Hoops Links: Westbrook, Nwaba, Sanders, Green
On Sundays, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown:
- Kwame Fisher-Jones of The 76er Files lauded Russell Westbrook: the “Real MVP” of the 2016/17 season.
- Mo Dakhil of The Jump Ball discussed David Nwaba‘s NBA debut, comparing him to NBA vet Tony Allen.
- Kristian Winfield of SB Nation defended the Cavs for resting their Big Three in a nationally televised game.
- Trevor Magnotti of The Step Back stated Greg Monroe‘s case for Sixth Man honors.
- Ivica Zubac is playing his way into the Lakers’ future, Louis Keene of VICE Sports writes.
- The Warriors’ most constant producer- Draymond Green– is also its most erratic personality, Haley O’Shaughnessy of The Ringer writes.
- Larry Sanders‘ comeback was made on his own terms, Colin McGowan of RealGM writes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/19/17
Here are the D-League transactions for Sunday:
- The Thunder recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Through 28 games with the Blue, Huestis has averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds over 32.1 MPG.
- The Hawks recalled DeAndre’ Bembry from the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced in a press release. Bembry, 22, has appeared in just one NBA game since February 27, predominantly getting experience in the D-League in his rookie season. With Kent Bazemore out at least one week with a bone bruise, Bembry may receive playing opportunities.
Kent Bazemore Out At Least One Week With Bone Bruise
Kent Bazemore exited last night’s game against the Blazers with a right knee contusion. After being evaluated this morning, Bazemore was shown to have suffered a right knee bone bruise. Bazemore will be treated and reevaluated in 7-10 days (Hawks press release).
The Hawks will have to make do without Bazemore or Paul Millsap, who will miss Atlanta’s next two games with left knee soreness, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta currently occupies the fifth seed of the Eastern Conference, staked to a 1.5 game lead over the Pacers.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Bazemore, who signed a four-year, $70MM contract before 2016/17. Bazemore’s shooting percentage dropped nearly four points from his 2015/16 campaign, at one point averaging 7.8 points over a 17-game stretch.
The Hawks are likely to recall DeAndre’ Bembry in Bazemore’s absence, Vivlamore reports (Twitter link),
John Wall: League Has Gotten “Softer” Due To Players Resting
Healthy players sitting out games has been a point of contention this season, particularly following a nationally televised game in which Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich opted to rest their stars. Additionally, the Cavs were subject to criticism earlier this month when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sat out a blowout loss to the Heat. After the game, Tyronn Lue acknowledged LeBron James didn’t like sitting out, but told the Associated Press “he [James] understands the big picture and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
John Wall offered his two cents on the matter, saying he isn’t a fan of high-profile players receiving scheduled days off.
“That’s the difference about our league now. It’s kind of gotten a little softer,” Wall told CSNmidatlantic.com. “Guys sit out and rest. I understand the coach made a decision, you can’t go against what the coach said or the doctor said.”
Wall continued, citing the issue of depriving fans from a complete NBA experience.
“I’m not the type of guy who wants to sit down and rest. I think you owe it to the fans. They paid money to come see us play. That’s how a professional goes out there and competes. If nothing is hurt, you can play go play. I missed games I didn’t want to miss in the past because I was injured. I make up for the time I can make up.”
Wall has backed up his words, playing in all but two of the Wizards‘ games this season. A four-time All-Star, Wall’s comments likely won’t make him many friends around the league. In a June, 2016 article from Baxter Holmes and Tom Haberstroh of ESPN, several players stated the case to shorten the league’s 82-game schedule.
“At at the end of the day, we want to protect the prize, and the prize is the players. We have to continue to promote the game, and if guys are being injured because there are so many games, we can’t promote it at a high level,” James said at the time.
David Aldridge of TNT recently discussed the “conundrum” of helping players find rest opportunities, suggesting teams inform the league of rest games 24 hours in advance. “Doing so allows fans who otherwise might buy tickets a better opportunity to bail,” Aldridge writes, “or at least sell their tickets in hand if they want.”
And-Ones: Ball, G. Allen, H. Thompson, Fultz
Sam Amick of USA Today raises concerns of LaVar Ball’s impact on Lonzo Ball‘s draft stock. A potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Lonzo’s elite skill-set has overshadowed his father’s “controversial style” thus far.
“Passing on the kid because of the father may not hold up well over time,” one anonymous executive told Amick. “There are players who come from more challenging family situations who have (done) quite well in the NBA,” another executive added.
