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Gilgeous-Alexander, Towns Named Players Of The Month

January 2nd, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Gilgeous-Alexander won the award for the Western Conference, while Towns was the East’s winner.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the West’s reigning Player of the Week, has claimed the monthly award for the second straight time, having also won for games played in October and November. The 26-year-old put up superlative stats in leading Oklahoma City to a 12-1 record last month, averaging 33.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.2 blocks on .563/.366/.910 shooting in 13 games (34.5 minutes per contest).

Winners of 12 straight, the Thunder are off to their best start in franchise history and are currently 27-5, the top seed in the West. Only the 29-4 Cavaliers have a better record.

Towns helped lead the Knicks to a 12-1 record in games he played last month, with New York losing the lone contest he missed. He had an excellent month himself, averaging 23.2 PPG, 14.6 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.1 BPG on .566/.390/.813 shooting in his 13 appearances (34.6 MPG).

The Knicks, who have won nine straight games, are currently 24-10, the No. 3 seed in the West. They’re a half-game behind Boston for the No. 2 spot.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Kyrie Irving, Jaren Jackson Jr., LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Norman Powell, Alperen Sengun and Victor Wembanyama. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Towns’ teammate Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyler Herro, Jalen Johnson, Trae Young, Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell were nominated in the East.

Yves Missi, Alex Sarr Named Rookies Of The Month

January 2nd, 2025 at 2:21pm CST by Rory Maher

A pair of big men have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for games played in December, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Pelicans center Yves Missi won the award for the Western Conference, while Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr has claimed the award in the East.

The No. 21 overall pick of last June’s draft, Missi has been one of the few consistent bright spots amid an injury-plagued season in New Orleans. The 20-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game across his 13 appearances last month, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line.

Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, struggled with his shot over his first month-plus of NBA action, but he kept firing away and his results have improved pretty dramatically of late. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.7 BPG on .461/.455/.556 shooting in nine December games (28.4 MPG).

Unlike some other weekly and monthly awards, team record doesn’t matter much for rookies, who often receive the most opportunities on bad teams. The Pelicans currently have the worst record in the league at 5-29, with Washington at No. 2 in the reverse standings (6-25).

Missi beat out Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to win the award in the West. Carlton Carrington, Tristan Da Silva and Zaccharie Risacher were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link). Wells and Jared McCain won the awards for games played in October and November (McCain subsequently suffered a torn left meniscus and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery).

Pistons’ Jaden Ivey Undergoes Surgery To Repair Broken Fibula

January 2nd, 2025 at 2:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:05pm: Ivey underwent successful surgery this morning to repair his broken fibula, the Pistons announced in a press release (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of the team’s website). Ivey will be reevaluated in four weeks, with additional updates on his status to come in the future.

10:38am: Pistons starting guard Jaden Ivey suffered a broken fibula in his left leg during Wednesday’s game against Orlando, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

According to Charania, Ivey is expected to miss the majority of what’s left of his third season. While it’s still possible he could return at some point in 2024/25, Charania writes that Detroit will be cautious with 22-year-old during his recovery process.

It’s a serious blow to the vastly improved Pistons, who have won four of their last five games and are in the mix for the play-in tournament. Detroit is currently 15-18, the No. 9 seed in the East, after finishing last season with the worst record in the NBA (14-68).

Ivey was injured early in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s win over the Magic. Ivey and Magic guard Cole Anthony were battling for a loose ball and Anthony fell on the Pistons guard’s leg. The game was delayed for several minutes and Ivey was carried off on a stretcher.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro so far in ’24/25, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (46.0%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). He has started all 30 games he has played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.

Detroit has already picked up its $10.1MM option on Ivey’s contract for next season. He’s eligible for a rookie scale extension during the offseason and it remains to be seen how this injury might impact those future negotiations.

Marcus Sasser, a 2023 first rounder, figures to see his playing time rise in Ivey’s absence.

Suns’ Devin Booker: “Frustration Level’s High”

January 1st, 2025 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past five games with a left groin strain, star guard Devin Booker returned to action on Tuesday vs. Memphis, recording 16 points, four rebounds, nine assists and a steal in 30 minutes. However, he went just 4-of-20 from the field as the Suns dropped their third straight game.

While Booker expressed confidence that he’ll soon return to his normal form, he admitted that the team is very frustrated with its recent play — after starting the season with a 9-2 record, the Suns have gone just 6-15 since, and are currently 15-17, the No. 11 seed in the West.

“Frustration level’s high,” Booker said (Twitter video links via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). “We’re all competitors in here, and we realize these games are gonna cost us in the end of the season. …We wanna gain some ground, get up out of the play-in position and just win every possible game.”

“We have guys that have won at a high level, that have high expectations, high standards,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said, per Bourguet (Twitter video link). “…We gotta find ways to get better, so these are not easy times. But our guys will find a way through it, and we’ll find a way through it together.”

Kevin Durant, who finished with 29 points (on 11-of-19 shooting), 10 rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks in 39 minutes, said he needed to play better for the team to find success, according to Bourguet (Twitter video link).

