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Community Shootaround: Christmas Day Games

December 25th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Merry Christmas from the Hoops Rumors staff!

As usual, the NBA has an impressive slate of five games on tap for Christmas Day, with many of the league’s top teams and biggest stars in action on December 25. Here’s today’s schedule:

11:00 am CT: Milwaukee Bucks (22-7) at New York Knicks (16-12)
1:30 pm CT: Golden State Warriors (15-14) at Denver Nuggets (21-10)
4:00 pm CT: Boston Celtics (22-6) at Los Angeles Lakers (16-14)
7:00 pm CT: Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) at Miami Heat (17-12)
9:30 pm CT: Dallas Mavericks (17-12) at Phoenix Suns (14-14)

Some of these teams have underachieved to some extent so far – the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns, in particular, aren’t where they want to be in the standings – and reigning MVP Joel Embiid won’t be available for the Sixers. But each matchup still has something going for it.

We’ve got Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard visiting Madison Square Garden; former MVPs Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic starring in a showdown between the two most recent NBA champions; Jayson Tatum and the Celtics facing LeBron James and the Lakers in a battle between the league’s two most storied franchises; Jimmy Butler and the defending Eastern Conference champions hosting Butler’s former team; and perennial MVP candidates Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant squaring off in Phoenix.

The NBA’s schedule makers did especially well on the Eastern Conference side of things — the East’s top three teams, and five of its top six squads, are all in action today, with the fourth-seeded Magic representing the only exception.

Over in the West, things are a little more hit and miss, given that the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns currently rank ninth, 10th, and 11th in the conference. The No. 2 Nuggets and the No. 6 Mavericks are the only two Western Conference teams in action today that currently hold a playoff spot.

While the NBA couldn’t have realistically expected that either team would be quite this good this season, it’s too bad the 22-6 Timberwolves, who are in a tie for the league’s best record, and the exciting young Thunder (18-9) aren’t part of today’s schedule.

We want to know what you think. Are there any teams you wish were (or weren’t) involved in today’s games? Which of these five contests are you most looking forward to? Which five teams are you picking to win this year’s Christmas Day matchups?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in, and feel free to use it as an open thread to discuss today’s games.

Bradley Beal Talks About Impact Of Injuries

December 23rd, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Bradley Beal talks to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about his frustrating battle with injuries and how it has played into the team’s disappointing start.

Bradley Beal Wants Wizards To Stay In Downtown D.C.

December 23rd, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Bradley Beal doesn’t want to see his former team move forward with relocation plans to northern Virginia. Beal, who spent 11 seasons with the Wizards before being traded this summer, appealed to owner Ted Leonsis to reconsider last week’s announcement (video link). “D.C, there is no moving to Virginia, like what is that?” Beal said. “Ted, we love you to death. We understand what you want to do and trying to do, but you can’t take the team out of D.C.”

Eric Gordon Seeking Bigger Role With Suns

December 23rd, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Eric Gordon was reinserted into the Suns‘ starting lineup for Friday’s contest in Sacramento, but had one of his worst games of the season. Gordon, who was a minus-25 in Phoenix’s 15-point loss, went scoreless for the first time this season and attempted a season-low two shots from the floor.

Speaking to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Gordon expressed some dissatisfaction with his role on offense.

“Early on in the season, it was better. And lately, there just hasn’t been an emphasis [to get me more looks],” Gordon said. “So, it’s definitely different. Lately I haven’t been getting hardly any touches really.”

Head coach Frank Vogel admitted that he’s “not doing a good enough job” making sure that Gordon gets involved in the offense, adding that the 16-year veteran is “a guy that can really help us.” Gordon, who will turn 35 on Christmas Day, tells Haynes that he plans to talk to Vogel about ways to incorporate him more.

“Everybody knows the type of player I am and what I’m about. I came here to win, but what I do is score,” Gordon said. “And I think when I score, it really opens up the door for a lot of people because I can score in big games and in big ways. That’s just what it is.”

Phoenix won seven straight games in November and had an 11-6 record at one point, but has since lost eight of 11 to slip to .500 (14-14). Gordon has averaged just 9.8 points on 8.8 shots per night during that recent stretch after posting 14.9 points on 12.1 attempts per night (with a .469/.404/.786 shooting line) through the club’s first 17 games. His usage rate has dipped to 17.5% for the season, which would be a career low.

