Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, T. Jones, Paul, Young, Questions
No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama just completed one of the most impressive rookie seasons in league history, becoming only the 10th player to ever average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The other nine players are all Hall of Famers, and Wembanyama was the first to accomplish the feat in fewer than 30 minutes per game (29.7).
In a lengthy interview with O’Connor (YouTube link), the Spurs big man said he wasn’t surprised by his performance in 2023/24.
“It’s impossible to be surprised by your own performance, good or bad,” Wembanyama told The Ringer. “Because, ultimately, everything is a result of your own work and your mentality. I always want more, so I’m not surprised.”
San Antonio went just 22-60 this season, but Wembanyama more than lived up to his billing as a generational prospect. While he said he has no plans to become involved with potential front office moves right now, the 20-year-old admitted he’s been contacted by players interested in teaming up with him.
“Yeah, I’ve received some messages,” Wembanyama said. “Even from prospects. But I try to sustain my role. It’s a whole new world that I’m eager to discover. For sure, one day or the other, I’ll have to be involved in this, I guess, even though I’m staying in my role as a player.”
Here’s more from San Antonio:
- After starting for the majority of the ’22/23 campaign, Spurs point guard Tre Jones came off the bench to open ’23/24. However, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News writes, experimenting with other players at the point produced lackluster results, and the team played considerably better once Jones was moved back into the starting five. Jones’ chemistry with Wembanyama was particularly noteworthy, McDonald observes, but it still seems likely that the Spurs will pursue other point guards this offseason, whether it comes in the draft, free agency or trades. For his part, Jones said he’s fine with whatever role he’s given. “I just want to improve my game and set myself up to be able to help the team win in any way possible,” Jones said. “No matter what position I’m in.”
- While both Chris Paul and the Warriors have said they have mutual interest in a reunion, that’s far from a lock, since they’ll lose his Bird rights if they waive his non-guaranteed $30MM salary for next season. If Paul doesn’t return to Golden State, Marc Stein (Substack link) says there are “rumbles in circulation” that the Spurs might pursue the future Hall-of-Famer on a short-term deal.
- In a subscriber-only story for The Express-News, McDonald explores five “burning questions” the Spurs will be faced with this summer, including whether or not they’ll pursue Hawks guard Trae Young. McDonald hears San Antonio hasn’t ruled out the possibility of going after Young or another star, but suggests the team’s “biggest swing” might come at a later date.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard May Miss Start Of Postseason
While he will officially be listed as questionable, it certainly sounds as though the Clippers are preparing to play without Kawhi Leonard for Sunday’s Game 1 against the Mavericks.
When asked about Leonard’s status, Paul George said, “I do think at some point he will be with us” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk).
Head coach Tyronn Lue was noncommittal about Leonard’s availability tomorrow, according to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points (Twitter links). The star forward will be a partial practice participant on Saturday, but he’ll be limited to non-contact work.
“We don’t know yet,” Lue said. “But we gotta prepare both ways.”
“He shot yesterday, he was on the floor,” Lue added, per Youngmisuk (Twitter link) “Today, he will be able to shoot more with a little bit more movement.”
Leonard has been battling right knee inflammation for about three weeks, with his last appearance coming March 31. He reportedly received some type of injection in his knee at the beginning of April, presumably to promote healing.
Leonard, who signed a three-year extension with the Clips earlier this season, made 68 appearances in 2023/24, which is the most games he has played in seven years. The fact that he’s injured again with the playoffs about to start is obviously unfortunate, as the 32-year-old and teammate George have battled postseason injuries throughout their tenures with L.A.
George, 33, could be a free agent this summer if he declines his player option. Regarding a possible extension, George said, “That’s not where my mind is at right now,” tweets Justin Russo.
When asked if negotiations were being shelved until the postseason concludes, George essentially shut down the question, Russo adds (via Twitter).
Draft Notes: Karaban, Clingan, Talent, Warren, Crawford, Richard
After winning his second consecutive national championship with UConn, sophomore forward Alex Karaban announced (via Twitter) that he’s entering the 2024 draft pool while maintaining his college eligibility.
Karaban, who averaged 13.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .495/.379/.885 shooting in 39 games for the Huskies (31.4 MPG) this season, is ranked No. 41 on ESPN’s big board, making him a projected second-round pick.
Karaban’s college teammate, center Donovan Clingan, already announced he’s entering the draft. Clingan is ranked No. 3 on ESPN’s board and will reportedly receive consideration for the No. 1 overall pick.
