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New York Notes: Randle, Rivers, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Crawford

December 30th, 2020 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Julius Randle became the symbol of free agency disappointment for Knicks fans last season, but he has shown signs of a turnaround this year, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Randle was among several veteran free agents brought in on short-term deals after New York missed out on its primary targets during the summer of 2019. Bondy notes that Randle has lost weight and looks like a different player so far.

“I ran pretty much every day during the offseason. Like I said, that was just a challenge for me to get in extreme condition or whatever it is,” Randle said. “That’s just what I challenged myself to do every day. Yeah, I dropped a little bit of weight but the biggest thing was just pushing myself just to run every day and just challenging myself in that way.”

New coach Tom Thibodeau said he noticed the difference in Randle when he reported for the team’s voluntary training camp in September. Thibodeau has given Randle control of the offense, and he’s averaging 24.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists through the first four games.

There’s more from New York:

  • The Knicks are encouraged by the progress of free agent addition Austin Rivers, who has been sidelined by a groin injury but went through he first contact drills Monday, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. “There’s a progression to coming back,’’ Thibodeau explained. “He was doing condition without contact. Then it goes to one-on-one controlled movements. Then progressed to two-on-two. And then three-on-three. We’re on the three-on-three phase right now. It’s day-to-day on how he feels and whether we get to the next step. There’s more steps to take. He has to play five-on-five and practice with the team. He’s still a couple of steps away.’’
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is making a bid for more playing time following the season-ending injury to Spencer Dinwiddie, writes Mollie Walker of The New York Post. Luwawu-Cabarrot was used as a starter Monday and responded with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes. “TLC has just been really steady,” Nets head coach Steve Nash said. “Very trustworthy defensively. Knows the system. Is very attentive to his responsibilities, and he’s been shooting the ball. He’s played within himself. He’s doing very well.”
  • The Nets have remained in contact with veteran guard Jamal Crawford and may consider him as a replacement for Dinwiddie, states Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Crawford signed with the Nets for last season’s restart, but appeared in just one game before getting injured.
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Execs Wonder If Dinwiddie Will Opt In; Chiozza Benefitting From More Minutes

December 29th, 2020 at 8:34pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • With guard Spencer Dinwiddie likely out for the season due to a partially torn ACL, some league executives weighed in on whether or not he will pick up his $12.3MM player option with the Nets for the 2021/22 NBA season, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Dinwiddie released a statement on his Instagram page, expressing his hope to beat the odds as he works to recover from this latest knee issue.
  • Two-way Nets guard Chris Chiozza is currently the biggest rotational beneficiary of Dinwiddie’s absence, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. “You never want to see your teammate get hurt and praying for Spencer, we’re here for him, hopefully he makes a speedy return,” Chiozza said. “He’s a big part of this team. While he’s out, we take it, everybody takes it, to do a little bit more than we’ve been doing, collectively.”
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Rockets Notes: Harden, Dinwiddie, Tucker, Silas

December 29th, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

Spencer Dinwiddie‘s partial ACL tear further reduces the odds of the Nets and Rockets working out a trade involving James Harden this season, in the view of Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle, who notes that Dinwiddie and his $11.5MM salary likely would’ve been a key part of any package Brooklyn could put together.

Dinwiddie’s injury doesn’t mean he can’t be traded, but it significantly diminishes his value, since he can reach free agency in 2021 and may not play another game on his current contract. Still, ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested during his Monday episode of The Lowe Post that the Dinwiddie injury doesn’t really change the Nets’ and Rockets’ outlook for Harden, since the two teams had made no progress toward a deal anyway.

“Spencer Dinwiddie’s health did not make or break the Nets’ ability to get James Harden,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “It’s unclear to me, frankly, if those teams have had anything resembling a serious conversation about James Harden. Let’s make that clear. I don’t sense that there’s been hardly any traction there at all. And maybe the way the Nets started had them thinking ‘Why are we messing with this?'”

