Nets Notes: Simmons, Vaughn, Walker, Whitehead
Reestablishing the relationship between Nets guard Ben Simmons and head coach Jacque Vaughn was a priority for Brooklyn this offseason, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears writes.
The Nets allowed Simmons to spend the offseason training in Miami, where he felt most comfortable, and Vaughn made sure to visit and connect with the former No. 1 overall pick several times.
“I had something to prove,” Simmons said. “So, whoever comes down, whoever doesn’t, I know who’s there for me. And he was down there. He came to check on me, which I really appreciate and that gave me more confidence. It was good to have him down there.”
Simmons, who said his relationship with Vaughn was “terrible” to start out, was upset with the lack of communication between the two parties and believed the head coach was frustrated by an injury situation that limited him to 42 games last season. After working on the relationship over the offseason, Vaughn handed the keys to the starting lineup over to Simmons, who ranks toward the top of the league in rebounds and assists.
“I thought it was important for me to reestablish our relationship from the way it was introduced,” Vaughn said. “[2022/23] was during a pretty tumultuous season with expectation, trauma and chaos, and we both were involved in it. And for me to hopefully let him know that [there were] no hard feelings my way. I was trying to set a standard for the program and that’s my responsibility as a coach and to let him know what my expectations were for him going forward and that I am pulling for him at the same time.“
We have more from the Nets:
- Simmons is day-to-day with a hip injury, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. He has missed two consecutive games. “He received treatment, and he’ll continue to receive treatment,” Vaughn said. “[We’re] just not in the place where all parties around feel comfortable with him playing at the levels that he’s been playing it.“
- Lonnie Walker IV is off to a career-best start after signing a minimum-salary contract with the Nets in the offseason. In eight games, Walker’s averaging 16.8 points while shooting 53.8% from the floor and 46.3% from deep in just 22.4 minutes a night. “Just genuinely understanding just the game [and] kind of slowing it down,” Walker said of the difference in his play this season (via the New York Post’s Dan Martin). “I used to always play 100 percent going too fast without really analyzing the game.” With Cam Thomas sidelined for at least two weeks, Walker could continue to see his usage and playing time increase.
- Brooklyn first round pick and former five-star recruit Dariq Whitehead dealt with a lingering foot injury through the draft process and offseason. The youngest draft pick in Nets history made his professional on-court debut in the G League, starting for Brooklyn’s affiliate Long Island Nets on Friday, according to Nets Daily (Twitter link). He finished with five points and four rebounds in his return to the court.
Pacific Notes: Harden, Warriors, Santa Cruz, Kings Depth, Booker
New Clippers guard James Harden discussed his desire to help the team win a championship during his introductory presser on Thursday, and the Clippers are much closer to winning a chip by acquiring him, Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register opines. However, Swanson argues that trading for Harden puts the Clippers under more public scrutiny, adding Harden to a list of big-name players alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
The fit between Harden and Westbrook, who have played together twice before in Houston and Oklahoma City, will be interesting to watch unfold. Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times further explores the fit, adding that coach Tyronn Lue said he hasn’t yet talked to the two about splitting ball-handling duties.
“I don’t predict the future. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know, bro,” Westbrook said. “But it’s going to be a process. It’s going to be ups and downs, going to be good games, bad games. It’s not just going to come together and mesh and we’re going to be perfectly fine. That’s unrealistic expectations for everybody. The realistic expectations, like I said, it’s going to be a process. I don’t have the answer to what that is.”
Harden said he’s used to adjusting his playing style, having done so in Brooklyn and Philadelphia alongside other superstars, though he expressed displeasure with his role in Philly.
“Somebody that can have that dialogue with me and understand and move forward and figure out and make adjustments on the fly throughout the course of games, that’s all I really care about,” Harden said. “It’s not about me scoring … 34 points. I’ve done that already.”
Harden is in the final year of his contract and will earn about $35.6MM this season.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors are off to a 5-1 start, but they are still figuring out certain lineups, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater observes. In particular, head coach Steve Kerr is still working through the team’s closing unit, and Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II are all fighting for spots in that lineup, with Payton closing out Friday.
- In the same article, Slater reports the Warriors sent Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis to the G League to get playing time in training camp with Santa Cruz. However, Draymond Green argued that the Warriors played with low energy on Friday and that not having the young players there hurt the team. “Next time we have an in-season tournament game, we need them here,” Green said. “You always talk about young guys bringing energy, that’s their job. We don’t have to tell those young guys to bring energy. They do every single day. I wasn’t overly shocked our energy wasn’t there because they lift our energy level. … We need them here. They are a big part of the fabric of this team. We missed them [Friday].“
- With both De’Aaron Fox and Trey Lyles still out for the Kings, Sacramento’s depth is being tested early on, The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson writes. Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov have been taking on the majority of Fox’s and Lyles’ minutes.
