Southwest Notes: Smart, Spencer, VanVleet, Wembanyama
Marcus Smart‘s willingness to come off the bench has made a big impression on his Grizzlies teammates, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Smart, who started 185 regular season games between bench appearances from 2021-24, has been part of Memphis’ second unit in his last six outings.
“That’s a vet, that’s a pro,” Grizzlies star Ja Morant said. “That’s what he brings to this team. Obviously, it’s a different situation than he’s been in in his career, but for him to embrace that and still push guys like Jaylen (Wells), who’s in the starting lineup, to be even better, and then he comes in and makes a difference for us in the game. It’s his handle . . . We’re very appreciative.”
Smart is averaging 16.7 points and 5.7 assists over the last three games. His current contract runs through next season.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Rookie guard and second-round pick Cam Spencer had a huge game at the NBA G League level for the Grizzlies’ affiliate, Cole notes. Spencer erupted for 51 points for the Memphis Hustle, including 12 three-pointers, against the Birmingham Squadron on Monday. Spencer, who won a national title with UConn in the spring, is on a two-way contract.
- The Rockets are playing like true contenders. They’re just a half-game out of the top spot in the West after defeating conference leader Oklahoma City behind Fred VanVleet‘s 38 points. “The foundation that we’re laying, it’s easy to see it when you’re just competing,” VanVleet told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “But to see wins against good teams at different stages of the season, it’s a good sign that what we’re doing is working. We’re getting better.”
- Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama posted his third career triple-double (34 points, 14 rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists) in a win over Sacramento despite an uneven performance through the first three quarters, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I thought he had some very poor moments in the first three quarters in terms of fundamentals and solid basketball,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “And it’s a testament to him, and his ability to lock in (that he figured it out). I thought in the fourth quarter, (that) he was a man. And I thought he dominated. He’s so good, but the dominating (of) the fundamentals for him — the catches, the passes, the solid stuff — (is key). It’s still spectacular, but when he does that, he’s a load.”
Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Prince, Middleton, NBA Cup
At the start of training camp, Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard expressed confidence that their chemistry would be much improved in 2024/25 following a full season and offseason together.
While Milwaukee got off to a shaky start this fall, losing eight of its first 10 games, the club has since won eight of nine, including six in a row, and Antetokounmpo believes the on-court rhythm he and Lillard have developed has been a key factor, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes.
“Now we’re going into our second year playing together, and our chemistry has been incredible so far,” Antetokounmpo said after Saturday’s victory over Washington. “He hits me in the pocket. If he doesn’t hit me in the pocket, that means he has an open shot. He can get downhill, make another play. I think we trust one another. We definitely trust way more one another’s decision-making and we give one another space to operate.”
Lillard’s scoring average (25.9 PPG), and shooting percentages (.441 FG%, .361 3PT%) are all up so far this season over the marks he posted in 2023/24. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is playing some of the best basketball of his career, with a league-leading and career-high 32.9 PPG on 60.9% shooting in his first 17 games.
We have more on the Bucks:
- Offseason addition Taurean Prince has been “incredible” so far this season for the Bucks, according to Antetokounmpo, who praised the veteran wing’s ability to space the floor around him and Lillard. As Nehm writes for The Athletic, Prince’s 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game don’t jump off the page, but he’s making an NBA-best 54.2% of his three-point attempts and is one of just two Bucks who have started all 19 of the team’s games so far this season. The 30-year-old signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Milwaukee over the summer.
- Khris Middleton has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit and it remains to be seen when he’ll make his season debut following offseason surgeries on both ankles. Still, he insisted over the weekend that he continues to move in the right direction as he works toward his return, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I feel good. I feel like I’m progressing. It’s just slower. Slower than I want it to be,” Middleton said. “I want to be out there, my teammates want me to be out there. I don’t think there’s anybody that wants to play more than me. You know that. I think some people know that in our organization. I just gotta be smart and not go out there until I’m fully ready.”
- The Bucks’ game against Detroit on Tuesday will go a long way toward determining whether or not Milwaukee advances to the knockout round of the NBA Cup for a second straight year. A win would secure a quarterfinal berth for the Bucks as the winner of East Group B, while a loss by six points or less (or in overtime) would keep the club in the running for the East’s wild card spot (Twitter link).
Central Notes: Pistons, Mitchell, Buzelis, Ball
The NBA Cup might not be a big deal for some teams, but the Pistons are energized by the possibility of making the knockout round. They host the Bucks on Tuesday and the winner will prevail in East Group B of the tournament. They are both 3-0 heading into the contest.
