooklyn and was effective against his former team in his first game back, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in 35 minutes.
“It’s better,” Allen said of his eye injury. “Not 100 percent. But doctors said it was good to go and good to play and it won’t get worse, so I trust the team and was ready to go again.”
According to Fedor, Allen said before the game that he’s still experiencing some blurriness, which is expected to persist for at least a couple more weeks, but he joked that he’s “not seeing three rims.” While the 24-year-old will likely continue receiving treatment through the end of the month, he’s just relieved that the injury wasn’t as serious as it could have been.
“I think everybody thought it was going to be worse,” Allen said. “The pain I felt was immense. I didn’t know what to expect from it but glad it turned out how it did. … Nothing severely structural was wrong. I can deal with the pain. I can deal with the days of recovery. I just know that my future is stable in terms of my eye.”
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- Cavaliers wing Caris LeVert struggled last month after being at the center of trade rumors leading up to the Feb. 9 deadline, but has bounced back nicely in March, scoring at least 15 points in each of his last six games with a scorching hot .514 3PT% during that time. In a pair of articles for Cleveland.com, Fedor takes a closer look at LeVert’s role and his “unsung” contributions, and suggests that the Cavs have interest in signing the 28-year-old to a multiyear deal when he reaches free agency this summer.
- Evan Mobley is taking the second-year leap that the Cavaliers were hoping for, Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. Since one of his worst outings of the season against Phoenix on January 4, Mobley has raised his game to a new level, emerging as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and averaging more than 18 points per game. “It’s hard to say and put a number on it or quantify it, but I think he is a much better basketball player now than he was even in October or December,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think people get hung up a lot on the numbers. You can watch it. If you’ve got a feel for the game, you see where he can impact the game in the way that he does. Now for the naked eye, he’s throwing numbers to go along with it.”
- Although Fedor recently stated in a Cleveland.com mailbag that Brooklyn is the Cavaliers’ preferred first-round playoff opponent, the outcome of Tuesday’s game made that matchup a longer shot. While the Cavs appear pretty locked into the East’s No. 4 seed (they’re 3.5 games from the next-closest team in either direction), the Nets now trail the No. 5 Knicks by 2.5 games following Tuesday’s loss to Cleveland.
UCF’s Taylor Hendricks Declares For 2023 NBA Draft
UCF forward Taylor Hendricks has decided to declare for the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. He has signed with agent Raymond Brothers, the president of Roc Nation Sports’ basketball division.
A freshman in 2022/23, Hendricks averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in 34 appearances (34.7 MPG) for UCF. He also posted a solid shooting line of .478/.394/.782 during his first and only college season.
As Givony observes, Hendrick wasn’t considered a top-50 player in his high school recruiting class, but has emerged as a potential lottery pick due to his strong year at UCF. He’s currently the No. 12 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2023.
According to Givony, NBA scouts have been impressed by Hendricks’ ability to make outside shots and his defensive versatility, as well as his “high-level intensity.” Teams are also optimistic about his potential to adjust to the next level due to the fact that he can be productive and efficient without needing plays called for him, Givony adds.
For his part, Hendricks doesn’t sound like he’s sweating whether or not he’ll be selected in the lottery — or perhaps even the top 10.
“It doesn’t matter where I’m drafted,” Hendricks said. “I’ll be there for a reason. I will make the best of any situation.”
Southwest Notes: Graham, Irving, Brooks, Rockets
When the Spurs acquired Devonte’ Graham from New Orleans in exchange for Josh Richardson at last month’s trade deadline, it was the four second-round picks attached to Graham that represented the main draw of the deal. With that in mind, it’s probably safe to assume Graham will be back on the trade block this summer, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
Still, given that Graham’s trade value may be limited and the Spurs won’t move him just to move him, the most likely scenario, in McDonald’s view, is that the veteran guard remains with the club for the 2023/24 season. Graham, who is owed $12.1MM next season and has a small partial guarantee on his $12.65MM cap hit for ’24/25, sounds like he’d welcome a full year in San Antonio.
“No complaints,” Graham said of his time with the Spurs so far. “It’s a great group of guys, great coaching staff. Obviously the fans have been amazing supporting me since I’ve been traded. It’s been an easy transition for me, honestly.”
Graham went on to say that he loves playing for Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and has appreciated the opportunity to take on an increased role since the trade. He was averaging just 15.3 minutes per night in 53 games with New Orleans, but has played 28.2 MPG in 13 games since arriving in San Antonio. He’s averaging 15.5 PPG and 4.6 APG on .408/.389/.800 shooting for his new team.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Looking ahead to Kyrie Irving‘s upcoming free agency, Marc Stein writes on his Substack that the early indications in Dallas suggest a multiyear deal for the talented point guard is “certainly feasible.” Stein views the Mavericks‘ negotiating position as “less than ideal,” given how much the club gave up at the trade deadline to land Irving.
