NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 4/11/17
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Warriors have recalled Damian Jones from their D-League affiliate, tweets Anthony Slater of the Mercury News.
- The Rockets have recalled Kyle Wiltjer from the Rio Grand Valley Vipers, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Wiltjer scored 21 points in the Vipers’ win over the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Monday.
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis from the Oklahoma City Blue, per a team press release. In 32 games with the Blue this season, the small forward averaged 14.6 points per game.
Warriors Notes: Durant, Barnes, Green
Kevin Durant showed few effects from a knee injury as he returned to the court Saturday night, according to Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. The former MVP had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and seemed to move fine on his left knee after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain that sidelined him for 19 games. Golden State originally feared he would be lost for the season when he the injury occurred February 28th. “I think he looked great. It’s going to be hard for anybody to take off a month and come back and put on a great show,” said teammate Klay Thompson. “It was great to see that first play, him attacking the rim like that.”
There’s more this morning from the Pacific Division:
- Durant’s return solves the Warriors’ depth problem at the wing and makes them clear favorites to win the West, writes Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com. Seven Golden State players reached double figures Saturday in a blowout of the Pelicans. Having Durant in the lineup puts the Warriors’ “super team” at full strength heading into the playoffs. “It felt normal again,” Durant said. “I’m a basketball player. I love playing basketball; that’s my favorite thing to do. So to feel like I’m part of the team, to feel like I’m a part of this energy that we have, it feels great.”
- One concern that came out of Saturday’s game was a right ankle sprain suffered by forward Matt Barnes in the second quarter. However, Barnes said he expects to be ready when the playoffs start next weekend, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. The 36-year-old signed with the Warriors in early March in the wake of Durant’s injury.
- Draymond Green, one of the favorites to be named Defensive Player of the Year, had an in-depth talk about his defensive philosophy with Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Green has finished second in the balloting for the award the past two seasons.
Kevin Durant On Track To Return On Saturday
APRIL 6, 12:59pm: Durant will play in Saturday’s game against New Orleans, barring any setbacks, the Warriors announced today (via Twitter).
APRIL 3, 4:18pm: The Warriors are targeting this Saturday’s contest with the Pelicans for Kevin Durant‘s return, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It was previously reported that the team was optimistic about a return before the end of the regular season.
The 2013/14 MVP has begun to play in 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 contact situations, Stein adds in a full-length piece. Coach Steve Kerr said Durant will be in the starting lineup when he is ready to play.
“Hopefully we can get him in for a couple of regular-season games,” Kerr said on Sunday.“We’ll see how it goes. We’ll see what the training staff says. I’m not too worried about incorporating him because he’s been with us all season and fit right in from the beginning. So whenever he gets back, we’ll plug him back in there and watch his minutes.”
If Durant is able to return for Saturday’s game, that would give him the potential to play in three games before the postseason begins.
Steph Curry Talks 73 Wins, Resting, “Down” Year
A year after breaking the NBA’s regular season wins record with 73 victories, the Warriors are on track to finish with no more than 68 this season, and Stephen Curry is glad that the team hasn’t spent the year making a run at 74.
As he explains in an interview with Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, Curry isn’t second-guessing Golden State’s decision to go all out in 2015/16 for 73 wins, but he has a different perspective now on the effect that regular-season stress had on the team’s ability to stay fresh for the postseason. In the long run, Curry says, it’s “not worth it” to chase that sort of record.
The two-time Most Valuable Player also weighed in on a few other topics of note, so let’s round up some of his more interesting comments. Be sure to check out Ding’s piece for more from Curry.
On being asked to rest for a game when he’s healthy:
“It’s an uncomfortable conversation, because as a player, you never think about just taking a day off. But when you actually are in the position that we are in, you understand how important it is. It’s not just playing a game. Waking up after a long stretch of games or a road trip or whatever, waking up and not having to mentally prepare for that 7:30 tipoff is invaluable. Physically, it’s nice to get fresh or stay off your legs. But the mental preparation it takes for us to get ready for a game, it’s taxing. You undervalue that whole 24 hours, just how important that is.”
