Latest On Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert
Nets point guard Kyrie Irving remains on the shelf, but head coach Kenny Atkinson refuted a report claiming that Irving is suffering from thoracic bursitis, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes.
“Whatever that report said is not true,” Atkinson said. “We’re still in the same place the last time I talked. Like I said, the thing is we haven’t gotten to the contact with him. We’re on-court workout situation but the contact just hasn’t been cleared yet. I think that’s the next hurdle. I wish I could tell you when that is. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Asked if Irving’s lingering shoulder issue would require surgery, Atkinson said that the team doesn’t believe that’s necessary, adding that the six-time All-Star remains focused on his rehab process.
Although Irving’s return doesn’t appear imminent, today’s update on fellow injured guard Caris LeVert was more positive. According to Malika Andrews of ESPN, LeVert told reporters that he was able to go through 5-on-5 work on Tuesday and again on Thursday.
Atkinson was unwilling to commit to getting LeVert back in the lineup during the Nets’ upcoming road trip to Houston (Dec. 28), Minnesota (Dec. 30), and Dallas (Jan. 2), but also didn’t rule out the possibility of LeVert playing in one or more of those games, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“Of course you want to push me. I’m afraid I’m going to say yes and then it doesn’t happen, so I’m not going to go there,” Atkinson said, explaining why he wouldn’t commit to a specific date. “I’d just say, he’s getting really close.”
With LeVert expected to return before Irving does, Atkinson also left the door open for LeVert to play a backup point guard role when he’s healthy.
“Yeah, he’s done it before. Completely comfortable with that. And yes that’s something we’ll think about,” the head coach said. “That’s something we’re going to need, and he’s really good at it, so that’s going to help us when he comes back.”
Brooklyn has been hit hard by injuries as of late and could badly use some reinforcements after tonight’s 12-point home loss to the Knicks. Spencer Dinwiddie was the only Net to score more than 10 points in that game.
Eastern Notes: Chandler, Griffin, Hayward
Wilson Chandler, who recently returned to the Nets from a 25-game suspension, is finding that there’s a big difference between being in great physical shape and NBA game shape, but he’s having no problem adjusting to his new teammates, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays.
“It’s very different,” Chandler said. “When you’re playing, you’ve got bodies, you’ve got a lot of athletic guys, a lot of strong guys. So just maneuvering around them, bumping and grinding with those guys, plus having to run up and down the court is a whole different dynamic.
“As far as the plays and teammates, it’s been pretty easy. Kicking off the rust has been hard. But that’ll come in a couple weeks, a few weeks, however long it takes. Cardio, lift, explosiveness, stuff like that.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Blake Griffin has struggled to be an impact player for the Pistons this season but coach Dwane Casey believes the power forward can contribute by being more of a playmaker, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press passes along. “He’s not shooting the ball well; that’s the bottom line and it’s no fault of anybody’s,” Casey said. “Players go through that, but out of that, I think he’s a good facilitator. He can pass the ball out of there. There are things he can do to help us win.”
- A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston wonders if load management is in Gordon Hayward‘s future. The wing only saw 27 minutes of action for the Celtics against the Raptors on Christmas.
- Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald details how the Heat discovered Duncan Robinson. Robinson went undrafted in 2018 but Miami added him to their Summer League squad before signing him to his current NBA contract.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Thybulle, Dinwiddie
The Sixers brought the intensity of a playoff basketball game earlier today as the team took down the conference-leading Bucks. Joel Embiid led the charge on the defensive end, where Philadelphia had a clear game plan to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The whole season I’ve been humble, but I want to be defensive player of the year, and I feel like tonight showed it,” Embiid said after the win (h/t Torrey Hart of Yahoo! Sports).
The center has only missed six games this season after several seasons of spotty availability. Embiid could finally be on his way to taking home some regular-season hardware. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- There’s some optimism that Matisse Thybulle‘s absence will only last about two weeks, Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The rookie is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks with a sprained knee.
- The Nets‘ season has been filled with injuries and coach Kenny Atkinson is pleased with how the team has rallied. However, he knows a tough stretch is coming, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “It’s good. I’m pleasantly surprised [with the record],” coach Atkinson said.“It seems like when we have a guy down, someone steps up and the group comes closer together. … We’re going to have to see with this group if we can continue, and the schedule gets harder.