However, that doesn’t appear to be the consensus. Five “high-ranking NBA executives” who spoke to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 had Clingan ranked anywhere from No. 5 to 20, with most saying mid-to-late lottery (Twitter link).
Here are a few more notes ahead of June’s draft:
- One general manager Goodman talked to was very critical of the available talent in this year’s class, particularly at the top (Twitter link). “This is an absolutely awful draft,” the GM said. “There’s no guy that projects as a franchise player, no one that even stands out as the No. 1 pick. This is the type of draft that gets someone fired if they get the No. 1 pick.”
- Count Sam Vecenie of The Athletic among the talent evaluators who are skeptical of any prospect having real star potential in the 2024 draft. His updated big board has several differences with ESPN’s. For example, french forward Zaccharie Risacher, who is No. 1 on ESPN’s list, is No. 8 on Vecenie’s board. He’s higher on UConn’s Stephon Castle, who recently entered the draft — Castle is No. 3 on Vecenie’s board but No. 9 on ESPN.
- Former Overtime Elite guard Bryson Warren, who was drafted into the NBA G League last year, is entering the 2024 draft (Twitter link). Once a five-star recruit, Warren had a statistically disappointing season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging just 6.9 PPG and 1.8 APG on .376/.325/.800 shooting in 27 total games (17.4 MPG).
- Louisiana Tech forward Isaiah Crawford, who’s coming off an impressive senior season in which he averaged 16.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 SPG and 1.7 SPG on .485/.414/.728 shooting in 32 games (32.9 MPG), is “drawing strong interest from NBA teams,” according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). Crawford is participating in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
- Florida junior Will Richard is testing the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced on Instagram. The 6’5″ guard averaged 11.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG on .411/.345/.802 shooting in 36 games this season for the Gators (29.5 MPG).
Injury Notes: Caruso, Bulls, Bucks, Embiid, Hartenstein
Bulls defensive ace Alex Caruso will be available for tonight’s play-in tournament game in Miami, head coach Billy Donovan said (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
Guard Ayo Dosunmu (quad) and center Andre Drummond (ankle) will be active too, Donovan added. All three players had previously been listed as questionable.
Caruso was said to have sustained a “significant” left ankle sprain in Wednesday’s play-in victory over Atlanta, but the swelling subsided over the past couple days and he told reporters on Friday morning he expected to suit up. The injury was an aggravation of a previous sprain.
Duncan Robinson, who has been battling a back issue, will be available tonight for the Heat, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson was technically active for Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, Chiang notes, but he didn’t see any action — that might change with Jimmy Butler sidelined due to a knee sprain.
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Bucks guard Damian Lillard was a full practice participant on Friday, but two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) was unable to do any live drills, according to a report from ESPN. Reserve guard A.J. Green, who sat out Tuesday’s practice with a left ankle sprain, was able to go through most of Friday’s practice. There have been mixed messages from Milwaukee on Antetokounmpo’s status, with president Peter Feigin saying he”definitely will not be back for Sunday,” when the Bucks will host the Pacers in Game 1 of their first-round series. Head coach Doc Rivers is still holding out hope that the perennial All-NBA First Team member will be ready though, per ESPN. “I don’t know yet,” Rivers said. “We’re still hoping. He hasn’t done anything. Would we throw him out there? Yeah, we would. For us, still we’re not sure.”
- Speaking of Lillard, the Bucks‘ All-Star said he aggravated his Achilles tendon in Sunday’s loss to Orlando, but his adductor has been giving him the most trouble, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter links). Lillard missed four games over the past few weeks with various injury designations, but he said the week off has helped him recover.
- Sixers center Joel Embiid is officially questionable for Saturday’s Game 1 in New York with what the team is calling left knee injury recovery, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Embiid, who missed a few months after tearing his meniscus in January, has been considered questionable for nearly every game since he returned to action at the beginning of April.
- Since January 20, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has only played 30-plus minutes five times due to Achilles soreness. However, two of those instances came in his last two regular season games, and he said he’s ready for an increased workload in the postseason, according to Katz (Twitter link).
Clippers Fined $25K By NBA For Injury Reporting Violation
The Clippers have been fined $25K for an injury reporting violation, the NBA announced on Friday (via Twitter).
