Knicks Pull Kemba Walker From Rotation
The Knicks are removing point guard Kemba Walker from both the starting lineup and their regular rotation, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters on Monday (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic).
It’s unclear whether the change will be a short-term or long-term move, but Thibodeau said Walker is out of the rotation “as of right now.” Alec Burks will take over as the team’s starting point guard for the foreseeable future, according to Thibs (Twitter link via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News).
The Knicks’ signing of Walker to a two-year, $18MM deal in the offseason after he was bought out by Oklahoma City was viewed as one of the summer’s highest-upside deals. After all, Walker had been a maximum-salary player and wasn’t far removed from making four consecutive All-Star teams.
However, while Walker’s .413 3PT% to date is a career high, he has failed to recapture his All-Star form, averaging a modest 11.7 PPG and 3.1 APG in 18 games (24.5 MPG). The 31-year-old, who has battled knee issues in recent years, has had his minutes managed for health reasons and has been a liability on the defensive end.
The Knicks have a 116.3 defensive rating and a -13.3 net rating with Walker on the court, compared to a 99.0 defensive rating and +11.2 net rating when he sits. Kemba isn’t the only New York starter who has struggled and isn’t entirely to blame for those numbers, but given how well Burks has played this season, a change at point guard made sense for the club.
Having signed a new three-year, $30MM contract with the Knicks in the offseason, Burks has averaged 10.5 PPG on .426/.451/.800 shooting in 20 games (22.3 MPG) so far in 2021/22 and has been a more reliable presence on defense. The team has a +5.2 net rating in his minutes.
Christian Wood Expected To Generate Significant Trade Interest
There’s an expectation around the NBA that Rockets big man Christian Wood will generate “significant” trade interest this season, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who adds that people around the league believe Houston will consider offers.
Wood, 26, parlayed a strong 2019/20 season in Detroit into a three-year, $41MM deal with the Rockets during the 2020 offseason. He has outperformed that deal so far, averaging 19.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG on .499/.362/.612 shooting in 60 games (32.5 MPG) in Houston. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
As O’Connor notes, one reason Wood chose to sign with the Rockets a year ago was to play with James Harden, which obviously didn’t last long. That doesn’t necessarily mean Wood wants out now, but he’d be more valuable to a playoff team than a rebuilding club. Rival executives have wondered whether Houston will be motivated to trade its veteran bigs – Wood and/or Daniel Theis – in order to open up more minutes for promising rookie Alperen Sengun, O’Connor writes.
I’d be a little surprised if the Rockets look to move Theis this season — the team signed him to a long-term deal in August after having drafted Sengun and fully committed to the rebuild, so he doesn’t fall into the same category as vets like Wood, John Wall, and Eric Gordon, who were on the roster before Harden was dealt. For what it’s worth, O’Connor says Theis will receive “mild” trade interest from teams in need of a reliable backup center.
While it remains to be seen whether either Wood or Theis will be dealt, the 3-16 Rockets should certainly be sellers at the February deadline — Wall, Gordon, D.J. Augustin, and Danuel House are among the other vets who could be shopped.
Hawks’ Bogdanovic Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Sprain
After undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, the team announced (via Twitter). According to the announcement, Bogdanovic will undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation and will be reevaluated in about two weeks.
Bogdanovic, who sustained the injury during the second quarter of Atlanta’s loss to New York on Saturday, has started all 20 games he has played this season, averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .447/.391/.786 shooting in 28.2 minutes per contest.
Meanwhile, Cam Reddish, who also had to exit Saturday’s game in the second quarter due to a left wrist sprain, hasn’t been given a recovery timeline. According to the Hawks (via Twitter), he’s considered day-to-day for now and his status will be determined by how the injury responds to daily treatment.
With Bogdanovic unavailable, Solomon Hill joined the starting five to begin the second half of Saturday’s loss. Reserves like Hill, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Lou Williams could take on larger roles with Bogdanovic and Reddish sidelined. The Hawks also may lean more heavily on starting wing Kevin Huerter — his 38 minutes on Saturday represented his second-highest total this season.
Stein’s Latest: Kings, M. Brown, Atkinson, Vogel, Wall
Before he became the controlling owner of the Kings, Vivek Ranadive was a minority stakeholder in the Warriors, and he still has a “stubborn fascination” with his old team, writes Marc Stein at Substack. According to Stein, there’s buzz in league circles that a pair of Warriors assistants – Mike Brown and Kenny Atkinson – will be among the candidates who receive consideration for the Kings’ head coaching job if the team doesn’t retain Alvin Gentry beyond this season.