Here’s more on Harden and the Rockets:

  • Harden, who has averaged 39.0 PPG and 12.5 APG on .595/.500/.920 shooting in his first two games of the season, has provided the Rockets with a reminder of why it doesn’t make sense to trade him for “50 or 60 cents on the dollar,” writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
  • The Rockets will remain shorthanded on players until Wednesday and haven’t been able to conduct a full practice in about a week, but P.J. Tucker doesn’t think the team should view that as excuse for a slow start, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “It’s our jobs to play basketball. This happens,” Tucker said. “Guys go down with injuries, guys go down for being sick, guys go down for family issues. You miss guys all the time. It just makes it next man up. It’s an opportunity to go out and play.”
  • Stephen Silas reportedly wasn’t Harden’s first choice when the Rockets were searching for a new head coach this offseason, and his hiring may have even contributed to the former MVP’s decision to request a trade. However, Harden likes what he has seen from Silas so far, as Mark Medina of USA Today writes. “He did a great job,” Harden said of his new coach after the team’s first game on Saturday. “Very confident, knew what he was drawing up and knew where to put his guys at.”
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Atlantic Notes: Durant, Irving, Nets, DSJ, Celtics

December 28th, 2020 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Kevin Durant won’t be active on Monday night for the second game in the team’s first back-to-back set of the 2020/21 season, as Malika Andrews of ESPN writes. Durant had said over the weekend that he hoped to play in back-to-back games this season, despite coming off an Achilles tear, but he’s being held out tonight due to “injury recovery,” per the NBA’s official injury report.

“I definitely want to be able to play back-to-backs,” Durant said after Sunday’s game, per Andrews. “Get through ’em healthy and play my normal minutes, so we’ll see.”

While Durant may get a chance to play both halves of back-to-back sets later in the season, the Nets are clearly playing it safe with their top players to start the year. Kyrie Irving will also miss Monday’s game vs. Memphis for rest purposes, according to the club (Twitter link via Shams Charania of The Athletic).

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Alex Schiffer of The Athletic takes a look at how Spencer Dinwiddie‘s ACL injury will affect the Nets, noting that the team will have to change up its starting lineup and also may not have as many in-season trade options available without a healthy Dinwiddie to put on the table.
  • Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who has appeared in just one of the team’s three games so far, will remain in New York to continue rehabbing his left quad contusion, per the club (Twitter link). The hope is that Smith rejoins the Knicks at some point during their four-game road trip, which begins on Tuesday in Cleveland and runs through next Monday in Atlanta.
  • The Celtics‘ bench – an Achilles heel for the team in 2019/20 – remains thin this season, especially with Kemba Walker unavailable, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn wonders whether the team would consider opening up a roster spot to create room for a veteran who can score, and suggests that Isaiah Thomas is one free agent who might be a fit.
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Spencer Dinwiddie Suffers Partially Torn ACL

December 28th, 2020 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie has sustained a partially torn ACL in his right knee, the team announced in a press release. He’ll undergo surgery to repair the injury next week.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Dinwiddie is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the 2021/22 season. The team said in its press release that further updates on the 27-year-old’s recovery timeline would be issued after surgery, but it seems likely that he’ll miss the rest of the ’20/21 season.

It’s a brutal blow for the Nets and for Dinwiddie, who suffered the injury during Sunday’s loss to Charlotte when he planted his right leg awkwardly during a drive. It was originally diagnosed as a knee strain, but the Nets cautioned that further testing would be conducted today. Those tests apparently showed the partial tear in his ACL.

Dinwiddie enjoyed a career-best season with the Nets last year, averaging 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game. He could enter unrestricted free agency by declining a player option worth $12.3MM for ’20/21.

Dinwiddie emerged as a starter this season and was expected to be a third ball-handler alongside the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The team remains one of the deepest in the East, with Caris LeVert, Jeff Green and Taurean Prince as candidates to take Dinwiddie’s place in the starting lineup.

Assuming the Nets expect Dinwiddie to be out for the season, they can apply for a disabled player exception worth roughly $5.72MM. As we noted over the weekend, the final day to apply for this exception falls on March 3 this season, and teams have until mid-April to use their DPEs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. JD Shaw contributed to this story.

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Community Shootaround: Is Brooklyn The Best Team In The East?

