Hornets’ Brandon Miller Diagnosed With Shoulder Subluxation
Hornets wing Brandon Miller has been diagnosed with a left shoulder subluxation — a partially dislocated shoulder — the team announced on Monday (via Twitter).
According to the Hornets, Miller will be sidelined for Tuesday’s game in Miami and will be reexamined when the team returns to Charlotte. The Hornets’ next home game is Thursday vs. Orlando — another update could come before that contest.
Miller sustained the shoulder injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s loss in Philadelphia. Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer hears the injury occurred when Miller slipped while trying to fight through a screen.
The 22-year-old also missed Sunday’s game in Washington, which was the second of a back-to-back. Tuesday’s contest will be his second straight absence.
As of a few years ago, the average time missed for in-season shoulder subluxations that did not require surgery was approximately 21 days, according to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not Miller’s ailment requires surgical intervention.
It’s an unfortunate setback for the former No. 2 overall pick, who was limited to just 27 games last season due a right wrist injury which required surgery. Miller recorded 25 points and seven assists in the Hornets’ season opener.
With Miller out most of the past two games, Kon Knueppel, Collin Sexton and Sion James have seen an uptick in playing time.
Wembanyama, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Wembanyama had a remarkable first week of the season, averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists (against just 0.7 turnovers), 1.7 steals and 6.0 blocks in leading San Antonio to an unblemished 3-0 record. The French big man’s shooting slash line was .569/.364/.733.
This is the second time Wembanyama has been named Player of the Week, per the Spurs.
Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee to a 2-1 record last week and put up an absurd stat line of 36.0 PPG, 16.0 RPG, 7.0 APG and 1.0 BPG on .683/.667/.629 shooting.
The Greek superstar claimed his 28th weekly award and became the first player in league history to record at least 100 points, 40 rebounds and 15 assists in the first three games of the season, per the Bucks.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. LaMelo Ball, Jalen Brunson, VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and Norman Powell were nominated in the East.
Rockets Plan To Apply For DPE Over VanVleet’s Injury
The Rockets plan to file for a disabled player exception due to Fred VanVleet‘s knee injury, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports tweets.
If granted, the exception would be worth $12.5MM — 50 percent of VanVleet’s $25MM salary. The DPE allows a team to sign a player up to the value of the exception without using cap space.
The DPE would allow the Rockets to sign a player to a one-year contract, trade for a player in the final year of his contract, or place a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year.
Since the Rockets are right up against a hard cap, the exception wouldn’t help much at this point in the season — they still wouldn’t be able to add a 15th man without shedding salary. However, having that DPE available could give them some additional flexibility later in the season, either in the trade market or in free agency.
Just over a month ago, VanVleet underwent surgery to repair to torn ACL in his right knee. He’s expected to miss the entire season.
VanVleet coincidentally met with the media Monday for the first time since the injury. The veteran guard said he was in top shape prior to injuring his knee during an offseason workout in the Bahamas.
“Just being so excited, and I probably was in the best shape of my life leading up into this season, and just super excited about being out there getting off to a good start,” he told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle and other media members. “So that was that was definitely disheartening to get hurt at that stage before the season.”
VanVleet, the Rockets’ starting point guard the past two seasons, said there’s no timeline for his return.
“No, no timeline,” he said. “Just taking it slow, day-by-day, and it’s definitely like a week-by-week, day-by-day thing. We’ll see where we’re at towards the end of the year.”
VanVleet holds a $25MM option on his contract for next season. He’s aiming to be back and better than ever.
“I’m gonna come back a much better person, player, everything in between,” VanVleet said, per Lerner. “That’s just the way that I approach things, who I am as a person. The nature of the rehab is so slow, like just take so many things for granted, being able to have to learn how to walk again and like baby steps. So to be able to build yourself back up from ground zero, I have no doubt that I’ll come back a more complete, better, player and person.”
Trail Blazers’ G League Team Acquires Dillon Jones
The Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers’ G League affiliate, acquired 2024 NBA first-round pick Dillon Jones from the South Bay Lakers for two future first-round picks and the rights to Will Richardson, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress reports (Twitter link).
