Health Updates: Cavs, Doncic, Zion, Connaughton, Banchero, Celtics
As expected, Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler has received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his injured right ankle, the team confirmed today in a press release.
According to the Cavaliers, Windler will miss approximately four-to-six weeks while recovering, with the ankle stabilized in a walking cast for the time being. Health issues have limited the former first-round pick to just 81 total appearances since he entered the NBA in 2019.
Meanwhile, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has officially been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Milwaukee, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. However, it sounds like Allen’s left ankle soreness, which sidelined him on Sunday, is no longer the primary issue — he’s listed on the official injury report as having a non-COVID illness.
Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:
- Mavericks star Luka Doncic will miss a game for the first time this season on Wednesday, with the club opting to give him a rest night vs. Houston (Twitter link). Doncic is averaging a career-high 37.2 minutes per game and played 40 minutes in the first half of the team’s back-to-back set on Tuesday, so this decision had been expected, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.
- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday due to a right foot contusion, the team announced. Head coach Willie Green‘s comments on Tuesday suggested that it isn’t a serious injury, so perhaps Williamson will be able to return on Friday vs. Boston.
- It appears Bucks wing Pat Connaughton will likely make his regular season debut on Wednesday vs. Cleveland. Connaughton, who has been on the shelf due to a right calf strain, has been upgraded to probable, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
- Magic rookie forward Paolo Banchero will miss a fourth straight game on Wendesday vs. Minnesota due to a left ankle sprain, according to the team (via Twitter).
- The Celtics will be without two key members of their backcourt on Wednesday vs. Atlanta, having ruled out both Malcolm Brogdon (right hamstring tightness) and Marcus Smart (right ankle inflammation), the team announced (via Twitter).
Kevin Durant Talks Offseason Trade Request, Nets, Legacy, More
The Nets have had an up-and-down first month of the 2022/23 season and are in the midst of another downturn right now, having given up 153 points to the Kings in a blowout loss on Tuesday.
Still, Kevin Durant tells Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report that he likes the energy new head coach Jacque Vaughn has brought to the team. According to Durant, the Nets have been “preparing ourselves well” for games, “playing as hard as we can,” and are starting to build real chemistry.
In Durant’s view, the way the Nets are readying themselves for games under Vaughn is how the team should have been approaching its preparation last season. That was the primary reason the star forward requested a trade in the summer, he told Haynes.
“It wasn’t difficult at all to request a trade because it was about ball,” Durant said. “I went to them and was like, ‘Yo, I don’t like how we are preparing. I don’t like shootarounds. I like practices. I need more. I want to work on more s–t. Hold me accountable. Get on my ass in film if that’s going to help you get on everybody else’s head. I want to do more closeouts. I want to work on more shell drills at practice.’
“This was the type of s–t I was coming at them with. It wasn’t like, ‘Yo, y’all need to make sure everybody around me can make my life easier.’ Hell nah, I want to make everybody else’s life easier. Ask Steve Nash, you can go call him right now. I would say, ‘Yo, I need more closeout drills. We need to practice more.’ That’s what I was on.
“I wasn’t feeling that, and nobody was on that same vibe with me. Jacque Vaughn is. I had some complaints in the summer, and my complaints were not about just me; it was about how we are moving as a unit. I want us to be respected out here in the basketball world. I don’t want players to look at us and say, ‘Oh man, these (expletive) are full of s–t. That’s not the type of team I want to be on.’ So when we’re all playing like s–t, you know the one person they’re going to look at. That’s why I requested a trade.”
Durant opened up to both Haynes and Marc J. Spears of Andscape on Tuesday about a number of topics beyond his offseason trade request. Both interviews are worth checking out in full, but here are some of the highlights from the former MVP:
On the Nets’ lineup with Kyrie Irving unavailable and Ben Simmons struggling to regain his old form:
“Look at our starting lineup. Edmond Sumner, Royce O’Neale, Joe Harris, (Nic) Claxton and me. It’s not disrespect, but what are you expecting from that group? You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.”
