Jake Layman’s Deal In Spain Falls Through Due To Herniated Disk
After lining up a one-year deal last week with Spanish club Basquet Manresa, Jake Layman will be returning stateside due to an injury, the team announced in a press release.
According to Manresa, Layman’s physical exam revealed that he has a herniated disk in his back. As a result, the veteran forward has opted to head back to the U.S. to undergo a procedure to address the injury, and the two sides have agreed to terminate his one-year contract.
A Massachusetts native, Layman was in camp with the Celtics this fall competing for a spot on the regular season roster, but was beaten out by Noah Vonleh and Justin Jackson. Boston cut him at the end of the preseason and he had been on track to play overseas for the first time in his professional career.
A second-round pick in 2016, Layman has appeared in 243 regular season games across six NBA seasons in Portland and Minnesota. In total, the former Maryland forward has averaged 4.8 PPG and 1.7 RPG on .460/.300/.719 shooting in 12.8 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career.
It’s unclear how long it will take Layman to recover following his procedure, but he’ll remain a free agent, so he could be worth keeping an eye on later in the 2022/23 season if he gets back to full health.
Warriors To Send Wiseman To G League For Extended Stint
The Warriors will assign center James Wiseman to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz for an “extended period,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the team’s blowout win over San Antonio on Monday (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic).
“It’s not going to be one game and bring him back,” Kerr said. “We want to give him maybe 10 straight days, something like that.”
Wiseman opened the season as a regular part of Golden State’s rotation off the bench, but struggled to produce consistently and was a DNP-CD for three straight games last week. He got back on the court on Monday vs. the Spurs, but only once the Warriors had already put the game out of reach. For the season, he has a -24.4 net rating in his 147 minutes.
While Kerr said he anticipates the former No. 2 overall pick regaining a rotation spot at some point, the Warriors want to make sure he’s getting regular playing time and game reps instead of sitting on the bench with the NBA club.
As Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes, Wiseman said on Monday that he isn’t viewing the move as a demotion. Jordan Poole spent time in the G League during the 2020/21 season before eventually breaking out for the Warriors, and he’s optimistic that – like it did for him – some time in Santa Cruz could serve his teammate well.
“I’m telling (Wiseman) this is not a demotion. This is not a punishment,” Poole said, according to Andrews. “… I’m telling him to go down there and take 50 shots, be aggressive, get techs, hang on the rim, do it all. Just so he can understand what he wants to be at the highest level. This is just a step in that direction.”
Santa Cruz is scheduled to play against the South Bay Lakers on Saturday, followed by a back-to-back set against the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday and Tuesday. If Wiseman stays with the team beyond that, he could square off against Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite next Friday (November 25).
Western Notes: Ayton, Bertans, Russell, Jazz
Deandre Ayton is only averaging 1.9 free throws per game and Suns coach Monty Williams is lobbying for his center to get more favorable whistles, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes.
“DA doesn’t get the benefit of some of the contact,” Williams said. “If a guy is driving to the basket and you hit him the way that he’s getting hit around the basket, backing people down or fighting for position, I think you probably get the free throw line a bit more, but it’s a totally different world for the guys who are posting up. You can pretty much beat him up down there.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Mavericks forward Davis Bertans is close to returning from his injury but he’s been understandably cautious after undergoing two major surgeries on his knee, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. “Every small thing can leave some effect on it,” Bertans said. “Maybe I could have been back a little sooner, but we wanted to be as cautious as possible. We got a deep roster, and we were just making sure this is the only time I miss games this season.”
- Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, who is headed to free agency next season, had a confidence-boosting 30-point outing against Cleveland on Sunday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. “I thought he played an excellent game. It was good to see that. Happy for him,” coach Chris Finch said. “You could tell he was locked in. He had put the extra work in. Really looked confident shooting the ball.”
- Should the Jazz still think about tanking after their hot start? ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link) explores that question, concluding that Utah shouldn’t entertain playing for lottery positioning right now.
Bulls Notes: Terry, Donovan, White, Slow Start
First-round pick Dalen Terry has made only eight cameo appearances for the Bulls this season. He was grateful to get a G League assignment with the Windy City Bulls, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.
Terry got a chance to play extensive minutes in two games over the weekend before being recalled.
“It was a great experience. It felt good to go against somebody besides the imagination in my head,” Terry said. “There’s no better way to get back into game shape than going down and playing some games.”
We have more on the Bulls:
- The Nuggets jumped all over Chicago on Sunday, grabbing a 62-47 halftime lead en route to a 23-point victory. Bulls coach Billy Donovan called the first-half performance inexcusable, according to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun Times. ‘‘We had three days in terms of no games, so we should have been an extremely fresh basketball team,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘There’s always some form of adversity that hits the game, and we have to be better at thriving in that.’’
