Pacific Notes: Warriors, Green, AD, Lakers, Clippers
Chris Mannix and Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated debate how long the Warriors should hold onto their young talent. Both writers believe that former lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have the potential to be quality players down the road, but none are contributing much right now, and the bench has been a disaster after letting several players walk in free agency.
Mannix and Beck are confident that Jordan Poole will turn things around after a slow start, but if the bench continues to struggle into 2023, they’d start seriously considering making changes. SI’s duo believe the front office owes it to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to maximize their chances of winning another title.
Here are a few more notes from the Pacific:
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently made an adjustment to the rotation that seems to have stabilized the non-Curry minutes, with Green and Andrew Wiggins playing alongside three reserves in Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Lamb. Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the potential impact of the switch. “What am I doing?” Green said. “Number one, just trying to slow the unit down. That unit should not play as fast as the first unit. It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. I think, for me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down and then, number two, most importantly, make sure that unit is defending.”
- Anthony Davis has been absolutely dominant for the Lakers over the past four games, averaging 35.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.3 SPG and 2.5 BPG while shooting 62.3% from the floor and 92.0% from the charity stripe. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if Davis’ stellar two-way play will make the front office more willing to deal away the team’s two available future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) to build around the 29-year-old, since Goon thinks that’s a more compelling reason to go all-in when compared to giving LeBron James the best chance to reach the playoffs at the end of his career.
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is preaching patience to reserves John Wall and Robert Covington, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall has been frustrated by having to sit out back-to-backs because he feels fully healthy, but Lue noted that the veteran sat out all of last season, so the team is being cautious. As for Covington, he’s averaging his fewest minutes (13.8) since his rookie season back in ’13/14. “It’s a long season and we have so much talent and so much depth that I know it’s going to be times when people going to play and some people not,” Covington said. “I knew what was coming and knew what to expect at times. I’m not the type of person that’s going to complain about too much, I’m going to sit up there and call and be there ready when my number’s called.”
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) have been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the Nuggets, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There’s no timetable for either player to return.
Northwest Notes: Collins, Jazz, Thunder, Timberwolves
Nekias Duncan of Basketball News unpacks Utah’s reported interest in Hawks big man John Collins. Duncan acknowledges that a trade seems unlikely, but believes Collins’ screen-and-roll game would work well in the Jazz‘s offensive system.
While Collins is an upgrade over Kelly Olynyk defensively, Duncan doesn’t view him as a difference-maker on that end, so he probably wouldn’t help improve the team’s defense, which currently ranks 21st in the NBA. Ultimately, Duncan thinks Olynyk would be the primary piece heading back to Atlanta if a deal is completed.
Here’s more from the Northwest:
- The Jazz‘s players are enjoying being one of the NBA’s biggest overachievers so far this season, writes Tania Ganguli of The New York Times. “Every game people are surprised that we win,” Lauri Markkanen said. “We got a great coaching staff, we got great players on this team, so we can beat anybody when we play our best basketball. We try and have that underdog mentality going into games. People really are not expecting a lot from us. Use that to fuel us — not that you really need that; we obviously go out there and compete every night. Just if we ever need some extra motivation, I guess.” After dropping two straight games, the Jazz currently sit with a 12-8 record, the No. 4 seed in the West.
- External expectations for the Thunder were low entering 2022/23, particularly after No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren was ruled out for the season with a foot injury over the summer. However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says Oklahoma City appears to be “on the right path” with the league’s youngest roster, which is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 31.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.3 APG and 1.8 SPG on .519/.380/.917 shooting through 17 games (36.1 MPG). The Thunder are only 7-11, but they’ve been competitive and the players seem to trust each other, Marks notes.
- The new-look Timberwolves had their best performance of the season Wednesday at Indiana, defeating a Pacers team that had won five consecutive games heading into the contest, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Very, very pleasing,” head coach Chris Finch said. “Hopefully it’s one more step, many more to go, but one more step in the right direction.” The Wolves have now won five straight and hold a 10-8 record.
Southwest Notes: McCollum, Pelicans Bench, Wood, McGee, Wall
CJ McCollum has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and is out for Friday’s game against the Grizzlies, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
In his first full season as a starting point guard, the Pelicans veteran is averaging 18.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.2 SPG on .410/.342/.794 shooting through 17 games (35.1 MPG). The rebounds and assists represent career highs, but the FG% and 3PT% are career lows. McCollum has never shot below 37.5% from long distance, so his current figure should rise over time.
