Lakers Notes: LeBron, Ayton, Doncic, Smart, Marciulionis
Lakers star LeBron James set another NBA record on Thursday night vs. Denver, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the list of players with the most made field goals in league history, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
While James repeatedly referred to the achievement as “pretty cool” after the game, it was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing night. LeBron, who wasn’t able to lead the Lakers to a victory over the shorthanded Nuggets, injured his left elbow with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter and had to sit out for several crunch-time possessions, as McMenamin notes in a separate article.
“It’s pretty sore right now,” James said after the game, admitting that he’s unsure about his status for Friday’s matchup with Indiana. “It felt like one of those funny bone situations, but like, super more intense. … We’ll see what happens over the next couple of days. Hopefully, I’ll wake up (Friday) and it doesn’t feel too much worse than it is now. Or, if it feels better, that would be great. So, it’s day-to-day, we’ll see what happens.”
James wasn’t the only Lakers starter to suffer an injury in Thursday’s loss. Center Deandre Ayton exited the game in the first quarter due to left knee soreness, per McMenamin.
“For him, it sucked for him not to be out there in the game,” Marcus Smart said of his teammate. “He tried to go, and it just didn’t feel right for him, and it sucks. We definitely could have used him.
“I know as of lately he’s been getting a lot of backlash for his effort and his play. He understands it. I know it might not seem like it, but he does, and he wants to do, good, and he wants to help this team, and I think that’s what’s more frustrating for him because he’s trying. But the way he’s trying is not working, and he’s still trying to figure it out. But he definitely was down tonight.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Lakers star Luka Doncic was assessed his 15th technical foul of the season on Thursday, moving him within one tech of an automatic suspension, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic. Crew chief Ed Malloy explained after the game that the technical was a result of Doncic directing profanity toward an official, but the All-Star guard is hoping it’s rescinded. “I yelled at him, I guess. That’s what he said. But I heard three other players say the exact same sentence and didn’t get a tech,” Doncic said. “And that’s my problem, you know, I was trying not to talk at all. This is the first thing I said, no warning or nothing. But I heard three other players say the exact same thing and nothing. So it’s just, you know… I don’t know what to say.”
- After a pair of injury-plagued seasons in Memphis and Washington, Smart has enjoyed a bounce-back year with the Lakers, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, who points out that many of Smart’s advanced defensive statistics are in the same ballpark as the ones he posted in his Defensive Player of the Year campaign in 2021/22. “Smart has starred in his role for what we need consistently from him throughout the year,” head coach JJ Redick said earlier this week. “He’s played great basketball for the last five or six weeks and that starts on the defensive end. He’s been tremendous for us defensively.” Smart holds a $5.39MM player option for the 2026/27 season.
- Lithuanian point guard Augustas Marciulionis spent most of last summer and fall with the Lakers and has been playing for Los Angeles’ G League team this season after going undrafted. However, he finalized a buyout of his NBAGL contract this week in order to pursue an opportunity overseas, the South Bay Lakers announced (Twitter link). As BasketNews.com relays, Marciulionis has joined Rytas Vilnius, his hometown club, and explained in an interview this week that he decided to make the move after recognizing that he wouldn’t be called up to the NBA this season. “In Vilnius, I could play for a team that truly cares,” he added (YouTube link). “I missed that feeling – the shivers and excitement the night before a game. When you care, you feel it. In the G League, the priorities are different. So, when Rytas offered me a contract, I didn’t hesitate.”
Checking In On 10-Days, Pending Deals, Open Roster Spots
Two important roster-related dates for the 2025/26 NBA season are now behind us — teams can no longer sign players to two-way contracts and players who are waived by their current clubs from here on out won’t be playoff-eligible for a new team.
That certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be any players signed or waived in the coming weeks, but the NBA’s transaction wire should be a little less busy going forward. That makes it a good time to step back and take stock of where things stand with rosters and contract situations around the league as we enter the home stretch of the season.
