Norman Powell

Pacific Notes: Clippers, Davis, LeBron, Green, Kuminga, Suns

The Clippers have fallen back to Earth after rampaging through the league earlier this winter and doubt is starting to creep in, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There are reasons for Sunday’s loss to the short-handed Hawks, Youngmisuk notes. It was L.A.’s sixth game in nine days and the team has injury concerns of its own, but some players are pointing toward bigger issues.

“We want to be a team that’s consistent and we want to establish an identity,” Paul George said. “I’ve always spoken about having an identity and I think it’s extremely important. Right now, I don’t think we have an identity.”

The Clippers have dropped four of their last five games and are 8-10 since peaking at 34-15 on February 5. Russell Westbrook has been sidelined since the end of January with a broken left hand, and Norman Powell is dealing with a lower left leg contusion that had him on crutches Sunday night.

Tyronn Lue said the coaching staff continues to emphasize positive habits, such as protecting the ball, getting back on transition, hitting the offensive boards and spacing the court. However, the effort to do those things hasn’t been consistent.

“When they do it, it works,” Lue said. “When you have so much talent and you have guys that can do it so easily, they don’t understand that your talent is great, but the talent’s got to be for the team as well. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I got to do something a little different to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. … [But] I’ll never really overreact because I know we’re a good team … If you want to win, I know what it looks like. I’ve been there, I’ve seen it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Lakers center Anthony Davis has shown improvement since suffering a left corneal abrasion on Saturday and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with Atlanta, according to an ESPN report. Davis had to leave Saturday’s contest after being inadvertently hit in the face on a layup. His vision was impaired and his eye was swollen shut, but a source tells ESPN that his condition improved Saturday night and Sunday. L.A. is also listing LeBron James as questionable due to ongoing issues with his left ankle, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
  • While Draymond Green was away from the Warriors on his most recent suspension, he sent regular critiques to Jonathan Kuminga on his performance, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Those communications helped the pair form a partnership that has played an important role in Golden State’s surge in the second half of the season. Kuminga also credits Green for pushing the front office to select him in the 2021 draft. “He is one of the reasons I even ended up here,” Kuminga said. “Before they drafted me, he called [former Warriors general manager] Bob [Myers] and told him to bring me here. I think that was one of the greatest things to have ever happened.”
  • The Suns were unhappy with their defensive effort in Sunday’s loss at Milwaukee, notes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by a hamstring injury, Phoenix allowed the Bucks to score 82 points in the first half and 140 for the game.

Los Angeles Notes: Powell, Westbrook, Lue, Davis

The Clippers are a little banged up going into the game against Atlanta tonight, according to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register.

Norman Powell left Friday’s game against New Orleans on crutches and won’t play due tonight due to a left leg contusion.  Terance Mann limped into the locker room during the first half on Friday but is in the starting lineup. Russell Westbrook is still out with a fractured left hand.

James Harden was listed as questionable but will play despite with a strained left shoulder. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are also showing signs of wear after a rugged stretch of the schedule.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • The Clippers have lost four of their last seven games and their margin for error is shrinking, Law Murray of The Athletic notes. They have fallen to fourth place in the Western Conference standings and the oldest team in the league is now forced to rely on their depth.
  • Coach Tyronn Lue showed signs of frustration with his team after the eight-point loss to the Pelicans, Murray tweets. He expressed that some of his players may not be as competitive as he is. “What do you mean, falls on my shoulders? I’m competitive. I’m ready to compete right now. … I don’t play, they know what we’re supposed to do. So they got to do it,” he said.
  • Anthony Davis suffered an eye injury during the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors. The Lakers’ struggles after he left the game proved they can’t win any meaningful games without him, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opines. They were outscored by 13 points after he left the game, Plaschke notes, and were outscored by 18 in the paint.

Raptors Notes: Brown, Powell, Trent, Barrett

With trade buzz building, multifaceted new Raptors guard Bruce Brown seems like an enticing plug-and-play option for a variety of rival clubs, writes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Brown’s former Nuggets teammates recently spoke in reverential tones of his application as a utility player.

“I think he can fit any team,” wing Christian Braun remarked.

“Coach [Michael Malone] called him the Swiss Army knife — I think that’s spot-on,” Denver guard Jamal Murray said. “He can bring it up. He can get to the rim. He can shoot it enough. He can defend their best player. Run in transition.”