With McCollum sidelined in Wednesday’s victory over the Spurs, second-year guard Jose Alvarado started in his place, with Devonte’ Graham and Dyson Daniels receiving more playing time off the bench. That should continue until McCollum is cleared to return.
Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- The Pelicans‘ bench has been a major reason the team has withstood short-term injuries to stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram thus far in 2022/23, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com (subscriber link). “It’s extremely important if you want to go far in the postseason,” head coach Willie Green said. “Having your second unit come in that can execute, that’s fearless. They play together. They play with joy. It makes all the difference in the world of how far your team can go.” As Clark notes, Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. have been standout performers off the bench, but multiple players are contributing to wins for the 11-7 Pelicans.
- Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News questions why Christian Wood hasn’t received more playing time after the Mavericks dealt their 2022 first-round pick to acquire him from Houston in the offseason. Sherrington writes that the Mavs knew Wood wasn’t a great defensive player when they made the trade, and he’s been highly productive when on the court, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.8 RPG on .585/.447/.697 shooting in just 25.3 MPG through 15 games. On the other end of the spectrum, Sherrington states that JaVale McGee has been a disappointing free agent addition thus far and probably shouldn’t be getting rotation minutes.
- Both Wood and head coach Jason Kidd responded to questions about Wood potentially entering the Mavericks‘ starting lineup after Wednesday’s lopsided loss to the Celtics, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “I think I’m gonna just keep that that personal opinion to myself,” Wood said. “But what I can say is I’m enjoying my time here. I love playing for Dallas. These guys, they support me. They pick me up when I have a bad game. So things are going great.” Kidd said he talks to his staff about possible changes every day, and suggested one might be coming soon. “You’ve got to look at all the combinations you got to see who’s playing well,” he said, per Townsend. “And just understand that sometimes change has to happen. It’s just the nature of sport. There’s no hard feelings or anything personal. This is their job and we’re trying to win ballgames. We’re trying to put the right combinations out there.”
- In an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, former Rockets guard John Wall talked about mentoring the team’s young backcourt and his relationship with head coach Stephen Silas, among other topics. Wall signed with the Clippers over the summer after being bought out by Houston, and is averaging 11.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.7 APG and 1.1 APG through 15 games (22.1 MPG) as Los Angeles’ backup point guard.
Atlantic Notes: Harris, Grimes, Tatum, Brown, Raptors
Though Sixers starting power forward Tobias Harris may be a trade candidate down the line, Philadelphia needs his two-way contributions while weathering injuries to the team’s three leading scorers, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Harris, the Sixers’ fourth-leading scorer, has two years and $76.9MM remaining on his current maximum-salary contract with the club. In his last two contests – with James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey out – Harris is averaging 21.5 PPG while taking 20.5 field goals a night. For the 2022/23 season, the 6’8″ vet is averaging 15.6 PPG, on 13.1 field goal tries.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks guard Quentin Grimes has been logging significant minutes of late, having been promoted to a starting role in the absence of injured wing Cam Reddish, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I feel great,” Grimes said of the opportunity. “I feel like I’m kind of back to my old game shape, really.” Zach Braziller of The New York Post scouts how Grimes can help New York though his shooting, perimeter defense, and passing.
- Ahead of his Mavericks’ 125-112 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, All-Star guard Luka Doncic praised Boston as “probably” the league’s best team, adding that All-Star swingmen Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could be the team’s best tandem, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Tatum and Brown combined for 68 points in Boston’s win over the Mavs.
- The Raptors front office does not yet have enough information about the team’s roster to have made a determination about how best it can approach this season’s trade deadline, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Injuries and illnesses have affected several key players, including forward Pascal Siakam and shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. have impeded the team’s appraisals.
Patrick Beverley Suspended For Three Games
The NBA has suspended Lakers point guard Patrick Beverley for three games without pay, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
As we detailed on Wednesday, Beverley shoved Suns center Deandre Ayton in the back while the Phoenix center was standing over Lakers guard Austin Reaves during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 115-105 Suns victory. This led to a brief on-court fracas between the two clubs. Beverley was instantly ejected, while Ayton was assessed with a technical foul.