- The Nets might be dwelling in the Eastern Conference’s cellar if it weren’t for Spencer Dinwiddie being so good this season. While Atkinson is thankful for Dinwiddie’s contributions, he believes the guard can still improve, particularly with finishing at the rim, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post passes along.
Nets Receive Disabled Player Exception
DECEMBER 24: The Nets’ DPE request has been granted, tweets Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.
DECEMBER 20: With David Nwaba expected to miss the rest of the season due to a torn right Achilles, the Nets have applied for a disabled player exception, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As we outline in our glossary entry on the disabled player exception, the NBA can grant a team a DPE to replace an injured player if the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year.
If granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. The DPE, which doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, can also be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waivers if his salary fits into the exception.
[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Disabled Player Exceptions]
Nwaba is on a minimum-salary contract, so even though the Nets’ request is very likely to be approved, it won’t help the team a whole lot. Brooklyn’s DPE would be worth just $839K.
The Nets would have until March 10 to use the exception, so it could come in handy later in the season when a prorated minimum-salary contract for a veteran will be worth less than $839K. For the time being, a minimum-salary deal would be worth more than the DPE for any player who’s not a rookie.
If the Nets want to bring back Iman Shumpert or sign another free agent, they’ll need to open up a roster spot. Trading or waiving Nwaba or another player would be the easiest path. Applying for a 16th roster spot via the hardship provision is another option, though the uncertain recovery timelines for Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, and Nicolas Claxton make it unclear whether or not that request would be approved.
Nets Notes: Kurucs, Tucker, Roster, Jordan
With David Nwaba on the shelf due to a season-ending Achilles tear, second-year forward Rodions Kurucs is getting another opportunity to earn a regular role for the Nets, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes. After a promising rookie season, Kurucs has been out of the rotation for most of this season, but he logged 11 minutes in Saturday’s win over Atlanta.
“The period of time when I was on the court, basically next man up. Just got David’s minutes a little bit, trying to get some organization right now,” Kurucs said. “Feels great now.”
Kurucs’ role in Brooklyn changed in part due to all the changes the roster underwent this summer, and perhaps in part due to the off-court legal issues he’s dealing with. Still, the Nets haven’t given up on him as his court case plays out, and may have to lean on him until regular contributors start to get healthy.
Here’s more on the Nets:
- The Nets were among the teams interested in signing G League standout, Rayjon Tucker, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Tucker, who had been averaging 23.8 PPG for the Wisconsin Herd, agreed to a guaranteed deal with Utah on Monday.
- Net Income of NetsDaily wonders if the Nets’ reported interest in Tucker suggests a roster move might be around the corner for the team. A hardship exception to add a 16th man is a possibility, but waiving a current member of the 15-man squad might make more sense, as the NetsDaily article lays out.
- The Nets faced some criticism for handing a DeAndre Jordan a four-year, $40MM contract this past summer, but it’s hard to imagine where the team would be without him, says Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Jordan has averaged 10.0 RPG despite playing just 21.3 minutes per contest and is showing off a newfound passing ability — his 3.8 assists per 36 minutes are easily a career high.
LeVert Nears Return To Action
- Nets guard Caris LeVert is close to returning, ESPN’s Malika Andrews tweets. LeVert participated in most aspects of the team’s practice on Monday and did contact work with the Nets’ coaches. LeVert has been out since mid-November with a thumb injury. Kyrie Irving, who is trying to work his way back from a shoulder injury, still hasn’t been cleared for contact and is unlikely to play Thursday against New York, Andrews adds in another tweet.
Spencer Dinwiddie Will Remain Big Offensive Component After Kyrie Returns
The New York Post’s Brian Lewis ponders the role that stellar Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie will have when injured All-Star Kyrie Irving returns. Lewis notes that former Net Paul Pierce has proposed one possible solution on ESPN: Irving could start at shooting guard while Dinwiddie keeps rolling at the point guard slot. Brooklyn boasts a 11-6 record with Dinwiddie at the helm since Irving went down. The team was 4-7 before the injury.
“Kyrie’s still learning exactly what we want to do,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson allowed in recent comments. “Spencer’s got a little more corporate knowledge. It’s going to take time for Kyrie to completely understand what we’re doing on both sides of the ball.”
