Injury Notes: Beverley, Davis, Williams
Patrick Beverley has missed the past four preseason games with knee irritation and a source tells Calvin Walkins of ESPN.com that he may have surgery on his left knee. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets that the injury is not severe and Beverley is seeking a second opinion, as team doctors are not exactly sure what is wrong with the knee. Beverley was penciled in as the starter for the Rockets and in his absence, coach Mike D’Antoni has played James Harden at the point guard position.
Here’s more injury news from around the league:
- The Pelicans believe Anthony Davis will be available to play on opening night and the team is strongly considering letting him play in the team’s final preseason game on Thursday night, Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com pass along. Davis practiced today without any issue with his injured ankle, the pair of ESPN scribes relay.
- Marvin Williams has a non-displaced fracture in his left middle finger, according to the Hornets‘ Twitter feed. He will remain out until at least next Tuesday, at which time he will be reevaluated.
- Aron Baynes suffered a broken nose during Tuesday’s practice and he underwent surgery on it shortly after, according to a Pistons‘ press release. Baynes will not play in tonight’s preseason game.
2016/17 NBA Over/Unders: Southwest Division
The 2016/17 NBA regular season will get underway next week, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv, we’re going to run through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, and have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic. Having looked at the Atlantic, Northwest, and Central divisions so far, we’re moving on to the Southwest today…
San Antonio Spurs
- 2015/16 record: 67-15
- Over/under for 2016/17: 58.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Pau Gasol, Dewayne Dedmon, David Lee, Dejounte Murray, Livio Jean-Charles. Lost Tim Duncan, David West, Boris Diaw, Boban Marjanovic, Matt Bonner, Kevin Martin, Andre Miller.
How many games will the Spurs win?
-
Under 58.5 57% (252)
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Over 58.5 43% (187)
Total votes: 439
(App users, click here for Spurs poll)
Houston Rockets
- 2015/16 record: 41-41
- Over/under for 2016/17: 44 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Nene, Pablo Prigioni, Tyler Ennis, Chinanu Onuaku. Lost Dwight Howard, Jason Terry, Josh Smith, Terrence Jones, Michael Beasley.
How many games will the Rockets win?
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Over 44 53% (220)
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Under 44 47% (197)
Total votes: 417
(App users, click here for Rockets poll)
Memphis Grizzlies
- 2015/16 record: 42-40
- Over/under for 2016/17: 42.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Chandler Parsons, Troy Daniels, James Ennis, Wade Baldwin, Andrew Harrison, Deyonta Davis. Lost Lance Stephenson, Matt Barnes, Chris Andersen, Jordan Farmar, P.J. Hairston.
How many games will the Grizzlies win?
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Over 42.5 60% (231)
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Under 42.5 40% (156)
Total votes: 387
(App users, click here for Grizzlies poll)
Dallas Mavericks
- 2015/16 record: 42-40
- Over/under for 2016/17: 38.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Seth Curry, Quincy Acy. Lost Chandler Parsons, Zaza Pachulia, Raymond Felton, David Lee, Charlie Villanueva.
How many games will the Mavericks win?
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Over 38.5 70% (290)
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Under 38.5 30% (126)
Total votes: 416
(App users, click here for Mavericks poll)
New Orleans Pelicans
- 2015/16 record: 30-52
- Over/under for 2016/17: 37 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Solomon Hill, E’Twaun Moore, Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, Terrence Jones, Cheick Diallo. Lost Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas, Norris Cole, James Ennis.
How many games will the Pelicans win?
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Under 37 71% (268)
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Over 37 29% (110)
Total votes: 378
(App users, click here for Pelicans poll)
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
- Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
- New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
- Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)
- Utah Jazz (49 wins): Under (68.72%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (45.5 wins): Over (69.92%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (43.5 wins): Over (65.71%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (40.5 wins): Over (50.11%)
- Denver Nuggets (37 wins): Under (68.81%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (56.5 wins): Over (66.5%)
- Detroit Pistons (44.5 wins): Over (55.03%)
- Indiana Pacers (44.5 wins): Over (73.06%)
- Chicago Bulls (38.5 wins): Over (61.9%)
- Milwaukee Bucks (34.5 wins): Over (67.48%)
Pelicans Sign Quincy Ford
At a time when most NBA teams are waiving players from their roster, the Pelicans have announced a signing. According to a team release, New Orleans has signed Quincy Ford, who recently cleared waivers after being cut loose by the Jazz. The Pelicans are now back up to the maximum 20 players.
Ford, 23, signed his first NBA contract with the Jazz out of Northeastern back in September, receiving a $75K guarantee on a three-year pact with the team. Having played Summer League ball with Utah and spent training camp with them as well, the young forward appeared ticketed for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate. However, the Pelicans may have thrown a wrench in that plan.
Still, the Pelicans don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, so if they want to keep Ford under team control, they’ll have to include him on their 15-man regular season roster. New Orleans already has 15 guaranteed salaries on its books for 2016/17, and that doesn’t even include Lance Stephenson, who has a partial guarantee — it would be a surprise if Ford makes the cut.
Pelicans Confirm Davis Out 10-14 Days
- The Pelicans have officially confirmed via pres release that Anthony Davis will miss 10-14 days due to a sprained right ankle. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated first reported the injury.
RealGM Discusses Future For Pelicans, Davis
- Anthony Davis is about to start his fifth season with the Pelicans, and the franchise doesn’t seem any closer to title contention this year than in past years, writes Colin McGowan of RealGM.com. Davis is locked up for at least four more years, so he’s not going anywhere anytime soon, but McGowan wonders if the franchise big man will start to get restless if the team doesn’t show real signs of improvement soon.