Most likely, Amick concludes, LaVar can continue making brash, boastful statements “without the slightest fear” of it hurting Lonzo’s NBA future.
More from around the game…
- Grayson Allen doesn’t regret returning to Duke for his junior year, Jeff Goodman of ESPN writes. While Allen would have been a first-round pick after his sophomore season, his stock has dipped to mid-second-round value after this year. “I knew with the decision I made, once I made it, I was going to live with it,” Allen said. “Obviously, I haven’t had the season I’d like to have. A lot of things out of my control happened. I didn’t know I was going to get injured three games into the year, reinjured later and all stuff happen in the middle…I didn’t come back for personal goals, I came back to be in the spot I am right now and trying to make another run for a national championship, and I’m still able to do that.”
- After spending the duration of two 10-day contracts with the Pelicans, Hollis Thompson has returned to the D-League with the Austin Spurs, Chris Reichert of The Step Back reports (Tweet). Thompson had scored just 11 points over his last five games with the Pelicans.
- The HoopsHype staff produced their latest NBA mock draft, with Markelle Fultz taking the No. 1 spot (article link). Regarding Fultz, HoopsHype wrote “no prospect in this draft is perfect, and Fultz remains on top of most scouts boards as the premiere prospect available,” before comparing him to James Harden.
Send Us Your Mailbag Questions, Hoops Links Submissions
Every Sunday at Hoops Rumors, we publish a pair of features that rely on input and submissions from our readers. One is our Weekly Mailbag, in which Arthur Hill answers a few questions related to the latest news and rumors from around the NBA. The second is our Hoops Links feature, which showcases a selection of notable NBA blog entries from all over the internet. In each instance, the content for those features comes from you.
Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here for consideration for our Weekly Mailbag: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. If your question doesn’t get selected for our mailbag, be sure to join us on Monday afternoons for our weekly live chat.
Got a new NBA blog post that you’d like to see featured on Hoops Rumors? You can send the URL and a brief description of the piece to hoopslinks@gmail.com for consideration.
Be sure to send us your new mailbag questions and NBA blog posts each week, and check back every Sunday to see if you’ve been featured in that week’s installment!
Northwest Notes: Plumlee, Turner, Donovan, Faried
Jusuf Nurkic has been on a tear since his trade to Portland, but Mason Plumlee‘s teammates are happy to have him in Denver. While Plumlee and the Nuggets are still in the “getting-to-know-you phase,” as Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post puts it, Mason has grown more comfortable with each passing game.
“I was telling Mike (Miller) on the bench that this is collectively the best passing team I’ve played on,” Plumlee said. “It’s exciting. There is energy in the ball. I feel like the way guys play on this team is contagious.”
The Nuggets maintain a 2.5 game lead on the eighth seed; between his stints with the Nets and Trail Blazers, Plumlee has a combined 27 games of playoff experience. Plumlee’s style of play has already earned the respect of standout center Nikola Jokic.
“He just wants to win,” Jokic said. “He wants to do the stuff that some other players don’t want to do.”
More from around the Northwest:
- After missing five weeks with a fracture in his right hand, Evan Turner is expected to make his return to the lineup tomorrow against the Hawks. According to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, Turner returned to practice Friday after hour-long workouts on Wednesday and Thursday. A seventh-year veteran, Turner’s “brand of playmaking and solid perimeter defense” should provide a boost to the Trail Blazers‘ postseason push. “I’m done talking about the injury and worrying about it, because it’s already over with,” Turner said. “Knock on wood.”
- Now two years into his NBA coaching career, Billy Donovan‘s name still surfaces when a college coaching job opens up. According to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman, the Indiana Hoosiers were speculated to have interest in hiring Donovan; a rumor the OKC coach shot down. “I am totally happy here,” Donovan said. “I love it here. I love the guys I work with every day. I love our staff, the organization. As far as I’m concerned, my commitment is totally here and doing the best job I can while I’m here.”
- Kenneth Faried is eager to return to form after suffering a debilitating back injury, Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post writes. “The Manimal” missed 14 out of 17 games due to the injury, scoring 12 points over 18 minutes in his return to the court last night. “It was some of the worst pain I ever felt,” Faried said. “I’m just happy to be able to walk and jump and do the normal things like sit down normally. I’m glad to be able to do a light sprint or a jog and not have to worry about my back flaring up. I’m happy to be able to do those little things. You never know what can happen, and you take those for granted until something like that happens.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/17/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors assigned Kevon Looney to Santa Cruz, the team announced on its official website (link). The assignment will allow Looney to soak up minutes against the Texas Legends in tonight’s game. Looney’s presence has been diminished in Steve Kerr’s rotation lately, averaging 5.2 minutes with six DNPs over Golden State’s last 12 games.
