Sixers Notes: Oubre, Injuries, Drummond, George, Draft Pick
With Caleb Martin and KJ Martin sidelined with injuries, the Sixers‘ forward depth was thin on Wednesday against New York. Kelly Oubre Jr. slid from shooting guard to power forward, delivering with 16 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block. While the Sixers lost for their seventh time in nine games, Oubre’s defensive intensity stood out, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It’s just kind of getting back to the basics,” Oubre said. “I could speak for myself, like it’s bread and butter for me. If things around me are out of control, then I know I can focus on my energy and my effort on the defensive end.”
Oubre’s has had an impressive defensive season, ranking second in the league in deflections and tied for 14th in steals per game. The Sixers pushed the Knicks to overtime due in part to the defensive play of Oubre, who holds a player option worth roughly $8.38MM for next season.
We have more from the Sixers:
- Paul George, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, and KJ Martin didn’t practice for the Sixers on Friday, according to Pompey (Twitter link). However, Caleb Martin was a partial participant and Andre Drummond practiced fully after missing the last six games due to injury. In a separate tweet, Pompey reports head coach Nick Nurse said he has high hopes for Drummond playing Saturday against Indiana. Drummond is listed as probable for that game.
- The Sixers need George to step up without Embiid available, Zach Powell and Jared Weiss of The Athletic write. Philadelphia has obviously been worse off without their superstar in Embiid, but if they hope to make a run to the play-in, let alone the playoffs, George will need to play at a high level. It’s an opportunity for George to prove his star quality and to justify the Sixers’ faith in him, Powell and Weiss write.
- With the Sixers on the outside looking in for the postseason, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes that they owe their first-round pick to the Thunder if it lands outside the top six. The Sixers currently have the eighth-highest odds for the No. 1 overall pick. With that in mind, Katz ponders whether the Sixers could do what the Mavericks did in 2023, when they fell out of the playoffs and thus, kept their top-10 protected pick, landing a Finals contributor in Dereck Lively II. This stretch without Embiid ahead of the trade deadline could reveal their plans not only for February, but potentially for the draft as well.
Central Notes: Bulls, Mobley, Sheppard, Nesmith
The Bulls held a team meeting following their loss to the shorthanded Hawks on Wednesday, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, who says that defeat at the hands of Atlanta encapsulated everything that’s gone wrong this season, including turnovers, poor shooting and being out-rebounded.
“We focus on the wrong things,” center Nikola Vučević said. “We have to understand that it’s the details that make the difference at this level.”
The Bulls are in a similar place to where they’ve been for the past few seasons. At 18-23, they just missed out on having the same record through the first half of the season for the fourth time in five years. Chicago was 19-22 in three of the past four seasons.
According to Mayberry, questions are swirling about the team’s February plans, as they haven’t made a deadline deal in any of the last three years.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Cavaliers center Evan Mobley is enjoying a career year, which has included extending his range and efficiency beyond the arc, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. Mobley is shooting a career-high 42.1% on three-pointers and has more than doubled his attempts per game. “I don’t know what his work routine looked like (last season), I have no idea,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But what I see right now is that a big part of his player-development plan and on-court work is dedicated to the 3-point shot. And then with that three-point shooting comes close-out offense … [defenses] start to close out [on Mobley].“
- After missing 14 games due to an injury, Pacers wing Ben Sheppard is back in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation for the Pacers. “Once he’s been back healthy, the thing that we love about him is he plays the same way,” Carlisle said within a feature on Sheppard by Spencer Davies of RG.org. “He plays fast, he goes hard, he’s very conscientious defensively. Offensively, he runs, moves the ball and plays to his strengths. So he’s a guy that’s important to us.”
- Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith missed 35 games this year with an ankle injury, but he picked up right where he left off in a double-digit win over the Pistons, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes. “He’s going to go out there and try to rebound everything and be a menace out there,” teammate Myles Turner said. In his return game on Thursday, Nesmith scored nine points in as many minutes as a starter.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, DiVincenzo, Henderson, Camara, Murray
The Timberwolves are out of excuses after losing to the shorthanded Warriors on Wednesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. Nearly everything went wrong for Minnesota, including a slow start to open the game that saw the Wolves fall behind 13-0.
