Pacific Notes: Budenholzer, Booker, Bol, Jemison, Goodwin, Curry
Weeks ago, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer reportedly called on star Devin Booker to “tone it down vocally” during games, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link). According to Haynes, Booker was surprised at the request.
As Haynes points out, Booker seemed to allude to that conversation during his post-game remarks on Thursday when he discussed what the Suns need to do to improve amid a stretch that’s seen them drop out of the play-in picture in the West.
“It can be fixed with just a little more talking I’d say,” Booker said. “Things get tough, we get quiet as a team and from my experience and what I’ve seen, that’s not the way to get through it.”
Budenholzer addressed the report on Friday, per Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. According to the championship-winning coach, he and Booker talk often and have a healthy relationship and dialogue.
“Devin always starts with himself,” Budenholzer said. “He’s always pushing us to be better. Devin is awesome and his communication is awesome. His style is great. I get it, I understand. I don’t have a lot more to say. There’s conversations I have with Devin all the time. I’m good with those conversations. We don’t always agree on everything. I think he actually appreciates it, I appreciate it. I’ll leave it there.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns have leaned heavily recently on Bol Bol, who has started five of their past eight games. He’s been impressive in those five starts, averaging 19.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field and 41.2% from three (on 6.8 attempts per game). His strong play drew praise from teammate Kevin Durant, per PHNX Sports (Twitter link). “I think a lot of younger players can learn from how he approaches the game,” Durant said of Bol. “And it’s not as glamorized, people don’t think that about Bol, because he’s so quiet and unassuming, but he’s a pro’s pro, and he’s shown that ever since he came here to Phoenix. And ever since he’s been my teammate, I’ve been blown away by how hard he works, how much he cares, how much he wants to go out there and play well, how great of a teammate he is.“
- Two-way center Trey Jemison played a big role in the Lakers‘ win over the Clippers, recording five points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. As Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times points out (via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin’s Twitter), the Lakers are 10-0 this season when Jemison plays. The big man said he’s impressed with how L.A.’s bench is shaping up in the late stretch of the season. “If you want this win, you have to come fight us. Literally fight us,” Jemison said of the bench identity, per The Athletic Jovan Buha (Twitter link).
- Another two-way player for the Lakers has also stood out as of late — in his eight games with Los Angeles, Jordan Goodwin is averaging 6.1 points and 1.3 steals. According to Buha (Twitter link), head coach JJ Redick said he foresees Goodwin continuing to play a rotation role moving forward. The Lakers don’t have any roster spots open and two-way players aren’t eligible for the playoffs, so if they want Jemison or Goodwin to have a role in the postseason rotation, they’d have to clear spots for one or both by waiving players on guaranteed deals.
- Stephen Curry‘s 56 points on Thursday emphasized the fact that he and the Warriors are still worth monitoring as a potential contender, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes. While Thompson suggests it may be premature to call the Warriors true contenders, he notes that Curry continues to prove there are few players in the league worth taking over him in a seven-game series.
Southeast Notes: Hawks Bench, Poole, Hornets, Green, Smith
The Hawks are receiving strong contributions from their bench since adding Caris LeVert, Terance Mann and Georges Niang at the trade deadline, Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. That trio helped Atlanta defeat Miami on Monday and combined for 50 points on Friday. On Wednesday, the bench – LeVert, Mann, Niang, and Clint Capela – scored 45 of the Hawks’ 109 points.
“I feel like we can keep getting better,” Capela said of Atlanta’s second unit. “Once again, defensively, we’re able to get stops and run get easy buckets for everybody, myself included Caris, Terance, Georges. I mean, I feel like, those are the guys that know how to play, they’ve been in this thing long enough to know how to play, and I’ve started feeling better playing with them.”
In the eight games since the newcomers arrived, Niang is averaging 14.0 points per game while shooting 41.7% on 7.5 three-point attempts per game, LeVert is recording 15.3 PPG, and Mann is averaging 8.4 PPG while shooting 57.9% from beyond the arc.
