Southeast Notes: Herro, Bitadze, Williams, Wizards
After being referred to as “fragile” by Heat president Pat Riley last spring, Tyler Herro has responded in impressive fashion to Riley’s public challenge to improve his availability, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Acknowledging during his end-of-season press conference last year that Herro had dealt with some major injuries, Riley said he hoped to see the veteran shooting guard be able to play “in that 72- to 82-game range.”
Herro, who has never appeared in more than 67 games in a season and missed 40 contests in 2023/24, has yet to sit out a single game in ’24/25, having suited up for each of the Heat’s 38 matchups to date.
“I’m trying to play over 70, 75 games, for sure,” Herro said. “Obviously, if I can play all 82, I’ll play 82. But I’m just trying to be as healthy as possible.
“… I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m fragile or I haven’t played as many games,” he continued. “I’m aware of what’s going on. I know I missed the last two seasons, with the hand injury and half the season last year. I’ve seen the comments Coach Riley said. In my own world, I was going to try to play more games on my own either way. I took his words, obviously, into consideration and used it as motivation as I always do.”
As Chiang writes, a player’s availability often comes down to luck, but Herro also says he’s been “more conscious” than ever about managing his body and his weight this season. On top of being more available than in the past, Herro is enjoying a career year in Miami, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on .469/.403/.862 shooting.
We have more from around the Southeast:
- Magic center Goga Bitadze has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and won’t be available on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Bitadze, who has been Orlando’s primary starting center this season, was struck in the head during Sunday’s win over Philadelphia. He didn’t exhibit any concussion symptoms right away, but has since developed those symptoms, Beede explains.
- In a conversation with Spencer Davies of RG.org, Hornets center Mark Williams spoke about having Taj Gibson as a veteran mentor, the team’s trust in first-year head coach Charles Lee, and his belief that Charlotte is better than its 8-28 record suggests. “I believe 100 percent we’re better than what our record shows,” Williams said. “I know it sounds kinda repetitive with guys being out, but you can’t control it. So I think for us, whoever is out there on the floor with us, maintaining the same style of play, playing hard, doing all the little things on the court, hustle plays, rebounds. And I think for us, it’s just finding a way no matter what.”
- Wizards rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington, and Kyshawn George, are beginning to feel the effects of the NBA’s 82-game regular season grind, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Carrington and Sarr rank first and second among first-year players in minutes per game, while George is seventh. “I’ve never played this (number) of games, never played this (many) minutes as well. So it’s definitely taken a toll,” Carrington said. “… Can’t really dwell on it; it’s just something you got to get through.”
Yves Missi, Alex Sarr Named Rookies Of The Month
A pair of big men have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for games played in December, the league announced on Thursday (via Twitter). Pelicans center Yves Missi won the award for the Western Conference, while Wizards forward/center Alex Sarr has claimed the award in the East.
The No. 21 overall pick of last June’s draft, Missi has been one of the few consistent bright spots amid an injury-plagued season in New Orleans. The 20-year-old averaged 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 30.8 minutes per game across his 13 appearances last month, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line.
Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, struggled with his shot over his first month-plus of NBA action, but he kept firing away and his results have improved pretty dramatically of late. He averaged 13.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.7 BPG on .461/.455/.556 shooting in nine December games (28.4 MPG).
Unlike some other weekly and monthly awards, team record doesn’t matter much for rookies, who often receive the most opportunities on bad teams. The Pelicans currently have the worst record in the league at 5-29, with Washington at No. 2 in the reverse standings (6-25).
Missi beat out Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells to win the award in the West. Carlton Carrington, Tristan Da Silva and Zaccharie Risacher were the other nominees in the East (Twitter link). Wells and Jared McCain won the awards for games played in October and November (McCain subsequently suffered a torn left meniscus and is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery).
Wizards Notes: Champagnie, Kuzma, Carrington, Sarr
The fighting spirit that makes 6’6″ Justin Champagnie one of NBA’s best offensive rebounders has also helped him survive a difficult journey to earn a secure spot in the league, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Champagnie is still on a two-way contract he signed in March after joining the Wizards on a 10-day deal, but he’s become one of the team’s most dependable players. He has impressed coaches with his willingness to match up with larger opponents in the paint and battle them for rebounds.
