Nuggets’ Gary Harris To Miss 3-4 Weeks
The banged-up Nuggets will be without guard Gary Harris for three-to-four weeks as he rehabs from a right hip hip injury, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Denver announced that Harris would be evaluated week-to-week for the injury.
Harris suffered the injury against the Raptors on Monday and was considered day-to-day as he missed the Nuggets’ games on Wednesday and Friday.
“He’s out,” coach Mike Malone said earlier this week. “Just a hip injury, and he’ll continue to get some treatment and see where it’s at and how long he’s gonna be out. But as of right now, he’s just day-to-day.”
Harris, 24, is a key piece in the Nuggets’ core group, averaging 16.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.2 SPG this season. This is the latest in a series of injuries for the Nuggets, who currently occupy first place in the Western Conference with a 17-8 record, percentage points ahead of the Warriors.
Paul Millsap suffered a broken toe on Friday and he will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Denver. Will Barton will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis moving forward as he rehabs from right hip and core muscle surgery. Isaiah Thomas (hip) and 2018 first-round pick Michael Porter Jr. (back) have yet to play this season.
Nuggets’ Paul Millsap Suffers Broken Toe
11:08am: Millsap has suffered a right big toe fracture, the Nuggets announced in a press release on Saturday. Updates on his status will be provided when appropriate.
9:24am: Nuggets forward Paul Millsap suffered a broken toe on his right foot and will be re-evaluated once the team returns to Denver, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link). Millsap sustained the injury on Friday in Charlotte as the Nuggets lost to the Hornets.
Denver head coach Michael Malone said he heard Millsap suffered a cut on his foot whereas teammate Monte Morris said he heard the injury was a broken toe, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
Millsap, 33, is in the midst of a productive season for Denver, averaging 13.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 2.0 APG through 25 contests. His .495% field goal percentage is his highest since the 2010/11 season.
The Nuggets signed the veteran to a three-year. $90 million deal in the summer of 2017. Millsap underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his left wrist last November and missed 44 games in 2017/18. Losing Millsap for another extended stretch would be a tough break for a Nuggets team currently percentage points ahead of the Warriors for first place in the Western Conference.
Lakers Have Not Made Lonzo Ball Available In Trades
Despite recent speculation, the Lakers have not made point guard Lonzo Ball available in trades, a league source tells Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops. While this does not indicate that Ball is untouchable, the 21-year-old is currently not part of active trade talks, per the report.
After inking LeBron James this past summer, Los Angeles’ interest in finding another star has been made clear and Ball is one of the organization’s best trade chips. Names such as Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard have been floated as potential trade and free agent targets for the Lakers.
Los Angeles selected Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. After a solid rookie campaign, Ball’s numbers have dipped this season but he’s still averaging a solid 8.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 4.6 APG. Ball has also been praised for his defensive improvements, with his newest teammate James has been at the forefront.
“I think he just sometimes doesn’t realize how great he is,” James said. ”The things that he possesses out on the floor … when Zo realizes how good he is on the floor, it makes him a very dynamic player and it makes us even better. And he’s been doing that as of late, his aggressiveness.”
Sixers’ Jimmy Butler Not Concerned With Reduced Role
Through nine games with his new team, Sixers swingman Jimmy Butler has seen his fewest minutes per game since his sophomore season with the Bulls. He’s also attempting 13 shots per game, his lowest total since the 2013/14 season.
However, since Butler arrive in Philadelphia, the team has gone 7-2 through nine games. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Butler is not concerned with his reduced role thus far and he’s only focused on winning.
“I don’t care how many points I score, how many shots I shoot,” Butler said. “I’ve always been like that. I always will continue to be that way. Just win at all cost.”
In his nine games, Butler is averaging 17.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 3.0 APG for the Sixers, and has nailed a pair of game-winning shots. However, those totals are all his lowest per-game averages since the aforementioned 2013/14 season. Still, the four-time All-Star maintained confidence in both his abilities and the team’s chances of winning.
“I’m a good basketball player,” Butler said. “When my time comes, my time comes. Like I said, I’m all for winning. I’m not worried about being an All-Star. I’m not worried about that, any of that stuff. I think winning takes care of everything. Winning helps everybody look great.”
Celtics Notes: Irving, Hayward, Brown
Kyrie Irving is enjoying another stellar offensive season as the Celtics find their footing. However, one distinct difference has been Irving’s improvement on defense, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes.