10-day contracts
After Killian Hayes‘ 10-day contract with the Kings expired on Wednesday night, there are currently just two active 10-day deals around the NBA, as our tracker shows. Those deals are as follows:
- Utah Jazz: Mo Bamba (runs through March 7)
- Brooklyn Nets: Grant Nelson (runs through March 8)
Following a flurry of 10-day signings during and after the All-Star break, no team has finalized a 10-day deal in nearly a week, but I’d expect action to pick up on that front shortly.
A year ago, a total of 23 10-day contracts were signed between March 6 and the end of the season, with a handful of players receiving multiple deals – and, in some cases, rest-of-season commitments – from their respective teams. There are still a number of clubs across the league with open roster spots, and many of those openings figure to be temporarily filled with 10-day signees in the coming days and weeks.
Pending deals
Before we take a look at exactly which teams have roster spots to fill, it’s worth noting that there’s still one reported transaction that hasn’t been officially completed. The Nuggets reached an agreement with point guard Tyus Jones on Monday but have yet to formally announce his new deal.
No corresponding roster move will be needed for Denver, since the team already has an open spot on its 15-man roster, and it shouldn’t be long before Jones officially joins the roster. As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets, the 29-year-old was at the Nuggets’ practice facility on Wednesday and is expected to be available for the club’s game against the Lakers on Thursday.
[UPDATE: Jones has officially signed with the Nuggets.]
Open roster spots
As our tracker shows, the following teams currently have one spot available on their 15-man standard rosters:
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Orlando Magic
- Sacramento Kings
- Toronto Raptors
The Nuggets technically belong on this list too, but they’ll have a full roster once they officially sign Jones. The Jazz and Nets could also join this group if they don’t re-sign Bamba and Nelson, respectively, after their 10-day contracts expire.
The Warriors and Rockets are operating in luxury tax territory, and while they have plenty of room below their hard caps to add a 15th man, they’re probably not all that eager to increase their projected tax bills by bringing in someone who won’t play at all.
The Magic, Kings, and Raptors are all operating less than $1MM away from the tax line, but each team has enough room to bring in a minimum-salary veteran on a rest-of-season contract without becoming a taxpayer, so if there’s someone out there they like, they don’t necessarily have to wait.
Finally, there’s one notable team not mentioned in the list above because they technically have three open 15-man roster spots, not just one. That’s the Celtics. Boston is in the midst of executing an intricately timed plan to meet the NBA’s rules related to roster minimums for the rest of the season while narrowly staying out of the tax.
After 10-day deals for Dalano Banton and John Tonje expired over the weekend, it’s a safe bet that Boston will stick with just 12 players for the maximum allowable 14 days before making a couple roster additions in mid-March. Current two-way player Max Shulga will likely get a promotion at that time for financial reasons (his rookie minimum salary wouldn’t be subject to “tax variance“). If all goes according to plan, the Celtics will be able to sign a 15th man on the last day of the regular season without surpassing the tax threshold.
Lakers Notes: Redick, Doncic, Reaves, Ayton, Offseason Plans
A heated exchange between JJ Redick and Luka Doncic during Saturday’s win over Golden State drew some attention on social media, but the Lakers coach dismissed it as something “very normal” that happens during the course of games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The incident occurred when Doncic was removed from the game and walked by Redick without responding to a fist bump. Redick followed Doncic to his seat, and they yelled at each other before Redick returned to his usual spot. Doncic stood up to scream at his coach some more before Jarred Vanderbilt intervened and calmed the situation.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time, to be honest with you,” Redick told reporters. “I don’t think Luka did either. He and I have a great relationship. I really value our relationship. And I think those things happen. Not every game, but they happen very frequently. And sometimes you have to rehash them with a player, or as a teammate. Sometimes it happens player to player. It’s a competition. And there’s two guys here who, in this case, are trying to win a basketball game and be on the same page about stuff.”
A Lakers source told McMenamin the exchange was the result of frustration over a recent three-game losing streak, while a source close to Doncic said he and Redick have a strong relationship but they’re “both fiercely competitive and are always pushing each other.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- The team is 11-6 in games where Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves have all been available, but that doesn’t mean they’re playing well together, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. L.A. has only outscored opponents by three total points in the 297 minutes they’ve all been on the court, and they’re producing 109.2 points per 100 possessions in lineups that feature all three players, which would rank 29th in the league. “The bigger challenge is when they’re all on the court together,” Redick said, “because they all want the basketball, and the reality … people have to sacrifice. The other two guys also have to sacrifice — they’re out there with those three guys. LeBron, his usage is low for his career. When Austin’s been out there, his usage is a little bit less than what it’s been throughout the season.”