On the NBA-wide discussion about the resting issue:
“For Adam (Silver), he’s running the league and obviously he might think it’s an issue. I don’t think it is. We’ve done it one time this year. Last year we did it one time. We’re talking about one out of 82 games. I don’t think it’s something to worry about. … Obviously you hate to miss Saturday ABC prime-time games, but hey, that’s just how the schedule fell (at San Antonio). So hopefully we can smarten up about how to schedule it so we don’t have to be put in that position.”
On the idea that he’s having a “down” year after back-to-back MVP seasons:
“I think it’s comical that people were saying I’m having a down year. To go black and white and say I’m not having as good a season as I was having last year based on just five points a game or shooting percentage or whatnot… there are other things that you try to do other than just the eye test to try and help your team win. This year has taught me that, for sure. The accolades and the attention and all that stuff, the hype is cool. But it’s really how you feel about your own game.”
On how prepared he and the Warriors are for the playoffs:
“This year I feel like we’ll have a lot in the tank going forward to achieving goals we want to down the stretch and in the playoffs. Last year was a little different. We had to sprint to the finish line and try to, by any means necessary, catch that 73. And then three days later, refocus to the playoff mindset. I like where we are now.”
Warriors Optimistic About Durant’s Return
Kevin Durant‘s performance in a five-on-five halfcourt workout today has the Warriors believing he will be able to play again before the regular season ends, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.
“He looks good,” said assistant coach Willie Green, who participated in the workout. “He’s doing about everything he normally does. The thing is, now you don’t want to push too hard.”
It has been a little more than a month since Durant suffered a medial collateral ligament sprain and a tibial bone bruise in his left knee. He went through today’s workout wearing a protective brace that stretches from his tibia to a few inches above the kneecap.
Golden State has six games remaining in the regular season, which wraps up April 12th.
Assistant Mike Brown said Durant’s agility and movement have almost fully returned, but head coach Steve Kerr warned that a regular season return isn’t guaranteed.
“We’re getting closer, but we’re not there yet,” Kerr said. “He’s doing well, but we have to keep it going and let it play out until he’s completely ready.”
Warriors Issue Health Update On Kevin Durant
The Warriors have made an announcement regarding Kevin Durant‘s recovery from the knee injury that has sidelined him for the last four weeks, confirming that a return to game action prior to the end of the regular season is still in play (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Warriors optimistic Durant can return before playoffs]
According to the team, Durant has made “very good progress” and hasn’t experienced any setbacks. He’s participating in non-contact basketball drills and the team’s plan is to intensify his “level of movement” over the next few days. The Warriors says their star forward will be re-evaluated in about seven to 10 days, at which point he may be nearing a return.
It has been four weeks since the Warriors announced Durant suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise. Golden State lost five of its first seven games after Durant went down, but have rebounded in a major way since then — the club is currently on an eight-game win streak.
Although the Warriors likely won’t need Durant to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, it would still be a great sign for his chances of making a major impact in the playoffs if he can get back on the court for at least a couple regular season contests in April. ESPN’s Marc Stein, who reported last week that Durant could return before the playoffs, tweets that the most likely comeback window is during the Dubs’ final three home games.
Durant may be on a minutes restriction when he gets back in the lineup, as we heard over the weekend.
Kevin Durant Will Likely Be On Minutes Restriction Upon Return
Kevin Durant will be re-evaluated by Golden State’s medical staff on Thursday to determine a more accurate timetable for his return. When he does suit up again, it’s likely he’ll be on a minutes restriction, Connor Letourneau of the San Fransisco Chronicle writes.
“It’s something we’ll consult the training staff on,” coach Steve Kerr said of Durant’s potential return. “I imagine we’ll ease him back by playing him shorter minutes to start, so he can build up his rhythm and his conditioning.”
It was previously reported that the Warriors are cautiously optimistic about Durant returning to the court before the playoffs begin. However, Kerr said he hasn’t considered how he’ll manage the rotation once that happens.
“That obviously has a domino effect on the entire rotation,” Kerr said. “When we get to that point, we’ll figure that out. But it’s not something I’m giving a lot of thought to right now because he’s still at least a couple weeks away.”