- Coby White has missed the last seven games due to a quad injury and he didn’t practice on Monday. It’s unlikely he’ll practice on Tuesday either, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago tweets.
- The Bulls are off to a slow start mainly because executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas chose a path of continuity with a roster full of players with significant injury histories, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines.
Southeast Notes: Clifford, Ball, Banchero, Collins
Hornets head coach Steve Clifford believes the team can dispel the notion of being soft once it overcomes injuries, he told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.
“I think that we are very much viewed as a finesse offensive team and I think there is a lot of toughness here. … When we have everybody healthy we are going to be a team that plays with a lot of physicality,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t be good at all those energy effort areas. Defensive rebounding, defensive transition, keeping the ball out of the paint, being good at loose balls, being good at screening. I don’t see why we can’t do that. So I think that for me is a real positive.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Hornets star LaMelo Ball struggled with his shooting and committed five fouls in his season debut against Miami on Saturday. Still, Ball – who had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists – was just happy to get back in action, according to Boone. “I feel straight,” Ball said. “More games, it will get easier. So, I think I’m in a good spot.”
- The top pick in the draft, the Magic‘s Paolo Banchero, missed his third consecutive game on Monday due to a left ankle sprain, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Banchero was off to a sparkling start to his NBA career before suffering the injury. He’s averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
- After scoring 20-plus points in his first two games, Hawks forward John Collins has averaged 10.4 points in his last 11. Collins said it’s just a matter of touches, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. He has taken 10 or fewer shots in seven of his last nine games. “I definitely feel like I can shoot the damn ball,” Collins said. “But, you know, sometimes it’s just hard to get a rhythm. I feel like my rhythm might be just a little bit off, but I’m respecting the game and trying to continue to stay in the gym and shoot and not really think too much about it.”
Southwest Injury Notes: Morant, Jackson Jr., Wesley, Langford, Tate, Bertans
Ja Morant missed Sunday’s game against Washington with an ankle injury but it apparently will only be a one-game absence. The Grizzlies’ star guard is not on the injury report for Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, the team’s PR department tweets.
Meanwhile, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. could make his season debut on Tuesday, as the forward is listed as questionable. Jackson has been rehabbing from offseason right foot surgery. Morant’s backcourt partner, Desmond Bane, is doubtful due to toe soreness.
We have more injury updates regarding the Southwest Division:
- Spurs rookie guard Blake Wesley has begun his rehab from a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News reports. Wesley is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks of action. “It’s going good,” he said. “I’ve started jogging, lifting and getting my routine back. I’m on the court, not moving, but getting up shots and taking it day by day.”
- Spurs guard Romeo Langford has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and will miss Monday’s game against Golden State, Orsborn tweets.
- Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate has appeared in just three games due to an ankle injury and he’ll miss several more games. Coach Stephen Silas said Tate will be reevaluated in two or three weeks, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Mavericks forward Davis Bertans, who has been sidelined with a right knee injury, participated in his first full practice on Monday since early in training camp, Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Bertans is still listed out for the team’s game against the Clippers on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brogdon, Mazzulla, Offense
Jayson Tatum has certainly placed himself firmly in the Most Valuable Player discussion while averaging 32.3 points per game so far this season. The Celtics forward told Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill he wants people to think of him as an MVP-level performer.
“As a kid, was one of my dreams winning MVP? Sure,” Tatum said. “If it happened, it would be a dream come true. But it wasn’t, like, ‘Come back, win MVP.’ It’s like, ‘Come back, get to the championship.’”
We have more on the Celtics:
- Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t played since Wednesday and the point guard will remain out on Monday due to right hamstring tightness, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets. Brogdon is averaging 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per night in his first season with Boston.
- Joe Mazzulla was thrust into a difficult situation when the team suspended head coach Ime Udoka for a season. The Boston’s Globe Gary Washburn believes that Muzzulla has handled it so well that he deserves to have the interim tag removed. Not only has the team thrived with him at the helm, he has approached the job with the kind of humility and respect it deserves, Washburn notes.
- The Celtics entered Monday’s action ranked first in points per game and second in field goal percentage. Ethan Fuller of the Basketball News takes a closer look at why the team’s offense has been so efficient.
Stein’s Latest: Simmons, Mavs, Lakers, Freedom, I. Thomas
“Contrary to recent reports,” the Mavericks have no interest in trading for Nets swingman Ben Simmons, league sources tell Marc Stein in his latest post at Substack.
A couple of weeks ago, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reported that the Nets had “cursory” trade talks with a Western Conference team, then later said those discussions were about a veteran shooter, and Simmons’ name came up. Begley cautioned that those talks may not have advanced beyond the exploratory stage, but Brooklyn was rumored to be “aggressive” in its pursuit of shooting.