“Guys are into it,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “The vibes are good, guys are excited, they’re looking forward to the opportunity. Like we talked about, we want to give our guys a chance to play meaningful basketball and see what that feels like, and for some of our guys this is the most meaningful basketball that they’ve been able to play. It’s a great opportunity for us, great experience for us.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Donovan Mitchell scored 30 second-half points on Sunday as the Cavaliers bounced back from two losses to Atlanta by defeating the Celtics. Mitchell said it was the type of game that the Cavs, who trailed by double digits in the second half, might not have won in the past, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I think that just speaks to the growth of our group,” Mitchell said. “I think you go back to when I first got here, obviously we’re younger, we’re not as familiar with each other, [and we’d] kind of fold in those situations. You’re just seeing the growth, and that’s the biggest thing I feel like is for us just continuing to build … if we continue to grow and continue to learn from these different things, that’s really what it’s about. That’s what tonight was. We could have easily been like, ‘All right, turning the ball over, different things, not getting stops, offense kind of bogged down.’ But who were we when we hit adversity? And that’s what I’ve been saying. It’s great to learn through these wins, but when we face adversity, who are we going to be? And that’s what you’re continuously seeing from this group. We’ve been trying games and different things, and so I’m proud of the way we fought.”
- Matas Buzelis scored a season-high 20 points, a great sign from the lottery pick. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Buzelis and the other young players on the roster have to continue to earn their minutes, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune writes. “They’ve got to get playing time. But they have to understand it’s not free candy,” Donovan said.
- Lonzo Ball is on a minutes restriction but the Bulls guard has made an impressive impact in limited playing time. He has the best plus-minus rating on the roster, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic notes. “I know it’s only a very small sample size, but if you look at his plus-minus on the floor, it’s crazy for the amount of time he’s gotten,” Donovan said of Ball, a free agent after the season.
Pelicans Waive Elfrid Payton
4:20pm: The Pelicans have officially waived Payton, the team announced in a press release.
4:00pm: The Pelicans are waiving veteran guard Elfrid Payton, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Payton, who had been out of the NBA since the 2021/22 season, caught on with the Pelicans last month on a non-guaranteed contract and was one of the feel-good stories of the fall.
The Louisiana native, who played in Puerto Rico and the G League while trying to make his NBA comeback, immediately jumped into the starting lineup for his hometown team and posted a 14-point, 21-assist, seven-rebound line in his third game back.
However, the Pelicans have been getting healthier, with both Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum recently returning to the team’s backcourt, which resulted in a reduced role for Payton. He logged just six minutes in Monday’s loss to Atlanta.
New Orleans should be getting a couple more players back this week, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting on The Pat McAfee Show (YouTube link) that Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones appear on track to play Thursday.
The Pelicans are operating slightly over the luxury tax line and have no desire to be a taxpayer this season, so there’s certainly a financial reason involved in the decision to waive Payton. Leaving that 15th roster spot open for the time being would reduce New Orleans’ projected tax bill and make it easier for the team to duck out of tax territory with a trade later in the season.
Payton’s 14 days on the Pelicans’ roster and two days on waivers will result in a cap charge of $274,809 for New Orleans, assuming he clears waivers. As Bobby Marks tweets, the team will be about $1.4MM above the tax line and $3.8MM below the first apron after jettisoning Payton.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum Earn Player Of The Month Honors
Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October and November, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Gilgeous-Alexander played all 19 of the Thunder’s games in October and November, leading the team to a 15-4 record by scoring 29.8 points per game on .503/.339/.857 shooting. He also contributed 6.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 34.5 minutes per night.
The Thunder had an eye-popping +15.1 net rating in the 655 minutes in which Gilgeous-Alexander was on the court, compared to a mark of just -0.9 net rating in the 257 minutes he sat. That was the widest on/off-court margin for any Oklahoma City player by a significant margin.
Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Clippers teammates James Harden and Ivica Zubac, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., Rockets center Alperen Sengun, Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama were also nominated for Player of the Month in the West, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
In the East, Tatum beat out fellow nominees Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Franz Wagner, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Tatum led the Celtics in points (28.7), rebounds (8.5), and assists (5.8) per game in his first 19 contests, guiding the team to a 16-3 record, which included a dramatic victory over the 15-0 Cavaliers.