- Re-signing Reaves will be a priority this summer, but the Lakers won’t get a bargain like they did the last time he hit free agency, SI’s Chris Mannix stated on the Run It Back podcast. “There’s gonna be a market for Austin Reaves, a big one this summer,” Mannix said. “The Lakers are gonna have to pay him.” Mannix indicates that L.A. is confident about keeping Reaves and is more concerned about finding high-level defenders to team with him and Doncic.
- Mannix adds that the Lakers want to use Doncic’s NBA Finals team in Dallas from 2024 as the blueprint for their future (Twitter video link). That could mean finding someone more qualified than Deandre Ayton to fill the Daniel Gafford/Dereck Lively II role, with Mannix suggesting that Gafford might be a possibility since he was mentioned in numerous trade rumors before the deadline. Ayton holds an $8.1MM player option for next season.
- The Lakers have appointed Michael Spetner as chief strategy and growth officer, making him the latest Dodgers official to join the organization, per Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Pacific Notes: Garland, Leonard, Kleber, Thiero, Bouyea
Darius Garland made his long-awaited Clippers debut on Monday. The former Cleveland guard, the centerpiece of the deal for Los Angeles in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavs, had 12 points, two rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes in a win over Golden State. Garland hadn’t played since January 14 due to a toe injury.
“Just getting adjusted,” Garland said, per The Athletic’s Law Murray. “Getting adjusted to L.A., getting to know the guys. Getting to know the staff, everybody around the organization, and just trying to get back to me. Getting healthy — training staff been with me a lot and doing a lot of work. So I really appreciate them, just getting me back to this point. Yeah, man, it’s good getting out there with the guys for sure. Especially getting a win, my first win with the Clips. It’s a blessing.”
Kawhi Leonard is looking forward to developing chemistry with Garland.
“Number one, just competitive nature,” Leonard said of what Garland brings to the Clippers’ point guard spot. “But every situation is different. So from Darius, we’re looking at him to get us involved, get him some shots. Pushing the pace in transition for us. And just getting everybody involved and calling sets so we’re not stagnant at times. So I think he’s able to do that. He’s an All-Star player. Just looking forward to playing more basketball with him. More minutes, as he ramps up to playing 30-plus minutes per game.”
Garland will make his home debut against the Pacers on Wednesday. Coach Tyronn Lue said he’ll come off the bench until he’s able to play more minutes, Murray tweets.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Maxi Kleber, an unrestricted free agent after the season, has made steady contributions in recent games for the Lakers. He had four points and three blocks in 13 minutes against Golden State on Saturday and six points and six rebounds against Sacramento. “He does everything right, man,” guard Marcus Smart told the California Post’s Khobi Price. “And he’s such a good person. He wants to see everybody win, even though he’s not winning in certain circumstances of not getting playing time as much as he would like, probably. Not getting the ball as much as he would like. But he doesn’t let that deter him from cheering on his teammates and being there for his teammates. And then when he does get in and his opportunity comes, taking full advantage of it.”
- After missing over a month of action with a knee sprain, Lakers second-round rookie Adou Thiero has shown promise at the G League level. Playing for the South Bay Lakers, Thiero posted a combined 33 points and 14 rebounds in back-to-back games late last month. Elevated to the Lakers over the weekend, Thiero had three points, a rebound and assist in four minutes against Sacramento. “I’m just going out there, keep getting comfortable with the game, the pace, just trying to work on things that I need to develop and be better at,” Thiero told Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register. “Just trying to get 1% better every day, just keeping that mindset and just knowing that, … there’s a bigger picture. So just making sure I’m ready for that day, when that day comes.”