- After picking up his 18th technical foul of the regular season and earning another automatic one-game suspension, Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks acknowledged that he needs to stop accumulating techs at such a rapid rate, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I’ve got to tone it down and get back to my mindfulness practice and find ways to channel it better,” Brooks said. A player’s technical foul count resets when the postseason begins, but seven playoff techs would result in a one-game suspension.
- Kelly Iko and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic take a closer look at the progress some of the Rockets‘ young players have made this season and explore how the team will approach this year’s draft. According to Vecenie, if Houston gets the No. 2 pick, Scoot Henderson would be a better fit for the current roster than Brandon Miller. If their pick lands outside of the top three, the Rockets should either shop it or take a shot on a high-upside player in the next tier, says Vecenie.
Wolves’ Towns, Edwards Could Return As Soon As Wednesday
4:38pm: Towns and Edwards are listed as questionable to play on Wednesday, the team’s PR department tweets.
9:26am: There’s optimism that major reinforcements could be coming to the Timberwolves‘ lineup as soon as Wednesday, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). There’s a chance that both Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards could be back in action for that night’s contest vs. Atlanta, sources tell Charania.
As we relayed on Monday, head coach Chris Finch said that Towns’ return from a calf strain that has sidelined him since November 28 was “really, really close,” while president of basketball operations Tim Connelly classified KAT’s return as “imminent.” Charania’s reporting lines up with those statements.
As for Edwards, he has missed a couple games due to an ankle sprain that he sustained on Friday. However, he was initially listed as questionable for both of those contests before being ruled out, which was a signal that the sprain wasn’t as significant as feared. Finch said on Monday that the team was still evaluating Edwards’ “pain tolerance, range of movement, (and) stability,” noting that the 21-year-old “never thinks he’s hurt” and wants to be playing.
The 36-37 Timberwolves are right in the middle of a congested playoff race in the Western Conference. Currently the No. 8 seed, they’re only one game back of the No. 6 Warriors but also only have a one-game cushion on the No. 12 Pelicans. Obviously, getting Towns and Edwards back in their lineup would give the Wolves some additional firepower for the home stretch of the regular season.
Given that Towns has missed nearly four months of action and was still going through some growing pains alongside center Rudy Gobert in the early part of the season, it will be interesting to see how the Wolves handle his role when he returns. It’s a safe bet that Edwards will immediately return to the starting five once he’s cleared to play.
Jazz Notes: Agbaji, Kessler, Azubuike, Dunn, Markkanen
The Jazz traded away two stars (Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell) and two full-time starters (Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O’Neale) last summer, then moved their starting point guard (Mike Conley) and two key rotation players (Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt) prior to February’s trade deadline. However, the team still seems incapable of tanking, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
As Tony Jones of The Athletic points out, Talen Horton-Tucker, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agbaji started alongside Walker Kessler and Kelly Olynyk on Monday night vs. Sacramento, while Kris Dunn, Rudy Gay, Udoka Azubuike, Johnny Juzang, and Juan Toscano-Anderson played rotation minutes off the bench. Somehow, the Jazz still secured a win over one of the Western Conference’s best teams, defeating the Kings 128-120.
Utah’s 35-36 record may look average, but this year’s team has been special, argues Jones. Both he and Larsen liken the Jazz to the Cleveland Indians in the movie ‘Major League,’ noting that both clubs got contributions from unlikely sources and far exceeded expectations.
On Monday, it was Agbaji who stepped up and scored a career-high 27 points, which was a sign of how far he’s come since the first couple months of the season, Jones writes. In his first 17 NBA games, the No. 14 overall pick made just 21.7% of his three-pointers and didn’t have a double-digit scoring night, but he has since knocked down 41.0% of his attempts from beyond the arc and is showing off the potential that made him a lottery pick.
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- As Larsen outlines, while rookie center Walker Kessler still has room for improvement, he already ranks among the league’s best rim protectors based on NBA.com’s data. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaren Jackson Jr. have held opponents to lower field goal percentages on shots within 10 feet of the basket.
- Monday’s victory exemplified one of head coach Will Hardy‘s favorite traits of this year’s Jazz team, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “The thing I continue to be most proud of with this team is that every night it just seems like different people continue to step up and continue to use the opportunities that are given to them to try to contribute to winning,” Hardy said. That sentiment applied on Monday to a handful of players, including Udoka Azubuike, whose 18 minutes were the most he’s played in a game this season. Azubuike’s 13 points (on 6-of-6 shooting) represented a career high for the third-year center.