“They came out how we should’ve come out,” said Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 28 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. “There’s no excuses. I think we just have to be better to start the game. We got it together. We fought and clawed our way back, but we start the game differently, this is a different story.”
Gui Santos made his first career start for Golden State and was effective, while Rudy Gobert was out-rebounded by Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Wolves rank 22nd in defensive rebounding after finishing ninth last year, which Krawczynski writes is a direct result of Gobert’s regression.
Anthony Edwards was critical of the lineup – himself included – that surrendered that early 13-0 deficit, Krawczynski writes in the same story.
“The starting five, we are terrible,” Edwards said. “Every game we come out low energy and the second group comes in and gives us energy. I would say the starting group has gotta come out with more energy like we want to play the game of basketball, like we love the game.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Things won’t get any easier for the Timberwolves as they embark on a difficult stretch that includes tilts against the Knicks, Cavaliers and Grizzlies. DiVincenzo is out with a toe sprain, according to team PR (Twitter link). It’s not clear exactly how much DiVincenzo will miss, but toe sprain absences are often measured in weeks and not days.
- The Trail Blazers saw a glimpse of a brighter future in a Tuesday loss to the Nets, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report writes. Second-year players Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara both recorded career games, with Henderson scoring a career-high 39 points while making eight three-pointers and Camara finishing the night with 24 points.
- Nuggets coach Michael Malone expressed confidence last month that Jamal Murray would begin to silence his critics with his play and, after a season-high 45 points from the Kentucky product on Tuesday, Malone defended his guard again. “I think the microscope on Jamal is a little intense,” Malone said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Everybody’s just got to kind let the kid breathe a little bit. He’s not perfect. And if you look, I think his overall stats as of recently, he’s been very good for us.“
Thunder Notes: Culture, Wallace, Williams, Carlson
The Thunder were able to fast-track their timeline for contention by establishing a firm culture under head coach Mark Daigneault that focused on skill development and small details, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon writes.
“I think that’s why we’ve been able to accelerate our development,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All those little things that go into winning, they mean a lot to us because of our competitiveness and what our common goal is as a group.”
Oklahoma City saw success last season but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, falling short of the Western Conference Finals. Instead of sending out their assets for another star or big name, the Thunder targeted role players in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso who could help push their core to the top of the league.
“They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Daigneault said. “I think that’s one of the things that [Thunder general manager Sam Presti]’s nailed in this process. The types of people that we’ve brought in the door, regardless of whether they’re still here or they’re not, by and large, have been committed professionals that are ambitious, but they’re also willing to complete the team.”
We have more from the Thunder:
- After emerging as a rookie contributor on a contending team last season, Cason Wallace began this season in a slump, averaging 6.5 points on 41.8% shooting through his first 33 games. But as Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes, it looks like Wallace is out of his funk after averaging 13.2 points on 58.7% shooting in his last five outings. It’s obviously a small sample, but Wallace’s mentality helped break him out of the dry spell. “Just being a hooper,” Wallace said. “Knowing that you’re gonna have shooting slumps. And I had mine early. I had one last year, just wasn’t as loud as this. Just sticking with it, knowing it would come back.“
- Jalen Williams has a solid case to make the All-Star Game according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, which would make him one of two players from the 2022 class to do so so far (joining Paolo Banchero). Entering Thursday, Williams held averages 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game for the contending Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams is worthy of the honor. “For our team to be as good as we’ve been, obviously coming up on the All-Star Game, I think it’d only be right for him to be an All-Star,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You don’t have this record because of one All-Star. You don’t have this record because of one good player.”
- Branden Carlson got his first shot at extended minutes in a big matchup against the Cavaliers on Thursday, Lorenzi writes. He scored 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench, playing in the first quarter. After going undrafted in 2024, Carlson signed a two-way contract with the Raptors, but was waived before the season began. The big man joined the Thunder on a non-guaranteed contract, was cut again, and was brought back last week on a 10-day deal. Although he’s only under contract for 10 days, Oklahoma City relied on Carlson with their frontcourt depth depleted as a result of injuries to Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
Heat Notes: Butler, Young Core, Adebayo, Rozier, Richardson
Despite the fact that Heat star Jimmy Butler reportedly made it clear he no longer wants to play for the franchise, he may suit up for Miami on Friday, writes Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Butler is eligible to return against Denver from his team-issued suspension and was not listed on Thursday’s injury report.