Jones was the No. 1 pick in the G League draft, which was held on Saturday.
The 23-year-old small forward was drafted out of Weber State by Oklahoma City with the 26th pick last summer. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie, but only played 10.2 minutes per night and averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
The Thunder traded Jones to Washington in June to clear a spot on their roster. The Wizards waived him prior to their season opener and still owe him $2,753,280 for the remainder of the season, as he went unclaimed.
The decision by the Remix to acquire Jones could potentially mean that the Trail Blazers are interested in adding him to their roster in some capacity. However, they would have to make a corresponding move, since they have a full 15-man roster and all three of their two-way spots are filled.
Anthony Edwards Out At Least One Week With Hamstring Strain
1:43 pm: Edwards underwent an MRI, revealing the right hamstring strain, and he’ll be reevaluated in one week, according to a Timberwolves press release. While that one-week timeline might be a cause for optimism, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic has also heard the 24-year-old will miss two weeks (Twitter link).
12:45 pm: Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards will be sidelined for two weeks with a right hamstring strain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).
Edwards departed Sunday’s game against Indiana after just three minutes due to right hamstring tightness. Edwards had gotten off to a roaring start in the first week of the season, pouring in 41 points in a win over Portland and 31 points in a loss to the Lakers.
Minnesota will play against Denver tonight in the second game of a back-to-back. The Timberwolves also play seven more games over the next two weeks, meaning Edwards will miss a minimum of eight contests.
When Edwards departed on Sunday, Julius Randle stepped into the role of top scoring option. A quartet of guards and wings — Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland — all played double-digit minutes off the bench. Making up for Edwards’ minutes will likely be a time-share proposition.
Edwards has been noted for his durability. Entering this season, he had appeared in 381 of 390 possible regular season games since entering the league. The Timberwolves will now have to figure out ways to survive a prolonged stretch without their top player.
Grizzlies Sign Charles Bassey To 10-Day Hardship Deal
October 27: Bassey’s 10-day contract with the Grizzlies is now official, the team announced (Twitter link).
October 26: The Grizzlies are preparing to sign free agent center Charles Bassey, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
Memphis doesn’t have an open 15-man roster spot, but will complete the signing using a hardship exception, which allows a club to temporarily add a 16th man.
A team qualifies for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. Ty Jerome, Zach Edey, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Brandon Clarke fit that bill for the Grizzlies, per Charania.
Bassey is entering his fifth season in the NBA, having spent the last three seasons with the Spurs after playing for the Sixers as a rookie. The former 53rd overall pick holds career averages of 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 11.1 minutes per game.
Bassey, a 6’10” center, will turn 25 in two days and can provide some stability at the center spot, which has been manned primarily by Jock Landale to start the season.
The Grizzlies are 2-1, with wins over the Pacers and Pelicans, though they gave up 146 points in a loss to the Heat on Friday and currently boast the sixth-worst mark among teams for opponent scoring allowed, giving up 123.7 points per game.
Hardship deals cover 10 days at a time. If the Grizzlies still meet the hardship criteria when Bassey’s first 10-day contract expires, he could be signed to a second 10-day deal.
NBA Seeking To Tighten Controls On Injury Reporting, Prop Betting
In the aftermath of the FBI’s arrests of Heat guard Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former player Damon Jones last week, the NBA informed its teams that the league has begun a process of reviewing policies regarding injury reporting, training and education of all personnel, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The memo also specifically addresses concerns regarding gambling, with the league exploring ways to enhance internal and external monitoring programs to identify suspicious betting activity.
Injury reporting has jumped into the spotlight in light of the allegations against Billups and Jones. While the most serious allegations against Billups regard his involvement in rigged poker games, Billups was also accused of providing inside information that could potentially be used by others for betting purposes. According to the indictment, an unnamed co-conspirator (Billups) told Eric Earnest, another of the defendants, that the Trail Blazers were going into tank mode ahead of a game on March 24, 2023 and that a certain player, purportedly star guard Damian Lillard, would sit out.