While the statistics are not eye-popping, there is a visual and discernible difference in Irving’s hustle and performance. As Forsberg notes, Irving entered Friday’s game ranked fifth in loose balls recovered (2.1), seventh in deflections per game (3.1), and eighth in steals (1.9). Irving is also ranked 18th in the NBA in charges drawn.
After Irving made comments earlier this year about him “coasting” on defense in his career, he has made it a point to not have that mentality anymore.
“I think it’s just a true challenge that I came into the season with of wanting to put an emphasis on that end of the floor,” Irving said. “That’s really what it comes down to. I think in my career I’ve really gotten away with just being an offensive talent, being a guy that has just been solid but never being a guy that I would say just consistently brings that effort every single time down the floor. “
Check out more Celtics notes below:
- At a recent practice, Irving urged teammate Gordon Hayward to be more aggressive on the floor and he responded with a solid shooting performance in Friday’s win. As Harry West of Sporting News writes, Irving — who shares a birthday with Hayward — wants him to release the ‘a**’ in him. “I remember [Irving’s former Duke] coach [Mike Krzyzewski] telling me, you know, Gordon has a little bit of a** in him. And he needs that,” Irving said. “That toughness where he starts turning red and he starts getting into the basketball, getting out in transition and dunking the basketball and start doing those things.”
- Jaylen Brown was asked how he felt about a possible change in the rotation upon his return from injury and he put the team winning ahead of his role, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston writes. “Possibly, especially if we are winning,” Brown said of the idea that his role could change. “Whatever it is that needs to be done to figure it out. Everybody has talent, everybody has ability, but, obviously, we have to make something work here. We don’t want to be looking down the line and trying to figure out, ‘What if?’ or ‘Woulda, coulda,’ whatever.
- As we relayed recently, the Celtics waived Walt Lemon Jr.,. He was on a two-way pact with Boston but did not see NBA action this season.
Johnson: Lakers To Monitor James’ Minutes To Avoid Overuse
The Lakers will continue to monitor LeBron James‘ minutes keep him fresh and avoid overuse, team president Magic Johnson said to SiriusXM NBA Radio (via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk).
“We are trying to make sure that we watch his minutes but also that we don’t run everything through him because now it is Cleveland all over again and we don’t want that,” Johnson said. “We want to get up and down.”
Through 22 games this season, the 33-year-old James has averaged 34.5 minutes per game for Los Angeles. In 2017/18, James averaged 36.9 minutes for the Cavaliers as he played in a career-high 82 regular season games, plus an additional 22 postseason contests. As Youngmisuk writes, the Lakers – whose roster already featured several promising youngsters – signed a handful of veteran play-makers this offseason in an effort decrease a reliance on James.
The four-time MVP, averaging 28.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 6.6 APG, himself addressed finding the right balance between taking over games and deferring to his teammates, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes.
“That’s the challenge of things I’ve been kind of battling with since the season started,” James said after a recent win over the Pacers. “How much do I defer and allow some of our young guys to kind of try to figure it out, and how much do I try to take over games? I think tonight was one of those instances where they looked at me and they wanted me to close the game.”
At 13-9, the Lakers are currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
LeBron On Lonzo: ‘He Doesn’t Realize How Great He Is’
When LeBron James joined the Lakers this summer, the dynamic between him and the team’s second-year point guard Lonzo Ball was one of the biggest questions. After the Lakers’ win over the Jazz on Friday, James spoke glowingly of Ball.
“I think he just sometimes doesn’t realize how great he is,” James said, per The Sporting News. “The things that he possesses out on the floor … when Zo realizes how good he is on the floor, it makes him a very dynamic player and it makes us even better. And he’s been doing that as of late, his aggressiveness.”
Ball, 21, has had an interesting start to the season as veteran point guard Rajon Rondo opened the year as the starter while the youngster recovered from surgery. In 18 games (16 starts) this season, Ball’s totals from last year are down. He’s averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.8 APG, but James feels that his impact on the team is not confined to his stats.
“He missed a couple of them, that’s absolutely fine. He had a couple charges, that’s absolutely fine,” James said. “When he’s aggressive it just changes our dynamic of the team, and he’s been doing it of late and we need him to continue to do that because he’s very good.”
