Wendell Carter, Gary Harris Set To Return For Magic
The Magic, riding a hot streak, got some more good news on December 23, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel, who reports that center Wendell Carter Jr. and swingman Gary Harris will both be available on Friday vs. San Antonio following lengthy injury absences.
Carter has missed Orlando’s last 17 games due to a strained right plantar fascia, having last played on November 18. Harris, meanwhile, has been out since November 30. His 11-game absence was the result of a strained right hamstring.
Carter had averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game to go along with 9.1 RPG and 3.3 APG in his first 15 appearances (all starts) this season, while Harris put up 10.3 PPG on .479/.435/1.000 shooting in six games (three starts). Carter was averaging nearly 33 minutes per game, while Harris was logging almost 26 minutes per night, so both players figure to reclaim key roles now that they’re healthy, though they’ll be on minutes restrictions for the time being.
Still, the Magic will want to be careful not to meddle too much with what has been working for them lately. After losing 20 of their first 25 games, the Magic have won seven of eight and are suddenly just two games out of the play-in picture in the Eastern Conference standings.
Friday’s game should be the first time this season that Orlando doesn’t have at least four players sidelined due to injuries, according to Price.
Jonathan Isaac (left knee), Chuma Okeke (left knee), and Jalen Suggs (right ankle) have been ruled out for the game, though Isaac still appears to be making progress toward his long-awaited return. He went through shootaround today and head coach Jamahl Mosley said Isaac is cleared to practice with the Magic when they do hold practices (Twitter link via Price).
Poll: Should NBA Adopt Elam Ending For Overtime?
The G League revamped its overtime format this season, as we detailed earlier in the week, replacing a traditional two-minute overtime period with a seven-point target score. Instead of simply tacking on another two minutes to the clock, the G League turns the clock off entirely once overtime begins, with the first team to score seven points winning the game.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) suggested earlier this week that it’s a tweak we could eventually see make its way to the NBA, and John Hollinger of The Athletic wrote today about that possibility too. According to Hollinger, the rule change has received “generally positive” reviews and NBAGL staffers seem to love it.
The target score – also known as the “Elam Ending” in honor of creator Nick Elam – has been used in the fourth quarter of the NBA All-Star Game in recent years. However, as Pelton observes, it’s a better fit in overtime, since the two teams start the period tied — that simplifies the target score, since both clubs need to score the same amount of points, instead of one team needing, say, 40 points, while the other team needs 27.
Since the NBA’s overtime period runs for five minutes instead of just two minutes like in the G League, an overtime target score at the NBA level would likely have to be higher than seven points — Pelton believes that something around 11 might work.
There would be some drawbacks if the NBA instituted such a change. We’d lose the drama of double- or triple-overtime games, and there would be no possibility of a game ending on a buzzer beater.
However, coaches and front offices may welcome the elimination of those double- or triple-overtime contests, which can result in top players playing huge minutes. With teams more concerned than ever about managing players’ workloads, they could favor the relative certainty of the target-score ending.
As for the lost buzzer beaters, it’s worth noting that the Elam Ending requires every game to end on a made shot, so if the score stays tight throughout overtime, there should still be plenty of excitement in end-game scenarios.
There would likely still be plenty of anticlimactic endings, with games ending via a free throw or by one team pouring in 11 points before the other team has scored more than a basket or two. But that’s an issue with the current overtime format as well.
We want to know what you think. Our poll below simply asks whether or not the NBA should adopt the Elam Ending for overtime, but if you have suggestions for potential variations (perhaps a standard five-minute overtime period followed by a target score in double overtime?), we want to hear them.
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Should the NBA adopt a target score (Elam Ending) for overtime?
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No 58% (473)
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Yes 42% (340)
Total votes: 813
Sixers Notes: Melton, Maxey, Tucker, Harden
When the Sixers gave up a first-round pick and Danny Green‘s expiring contract for De’Anthony Melton, they knew they were getting a strong defender who could make a three-point shot, but the former Grizzlies guard has given them “more connective tissue in the half court” than they might have expected, writes ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link).
Melton’s play-making and screening ability has been valuable for Philadelphia, according to Lowe, who notes that the team has scored an average of 1.2 points when a Melton screen leads directly to a shot. That’s 17th among 244 players who have set 50 such screens, Lowe writes, citing Second Spectrum. The 24-year-old has also handed out a career-best 3.3 assists per game.
Melton’s presence has helped the 76ers withstand injury absences for James Harden and Tyrese Maxey in the early part of the 2022/23 season. Despite not opening the season as part of Philadelphia’s starting five, Melton has made 20 starts in 27 appearances so far.