Here’s more from Stein’s latest look around the league:
- There’s “rising buzz” in NBA coaching circles that Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is facing increasing pressure with the team still sitting at .500 (10-10), says Stein. Earlier this week, we mentioned Vogel when we speculated about which head coaches could be the next to find themselves on the hot seat.
- While John Wall may be getting a little frustrated with his situation in Houston, the veteran point guard consented to the possibility of the Rockets holding him out for the entire season. According to Stein, Wall signed off on the plan after being told he’d have a limited role in Houston’s backcourt if he were active, since the club is focused on developing young guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green.
- As we relayed in a full story earlier this afternoon, Stein says Mavericks officials are expressing confidence about their chances of retaining Jalen Brunson beyond the 2021/22 season.
Mavs Confident About Retaining Jalen Brunson Beyond 2021/22
Mavericks officials continue to express confidence behind the scenes about the team’s ability to lock up guard Jalen Brunson beyond the 2021/22 season, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack report.
Brunson was the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, selected 30 spots after Dallas drafted Luka Doncic. He obviously hasn’t followed Doncic’s path to superstardom, but Brunson is viewed as one of the NBA’s best second-round picks of the last few years. In 17 games (29.2 MPG) so far this season, the fourth-year point guard is averaging 15.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.4 RPG, all of which would be career highs.
Unlike most second-rounders who sign four-year contracts, Brunson didn’t get a team option on the final year of his deal, which means Dallas didn’t have the ability to make him a restricted free agent following his third season. Instead, the former Villanova standout is on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2022.
Brunson is extension-eligible, so the Mavs could theoretically sign him to a new contract before he becomes a free agent. However, restrictions on veteran extensions will limit Dallas to a maximum offer of approximately $55.6MM over four years. If Brunson continues to play at his current level, that could be a below-market offer. The team would be able to go beyond that limit in free agency using the 25-year-old’s Bird rights.
According to Stein, Brunson is “quietly regarded as Dallas’ most effective and forceful locker-room leader,” so his value to the team extends beyond what he provides on the court. If he does reach the open market next summer, it’s safe to assume Brunson will receive interest from other suitors looking to pry him away from the Mavs.
In shorter-term news, Brunson – who left Tuesday’s game with a left foot injury – went through portions of Friday’s practice, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be cleared to play on Saturday, but it sounds like his foot injury isn’t a significant one.
Alexis Ajinca Announces Retirement
Former NBA center Alexis Ajinca has formally announced his retirement as a player, publishing a tweet today confirming the decision.
Ajinca, 33, was the 20th overall pick in the 2008 draft. The 7’2″ Frenchman began his NBA career in Charlotte before making stops in Dallas, Toronto, and New Orleans over the course of seven seasons. He last appeared in the NBA in 2017 with the Pelicans and also played professionally in France from 2006-08, 2011-13, and 2018-19.
In 293 total NBA regular season games, Ajinca averaged 5.3 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .503 FG% in 13.3 minutes per contest. His best years came in New Orleans, where he was a rotation regular from 2013-17, appearing in 222 games and starting 70 of them. His lone playoff appearance came with the Pelicans in 2015.
In France, Ajinca won the French Cup in 2007 and was named to the LNB Pro A All-Star team in 2013. He was also a member of the France team that won gold in the 2013 FIBA EuroBasket championship.
Jalen Green Has Strained Hamstring, Out At Least A Week
After leaving Wednesday’s game against Chicago with a left leg injury, Rockets rookie Jalen Green has been diagnosed with a strained left hamstring and will be re-evaluated in one week, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
While there’s no guarantee that Green will be ready to return in a week, it doesn’t sound like a significant injury. The No. 2 overall pick wanted to practice today, according to head coach Stephen Silas (Twitter link via Kelly Iko of The Athletic), but the Rockets will be cautious with the injury.
The 19-year-old is off to a bit of a slow start in his first NBA season. While he has averaged 14.0 PPG, his shooting numbers (.382 FG%, .278 3PT%) aren’t great, and he has more turnovers per game (2.7) than assists (2.3). Still, he has frequently flashed the potential that made him one of the top picks in a loaded draft, including scoring 30 points vs. Boston in just his third NBA game.