Tatum made 46.1% of his shots from the field, including 37.8% of 10.6 three-point attempts per game as Boston averaged 19.2 made threes per game — that would easily be an NBA record if the club can maintain that pace.
Spurs’ Wembanyama, Hawks’ Daniels Named Defensive Players Of The Month
The NBA has introduced a new monthly award, announcing today that Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama (Western Conference) and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (Eastern Conference) are the first players to earn the Defensive Player of the Month honor (Twitter link). The award applies to games played in October and November
Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year and last season’s Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, matched his NBA-leading block average from last season by blocking a league-high 3.6 shots per night in his first 16 games this season. According to the NBA, Wembanyama also ranked fourth in the league in contested shots (10.1) and eighth in deflections (3.3) per game during that time.
While the Spurs’ 111.5 defensive rating in October and November ranked outside the NBA’s top 10, that mark improved to 108.5 during Wembanyama’s time on the court, the equivalent of the league’s sixth-best defense.
The other nominees for Defensive Player of the Month in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link), were Anthony Davis, Luguentz Dort, Draymond Green, Jaren Jackson Jr., Toumani Camara, Clippers teammates Ivica Zubac and Kris Dunn, and Rockets reserves Tari Eason and Amen Thompson.
Over in the East, Daniels made a strong first impression with his new team after being traded from New Orleans to Atlanta during the offseason, leading the NBA in steals (3.0), deflections (6.7), and forced turnovers (2.8) per game in 19 outings (all starts) in October and November.
Daniels also contributed 0.9 blocks per contest as he made a strong early-season case for All-Defensive and Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
Daniels beat out fellow Eastern Conference nominees Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs for the new award, according to the league.
Jared McCain, Jaylen Wells Named Rookies Of The Month
Sixers guard Jared McCain and Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter). The honor technically covers more than a month, since it’s for games played in October as well as November.
The 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft, McCain didn’t initially project to be part of Philadelphia’s regular rotation and played fewer than four minutes in each of his first two games of the season.
However, injuries cleared a path for him to get minutes and he took advantage of that opportunity, averaging 16.0 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds on 25.2 minutes per game across 18 outings (seven starts) to open his NBA career. McCain also posted a solid shooting line of .448/.364/.906.
Wells, who was drafted with the No. 39 pick in June, is an even unlikelier early-season standout than McCain, but also took advantage of his team being affected by the injury bug and capitalized on an opportunity to play rotation minutes right out of the gate.
In 20 games (15 starts) in October and November, Wells averaged 12.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.9 APG in 25.3 MPG. He provided some much-needed outside shooting for the Grizzlies, knocking down 39.4% of 5.0 attempts per night from beyond the arc.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), McCain beat out fellow nominees Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Carlton Carrington for Rookie of the Month recognition in the East. The other nominees in the West were Dalton Knecht, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Ryan Dunn, and Wells’ teammate Zach Edey.
Veteran NBA Forward Paul Millsap Retiring
Veteran NBA forward Paul Millsap is retiring from basketball after spending 16 seasons in the league, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The 47th overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Louisiana Tech, Millsap spent his first seven seasons with the Jazz before signing as a free agent in 2013 with Atlanta. The 6’7″ big man made four straight All-Star teams with the Hawks before leaving for Denver as a free agent in 2017. He played for the Nuggets for four seasons, then spent his final season in 2021/22 with the Nets and Sixers.
Millsap hasn’t played basketball professionally since 2022, but didn’t formally decide to retire until now, at age 39.
Despite being a late second-round pick, Millsap made the All-Rookie Second team in his first NBA season and immediately established himself as an important rotation player for the Jazz, earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in 2009 and 2010, then taking as Utah’s starting power forward when Carlos Boozer left the team in 2010.
While Millsap had several strong seasons with the Jazz, his best years came with the Hawks under head coach Mike Budenholzer, who led the team to four straight playoff seasons during Millsap’s time in Atlanta, including a 60-win season and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2014/15.
After averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game in his final year with the Hawks, Millsap served as more of a role player than a featured option in Denver, especially after undergoing wrist surgery during his first season with the Nuggets. He started 186 of 215 games he played for the team, but saw his usage rate steadily decline during those four years.
For his career, Millsap averaged 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 block in 28.1 minutes per game across 1,085 regular season appearances. According to Charania, he’s one of just eight players in NBA history who accumulated at least 1,000 career steals, 1,000 blocks, and 500 three-pointers.
