Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis Named Players Of The Week
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced (via Twitter).
Doncic, the Western winner for the second straight week and the conference’s first repeat winner this season, led Dallas to a 3-0 record and put up historic numbers in the process. He averaged 48.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks, becoming the first player in NBA history to total 140-plus points, 30-plus rebounds and 30-plus assists over any three-game span, according to the Mavericks.
The 23-year-old, who now leads the league in scoring average with 34.2 per game, recorded 60 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and one block against New York, followed by 35 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists, one steal and two blocks against Houston, and lastly had 51 points, six rebounds, nine assists, four steals and one block against San Antonio. Doncic shot 61.7% from the field in the three games, including 48.0% from three, and only had six turnovers.
Porzingis, Doncic’s former teammate with the Mavs, led Washington to a 4-0 week. The East’s winner averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.5 blocks on .559/.364/.857 shooting. Porzingis led the league in plus/minus over the four contests, recording a total of plus-82 for an average of plus-20.5 in each game, per the Wizards.
According to the NBA (Twitter links), the other nominees in the West were LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant, Jordan Poole, Domantas Sabonis and Zion Williamson, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner were nominated in the East.
Eastern Notes: Isaac, Suggs, Herro, Oladipo, Embiid, Brunson
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), that forward Jonathan Isaac and guard Jalen Suggs were a “full go” in Monday’s practice. While that is certainly an encouraging update, there is still no return timetable for either player, tweets Price.
The Magic are notoriously cautious when it comes to injured players, but Isaac’s absence has been exceptionally long even by their standards. He last played on August 2, 2020, when he tore his ACL, so he has missed nearly two-and-a-half years of action.
As for Suggs, he has missed 18 consecutive games with right ankle soreness. The 21-year-old has unfortunately been plagued by injuries since he was selected fifth overall in the 2021 draft. After playing in 48 of 82 games as a rookie, he has appeared in just 14 of 37 games thus far in 2022/23.
Here are a few more notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Heat guard Tyler Herro, who signed a four-year extension before the season started worth a guaranteed $120MM, is emerging as a go-to clutch scorer, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro hit his third game-winner of ’22/23 on Saturday in Utah, Chiang notes, capping off a 29-point, nine-rebound, six-assist effort.
- Victor Oladipo has had a difficult stretch over the past four years, missing a significant amount of time due to a series of leg injuries. While he has played strong defense since returning from left knee tendinosis, he has mostly struggled offensively. However, the Heat guard broke out of his slump by recording 23 points, five rebounds and five assists on Saturday. Head coach Erik Spoelstra believes it could take most of the season for him to really find his rhythm, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I told him the other day, I want him to have a little bit of grace with himself going through this process,” Spoelstra said as part of a larger quote. “We love being on this journey with him and, ultimately, I think it will still take 40 or 50 games for him to get fully in rhythm. But we got a snapshot of what it could look like at the end of this.” Oladipo has now played 11 games in ’22/23, and the Heat have 45 games remaining on their regular season schedule.
- Sixers star Joel Embiid is questionable for Monday’s contest against New Orleans, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. All-NBA center is dealing with lower back soreness. Embiid is having another excellent season, posting career highs in points (33.2, second in the NBA), assists (4.6), steals (1.2) and FG% (.528).
- After missing the past three games with right hip soreness, point guard Jalen Brunson will return to action for Monday’s matinee against Phoenix, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). Derrick Rose, who had been out of the rotation until Brunson got hurt, will be sidelined with a contused left knee, per the Knicks (Twitter link).
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Kuzma, M. Williams, Dedmon, Strus
The Wizards need to figure out what Kyle Kuzma‘s intentions are ahead of the February 9 trade deadline, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. If the 27-year-old doesn’t commit to re-signing with the Wizards in advance — technically forbidden, but of course early discussions happen all the time and that’s why dozens of signings occur within minutes of free agency “opening” — then the team would be better off dealing him for assets, according to Aldridge.
Aldridge isn’t opposed to the idea of a swap for John Collins — he thinks Kuzma is a better overall player, but the difference isn’t “prohibitive.” However, the Wizards have more questions to answer about the roster than just Kuzma’s potential future with the team, including what an expensive trio of Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal might mean for the future.