On the perception that he’s not a true leader:
“I’m not a leader? What the f–k does that mean? A lot of people say I’m not a leader because I didn’t tell Kyrie to get vaccinated. Come on. Or I didn’t condemn Kyrie for leaving the team, going out and living his life. I’m not about to tell a grown-ass man what he can and can’t do with his own life and dissect his views or how he thinks about s–t.
“… I don’t need to show or tell everybody what I’m doing with my teammates so y’all can pump me up and say, ‘Yeah, KD, you’re the boss, you’re the leader.’ These other (expletives) need that. I don’t. I don’t come to you and say, ‘Haynes, write this story about me.’ I don’t do that to nobody. But I come here and respect y’all. I talk to y’all like a real one, even after a blowout (loss).”
On whether he’s happy in Brooklyn:
“I’m incredible. Loving life right now. I don’t think the world understands that. Maybe I need to get miked up more. Maybe I need to have more fluff pieces written about me. Smile more in pictures.
“What’s not to love about this life? I’m a great player. I get up to go hoop every day, work on my game. I make a s–t ton of money. I buy a lot of cool s–t. I don’t understand why there’s even a question on whether I’m happy or not. I just look at the big picture of things. Obviously, basketball, I want to do well, win every game and I want s–t to be perfect. But that doesn’t mean my whole life is f—ed up.”
On his legacy as a player:
“All that extra s–t like, ‘You got to win before you retire and make sure your legacy is straight,’ that’s bulls–t to me. My legacy is predicated on what Cam Thomas is learning from me and what he’ll take away to help him by the time he’s in his 10th year. That’s my legacy. What I did with Andre Roberson, the confidence I helped him build when he was in the league. That’s my legacy. Being able to play with Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry and Kyrie and still be me. Yeah, that’s my legacy. That’s who I am. That’s what I bring to the game.
“I can play with anybody, anywhere, at any time, and you know I’m going bring it every day. That should be my legacy.”
Atlantic Notes: Fournier, Grimes, Robinson, Celtics, Melton
The Knicks used just nine players on Tuesday for the first time this season, removing Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes from their rotation entirely, says Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The trimmed-down rotation was effective, as the team picked up a nice road win in Utah, beating the Jazz 118-111.
“We wanted to see what it would look like and it gave us, I thought, better rhythm,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That’s why we did it.”
Fournier’s role has gradually diminished over the course of the season, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he doesn’t get another shot at regular minutes right away. However, Grimes is considered a key part of the Knicks’ future and seems unlikely to be out of the rotation on a permanent basis.
Here are a few more items from around the Atlantic Division:
- Thibodeau said on Tuesday that Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is “making good progress” in his recovery from a sprained right knee, but it remains unclear when he’ll be cleared to return, Braziller writes for The New York Post. According to Braziller, although Robinson is doing some work in practices, he’s not yet taking contact.
- In the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that people around the NBA think Spurs center Jakob Poeltl may be a trade target that appeals to the Celtics, given the uncertainty surrounding Robert Williams‘ health. “The question is, ‘Does this team need to go out and get another big man who can defend?'” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “The name that has come up that people have speculated has been Jakob Poeltl from the Spurs. They did a deal with the Spurs last year, obviously, for Derrick White.” Poeltl is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2023 and it’s unclear if San Antonio views him as part of the team’s long-term plan.
- While his arrival in the offseason was somewhat overshadowed by James Harden‘s pay cut and the signing of P.J. Tucker, De’Anthony Melton has proved invaluable to the Sixers due to his versatility and defensive ability, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Timberwolves Sign A.J. Lawson To Two-Way Deal
NOVEMBER 16: The Timberwolves have officially signed Lawson to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
NOVEMBER 14: The Timberwolves are signing forward A.J. Lawson on a two-way contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Lawson has averaged 22.3 points for the G League’s College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks’ affiliate. He is expected to join Minnesota for Wednesday’s game against Orlando.
Minnesota has an empty two-way slot and won’t have to make a corresponding roster move.
The Timberwolves previously signed Lawson on a two-way deal in July. However, they waived him to add Luka Garza in mid-October. At the time, Eric Paschall occupied the other two-way slot but Minnesota soon waived him as well.