The six-time All-Star was expected to meet with Arison and CEO Nick Arison on Thursday afternoon to discuss a path forward.
As has been reported, there has been little progress on a potential trade. The Heat would prefer to get a trade done sooner rather than later but will only accept a deal that will help the team both now and moving forward.
We have more from the Heat:
- Miami went 3-4 during Butler’s suspension, including three consecutive wins against the Warriors, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The most promising aspect of the trip, The Athletic’s James Jackson writes, is the fact that Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic all showed promise. Ware continues to play a larger role as the season goes on. Teammate Tyler Herro expressed optimism about what he saw from those players during the stretch. “Ups and downs with a young player are normal,” Herro said. “I went through it myself. I think that’s the hardest thing: just finding consistency night in and night out. That’s a challenge for any young player. I think getting the reps every night is ultimately what young guys need, to be able to continue to get better and go through ups and downs, play through mistakes. But they’re all playing very well. You can see how good they can be, and I’m really excited for them.“
- Ware and Jovic have looked particularly good coming off the bench for Miami, often assisting on each other’s makes, Chiang observes in a separate story. On the other hand, Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier remain off the mark offensively, with Adebayo shooting a career-low from the field and Rozier shooting his lowest since the 2018/19 season.
- Despite being active earlier this month and looking like he was on track to return soon, Josh Richardson went home from the team’s West Coast road trip early for an MRI on his heel. Richardson was ruled out due to that heel issue, according to the team (Twitter link). It’s unknown at this time when Richardson will be able to return or what the results of the MRI were.
Lakers Notes: Redick, Reaves, Bronny, Jemison
Lakers coach JJ Redick challenged the Lakers to prioritize connectivity and communication on Wednesday before playing the Heat, but they faced a big deficit at halftime. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Redick got it through to his team that they needed to talk more and play harder.
The Lakers fared better against Miami’s zone defense in the second half and came back to register their first win since Jan. 3.
“I challenged the team across the board today in our meeting about leadership,” Redick said. “And leadership — people think about talking, obviously being vocal, talking in the huddles, whatever it may be. That certainly is a form of leadership. But leadership takes many forms. And I think talk is a requirement of the job as a basketball player. Talk is a requirement of the job.”
According to Woike, Los Angeles’ Wednesday win was a sign of growth, with players taking accountability for things they hadn’t been doing.
We have more from the Lakers:
- Guard Austin Reaves played a huge role in the win against Miami and he’s continuing to grow as a play-maker. Reaves is averaging 9.6 assists per game since Christmas, including a career-high 16 on Dec. 29 and 14 against the Heat. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Redick said Thursday that Reaves is playing at an “All-Star level.” His season-long averages of 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per game would be career highs if they hold.
- LeBron James continues to be thrilled about having Bronny James on the roster, even if the younger James isn’t playing much, Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Bronny doesn’t have to play basketball at all,” LeBron James said on the New Heights podcast (YouTube link). “It’s not like he needs the money. He can do whatever he wants to do. Like, if he wants to be the CEO of my company, he could be that. I’ll start teaching him right now to be that if he wants to. But he’s like, ‘This is my career … my goals and … aspirations and I want to play ball. This is something I love.’ I love that kid. He’s awesome.” Bronny has played sparingly at the NBA level, but he’s averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in the G League.
- The Lakers signed Trey Jemison to a two-way contract on Wednesday, replacing Quincy Olivari. That deal is for two years, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
- According to McMenamin (Twitter link), the addition of Jemison coincides with the coaching staff’s desire to play Anthony Davis with another center on the floor. Outside of Jemison, the Lakers’ centers on the roster consist of Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko. Wood hasn’t played all season due to a knee injury, while Hayes has also battled health issues and Koloko (on a two-way) has had a limited role.
Atlantic Notes: Edwards, George, Celtics, Hart, Nets
Sixers two-way rookie wing Justin Edwards is emerging for a team in need of silver linings, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The Philadelphia native scored 25 points on four three-pointers made, along with six rebounds and four assists on Tuesday against the Thunder.
Edwards’ role increased with eight players out for Philadelphia, leading to a career high in minutes played.
“I think he’s really, really improving,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “Again, he gives a really good effort on the defensive end. He’s capable of guarding lots of positions defensively, and he’s got a good feel offensively. Again, the ball finds him because he’s moving to the right place at the right time. I thought he took a good number of threes that were there.”