“I feel like a lot of guys don’t want to crash the glass or don’t want to guard someone who is willingly throwing their body on the line every possession to try to go get a rebound,” Champagnie said. “And I just take advantage of it. I just have the willpower to go up there and go get ’em.”
Nothing has come easy for Champagnie on his way to establishing himself as an NBA player, Shakar adds. Some of his advisors tried to discourage him from playing collegiately at Pittsburgh, fearing he wasn’t good enough to earn a consistent role. He went undrafted in 2021 and had brief stints with Toronto, Boston and Miami before getting the opportunity in Washington. He offered some advice to other players who are in the same position.
“Never give up, never give in,” he said. “… It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be days where you play bad, you don’t want to be there or your body hurts, or whatever. But I think [the key is] showing up and attacking each and every day that you have … taking full advantage of [opportunities] whether you’re playing or not. Being engaged, being there and embracing and learning everything that’s going on around you so that you can use it, in your own career, your own journey, wherever it may be.”
There’s more from Washington, D.C.:
- Kyle Kuzma returned Monday after being sidelined for more than a month with a broken rib, Shankar states in a separate story. The veteran forward came off the bench for the first time since he joined the Wizards in 2021, contributing nine points on 4-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes. “Blessed to be able to get back on the court. It’s been a long month. Put a lot of work in to get back early. Typically my injury was a six-to-eight-[week] thing, breaking a rib,” said Kuzma, who added that he had difficulty breathing for a couple of days.
- Rookie guard Bub Carrington left Monday’s game in a wheelchair after his head struck another player’s knee, Shankar adds. He was ruled out with “post-traumatic headaches,” but Shankar says he was able to walk around the locker room after the game and talk with coaches and teammates. He is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game.
- After struggling with his shot during Summer League and the early part of his rookie season, Alex Sarr has seemingly found a solution, according to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports. Over his last 13 games, he’s connecting at 45.9% from the field and 43.1% from three-point range while taking five shots per night from beyond the arc. “[Alex] was taking good shots. They were shots that we wanted him to take and he didn’t hesitate,” coach Brian Keefe said. “Some people hesitate when they’re not making them. He was not. That’s one of the things that we’ve learned about him is how strong he is mentally. When things aren’t perceived to be going well, it doesn’t affect him. He just keeps going and that’s pretty impressive.”
Southeast Notes: Butler, Banchero, Coulibaly, Sarr, Wong, Miller
Jimmy Butler was in the spotlight quite a bit on Thursday, but he won’t be on the court tonight when the Heat play in Orlando. He’s listed as out due to return to competition reconditioning, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler is expected to rejoin the team on Friday when it prepares for Saturday’s road game against the Hawks.
Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley issued a statement on Thursday declaring that he won’t trade Butler. There has been heavy speculation regarding the future of Butler, who holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for the 2025/26 season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Magic star Paolo Banchero continues to ramp up his on-court work, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Banchero has been sidelined eight weeks since he was diagnosed with a torn right abdominal muscle. However, he still hasn’t gone through a contact practice, so his timeline to return remains unclear.
- Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr are available to play for the Wizards tonight against Charlotte, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post tweets. Both players sat out Monday’s loss to the Thunder.
- 2023 second-rounder Isaiah Wong is averaging 7.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in seven December games. Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer explores whether the Hornets may have found a diamond in the rough in Wong, who was signed to a two-way deal earlier this month.
- Hornets forward Brandon Miller is back in action tonight after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury, Boone tweets.
Injury Notes: Booker, Allen, Tatum, Lakers, Wizards
The Suns will be missing guards Devin Booker and Grayson Allen on Christmas Day. Both players were deemed unavailable for Wednesday’s game vs. Denver after sitting out the team’s practice on Tuesday, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Booker was originally ruled out for two games after injuring his groin last Thursday, with the Suns referring to the ailment as groin soreness. On its latest injury report, the team is now listing the star as out due to a groin “strain.” Wednesday will be Booker’s third consecutive absence.
Allen, meanwhile, has been in the concussion protocol since taking an elbow to the head in Saturday’s loss to Detroit. This will be the second game he has missed.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Celtics star Jayson Tatum was a surprise late scratch for Monday’s game vs. Orlando due to a non-COVID illness, as Brian Robb of MassLive.com details. Tatum has been listed as questionable to play in Wednesday’s Christmas Day game vs. Philadelphia as a result of that illness.