- After returning to play Thursday, Suns guard Devin Booker is out again for Saturday’s contest against the Sixers, according to Duane Rankin (Twitter link). Head coach Frank Vogel is “hopeful” Booker will play in the second game of the team’s back-to-back on Sunday against the Pistons, but that the short turnaround mixed with ankle soreness is holding him out today.
Central Notes: LaVine, Williams, Craig, Nesmith, Bucks
Bulls guard Zach LaVine refuted the idea that the team hosted a players-only meeting following last week’s season opener, as detailed by Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. LaVine said the players didn’t have a team meeting, as suggested by head coach Billy Donovan, but instead had “a basketball conversation.”
“We’re having conversations from top to bottom,” LaVine said. “If we don’t want the coaches in there while we are talking, that’s not a team meeting, it’s players talking amongst ourselves. I don’t know if coach got that misunderstood or not.”
Goodwill writes the Bulls are at an inflection point. Notably, LaVine has been in trade rumors, Nikola Vucevic had a tense exchange with Donovan in the opener, and the team hasn’t been able to come to terms on an extension with DeMar DeRozan. On top of that, as Goodwill observes, Donovan has multiple years left following the extension he signed before last season and owner Jerry Reinsdorf hasn’t historically given up on long-term coaching contracts.
“You know, we’re on our third year now, and I’ve been saying since training camp: It’s time to put pen to paper,” LaVine said. “If it don’t work, we understand the business of basketball. We have three All-Star players. We gotta make this work, from top to bottom. It’s not just the players. We gotta make this click.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Donovan made a big change to the Bulls‘ starting lineup on Friday, substituting former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams out for Torrey Craig, who signed in the offseason. Williams is off to a disappointing start to the season, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting a poor 33.3% from the floor in his first six games (five starts). According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Ryan Taylor, Williams took a mature approach to the move to the bench. “I was just going through a stretch there where I really couldn’t make a shot,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult though [playing with the first group]. That’s a unit that has so much talent and can do so many different things on the court. It’s just more opportunity for whoever is playing in that second unit.“
- Following last season’s trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics from the Pacers, there was a sentiment on social media that Boston didn’t give anything of value in the swap, according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. Flash forward to now and Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith, who was part of the package, has become a crucial member in the Pacers’ rotation. Since arriving in Indiana, Nesmith is averaging 10.2 points per game and admitted he felt overlooked last summer. Now, he’s won over the coaching staff. “He’s been one of our best defensive players and obviously, we all know he can shoot the ball really well and he’s developed other parts of his game,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “He drives it now, he’s making really good, simple reads and a very important part of what we’re doing here.“
- On Wednesday, the NBA’s then-league worst offense in the Raptors dropped 130 points on the contending Bucks. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, head coach Adrian Griffin spent the first few games of the season experimenting with defensive anchor Brook Lopez, putting him out on the perimeter more to help generate turnovers, though the Bucks wound up with the league’s second-worst defensive rating through their first four games. However, as detailed by Nehm in a separate piece, Griffin put Lopez back in drop coverage for Friday’s game against the Knicks, and New York mustered just 105 points against Milwaukee.
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Holiday, Lively, Grizzlies, Sochan
Rockets rookie guard Amen Thompson sprained his right ankle on Wednesday, with the team ruling him out of the contest shortly after he suffered the injury in the third quarter. According to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire, head coach Ime Udoka said Thompson suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain.
Thompson also sustained a Grade 2 left ankle sprain over the summer and that injury had a two-to-four week recovery timetable, according to DuBose, so it’s likely he’s looking at a similar return timeline for this injury.
The No. 4 overall pick is Houston’s primary backup point guard behind Fred VanVleet, so Aaron Holiday absorbed the brunt of Thompson’s minutes following his departure from the game. However, Udoka didn’t turn to Holiday right away, moving Jae’Sean Tate to the backcourt before bringing Holiday in, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle observes (subscriber link). Udoka wasn’t ready to fully commit to the idea of Holiday always being the backup in a three-guard rotation.
“I think we’ll go by committee a little bit,” Udoka said. “I think, the lineup that we had out there, even Amen was out there, we had Jae’Sean as another guy that can initiate, so we do have some guys I can kind of play up or down and fill different roles. We’ll look at it as game-to-game.”