- The Pelicans recalled Cheick Diallo from Greensboro, the team announced on its official website (link). Diallo will be available for tonight’s match-up with the Rockets. Diallo has impressed in the D-League this season, averaging 14 points with 8.2 rebounds over 23 games.
- The Cavs assigned Larry Sanders to the Canton Charge, where he’ll be available for tomorrow’s game against the Windy City Bulls (press release). Sanders will likely have a one-game assignment, as the Charge don’t play again until the 23rd after Saturday’s game. While Sanders is expected to bolster Cleveland’s playoff run, he’s still a bit of a project after sitting out the entire 2015/16 season.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/14/17
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:12 pm:
- The Cavaliers have assigned Larry Sanders to the Canton Charge, according to the D-League Digest (Twitter link). Cleveland signed Sanders on Monday.
- The Hawks have assigned DeAndre’ Bembry to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. Atlanta doesn’t have its own D-League affiliate, so the rookie will play for Utah’s affiliate, per the league’s flex assignment rule.
5:32pm:
- The Cavaliers have assigned rookie guard Kay Felder to the Canton Charge, the D-League affiliate wrote in a press release on its official website. Felder has appeared in 9 games for Canton already this season.
3:58pm:
- The Clippers announced they have recalled Brice Johnson from the Salt Lake City Stars (press release). Johnson, the 25th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has largely been inactive this season due to a herniated disk in his back.
- The Pistons have recalled Henry Ellenson from the D-League, according to the team.
Sixers Notes: Long, Brown, TLC, Anderson, Embiid
Shawn Long is likely to stick with the Sixers after his 10-day contract expires, Jessica Camerato of CSN reports. Long, whose contract expires Wednesday, has earned the respect of coach Brett Brown.
“I think we’re going through that,” Brown said of making a decision on Long’s contract. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I have no desire, personally, to look elsewhere. He’s a part of what we’ve been doing.”
“We feel like he’s ours. His ability to step out and make a three, his ability to have a finesse move at a post, he does have length, he does play hard, he is fluid in his movements. All those things give you hope that maybe there is a place for him. He’s young, he’s a good young man, he works. There’s really nothing but positives that come to my mind when you mention his name.”
As Camerato mentions, the health of Tiago Splitter may influence the team’s decision to tender Long another contract. As Keith Pompey of Philly.com recently reported, the team was considering working Splitter out with the Delaware 87ers.
More from the City of Brotherly Love…
- While injuries have decimated the Sixers’ lineup, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has impressed in his rookie season, Bob Cooney of Philly.com writes. “Luwawu-Cabarrot isn’t all the way there yet, but he has turned his game into something that could be very complementary next season,” Cooney writes. “He uses his athleticism very well on both ends of the court, and for a team that is always going to be in need of perimeter defense, that is a huge asset. His floor vision has improved to the point where he is a legitimate triple threat when the ball is in his hands. He hasn’t even really had the chance to play with Embiid yet, which could be so helpful in opening lanes and giving more time for jumpers.”
- Deadline acquisition Justin Anderson held a Q&A with Ed Barkowitz of Philly.com. Anderson claimed to have “gotten over” the shock of being traded, and now embraces a “great opportunity” in Philadelphia. “Here, they have high expectations for me. I’m willing to grind and work. It’s a young team that’s going to play hard and fast.”
- Anderson also relayed a funny tidbit about Joel Embiid, who he tried to recruit for the University of Virginia: “I tried to recruit him to come to Virginia. I was his host when he came on his official visit. Downstairs (from the dorm), there was big glass windows and he didn’t see the glass and he just walked right into it. It was hilarious. But the cool thing came when I asked him what he wanted to do. Do you want to go out? Do you want to get food? Movies? He said, “I’m just trying to go to the gym.” So it was like 12 o’clock at night and we went back to the gym to get some work in. It was impressive.”
- Coach Brown has proven himself as the leader of this team, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. While there are still questions about Brown’s long-term future within the organization, some coaches around the league are “amazed” he’s managed a 23-42 record. “I think he should be coach of the year,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “You talk about all the players that are out with injuries, but every day, he is upbeat, he’s teaching, he’s coaching, and he’s trying to put his team in a position to win. I am a big fan of coach Brown.”