- Jamaree Bouyea had his contract converted from a two-way deal to a standard one by the Suns. However, the undrafted player can’t get too comfortable, according to his coach. “Earned it, got it,”Jordan Ott said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “Now we’ll see where it goes. Work left to do, but what he has brought to our group has definitely been beneficial.”
Cunningham, Wembanyama Earn Player Of The Month Honors
Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham has become the first player to be named Player of the Month twice this season, earning the Eastern Conference award for February after also having done so in October/November, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Cunningham’s Pistons maintained their comfortable lead atop the Eastern Conference standings by going 9-2 in March. The former No. 1 overall pick led the way, averaging 25.4 points, 9.9 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 33.5 minutes per contest, with a .472/.373/.769 shooting line.
Cunningham’s biggest game of the month came after the All-Star break when he racked up 42 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds in a victory over the Knicks in New York. That was one of six double-doubles he recorded in February.
Cunningham beat out fellow nominees Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Brandon Miller (Hornets), and Ryan Rollins (Bucks) to claim the monthly award in the Eastern Conference, according to the league (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama – another former first overall pick – was recognized for the second time this afternoon, earning Player of the Month recognition in the Western Conference after also having won the Defensive Player of the Month award.
In addition to anchoring the West’s best defense in February, Wembanyama put up big offensive numbers, contributing 22.5 points and 3.5 assists to go along with his 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. It was enough to earn the 22-year-old the first Player of the Month award of his career.
San Antonio has dominated the Western Conference’s monthly awards after enjoying an 11-0 February — while Wembanyama took home Player of the Month and Defensive Player of the Month, his teammate Dylan Harper was named Rookie of the Month.
The other nominees for Player of the Month in the West were Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, Lakers guard Luka Doncic, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard.
Anthony Edwards, Jalen Duren Named Players Of The Week
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Pistons center Jalen Duren has claimed the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Edwards, who was named to his fourth straight All-Star team this season, helped Minnesota go 3-0 in a trio of road games played from February 23 – March 1. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 28.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals on .457/.357/.667 shooting in those three appearances (37.7 minutes per game).
Duren, a first-time All-Star in 2025/26, helped guide Detroit to a 3-1 record last week. The 22-year-old big man averaged 25.8 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG in 34.0 MPG. He shot 63.9% from the field and 73.5% on free throws over the four games.
According to the league (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Luka Doncic (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Rockets) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder).
Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Duren’s teammate Cade Cunningham, Jonathan Kuminga (Hawks), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) and Brandon Miller (Hornets) were nominated in the East.
Lakers Notes: Ayton, Bennett, Front Office, Reaves
While Deandre Ayton has had some big games for the Lakers this season, including a 21-point, 13-rebound outing in Tuesday’s 110-109 loss to Orlando, there are still questions about whether he’s fully committed to the role the team wants him to play, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
That disconnect between what the former No. 1 overall pick believes he’s capable of and what the Lakers want from him – starting with screen-setting and rim-running – was on display after Ayton wrapped up his post-game media session following the loss to Orlando, McMenamin notes.
“They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” Ayton said as he made his way toward the showers, referring to the veteran NBA center who has a reputation as a solid rim-runner and rebounder. “I’m not no Clint Capela!”
Now 27 years old and in his eighth NBA season, Ayton hasn’t become a star at the NBA level, having developed a reputation as a “talented but unserious” player who can be engaged and productive in one game before disappearing in the next game, McMenamin writes. Still, the Lakers have been happy with his performance when’s willing to do the sort of “dirty work” the team wants him to focus on, a source told ESPN.
“When he’s at his best, and we’ve seen it, we’ve seen glimpses of it, he’s playing with force,” that team source said. “And that’s playing with great force on both ends of the floor when it comes to screening. Then rolling and putting pressure on the rim; (when the) shot goes up, crashing the glass; sprinting back in transition; loading to the basketball; calling out your communication; being in the right positioning; contesting shots; boxing out. Those things for a big are just really thankless when you’re a skilled big. But on this team, that’s what his role is. He has to be a dirt worker.”
As McMenamin writes, when Ayton commits to doing those little things that don’t involve scoring, he’s often rewarded for it, earning more minutes and getting more looks from his teammates. However, there’s still a sense that he doesn’t care as much about “the grind” as he does about putting the ball in the basket.