After dropping 10 in a row, the Wizards have now won five of their past six games, including four straight. They currently sit at 16-21, one game behind the Bulls for the No. 10 seed in the East.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Mark Williams‘ emergence has created a “welcomed dilemma” for the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The rookie first-rounder, selected 15th overall in June’s draft, was given backup center minutes in recent games due to an ankle sprain to Nick Richards. With Richards available on Thursday, head coach Steve Clifford continued to use Williams, and he responded with a career night, Boone notes, recording 17 points (on 7-of-7 shooting), 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in just 21 minutes. “To me, they’re both developing players,” Clifford said of Richards and Williams. “When you have a roster of a lot of younger players, you do them both. You want to try to develop them and win as many games as we can. And we’re in a place where we need to win. But we’ve got to see. Yeah, it’s not easy. We have a lot of guys at that position. Nick’s going to be a part of things. I like the way he plays. He’s done a good job. But I also want to see what Mark can bring.”
- Heat backup center Dewayne Dedmon is away from the team as he continues to be plagued by plantar fasciitis in his left foot. On top of that, he has now entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The 33-year-old might be a trade chip ahead of the deadline if the Heat look for a roster upgrade — his salary for next season is non-guaranteed, and he’s making $4.7MM this season.
- Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports details how wing Max Strus went from an undrafted free agent to a rotation regular for the Heat, becoming a developmental success story in the process. Strus, an unrestricted free agent in 2023, has been in a prolonged shooting slump this month, posting a miserable .328/.266/.500 slash line leading up to Friday night’s loss in Denver, when he scored 19 points on .539/.500/1.000 shooting. Twenty-year veteran Udonis Haslem, another former undrafted player, says Strus can be hard on himself — a byproduct of having a chip on his shoulder due to his difficult path to the NBA. “My message to Max, a lot of the time, outside of leading and teaching, is don’t be so hard on yourself sometimes. It’s OK to give yourself a break,” Haslem said.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Vaughn, Fournier, Quickley
The Raptors have struggled lately, losing 13 of their past 20 games. Eric Koreen of The Athletic says there’s plenty of blame to go around for the team’s poor performance this season, and while injuries have certainly taken a toll, Toronto has been “uninspiring and predictable” on both ends of the court.
Quite simply, the Raptors do not fit, Koreen argues, noting that “developmental progress has stalled” in multiple areas. That’s on the front office for putting the team together, Nick Nurse and his coaching staff for not making the most of the available talent, and the players for not performing at a high level, according to Koreen.
After going 48-34 last season and claiming the East’s No. 5 seed, the Raptors have fallen to 16-20 thus far in 2022/23. Toronto’s defensive rating has dropped from ninth to 17th, and the team’s effort has been called into question multiple times.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- The Nets started the season 2-5, but have gone 21-7 under head coach Jacque Vaughn after parting ways with Steve Nash. How has Vaughn guided such a dramatic turnaround? Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details, including quotes from Vaughn and several players.
- Evan Fournier saw his first playing time since November 13 in the Knicks‘ loss to the Spurs on Thursday, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. The veteran wing says it wasn’t easy to be a healthy scratch for so long. “I’ve just tried to stay present this whole time. It was a lot easier to play than to actually sit on the bench and watch the guys play,” Fournier said. “Basically, the way I treated it when I first got benched, was just to stay ready. … Today I felt like I needed to be ready, just in case.” Fournier was reinserted into the rotation due to injuries to RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson.
- Immanuel Quickley recorded a career-high 15 assists on Tuesday and a career-high 36 points on Thursday, but those achievements don’t mean much to the third-year guard, according to Botte. “I mean, we lost both games. So career high or not, it kind of sucks. It don’t really matter because we lost,” Quickley said. “I’d rather win. Everybody looks for opportunities to come in and try to prove themselves. Whether I play 50 minutes or whether I play 25, I try to do my job, try to come out and play hard each and every game and be aggressive and just do my job. But you want to see those turn into wins, and we’re gonna get that done.”
Western Notes: Gordon, Nnaji, Brown, Wood
Aaron Gordon is having a career season for the Nuggets, and Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber link) writes that the veteran forward has a compelling case to make his first All-Star appearance.
Gordon’s traditional stats — 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG through 29 games (30.0 MPG) — are all solid, if unspectacular. However, as Singer details, the 27-year-old’s efficiency (61.1 FG%, 68.0 2PT%, 39.0 3PT%, 66.9 true shooting percentage), defense, and synergy with center Nikola Jokic are what really stand out.
Singer also notes that Gordon is playing for one of the top teams in the league, which might matter to coaches (who select the All-Star reserves) — the Nuggets are currently 22-12, tied for the best record in the West.
Gordon (right shoulder strain) will return to the starting lineup on Friday against Miami following a two-game absence, tweets Singer.
Here’s more from the West:
- With Nuggets forward Jeff Green sidelined for at least three more weeks due to a left hand fracture and left finger sprain, forward/center Zeke Nnaji has an opportunity to earn increased playing time. The former first-round pick plans to do the “dirty work” to help fill Green’s void, according to Singer (subscriber link). Head coach Michael Malone has a straightforward task for Nnaji. “I just want to feel Zeke’s energy out there,” Malone said.