According to the NBA’s announcement, the suspension was “based in part on Beverley’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
Back when he was a member of the Clippers, Beverley shoved Suns point guard Chris Paul in the back during a stoppage in play in Game 6 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals. He received a one-game suspension for that incident.
Beverley’s teammates and head coach Darvin Ham defended him after Tuesday’s game and gave him credit for standing up for a teammate, but there was a sense that a suspension could be in play. Ham told reporters that Beverley would likely “go through some type of consequence” for his actions, while the veteran guard said he was prepared to “take my lumps however they come.”
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the three-game suspension will cost Beverley $89,655 per game (1/145th of his $13MM salary), for a total of $268,966. The Lakers will receive half that amount (a total of $134,483) as a tax variance credit, Marks notes, saving them a little money on their end-of-season bill.
Beverley has struggled offensively during his first season as a Laker. The 34-year-old is averaging 4.1 PPG on .266/.238./824 shooting splits.
Pistons Notes: Stewart, Bogdanovic, Hayes
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was briefly assigned to Detroit’s NBA G League affiliate club, the Motor City Cruise, for a Wednesday practice while rehabilitating his sprained right big toe, per Mike Curtis of The Detroit News. Stewart has been unavailable since initially hurting the toe against the Raptors on November 14.
Curtis notes that the 6’8″ big man out of Washington is averaging career-highs of 12.0 PPG and 9.3 RPG in his third NBA season. Detroit has gone 2-3 without him.
There’s more out of Detroit:
- Pistons power forward Bojan Bogdanovic discussed his first game against his former team, the Jazz, ahead of Wednesday’s contest, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter video link). “I was really happy and honored to be part of this organization,” Bogdanovic said. “I saw a lot of guys being traded [over the summer] so I was just waiting to see what was going to happen to me.” In something of a surprise, Detroit won, 125-116.
- Pistons point guard Killian Hayes, starting in the stead of the indefinitely sidelined Cade Cunningham, left last night’s win with a calf injury in the third quarter and did not return, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In case you missed it, Cunningham has suffered a possible left shin stress fracture. He may require surgery should the ailment not improve with rest.
2022/23 NBA Disabled Player Exceptions
A disabled player exception can be granted when an NBA team has a player go down with an injury deemed to be season-ending. The exception gives the club some additional spending flexibility, functioning almost as a cross between a traded player exception and a mid-level exception.
We go into more detail on who qualifies for disabled player exceptions and how exactly they work in our glossary entry on the subject. But essentially, a DPE gives a team the opportunity to add an injury replacement by either signing a player to a one-year contract, trading for a player in the final year of his contract, or placing a waiver claim on a player in the final year of his contract.
Because the rules related to disable player exceptions are somewhat restrictive and the exceptions themselves often aren’t worth a lot, they often simply expire without being used. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on which disabled player exceptions have been granted, just in case.
We’ll use this space to break down the teams with disabled player exceptions available for the 2022/23 league year, updating it as the season progresses if more teams are granted DPEs and/or to indicate which ones have been used.
Teams have until January 15 to apply for a disabled player exception and until March 10 to actually use them.
Here’s the list so far:
Available disabled player exceptions:
- Boston Celtics:
- $3,239,500 (Danilo Gallinari) (story)
The Celtics used the entire taxpayer mid-level exception to bring in Gallinari as a free agent, but the Italian forward tore his left ACL during a World Cup qualifying game before even getting a chance to suit up for Boston.
The Celtics didn’t announce a recovery timeline when they announced Gallinari’s surgery, and the 34-year-old said he’s holding out hope of returning before the team’s season is over. However, the odds appear slim, so Boston was granted a disabled player exception.
Because the C’s have two trade exceptions worth more than the Gallinari DPE, the team probably won’t use it in a trade, but it could come in handy on the buyout market if Boston is up against a rival that can only offer the veteran’s minimum.
- Detroit Pistons:
- $5,276,400 (Cade Cunningham) (story)
The Pistons’ former No. 1 overall pick saw his sophomore NBA season come to an early end due to a left tibial stress fracture. He underwent surgery to address the injury and was limited to just 12 games in 2022/23.
Even though Cunningham is just a second-year player, he was earning over $10.5MM due to the rising rookie scale, so the Pistons received a decently sized disabled player exception as a result of his season-ending surgery.