December 26th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets knew they were investing in the future when they signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to huge free agent deals in July of 2019. Durant was less than three weeks removed from a ruptured Achilles tendon and Irving was looking for a fresh start after being the scapegoat for a disappointing season in Boston. Durant didn’t play at all during the 2019/20 season, while Irving suffered a shoulder impingement that limited him to 20 games, so the Nets’ wait to enjoy the spoils of their free agency coup became even longer.

Two games into the new season, Durant and Irving are both healthy and Brooklyn looks like a legitimate contender. The Nets started off with blowout wins over the Warriors and Celtics in a pair of nationally televised games. Irving is putting up MVP-level numbers with averages of 31.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per night, and Durant isn’t far behind with a 25.5/4.5/3.0 line.

The Nets, who had trouble assembling a full roster this summer at Disney World, suddenly have a deep, talented team that looks capable of a long playoff run. Caris LeVert has become the primary ball-handler on the reserve unit and is third on the team in scoring at 15.0 PPG. Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris bring additional firepower to the starting unit. DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen split time at center, while free agent addition Jeff Green provides versatility in the frontcourt.

Brooklyn’s emergence adds another contender to the crowded playoff picture in the East. Milwaukee had the best record in the conference last season, but Miami reached the NBA Finals. The Celtics, Raptors, Sixers, and Pacers should all be in the mix as well.

We want to get your opinion. If the Nets can get a full season from both Durant and Irving, should they be considered the best team in the East? Please leave your replies in the comments section.

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Nets Notes: Allen, Durant, Harden

December 26th, 2020 at 1:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets center Jarrett Allen didn’t receive a rookie scale contract extension prior to Monday’s deadline in part because of luxury tax concerns. However, head coach Steve Nash believes Allen will get rewarded handsomely down the line, according to Chris Milholen of NetsDaily. “He’s got a bright future,” Nash said. “He is going to have a big contract whenever the time is and we are just trying to figure out who we are as a team.” Brooklyn can make Allen a restricted free agent next summer by extending him a $5.66MM qualifying offer.

We have more on the Nets:

  • Kevin Durant has played like an All-Star in his first two games since returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon. It’s still too early to know the long-term impact of the injury, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic notes. Nash warns against any knee-jerk reactions. “He looks like Kevin, he plays like Kevin, but I don’t want to start making expectations of him until he gets going and gets some games and some rhythm under his belt and adapts to playing three in four nights and playing almost every other night for a stretch,” Nash said.
  • In the short run, Durant has been everything the franchise hoped when it signed him to a max deal, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes. Durant had 29 points in 33 minutes against the Celtics on Christmas Day and the Nets can expect to have the best player on the floor most nights with him in the lineup.
  • Nash talks regularly with GM Sean Marks, but the subject of a potential James Harden deal hasn’t come up, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The disgruntled Rockets star initially said he wanted to be traded to Brooklyn but subsequently expanded his wish list. “I haven’t had any conversations about him,” Nash said. “So, you know, we definitely work in close proximity. I haven’t any conversations or any alerts, so maybe that says it all.”
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2020/21 NBA Disabled Player Exceptions

December 25th, 2020 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

A disabled player exception can be granted when an NBA team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The exception gives the club some additional spending flexibility, functioning almost as a cross between a traded player exception and a mid-level exception.

We go into more detail on who qualifies for disabled player exceptions and how exactly they work in our glossary entry on the subject. But essentially, a DPE gives a team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.

Because the rules related to disable player exceptions are somewhat restrictive and the exceptions themselves often aren’t worth a lot, they often simply expire without being used. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on which disabled player exceptions have been granted, just in case.

We’ll use this space to break down the teams with disabled player exceptions available for the 2020/21 league year, updating it as the season progresses if more teams are granted DPEs and/or to indicate which ones have been used.

Teams have until March 3 to apply for a disabled player exception and until April 19 to actually use them.

Here’s the list so far:

Teams that have been granted disabled player exceptions:

The Warriors were granted a disabled player exception following Thompson’s season-ending Achilles tear. Because his salary exceeds $35MM+, Golden State’s exception is worth the amount of the mid-level exception. However, it remains to be seen how enthusiastic the team will be to use it. The Warriors, who are way over the luxury tax line, already project to have the NBA’s most expensive roster in 2020/21.