According to the league, the Clips “failed to accurately disclose the availability status of Paul George, Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook” in advance of the team’s regular-season finale vs. Houston on April 14. The three players were not cited on L.A.’s injury report as being out for injury or rest, and none of them ended up playing.
With a 51-31 record, the Clippers enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. They’ll face the Mavericks in their first-round series.
Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who is battling right knee inflammation, is considered questionable for Sunday’s Game 1.
Sixers Notes: Harris, Melton, Batum, Hield
The Sixers and veteran forward Tobias Harris are expected to part ways once the 2023/24 season concludes, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Harris, who averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.0 SPG on .487/.353/.878 shooting in 70 regular season games, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“Several” league executives believe the Pistons could pursue Harris, who had a previous stint with Detroit, but the 31-year-old is expected to draw interest from a variety of suitors, Pompey reports.
As Pompey writes, Harris wasn’t at his best in Philadelphia’s play-in victory over Miami on Wednesday, recording just nine points (on 40% shooting), though he did grab 10 rebounds and dish out four assists in nearly 32 minutes. Many of his teammates struggled on offense as well, Pompey notes.
Harris was benched for the final four-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, which head coach Nick Nurse primarily chalked up to exhaustion (Twitter video link PHLY Sixers). Nurse said the 76ers will likely choose between “six or seven guys” — including Harris — for closing lineups in their first-round series vs. New York.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- De’Anthony Melton did not practice on Friday and will not play in Saturday’s Game 1, but Nurse said the 25-year-old has not been ruled out for the entire series, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Melton, who is another of Philadelphia’s many impending free agents, has been limited to just five games since January 12 due to a lumbar spine injury.
- As Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic details, Philadelphia pushed for Nicolas Batum to be included in the James Harden trade with the Clippers back in November, and the veteran swingman showed how valuable he can be on both ends of the court in Wednesday’s victory. The 35-year-old scored 20 points, including 17 in the second half, and had a key block on Tyler Herro‘s three-point attempt with 26 seconds remaining. Batum is playing on an expiring $11.7MM contract and is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
- He is only credited for 84, since the NBA doesn’t officially include the in-season tournament final or play-in games, but sharpshooter Buddy Hield holds the unusual distinction of playing 86 games this season before making the playoffs for the first time in his career, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Hield, who was acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, has been the league’s most durable player during his eight NBA seasons, Bontemps notes. The Bahamian guard will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
Wizards Overhauling Staff, But Keefe, Vanterpool Remain
The Wizards fired “a number of staff members” yesterday, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN report (via Twitter).
However, that group did not include interim head coach Brian Keefe or assistant coach David Vanterpool, who remain with the organization.
According to ESPN’s duo, Washington’s front office is set to begin its “formal search” for a new head coach, with Keefe in consideration for the full-time position.
It wasn’t explicitly stated, but we’re assuming the report was referring to members of the team’s coaching staff, since Keefe and Vanterpool were singled out as coaches who were retained, at least for now. Several of Washington’s assistant coaches can be found right here.
The coaching staff had a mix of new and returning assistants entering the 2023/24 season. Former head coach Wes Unseld Jr. was moved to an advisory position in late January, which is when Keefe took over as interim coach. Instead of completely shaking things up mid-season, the Wizards decided to wait until their season ended to make additional changes.
Washington is reportedly looking for a “development-minded” head coach with a search officially underway. In the first season of their rebuild, the Wizards compiled the second-worst record in the NBA (15-67); that’s also the worst mark in franchise history.
Keefe was a longtime NBA assistant before becoming the interim coach, having made previous stops with the Thunder, Knicks, Lakers and the Nets. Wizards went 8-31 under Keefe in ’23/24.
A Maryland native whose lone NBA season as a player came with Washington, Vanterpool is another experienced assistant who has received head coaching consideration in the past. He has previously worked for Portland, Minnesota and Brooklyn.
NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced
The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.
Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.