- Former Bulls teammate Lauri Markkanen and Hardy are among those thrilled to see Kris Dunn make good on his 10-day deals with the Jazz and earn a rest-of-season contract, Walden writes for The Salt Lake Tribune. Hardy lauded Dunn for his presence in the locker room and said he has been impressed by the offensive growth the former No. 5 overall pick has shown. “It’s a constant reminder for me that a goal for me as a coach would be to never judge a player too early,” Hardy said. “Kris has shown the ability to get better. And … I think he can continue to get better. Kris is in no way at his ceiling right now.”
- The back injury that sidelined Markkanen on Monday is one that has been nagging him since he first injured it on March 3 in Oklahoma City, per Hardy (Twitter link via Larsen). Markkanen only missed one game at that time before returning to action. “(It) can flare up, especially playing a lot of minutes and playing against physical teams like Boston,” Hardy said. “Ultimately, it’s on us to make a decision on what’s best for his health.”
Former Knicks Star Willis Reed Passes Away
Former Knicks star Willis Reed died on Tuesday at age 80, according to reports from veteran NBA writer Peter Vecsey (Twitter link) and Don Burke of The New York Post. Reed was battling congestive heart problems during the past year, per Vescey.
A member of the Knicks from 1964-74, Reed earned seven All-Star nods over the course of his career and was named the Rookie of the Year in 1965 and the NBA MVP in 1970. He won titles with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973, earning Finals MVP honors in both instances.
Reed appeared in a total of 650 regular season NBA games, averaging 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per night. He also played in 78 postseason contests, posting 17.4 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 33.9 MPG. The big man was named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
Reed, who was the first Knick to have his jersey number retired and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, is perhaps best known for Game 7 of the 1970 Finals.
After missing Game 6 due to a significant thigh injury, Reed unexpectedly hobbled out of the tunnel onto the court at Madison Square Garden in uniform before the start of Game 7. He scored the Knicks’ first two baskets and logged 27 minutes in the championship-clinching game.
Following the end of his playing career, Reed served as a coach and a front office executive for multiple NBA franchises, including the Knicks (as a head coach in 1977/78). He retired from his role as the New Orleans Hornets’ vice president of basketball operations in 2007.
Our condolences go out to Reed’s family and friends.
Injury Notes: S. Barnes, Kuzma, J. Johnson, J. Allen
An MRI on Scottie Barnes‘ left wrist came back clean, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). However, the wrist – which the Raptors forward injured during Sunday’s loss in Milwaukee – is still sore and will likely undergo more testing, Lewenberg adds. For now, Barnes is considered day-to-day, and Lewenberg believes he’ll likely be listed as questionable to play on Wednesday vs. Indiana after not practicing on Tuesday.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest in Orlando due to a right ankle sprain, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. It will be the third time in the last four games that Washington will be without either Kuzma or Kristaps Porzingis.
- Following an MRI, Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was diagnosed with a mild hamstring and groin strain, a league source tells Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). According to Williams, Johnson will be reevaluated early next week.
- Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, who has been out for four games due to a right eye contusion, is nearing a return. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Allen was a full participant in Monday’s practice and has a chance to play on Tuesday. He’s currently listed as questionable.
- After missing four games due to a right ankle sprain, Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin returned to action on Monday, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star details. Mathurin showed no ill effects following the brief layoff, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Noncommittal On Long-Term Plans
Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is under contract through the 2023/24 season, meaning he could reach unrestricted free agency in a little over 15 months. Asked by Logan Murdock of The Ringer if he wants to remain in Boston for the long time, Brown didn’t exactly commit one way or the other.
“I don’t know. As long as I’m needed. It’s not up to me,” Brown said. “We’ll see how they feel about me over time and I feel about them over time. Hopefully, whatever it is, it makes sense. But I will stay where I’m wanted. I will stay where I’m needed and treated correct.”
Brown would be eligible to sign a contract extension anytime during the 2023/24 league year, starting in July. However, because he’s earning well below his maximum salary and would be limited to a 20% raise in the first year of a veteran extension, the Celtics wouldn’t be able to offer him a maximum-salary deal until free agency.
That would change if Brown earns a spot on an All-NBA team this spring, in which case he’d become eligible for a super-max contract extension (worth 35% of the 2024/25 cap) entering the final year of his current deal.
Still, it doesn’t sound as if Brown is thinking too much about all of his potential contract options quite yet. As Murdock notes, the 26-year-old kept the focus on the present rather than the future when asked how long he wants to play with star teammate Jayson Tatum.
“I just enjoy the time that you have now,” Brown said. “If it’s your whole career, it’s your whole career. If it’s not, it’s not. Some of the greatest players of all time haven’t finished with their organization. Michael Jordan retired a Wizard. As much as we like it here and enjoy being here, you see where life takes you. You see how the process goes. All you do is really focus on what’s in front of you right now, to be honest.