Brown has been linked to the Knicks as of late, as well as the Lakers. As a versatile wing who can fill multiple positional slots on the hardwood for a given team, the 6’4″ vet could be an excellent fit within Tom Thibodeau‘s gritty system.

There’s more out of Toronto:

  • The decision to trade former Raptors wing Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers in 2021 is beginning to look like another epic miscalculation for a floundering Toronto front office, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. As Grange notes, the Raptors opted to offload Powell rather than risk having to pay him a pricey new deal in free agency that summer. In the trade, Toronto took back the younger Gary Trent Jr., whom the club was able to retain for less money. However, Powell has only continued to improve, while Trent has plateaued a bit.
  • The Raptors would like to see newly acquired young swingman RJ Barrett develop beyond his current heavy focus on scoring the rock, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “With (Barrett), it’s very clear that he has a lot of room to improve,” first-year Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic said of the Canadian. “Obviously, the Olympic Games are there in the middle of the summer, as well. I think that’s going to be a great opportunity for him to play on the big (stage). … I think he’s going to have great opportunities this summer to take (his) game to the next level.”
  • In case you missed it, two-way player Jontay Porter has managed to carve out legitimate rotation time on head coach Rajakovic’s roster, and has impressed during his meaningful minutes.

Pacific Notes: Suns Rumors, Caruso, Clippers, Powell, Barnes

Within a look at some of the potential trade targets who have recently been linked to the Suns, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports reports that a source close to the situation has described Phoenix as “very confident” about its ability to make a competitive offer for Hornets forward Miles Bridges. Bourguet adds that Charlotte center Nick Richards is also a target, but that the team would likely only be able to acquire one Hornet or the other due to salary-matching considerations.

Bourguet also confirms that Nets forward Royce O’Neale is a legitimate target for the Suns, observing that O’Neale is more attainable than Dorian Finney-Smith due to his expiring contract and smaller cap hit.

The Suns would almost certainly need to use Nassir Little ($6.25MM) as their primary outgoing salary piece in any trade and would need to get to within 10% of the incoming salary, so acquiring a player who is earning much more than O’Neale ($9.5MM) would be tricky. Phoenix would presumably need to add one or two minimum-salary players and multiple second-round picks to its package for either Bridges or O’Neale.

The buyout market could also prove fruitful for the Suns, Bourguet writes, even though they’ll be prohibited from signing a player whose pre-waiver salary exceeds $12.4MM. P.J. Tucker would have interest in Phoenix if he’s bought out, according to Bourguet, who says the team has also been in touch with center Bismack Biyombo, a current free agent.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Veteran guard Alex Caruso, who left the Lakers for the Bulls as a free agent in 2021, tells Melissa Rohlin of FOX Sports that he still sometimes thinks about how things would have played out if he had remained in Los Angeles. “Yeah, definitely,” Caruso said. “Just because of how well I played with them when I was here. I know how I supported them. And I’ve gotten better. I was expecting myself to get better. It’s actually what had to move me on. I kept getting better and eventually I was at a point where I couldn’t stay here. I definitely have always thought about it because those guys (LeBron James and Anthony Davis) are my brothers. We’ve been through a lot together. Always good seeing them. Every now and then you think about what could’ve been.”
  • Rival coaches and executives are praising Clippers head of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for the way his gamble on James Harden has paid off so far, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “I didn’t think it would work out,” one exec said. “A lot of people didn’t think it would work out. But he had it right. Russell (Westbrook) is playing within himself. Harden is sharing the ball. They have great chemistry right now.”
  • In a conversation with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Clippers wing Norman Powell spoke about his impressions of Harden and Westbrook as teammates, the role that coach Tyronn Lue has played in the team’s success, and how these Clippers compare to the 2019 champion Raptors, among other topics.
  • Viewed as a probable outgoing piece if the Kings make a major deadline trade, Harrison Barnes has been on a heater this week, scoring 32 points on Monday and a career-high 39 on Thursday, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes.

Pacific Notes: Klay, Plumlee, Theis, N. Powell, Bol

It has been a disappointing first half of the season for Warriors wing Klay Thompson, whose average of 16.7 points per game is well below his career mark. His 42.0% shooting percentage on field goal attempts and 37.7% rate from beyond the three-point line would be career lows.

While Thompson’s slow start has affected his demeanor on and off the court, he said on Tuesday that a recent conversation with head coach Steve Kerr has helped him “relax a lot” and adjust his mindset, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“Sometimes I forget just how successful and how lucky I’ve been to be part of a championship team, All-Star games, gold medals,” Thompson said. “You want to get back to that level so badly you can kind of get in your own way. Rather than forcing it, we had a conversation about enjoying the last chapter of my career, how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game, doing it at a high level, being a better mentor for these young guys, leading by example, having my energy right every game.