Udoka praised Holiday’s playing ability and said he believed Holiday and VanVleet could play together. Feigen writes that improving the bench play of the Rockets is crucial and playing Holiday may be important to finding a consistent rotation.
“Depending on the team, for sure,” Udoka said. “Teams that have bigger wings, obviously that’ll pose some threats. But Aaron is a guy, similar to his brother, doesn’t have the height of Jrue, but he is a very physical, tough guy that can play on or off the ball. Fred does as well.”
According to Feigen, Udoka said there may be situations where he calls on Reggie Bullock, rookie Cam Whitmore or Tate to fill in some of the backcourt minutes.
Holiday signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Rockets this offseason that has just $1MM guaranteed. If Holiday is on the roster on Jan. 10, that contract will become fully guaranteed.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively II is a huge part of Dallas’s early season success, averaging 7.6 points and 7.0 rebounds while starting in four of the team’s five games so far. Lively said he’s learned from former Mavs champion Tyson Chandler, who joined the organization via the Mavs Legend Program, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Chandler works with Mavericks centers in his role with the team, including the 19-year-old Lively. “He has a willingness to actually learn, listen and take in information,” Chandler said. “He has a great spirit. He reminds me a lot of myself. I feel the duty to actually be there for him and guide him as much as necessary.”
- The Grizzlies are a league-worst 0-6 to begin the season, facing a lengthy suspension to Ja Morant and injuries to key players like Steven Adams. Still, the Grizzlies were expected to be more competitive even with their early season issues, considering they brought in former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and have current reigning DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr., as well as Desmond Bane. Kelly Iko and John Hollinger of The Athletic dive into why Memphis’ struggles go deeper than suspensions and injuries, including Smart being a step slower on defense thus far and the younger players on the roster not taking a step forward. I recommend checking out the article in full if you have a subscription to The Athletic, as the pair explore the intriguing trade options Memphis has, along with a deeper look into the club’s problems.
- Experimenting with starting Jeremy Sochan at point guard has produced a mix bag of results for the Spurs. Even still, head coach Gregg Popovich expressed his appreciation with what the second-year guard/forward brings to the table, as relayed by Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Popovich said Sochan is “trending in the right direction” and has stood out defensively, adding that he likes how the former lottery pick is “taking care of the ball,” according to Orsborn. “It doesn’t matter who he guards, he does a wonderful job, creates a lot of chaos for us,” Popovich said.
Trevor Hudgins Signing With Le Mans
Former Rockets two-way guard Trevor Hudgins is signing with French club Le Mans, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia (Twitter link).
Hudgins joined Houston on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Northwest Missouri State in 2022. He appeared in just five NBA games with the team, playing in 5.6 minutes per contest.
Hudgins had a more productive stint in the G League, where he averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 46 regular season and Showcase Cup games. He was also a strong three-point shooter for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, hitting 38.3% of his 11.5 deep-ball attempts per game, propelling the Vipers to the G League Finals where they eventually fell to the Delaware Blue Coats.
The 6’0″ guard accepted his two-way qualifying offer with the Rockets this offseason but was waived at the NBA’s roster cutdown deadline in October. The Rockets used the two-way slot opened by waiving Hudgins to sign Nate Hinton to a two-way deal.
Hudgins was eligible to sign a two-way deal with another team after being waived, though it’s unclear whether he received any further NBA interest. It’s also possible that his deal with Le Mans comes with more money than a two-way deal, and he gets the chance to be a feature player for the club.
Pelicans Sign Jeremiah Robinson-Earl To Two-Way Contract
NOVEMBER 3: The Pelicans have officially signed Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract and waived Gates, the team announced today in a press release.
NOVEMBER 2: The Pelicans are signing forward/center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Robinson-Earl, 22, was the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in two seasons with the Thunder. Robinson-Earl appeared in 92 games (56 starts) with Oklahoma City. With the Thunder facing a roster crunch this season, they sent him in a trade to the Rockets, who waived him before the season.
According to Charania, the former Oklahoma City forward had standard contract offers elsewhere but chose to sign with the Pelicans for a potential better opportunity.
The Pelicans had all three of their two-way contract spots filled, with Dereon Seabron, Kaiser Gates and Matt Ryan under contract. New Orleans is waiving Gates to make room for Robinson-Earl, according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez (Twitter link).
Gates signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Pelicans this offseason after averaging 14.0 points per game in the G League with the Long Island Nets last season. He shot 55.4% from beyond the arc on 5.0 attempts per game last year.