Along similar lines, Jones allegedly informed an unnamed co-conspirator prior to the Lakers‘ game vs. Milwaukee on February 9, 2023 that a specific Laker would miss the game and that the co-conspirator should bet on the Bucks. That player was later identified as LeBron James. James reportedly wasn’t aware that Jones was sharing information about his playing status.
NBA teams typically provide injury reports the day prior to a game but there is a gap in time during game days before the final injury report prior to tip-off is revealed.
The memo also specifically addressed Rozier’s situation. Rozier was accused of essentially taking himself out of a game due to injury so that prop bets on “unders” could be cashed.
The memo obtained by Charania (Twitter link) stated, “While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier’s ‘unders’ in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues. In particular, proposition bets on individual player performance involve heightened integrity concerns and require additional scrutiny.”
Prior to the FBI’s arrests, Rozier had been cleared by the league during its investigation and was in uniform for Miami’s opener, though he did not play. Commissioner Adam Silver stated last week the FBI had broader powers to conduct a more thorough investigation. Silver had also expressed growing concerns with regard to prop bets.
Charania shared the entire league memo on social media (Twitter link).
Atlantic Notes: Z. Williams, Thomas, Demin, Edgecombe, Gonzalez
Injuries continue to pile up for the Nets, who dropped their third straight game Sunday in San Antonio and saw Ziaire Williams leave with a lower back contusion, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Williams landed hard on the court after a collision, and his status for tonight’s game in Houston is uncertain.
“Yeah, it definitely hurt. I would never leave the game if I could play,” Williams said. “It just got real tight. I couldn’t really move out there. So I’ve just got to go over it with the medical staff. They’re already going over a game plan for me. I’ve already iced and started my recovery now. So hopefully, with this early game and some recovery and I get back to hotel, hopefully, I’ll bounce back.”
Brooklyn was already without Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from right knee surgery, along with rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf, who are day-to-day with sprained ankles. Cam Thomas is dealing with a nasal fracture, but he’s opting to play without a mask.
“Just gotta keep playing, keep pushing. If I’m good enough to play, I’ll be out there playing, so no worries. Just basketball,” Thomas said. “Yeah, I considered it, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t that bad. … If I wanted to wear a mask, I could. But at the end of the day, I’ll just take my chances.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nets guard Egor Demin is showing promise early in his NBA career, but he understands that he has to drive into the lane more often to be fully effective, Lewis adds in a separate story. Demin is answering doubters about his outside shot, but he needs to break down defenses to create opportunities for teammates. “We have a lot of shooters, and for me getting to the paint is an opportunity to make their lives easier and create something good for them,” he said. “So that’s something I’m really having in focus. And I’m really planning to work on it even more and trying to adjust myself so I can be able to do that more.”
- Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe has already won over Joel Embiid, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). After scoring 34 points on opening night, Edgecombe has found multiple ways to help the team, posting 15 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in Saturday’s win over Charlotte. “You’ve got to keep being aggressive, but also letting the game come to you,” Embiid said. “And that’s what he did tonight. Every night, I said it after the first game, every night — it might be Tyrese (Maxey). It might be me. It might be him. It might be someone else, but you’ve still got to play the right way. Some nights, you’re not going to score. How else are you going to contribute? He’s doing it defensively and sharing the ball.”
- Guarding Cade Cunningham was part of the assignment on Sunday as Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez made his first NBA start, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez got plenty of recognition from teammates after holding the Pistons star to three points on 1-of-5 shooting as his primary defender. “I like Hugo’s mentality. I like how he comes out; he’s ready to go,” Jaylen Brown said. “He knows his role. And he can play. So, we’re gonna need more of that. He’s gonna continue to learn as he gets better, as he grows, but that’s what we need.”
Northwest Notes: Randle, Edwards, Watson, Jazz
Julius Randle was comfortable taking over as the Timberwolves‘ primary scoring option after Anthony Edwards left Sunday’s game early due to tightness in his right hamstring, writes Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune (subscription required). Randle wound up with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting and six assists as Minnesota held off Indiana in its home opener.
“We don’t have to overreact, just do what we’ve been doing,” Randle said. “Naturally, the ball is going to find me a little bit more. So, it doesn’t change my mentality as far as trying to play the right way and make the right play. If they’re guarding me straight up, try to score. If they get in the gaps, help or double team, trust my teammates.”