With Rondo set to miss at least another month, Ball will have the chance to not only cement his role as the starter but prove James’ endorsement correct.
Atlantic Notes: Irving, Davis, Fultz, Free Agency
While Kyrie Irving is currently in his prime, the Celtics‘ All-Star point guard does not see himself playing at an advanced age, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes.
“Once I’m done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I’m done with this,” Irving said.
Irving, 26, is in the midst of another characteristically strong season for Boston. In 18 games, he’s averaging 21.9 PPG and 6.2 APG as the Celtics, currently, at 10-9, try to get on a consistent winning streak. However, as Irving reaches free agency this summer, he’s also looking toward his future in the game.
“I love basketball itself,” Irving said. “But everything that comes with it? It doesn’t really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day. Being an NBA player, this is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn’t hold the same stature it once did.”
Check out more Atlantic Division notes:
- While there exists a general belief that Pelicans’ All-Star Anthony Davis will end up with the Lakers down the road, the situation is a fluid one, Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports writes. Davis has reportedly expanded his personal list of preferred destinations to include the Knicks, Sixers, Celtics and Pelicans. And there are a number of indications that Boston could be the favorite, Sheridan adds.
- As the controversy surrounding Markelle Fultz continues, including a new report he’d prefer to get a fresh start somewhere else, Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders looks at possible destinations. The Nets, Suns, Knicks and Heat are all teams that could have interest and a role for Fultz if the Sixers were to entertain offers.
- Steve Popper of Newsday looks at the Knicks‘ standing as the team prepares to recruit free agents, detailing why the team may not be an attractive destination.
Grizzlies, Joakim Noah Expected To Finalize Deal Next Week
The Grizzlies are expected to meet with veteran center Joakim Noah late next week to finalize a deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As we relayed earlier this week, Memphis and Noah have had “extensive discussions” since he was waived by the Knicks last month. Noah, 33, spent two seasons in New York after signing a four-year, $72MM deal with the team in 2016. The Knicks stretched Noah’s $19.3MM salary for 2019/20 across three years.
That deal did not work out as he appeared in just 53 games over that two-year stretch. In his first season with the Knicks, Noah did post respectable numbers of 5.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 46 games (22.1 MPG). Ultimately, Noah was sent away from the team last spring after a run-in with then-coach Jeff Hornacek.
Memphis waived Andrew Harrison last month to open a spot on their 15-man roster and were rumored to be seeking a veteran big man to fill the vacancy. Since they used their bi-annual exception last season and committed their entire mid-level exception to Kyle Anderson, the Grizzlies – who are near the luxury tax threshold – can only offer a minimum salary contract.
Texas Notes: Clark, Carter, DeRozan
The emergence of Gary Clark has allowed the Rockets to move on from Carmelo Anthony as the 24-year-old has established himself as a key reserve on the Houston roster.
Clark has averaged 4.2 PPG and 3.4 RPG for the Rockets in 13 games as his defense and athleticism has paid dividends. As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Clark did not allow himself to be swept up by the celebrity of the NBA, instead focusing on making an impact. And after cheering for Anthony growing up, Clark ended up cutting into the veteran’s playing time in Houston.
“Crap, that was my favorite player at one point,” Clark said. “But it literally didn’t matter who was there. I was going to make sure I got on the court, because I know what I bring to the table.”
It remains unclear if Clark’s long-range shooting will become consistent, but the early results have been promising.
Check out more notes surrounding Texas’ NBA teams:
- The Carmelo experiment did not work out in Houston and now the Rockets need to find a third key piece next to Chris Paul and James Harden to make a run, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes. Massive extensions to Paul and Clint Capela zapped the Rockets of financial flexibility, but the team will need to find a player who can space the floor and play defense.
- Had the Mavericks not traded up to end up Luka Doncic, the team would have selected Wendell Carter, who went seventh overall to the Bulls, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. “If we’d have stayed at No. 5, he’d have been the guy, if he was still there,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He had a great workout for us. I see him as another coming of an Al Horford type player, a guy that’s both a force on the inside and he’s going to be a force shooting the ball from midrange and the 3. He affects the game in many ways.”
- Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Abrams has an in-depth feature on the Spurs‘ newest star DeMar DeRozan. The story focuses on DeRozan’s adjustment from being the star for the Raptors to his new team in San Antonio. Abrams also noted that DeRozan learned of the trade while he was in a Jack in The Box parking lot.