- Lakers stars Anthony Davis (left shoulder contusion) and LeBron James (left foot injury management) are both listed as questionable for the team’s Christmas Day game against Golden State (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). However, I’d be surprised if either player missed the game — they were listed as questionable due to the same ailments on Monday before being upgraded to available. Point guard D’Angelo Russell is also considered questionable to play due to a sprained left thumb.
- The Wizards were missing starters Bilal Coulibaly (right groin soreness) and Alex Sarr (low back soreness) on Monday, prompting the club to deploy a small starting lineup featuring guards Jordan Poole, Malcolm Brogdon, and Carlton Carrington (Twitter link). While neither of those injuries sounds serious, we’re still waiting for an update on big man Marvin Bagley III, who had to be helped off the court midway through the fourth quarter on Monday after suffering a painful-looking knee injury (Twitter video link).
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Rookies, Howard, Jovic, Stevens
Just one year after experiencing the worst season in franchise history (15-67), the Wizards are on pace for just 11 wins this year. At 3-20, they rank 30th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating, while their average point differential (-15.9) would be the worst in league history. While the Wizards were expected to lose more than they won this year as they continue to develop their core, it wasn’t supposed to look like this, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic write.
A little more than a year into their multi-stage rebuild, some Wizards officials believe their future franchise cornerstones are still playing in college or high school, according to Aldridge and Robbins. Officials didn’t think the team would start off worse than last season after adding veteran talent like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey over the summer, but both Brogdon and Kyle Kuzma have missed extensive time due to injuries, while Bey is expected to miss most or all of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
“I try to come into seasons with not too much of an expectation, because you just never know how things can go,” Kuzma said. “I probably thought we could struggle, but never to the extent that we are in the present.”
The injuries – along with the departures of some of last season’s rotation fixtures – thrust rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George into the spotlight early and often. While those three have been bright spots, Aldridge and Robbins note that they’ve each still struggled at times.
“We are immersed in a very difficult stretch right now,” general manager Will Dawkins said. “But we remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the organization. Our staff and players have continued to work, and are growing. We will continue to stack the positive developmental gains and, at the end of the season, put proper perspective on the totality of the year. Don’t worry about the whole thing right now; at the end of the year, let’s look up and see what we accomplished. They’re getting better, and they’re still working, and that’s the main thing. What we signed up for is hard, and we know it.”
Head coach Brian Keefe endured a similar situation with the Thunder in 2008/09 as a player development coach. That team opened the season 3-29 before winning 20 of its final 50 games. According to Aldridge and Robbins, Keefe has done a good job teaching the young talent, but the club has to do more to not surrender big runs in games.
“It’s being addressed, I can tell you that,” a team source said. “It’ll look different.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Getting used to the NBA’s grueling schedule is the biggest adjustment Sarr has had to make in the first part of his young career, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes in a piece reflecting on the progress the Wizards‘ rookies have made so far. Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his age-19 season.
- Last year’s No. 11 overall pick Jett Howard is continuing to earn more minutes for the Magic while holding his own on the defensive end, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Howard is averaging 4.2 points per game in 25 contests this season after making just 18 appearances last year.
- After falling out of the rotation in November, the Heat‘s Nikola Jovic worked behind the scenes to regain the trust of the coaching staff, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He had an impressive night on Thursday, contributing 14 points and four rebounds to help Miami beat Toronto. “If you’re not playing, how do you win the day? At least you have a staff that’s looking and valuing pre-practice, film sessions, practice, shootarounds, walkthroughs and that’s how you can earn trust,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But then you also stay ready, so that when you get your opportunity that you can make the most of it and then you can impact winning.“
- After trading Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, the Heat will have two open standard roster spots. They’ll have two weeks after that trade is officially finalized to fill at least one of those openings, and as we outlined on Friday, Dru Smith being converted to a standard deal is one avenue the team may explore. If that occurs, Isaiah Stevens could be a natural replacement for Smith’s two-way spot, suggests Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Stevens impressed in summer league and the preseason and is averaging 13.8 PPG and a G League-leading 10.8 APG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Wizards Rumors: Kuzma, Valanciunas, Brogdon, Davis, Baldwin, Coulibaly
The Wizards view Kyle Kuzma as a team leader who can help the team stay competitive and assist in the development of some of the young players on the roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. But Scotto says teams around the NBA view Kuzma as a potential trade candidate due to his skill set, the team-friendly declining structure of his contract, and the fact that he probably doesn’t fit Washington’s long-term timeline.
