Joel Embiid May Play Both Ends Of Back-To-Backs
In an attempt to preserve Joel Embiid‘s health after injuries delayed the start of his career, the Sixers have been conservative in their usage of the All-Star center. Among the tactics to preserve Embiid has been sitting him in the back end of back-to-backs.
This season, Embiid may play more back ends of back-t0-backs this season, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). Embiid, 25, has suited up in 63 and 64 games the past two seasons, respectively.
The Cameroon native enjoyed an MVP-caliber season in 2018/19, averaging 27.5 PPG and 11.1 RPG in nearly 34 minutes per contest. Embiid played back-to-backs at the start of the season, but after injuries mounted, that was quickly scrapped in favor of the more conservative approach.
Entering his fourth NBA season, it’s a good indication that Embiid’s seven-foot frame is adjusting to the grind and can withstand an increased workload.
Marcus Morris Talks Spurning Spurs For Knicks
One of the most controversial offseason sagas occurred in July when veteran forward Marcus Morris verbally agreed to a two-year pact with the Spurs before backing out and signing with the Knicks.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich labeled the move “unprofessional” and “unfortunate.” Believing that the deal was done, San Antonio traded Davis Bertans to open up its mid-level exception for Morris before his change of heart. Morris added more context to his earlier comments about the change, addressing Popovich’s assertion.
“I was very surprised but I have nothing but respect for Pop,” Morris said, per The Athletic’s Mike Vornukov (Twitter link). “I’m not going to sit up here and say anything. Obviously, they made a big move and on my side things weren’t clear for me.”
Morris also addressed the Spurs trade of Bertans to make room for him, expressing regret on the way the situation played out.
“At the end of the day, yeah, because they made a move and they had a great young player and I feel bad that it had to happen that way,” Morris said. “But at the end of the day, I’m here to focus on the New York Knicks.”
John Wall On Achilles Recovery: “Taking Baby Steps”
Wizards point guard John Wall, in the midst of recovering from a torn Achilles, is making some strides in his recovery.
“I’m great, man. Just rehabbing, working out and lifting weights. I’m shooting some jump shots, doing some ball-handling and stuff like that,” Wall said to NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller.
Wall, 29, suffered the injury this past January during a fall at his home as he was recovering from a heel injury. Given Washington’s lofty financial commitment to the five-time All-Star, the club will be counting on him to be one of its primary contributors when he’s healthy.
At his peak, Wall has shown himself as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. Just last season, he averaged 20.7 PPG and 8.1 APG in 32 contests before the injuries set in.
However, at this point, Wall is taking a conservative approach in his recovery so he does not end up re-injuring himself.
“I understand because I’ve played through injuries before that if I try to come back too soon or too fast, I could be hurt and have to start all over again. I’m not trying to go through that process again, so I’m finally taking my baby steps,” he said.
New York Notes: Knox, Fizdale, Nets Signings, G League
The Knicks enter the upcoming season with a roster filled with a mix of young players and veterans on one-year deals. It remains to be seen how the roster shakes out but one of those youngsters, Kevin Knox, is excited about how early practices have gone.
Speaking at a recent event, Knox praised the team’s current group and how competitive everyone has been, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.
“Very competitive practices so far,’’ Knox said. “You can tell all the guys are hungry and looking forward to training camp. A lot of guys have been impressive. You can tell a lot of guys have been working on their games all summer. I watched a lot those guys playing on TV last year. Everyone’s game has gotten a lot better. I can’t wait to get to training camp and jell together.”
Knox mentioned that head coach David Fizdale has said that no starting spots are locked up at this point in time. Thus, competitive battles for playing time figure to persist.
Check out more notes on the New York squads:
- While the Knicks didn’t land a superstar free agent, Knox noted that seeing their crosstown rival Nets do so is adding fuel to the team’s fire, writes Newsday’s Steve Popper. “You’ve got people always saying the Knicks and the Nets,” Knox said. “Of course they got two superstars. That’s just fuel to the fire for us. Like [Fizdale] told us all in a group message, put your head down and just go out and play hard for one another. That’s kind of been our motto this whole summer.”
- With training camps approaching, there are plenty of questions about how the Knicks will handle their aforementioned roster. The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov examines seven burning questions on the upcoming season, including the development of the team’s young players.
- The Nets‘ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, announced a series of staff hires for the team, per a press release.
Horst: Bucks Will Offer Giannis Antetokounmpo Super-Max
Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will be primed for a massive super-max extension next summer and the Bucks are already looking forward to locking him up long-term.
At a recent town hall, GM Jon Horst addressed one fan’s question about Antetokounmpo’s contractual status.
“The answer for now is that we can’t negotiate anything,” Horst said. “So Giannis, basically a year from now will be eligible for a super-max extension. At that time, of course, he will be offered a super-max extension.”
Antetokounmpo, 24, is coming off an incredible 2018/19 campaign in which he averaged 27.7 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 5.9 APG in 72 games for Milwaukee. As the reigning MVP, Antetokounmpo’s earning potential skyrockets and he would be in line for the largest contract in NBA history.