Over the last few days, the 2013/14 MVP has been able to run, dunk and shoot jump shots during and after practices. Letourneau notes that it’s unlikely Durant returns to the floor during the week of April 3. The ensuing week is the final portion of the NBA season. Golden State plays the Jazz on April 10 and its final game is against the Lakers on April 12.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/24/17
Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
10:22pm:
- The Warriors recalled forward Kevon Looney from their D-League affiliate earlier today, the team announced in a press release. Looney, who put up 10 points and eight boards in just 13 minutes for Santa Cruz on Thursday night, is back with Golden State for tonight’s game against Sacramento.
11:50am:
- The Bulls recalled Cameron Payne from Windy City, the team announced via press release. Payne has made nine NBA appearances since being acquired from OKC, scoring 54 points on 33.9% shooting in that span. In his most recent D-League stop, Payne scored 14 points with eight assists and seven rebounds in a win over the Iowa Energy.
Pacific Notes: Len, Zubac, Warriors, Chriss
With restricted free agency looming, Alex Len has been given every opportunity to lock down the Suns‘ starting center job. Veteran big man Tyson Chandler has been shut down for the season for non-health reasons, and Dragan Bender remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Earl Watson has recently deployed a combination of Len, Alan Williams, and Marquese Chriss at the five. Now averaging 10.8 PPG with 9.5 rebounds over his last four games, the onus is on Len to prove himself as an NBA-caliber starter down the stretch.
“It’s my contract year, so it’s a huge stretch. I just have to show everybody I can be a starting center in this league,” Len told Doug Haller of AZ Central. “I got an opportunity, I just have to prove it.”
Watson spoke positively of Len, noting the fourth-year center’s efforts to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal.
“Big guys in this league, either you develop and shoot the 3 or you become a great rebounder,” Watson said. “Alex Len is a capable corner 3-point shooter, he just has to get comfortable shooting it and he has to practice it. That’s where the confidence will come from.”
More from around the Pacific…
- Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post performed a “postmortem” of the Lakers, previewing the team’s summer strategy. Per Bontemps, Magic Johnson would be inclined to select Lonzo Ball of UCLA whether L.A. receives the first or second pick. Bontemps notes that D’Angelo Russell may be used as trade bait over the offseason, while the team still holds Brandon Ingram in a high regard (despite his gaudy 29% mark from 3-point range).
- Chriss has become the Suns‘ bright spot, Doug Haller of AZ Central writes. The 19-year-old feels confident and comfortable in his rookie season, displaying an “ultra-aggressive” style of play on each end of the court. When asked of his post All-Star break improvements, Chriss offered a pragmatic answer: “A lot of the shots I took (in the first half of the season) were contested,” he said. “They weren’t good shots. I think this second half I’ve taken a lot better shots and I’ve kind of picked my spots of when to go to the hoop.”
- According to Tim Kawakami of Mercury News, the Warriors and Jerry West have had preliminary discussions of an extension (Twitter link). While the interview didn’t delve into his long-term plans with Golden State, West held an informative Q&A with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Ivica Zubac discussed his future plans with Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. Zubac, who has lost 24 pounds since December, spoke about the benefits of getting in shape. “I can run way more,” Zubac said. “I’m playing a lot more minutes now. In the beginning of the season if I entered the game and played three minutes — that would be it. … Now I’m feeling great.” The 20-year-old rookie plans to get stronger over the offseason, so he can “fight all these guys in the post.”
Warriors Optimistic Durant Can Return Before Playoffs
There is “cautious optimism” within the Warriors organization that Kevin Durant will be able to get back on the court before the end of the regular season, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Haynes. There are no guarantees yet, but the club is encouraged by the progress Durant has made in his recovery, per the ESPN duo.
It has been three weeks since the Warriors announced Durant suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and a tibial bone bruise. At the time, Golden State suggested that the star forward would be re-evaluated in four weeks with an update coming at that time, so that’s still a week away. Still, sources tell Stein and Haynes that Durant is about halfway through his rehabilitation, and it will now be important to see how he responds to increased intensity of that rehab work.
The Warriors lost five of seven games after losing Durant, but have rebounded since then, winning their last five. Although Golden State may not need Durant to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, it would still be a great sign for his chances of making a major impact in the playoffs if he can get back on the court for at least a couple regular season contests in April.