Here’s more on the Sixers:
- Given how well the 76ers have played with Melton in the starting lineup (they have a 13-7 record in those games), there has been some speculation about the possibility of bringing Maxey off the bench as the leader of the second unit when he returns from his foot injury. Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com considers the case for making such a move, but ultimately concludes that it’s probably not in the team’s best interest.
- In his latest mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey also argues against making Maxey the sixth man once he’s healthy. Pompey’s mailbag explores several other topics, including whether the Sixers’ three-year, $33MM+ investment in P.J. Tucker will turn out as poorly as the four-year, $109MM deal they gave Al Horford in 2019 — given the relative size of the two deals, Pompey believes there’s no comparison between the two, especially since Horford was never a good fit, while Tucker is beginning to show overall improvement in his role.
- In his first seven games back from a foot injury, Harden has averaged nearly 39 minutes per night. However, head coach Doc Rivers isn’t concerned about the former MVP’s heavy recent workload, per Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’ll guarantee you, by the end of the year, you’ll look at his numbers and they’ll look great,” Rivers said. “It’s a whole year. That’s why we can’t overdo things when guys have a three-week spike in minutes and all of a sudden we’re overreacting to that. You don’t. We’ve been low on guards, and so guys have to play minutes. And James is one of those guys that can handle minutes. But by the end of the year, his minutes will be down.”
L.A. Notes: Batum, Kennard, Westbrook, LeBron, Reaves
Veteran wing Nicolas Batum has continued to play a regular role off the bench for the Clippers this season, but he’s not taking it for granted. Before being bought out by Charlotte during the 2020 offseason, Batum had been relegated to a bench role and believed his playing days were nearing an end, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
“Two years ago, I didn’t think I would be in that spot today still playing major minutes, have a role for a contending team, no,” Batum said. “I was more about retirement.”
Batum quickly caught on with the Clippers in 2020 once he became a free agent and has since signed two new contracts with the team, including a two-year, $22.6MM deal this past summer. Now 34 years old, he doesn’t envision retiring anytime soon.
“After what happened to me in Charlotte I promised myself, especially with the French national team, I’m like … ‘I’m going to do everything so I will retire the way I want,'” Batum said. “That’s the attitude I have now. Going to keep working and I mean, they’re going to have to kick me out. Good luck with that.”
Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two Los Angeles-based teams:
- Clippers sharpshooter Luke Kennard is leading the NBA with a career-best .489 3PT%, but is only tied for 106th in the league in three-point makes, since he attempts just 4.2 per game. Janis Carr of The Southern California News Group explores whether Kennard should be more aggressive in seeking out his shot.
- Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, who has missed the team’s last two games due to left foot soreness, is listed as probable to return on Friday vs. Charlotte, tweets Marc Stein. LeBron James, who sat out Monday’s game in Phoenix with left ankle soreness and returned on Wednesday in Sacramento, has also been designated as probable.
- Like Westbook, Lakers guard Austin Reaves (right ankle sprain) has been sidelined for the last two games, but he also has a chance to return on Friday. He has been listed as questionable, per Stein.
- Although Thomas Bryant has played well at center in Anthony Davis‘ stead, the Lakers have no adequate substitute on defense for their injured star, writes Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Since Davis went down last week with a foot injury, the club has the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA (124.5). “We’re already a team without a lot of length and not a lot of size,” James said. “And you lose a 6-11 guy with a 7-6 wingspan, 7-7 wingspan, I mean, it’s self-explanatory, so it’s not like it’s rocket science.”
Texas Notes: Washington, Kidd, Spurs Rookies, Popovich
Rookie Rockets point guard TyTy Washington Jr. has emerged as a quick study early in his NBA career, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Washington, selected with the No. 29 pick in the 2022 draft out of Kentucky, grew from his experience rehabilitating a left knee sprain with Houston’s NBA G League affiliate club, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
“With me being out because of my injury, going down to the G League definitely helped me get in a rhythm, get back into shape, back up to speed, stuff like that,” Washington said. “I spent a lot of time, especially when I was down there in the G League, before practices, after practices, working out … just to get my wind up.”
Feigen writes that Washington used his time with the Vipers to adjust to the physical nature and quickness of players at the NBA level.
“Part of [the thinking behind sending Washington to the Vipers] was he just had to get back into basketball shape, which he did,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said. “But also, just to get used to the speed of the game and physicality, I think it helped. He is still going through that. You could see moments in the first couple games he got a little shocked by some of the speed and physicality, but every rookie does… He has an extraordinarily high basketball IQ.”
There’s more out of the Lone Star State:
- The NBA fined Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd $25K this week following a heated conversation with a referee in the third quarter of Dallas’s 116-106 road loss to the Timberwolves on Monday, the league announced in a press statement (Twitter link). Kidd was given two technical fouls and was ejected from the contest.