Lawson excelled during the Las Vegas Summer League for the Mavericks, averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG in five games.
Lawson, a 6’6” guard, was waived by the Hawks during training camp in 2021. He then averaged 11.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.8 APG in 31.8 MPG for the Skyhawks while appearing in 33 games.
Lawson went undrafted that summer despite putting up 16.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG with a .351 3PT% in 21 games (31.3 MPG) as a junior for South Carolina.
Ben Simmons Addresses Criticism, Discusses Knee Injury
Ben Simmons‘ inconsistent availability and underwhelming production has been a building source of frustration within the Nets‘ organization in recent weeks, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell Charania and Amick that some Brooklyn coaches and players have been concerned about Simmons’ “availability and level of play” and that some have questioned his passion for the game. The report is similar to one from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this month.
Simmons, who made his regular season debut with the Nets last month after recovering from back surgery, has missed five games in recent weeks due to a left knee issue. When he has played, he hasn’t looked like his old All-Star self — up until Tuesday, when he scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, the 26-year-old hadn’t scored double-digit points or made more than three field goals in any game this season.
Speaking to The Athletic, Simmons admitted that he’s aware of the criticisms being levied at him and understands them, but said that his physical issues – both the back and the knee – have significantly hampered him.
“You’re obviously not gonna be happy when anybody’s out,” Simmons said. “But for me, I’ve been dealing with the knee since the start of the season. It’s been swollen. I had PRP (injections). I had blood drained a couple times. So it’s not a made up thing, you know? It’s a real thing.
“… I’m on full overload with treatment, everything I need to do to stay out there. I’m just spending more time on the table, honestly, more downtime (where) I’m literally just leg up, icing, doing whatever I need to do – sleeping.”
Simmons said his back issues first flared up in February 2020, but that his back has been feeling much better since he went under the knife to address the injury.
“Yeah (the knee is a bigger problem than the back), which is good,” Simmons said. “And that’s one thing with the league. You’ll be starting to have some (trouble) with one thing and then you’re thinking about your ankle or your leg or whatever it is. That’s gonna happen, but getting it under control is the most important part for me.”
Simmons was the centerpiece of the trade package the Nets received when they sent James Harden to Philadelphia last season and was viewed as part of the team’s potential “Big Three,” alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The thinking was that Simmons’ defense and play-making would make him an ideal complement for two elite scorers like Durant and Irving.
However, Simmons hasn’t looked this season like the same player he was in Philadelphia. According to Charania and Amick, Markieff Morris spoke during a players-only meeting on October 29 about how the team needs Simmons to play at a high level and respond to adversity in order to succeed, and club officials and teammates have been in frequent contact with the former No. 1 overall pick to try to make him comfortable in Brooklyn.
After starting at point guard and averaging 31.8 minutes in his first six games this season, Simmons has come off the bench as a center in his four most recent outings, logging just 18.7 MPG. The Nets will need him to play a larger role to make a deep run in the postseason, and Tuesday’s performance provided a glimmer of hope. For his part, Simmons says he’s determined to get past his injury issues and help the team.
“I get (the skepticism), but I think the one thing with me is that I’m a competitor,” he told The Athletic. “I want to win and play. So I’m gonna do what I can to get out there.”
As Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets, Simmons told reporters on Tuesday that he also feels as if the rust from missing the entire 2021/22 season is coming off one game at a time.
“It takes time to build up,” Simmons said. “Especially with a nerve injury, it takes 18 months for your nerve to fully heal, and people don’t know that, but over time I get better and better. Just keep pushing.”
Pelicans Notes: Zion, McCollum, Daniels, Lewis, Alvarado
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson missed Tuesday’s game vs. Memphis due to a right foot contusion, but the injury isn’t expected to sideline him for long.
According to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Willie Green said on Tuesday that Williamson has a chance to be back in the lineup on Wednesday vs. Chicago. The former No. 1 pick will be evaluated today after resting on Tuesday.