“But I don’t really know or want to answer that question because that type of stuff makes Celtics fans speculate and go crazy. Especially right now, I’ll just say we’ll get there when we get there.”
Whether or not Brown qualifies for a super-max contract, the Celtics will have the ability to offer him more years and more money than any rival suitor when he signs his next contract. So they remain in the driver’s seat to retain him beyond his current deal — and there’s no reason at this point to believe that they won’t want to do just that.
As for Brown, his noncommittal stance may simply be a pragmatic choice rather than an indication that he’s lukewarm on a future in Boston. His former teammate Kyrie Irving once publicly declared his plans to re-sign with the Celtics, then had a change of heart by the time his free agency arrived nine months later. It will be at least a few more months before Brown can sign a new contract, so there’s no reason to lock himself into a single path yet.
The fact that Brown has been at the center of trade speculation multiple times during his years in Boston may also make him wary about publicly committing to the franchise without a new contract in hand. According to Murdock, while Brown received assurances from the organization following Kevin Durant‘s trade request that he wouldn’t be moved, that “nearly endless cycle” of trade rumors over the years “has left some scars.”
Mavs/Grizzlies Notes: Kyrie, Brooks, Pinson, Morant
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who recently missed three games due to a right foot issue, reaggravated that injury during Monday’s loss in Memphis, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News.
As Caplan details, Irving ended up leaving the FedExForum in a walking boot after Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks stepped on the back of his foot during the third quarter. While Kyrie referred to the boot as “just precautionary,” Caplan suggests the Mavs’ star was walking with a bit of a limp after the game.
“I just got to make it back home to Dallas and then start my recovery work and do everything I can to prepare for the next game,” Irving said. “Take time to rest and exhaust all my options possible to be ready to play the next game.”
Despite Brooks’ reputation, Irving made it clear that he didn’t believe there was anything intentional or malicious about the play.
“I would’ve felt different up here if I feel he did it on purpose, but I didn’t,” Irving said. “It’s just one of those plays where he’s trailing me, and I think his feet got caught up in mine and twisted my ankle. Just bad timing, but the game has to keep going.”
Here’s more on the Mavs:
- Although Irving professed no hard feelings toward the combative Grizzlies wing, he declined Brooks’ postgame request to swap jerseys, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who notes that Kyrie gave Brooks his Mavs jersey but didn’t accept Brooks’ Grizzlies jersey (Twitter video link). “Probably get it next time,” Irving said with a smile. “Not this time. I was really onto the next thing.”
- It was another night, another feud for Brooks, who faces a second automatic one-game suspension after picking up his 18th technical foul of the season for taunting Dallas’ bench after a dunk (Twitter video link). He explained after the game that he was aiming a “pom-poms” gesture at Mavs reserve Theo Pinson. “I just wanted to let him know he’s a cheerleader. That was it,” Brooks said (YouTube video link). “Same class. I grew up watching him play, he was a great basketball player. And now he gets paid to cheerlead. Love it.” Responding on Twitter, Pinson wrote, “I got some real estate I see,“ followed by a crying-laughing emoji.
- Both the Grizzlies and Mavericks are close to getting their All-NBA guards back. Ja Morant rejoined the Grizzlies on Monday following his eight-game suspension and though he didn’t play vs. Dallas, head coach Taylor Jenkins said the team is “hopeful” Morant will be back on Wednesday vs. Houston, according to MacMahon. “So long as everything medically clears out,” Jenkins said. Meanwhile, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said on Monday night that Luka Doncic (left thigh strain) is trending in the right direction and will “hopefully” return soon.
Joel Embiid, Domantas Sabonis Named Players Of The Week
For a second consecutive week, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Kings center Domantas Sabonis have been named the NBA’s players of the week for the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Embiid continued to make a strong case for Most Valuable Player consideration in the last seven days, averaging 35.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 blocks in three road games (32.3 MPG). The Sixers won all three contests by an average margin of 22.7 points.
Sabonis, meanwhile, led the Kings to a 3-1 week that included road victories in Chicago, Brooklyn, and Washington. He averaged a triple-double (22.8 PPG, 16.0 RPG, and 10.0 APG) and shot 59.3% from the field in those four games (37.8 MPG).
Embiid has now matched Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo with four Eastern Conference player of the week nods this season. Sabonis and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard lead the West with three player of the week awards apiece.
Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan, and Evan Mobley were this week’s other Eastern Conference nominees, per the NBA (Twitter link). Sabonis’ teammate De’Aaron Fox was a nominee in the West, along with Jalen Green, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Austin Reaves.