“He helped me realize if I do have negative energy how that affects the team in a poor manner. So we had a great conversation that helped me change my whole mindset and forget about shooting splits or points per game or All-Star games and just to enjoy being in this Warriors uniform and appreciate what we’ve built. Because it’s such a rare opportunity for a professional athlete to be a part of so much success and to pass that torch to the young guys and keep this thing going.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Clippers center Mason Plumlee was active on Monday for the first time since going down with an MCL sprain on November 6, but he didn’t see any action, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. “He is available, but we still want to make sure we are doing the right thing and making sure that we’re taking the slow (road) and ease him back in,” head coach Tyronn Lue explained. Fellow reserve center Daniel Theis said he hasn’t been told by the coaching staff how his role will be affected by Plumlee’s return.
  • With the Clippers healthier this year than in recent seasons, Norman Powell is averaging just 25.6 minutes per game off the bench, his lowest mark since 2018/19. However, the veteran wing says he’s willing to sacrifice some playing time and accept a reduced role if it’s the right move for the team as a whole, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. “This year with the way the team is constructed and the moves that we made, I’ve been taking a step back and not being so upset that my role isn’t going to be where I would like it to be, or where I want it to be or how I view myself, and accepting how the team is built, what the team is looking for and what we have to do to win,” Powell said.
  • Bol Bol made just eight appearances and logged only 19 total minutes in his first 32 games with the Suns, but he finally got an extended opportunity in Monday’s win over Portland and took advantage of it, putting up 11 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes. “I haven’t been able to show it, but I still have all the same confidence,” Bol said before the game, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I know what I’m capable of doing when given a chance.” Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters after the victory that the team was “really happy” with Bol’s performance and hinted that his opportunities to play non-garbage-time minutes may be more frequent going forward.

Clippers Notes: Brown, Harden, Powell, Consistency, Primo

Clippers forward Kobe Brown has usurped P.J. Tucker in the team’s rotation of late, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Brown, who was the final first-round pick of this year’s draft (30th overall), is receiving a rare opportunity for a Clippers rookie, Greif writes, as L.A. has been focused on contending in recent years — its young players typically receive playing time in the G League instead of the NBA.

That was also the case for Brown prior to the trade for James Harden, which saw the Clippers send out four forwards and only receive one in return (Tucker), creating a void at the position. The 23-year-old said his time with the Ontario Clippers was beneficial, Greif notes.

The G League definitely helped, a lot,” he said. “It’s the same stuff we do with the big team but the games are a lot slower, at least in my opinion, so you’re able to grasp onto stuff we’re doing a lot easier so when you come back up it’s like, everything slows down a little bit for me. That’s been the biggest thing for me, really.”

Brown’s statistics have been modest to this point, which is to be expected with so many ball-dominant players on the roster. But the team likes his versatility, and head coach Tyronn Lue has been encouraging him to remain confident even when he makes mistakes, according to Greif.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

  • L.A. reeled off six straight losses after acquiring Harden, but the Clippers have gone 7-3 over their past 10 games and are back at .500 with a 10-10 record. What has led to the turnaround? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that Harden is regaining his form, Norman Powell continues to provide a lift off the bench, and players growing more comfortable in their roles have all played factors in the team’s improved play.
  • Despite recent comeback wins over Golden State and Denver, the Clippers are still searching for consistency, Greif writes for The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Evaluating the team through 20 games is nearly impossible because of all the changes to the roster and rotation, says Greif, but one thing seems certain — avoiding playing Harden and Russell Westbrook together is a must, with Lue saying the team plans to stagger their minutes late in games.
  • Guard Joshua Primo won’t face charges after being accused of “exposing himself to one individual” five different times over the course of several months, Greif tweets. The Bexar County District Attorney’s office cited a lack of evidence as the reason why Primo won’t be charged with a crime. The 20-year-old was given a second chance this fall by the Clippers after being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension and Primo has been undergoing therapy for his behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

Pacific Notes: Green, Durant, Clippers, Lakers

Speaking to the media on Sunday for the first time since he received a five-game suspension for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock for several seconds, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green expressed no remorse for actions, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

I don’t live my life with regrets,” Green said. “I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense. … What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost. How are the people that I care about affected? How are the people I care about, what do they have to deal with? That’s it for me.”