“I feel like I can do so much out there, I just feel like I gotta be better,” Durant said. “And I feel like every player in the locker room got that same mentality. So we all look in the mirror, we’ll be a better team.”

As Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes, on the night Booker returned, Phoenix lost Bradley Beal to a hip contusion of unknown severity. And Grayson Allen, who was probable entering Tuesday’s contest after missing the previous four games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol, was unable to suit up due to a shoulder injury he sustained in Monday’s practice. Veteran forward Royce O’Neale is also out at least 10 days with a left ankle sprain.

NBA Suspends Amen Thompson Two Games, Terry Rozier One Game

December 31st, 2024 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets swingman Amen Thompson has been suspended for two games, while Heat guard Terry Rozier has received a one-game suspension, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Thompson and Rozier are being suspended for the roles they played in the on-court altercation that occurred during the final minute of the Heat/Rockets game in Houston on Sunday. In addition to the suspensions, the league announced that Rockets guard Jalen Green has been fined $35K and Heat guard Tyler Herro has been fined $25K for their involvement in the fracas.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has received a $50K fine for verbal abuse of a referee and not leaving the court in a timely manner after being ejected.

Additionally, Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet has been fined $35K for making “reckless” contact with official Marc Davis. That incident occurred moments before the altercation that led to the other penalties.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in Sunday’s game, Herro and Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link). Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Rozier tackling Thompson as Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Udoka and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Sullivan is the only one of those ejected who wasn’t fined or suspended today.

Tensions were already running high leading up to the melee, as VanVleet was tossed from the game after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

The suspension will keep Thompson out of action for Wednesday’s game vs. Dallas and Friday’s contest vs. Boston. It will also cost him $127,586, which is 2/145ths of his $9,249,960 full-season salary, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

Rozier, who will have to sit out Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans, will forfeit $143,242, which is 1/174th of his $24,924,126 salary.

Jimmy Butler Rejoins Heat, Addresses Trade Rumors

December 31st, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing two games due to an illness and three due to return-to-competition reconditioning, Heat forward Jimmy Butler rejoined the team on Tuesday, participating in practice and telling reporters that he’ll play in Wednesday’s game vs. New Orleans.

As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays, Butler also spoke to the media about last week’s ESPN report suggesting that he prefers to be traded out of Miami. Heat president Pat Riley announced a day after that report that the club wouldn’t be trading its star forward.

“Does it matter?” Butler said today when asked if he prefers a trade. “I honestly do not care about getting traded, where I’m supposed to go, who’s saying what…. All of that is out of my control anyway.”

Reporters in Miami posed a series of questions related to Butler’s future, including whether he’d be content if he’s not traded this season, whether it’s in his and the Heat’s best interests to have an amicable divorce in the summer of 2025, and whether he wants to be in Miami. In each case, he began his answer by saying, “I don’t know.”

The 35-year-old also said he’s “happy” and “in a good space,” adding that he’ll defer to Riley on roster decisions.

“Right now, I’m here and I’m to make the most of it,” Butler said. “I am going to compete and I’m going to win. It’s a lot of talk, a lot of noise, which I’m cool with. It doesn’t bother me at all. I love that. I thrive at it. It keeps you all wondering, the world wondering. It’s good to be talked about. Even better to be wanted.”

Asked if he and/or his agent have talked to Riley, Butler offered no comment, simply replying, “Next.”

While Butler’s remarks suggest he doesn’t intend to take the scorched-earth route he did six years ago in Minnesota to force a trade, he also passed on the opportunity to put the issue to bed, offering vague responses and not outright denying that he prefers a trade. Despite Riley’s statement last Thursday about not trading Butler, this still looks like a situation worth keeping an eye on as the February 6 trade deadline nears.

In addition to addressing the trade rumors, Butler also spoke about his five-game absence, explaining that he was “pretty messed up” as a result of a bad stomach illness, but that he’s feeling better now and looking forward to getting back on the court. It’s possible Miami will be down a player or two as a result of Sunday’s altercation vs. the Rockets – the NBA has yet to announce suspensions and/or fines – so Butler’s return should be a welcome one.

LeBron James Plans To Retire As Laker

December 30th, 2024 at 8:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James said on his 40th birthday that he plans to retire with the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

“I think that’s the plan,” James told a swarm of reporters on Monday. “I would love for it to end here. That would be the plan. I came here to play the last stage of my career and to finish it off here. But I’m also not silly or too jaded to know the business of the game as well, to know the business of basketball. But I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself. And hopefully, I don’t got to go nowhere before my career is over.”

James is in his seventh season as a Laker. He signed a two-year, $101.4MM contract with a no-trade clause during the offseason but could become a free agent again in the summer. He holds a $52.6MM player option.

No one his age in league history has posted the kind of numbers he has this season. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists in 35 minutes per game while appearing in 28 of 31 Lakers contests so far.

“If I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another — it’s weird that I might say this — but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to,” James said. “But I’m not going to do that.”