Once Williamson is available, the Pelicans will continue trying to figure out how best to use him on offense. As Christian Clark of NOLA.com writes, after Williamson dished six assists to go with 26 points on Saturday, Green said the team trusts Zion to “make the right play” with the ball in his hands and will try to use him in a ball-handling role more often going forward.
“I think it’s adding more layers to our offense,” Green said. “We recognized that from the past, with Z handling the basketball and trying to take advantage of mismatches, it’s something we need to exploit.”
Here’s more on the Pelicans:
- After making just 15-of-55 (27.3%) field goal attempts in his previous four games, CJ McCollum knocked down 11-of-23 in Tuesday’s win, scoring a season-high 30 points. According to Clark, McCollum had been dealing with a viral infection that seemed to be affecting his play. “I’ve been playing like s–t,” McCollum said. “I’ve been feeling like s–t. I have been shooting the ball really poorly, which is uncharacteristic. I’m normally not good at the other things, but I can always shoot. That was frustrating: not being able to help my team the way I wanted to but not having the energy.”
- Dyson Daniels hasn’t seen regular playing time so far in his rookie season, but Green said on Tuesday after Daniels played 17 minutes that he doesn’t have any reservations about using the 19-year-old. “He understands the game at a high level,” Green said, per Clark. “I feel comfortable putting him on the floor. I’m super excited about what he did tonight.” Daniels scored just three points on 1-of-5 shooting on Tuesday, but grabbed nine rebounds and was a plus-13 off the bench.
- Kira Lewis was assigned to the Birmingham Squadron in the G League earlier this week to regain his rhythm as he continues to make his way back from an ACL tear, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Asked by Lopez if he feels faster than he was before the injury, Lewis said that he does, since the rehab process forced him to focus on specific parts of his body that he never had before. “With therapy, you have to slow down and work on every part of your leg,” Lewis said (Twitter link). “… My movements feel more efficient. … I definitely feel faster.”
- James Herbert of CBS Sports profiles Jose Alvarado, examining how the second-year guard became an important piece of the Pelicans’ backcourt after going undrafted last year.
Western Notes: Jokic, Hyland, Porter Jr., Paul, Fox, Lakers
Reigning Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Mike Singer of the Denver Post reports. The Nuggets center will miss at least Wednesday’s home tilt against the Knicks. Backup point guard Bones Hyland is also in the protocols.
The Nuggets a two-game set at Dallas after the Knicks game. Forward Aaron Gordon is listed as questionable to play on Wednesday due to a non-COVID illness.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Nuggets coach Michael Malone is pleased with the growth Michael Porter Jr. has displayed this season, Singer writes in a separate story. He has shown more discipline on the defensive end and his shot selection has improved offensively. “More important to me, deeper than the numbers, are the fact that offensively, like, I can count on one hand how many shots that he’s taken where you can say, ‘Probably not a great shot,’” Malone said.
- Chris Paul hasn’t played since an abbreviated stint on Nov. 7 due to a sore right heel. The Suns point guard could be back in action on Wednesday. He’s listed as questionable to play against Golden State, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets.
- Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox is switching agents and will be represented by Klutch Sports, Damien Barling and James Ham report (Twitter link). Fox was previously with Chris Gaston and Family First Sports Firm.
- A trio of Lakers rehabbing from injuries — Thomas Bryant, Kendrick Nunn and Dennis Schröder — joined the G League’s South Bay Lakers for a practice and scrimmage Tuesday morning, Mark Medina of NBA.com tweets. The Lakers recalled them after the practice.
Pistons Notes: Stewart, Bagley, Bey, Bogdanovic
Isaiah Stewart has spent most of his young career at center. Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes that will eventually change, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.
“Eventually, he’s going to be a power forward-slash-center – the other way around,” Casey said. “He’s developing into that because he can guard all five positions. So now the last part to come out is his 3-point shooting.”
That process began when Marvin Bagley III, who just returned last week from a knee injury, replaced Saddiq Bey in the lineup on Monday. However, Stewart exited the contest against Toronto with a right big toe sprain, just before the start of a road trip, and will be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.