“Yeah, I think that’s the thing that’s kind of bringing us together, is our communication and our experience,” LeVert said. “We’ve all played a lot of basketball. So, I think just getting on the same page has been a lot easier.”
Williams adds that the Hawks still need to find a solution for replacing some of Trae Young‘s play-making production when he sits and that Vit Krejci should be considered an option for alleviating that concern.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Jordan Poole is enjoying a strong second season in Washington after his production dipped in his first season there. As Varun Shankar of The Washington Post writes, Poole is averaging career highs in points (21.0), assists (4.8) and three-point percentage (37.0%). Poole didn’t start in 12 games last season but now he’s a full-time starter and is second on the Wizards in minutes per game.
- The Hornets are going through a tough stretch — they won just two games in February and have lost five in a row. Still, coach Charles Lee is optimistic that the team is growing through the adversity, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I thought just as a group, we competed at a much better level,” Lee said after their most recent loss, a 103-96 game against the Mavericks on Thursday. “To judge a man to see how he gets knocked down and to see how he responds, the group definitely responded today.“
- Josh Green returned to American Airlines Center for the first time as a member of the Hornets on Thursday. He had “weird feelings” in his return to face the Mavericks, with whom he spent the first four years of his career, according to Mavs.com’s Eddie Sefko. “It’s been different for me,” Green said. “Being a younger guy in Dallas and then to come here and being a veteran, it’s definitely been a shift. It’s fun. I’ve enjoyed it. Looking back at my time in Dallas, my first couple years were some of my really toughest times, not playing, not getting many minutes. Having guys like Dwight [Powell] and Maxi [Kleber] were great leaders for me. And it’s motivated me to be the best [mentor] I can be for guys.”
- Roster deadlines are approaching and – as we wrote last weekend – the Heat could conceivably make a two-way contract switch, since Dru Smith is out for the season. However, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald hears that the front office is leaning toward keeping Smith on his two-way deal to avoid another team claiming him and getting the chance to re-sign him in restricted free agency this summer. Asummiing he remains in Miami, Smith could be re-signed to a two-way deal or to a standard contract. He established himself as part of the team’s rotation before his unfortunate injury.
Cavs Notes: Garland, Mitchell, Allen, Celtics Win
Despite some speculation that the Cavaliers and Darius Garland might separate after the team’s second-round loss to the Celtics in the playoffs last season, that was never under serious consideration for either side, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
“It crossed my mind. Like just literally crossed it for like five seconds,” Garland said. “But I really love this group, man. It’s like a real brotherhood. We’ve been together for three years now, four years now, and I really want to win here. I think this group has the opportunity to do something special and bring a championship back to Cleveland. And that’s what I want to do.”
After remaining in Cleveland, Garland is having a career year for the East-best Cavaliers, averaging 21.3 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting career highs of 49.1% from the field and 42.3% from three. It certainly helped that new head coach Kenny Atkinson met with Garland after being hired and discussed what his role could look like.
“He wanted to get back to an All-Star level and that was our job to help him get back there,” general manager Koby Altman said. “It was our job to help him with the staff that was going to empower him again. But never once did Darius ever ask out, never once did Darius have an issue with Donovan (Mitchell), and never once did he have an issue with the organization. His issue was, like, how do I get back? I know I’m one of the best players in the league, one of the best guards in the league. How do I get back?”
After last year’s playoffs, Garland’s goal for the offseason was building out his physique and becoming a more physical player, according to MacMahon.
“In an era or day and age where so many kids push for different things to happen, to get a new start, he put his head down and grinded every single day this summer to come back and be prepared for what was coming forward,” former Cavs and current Hawks forward Georges Niang said. “I’m happy for him because he deserves it.”