“He picks and chooses when he wants to lock in and play,” a Western Conference scout told McMenamin. “Which is not what most dominant centers do.”
Ayton had two points and four rebounds and was a -24 in 23 minutes in the Lakers’ 113-110 loss to Phoenix on Thursday.
We have more on the Lakers:
- Following up on the Lakers’ hiring of Tony Bennett as a draft advisor, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports that the longtime UVA head coach won’t be leading the organization’s draft room or scouting department. As Woike explains, Bennett will be playing more of a supporting role, with his track record of identifying players who possess “toughness, energy and IQ” viewed as an asset for a Lakers team looking to restock its collection of young talent.
- Woike adds in the same story that reforming the college scouting staff, building up a “modern” pro scouting department, and expanding the current analytics department are among the Lakers’ goals as they bring in more front office executives under new majority team owner Mark Walter.
- After the Lakers wrapped up 4-4 home stand with Tuesday’s loss to Orlando, head coach JJ Redick referred to the club as a “work in progress,” according to Benjamin Royer of The Southern California News Group (subscription required). Thursday’s game provided a reminder of that point, as the Lakers lost a tight contest to a Suns team playing without its two leading scorers, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. As Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times relays, guard Austin Reaves said after the latest loss that the team’s level of frustration is “very high.”
Former UVA Coach Tony Bennett Joins Lakers As Draft Advisor
The Lakers have hired former University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, announcing today in a press release that he’ll take on the role of NBA draft advisor for the team.
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource.
“Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill, and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts, and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett, who had a brief NBA playing career as a member of the Hornets from 1992-95, has had a longer and more successful career in coaching.
After a brief stint as the coach of the North Harbour Kings in New Zealand, he was an assistant at Wisconsin (1999-2003) and Washington State (2003-06), then spent three seasons at the head coach at Washington State (2006-09) and a decade and a half in the lead coaching role at Virginia (2009-24).
Bennett compiled a 364-136 (.728) record for the Cavaliers and led the team to a national championship in 2019 with a roster that featured future NBA players like De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, Jay Huff, Mamadi Diakite, and Kyle Guy. Bennett was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year in both 2007 (with the Cougars) and 2018.
As we detailed earlier today, Pelinka is expected to remain in his role atop the Lakers’ basketball operations department amid changes at the ownership level and in business operations. However, new controlling owner Mark Walter wants to build a deeper front office that emulates the group compiled by the Los Angeles Dodgers, his MLB team. With that in mind, Bennett figures to be one of many additions to the basketball operations staff in the coming months.
The Lakers own a single pick in the 2026 draft — their own first-rounder. It currently projects to land 21st overall, per Tankathon.
Lakers’ Rosen: Pelinka ‘Empowered’ To Continue Running Basketball Ops
The Lakers introduced their new president of business operations to the media on Tuesday, with longtime Los Angeles Dodgers executive Lon Rosen speaking to reporters for the first time since being hired by the NBA team.
As Dan Woike of The Athletic writes, there has been speculation around the league since Mark Walter took over majority control of the franchise about whether the new leadership group might make front office changes that impact Rob Pelinka‘s future with the Lakers. However, Rosen made it clear on Tuesday that he envisions Pelinka remaining in his position as Los Angeles’ president of basketball operations and general manager.
“I just run the business side, Rob’s empowered to do what he does,” Rosen said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “(Dodgers executives) Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, they have involvement helping Rob a bit. It gives you a deeper bench, and I think Rob appreciates that. And it is unique. But they have a skill set that they can transfer some of it here. And that’s really how we look at it.
“Look, I have a really good relationship with Rob. I’ve known Rob Pelinka from when he was representing Kobe (Bryant). I met him many, many years ago.”
Rosen’s comments line up with the remarks Pelinka made to the media in the wake of this month’s trade deadline. He said at that time that the Lakers would be expanding their basketball operations department in the coming months and want to build a deep front office like that of the Dodgers, the MLB team Walter owns. But Pelinka also stressed that he, governor Jeanie Buss, and Walter would continue to be the ones making basketball decisions, and Rosen confirmed as much.