According to Pompey, Edwards credited the G League with his development this season. Edwards has appeared in 17 games for the Delaware Blue Coats this season, averaging 18.5 points per game on .474/.381/.880 shooting in the NBAGL. He didn’t play much at the NBA level to open the season, but has logged at least 12 minutes in six of the Sixers’ past seven games, averaging 9.7 PPG on 55.0% shooting during that stretch.
The Sixers signed Edwards to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in 2024. Like fellow two-way players Pete Nance and Jeff Dowtin, he’s on a one-year contract and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- After losing four straight games and seven of their last nine, the Sixers and Paul George aren’t giving up on what has been a disappointing season, Pompey writes in another story. George says he sees a light at the end of the tunnel with 43 games left in the season. Nurse expressed a similar sentiment, issuing a reminder that the Sixers’ big three of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have only played 10 games together — the club is 7-3 in those games.
- The Celtics are facing a tough stretch this month despite owning the NBA’s third-best record at 28-12. The defending champions have mostly downplayed their recent struggles, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, but Himmelsbach says there was “a new, ominous air of frustration and urgency” following double-digit Wednesday loss to the 10-win Raptors on Wednesday. The Celtics have three losses – all by at least 13 points – in their last five games, eking out a one-point victory over the 10-win Pelicans during that stretch.
- Josh Hart continues to prove he’s one of the league’s elite role players, averaging 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 36.9% from three. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic observes, that stat line has never been accomplished by a player 6’8″ or shorter, which would make Hart the first if his statistics hold. In fact, the only players in league history to reach those minimum averages in a season are Embiid, Nikola Jokic and Larry Bird.
- The Nets are exactly where they need to be in their rebuild, opines Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. While their Wednesday 59-point loss to the Clippers was the worst in franchise history, they have a coach in Jordi Fernandez who looks like a long-term solution, along with plenty of cap flexibility, draft capital and young players worth taking further looks at.
Dereck Lively II Exits With Ankle Sprain, Doesn’t Return
The Mavericks ruled starting center Dereck Lively II out with an ankle sprain just four minutes into Tuesday’s game against Denver, the team announced (via Twitter).
Lively is continuing to build on an impressive first season that saw him finish sixth in Rookie of the Year voting as he helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals. In 31 games (24 starts) this season, he’s averaging 9.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per night while shooting a highly efficient 70.1% clip from the field.
It’s a tough blow for a Dallas team already without superstar Luka Doncic, who is dealing with a calf injury that’s expected to keep him out through this month, at the earliest. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, Doncic is on track to return in early February, prior to the All-Star break.
The Mavericks did get some good injury news on Tuesday, as Kyrie Irving returned to action following a five-game absence due to a back issue.
Lively’s most direct replacement is apparent: Daniel Gafford. He and Lively often switch off at the starting center position, with Gafford starting in all 22 of his appearances last postseason and Lively taking over this year.
Beyond Gafford, the Mavs have Maxi Kleber, P.J. Washington and Dwight Powell as bigs. Powell got into Tuesday’s game in the first half after not playing in Dallas’ previous two tilts.
Lively’s return timeline will depend on the severity of the injury. While a mild sprain may not cost him much, if any, additional time, a more significant sprain could keep him on the shelf for weeks.
Central Notes: Siakam, Haliburton, Pistons, Lillard
Pascal Siakam continues to be a steadying force for the Pacers as they traverse the ups and downs of the season, according to Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar, who contends that the veteran forward has been Indiana’s most consistent player since his arrival via trade before last year’s deadline.
Even when they fell to 10-15 on the season, the Pacers continued to lean on Siakam and have gone 12-4 since, which included an impressive win over the contending Cavaliers on Sunday. More notable is the fact that Siakam hasn’t even been on Indiana’s injury report. In fact, the only game he’s been inactive for was his first as a Pacer the day after he was traded.
As Dopirak observes, Siakam leads the Pacers entering Tuesday with 19.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to go along with 3.3 assists while shooting 52.1% from the field and 40.8% from deep. His three-point rate would be a career-high clip. He’s working on being a more vocal leader after being a core piece on the Raptors’ 2019 championship team. Siakam signed a four-year, maximum-salary contract with the Pacers this past offseason.