While the Pelicans have an opening on their 15-man standard roster, their proximity to the tax meant they were unlikely to convert one of their two-way guys to a standard deal.
In signing Robinson-Earl, the Pelicans are adding more depth to a frontcourt that has been affected by injuries. As a player with extensive NBA experience, it’s possible Robinson-Earl gets playing time right away, much like two-way player Ryan is.
Once Robinson-Earl officially joins the team, the Pelicans will still have three players on two-way deals and 14 players signed to standard contracts.
Northwest Notes: Hendricks, Sensabaugh, George, Williams, Nuggets
Neither Taylor Hendricks nor Brice Sensabaugh, the Nos. 9 and 28 overall picks in the 2023 draft, are in the Jazz rotation to begin the season. Instead, the duo will begin the year by practicing with Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, in training camp, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Larsen points out that fellow rookie Keyonte George, drafted after Hendricks with the No. 16 overall pick, has been a regular contributor. While Larsen notes that several former rookies who didn’t play much early in their careers went on to find success, it’s clear the Jazz don’t believe Hendricks is ready to contribute at the NBA level right now. Participating in G League training camp will give both rookies ample practice time.
“You want young players to get reps, and live reps against good players. Once our season gets going, the amount of practice time shrinks considerably,” head coach Will Hardy said. “They practiced today for two and a half hours. We did not have a two-and-a-half-hour live shootaround this morning.”
For what it’s worth, both Hendricks and Sensabaugh are appreciating the opportunity for more practice time, according to Larsen.
“We’re seeing younger and younger players come into the NBA,” Hardy said. “Eight years ago, it wasn’t like you were drafting three 19-year-olds in the same draft. We’re just trying to get those guys as many reps as we can until they’re in a position to play enough minutes with our group every night that it would be overkill to send them there. Both those guys understand that this is the opposite of punishment.”
We have more Northwest Division notes:
- The Jazz are also taking a patient approach with fellow rookie George, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, and he partially holds the keys to Utah’s future. The guard had a dominant Summer League and training camp, but Utah is being cautious and won’t put too much on his plate too soon. Jones writes that George has the highest natural instincts for the point guard position of anyone on the roster and that it’s difficult to envision a scenario where he isn’t the starting point guard by next season.
- The Thunder assigned Jaylin Williams to their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, on Wednesday, according to Rylan Stiles (Twitter link). This was part of Williams’ ramp-up to play, as he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. Oklahoma City recalled Williams later on Wednesday (Twitter link).
- The transition from last season to this one has been seamless for the Nuggets‘ bench so far despite losing players like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Denver’s bench, consisting primarily of Reggie Jackson, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji, outscored opposing bench players 132-105 through its first four games, shooting 50.5% from the field and holding opponents to 38.3% shooting from the floor. That group, along with Jamal Murray, boasts a defensive rating of 83.6. “Anyone can go off any night,” Nnaji said.
Pacific Notes: Watanabe, Green, Reddish, Dunleavy
The Suns were quick to sign Yuta Watanabe in free agency, coming to an agreement to sign him moments after the NBA’s free agent negotiation period opened in June. According to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, star forward Kevin Durant was instrumental in recruiting Watanabe, his teammate in Brooklyn last season, to Phoenix.
“He texted me and told me he wants to play with me again,” Watanabe said in an exclusive interview with Medina. “That meant a lot to me. When someone like Kevin Durant reaches out to me and says stuff like that, it means a lot.”
Watanabe is currently a key contributor for the Suns, averaging a career-high 7.3 points per game while shooting 43.8% from deep. According to Medina, head coach Frank Vogel said Watanabe was more than a catch-and-shoot player, able to create his own shot and put the ball on the floor.
“I really appreciate that he said that,” Watanabe said. “Being a 3-point shooter helps me put the ball on the floor and drive because they have to close out. I always try to make a play with not holding the ball too long. Either I catch-and-shoot or I drive. I try to make it simple. I still have to get better with making plays for others, but I think I’m getting better at it.”