We have more on the Pistons:
- Casey wanted to go with a two-big lineup because the team has struggled to rebound and defend due to a lack of size around Stewart, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. Bagley gives the first unit a true vertical threat for the backcourt of Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham, though Cunningham is currently nursing a shin injury.
- With Stewart out, Edwards anticipates that Bey will return to the starting five.
- Bojan Bogdanovic has boosted the offense with his perimeter shooting but may need to pick his spots more judiciously as a creator, Edwards notes in the same piece. He had five turnovers in Monday’s loss, four the previous game and seven in a game against the Bucks last week. Yet he’s averaging just 1.9 assists per night.
- Bagley was re-signed to a three-year contract this summer and tried to use his time wisely after suffering the knee sprain during the preseason, Langlois writes in a separate story. “I was really focused and locked in,” he said. “My main goal was to stay locked in throughout the whole time – practices, on the bench during games, just being ready. The day (his injury) happened, I didn’t know how long I was going to be out but once I got the timeline I was going to be out, I just mentally prepared for it and now I’m back, ready to play.”
Atlantic Notes: Banton, Raptors Bench, Horford, Brogdon
With several starters out of the Raptors lineup, Dalano Banton erupted for a career-high 27 points in a victory at Detroit on Monday. The 2021 second-rounder displayed his growth during that performance, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes.
“He obviously scored it really well,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said. “He is kind of naturally a point guard but when we have other lineups in there, we like having him off the ball so he’s not under so much duress to make plays all the time. I think sprinkling him on and off the ball helps him set some people up. And obviously he’s shooting the ball really well this year, when he’s catching and faced up, you’re expecting him to make them now, which is a huge step forward for him.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Raptors’ early-season injuries might be a blessing in disguise, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports opines. Nurse has generally leaned heavily on his starters and used a tight rotation since becoming the head coach but now he’s gaining more trust in his bench.
- Al Horford becomes a free agent next summer and wants to finish out his career with the Celtics, Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com reports. Horford gave an emphatic ‘Yes’ when asked if he wanted to stay in Boston. The 36-year-old forward also feels he has at least a couple more years left. “I’ve thought about it,” he said. “I want to keep playing for two, three more years, for sure.”
- Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, who has missed the last three games due to right hamstring soreness, is listed as questionable to play against Atlanta on Wednesday, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets.
New York Notes: Fournier, Knicks, Players-Only Dinner, Nets Injuries
Evan Fournier struggled in a starting role and has been even worse coming off the bench, Peter Botte of the New York Post notes. The Knicks shooting guard has missed all 10 of his shot attempts in the last two games and he has scored just 16 points in six games as a reserve.
“The thing is when you only shoot three times a game … it adds up. It adds up. And at the end of the season, you look at your [shooting] percentage and it’s not good,” Fournier said. “But it’s just hard to find a rhythm right now. I think not knowing the rotation, what’s coming your way, et cetera, et cetera. I have to do a better job of all that and just being in the moment, being ready for whatever.”
Fournier’s four-year, $73MM contract has turned into an albatross. He’s in the second year of the deal, though the club holds an option on the final year.
We have more on the New York teams:
- The defensive breakdowns the Knicks displayed while giving up 145 points to Oklahoma City on Sunday could be due to a number of factors, writes Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post (subscription required). A potential solution could be a coaching change and Tom Thibodeau is rumored to be on the hot seat. Rotation changes, or perhaps a blockbuster trade, could alternatively turn the team’s fortunes, Sanchez adds.
- Could the Knicks have solved their problems over dinner? Julius Randle organized a players-only dinner in Utah on Monday as the team began a road trip, Zach Brazilier of the New York Post reports. “It was good, good to have a team dinner like that,” RJ Barrett said. “Try to figure this out the best that we can. We all care, trying to get this going on the right track.”
- Injuries to Seth Curry, T.J. Warren and Ben Simmons, plus the ongoing suspension of Kyrie Irving, have forced the Nets to go deeper into their bench and alter their rotations, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “It just puts us straight on everyone else,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. “We put David Duke in, Patty [Mills] earlier, Markieff [Morris] earlier in our normal rotation. … It puts a strain on us when we are not completely whole, for sure.”