We have more from the Cavaliers:
- Mitchell recognized that in order for the Cavaliers to become true contenders, Garland would need to have the ball in his hands more often, MacMahon writes in the same story. Mitchell’s numbers have dipped this season and Garland credits the former Louisville guard for setting the cultural tone in Cleveland. “It’s one thing to be great talents, but it’s another thing to be great dudes,” Garland’s agent Rich Paul said. “When you got two ball-dominant players, they have to get a rhythm. In any relationship it takes the effort, no matter if it’s personal or business. It takes the effort to stay consistently successful. Those two guys have come out, checked their egos at the door and it’s really shown that, ‘Hey, this thing could work now.’“
- In addition to rumors circulating about the Cavs’ backcourt, there was talk during the 2024 offseason regarding the fit between Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the frontcourt. In an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Allen said he understood the nature of the business and the talk that comes with it, but he was happy to not have been traded out of Cleveland. “I really mesh well with these guys,” Allen said. “It’s just a good group to be around.”
- The Cavaliers split the season series against the Celtics 2-2 after an impressive come-from-behind win over Boston on Friday. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes, the Celtics took a 25-3 lead in the first quarter and could have easily run away with the game, but Cleveland ended the night with its biggest comeback in 11 years. Mitchell and Mobley’s contributions were key to getting the win. “The game rewards people when they stick with it,” Mobley said. “Just believe in myself, that’s the biggest thing. When you believe in yourself, you feel like you can do anything. Even with this slow start to the game, just believing in myself the entire game and eventually things started falling, and I think that’s the biggest factor in getting where you want to get to.“
Lakers’ Reaves To Undergo MRI, Team Optimistic Hachimura Injury Isn’t Serious
Lakers guard Austin Reaves exited Friday’s game against the Clippers and did not return due to right calf soreness, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. He subbed out with just under three minutes left in the first quarter and will receive an MRI on Saturday.
“He was experiencing some tightness in the calf, some soreness,” head coach JJ Redick said. “Was held out as a precaution.”
Forward Rui Hachimura missed Friday’s game entirely after he was ruled out due to a left knee strain he suffered on Thursday against the Timberwolves. Hachimura received an MRI on Friday, and while there’s no timetable for his return yet, Redick expressed optimism that the injury isn’t serious.
“It’s still not quite clear on when he will be available to play,” Redick said. “But we’re optimistic.”
The Lakers’ head coach later clarified that Hachimura has been diagnosed with left patellar tendinopathy and will be reassessed in one week, according to McMenamin (Twitter links).
In Reaves’ place, Gabe Vincent received an uptick in minutes and started the second half. Forward Dorian Finney-Smith took over a starting role with Hachimura out.
The surging Lakers will feel the absence of Reaves and/or Hachimura if either has to miss much time. Reaves has recorded multiple 30-point games since New Year’s Eve and is averaging 23.5 PPG in his last 11. Hachimura is a full-time starter when healthy, averaging 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest this season.
The Lakers have won 15 of their last 18 games to move up the standings and now sit just a game back of the second seed in the West.
Mitchell Robinson Making Season Debut On Friday
February 28: Robinson will make his season debut on Friday vs. Memphis, Charania confirms (via Twitter).
February 27: Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been upgraded to questionable and is on track to make his season debut as early as Friday against the Grizzlies, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter link).
Robinson hasn’t played since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pacers last spring, having been sidelined for all of 2024/25 so far while he recovered from ankle surgery.
It’s unclear exactly which game Robinson will return for, as Charania’s report says he’ll play “as early as” Friday. He’ll travel for the team’s upcoming two-game road trip that includes a matchup in Miami on Sunday and is expected to play in at least one of those two games.
It was previously reported that Robinson was “inching” toward a return and that the Knicks were optimistic about having him back this weekend. Robinson may be brought along slowly after not playing at all this season so far. However, when he’s at full strength, he’s an obvious boost to a Knicks frontcourt with depleted depth.
With Robinson out and Karl-Anthony Towns missing the team’s last game due to a lower body injury, New York turned to rookie Ariel Hukporti to make his first career start on Wednesday night. However, the rookie center is now out for at least four-to-six weeks with a significant knee injury he suffered in that game.