Detroit won’t be a player on the buyout market, but it’s possible the team could find a use for the exception in a smaller trade.
- Toronto Raptors:
- $3,000,000 (Otto Porter) (story)
Porter underwent season-ending foot surgery less than a week before the deadline to apply for a disabled player exception, allowing the Raptors to get their request in at the 11th hour.
Word of the Raptors being granted a DPE didn’t break until after the trade deadline had already passed, so it’s safe to assume Toronto’s exception won’t be used in a trade. It could be useful on the buyout market, but the Raptors don’t seem likely to be a major player for free agents in February and March.
Used disabled player exceptions:
- Oklahoma City Thunder:
- $4,945,620 (Chet Holmgren) (story)
- Used to acquire Maurice Harkless ($4,564,980) from Hawks.
- $4,945,620 (Chet Holmgren) (story)
Like Gallinari, Holmgren had yet to make his regular season debut for his new team when he suffered a season-ending injury in a non-NBA game. The No. 2 pick in this year’s draft had at least played for the Thunder in the Las Vegas Summer League before he went down with a a Lisfranc injury in his right foot during a Seattle pro-am game.
Because Holmgren was such a high draft pick, his salary as a rookie is nearly $10MM, allowing the Thunder to receive a disabled player exception big enough to absorb Harkless’ $4.5MM+ expiring contract in a deal with Atlanta.
The Thunder sent out Vit Krejci in that trade, but he only had a $781,759 partial guarantee, and even if his $1,563,518 had been fully guaranteed as part of the deal, it wouldn’t have been enough to match Harkless’ incoming salary. As such, Oklahoma City had to use an exception to complete the deal.
Harkless wasn’t part of OKC’s plans for the 2022/23 season (he was subsequently flipped to the Rockets in a salary dump), but taking him on allowed the Thunder to acquire a future second-round pick from the Hawks and amend the protections on another second-rounder owed to them by Atlanta.
Raptors Notes: Injuries, Trent, Young, Anunoby
The Raptors have been hit hard by the injury bug this month and played Wednesday’s game – a loss to Brooklyn – without Pascal Siakam (groin), Fred VanVleet (non-COVID illness), Scottie Barnes (ankle), Precious Achiuwa (ankle), Dalano Banton (ankle/illness), and Otto Porter Jr. (toe).
Although head coach Nick Nurse is known for getting creative with lineups and schemes, he said on Wednesday that he’s not exactly relishing the opportunity to have to cobble together five-man units without so many of his key players available, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
“Not really, to be honest with you. Once in a while, you might enjoy the challenge, but not for three weeks in a row here. It’s getting… it’s not that enjoyable,” Nurse said. “… It’s not the end of the world, and it’s not like we haven’t played very well, because I think we have. If you look at some of our metrics… I think we’re still top 10 in offense and defense in the league and all that stuff, with all these injuries we’ve had for multiple weeks.”
The Raptors do have the 10th-best offensive rating in the NBA (112.7), but have slipped a few spots on defense in the last week and now rank 14th in defensive rating (110.9).
Here’s more out of Toronto:
- Gary Trent Jr.‘s offense has been up and down this season, as he’s shooting just 40.7% from the floor and 31.1% on three-pointers, his worst marks since his rookie year. However, Nurse is more concerned about Trent’s regression as a defender this season, and issued a challenge this week to the fifth-year swingman. “We’re gonna get him his shots and get him his points, but we want him to be a disruptor,” Nurse said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “He kinda fits us if he does that, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t fit us.”
- According to Lewenberg, the Raptors told inquiring teams over the summer that they view Trent as an important part of their core, so it’s unlikely that stance has changed this early in the season. Still, he’ll be a player worth watching as the season progresses. He holds an $18.8MM player option for 2023/24, so he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines that option.
- Veteran forward Thaddeus Young wasn’t part of Toronto’s regular rotation during the first couple weeks of the season, but he has been playing more lately and has provided some stability with so many players sidelined, Lewenberg writes in a separate TSN.ca story. “He’s been good. He’s doing a good job leadership-wise, too,” Nurse said of Young. “He’s good in the huddles and he’s trying to keep those guys going. So, he’s been a true pro.”
