Mayor-Elect Won’t Lift NYC Vaccine Mandate For Kyrie Irving
Eric Adams, the new mayor-elect, will not lift New York City’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate and has placed responsibility on the NBA and the Nets‘ Kyrie Irving to find a resolution, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“New York City is not going to change their rule,” Adams said in an interview on CNN. “And again, it is up to the NBA and Kyrie to come to a full understanding on how to keep him on the Nets and to continue to look at all of our athletes that are coming here. Again, I think the NBA and Kyrie is going to come to a conclusion on this.”
Youngmisuk notes that Adams did not explain how the league and Irving can rectify the situation while Irving remains unvaccinated.
Irving has missed the first nine game for the Nets, who are now 6-3 after beating the Pistons tonight.
The Nets decided against Irving becoming a part-time player before the season started.
While being interviewed on CNBC on Wednesday, Adams said the city needs “to revisit how we are going to address the vaccine mandates,” which some viewed as a sign that he might be willing to alter the mandate when he takes office, according to Youngmisuk.
Adams shut the door on that this evening.
Southeast Notes: Oubre, Carter, Hachimura, Johnson
The Hornets lost handily to the Warriors in Kelly Oubre‘s first trip back to the Chase Center, 114-92. He says it was strange to be back in the arena on an opposing team, but is happy with how he’s fit in thus far with the Hornets, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
“It’s definitely weird being on the opposite side of the arena,” Oubre told Boone. “But at the end of the day, man, we are in the moment. So I’m really happy to be able to go against these guys and just get the jitters out for myself. It’s always weird when you go get comfortable somewhere and then you’re uprooted to another place where you have to become comfortable as well.”
Oubre signed a two-year, $24.6MM deal with Charlotte in free agency over the summer. The second year is partially guaranteed at $5MM. Oubre says his energetic play is a good match with the young Hornets.
“This is just a young, energetic group and we are just trying to figure this thing out,” Oubre said, per Boone. “We are all trying to become our best selves and we’re all trying to set up a culture with this team. And I’m just more so happy to be a part of the culture forming in this organization rather than being somewhere the culture is already formed, guys are pretty much older so they are relaxed in how they approach the game.
“And here it’s just more like, ‘Let’s get it. Let’s go. Let’s go to war, let’s have fun while doing this.’ So I’m just super excited and ecstatic to be on this team.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- The young Magic are 2-7 to start the season. Fourth-year big man Wendell Carter Jr. knows it’s going to take time for the team to improve, writes Matt Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel. “Teams do not become great overnight,” Carter said. “It’s going to take time. It’s going to take a lot of time.”
- Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is back with the team, but there’s still uncertainty about when he’ll rejoin the lineup. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said that he tentatively expects Hachimura back “sooner rather than later,” according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. “I don’t have a timetable, but I would agree with [‘sooner rather than later’],” Unseld said on Thursday. “He’s been around more, he’s working out, so it’s good to have him in the building and be present.
- Hawks rookie forward Jalen Johnson, the 20th overall pick of the 2021 draft, has been assigned to the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner notes that two-way players Sharife Cooper and Skylar Mays were transferred to the Skyhawks as well.
Heat Notes: Kidd, Herro, Knight
The Heat are off to a 6-1 start to the new season, including wins over four playoff teams from last season: Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Memphis and Dallas.
Count Mavericks coach Jason Kidd among several Hall of Famers who like the Heat’s chances this season, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
“The Heat, I would consider them the best team in the league right now,” Kidd said following the Heat’s 125-110 win over the Mavs Tuesday night.
TNT analyst and Pacers legend Reggie Miller thinks the Heat’s top-ranked defense has made them an East favorite.
“I like Miami’s chances of winning the East because of their defense,” Miller said.
Fellow TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley says the Heat are “for real,” and Shaquille O’Neal thinks the Heat should be a top-four seed in the playoffs, per Jackson.
“You bring in two players that have championship mentalities and championships in Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker. Then you bring in Markieff Morris and Victor Oladipo. We all know the culture of Miami, how they play and how they win. They are going to go really, really far. They’re going to have home-court advantage in the first round,” O’Neal said.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Tyler Herro has settled into his role as sixth man and thinks he can win some hardware this season, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I just want to win a championship,” Herro said to Chiang when asked to list his goals for the season. “Obviously, Sixth Man of the Year, for sure. Most Improved. I feel like I can compete for those two, for sure.“
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sentinel thinks that Herro might be the most irreplaceable member of the Heat rotation at the moment. Herro set a record for most points off the bench through seven games in NBA history (157), breaking a mark held by Jason Terry. Herro’s hot start has made it so defenses can’t key in on any one player, Winderman relays. “We got a bunch of guys who are really unselfish, a bunch of guys who can go off in any quarter, whether it’s 10 to 20 points in a quarter,” Herro said. “We’ve got multiple guys that can do that. One quarter it may be me, one Jimmy. I think every quarter and every possession teams are on their heels, because they’re game planning for a lot.“
- In a separate story, Chiang spoke to NBA veteran and Miami native Brandon Knight, who is grateful for the opportunity to join the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. “Me growing up in South Florida, it’s a dream even to play here in Sioux Falls,” said Knight. “I don’t take it for granted. This opportunity means the most to me, just growing up watching Tim Hardaway, [Alonzo Mourning], Dan Majerle, [Jamal] Mashburn. Being from down here and having this opportunity, I’m thankful for all the staff, all the management, the owner to allow me this opportunity to come to Sioux Falls and continue playing. It’s a blessing.”