Eric Gordon, Garrison Mathews, and Danuel House could see more playing time while Green is on the shelf.
Patrick Beverley Out At Least Two Weeks
The Timberwolves are expected to be without veteran guard Patrick Beverley for at least the next couple weeks, head coach Chris Finch said today (Twitter link via Jace Frederick of The St. Paul Pioneer Press).
Beverley, who suffered a left adductor strain in Wednesday’s win over Miami, had already been ruled out for Friday’s contest in Charlotte. He’ll miss several games beyond that one, with Finch suggesting today that the Wolves will reevaluate the injury in two weeks. If Beverley is able to get back on the court two weeks from today, he’ll miss Minnesota’s next seven games.
Beverley, who was traded to the Timberwolves in the offseason, had started 12 of his 16 games for the club so far, averaging 8.1 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 4.4 RPG in 25.4 minutes per contest. He also handles many of the tougher perimeter defensive assignments, so the team will miss him in matchups like the one against Hornets guard LaMelo Ball tonight.
With Beverley on the shelf, Malik Beasley and Jordan McLaughlin appear to be the best candidates for a bump in minutes. The Wolves have been playing well as of late, riding a five-game winning streak that has them back at .500 (9-9). They’ll be looking to maintain that momentum for the next couple weeks without their fourth most-used player available.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Ayton, Fox, Haliburton, Lakers
Suns players met with head coach Monty Williams and general manager James Jones when the allegations against team owner Robert Sarver broke early in November, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Although the players haven’t said much publicly about those allegations, they got information about the situation and discussed it internally during those meetings.
“We have a communicative group,” Suns star Devin Booker said. “We talk to each other a lot. We keep everything in house. It’s a tight-knit group. We speak on everything, and we share with each other how we feel about it, and nobody else finds out how we feel about things.”
The Sarver allegations could’ve become a distraction for a franchise that exceeded expectations in 2020/21 and got off to a 1-3 start this season, but the Suns have avoided letting that happen. They’ve won 12 consecutive games since the story broke, extending their overall winning streak to 14 games. They’ll be looking to push that number to 15 on Friday in New York.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- After not signing a contract extension in the offseason, Suns center Deandre Ayton is focused on continuing to improve and expand his game as he nears restricted free agency. “I saw the flaws and the mistakes and stuff that I should’ve done in the playoffs and Finals, especially the Finals,” Ayton said this week, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I didn’t like the way I performed in the Finals. … Like I said from the beginning of the season, I’m trying to be more of a threat. … I’m trying to make a mark and trying to get used to certain things I wasn’t used to doing.”
- The Kings made a head coaching change on Sunday, but there’s no indication that a major roster shakeup is around the corner, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who hears that guards De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton remain off-limits in trade talks.
- Lakers head coach Frank Vogel figures to face scrutiny if the team continues to struggle this season, but Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times preaches patience and thinks general manager Rob Pelinka should be careful about how he handles the situation. If Vogel were to be let go, there would be “no one left standing between Pelinka and the firing squad,” Hernandez writes, adding that Vogel is a defensive-minded coach who lost many of his best defenders in the offseason.
Evan Mobley Expected To Return For Cavs On Saturday
The Cavaliers and Evan Mobley plan to have the rookie make his return from a right elbow sprain on Saturday vs. Orlando, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link).
Barring setbacks, Mobley will be back in Cleveland’s lineup earlier than anticipated. When he was diagnosed with an elbow sprain earlier this month, the Cavs announced that the big man would be sidelined for two-to-four weeks. That was just 10 days ago.
Mobley, who only has 15 NBA games under his belt, has already emerged as a key part of the Cavs’ game plan on both offense and defense. Even after going 0-for-11 from the floor in the November 15 game in which he sustained his elbow injury, Mobley has impressive averages of 14.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 33.7 minutes per contest. The Cavs, who have lost all four games he has missed, have a 99.6 defensive rating when the 20-year-old plays, compared to 109.7 when he sits.
Still, it seems safe to assume Cleveland wouldn’t be rushing Mobley back into the lineup if he and the team weren’t both fully confident that he’s ready. While the 9-10 Cavs certainly want to end their five-game losing streak and re-enter the playoff picture, Mobley is a long-term centerpiece for the club, which wouldn’t risk his health to bring him back a little ahead of schedule.