- The Raptors have several talented defenders on their roster, but OG Anunoby has turned into the club’s top weapon on that side of the ball, says Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Anunoby is under contract through the 2023/24 season, with a player option for ’24/25, and will become extension-eligible next October.
Knicks’ Isaiah Hartenstein Discusses Role, Achilles Issue
Last season with the Clippers, center Isaiah Hartenstein served as a play-maker in the middle, averaging 4.7 assists per 36 minutes. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, the Knicks sold Hartenstein on playing a similar role in New York when he joined the team in the offseason as a free agent.
However, so far this fall, Hartenstein is handing out a career-low 1.2 assists per 36 minutes and averaging just 0.8 seconds per touch (as opposed to 2.06 seconds per touch last season). The big man acknowledged on Wednesday that he has been asked to play more like a traditional center with the Knicks.
“It’s adjusting to a different role where it’s playing more like (the Knicks’ other centers), I guess. Not more of what I’m used to,” Hartenstein said. “That’s been a little more difficult. And so I’m just adjusting to more of a Mitch (Robinson) role, where I’m just rolling into the pick-and-roll.”
As Bondy relays, Hartenstein reiterated multiple times during his media session that he’s fine with making the adjustment, but said it has been a challenge and has required some extra film work to get comfortable.
It doesn’t help that the 24-year-old has been dealing with an inflamed Achilles tendon since the summer and still only feels “about 80 percent.” Hartenstein believes the issue is hindering his athleticism and may be having an impact on his defense and rebounding, according to Bondy.
“I feel like I’m a little slower than I normally am,” he said. “Little slower to get up to defend the shots where I normally am able to do really good.”
When Robinson missed some time this month due to a knee injury, third-string center Jericho Sims entered the rotation and had some strong performances. With Robinson back, all three centers have played at least 13 minutes apiece in each of the Knicks’ past two games, but Bondy says head coach Tom Thibodeau typically prefers to use just two centers in his rotation, especially if he wants to try to get Julius Randle and Obi Toppin some minutes together.
Hartenstein, who signed a two-year, $16MM contract and has appeared in every game so far this season, may not end up being the odd man out, but he said he’s willing to accept a reduced role if the team wants to lean more on its traditional centers or use a two-power-forward look.
“I know what I can do,” Hartenstein said. “It’s now just doing whatever I can do in the role that’s given to me. I have a lot of respect for Jericho and Mitch. So if that’s what coach thinks is the best thing to do – if coach thinks it’s best to go with Julius and Obi, then do that. I’m just here to help the team win at the end of the day and if coach thinks that way, or if coach thinks that way. I’m ready to do that.”
Pacific Notes: Wiseman, Leonard, George, Paul, Shamet, Christie
Warriors center James Wiseman is being professional about his G League assignment and is trying to use it to improve his game, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wiseman, who missed all of last season with a knee injury and was seeing limited playing time this year, was sent to Golden State’s affiliate in Santa Cruz last week for “an extended period.”
“His attitude has been unbelievable from the regard of asking me if there’s things he can do better, asking about the defense, being willing to accept playing here,” Santa Cruz coach Seth Cooper said after Wiseman posted 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first G League game on Saturday. “There are a lot of guys not just picked where he was, but picked anywhere in the draft, who would want to come here and just have the ball all the time. … That’s not him.”
Wiseman, the No. 2 selection in the 2020 draft, is at a critical point in his career, Letourneau states. The Warriors picked up his $12.1MM option for the 2023/24 season, but they’ll have to do something to reduce costs next summer to keep their payroll from rising above $500MM. If the front office decides to hold onto Draymond Green, trading Wiseman is an obvious way to save money.
“There’s urgency,” admitted Wiseman, who has played just 50 total NBA games so far. “I just came back from a rehab. Really, I’m just trying to get back on the court and just get my rhythm again.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both underwent treatment in Los Angeles today for their injuries, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN (video link). Leonard suffered a sprained right ankle in Monday’s game when he stepped on Amir Coffey‘s foot, and he may not be ready to return on Friday. George missed his second straight game tonight with a strained right hamstring. Neither injury is considered long-term, Andrews adds.
- Chris Paul and Landry Shamet were full participants in a non-contact practice today, Suns coach Monty Williams tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Paul is trying to return from a heel injury, while Shamet has been in concussion protocols.
- Lakers guard Max Christie has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will join the team for Friday’s game in San Antonio, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.