Celtics Hold Players-Only Meeting Following Smart’s Comments
The Celtics held a players-only meeting in Orlando Tuesday following Marcus Smart‘s comments to the media on Monday night, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (video link).
Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown discussed the team’s fourth-quarter collapse against the Bulls and Smart’s comments after the game, per Woj, who described the meeting as “emotional at times,” and “not a terribly productive meeting — maybe not even beneficial.”
On Monday, Smart was frustrated with Tatum and Brown not passing the ball enough, and he has a point. Through seven games, Tatum is averaging 24.6 shot attempts and just 3.7 assists, while Brown is averaging 20.2 shots and 2.5 assists in six games. Assists aren’t the only indication of passing, but a combined 44.8 shots against only 6.2 assists is not a great ratio for the team’s primary shot creators.
It will be interesting to see whether the meeting re-invigorates or potentially divides the team. The Celtics went 48-24 and made the Eastern Conference Finals two seasons ago, but struggled with injuries, illnesses, and inconsistency last season. They finished just 36-36 and lost in the first round of the playoffs, so the frustration may be mounting with the poor start to this season.
The Celtics are 3-5 after their 92-79 victory tonight over the Magic.
Davis Bertans Week-To-Week With Ankle Injury
Wizards sharpshooter Davis Bertans is week-to-week after sustaining an injury to his left ankle, according to head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Bertans will be out for at least the remainder of this week.
The 5-2 Wizards have had a strong start to the season, but Bertans has struggled to find a rhythm thus far. In seven games, the “Latvian Laser” is averaging 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game, with a .342/.333/1.000 shooting slash line.
It’s a setback for Bertans, whose minutes were already considerably lower than they had been the previous two seasons with the Wizards (16.9 versus 25.7 and 29.3).
Second-year forward Deni Avdija and rookie Corey Kispert could see their roles expand while Bertans is injured. The Wizards are still awaiting the season debut of third-year forward Rui Hachimura, who has been out for personal reasons.
Cade Cunningham To Make Debut Saturday?
The Pistons have had a rough start to the season, losing their first four games. However, number one overall draft pick Cade Cunningham might be ready to make his regular season debut.
As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link) notes, Cunningham isn’t listed on the team’s injury report for Saturday, which is an indication he’ll be available against the Magic.
Cunningham suffered a sprained ankle during training camp, causing him to miss all of the team’s preseason and regular season games thus far. Langlois wrote a story earlier today indicating Cunningham had been ramping up his practice time this week.
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey wouldn’t outright say that Cunningham was playing Saturday, but he thinks he’s ready.
“We’ll see where he is tomorrow,” Casey said. “We’re not putting a timetable on it. I’m just waiting to see when he’s available. I think he’s ready. He understands what we need to be doing.”
Guard Frank Jackson is excited to see what Cunningham can bring to the team, as Langlois relays.
“He’s going to bring some juice right away,” Jackson said. “He’s been working hard. It’ll be fun to get him out here and get rolling. It could take time, but I think he’s willing and ready to do what it takes to help our team excel. I’m excited for him to get out there.”
Langlois notes that Cunningham has been out four-plus weeks, so he might be on a minutes restriction to start out.
The Pistons face the Magic Saturday at 6:00 PM CT.
Injury Notes: Brown, Pacers, Raptors, Bucks
Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown is dealing with lingering after-effects from contracting COVID-19, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
Brown says it’s taking his body much longer to recover than normal, which is part of the reason he’s had up-and-down performances thus far.
“Like, I feel great. And then it feels like instead of playing one game, it kind of feels like I played three. I’m used to my body responding and recovering a lot faster. I know I just turned 25, but this can’t be what it looks like on the other side,” Brown said Friday.
Head coach Ime Udoka recently said Brown’s inconsistency has been “mind-boggling,” according to Bontemps. Brown agreed, but he’s still not feeling right.
“Ime came and talked to me about it yesterday,” Brown said. “It didn’t bother me. It’s mind-boggling to me too. I was surprised that my body didn’t respond the way it normally responds. I’m usually able to have that zip, that pop, flying up and down the court, but it wasn’t there. I think that was obvious.