Not counting Robinson, Hukporti’s injury left the Knicks with only Precious Achiuwa as a big-man option behind Towns.
Robinson is a force on the boards for the Knicks, averaging 7.9 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game over the course of his career. Last season, he averaged 5.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks, establishing himself as a defensive anchor for the team and ranking second in the league with 4.6 offensive rebounds per night. However, he was only available for 31 regular season contests and missed the final six games of the playoffs due to his ankle issues.
While Robinson is expected to come off the bench behind Towns upon returning to action, the Knicks figure to utilize the two big men together at times, with Towns stretching the floor on offense and Robinson protecting the rim on defense.
Bucks Sign Pete Nance To Two-Way Contract
February 28: The signing is official, the team announced today (via Twitter).
February 27: The Bucks are planning to sign Pete Nance to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). They’ll add the former Northwestern and UNC player using the open roster spot they created by waiving Liam Robbins, as we relayed earlier on Thursday.
Nance has played two seasons after going undrafted in 2023, appearing in eight games with the Cavaliers as a rookie in 2023/24 and seven this season with the Sixers. The 6’11” forward spent time on a 10-day pact and two-way contract with Cleveland last season.
Nance was waived by the Cavaliers this past October and was signed twice by the Sixers on a two-way deal, first in December and then in January. He was waived earlier this month.
The younger brother of Larry Nance Jr., Pete Nance has played much more at the G League level, appearing in 18 total games (17 starts) this season with Cleveland and Philadelphia’s developmental teams. In those 18 outings, he’s averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting 37.8% from three.
After Milwaukee adds Nance to his two-way deal, they’ll have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. The deadline to sign players to two-way contracts is March 4. Two-way guard Ryan Rollins has just one game left before reaching his two-way limit, so the Bucks may opt to convert him to a standard deal and fill his two-way slot with someone new.
According to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link), Nance’s two-way contract will cover two years.
And-Ones: Warren, Baker, 2025 Draft, Banchero
Due to their hard cap, the Knicks are eligible to sign a 15th man to their roster as early as Friday. Free agent forward T.J. Warren is among the players on the New York’s radar and he’s currently suiting up for their G League affiliate in Westchester.
Warren said he’s valuing getting game experience while working his way back to the league. As SNY’s Ian Begley writes, Warren scored a Westchester-record 47 points in a game on February 7 and is averaging 24.9 PPG with a .357 3PT% (8.4 attempts per game).
“It’s been a blessing,” Warren said in an interview with SNY. “I just wanted to get some reps and get in the flow of playing basketball again and just show health. It’s been great being out here, mentoring the guys, just kind of showing them my experiences and teaching them the right way and having fun with it. Take advantage of every day. No wasted days.”
Warren last played in the NBA last year when he caught on with the Timberwolves for 11 games toward the end of the season. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised the route Warren is taking to try to get back to the league.
“I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing,” Thibodeau said. “He’s had a terrific year and he’s been great down there. For our young guys to watch somebody like that, who loves the game, great teammate and obviously he’s been terrific on the floor; I have a lot of respect for that.”
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Robert Baker II officially joined ALBA Berlin prior to this week’s EuroLeague signing deadline, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews (Twitter link). Baker, the president of the G League’s Players Union, has turned down multiple offers to join NBA front offices, according to Urbonas (Twitter link). The Osceola Magic, with whom Baker had been playing, confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede).
- Cooper Flagg continues to prove why he’s the no-brainer No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie writes in his latest big board. Dylan Harper (No. 2), Ace Bailey (No. 3), V.J. Edgecombe (No. 4) and Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 5) round out the rest of Vecenie’s top five. Outside of that, Vecenie takes a deeper dive into more under-the-radar guys, like Arizona’s Carter Bryant, San Diego State’s Miles Byrd and France’s Joan Beringer. I highly recommend checking out what Vecenie has to say about the rest of the class if you have a subscription to The Athletic, as his draft analysis is among the most in-depth.