With Bradley Beal sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Suns are looking to get some secondary offense from players besides Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. In Phoenix’s past two losses, those two stars have combined to average 59 points per night, but no other player has scored more than 11 in either game.

Suns Notes: Slump, Beal, Nurkic, Okogie, Trade Ideas

December 22nd, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Even without Bradley Beal available, the Suns should be performing better than they have as of late, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports, who identifies myriad problems that were on display in Tuesday’s ugly loss in Portland. The team’s role players haven’t shot three-pointers particularly well, the fourth-quarter offense has relied too much on iso-ball, and the perimeter defense hasn’t been stout enough, Bourguet writes.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, star guard Devin Booker said his teammates can’t be “scared to hold each other accountable” and that it’s important to “keep learning each other, keep talking,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

“We all feel it,” Booker said of the Suns’ recent underwhelming play. “Not just one of us. It’s everybody in here. We all have a job and this is the highest form of basketball in the world. It’s not an easy job and we understand that. We have the talent. We have the basketball minds in here to play better than we were.”

While the Suns are disappointed with their performances in the past few games, there have been “no players-only meetings for us so far,” forward/center Chimezie Metu said with a smile on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). “Hopefully we don’t have to get to that point, but we’ll see,” he added.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Phoenix announced on Monday that Beal’s sprained right ankle will be reevaluated in two weeks, but the veteran guard tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that he hopes to return “much sooner” than that.
While starting center Jusuf Nurkic won’t be available for Friday’s game in Sacramento for personal reasons, he’s expected to rejoin the club for the Christmas Day game vs. Dallas, tweets Rankin.
Suns wing Josh Okogie, who has missed the past four games due to a hip flexor, said he’ll be a “game-time decision” on Friday (Twitter video link via Rankin). Okogie added that he’s able to run without issue now but needs to make sure he has regained his “explosiveness” before he gets back on the court.
Taking into account the limited collection of movable assets the Suns have at their disposal this season, Bourguet offers up 12 ideas for trades that might be viable and that would potentially upgrade the team’s depth.

Maledon Was On Suns' Radar During Offseason

December 19th, 2023 at 10:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Theo Maledon, who was claimed off waivers from Charlotte by the Suns on Sunday, has been on Phoenix’s radar for a while, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic reports. Maledon, who is on a two-way deal, worked out for the Suns during the offseason. “I want to say two months before training camp probably,” Maledon said. He’ll give the team another point guard option. “For sure, but I just want to do my role on what coach expects from me or the team expects me to do. Whatever they need, I feel like that’s the biggest priority,” he said.
Suns wing Bradley Beal, who is expected to miss at least the rest of this month with an ankle injury, was a spectator when Phoenix defeated his former team on Sunday. The ex-Wizards star says it’s “surreal” to be on the same team as Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. “It’s definitely surreal at times,” he told Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. “… That’s two guys I competed against for a long time in this league, and now we’re all sharing the opportunity to go compete for a title. It’s surreal in a lot of ways. But it kind of motivates you, too, to just continue to be the best version of yourself you can be.”

Bradley Beal To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Sprained Ankle

December 18th, 2023 at 4:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns shooting guard Bradley Beal just can’t seem to catch a break.

The 6’4″ vet is set to be out at least the next two weeks as he recuperates from a sprained right ankle, Phoenix announced (Twitter link). He will then be reassessed, meaning the soonest he could play would happen once the calendar year flips over to January.

Shams Charania of The Athletic previously reported that Beal would be out for “a few” weeks, while Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic suggested a two-to-three week recovery timeline.

As Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes (via Twitter), the 30-year-old’s absence now, at best, will leave just 50 more games for the Suns’ maximum-salaried star triumvirate of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to jell ahead of the postseason.

Beal is a three-time All-Star and a 2021 All-NBA Third Teamer, but he’s been plagued by health issues for years at this point. He has appeared in just six contests for the Suns thus far this year, averaging 14.7 points per game on .449/.429/.708 shooting splits, along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night.