- The Spurs seem to be giving their rookies additional time to develop on the floor, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. As San Antonio goes all-in on its rebuild, the team has exhibited an openness to giving its three 19-year-old first-year players more run, per McDonald. Those rookies include power forward Jeremy Sochan, small forward Malaki Branham, and, eventually, injured shooting guard Blake Wesley. “We’re in a position where rookies are playing now,” guard Devin Vassell said. “So they’ve just got to take advantage of the opportunities.”
- Longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has expressed his gratitude for being nominated to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “It’s not something you think about growing up or while you are coaching,” the 73-year-old, who has led San Antonio to six NBA Finals appearances and five championships since taking over in 1996, reflected. “It’s not something you aspire to. It’s out of the realm of possibility. You just sort of do your job. It’s not top of mind, that’s for sure… To be nominated for something like that with any group is pretty flattering and pretty amazing.” Six-time All-Star Spurs point guard Tony Parker has also been nominated for inclusion in the 2023 class.
Nuggets Notes: Murray, Nnaji, Jokic, MPJ
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has been dealing with shooting issues, but is trying to find other ways to chip in, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Singer notes that Murray’s left knee, which went under the knife in April 2021 after he tore his ACL, was sore during a 119-115 victory over the Hornets Sunday, but Murray did his best to play through the pain. He did not shoot well, but chipped in 11 dimes while only turning over the ball three times.
“I didn’t want to sit out,” Murray said. “I can not score and (still) have a decent game.”
As Singer observes, Murray made an impact through setting good screens, passing, being a threat from deep, and staying in touch with teammates on defense.
The 6’3″ guard is averaging 17.5 PPG on .437/.338/.765 shooting splits. Those shooting numbers mark a bit of a dip since Murray’s last healthy season in 2020/21. He is also chipping in 5.4 APG, 3.7 RPG and 0.8 SPG.
There’s more out of Denver:
- Nuggets head coach Michael Malone believes third-year power forward Zeke Nnaji deserves more playing time, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link). “When he’s gotten a chance, he’s done a really good job for us,” Malone noted. “We have to find out if Zeke Nnaji can be a part of this team… Now it’s my job to get him out there and play him – not just one game and sit five. No one can do that. It’s almost like Zeke needs an extended chance to show what he can do to help this team. He deserves that opportunity.”
- Two-time Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic is playing at an exceptionally high level for the third straight season, writes Sopan Deb of The New York Times. The big man has emerged as one of the best passers and scorers in the league, and Malone considers him to be a “generational talent.” The 6’11” All-Star is averaging 24.7 PPG, 11 RPG, 9.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG across 27 contests for the 19-11 Nuggets. He also boasts a shooting line of .617/.328/.798 this year.
- The Nuggets are convinced small forward Michael Porter Jr. can help the team on the defensive end, writes Harrison Wind of DNR Sports. Wind writes that the team’s starting five of Porter, point guard Murray, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, power forward Aaron Gordon and Jokic is posting a defensive rating of 101.6 in 2022/23. Though smaller fill-in starting small forward Bruce Brown is nominally a superior defender, Wind postulates that the sheer size of Porter (6’10” with a 7-foot wingspan) helps positively impact that starting lineup defensively.
Desmond Bane Upgraded To Questionable For Friday
After an extended absence, Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane has been upgraded to questionable to play in Friday’s matchup against the Suns, Memphis reports (Twitter link). The 6’5″ swingman out of TCU suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his right big toe on November 11 and has been unavailable ever since.
Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com notes (via Twitter) that, should Bane become available, this would mark the first time all season that the team has been able to play all of its preferred starting five of Bane, All-NBA point guard Ja Morant, small forward Dillon Brooks, power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and center Steven Adams.
Through his first 12 games of 2022/23, Bane had been performing at an All-Star level for the ascendant Grizzlies, averaging a career-high 24.7 PPG on .465/.451/.912 shooting splits. He was also logging 4.9 RPG, 4.8 APG and 0.6 SPG.
With Bane sidelined, the Grizzlies have gone 10-7. Overall, the team sports a 19-11 record on the season, good for the second seed in the Western Conference as of this writing.
Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Caruso, Donovan
Second-year Bulls reserve combo guard Ayo Dosunmu made his first NBA buzzer-beater in a 110-108 victory over the Hawks Wednesday, but continues to be a work in progress, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley notes that Dosunmu has had something of a rocky trajectory with the 13-18 Bulls thus far this season. He initially was pressed into service as Chicago’s starter at the point due to the lingering recovery of Lonzo Ball from knee surgery, was then replaced by Alex Caruso in the starting lineup, and more recently has been losing rotation minutes as a backup to 36-year-old vet Goran Dragic.