When will James retire? If he has a notion, he didn’t reveal it on Monday. He did declare that once he leaves the game, he’ll resist the urge to make a comeback.

“I would miss the hell out of (basketball), for sure,” James said. “But no, I won’t walk away and come back.”

Ja Morant ‘Week To Week’ With Shoulder Injury

December 30th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant will miss multiple games due to another shoulder injury. Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and is considered week-to-week, according to a team press release.

Morant, who suffered the injury against the Pelicans on Friday, underwent season-ending surgery in January to repair a labral tear in the same shoulder.

Morant has flashed All-Star form in his return this season, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per game. He has appeared in 20 of the team’s 33 contests, missing eight consecutive games in November due to a posterior hip subluxation.

The latest injury will likely prevent Morant from making any All-NBA teams this season. Players are required to appear in 65 games to be considered for major awards.

Morant was limited to nine games last season due to a league suspension and then the shoulder injury.

Another prominent Memphis guard, Marcus Smart, is dealing with a finger injury and is expected to miss at least a couple weeks of action.

With Morant and Smart sidelined, Scotty Pippen Jr. will join Desmond Bane in the starting backcourt. Luke Kennard and two-way rookie Cam Spencer are the top options off the bench.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Maxey Named Players Of The Week

December 30th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has won the award for the East, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished runner-up for last season’s MVP award, continued his excellent play during the 2024/25 campaign over the past week. In victories over Washington, Indiana, Charlotte and Memphis, he averaged an eye-popping stat line of 35.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.5 blocks in 33.6 minutes per game on .630/.409/.970 shooting.

The Thunder, who are off to their best start in franchise history, are currently 26-5, the No. 1 seed in the West. Canadian star Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to miss a game this season.

Maxey put up stellar numbers himself in victories over San Antonio, Boston and Utah, averaging 32.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.7 steals on .465/.394/.857 shooting in his three appearances (40.7 minutes).

After opening the season with an abysmal 3-14 record, Philadelphia has been gradually climbing up the standings, having won nine of its past 12 games, including three straight. The 76ers are currently, 12-17, the No. 11 seed in the East, a half-game back of No. 9 Chicago.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Kyrie Irving, Norman Powell, Ivica Zubac, Julius Randle, Austin Reaves and Shaedon Sharpe. Maxey beat out Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Tyler Herro, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell to claim the East’s award.

Heat/Rockets Altercation Likely To Result In Suspensions, Fines

December 30th, 2024 at 7:03am CST by Luke Adams

An on-court altercation broke out during the final minute of Sunday’s Heat/Rockets game, resulting in several ejections that will likely to lead to suspensions and/or fines for the players involved.

With Miami up by five points and about to inbound the ball with 35.7 seconds left in the game, Heat guard Tyler Herro and Rockets guard Amen Thompson began exchanging words and bumping one another (Twitter video link).

Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and threw him to the floor, which led to Heat guard Terry Rozier tackling Thompson as Rockets guard Jalen Green went after Rozier and several other players and coaches converged on the melee.

Once the dust settled, those four players, along with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Ben Sullivan, were ejected. Crew chief Marc Davis explained the decision after the game to pool reporter Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

“During the dead ball, Thompsons grabs the jersey and body slams Herro,” Davis said. “Herro responds and they are both ejected for fighting fouls. Green is ejected as his actions escalated the altercation. Rozier as well is ejected as his actions were escalators to the altercation. Coach Sullivan is assessed a technical foul and ejected for his unsportsmanlike comments directed at me as I was attempting to redirect (Alperen) Sengun.”

Tensions were already running high leading up to the play, as Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was tossed from the game moments earlier after arguing that a timeout should have been awarded to Houston before Davis called the team for a five-second violation on its inbound play (Twitter video link).

VanVleet made contact with Davis during the argument, which the veteran official deemed to be intentional, resulting in the guard’s ejection. Udoka was also sniping back and forth with Davis at that time and was eventually ejected for “unsportsmanlike comments,” per the crew chief.

Naji Marshall (four games), Jusuf Nurkic (three games), and P.J. Washington (one game) received suspensions on Saturday for their roles in an incident involving the Mavericks and Suns in Friday’s game, so it would be a surprise if similar penalties aren’t handed out in response to this latest skirmish.

Thompson seems likely to face the most significant punishment from the league, with Rozier and Green at risk of possible suspensions as well. It’s unclear how the NBA will view Herro’s role, given that he didn’t reenter the fray after initially being thrown to the floor.

Although it took the NBA less than 24 hours to make its ruling after the Mavs/Suns altercation, that was at least partly because both teams were in the middle of back-to-back sets and the league wanted to announce suspensions prior to Saturday’s games. Neither the Heat nor the Rockets play until Wednesday, so the NBA may take a little more time to review this case.

Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after Sunday’s game, but Herro suggested with a smile during his post-game media session that his own big night (27 points, nine assists, six rebounds) led to Thompson’s frustration.

“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said (Twitter video link). “I’d get mad, too.”