All-NBA G League First Team:
- Mac McClung, G, Osceola Magic (McClung was NBAGL MVP)
- Alondes Williams, G, Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat‘s affiliate) *
- Jason Preston, G, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate) *
- Kenneth Lofton, F/C, Salt Lake City Stars ^
- Oscar Tshiebwe, C, Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers‘ affiliate) *
All-NBA G League Second Team:
- Trevelin Queen, G, Osceola Magic *
- Mason Jones, G, Stockton Kings *
- Malcolm Hill, G/F, Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans‘ affiliate) *
- Justin Champagnie, F, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards‘ affiliate) *
- Darius Bazley, F/C, Salt Lake City Stars ^
All-NBA G League Third Team:
- JD Davison, G, Maine Celtics *
- Ethan Thompson, G/F, Mexico City Capitanes
- Adama Sanogo, C, Windy City Bulls *
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder‘s affiliate)
- Elfrid Payton, G, Indiana Mad Ants
G League All-Defensive Team:
- Shaquille Harrison, G, South Bay Lakers (Harrison was NBAGL Defensive Player of the Year)
- Kylor Kelley, C, Maine Celtics
- Nate Hinton, G, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate) *
- Trhae Mitchell, G, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Darius Bazley
G League All-Rookie Team:
- Oscar Tshiebwe (Tshiebwe was NBAGL Rookie of the Year)
- Adama Sanogo
- Jordan Miller, G/F, Ontario Clippers *
- Terquavion Smith, G, Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers‘ affiliate) *
- Kendric Davis, G, Santa Cruz Warriors
* Denotes two-way contract
^ Denotes standard contract
Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard Entering 2024 NBA Draft
Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard announced (via Twitter) that he’s entering the 2024 NBA Draft and forgoing his remaining college eligibility.
Sheppard is a projected lottery pick, currently ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board.
“I’m going all-in,” Sheppard told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “The opportunity I have is great. I’ve gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It’s not easy leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I need to do what’s best for me, and that’s heading to the NBA.”
As Givony writes, Sheppard was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, but he was not expected to be a one-and-done lottery pick entering his freshman year at Kentucky. That changed after an excellent 2023/24 campaign in which Sheppard averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.5 APG and 2.5 SPG on an elite .536/.521/.831 shooting line in 33 games (28.9 MPG).
According to Givony, Sheppard grabbed the attention of NBA evaluators with his “shooting prowess, play-making acumen, defensive instincts, feel for the game, productivity and never-ending confidence.”
In his player profile, Givony writes that Sheppard doesn’t have an ideal physical profile for an NBA guard and there are questions about how that might translate to the next level. Sheppard also had one of his worst games of the season in Kentucky’s upset loss to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Still, there’s a reason he’s viewed as a lottery pick, as he put up one of the best college shooting seasons from long range for a projected first-rounder since Glen Rice in 1988/89, per Givony.
Lakers Notes: Davis, Vincent, Russell, Nuggets Matchup
After missing the final six minutes of the Lakers‘ victory over New Orleans on Sunday due to back spasms, star center Anthony Davis was able to play 40 minutes in Tuesday’s rematch with the Pelicans. The play-in tournament win secured the No. 7 seed in the West for L.A.
Davis said he was physically limited during Tuesday’s contest, as he was still experiencing the spasms, but he thinks the extra time off ahead of Saturday’s Game 1 in Denver will allow his back to heal, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I think the way it affected me the most is just as far as moving, going to get offensive rebounds and things like that,” Davis said. “Just my presence at the rim, it was just tough. But we got it done. We got it done. And I have a couple days now to kind of get it back to normal and get ready for Saturday.
“I feel like I’ll be 100 percent as far as the back come Saturday.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Gabe Vincent only appeared in seven regular season games in 2023/24 due to knee issues after signing a three-year, $33MM deal with the Lakers as a free agent last summer. However, he appears to be finding his rhythm entering the playoffs, writes Khobi Price of The Southern California New Group. Vincent finished with nine points (on 3-of-6 shooting), four rebounds and a steal in nearly 18 minutes on Tuesday. “Just his toughness, his grit, his ability to make shots,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “And like I said, that will come. As his legs get stronger and stronger underneath him, his shot-making will increase as well. He has this quiet toughness about himself. Whatever you need him to do, he’s gonna do it. He’s gonna make sure he executes it and starts with defense with him. The defense, diving on the floor, everything, he’s a hell of a competitor.”
- In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, D’Angelo Russell said becoming a father in September 2022 helped him focus on the things that mattered most to him, both on and off the court.
- McMenamin and Kevin Pelton of ESPN examine why the first-round series with the defending-champion Nuggets will be an “uphill battle” for the Lakers, writing that Denver’s frontcourt size and skill presents a unique issue for L.A. While many of their games have been close, the Nuggets have dominated in the clutch against the Lakers, going 8-0 in their last eight matchups, including last season’s sweep in the Western Conference Finals.