The Florida alum hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in a season since 2018/19.

Phoenix, expected to be a major postseason contender, may have a little trouble even getting there. At 14-12, the Suns are currently the No. 10 seed in a crowded Western Conference, just two wins north of the No. 11-seeded Warriors. Missing Beal could make for some additional tough sledding in the weeks to come.

Suns Claim Theo Maledon Off Waivers

December 17th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Suns have claimed guard Theo Maledon off waivers, according to the NBA transactions log.

Maledon was waived on Thursday by Charlotte, where he was playing on a two-way contract. Maledon appeared in 13 games with the Hornets this season, including one start. He was averaging 4.2 points and 2.2 assists in 15.4 minutes per game and shooting just 28.8 percent from the field.

Maledon also played last season with the Hornets after two years with Oklahoma City. Overall, he has averaged 7.9 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 21.6 minutes over 173 regular season games. Maledon was an early second-round pick in 2020.

The Suns have a full 15-man roster but there was an open two-way spot to slot in Maledon, who will give the team more backcourt depth. Bradley Beal is expected to miss multiple weeks with an ankle injury.

Pacific Notes: Beal, Toscano-Anderson, Murray, Lakers

December 16th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns expect Bradley Beal to be sidelined for two to three weeks with the ankle injury he suffered Friday night, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Friday marked just the second time all season that Beal, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were able to start a game together, but Phoenix’s “big three” didn’t last long as Beal’s injury occurred in the first quarter.

“Twisted his ankle, but he’s a strong-minded player, person,” Durant said. “Get ready for the rehab and looking forward to having him back. It’s a tough situation, but he can deal with it.”

It was only the sixth game of the season for Beal, who has been dealing with back soreness since training camp. Rankin notes that Beal missed the first seven games of the season, then played in the next three before re-injuring his back in a November 12 contest. The team rested Beal for three weeks to allow him to heal, and Friday was his third game since returning. The inactivity has affected his scoring as he’s averaging 14.7 PPG, the lowest figure since his rookie season.

“Super unfortunate,” Booker said. “Been waiting on him to get back. Uncontrollable incident. Hate to see it.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Juan Toscano-Anderson is thrilled to be back in the NBA after signing with the Kings on Friday, tweets Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The veteran swingman, who had been with the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes, sees numerous ways he can help his new team. “I’m just hella grateful and blessed to get another opportunity,” Toscano-Anderson said, before listing the attributes he brings to the club. “Leadership. Energy. Toughness. Versatility. Camaraderie. Defense.”
If the Kings make a trade before the February 8 deadline, it’s extremely unlikely to include second-year forward Keegan Murray, according to James Ham of The Kings Beat. A source tells Ham that Murray hasn’t been included in any trade talks is “considered part of the franchise’s foundation moving forward.”
The Lakers were missing three starters for Friday’s loss at San Antonio and only had eight available players on standard contracts, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. None of the starters’ absences appear to be long-term as Anthony Davis rolled his left ankle in Wednesday’s game, Cam Reddish had soreness in his right knee and D’Angelo Russell was dealing with a non-COVID illness.

Bradley Beal To Miss Multiple Weeks With Ankle Injury

December 16th, 2023 at 6:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Bradley Beal is expected to miss “a few weeks” due to the right ankle injury he suffered Friday night, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. However, medical tests revealed no major damage to the ankle, Charania adds.

The injury occurred in the first quarter as Beal rolled the ankle when he landed on the foot of Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo on a shot attempt. DiVincenzo was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for stepping into Beal’s landing area.

Beal was able to shoot his free throws and leave the court without help, but he was limping on his way to the locker room. X-rays were negative, according to an ESPN report, but he was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Friday’s game was only the sixth of the season for Beal, who had been dealing with back issues since the start of training camp. The Suns envisioned a high-scoring “big three” when they acquired Beal from Washington in an offseason trade, but Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have been battling injuries as well and the three of them have rarely been on the court at the same time.

“Injuries are a part of the game,” Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said. “I’m disappointed for him. You could see the disappointment on his face in the back. That’s my biggest concern, keeping him lifted. He’ll get back soon enough, but it’s been a frustrating injury type of season for him.”