“I don’t think he was out of line or anything for that. I gotta be better and get with my medical staff and figure how to get my body to the point where I feel normal. Some days I feel fantastic and then it’s like two, three days, it takes my body too long to feel fantastic again. That’s an issue for me. As I navigate that, we have to still tighten up on the details, tighten up on our defense and find a way to win games. Even though I don’t feel the same on the court, I could still be better in certain areas and detailed in certain areas. That’s more the conversation that we have,” Brown said.
Brown is also suffering from patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, relays Bontemps, which is why he missed a game versus the Rockets on Sunday.
Here are some more injury notes from around the league:
- We noted yesterday that Pacers rookie Isaiah Jackson suffered an injury on Wednesday and will be out “a while,” per head coach Rick Carlisle. The team provided an update today in press release, stating that Jackson has a hyperextended left knee and is considered week-to-week.
- Caris LeVert missed the game tonight, but he’s close to returning for the Pacers, relays Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
- Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is progressing from his shoulder injury, but he’s still weeks away from returning, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange says the best-case scenario is Siakam might return in mid-November.
- In a separate tweet, Grange says that Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe suffered a setback with his calf injury and was unable to practice today.
- Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t expect Brook Lopez or Jrue Holiday to play this weekend, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter). In a follow-up tweet, Nehm relays that Bobby Portis will miss tomorrow’s game as well (reconditioning).
Trae Young Fined $15K For Contact With Referee
The NBA has fined Hawks point guard Trae Young $15K for making contact with a referee, the league announced (via Twitter).
The league also provided a video link of the incident, which occurred during the second quarter of Atlanta’s game Thursday night, a 122-111 loss to the Wizards.
Young appeared frustrated after not receiving a foul call after a slight bump from Raul Neto and a missed shot attempt, which was tipped in by John Collins immediately afterwards. Young then made contact with the referee closest to the play and received a technical foul.
Young made comments after the game that showed his frustration with the incident and the new rule changes to limit “non-basketball moves.”
Jazz Exercise 2022/23 Option On Udoka Azubuike
The Jazz have picked up their 2022/23 third-year option on Udoka Azubuike, the team announced in a press release.
The Jazz selected Azubuike with their first-round pick (27th overall) in the 2020 draft. As a second-year former first round pick, his salary is fully guaranteed this season. Exercising the team option means his salary for next season will be guaranteed as well. Azuibuike will earn $2,174,880 in ’22/23.
Azubuike, a hulking center with a massive 7’7″ wingspan, appeared in just 15 games as a rookie last season, averaging 1.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 3.8 minutes per game.
He most recently saw action during 2021 Summer League, averaging 13.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in three games in Salt Lake City, and 13.8 points, 8.8 boards and 2.5 blocks in four contests in Las Vegas.
Azubuike figures to see a lot of time in the G League this season, as the Jazz have three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert at starting center, with Hassan Whiteside as backup.
All decisions on rookie scale options for 2022/23 are due by Monday, Nov. 1. We’re tracking them right here.
Community Shootaround: Officiating Adjustments
A notable new change to officiating this season has been the emphasis on “non-basketball moves” from offensive players designed to draw contact from defenders. In the past, these plays were frequently called defensive fouls. This season, they’re supposed to be no-calls; in some instances, they’ve been called offensive fouls.
Hawks star Trae Young is on board with some of the new changes, but feels like the referees have swung too far in the opposite direction and haven’t been calling some legitimate fouls, per ESPN News Services.
“There’s a lot of missed calls,” Young said. “It’s basketball. It’s just, it feels that they’re learning, and they’re just — I don’t know. It’s frustrating.
“Veering back and jumping into guys — that’s different,” Young said. “There are certain things that, I agree with the rule changes, but then there’s things that are still fouls, and guys are going to get hurt. Especially a smaller guy like me who’s going up against bigger and stronger defenders, they’re using their body and they’re using their legs and their hands to stop me.”
Young made the comments following Atlanta’s 122-111 loss to the Wizards. He was subsequently fined $15K for making contact with a referee during the game.
Through five games this season, Young is averaging 4.4 free throw attempts per game. Last season, he averaged 8.7.
Another player known for drawing fouls is Nets star James Harden. Harden averaged 7.3 free throw attempts per game last season (8.7 career). Through five games this season, he’s averaging 3.0, a career low.
However, some players love the changes. Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma recently tweeted his support.
“The new rules changes to the sport are the best thing the league has done in recent history. Watching the game Is muuuuuch different,” Kuzma wrote.
Here’s some early foul call data that compares the start of this season to the start of last season, courtesy of Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).
This season, through 10 days: 13 teams are averaging less than 20 free throw attempts per game, and none are averaging more than 25 attempts per game.
Last season, through 10 days: Six teams averaged less than 20 free throw attempts per game, and eight teams averaged more than 25 attempts per game.
We want to know what you think. Have the changes resulted in a better viewing experience? Will the referees continue swallowing the whistle on “non-basketball moves”? Will free throw attempts stay down? Or is it too early to draw conclusions from the small sample size?
Head to the comment section to let us know your thoughts.