- The Kings announced that head coach Mike Brown has cleared the health and safety protocols and will resume his coaching duties on Friday against Utah, tweets James Ham of ESPN 1320 and TheKingsBeat.com. Brown entered the protocols on Tuesday, so his stint was brief. The Kings have been a pleasant surprise thus far, currently holding an 18-15 record, the No. 7 seed in the West.
- Mavericks big man Christian Wood will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. How much will he make on his next contract? Keith Smith explores that topic in an article for Spotrac, ultimately concluding that Wood’s maximum extension number — about $77MM over four years — seems pretty fair. He’d be eligible for more than that if he reaches unrestricted free agency.
Ham On Anthony Davis: “His Pain Has Just About Dissipated”
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham provided an encouraging update on the status of injured star Anthony Davis on Friday, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).
“The biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated,” Ham said, adding that Davis was trending in a positive direction as far as a possible ramp-up to return to action.
According to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link), Davis told reporters that he has multiple injuries in his foot, including a bone spur and a stress reaction, but the latter is what has been causing him pain and it has been healing well with rest. Davis added that he has been encouraged by the recovery process, tweets McMenamin.
Davis also said he would “probably” have the bone spur surgically repaired in the offseason, Goon notes (via Twitter).
The 29-year-old big man sustained the stress reaction in a win over Denver on November 16.
There were mixed reports as far as possible timetable for Davis’ return in the aftermath of the injury. Shams Charania of The Athletic wrote that he would be out for at least a month, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said the Lakers planned to reevaluate Davis in a week-to-10 days because his pain was subsiding. That was seven days ago.
While the updates from Ham and Davis are certainly positive, it has already been two weeks since he last played, and it’s hard to say how much additional time he’ll miss. The Lakers were vague in their initial press release regarding the injury and there wasn’t even a rough timetable given today.
The Lakers’ season basically hinges on how quickly Davis can recover. They have gone 2-5 since he went down and now hold a 14-21 record, trailing the Warriors by three-and-a-half games for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
Davis was having an outstanding season prior to his latest injury, averaging 27.4 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.3 SPG and 2.1 BPG while shooting a career-high 59.4% from the field and 82.6% from the charity stripe. His impact is felt on both ends of the court, but the team’s defense in particular has absolutely cratered without the eight-time All-Star.
Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram Talks Toe Injury, Recovery
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram has now missed 15 consecutive games — and over a month of action — due to a left big toe contusion, having sustained the injury on November 25. Based on his comments to the media on Thursday, it doesn’t sound like his return is imminent.
“Confidence in pushing off,” Ingram replied when asked what’s holding him back (Twitter link via William Guillory of The Athletic). “Confidence in being back to who I want to be. Trying to be explosive. Just trying to be myself. That’s the biggest thing. If I don’t feel like myself, then I know it’s not time to be on the floor.”
Guillory notes (via Twitter) that Ingram didn’t mention anything about dealing with pain, just that the recovery process has been unpredictable. When the 25-year-old was asked if he was close to returning, his reply was pretty vague, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
“It’s hard to tell. Some days I feel really, really good, and the recovery is bad. Some days, recovery is good. Whenever I feel 100%, I’ll give it a go. But it’s hard to say right now,” Ingram said.
Unlike last season, when the Pelicans struggled mightily without the former All-Star, the team continues to play well even with Ingram sidelined in 2022/23. Still, he was averaging 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG and 0.9 SPG on .472/.467/.868 shooting through 15 games (32.1 MPG), and he was the Pelicans’ top performer in last year’s playoffs, so they’re obviously a better team when he’s available.
On a positive note, second-year defensive ace Herbert Jones was back at practice on Thursday, per Clark (Twitter link). Jones was placed in the health and safety protocols over the weekend.
Poll: Will Nikola Jokic Three-Peat As MVP?
I realize that it’s probably too early to ask this question. We’re only a little over 40% of the way through the 2022/23 regular season, and a variety of factors — injuries, team results, etc. — could swing the MVP race in multiple directions, especially with so many strong candidates.
In the first edition of ESPN’s MVP straw poll earlier this month, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum led the field, followed by Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. A lot has changed in the two weeks since that poll was conducted, including Curry sustaining a shoulder injury.