- In another piece related to the 2025 draft, The Athletic’s John Hollinger takes a closer look at three prospects, evaluating where they stand as the college season winds down. Hollinger agrees with Vecenie in that Bryant’s stock is on the rise, while Duke’s Khaman Maluach is stabilizing and Georgia’s Asa Newell is proving to be a bit more of a question mark. Hollinger also considers whether Edgecombe can push Harper for the No. 2 slot and discusses which prospect he believes is the most undervalued.
- Former USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr said he would be surprised if Magic forward Paolo Banchero isn’t on the 2028 Olympic team that competes in Los Angeles, according to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears (Twitter link). Kerr went on to say that Banchero actually almost made the cut for the 2024 team, per Beede (Twitter link). “He was right in the mix [until] the last second for Paris,” Kerr said. “That’s how strongly we felt about him in the Philippines during the [FIBA] World Cup. He’s such a talented guy and versatile. … he was right in the mix and ultimately it just came down to roster construction, what we needed. We ended up deciding more on guard play than frontcourt.“
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Whitmore, Pelicans Lineup, Brown
With Fred VanVleet out for the past 11 games, Amen Thompson‘s ball-handling role has been amplified, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle observes.
“For sure, I feel like my play-making’s taken a step up, and they’ve put me in positions where they trust me to do that,” Thompson said. “I feel like it’s just more experience being at the one and knowing where my guys are gonna make their shots most of the time.”
While his play-making has been impressive (6.3 assists per game in his last 11 compared to 2.9 APG before that), it raises the question of exactly what Thompson’s offensive role will be when VanVleet returns. The Rockets will be fully healthy for the first time since December when VanVleet returns, but coach Ime Udoka hasn’t yet decided on a starting lineup.
Thompson has more than earned a continued stay in the starting lineup and he did start next to VanVleet earlier this year. However, the Rockets are just 5-6 in their last 11 games without their veteran point guard and will receive a boost when he returns.
“I think when we signed Fred, the beauty of him was that he could play on and off ball,” Udoka said. “He had been with [Pascal] Siakam and Kawhi Leonard, those guys, and always been a handler but another recipient because of the shooting. Obviously, that stands out. So [it’s] something he does pretty naturally, something I’m sure he’ll welcome. You know, get some easier shots [rather] than having to create and be on the ball all the time.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- In the Rockets‘ past five games, swingman Cam Whitmore has only played 25 total minutes, with a pair of DNP-CDs. According to Udoka (Twitter link via Lerner), Whitmore’s drop in minutes is directly linked to Jabari Smith Jr.‘s return to the lineup. “There’s not a ton of minutes, just like at the start of the season, for all the wings,” Udoka said. “Like I said, depth is a really good problem but people are gonna get squeezed out for sure.” Whitmore is averaging 9.1 points per game in 38 appearances this season.
- Pelicans center Kelly Olynyk is playing alongside rookie big man Yves Missi since coming from Toronto at the trade deadline. As Rod Walker of NOLA.com observes, New Orleans is finding some success with two-big lineups featuring the duo. The Pelicans have out-rebounded opposing teams in the three games with Olynyk and Missi playing next to each other. “We like the big lineups so far,” said coach Willie Green. “After many games of not being able to win the rebounding margin, we’re winning that and that’s giving us extra possessions. It’s allowing us to get out and play in transition.”
- After averaging 10.5 minutes per game in his first two outings with the Mavericks, Moses Brown drew a start on Thursday, as noted by Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth (Twitter link). Brown has tonight and Saturday’s game against the Bucks before his current 10-day deal expires. Due to Dallas’ restrictive hard-cap situation, the team won’t be able to re-sign him at that time.