“I put a lot of work into my craft,” Siakam said. “I think every single night, I’m ready. I’m ready however the ball is gonna go. There’s going to be times when you might get more opportunity than others. It’s just all about preparation. For me, I prepare every single day for these moments. Every single night I’m out there, I want to be a threat on all three levels. I want to do it consistently every single night.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Tyrese Haliburton missed Tuesday’s rematch against the Cavaliers — a 127-117 loss that snapped a six-game Pacers win streak — due to a mild groin strain, Dopirak reports (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Carlisle said Haliburton would be “day-to-day.” According to Dopirak (Twitter link), it is not a hamstring injury for Haliburton, as initially believed. That’s worth noting, since the two-time All-Star battled hamstring problems last season.
- Entering Tuesday, the Pistons led the league in wins in the month of January, earning them a nod for most surprising team of the year, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press opines. Cade Cunningham is establishing himself as a bona fide star and has a chance to start the All-Star Game just a year after the Pistons lost an NBA-record 28 consecutive games. “Our job is to put him in position to be successful. And then he’s got to go out there and do it,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Over these 40 games now, he and I and his teammates have learned a lot about each other and how we can best help each other. And that’s what it’s about — each of us playing our role and doing what we’re supposed to do together and collectively to just help one another, make this team as good as we possibly can. Cade knows his role and what this team needs, and he’s executed perfectly.” Cunningham is averaging 26.5 points and 8.3 assists per game this month while shooting a blistering 45.8% from deep.
- Bucks star guard Damian Lillard is open to the idea of finishing out his career in EuroLeague, according to a report from BasketNews. “It’s something I’ve talked about with some members of my family the past two years but not seriously thought about,” Lillard said. It’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon, if at all. Lillard is still playing at an All-Star level at age 34, averaging 24.8 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 44.0% from the floor and 37.5% from three.
Southeast Notes: Rozier, Johnson, Jaquez, Banchero, Williams
Terry Rozier is waiting on his three-point luck to turn around, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. A career 36.3% shooter, Rozier is connecting on just 33.2% during his Heat tenure, including 29.2% this season.
“I shoot the same every year. It will work for me. It’s just ups and downs,” Rozier said. “Once it starts clicking, it’s going to start clicking. I don’t care what my percentage is; I know it’s always 50 percent chance of going in.”
Rozier was removed from the starting lineup for 14 games but has been a starter in five of his past six outings. He’s averaging 12.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the season. The Heat traded a first-round pick and Kyle Lowry to acquire Rozier ahead of last year’s deadline.
“We all want to start in this league,” Rozier said. “Nobody wants to be a starter and go to the bench no matter what they say. I’m happy being in the starting lineup. It might not be [permanent]; you never know.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- In the same article, Jackson notes that Heat rookie Keshad Johnson received a call from Charlotte after going undrafted in 2024, but Johnson knew he wanted to sign with Miami. “Here is where dreams come true,” Johnson said regarding the Heat’s previous success with undrafted players.
- Second-year Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is enjoying the best stretch of his season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He’s averaging 16.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 54.5% from the floor and 36.4% on three-pointers in his last four games — he also pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds on Monday and scored a season-high 20 points on Thursday.
- Paolo Banchero made his return for the Magic on Friday after missing the last two months with a torn oblique. He scored 34 points in a narrow loss to the Bucks in his first game back, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. “I didn’t see that one coming, I can tell you that,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “But that’s who he is. The kid’s been working his tail off to get back in. And so, what he was able to do with poise, taking the right shots at the right time, defending, taking matchups on, this tells you how much he wants to go get it and get after it. That’s who he is. He’s a star for a reason.” While the Magic stayed afloat without Banchero, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that his return and tremendous play gives the team more hope going forward.
- Mark Williams has picked up where he left off for the Hornets after returning from health issues that sidelined him for a full year, averaging 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds in 13 games (10 starts) this year. In an interview with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, Williams opened up about his recovery and having his minutes restriction lifted. “In my time that I was out, I was working on my game,” Williams said. “Obviously my teammates are finding me. There are a lot of spots that I’m comfortable in on the floor, whether it’s my floaters or my dunks. I’m also finding them at the same time for kicks and handoffs. That’s just us regaining the chemistry back with my teammates.“