Meanwhile, Malika Andrews of ESPN notes that Irving has yet to be cleared for contact practices with the Nets, according to Atkinson (Twitter link). Two weeks ago, Atkinson had said that Irving would be ready for contact by this stage.
Nets’ David Nwaba Suffers Torn Achilles
7:27pm: Nwaba underwent surgery Friday afternoon, according to a team press release.
7:45am: Nets swingman David Nwaba suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during Thursday’s loss in San Antonio, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), Nwaba will undergo surgery on Friday to repair the tear.
While neither Charania nor Haynes offers a timeline for Nwaba’s recovery, it seems safe to assume he’ll miss the rest of the 2019/20 season. There’s also no guarantee he’ll be ready to go by opening night next fall, given how long it usually takes players to recover from Achilles tears.
“I just wish him the speediest recovery,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “There’s no guy on the team who does things more perfectly in terms of preparing for a game, preparing for a season. You just feel ill when you think about it.
It’s a tough blow for Nwaba, who had recently established himself as a regular contributor for Brooklyn. In the club’s first 19 games, he only appeared in 11 and averaged just 10.8 minutes per contest. Since then though, he had appeared in all nine games and never played fewer than 14 minutes during that stretch.
While the 26-year-old had been averaging a career-low 5.2 PPG, his shooting percentages were very good (.521 FG%, .429 3PT%) and he provided the Nets with strong perimeter defense.
With Nwaba out, Lewis wonders if the Nets will turn back to Iman Shumpert, who was recently waived due to a roster crunch but would provide a similar skill set. To re-sign Shumpert, Brooklyn would likely have to trade or waive Nwaba or another player to open up a spot on the 15-man roster.
Nwaba’s contract includes a July 7, 2020 trigger date for his non-guaranteed $1.82MM salary for the 2020/21 season, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Even if the Nets waive him before that date, they’d be responsible for paying his ’20/21 salary until he’s fully healthy and able to return to the court.
The Nets are now eligible to apply for a disabled player exception (and have done so), but since Nwaba was on a minimum-salary deal, the value of such an exception would be limited to just $839K.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nets Notes: Harris, Irving, Prospects, Crabbe
Nets forward Joe Harris is among the players eligible for free agency next summer, and he appears certain to receive a raise on his current $7.67MM salary. As Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype relays, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said on a podcast this week that league insiders have speculated Harris will be able to double his current annual salary on his next contract.
Harris has emerged as one of the NBA’s best long-distance shooters in recent years. After making 2.4 threes per game with a league-best .474 3PT% in 2018/19, he’s knocking down 2.8 per game at a 43.6% rate this season. As Lowe notes, Harris isn’t just a one-way player either — he can hold his own on the defensive end.
Because Harris signed a two-year contract with the Nets in 2018, he won’t be eligible to receive an extension from the team before he reaches the open market, so Brooklyn will have to fight off other suitors next summer in order to retain him.
Here’s more from out of Brooklyn:
- Kyrie Irving will miss his 17th consecutive game on Saturday, having not accompanied the Nets on their trip to San Antonio. Malika Andrews of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at where things stand with Irving’s shoulder injury and whether he’s getting close to a return, as well as what the team’s plan is for Spencer Dinwiddie when Irving is back.
- Net Income of NetsDaily checks in on the progress being made by Brooklyn’s draft-and-stash prospects, including 2016 second-rounder Isaia Cordinier and this year’s No. 56 pick Jaylen Hands. Cordinier is having a strong season in France, while Hands is beginning to make an impact for the Long Island Nets in the G League.
- Allen Crabbe had a disappointing second year with the Nets in 2018/19 that ultimately ended with a trade sending him to Atlanta. Speaking to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Crabbe described the knee injury that limited him to 43 games last season, explaining that he didn’t recover with rest like the team hoped. “It was just two steps going forward and four steps back is what it felt like,” Crabbe said. “It felt like we put a lot of time with the rehab and getting better and it just didn’t want to cooperate.”
Wilson Chandler Plays More Than Expected In Nets Debut
- Wilson Chandler played more than expected in his Nets debut on Sunday, contributing two points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action. For his part, Chandler said he was just happy to be back on the court after serving a 25-game suspension, as Greg Joyce of The New York Post writes. “Every single game, it was kind of like dreadful,” Chandler said of his suspension. “… They could have cut me at any time. I thought about it a couple times.”