On the heels of Begley’s reports, a Western Conference executive told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney last week that the Mavericks might be worth watching.
“Dallas is a team to watch, Simmons would be an interesting fit next to Luka (Doncic) if the Nets were willing to take back (Tim) Hardaway and (Davis) Bertans. I am not sure how much higher the Mavs could go in terms of an offer but that would definitely be interesting for Luka.”
Stein says the Mavericks may have been mentioned “to try to create some sort of market for Simmons,” who has yet to regain his old form after missing all of last season. Simmons missed his fifth game of 2022/23 Sunday with knee soreness, though he seems confident it won’t be a long-term injury.
Here’s more from Stein:
- The Lakers have taken a look at some free agents, but Stein gets the sense that they’ll wait until Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant return before making any roster changes. Both players have yet to make their season debuts after each had thumb surgery last month, but they’re expected to play on Friday. The Lakers are hopeful Schröder can provide an offensive boost, Stein adds.
- After Dwight Howard signed a seven-figure deal to join the Taoyuan Leopards, other Taiwanese clubs are looking at veteran NBA free agents, according to Stein, who writes that Enes Freedom and Isaiah Thomas are among the targets.
- Carmelo Anthony is another veteran being pursued by a Taiwanese team, but “it’s widely presumed” that the 38-year-old “is holding out for another NBA opportunity,” says Stein. Anthony averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds on .441/.375/.830 shooting in 69 games (26.0 minutes) for the Lakers last season.
Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry Named Players Of The Week
Sixers center Joel Embiid and Warriors guard Stephen Curry have been named the NBA’s players of the week, the league announced today (via Twitter). Embiid was the Eastern Conference winner, while Curry won for the West.
Embiid led Philadelphia to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 40.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 blocks on .543/.167/.864 shooting in 36.3 minutes per contest. The highlight was Sunday’s mesmerizing 59-point performance (19-of-28 shooting) against Utah, a career-high outburst that also included 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocks.
Golden State went 2-1 last week, with Curry averaging 38.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists on .641/.500/.842 shooting in 36.2 minutes. The highlight of the two-time MVP’s week was a 47-point showing (17-of-24 shooting) against the Kings last Monday that also included eight rebounds and eight assists.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the East were Jimmy Butler, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Franz Wagner, while Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Jerami Grant and Zion Williamson were nominated out West.
Temperature Rising On Tom Thibodeau’s Seat?
The temperature is rising on Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s seat after Sunday’s blowout loss to the Thunder, in which New York gave up 145 points at home, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The Knicks’ effort has been lacking multiple times in the young season, leading to questions about Thibodeau’s ability to get through to his team, Begley writes.
“I thought (Sunday) was just a readiness (issue). We just weren’t ready,” Evan Fournier said. “Noon game, whatever. I don’t know. But lack of intensity, just not doing what we’re supposed to.”
After Thibodeau led the Knicks to the East’s No. 4 seed in 2020/21 with a 41-31 record and won Coach of the Year, the team faltered in his second season, finishing with a 37-45 record.
According to Begley, owner James Dolan gave president Leon Rose permission to decide Thibodeau’s fate just before the All-Star break last season after the Knicks blew a 28-point lead to a Nets team playing without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Obviously, Rose decided to retain Thibodeau, but it put his future performance under more scrutiny.
At 6-7 thus far in 2022/23, New York’s record isn’t egregious relative to external expectations, but the Knicks had higher hopes entering ’22/23 than a possible play-in berth, in part due to moving some draft assets to free up cap space to sign Jalen Brunson to a lucrative contract in free agency (Thibodeau was a proponent of trading for Donovan Mitchell as well, Begley adds). People with knowledge of the situation told Begley in the offseason that the team’s early-season performance would be “critical,” with Thibodeau “under a microscope early on.”
As Begley writes, not all of the Knicks’ struggles are on Thibodeau. They don’t have the most talented roster, and there aren’t many defensive-minded players for a coach with well-known reputation for prioritizing defense.
“The thing that sits with me is the disappointment of losing,” Thibodeau said after Sunday’s loss, per Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). “We have to look at every game and say, ‘OK, what do we have to fix, what do we have to prioritize?’ . . . But I know if we’re relying on trying to outscore people that’s not going to work. Our margin of error is small, we have to play with great intensity on every possession.”
Still, changes are likely to come in some form if the team struggles on its upcoming five-game road trip, whether it be via a trade, in the front office or with Thibodeau being replaced, Begley notes. The Knicks have a brutal schedule over that stretch: road games at Utah, Denver, Golden State, Phoenix and Oklahoma City.
Something feels off with the Knicks, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. The starters are struggling again, the bench isn’t performing as well as last season, the pieces are ill-fitting and the effort comes and goes. Katz argues the Knicks should make a consolidation trade because they have too many rotation players but not enough standout performers.