Head coach Steve Kerr initially defended Green in the aftermath of the incident between Golden State and Minnesota, but he later changed his stance and said the forward’s behavior was “inexcusable” and the suspension was deserved. While Green didn’t outright disclose any specific details about the talks he had with Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., it’s pretty clear they want him to make better decisions going forward, according to Andrews.

The consensus amongst all of us is that I’m going to be me no matter what. That’s not going to change,” Green said. “But in saying that, there’s always a better way that something can be done. So it’s figuring out a better way. That’s the consensus among all of us.”

Green, who also complained about being harshly penalized in part due to his past transgressions, won’t be on a minutes restriction when he returns for Tuesday’s matchup in Sacramento since he wasn’t injured, Andrews notes.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Suns star Kevin Durant missed his second straight game on Sunday in New York due to right foot soreness, as ESPN.com relays. Durant, who warmed up before contest before being ruled out, is considered day-to-day. Phoenix’s next game isn’t until Wednesday in Toronto, so he’ll have some extra rest the next couple days.
  • Saturday’s decisive victory over Dallas showcased the Clippers‘ depth, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. With James Harden and Kawhi Leonard struggling for a second consecutive game, the Clips got key contributions from Russell Westbrook (14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists), Terance Mann (17 points on 7-of-14 shooting), Norman Powell (15 points without missing a shot), and Ivica Zubac (11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 14 rebounds), Greif writes.
  • With Cam Reddish (left adductor), Rui Hachimura (nasal fracture), Jarred Vanderbilt (left heel bursitis) and Gabe Vincent (left knee effusion) all sidelined on Saturday in Cleveland, the Lakers used a shortened eight-man rotation, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. Head coach Darvin Ham says they need to “weather the storm” until they get some players back. “You have to see the glass half full always, so I’d rather this happen now with some of our guys as opposed to late March, April going into that money time,” Ham said. “We just have to weather the storm. That’s why you try to put together a deep roster. I think the plan for our team that we put together and tried to execute this summer is coming to fruition. We’re needing these pieces, being deep at every position allows you a chance to weather all of this to try to get through it at the highest level possible.” After starting the season 3-5, the Lakers have won seven of their past nine games and hold a 10-7 record.

Clippers Notes: Harden, Rotation, Westbrook, Plumlee

The Clippers are winless since trading for James Harden and P.J. Tucker on November 1 and they don’t appear close to having a cohesive rotation, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Greif notes that Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook are still figuring out how they’ll work together after being primary scorers throughout their careers.

Coach Tyronn Lue made an adjustment Friday in Dallas, Greif adds, taking George and Westbrook out of the game earlier than usual in the first quarter and having them replace Harden and Leonard later on. A lineup with George, Westbrook, Tucker, Norman Powell and Terance Mann was outscored by nine points in two minutes, but Lue indicated that he wants to give that combination more opportunities to succeed.

“At some point it’s going to work and nobody’s going to talk about the rotations and guys on the floor and personnel,” George said. “And at some point we’re going to figure it out.”

Harden also remains confident, telling reporters, including Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), “For me individually, this is only my third game. I didn’t have a training camp, I didn’t have a preseason, so everything is still moving fast speed for me. I need about a 10-game window then kind of see where I am from there.”

There’s more on the Clippers:

  • Lue believes he needs to keep a center on the court to maximize Harden’s pick-and-roll abilities, but Mann, a 6’5″ swingman, started in the middle ahead of Ivica Zubac to begin the second half Friday, Greif adds. Lue dismissed it as a desperation move, saying he wanted to try something different with a 30-point deficit. L.A. is missing its normal backup center, Mason Plumlee, who is expected to be sidelined for a significant part of the season with an MCL sprain in his left knee.
  • Westbrook has been most impacted by the addition of Harden, Greif observes. He’s averaging 32 fewer touches in the three games that Harden has played, compared to 14 fewer for Leonard and seven fewer for George. In a full story, Murray suggests that Lue is unlikely to remove Westbrook from the starting lineup, so it might be up to the front office to determine Westbrook’s future with the team.
  • Before being injured, Plumlee talked to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype about why he decided to re-sign with the Clippers this summer. “I feel like in the whole time I’ve been in the league, there’s been one team (Denver in the 2020 Western Conference Finals) I’ve been on where I felt like we had a chance to win the whole thing,” Plumlee said. “This was another one of those chances. It took a little bit of sacrifice to choose to come back here, but it’s been well worth it and makes it fun to come in each day.”