The Mavericks nearly traded for Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but the Wizards reportedly brought that opportunity to the forward, who decided to pass on it. As Scotto writes, the Pacers had some interest in Kuzma before they acquired Pascal Siakam and the Kings have also been connected to him over the past couple seasons.
While it’s unclear if any of those clubs would circle back to Kuzma at this point, Scotto hears that the Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers are among the other teams that have kept tabs on the 29-year-old.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon are among the Wizards’ veteran trade candidates being monitored by rival teams, says Scotto. According to Scotto, Valanciunas has provided the sort of veteran mentorship to No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr that Washington hoped for, going up against the rookie big man in practice and teaching him things on both sides of the ball.
- While the Wizards have a few trade candidates to watch, Scotto suggests that second-round picks may not move the needle much for the front office, especially if they come attached to bad contracts. Washington has already stockpiled several extra second-rounders and turned down offers consisting of second-round picks for Tyus Jones at last season’s deadline, Scotto adds.
- Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr., both of whom are on expiring contracts after having their 2025/26 team options declined in October, were shopped on the trade market prior to the season and are potential salary fillers for in-season deals, per Scotto.
- Although Bilal Coulibaly has taken a step forward in his second NBA season, the 20-year-old is still adjusting to being relied upon as a two-way threat, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that the Wizards forward’s offensive production has slipped following a hot start. “It’s been a lot thrown at me,” said Coulibaly, who has averaged 8.8 points per game with a .377/.208/.667 shooting line in his past nine games after putting up 17.0 PPG on .575/.387/.828 shooting in his first eight. “But I got to go through it because that’s what I want to do in my future, in the near future. I want to be a great two-way player. … I’ll take it.”
Southeast Notes: Carter, Suggs, Bridges, Risacher, Sarr
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. will return to action on Wednesday against Chicago after missing the past 12 games due to left foot plantar fasciitis, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters that Carter, who last played on November 3, will be on a minutes limit.
“He’s definitely going to be on a minutes (restriction) after sitting out that long. You’re going to have a time frame of 14-16 minutes just to see where he is,” Mosley said. “Sometimes those guys, coming from (injury), the conditioning side is a big piece. But we want to make sure we slowly walk it back in vs. just ramping up right away.”
The Magic played some of their best basketball early in the season during the six games in which Carter was available. His +10.4 on-court net rating is the second-best mark among the team’s regulars.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Carter’s foot injury plays a central role in a story from Jason Quick of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at the bond between the Magic big man and teammate Jalen Suggs. Frustrated in that Nov. 3 contest by suffering another injury after setting a goal of playing all 82 games this season, Carter broke down in tears on Orlando’s bench and was consoled by Suggs, his closest friend on the team. “I’m glad he cried, glad he let out tears,” Suggs said. “I think it’s important to have those moments. In those moments you know you are still human. And it shows he is one with himself. In that space, in front of 17,000 fans, he was still authentically him.”
- Hornets forward Miles Bridges, sidelined since last Tuesday due to a right knee bone bruise, has resumed individual on-court work, the team announced today (via Twitter). Bridges returned just 10 days after sustaining a similar injury earlier this month, but the team may be more cautious this time around, given that he aggravated the issue in his third game back.
- Zaccharie Risacher wasn’t a typical no-brainer No. 1 pick, but it looks like he should be a good fit for the Hawks, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who examines Risacher’s first few weeks in the NBA and shares early impressions from his head coach and teammates. As Weiss relays, Quin Snyder has lauded Risacher’s work ethic and mentality, while teammate Larry Nance Jr. praised the rookie’s willingness to embrace a team-first role. “I think he’s got a high ceiling, but I think it’s going to take time,” general manager Landry Fields said of the 19-year-old forward. “He’s got a longer runway.”
- This year’s No. 2 overall pick, Wizards center Alex Sarr, had his best offensive game of the season on Tuesday vs. Chicago, with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Varun Shankar of The Washington Post has the story on the silver lining of the Wizards’ 12th straight loss, noting that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon has offered the rookie some tips on his outside shot.
Wizards Notes: Poole, Wembanyama, Stock Watch, Rookies
After a forgettable first season with the Wizards, Jordan Poole is off to a much better start in year two, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Despite losing Wednesday’s game in San Antonio, Poole was terrific, recording 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, six assists, two rebounds and two steals.