Anthony Davis Sprains Ankle, Out 10-15 Days
A handful of players left today’s Pelicans/Rockets game in China with what appeared to be minor injuries. Of those players, none were being watched more closely than Anthony Davis, who has never played in more than 68 regular-season games in any of his four NBA seasons. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (via Twitter), the Pelicans big man suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain, and is expected to out for 10 to 15 days.
While Davis’ latest injury is unfortunate news for both him and the Pelicans, there’s still a chance that the three-time All-Star could be ready for the club’s regular-season opener, which takes place two weeks from today. The ankle sprain almost certainly ensures that Davis won’t play in any of New Orleans’ remaining preseason games, however.
A left knee injury and a torn labrum in his left shoulder brought Davis’ 2015/16 campaign to a premature end this past spring, and he has dealt with ankle injuries in the past as well. The Pelicans certainly won’t be in any rush to get their former No. 1 pick back on the court — if he misses a couple regular-season games while returning to health, that would be preferable to risking re-injury. Still, Spears notes that Davis was “walking around fine” after leaving today’s game.
During today’s contest, Pelicans guard E’Twaun Moore and Rockets guard Pablo Prigioni also left with injuries. Moore suffered a heel contusion, which eventually forced him out of action, as Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes. As for Prigioni, he suffered a left shoulder strain, per Fran Blinebury of NBA.com (Twitter link). Neither injury appeared to be major, though we’ll have to wait for the two teams to confirm that.
Western Notes: Stephenson, Kings, Cousins
Lance Stephenson has an edge over Alonzo Gee for a roster spot on the Pelicans because of his versatility, John Reid of The Times-Picayune opines. Stephenson’s ability to play point guard will be especially useful with Jrue Holiday set to miss significant time. Reid also added that he wouldn’t be surprised if New Orleans ends up trading Gee.
Here’s more from around the league:
- New Kings head coach Dave Joerger aims to change the culture in Sacramento, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I think it’s what we hope to have on a nightly basis,” Joerger said. “A mindset of being physical, being active. Flying around, being a good teammate, each guy up and down the line and helping each other.”
- The Kings signed Matt Barnes this offseason and DeMarcus Cousins is happy to have the veteran on his team, Jones adds in the same piece. “He’s a true competitor,” Cousins said. “He leaves it all out there on the floor. I think he’s a great role model for the younger guys on how to approach a game on a nightly basis.”
- Gordon Hayward will likely miss six weeks after injuring his left ring finger and Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News examines his absence from the court will impact the Jazz.
Gee's Roster Spot Isn't Guaranteed
- Alonzo Gee‘s guaranteed contract doesn’t mean he has a guaranteed spot on the Pelicans’ roster, according to John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Gee, 29, could be the odd man out if Lance Stephenson secures a spot on the opening day roster, Reid continues. Gee signed for the veteran’s minimum this season, while Stephenson has a partially-guaranteed $1.2MM contract. Gee barely played during the first two preseason games, Reid notes, and Stephenson’s ability to play both guard positions, plus small forward, works in his favor. Gee, 29, appeared in 73 games with New Orleans last season, including 38 starts.
- Argentinian small forward Nicolas Brussino has improved his prospects of making the Mavs’ 15-man roster, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com writes. Brussino, who signed a partially-guaranteed three-year contract this summer, scored 13 points in 23 minutes against the Pelicans in the preseason opener. The fact that Brussino has enrolled in English-speaking classes is another sign that the team is serious about keeping him, Sneed adds.
Players Who Can Veto Trades
No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, and they became even rarer this offseason, when several players with those clauses in their contracts either called it a career or signed new deals. Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett, who all opted for retirement, had no-trade clauses last season, and so did Dwyane Wade, who doesn’t have the same protection on his new contract with the Bulls.
Nonethless, while the list of players with explicit no-trade clauses may be dwindling, there are still several players each year who have the ability to veto trades. A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year contract with an option clause – is given no-trade protection, and so is a player who signs an offer sheet and has that offer matched by his previous team. Players who accept qualifying offers after their rookie deals expire can also block deals, though no restricted free agents signed their QOs this year.
Taking into account that list of criteria, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the 2016/17 league year:
No-trade clauses
- Carmelo Anthony (Knicks)
- LeBron James (Cavaliers): Received no-trade clause on his new contract with Cavs.
- Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)
Players whose offer sheets were matched
- Allen Crabbe (Trail Blazers)
- Tyler Johnson (Heat)
Players accepting qualifying offers
- None
Players re-signing for one year (or two years including an option)
- Lou Amundson (Knicks) (waived)
- Elton Brand (Sixers) (retired)
- Ian Clark (Warriors)
- Alonzo Gee (Pelicans) (waived)
- Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
- Udonis Haslem (Heat)
- Kris Humphries (Hawks)
- Dahntay Jones (Cavaliers) (waived)
- James Jones (Cavaliers)
- James Michael McAdoo (Warriors)
- Steve Novak (Bucks)
- Marcus Thornton (Wizards)
- Beno Udrih (Pistons)
- Anderson Varejao (Warriors)
- Sasha Vujacic (Knicks)
- Metta World Peace (Lakers)
Information from Basketball Insiders and Yahoo! Sports was used in the creation of this post.
Copeland Was Waived To Free Up Minutes For Others
- The Pelicans waived Chris Copeland earlier today in an effort to free up more minutes for players who are on the bubble to make the team’s regular season roster, according to coach Alvin Gentry, Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate relays. New Orleans had two healthy scratches, Robert Sacre and Alonzo Gee, in its preseason opening victory over the Mavericks on Saturday, the scribe notes.