Pacific Notes: Booker, Beal, Goodwin, Mann, Powell, Lakers, Warriors

There’s no specific timetable for the return of either Devin Booker (ankle) or Bradley Beal (back), Suns head coach Frank Vogel said on Tuesday, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter links). Both players have been doing some on-court work, but it has mostly been light shooting, so they haven’t fully ramped up for game action yet.

While Beal has yet to make his Suns debut, Jordan Goodwin – the other player the team acquired in that blockbuster summer deal – has been playing regular minutes in his first four games in Phoenix.

Known known more as a defender, Goodwin has provided some scoring and play-making off the bench with Booker and Beal out, writes Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. He has made just 34.3% of his shots from the floor, but has posted solid averages of 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 21.0 minutes per night.

“Just take advantage of the opportunity. Once we get all of our guys back, those shots, the ones I’m taking right now are gonna be even more open,” Goodwin told Scott over the weekend.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Clippers wings Terance Mann and Norman Powell were mentioned frequently in James Harden trade rumors in recent months, so they were relieved not to be on the move in the deal L.A. eventually made for the star guard, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “It shows the value that they see in us,” Powell said. “You always want that as a player in a league like this: to find a team, organization, and front office that believes in your ability, believes in what you bring to the table, and believes you can help them win at a high level.”
  • After promising to make tweaks to his rotation following Sunday’s loss to Sacramento, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham leaned on bigger lineups in Monday’s victory over Orlando, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Both Christian Wood (27) and Jaxson Hayes (10) set new season highs in minutes played, as the team frequently deployed a second big man alongside Anthony Davis. “Whenever (Wood is) in there with (Davis), they’re just two huge presences on the defensive glass,” Ham said. “Christian gets some of the toughest defensive rebounds I’ve ever seen anyone get. So, he and (Davis) being combined for, I think it was 25 defensive rebounds, we needed every one of them.”
  • Although it’s a small sample size, the Warriors‘ second unit is thriving and the team’s depth has been a strength in the early going this season, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic and Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Stephen Curry believes the strong play of the second unit – led by Chris Paul – is having a ripple effect on the starters. “That’s different for us, when that unit is so impactful,” Curry said, per Slater. “We’re over on the bench enjoying what we’re watching. When you’re watching good basketball, you feel good about how we’re all playing. It flows.”

Atlantic Notes: Bridges, Simmons, Powell, Uzoh

Mikal Bridges‘ performance in the World Cup should confirm the Nets’ confidence that he can be their team leader, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.

Bridges already had a major breakthrough after being acquired in the Kevin Durant trade in February, increasing his scoring average from 17.2 PPG in 56 games with Phoenix to 26.1 in 27 games with Brooklyn. He also proved to be effective in international basketball, finishing as Team USA’s second-leading scorer behind Anthony Edwards. Lewis points out that Bridges had the best efficiency rating on the team as a result of his shooting percentages (63.3% from the floor and 55.6% from behind the arc) and his contributions on defense.

U.S. coach Steve Kerr was impressed by what Bridges and Nets teammate Cameron Johnson were able to bring to the team.

“I already knew what kind of players they were from coaching against them,” Kerr said. “But they’re so mature: There’s a calming sense from both guys. And they’re also modern-day basketball players: shoot the three, guard multiple positions, long athletically. They’re huge components to this team.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Nets will be one of the teams least affected by the NBA’s new Player Participation Policy, Lewis adds. The regulations put restrictions on the amount of rest permissible for star players, but the only Net who currently qualifies is Ben Simmons, who has been dealing with legitimate injuries ever since arriving in Brooklyn. Lewis notes that Bridges could eventually join Simmons if he becomes an All-Star this season, but he hasn’t missed a game in his NBA career.
  • In an interview with Fix Media Network (video link) Clippers guard Norman Powell said it’s much easier to go out in public in Los Angeles without being recognized than it was when he played for the Raptors (hat tip to Fan Nation). “The support is crazy,” Powell said of playing in Canada. “It’s so bad, and it’s one thing that I do like now that I’m in L.A., because no matter where you’re at, eyes are on you in Canada. You can’t even go to restaurants, you can’t go to the mall, like you can’t walk down the street. … Don’t go to Vancouver or somewhere where they don’t have the Raptors, you’re getting mobbed, it doesn’t matter.”
  • Ben Uzoh, who briefly played for the Raptors in 2012, has joined the organization as a scout, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.