Coach Chris Finch didn’t have an update on Edwards’ condition following the game, and the Wolves face a quick turnaround with Denver coming to town tonight. The injury appeared to happen with 3:07 gone in the first quarter when Edwards was hit on a layup, per ESPN. Finch pulled him from the game, and he was ruled out a short time later.
“Having Ant is a luxury, but I think he’ll be all right. I think he’ll play tomorrow,” Naz Reid said. “We’ve seen him do that plenty of times before.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- In an interview with Mark Medina of Essentially Sports, Randle talks about his decision to re-sign with the Timberwolves and his appreciation for Finch, who helped him adjust following a surprise trade from New York just before the start of last season. “The trust is always going to be there,” Randle said. “It’s also understanding too that, through adversity, how he showed up for me as well. That was important for me, knowing that he had my back. He was a big reason for me coming to Minnesota. He wanted me here. So that’s my guy, man. I’ll ride with Finch all day, for sure.”
- Peyton Watson would have preferred a rookie scale extension, but he’s looking forward to the opportunity he’ll have as a restricted free agent next summer, relays Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Durando points out that after giving Christian Braun a five-year, $125MM extension, the Nuggets were limited to about $7MM per year for Watson without moving into future second apron territory. “From what I understand, it was just a financial business decision (for the Nuggets). Obviously, with the new CBA and the second apron, things of that nature, they wanted to stay out of that,” Watson said. “As a business, you’ve gotta operate (based on) what’s best for your business. And when it comes time for me to make my decision next summer, I’ve gotta operate as a business myself.”
- Sarah Todd of The Deseret News examines the advantage the Jazz have with multiple big men who are accomplished passers. Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, Kevin Love and Kyle Filipowski can all make plays for teammates, and Walker Kessler is working to reach that level.
Knicks Notes: Brown, Brunson, Hukporti, Hart, Anunoby
The Knicks didn’t shoot well Sunday night, but coach Mike Brown believes losing the “possession game” was the main reason for a 115-107 defeat at Miami, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Since taking over the team, Brown has emphasized the importance of limiting transition points and opponents’ free throws. As his players adjust to the up-tempo style he wants to implement, Brown understands that defense will make the difference on most nights.
“On top of the 45 transition points, we gave up 31 free throws,” he said. We talked about both of those things at halftime and then we gave up 15 free throws just in the third quarter alone … That’s where the game was won or lost. Could we have played better offensively? Yes. But it’s going to be hard to win versus a good team on their home floor if you give up that many fast-break points or transition baskets and we send them to the line 31 times.”
New York also shot a miserable 15-of-54 from three-point range and had to rely on Jalen Brunson, who finished with 37 points, to carry the offense. The game was tied when Brunson checked out in the third quarter, but Miami was able to build a big lead during his time on the bench.
After the game, Brunson delivered the same messages as Brown.
“We were definitely a step slow in transition defense,” he said. “Just not being disciplined on their drives, fouling. Not a good night for us defensively. That shouldn’t happen this early. But at the same time, it is early and we have to understand we’re getting back in the flow of things, so we need to be ready to go when the ball is jumped up. Very correctable mistakes.”
There’s more on the Knicks:
- Brown continues to adjust his starting lineup based on the opponent, observes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. On Sunday, he matched the Heat’s size by turning to Ariel Hukporti, who didn’t play Friday against Boston after starting the opener against Cleveland. Hukporti was only on the court for 10 minutes Sunday night and went scoreless.
- Josh Hart is wearing a splint on his surgically repaired right ring finger, but he says that’s not why he’s off to an 0-of-6 start from three-point range, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Hart blames conditioning after missing nearly all of the preseason following a back injury early in the first game. “I think most of my shots have been short,” he said. “I’m just getting my legs under me, getting a rhythm. I think it’s more legs than the finger. The finger is what it is. But when I get my legs under me, a lot of those shorter shots won’t be short.”
- In a unique perspective, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic focused solely on OG Anunoby throughout Sunday’s game.