Heat Notes: Highsmith, Mitchell, Offense, Adebayo
Heat forward Haywood Highsmith made a strong push to regain his role in Miami’s rotation with an impressive showing on Wednesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra is still figuring out his post-trade-deadline rotation with a roster featuring many players deserving of regular minutes. That experimentation led to Highsmith not playing in five of the Heat’s past six games.
“Who knows what the right decisions are with this team,” Spoelstra said. “That’s just the reality. I can’t claim that I’m making the right decisions.”
Highsmith finished the game with 14 points while making four of his five three-point attempts to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. The swingman is in the first season of a two-year, $10.82MM deal.
“I was ready,” Highsmith said. “It was definitely gratifying to get the opportunity and just provide a spark, provide a plus.”
Spoelstra and Highsmith’s teammates were complimentary of his play, which helped the Heat achieve their largest margin of victory since mid-January. The Heat maintained their new post-deadline starting lineup, but utilized Highsmith, Duncan Robinson, Alec Burks, Jaime Jaquez, and Kyle Anderson off the bench. Nikola Jovic is out with a hand fracture while Terry Rozier, Pelle Larsson and Kevin Love didn’t play.
“I’m used to this, to be honest with you,” Highsmith said of his fluctuating role. “Sometimes playing, sometimes starting, sometimes playing seven minutes, 20 minutes, whatever. At the end of the day, I’m a pro. When my number is called, I’m going to be ready. If I’m not playing, I’m going to cheer on my teammates and provide energy on the bench somehow, someway.”
We have more on the Heat:
- Highsmith and Davion Mitchell give the Heat a rugged defensive duo when they share the court, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes. In his starting role, Mitchell is giving Miami some strong point-of-attack defense and is battling through screens. “I knew he was a great on-ball defender, forcing a lot of illegal screens, a pitbull,” Highsmith said. “He kind of fits the Heat culture in a sense. So when we got him, I’m thinking like, ‘Wow, me and him locking up people, that would be something special for sure.’“
- The Heat’s 131 points in their win over the Hawks on Wednesday represented their second-highest total of the season, Chiang writes in a separate piece. In the wake of that performance, it’s a matter of stacking quality wins, Winderman writes. Miami hasn’t won consecutive games since late January. The Heat are facing a tough schedule to get back to .500, though, as they have the Pacers, Knicks and Cavaliers on the horizon. As both Winderman and Chiang note, the Heat haven’t beaten a team over .500 since Jan. 7. They’re 8-20 this season in games against teams with winning records.
- Bam Adebayo played through a calf contusion in the win over Atlanta, but he still played 35 minutes and scored 20 points, according to Chiang. “Bam was banged up coming into this game,” Spoelstra said. “It just shows you how much he wants this for this group. He put himself out there and then was a force of nature out there with his physicality and his efforts and his voice, his spirit, all of that. There’s probably a lot of guys that would have sat out either for the back or the calf, and he was unquestionably going [to play] in what he felt was a must-win.“
Nets’ Cam Thomas To Return On Friday
Nets guard Cam Thomas is set to make his return from a hamstring strain on Friday against the Trail Blazers, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Thomas hasn’t made an appearance in a game since Jan. 2 due to the injury.
In his first 19 games this season, Thomas averaged 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per night while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.5% on 7.6 three-point attempts per game. A talented scorer and shooter, Thomas should boost an offense that now ranks 27th on the season and has averaged just 100.7 points per game (which would rank last in the league by a wide margin) since Thomas went down.
Despite their underwhelming offensive numbers over the past couple months, the Nets are still only 1.5 games out of a play-in spot. They have games against the streaking Pistons and Warriors on the horizon, but the Nets have been competitive under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez.
The rotation upon Thomas’s return will be worth monitoring. The LSU product didn’t start either of his previous two outings, as he had also missed almost all of December due to another hamstring injury. Keon Johnson has taken over the starting two guard spot since Thomas’s injury.
With both Thomas and D’Angelo Russell out, the Nets have been turning to a starting backcourt consisting of Killian Hayes and Johnson.