Watanabe is on a two-year, minimum-salary contract, the second year of which is a player option.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Warriors are displaying better chemistry, compared to last season, through their first five games, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. Draymond Green, who made his season debut on Sunday, agreed with that sentiment. “Last year we had an awful team as far as chemistry goes,” Green said. “It was hard to come to work. Not fun. So this year you see the joy on guys’ faces when they come into the building. You got guys staying over two to three hours just talking. Getting two to three hours early just to be here. You start to see that, and you’re like, ‘OK, this is a group that likes to be together.‘”
- Lakers forward Cam Reddish started against the Clippers on Wednesday with Taurean Prince out due to left knee soreness. He put up season highs of eight points and three steals, but his most impressive feat was how he handled the task of guarding Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times writes. “The kid is special. The only thing he needed was consistency,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “Just a program that’s going to put their arms around him and encourage him to constantly get better, simplify things and he’ll respond in the right way, which he did [Wednesday]. He’s been awesome since he’s been an L.A. Laker.“
- Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. had big shoes to fill when he took over for Bob Myers, who engineered four Golden State championship teams. However, The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami opines Dunleavy might very well be the MVP for the Warriors so far. Dunleavy traded Jordan Poole for Chris Paul, drafted Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, signed Dario Saric and Cory Joseph, and extended Draymond Green this offseason. The Warriors are 4-1 through their first five games.
Devin Booker Returns On Thursday
After missing the past three games with an ankle injury, Suns star guard Devin Booker is returning on Thursday against the Spurs, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Booker hasn’t played since Oct. 24, the Suns’ season opener. In his first game this year, he put up 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a four-point Suns victory against the Warriors.
Booker’s return means the Suns are one step closer to reaching full health. Since trading for Bradley Beal this summer, Phoenix’s “big three” of Booker, Beal and Kevin Durant haven’t appeared in a game together.
Beal remains sidelined due to a back issue and has yet to make his Suns debut.
Guard Eric Gordon has been starting in Booker’s place, averaging 16.5 points in his first four appearances with Phoenix.
The Suns went 1-2 in Booker’s absence. Last season, the Suns went 11-18 without Booker in the lineup compared to 34-19 with him.
Southwest Notes: Biyombo, Osman, Sengun, Grizzlies
The Grizzlies signed Bismack Biyombo to a one-year, $5MM deal with a $1MM guarantee on Wednesday rather than the $3MM prorated veteran’s minimum. Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (Twitter link) that if the Grizzlies had signed him to a minimum deal, he would have earned around $920K from now until late December, when Ja Morant‘s suspension is lifted, which is roughly the same guarantee he’ll make on the current contract.
Memphis was able to sign Biyombo because Morant is suspended for 25 games and was transferred to the suspended list. When Morant’s suspension is lifted on December 19, the Grizzlies will have to waive a player on their roster, which could be Biyombo. By signing the big man to these terms, the Grizzlies are creating extra roster flexibility moving forward.
Marks also points out Biyombo has a $5MM cap hit (rather than $1.9MM) and the Grizzlies can use his $5MM contract as a trade asset if he remains on the roster after Morant’s suspension is lifted. Biyombo would become trade-eligible on Feb. 2.
As we noted Thursday, if Biyombo were to prove too valuable to waive, Memphis would have to let go of another player on a guaranteed deal to keep him on the roster after Morant returns from suspension.
Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian adds (Twitter link) that if the Grizzlies were to use Biyombo’s $5MM salary for trading purposes, they’d be able to bring in up to $10MM in returning salaries.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs forward Cedi Osman is off to a strong start to the season, averaging 11.8 points per game and helping San Antonio grab a couple early wins. Osman is one of the older players on a young Spurs team and is becoming a go-to guy for the club, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes (Subscriber link). “He is like our seasoned pro on this team,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He understands how to play, plays with emotion and aggressiveness, works hard at both ends of the court. He has really been a good example for all the younger players.” Osman is shooting 56.3% on his catch-and-shoot looks this season, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko points out in a separate piece.
- In that same story, Iko explores how Rockets center Alperen Sengun is becoming the “heartbeat” of the Rockets offense. Sengun ranks in the 100th percentile in usage-to-assist rate and popped in the Rockets’ pass-heavy game plan against the Hornets on Nov. 1. “Team play is always better,” Sengun said. “[Wednesday], we had 35 assists or something. That’s the key. Every game should be like that, I think. When we share the ball, everyone is happy. I’m happy we’re playing better.“
- The Grizzlies are currently the only winless team in the NBA, having lost their first five games, but they’re trying to remain unfazed by their slow start, according to Michael Wallace of Grind City Media. “You can’t get too high; can’t get too low because it’s a long season,” Marcus Smart said. “We’ve got to lock in a bit more down the stretch on the defensive end. It’s part of the learning process, part of coming into something new for everybody. For us, it’s just to keep going. Eventually, the tide is going to turn. Things are going to click. It’s just taking some time right now.” Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama, who are both out with injury, are expected back soon, according to Wallace.