Pelinka was originally hired as the Lakers’ general manager under president of basketball operations Magic Johnson in 2017. He took over control of the front office in 2019, was promoted to VP of basketball operations in 2020 and was eventually promoted again to president of basketball operations in the spring of 2025, receiving a contract extension at that time as well.
Notably, before joining the Dodgers in 2012 as the team’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Rosen was the longtime agent for Johnson, the former Lakers star and lead basketball executive who unexpectedly resigned from his role in 2019 and accused Pelinka of disparaging him behind his back.
Johnson and Pelinka have mended fences since then and Rosen referred to Johnson on Tuesday as one of his “closest friends,” but the Lakers’ new president of business opreations said the Hall-of-Famer won’t be returning to any sort of day-to-day role in the organization.
“Earvin’s involved with all types of things,” Rosen said, per McMenamin. “He owns football teams, baseball teams, soccer teams, insurance companies, a lot of things. He’s always going to have some type of involvement with all the teams, but he is not going to have a day-to-day involvement. It’s going to be no different since he left the Lakers.
“Obviously, he’s a huge fan of the Lakers, but he’s not going to be, ‘Hey, Rob, go sign this player. Do that.’ He’ll always be involved with all the teams that he’s involved in, but no, he’s not going to have day-to-day involvement, at all. He is a super Laker fan and he’ll continue to be a super Laker fan. It’s not bad to have that.”
The Lakers have an eventful offseason on tap in 2026. They’re in position to create significant cap room and will be able to trade up to three first-round picks after having just one tradable first-rounder at this year’s deadline. Austin Reaves will also be up for a new contract, while LeBron James‘ deal is set to expire too. The four-time MVP has yet to confirm whether he plans to continue his career — and if he does so, whether he still wants to be a Laker.
Pacific Notes: Santos, Green, Ayton, Kings
Power forward Gui Santos has seen his role expand with the Warriors in recent weeks and it’s given a major confidence boost to the 2022 second-round pick, he said on 95.7 The Game’s Willard and Dibs show.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I’m feeling really good right now about the shooting, you know the confidence,” Santos said (story via Kevin Borba of NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think especially when you know that you’re going to play every night when you know that like your team trusts you, the staff trust you, that gives you way more confidence to go out there. You take shots with confidence, you take shots that you think like, ‘yes this shot is one shot that I got shoot it and I’m going to make it.’ And I feel good right now I’m in this position.”
In the month of February, Santos is averaging 29.7 minutes, 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- As with his past teams, Deandre Ayton is frustrating the Lakers with his inconsistent play. Ayton has a minimal offensive role but the team is trying to unlock his potential as a rebounder and defender. Coach JJ Redick also sees plays where the ball should go inside to Ayton. “There’s positive trends,” Redick said after practice Monday, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “We did watch some film today. There was some real positive trends defensively. I think his spirit and engagement and stuff has been really good. I think for all the guys, if he has a smaller player on him, that’s an advantage for us. Let’s just get him the ball. I think it’s just thematically across the team, we have to pass it to each other more and trust each other more. … In terms of him running and putting pressure on the rim and offensive rebounding, particularly against switches and smaller players, he could be better there.” Ayton is averaging career lows in points (13.0), rebounds (8.4) and minutes (28.1) per game.
- Jalen Green has missed a good portion of his first season with the Suns due to hamstring injuries. He’s now in a position to make a major impact with both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out due to injuries. “I think I bring a little bit of everything,” Green told Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. “Play faster, get some steals and get into the open lane. I think that’s where my biggest impact is, getting to the rim, the three and scoring.” Green is averaging 16.8 points over his last four games.
- The Kings‘ franchise-record losing streak of 16 games was finally snapped on Monday, as Russell Westbrook scored 25 points in a 123-114 road victory over Memphis. Precious Achiuwa matched his season-high with 20 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds. “We needed this,” Achiuwa told NBC Sports California, as Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee relays. “It’s been a bit of a rough path for us the past couple games. We’ve played really well a lot of those games. We were just unfortunate not to come out with a win, but tonight we’re glad. It feels good to win.”