According to Basketball-Reference, Millsap earned over $195MM in NBA salaries during his 16 years in the league.
Lakers’ Vanderbilt Targeting Early January For Season Debut
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is recovering from offseason surgeries on both feet, has experienced a setback in his rehab process, as reported by Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN and confirmed by the team (Twitter link via Mike Trudell).
The Lakers say that Vanderbilt developed an effusion in his left knee during his return-to-play progression. As Charania and McMenamin explain, that’s a fluid build-up.
As a result, the 25-year-old will likely be sidelined for at least another month. Vanderbilt and the Lakers are targeting a return in early January, according to both ESPN’s report and the team’s announcement.
Vanderbilt, who isn’t with the club on its current four-game road trip, is expected to be examined by team doctors when the Lakers return home after Friday’s game in Atlanta, per Charania and McMenamin.
A 2023 trade deadline acquisition, Vanderbilt has been an impactful role player for Los Angeles when healthy, providing strong, versatile defense and averaging 6.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 21.9 minutes per game. The Lakers, who had a +0.6 overall net rating last season, posted a +4.2 mark during Vanderbilt’s 581 minutes of action.
However, due to health issues, the forward has been limited to just 55 total appearances since he was traded from Utah to L.A., including 29 last season and zero so far in 2024/25.
Vanderbilt is in the first season of a four-year, $48MM contract extension that he signed with the Lakers in September 2023.
Nets Notes: Monday Loss, Sharpe, Williams, Whitehead
Since winning three road games in four days last week in Sacramento, Golden State, and Phoenix, the Nets have struggled. They lost their third contest in a row on Monday, falling by a score of 128-102 to the Bulls. It was a six-point game at the half before Chicago began to pull away in the third quarter, leaving head coach Jordi Fernandez upset about his team’s second-half performance, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“Losing a second half by 20, it’s not good enough. We have higher standards, the way we work, the way we play, the way we compete. And this was not good,” Fernandez said. “They scored 56 in the first half, and they scored 72 in the second half. So our defense was extremely bad. And our players know that our ball pressure has to be better, our competitiveness, our communication.
“In that second Orlando game (a 100-92 loss on Sunday), the first half of this game, I give the guys credit. You can lose, but that’s how you lose, and I was proud of them. This second half, this is not who we want to be. This is not our identity. It was pretty poor.”
As Lewis points out, it’s hard to blame the Nets too much for their underwhelming performance, given how banged up the team is. Starters Cam Thomas, Dorian Finney-Smith, Ben Simmons, and Cameron Johnson (who was a late scratch due to a left ankle sprain) were among eight Brooklyn players unavailable in Chicago. Still, Fernandez doesn’t view the club’s injury woes as an excuse for a disappointing effort.
“I’m going to go into every game believing that we have a chance to win,” Fernandez said. “I don’t care who’s playing. If they wear a Nets uniform, I’m going to go out there and believe that we’re going to fight, compete and we’re going to have a chance.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- One player who wasn’t on Monday’s injury report was center Day’Ron Sharpe, who was making his season debut after missing the Nets’ first 21 games due to a hamstring injury. After recording just four points and two rebounds in 16 minutes of action, Sharpe said it “felt good to be back on the court,” but indicated he wasn’t happy with his performance, according to Lewis. “My second stint, I was tired, I’m not going to lie. But I’m getting my wind back. After that I thought I was good,” Sharpe said. “But me personally, I feel like I played (terribly). But that’s the first game, so just keep building from here.”
- Ziaire Williams missed his first game this season in Chicago due to what the team referred to as a left knee sprain. As Lewis relays, Fernandez’s comments on Monday suggested that Williams’ absence will likely extend beyond that. “Right now, we will have a better feel on how (Williams) reacts in the next few days to know exactly what that time frame is,” the Nets’ coach said.
- Given the opportunity to play a rotation role with so many players sidelined, Dariq Whitehead had the best game of his NBA career on Monday, knocking down six three-pointers and scoring 18 points. He’d scored three total points in his previous four NBA outings. Scott Mitchell of NetsDaily takes a look at Whitehead’s breakout game and explores how the guard’s time with the Long Island Nets helped build his confidence. “If I’m being completely honest, last year I just got drafted and was in the wrong mindset. I didn’t take playing in the G League the right way like I should have,” Whitehead said. “This year, I came into it with a clearer mind and want to be (in Long Island) and develop that leadership role.”