As Shankar notes, Poole opened last season as the starting shooting guard, but after struggling for much of 2023/24, head coach Brian Keefe moved him to the bench to be a primary play-maker. Poole returned to the starting lineup as point guard late last season when Tyus Jones was injured, and he’s happy to have more on-ball opportunities again in ’24/25.
“I think [this game] is the perfect example [of the benefits of switching to point guard],” Poole said after Wednesday’s 42-point outburst.
Through 10 games (30.7 MPG), the 25-year-old is averaging 22.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.3 SPG and 0.7 BPG, with an efficient shooting line of .457/.444/.923. Several of those statistics represent career highs.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- In the draft lottery in 2023, the Wizards were one ping-pong ball away from landing the No. 1 overall pick and the chance to select French phenom Victor Wembanyama. On Wednesday, he showed them what they missed by pouring in a career-high 50 points on 18-of-29 shooting, including going 8-of-16 from long distance, Shankar writes for The Post. While they have some promising young talent, Washington lacks a clear-cut star to build around like Wembanyama, Shankar notes.
- Poole and second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly are among the Wizards whose stock is up through 10 games, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who says Alex Sarr and Kyle Kuzma are trending in the opposite direction early on in ’24/25. Washington’s 2-8 record is actually good thing for the future, Robbins adds, as the team needs to secure another high lottery pick for a 2025 draft class that is viewed as having plenty of high-end talent.
- Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network shares some early statistical trends for the Wizards’ trio of rookie first-round picks — Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George.
Southeast Notes: Bitadze, Carter, Jovic, Love, Sarr
Magic center Goga Bitadze, who stepped up when Wendell Carter was injured and started 33 games last season, finds himself in a similar position this fall. With Carter on the shelf due to left foot plantar fasciitis, Bitadze has started the past four games for Orlando and has averaged a double-double (10.5 points, 10.5 rebounds) to go along with 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per night in those starts.
“He’s just steady,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Sunday, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “He just stays ready the entire time. Doesn’t say a word when he’s asked to do something; he goes out and does it. He’s a great rim protector, does a great job in the pick and roll … He’s a facilitator on offense, getting guys in position in places on the floor. He just stays ready and that’s part of this team. We always talk about the next man up and guys are starting to step up into that role with other guys being out.”
As Beede writes, Bitadze was a free agent over the summer and potentially could’ve found a larger role and/or more money outside of Orlando, but he chose to stick with the Magic on a three-year, $25MM deal. The big man feels comfortable with the team that took a shot on him in February 2023, days after he was cut by Indiana.
“The guys (and) the coaching staff make it easy,” Bitadze said. “When you’re having joy every single practice, every single day with these guys, playing time is not that important, if you understand what I mean. It’s not that hard.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Carter is “doing well” and “slowly progressing” in his recovery from his foot ailment, according to Mosley, but the Magic center will miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday as Orlando faces Charlotte, tweets Beede.
- Heat forward Nikola Jovic came off the bench for the first time this fall on Sunday in Minnesota, but ended up having his best game of the young season, helping Miami claim a one-point win with 15 points and seven rebounds. After the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra challenged Jovic to maintain that level going forward. “This is the standard now,” Spoelstra said, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I don’t want to retreat, I don’t want to have to do things to get something out of players. He was very good tonight from the detail standpoint, the effort standpoint, rebounding, size, defending multiple efforts.”
- Heat forward/center Kevin Love, who made his season debut on Sunday following an early-season absence due to a personal family matter, lauded the organization for giving him the time off he needed, Chiang writes for The Herald. “They were so amazing in supporting me, letting me have my time and allowing me to come back refreshed in my mind,” Love said. “… The support was unbelievable from my teammates, coaching staff, organization. … Now that I’m back, I’m just trying to add that freshness, that lightness to the locker room and hopefully help out there, as well.”
- After making just 2-of-9 shots from the field on Monday, rookie big man Alex Sarr has a .330 FG% and a .186 3PT% for the season. That’s okay with the Wizards, who knew Sarr’s offense was well behind his defense and are prepared to be patient with the No. 2 overall pick, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. “This is part of the maturation of going through this league,” head coach Brian Keefe said. “You have to see all these different types of matchups. I’ve coached a lot of great players in this league … and you have to go through the fire. And you learn by doing and being out there and seeing what it feels like.”