Two of Orlando’s young building blocks suffered torn ACLs that will sideline them for the entire 2020/21 season, resulting in a pair of disabled player exceptions for the team. However, the Magic have a full 15-man roster and aren’t far from the tax line, which will limit their options as they consider whether or not to use it.

Brooklyn received a disabled player exception after Dinwiddie underwent ACL reconstruction surgery. Like the Warriors, the Nets project to have a significant luxury tax bill at the end of the 2020/21 season, so they’ll be careful about using their disabled player exception. Since Brooklyn still has its full taxpayer mid-level exception, the DPE could be more useful on the trade market.

Leonard’s season-ending shoulder surgery paved the way for the Heat to apply for and receive a disabled player exception. However, they forfeited that exception when they agreed to send Leonard to Oklahoma City in a trade for Trevor Ariza.

The Wizards were granted a disabled player exception in response to Bryant’s ACL tear. The team doesn’t have the flexibility to use the full exception and remain out of luxury tax territory unless it sheds salary elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

December 25th, 2020 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

When the 2019/20 NBA season ended in October, it didn’t seem likely that we’d see another NBA game played until some time in the new year, perhaps even as late as February or March. But the league accelerated its plans for the 2020/21 regular season in the fall, ensuring that an annual tradition was preserved: the five-game Christmas Day slate.

Today’s schedule is as follows:

  • New Orleans Pelicans at Miami Heat (11:00am central time)
  • Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks (1:30pm CT)
  • Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics (4:00pm CT)
  • Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers (7:00pm CT)
  • Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets (9:30pm CT)

A couple of these matchups look even more tantalizing today than they did a week ago. The Pelicans, for instance, looked awfully impressive in their opening-night game against Toronto on Wednesday and will be going up against the defending Eastern champion Heat, who are hungry for their first win of the season.

A Stephen Curry/Giannis Antetokounmpo showdown between the Warriors and Bucks will be followed by a matchup of two potential Eastern Conference contenders who looked great on opening night, the Nets and Celtics.

Luka Doncic and the Mavericks and LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers will all be looking for their first win of the season in the evening.

And the night is capped off with a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Semifinals, with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Clippers visiting Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Nuggets.

Which game are you most looking forward to watch today? Which five teams are you picking to win the Christmas Day games? Use the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts and make your predictions!

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New York Notes: Ntilikina, Point Guards, Stoudemire, Thibs

December 24th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of the first game of the 2020/21 Knicks season, point guard Frank Ntilikina stated that the sore left Achilles that had limited his preseason availability had fully recovered, according to Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link). Ntilikina, the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft, also noted that he and the Knicks did not discuss a potential contract extension ahead of Monday’s deadline, as we previously detailed.

The future of Ntilikina, the final lottery pick of former Knicks team president Phil Jackson, remains unclear, as Steve Popper of Newsday details. He will be eligible to become a restricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

There’s more out of the City That Never Sleeps:

  • Reserve point guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Ntilikina would not have made the cut for the club’s 10-man rotation in the Knicks’ season opener, a 121-107 loss to the Pacers, had rookie point guard Immanuel Quickley not gotten injured in the second quarter with a hip pointer, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Both guards are former top-10 2017 NBA draft picks. Head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to play shooting guard Alec Burks as his initial replacement before ultimately bringing in Ntilikina for five minutes of relatively ineffective play. “We wanted to keep as much shooting on the floor as we can to try to create the opportunities that we’re looking for factored into it,” Thibodeau explained.
  • New Nets player development assistant Amar’e Stoudemire was reticent to make the leap from player to coach this summer after another productive season with the Israeli Basketball Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv, per Marc Stein of the New York Times. A six-time All-Star with the Suns and Knicks, the 38-year-old Stoudemire is reuniting with former Phoenix running mate Steve Nash, now Brooklyn’s head coach, and former Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni, now another assistant on Nash’s bench. “We wanted him to come in and share all the things that he learned from his experiences — but also to learn about coaching, video analysis, analytics and the front office,” Nash said. “I get to learn from all departments,” Stoudemire said, “to see where I want my career to go.”
  • Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is smartly prioritizing building good habits and player development rather than worrying about the club’s win-loss record, according to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. “You either win,” Thibodeau said, “or you learn.”
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