“It’s all about your approach, your mental approach,’’ Dosunmu said. “You’ve got to be mentally strong in this league, definitely. I pride myself on being a great teammate, being there for my teammates. [In Miami] I didn’t play the minutes I ideally want to play, just me being a competitor, you know, but I can’t take that out on my teammates… I knew that whenever my time did come I would be ready for it. I always say brick-by-brick, and sometimes you can’t always keep stacking ‘em. Sometimes you gotta take bricks away. That’s part of the journey.’’
“He has always been able to hang onto his competitiveness and competitiveness has always gotten him through,’’ head coach Billy Donovan said of Dosunmu. “But I think the further you go up the ladder from high school, to college and now to the NBA, that is a huge component that you have to have, but there’s also the detailed part, too. In terms of understanding who he is really guarding, trends, what the opponent likes to do, how he’s being guarded, what they’re doing to him.”
There’s more out of the Windy City:
- Caruso has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol after he collided with Atlanta forward De’Andre Hunter while scrambling for a loose ball in the second quarter of the Hawks game on Wednesday, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Schaefer notes that the Bulls also diagnosed the 6’4″ guard with a sprained right shoulder. The next opportunity for Caruso to suit up will arrive Friday against the Knicks, who have gone 8-2 across their last ten games, including two wins against the Bulls last week.
- Donovan believes the Bulls’ reportedly heated locker room exchange, during halftime of an eventual 150-126 loss to the Timberwolves, could ultimately be a positive for the team’s season going forward, Cowley writes in a separate piece. “I think you hope so,’’ Donovan said of the conversation. “I’m a big believer in confrontation. Communication, them trying to relay what they need from each other is a good thing.’’ After that Minnesota defeat on Sunday, the Bulls have now won two straight games against playoff hopefuls.
- In case you missed it, the Bulls are being eyed carefully by several front offices across the league as potential sellers by the trade deadline, should their season continue to crater.
Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. Plans To Play Friday
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. says he’s “definitely playing” on Friday against Portland, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).
Oddly, head coach Michael Malone spoke to the media before Porter, and he said the 24-year-old’s status for Friday was still up in the air and indicated that he would have a minutes restriction when he does play. According to Wind, Porter then followed Malone and stated that he was playing and didn’t think there would be any restrictions, so evidently there was a miscommunication between the coach and player.
Porter has been sidelined since Nov. 22 while dealing with a left heel strain, missing the past 13 games with the injury. He downplayed the severity of the injury despite missing a month of action.
“For me, if it’s not related to my back, I’m not too worried about it…this is something that’s unrelated to my back,” Porter said (Twitter link via Wind).
Porter, who played just nine games last season after undergoing his third back surgery since college, is averaging 16.4 points and 6.0 rebounds on .466/.427/.800 shooting through 16 games (29.1 minutes per contest). He’s officially listed as questionable for Friday night, as is guard Jamal Murray (left knee injury management), tweets Wind.
After defeating Memphis on Tuesday, the Nuggets have recaptured the top seed in the West, currently sitting with a 19-11 record through 30 games.
Trade Rumors: Crowder, Wizards, Collins, Reddish, Lakers, Raptors
The Bucks, Heat and Hawks have been linked to Jae Crowder multiple times and are “widely regarded” as his top suitors, but the Wizards recently made an offer for the veteran forward, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required).
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, a restricted free agent in the summer who is set to return tonight from an ankle injury, was believed to be part of the trade package, but the Suns declined and are said to be looking for a “certifiable starter” in exchange for Crowder, according to Stein.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst previously identified the Wizards as a potential Crowder suitor and noted that Hachimura could be a trade candidate.
Here are a couple more trade rumors and one note from around the NBA:
- The Hawks have “widened the scope” of their trade talks involving John Collins, sources tell Stein. While that seems to indicate that Atlanta will eventually find a suitable deal for Collins, the size and length of his contract ($102MM over four years), plus his limited role and declining production this season, have made it difficult thus far to find a trade partner for the veteran power forward, says Stein.
- Some people in the Lakers‘ organization are “very intrigued” by Knicks wing Cam Reddish, according to Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. They view him as a youthful reclamation project, which the team has had some success with in the past couple seasons (Malik Monk and Lonnie Walker). Sources tell Woike that the Knicks are looking for a protected first-rounder for the 23-year-old, but that asking price is expected to dip as Reddish is no longer in New York’s rotation. Reddish will be a restricted free agent in the summer if he’s extended a qualifying offer.
- Count Zach Kram of The Ringer among the writers who believe that the Raptors should make moves to reset the roster ahead of the trade deadline. Kram notes that Toronto’s half-court offense has been very poor and the defense has been much worse than expected compared to last season. The Raptors have some very valuable players so they don’t need to do a full tear-down, but it’s evident that things aren’t working with the current group, Kram writes.