The Bucks could potentially offer the “Greek Freak” a five-year, $247MM extension next summer, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. While it remains to be seen if Antetokounmpo commits to Milwaukee long-term next summer, another strong year and extended playoff push could help persuade him.
NBA Sends Memo To Teams About New Tampering Rules
In an attempt to curb tampering around the NBA, the league has sent out a memo to teams about new regulations that are set to be implemented, Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter links).
The memo proposes increasing the maximum fine for any players and/or teams found to be in violation of he league’s tampering policy. Under the new rules, teams could face up to $10MM in fines, an increase from $5MM. Also, unauthorized agreements would result in a fine of up to $6MM for teams and $250K for players, Charania adds.
The memo also calls for stricter enforcement on player-to-player tampering, a requirement that NBA owners submit proof no tampering occurred when signing new players, and audits of five random teams annually, per Charania (Twitter link).
The NBA Board of Governors will vote to pass the new rules on September 20.
Zion Williamson ‘Couldn’t Ask For Better Situation’ With Pelicans
This year’s first overall pick Zion Williamson is preparing for his first NBA season and the Duke product could not be more thrilled with the situation he’s in. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Williamson said that landing in New Orleans has been conducive to his style of play.
“I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” he said. “The Pelicans keep up the pace constantly, just the way I like it. I am already working with members of the technical staff and the idea of running is emphasized in each exercise. I’m sure that our offensive schemes will allow me to be lethal for the next season.”
Williamson, 19, figures to be an integral part of the Pelicans’ postseason aspirations in his rookie season. Despite trading away superstar Anthony Davis, New Orleans’ lineup will consist of Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday Brandon Ingram, J.J. Redick, Williamson and others. Williamson believes it’s a core that can potentially win a title.
“I think we can compete for a championship,” Williamson added. “Yes, I am convinced that this team can have the NBA title as a goal…I’d be lying if I said something different.”
Bulls Release Guard Antonio Blakeney
SEPTEMBER 9, 4:50pm: The Bulls have officially released Blakeney, according to a team press release. He gave up $100K in the buyout agreement, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
SEPTEMBER 7, 11:32am: The Bulls are set to release guard Antonio Blakeney, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania (via Twitter), the two sides reached an agreement on a buyout.
After Chicago re-signed Shaquille Harrison earlier this offseason, there was an expectation that Blakeney would be released, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Unlike Blakeney, Harrison doesn’t yet have a fully guaranteed contract, but it sounds like he’s being penciled in as the team’s 15th man.
Blakeney, 22, has suited up for the Bulls the past two seasons. In a career high 57 games last season, the New York native averaged 7.3 PPG while shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc.
By cutting the LSU product, the Bulls have brought the total of fully guaranteed contracts on the roster to 14, with Harrison and his partial guarantee also in the mix.
Dwyane Wade On Playing Again: “Never Say Never”
After a highly publicized and emotional farewell tour last season, Heat legend Dwyane Wade hung up his sneakers to retire from the NBA. Since the conclusion of last season, the possibility of Wade returning to play has lingered.
Wade, 37, was still productive in his final season, averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 72 games (two starts) for the Heat. While promoting the new NBA 2K20 video game, which he graces the cover of for the Legend Edition, Wade addressed the possibility of coming out of retirement like Michael Jordan did (Twitter link).
“I don’t know, I think these young players are way too fast and way too athletic for me,” Wade said. “You never say never, but I don’t think so.”
Wade already teased that if he came out of retirement, it’d be to join the Heat and Miami’s big offseason acquisition, Jimmy Butler. For now, however, Wade will remain retired.
Kevin Durant Talks Nets, Kyrie Irving, Possible Early Return
When Kevin Durant signed with the Nets earlier this summer, it was with the understanding that the 10-time All-Star would likely miss most, if not all, of next season. A torn Achilles suffered in last season’s NBA Finals cast doubt on Durant’s availability for 2019/20.
Since he inked his deal with the Nets, Durant has been mostly quiet, outside of social media posts and one interview explaining his decision to depart from Golden State to sign with the Nets. In a new chat with influencer Chris Henderson on YouTube, Durant touched upon his new teammates and even seemed to leave the door open on returning in ’19/20.
Check out some highlights below:
On the Nets’ play during his indefinite stint on the sidelines:
“I’m excited about this group. Obviously with me not starting off the season and obviously being injured, you’re going to see a lot of guys step up and do some things and go to another level as a player.”
Which players he expects to be major contributors:
“Like Caris [LeVert], Joe Harris, Taurean Prince, even the older guys like Garrett Temple, Kyrie, DeAndre [Jordan], I feel like everybody in this environment in going to step up, especially due to circumstances with me not being available. I think everybody’s going to step up and take it to the next level. We’ve got great coaching, great front office, great fanbase that’s excited for something new. This is a fresh start for everybody, I feel.”
How Kyrie Irving will impact the Nets:
“He’ll make you feel a certain way when you watch him. His movements, his mentality out there, his smarts for the game, his efficiency, he’s an all-around player.”