Tatum continues to excel as the best player on the league’s best team, a true two-way force. Antetokounmpo has great numbers, though the Bucks are in a rut, having lost four straight games. Doncic has put up mind-boggling statistics the entire season, but especially recently, becoming the first player in NBA history to record a stat line of 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in the Mavs’ comeback victory over the Knicks on Tuesday, as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
Sixers center Joel Embiid has certainly climbed the rankings, mostly due to being healthy, leading the league in scoring for the second straight season while carrying Philadelphia up the Eastern Conference standings. The same can be said for Kevin Durant, who is having perhaps his finest season for the resurgent Nets, winners of 14 of their past 15 games.
In another year, stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Donovan Mitchell, and Zion Williamson — all of whom are having phenomenal seasons — would garner significant attention as well. Yet in ’22/23, they are mere afterthoughts.
As John Hollinger of The Athletic noted a couple days ago, Jokic, the reigning back-to-back MVP, might have the strongest case of all, despite a strong sentiment that voter fatigue will work against him (the same thing was said last season).
The Nuggets are 22-12, tied with the Pelicans for the best record in the West. Jokic once again leads the NBA in several advanced statistics, including player efficiency rating (32.3), win shares (6.6), box plus/minus (12.2), DunksAndThrees.com‘s estimated plus/minus (8.3), and FiveThirtyEight.com‘s RAPTOR wins above replacement (9.5, with Doncic second at 7.5), among others.
The 27-year-old’s traditional numbers are just as impressive. He’s averaging 25.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .619/.324/.806 shooting through 31 games. Those 9.4 assists per game would be an NBA record for a center, his 68.8 true shooting percentage is the best mark among high-volume scorers, and he’s somehow shooting 62% from mid-range, which tops the league.
Maybe the most staggering statistic of all is the fact that the Nuggets are plus-10.9 with the Serbian on the court and minus-13.4 when he’s off, according to NBA.com. Jokic currently leads Basketball-Reference.com‘s MVP award tracker at 45.1%, trailed by Doncic (21.7%), Embiid (9.6%), Tatum (6.3%), Antetokounmpo (4.9%) and Durant (4.5%).
That leads us to our poll: Will Jokic three-peat as MVP? Vote and then head to the comments to weigh in with your thoughts.
Will Nikola Jokic Three-Peat As MVP?
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Yes 53% (619)
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No 47% (550)
Total votes: 1,169
Jazz Notes: Markkanen, Olynyk, Fizdale, Kessler
Lauri Markkanen is having an outstanding season for the Jazz and is a prime candidate to make his first All-Star appearance. In a Q&A session with Mark Medina of NBA.com, the Finnish forward says that a strong performance at EuroBasket and being in top physical condition have contributed to his improved play, noting that he expected the team to be successful in 2022/23.
“I had high expectations, especially after this summer,” Markkanen said. “I got my confidence going with the national team. There were a lot of NBA guys [in EuroBasket]. Physically, I’m in the best shape of my life. So, I had high expectations from the beginning. We have a lot of good players on this team. So, I had high expectations with the team even coming into the year, especially after training camp started.
“We have a good team. We just have to stay on the same page and build off our chemistry. We have a lot of new guys. But that was the same thing last season when I was in Cleveland. Everyone was doubting you at the beginning of the year. Then we started out well. Having that experience and then going into training camp, I knew we had a good team. We just have to keep going and keep getting better with knowing each other and staying on the same page.”
Markkanen also says he was limited to highlights and recaps growing up in Finland due to games being on in the middle of the night, and didn’t actually start watching NBA games until he came stateside to play college ball at Arizona. It’s an interesting interview from Medina and worth checking out in full.
Here’s more on the Jazz:
- Big man Kelly Olynyk, who recently missed four straight games with a left ankle sprain, was able to return to the lineup in Wednesday’s loss at Golden State, tweets Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. The 31-year-old Canadian is having a solid season for Utah, averaging 12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.1 SPG on .520/.431/.835 shooting through 33 games (28.5 MPG).
- Marc J. Spears of Andscape details how David Fizdale went from coaching to an assistant general manager position with the Jazz. Fizdale was an assistant coach with the Lakers last season, but Darvin Ham decided to go in a different direction. Fizdale had a job offer to be an assistant coach under Nate McMillan with the Hawks, but he ultimately declined it when he was offered the Jazz’s front office position. According to Spears, Fizdale told friend and Jazz part-owner Dwyane Wade that “being a more present husband and dad” played a big factor in his desire for a new role, with Wade later informing president Danny Ainge of Fizdale’s interest.
- On the How ‘Bout This Jazz podcast, Walden and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune explored the reported rumor of Utah discussing a three-team trade, rookie Walker Kessler being a pleasant surprise, potential lineup changes, and other topics.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Southeast Division
For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Southeast players.
Kyle Kuzma, F, Wizards
2022/23: $13,000,000- 2023/24: $13,000,000 player option
- Stock: Up
Kuzma has already said he plans to decline his player option and enter free agency, which makes a lot of sense from a financial perspective – he can only earn up to about $70MM over four years in an extension.
Through 35 games (35.4 minutes), the six-year veteran is averaging 21.6 points (a career high), 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists on .466/.341/.703 shooting (.560 true shooting percentage).
The 27-year-old’s TS% is actually below league average (.577, the highest in NBA history), but he offers three-level scoring and an interesting blend of versatility on both sides of the ball. He should see a significant raise on his $13MM deal starting next season.
Justin Holiday, G/F, Hawks
- 2022/23: $6,292,440
- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Down
It’s a rare and impressive accomplishment for an undrafted player to last 10 NBA seasons, but the eldest of the three Holiday brothers has now joined that group, having found a nice niche as a 3-and-D wing from 2016-2021.
Holiday has earned between $4.3MM and $6.3MM each of the past six seasons, but his role and production have been limited in ‘22/23. He’s averaging just 15.4 minutes per contest and 4.7 points through 26 games, while recording his lowest 3PT% (.345) since ’15/16.
Perhaps more concerning is the fact that Holiday’s defense isn’t what it used to be, and he’ll be 34 in April, so there’s little reason to believe that will turn around. At this point, he’s looking like a one-year, veteran’s minimum type in free agency – assuming he finds a team.
Will Barton, G/F, Wizards
- 2022/23: $14,375,000
- 2023/24: UFA
- Stock: Down
Similar to Holiday, playing 11 seasons as a former second-round pick (40th in 2012) is certainly an impressive achievement for Barton. He entered the league as a raw prospect, but flourished when he was traded from Portland to Denver, averaging 14.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game on .438/.362/.789 shooting over seven-plus seasons.
Unfortunately, injuries have sapped Barton’s athleticism in recent years, and he was never a great defensive player. That – along with being traded to the Wizards in the offseason – has been detrimental to his career. He’s producing at his lowest level since his Trail Blazer days, averaging just 8.3 points, 3.0 boards and 2.7 assists per game on .371/.370/.800 shooting (.486 TS%) through 31 contests (22.3 minutes).
Barton will have earned more than $80MM in his career once this season is over, but he’s clearly on the tail end of things, and is probably looking at a veteran’s minimum contract in the offseason.
Nick Richards, C, Hornets
- 2022/23: Minimum salary
- 2023/24: RFA
- Stock: Up
The 42nd pick of the 2020 draft, Richards rarely saw the court in his first two seasons, averaging just 6.3 minutes across 68 games. Suffice it to say, external expectations were not high for the 7’0” center entering ‘22/23.
The fact that he has been one of the most productive backup centers in the league this season – he’s averaging 9.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 33 games (18.8 minutes) – has been a pleasant surprise to say the least. The 9-26 Hornets currently hold the second-worst record in the league, but Richards has been a bright spot.
The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent in the offseason and should garner a nice raise on his current minimum-salary deal.
(As an aside, I have no idea why Mason Plumlee continues to see the majority of minutes in the middle over Richards and first-rounder Mark Williams. Plumlee turns 33 in March, will be an unrestricted free agent, is a negative on defense, and Charlotte clearly isn’t going anywhere. Very odd situation for one of the league’s most perplexing teams.)
P.J. Washington, F/C, Hornets
- 2022/23: $5,808,435
- 2023/24: RFA
- Stock: Down
Washington has several desirable traits – he can play both frontcourt positions (though he has played almost exclusively power forward this season), he’s a decent defender, he holds a career 3PT% of .368, he can leverage the threat of his outside shot to pump-and-drive, and he can post up smaller players, particularly favoring a mini-hook shot down low.
The former lottery pick will turn 25 in the offseason, so he’s theoretically still on the upside of his career, and he’s posting a career-best 14.8 points through 34 games in ‘22/23. So why is his stock down to this point?
Well, down is relative. I thought Washington could get a deal in the four-year, $60-70MM range on a rookie scale extension before the season started, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he still does, but it won’t be because he’s having a strong contract year. Despite playing a career-high 31.8 minutes per contest, he’s averaging a career-low 4.9 rebounds, his defense has regressed a little to my eyes, and his efficiency has plummeted. He has posted .416/.337/.798 shooting splits for a .519 TS%, after registering a career-high .588 TS% in ‘21/22.
Playing without the team’s best passers for much of the season hasn’t helped, and there’s plenty of time for Washington to turn things around with a strong second half. Still, his stock has definitely dipped since October.