Wembanyama, White Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named February’s Defensive Player of the Month for the Western Conference, while Celtics guard Derrick White has earned the honor for the Eastern Conference, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Wembanyama, who is the betting favorite for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, led the NBA in blocks per game (3.5) in February, increasing his league-best mark to 2.9 BPG. According to the NBA, he also ranked second in the Western Conference in defensive rebounds per game (9.3) as the Spurs enjoyed a perfect month (11-0).
San Antonio’s league-best +15.1 net rating in February was buoyed by a defensive rating of 106.2, which was the second-best mark in the league and ranked first among Western Conference teams. That rating improved to 100.0 during Wembanyama’s 323 minutes and dipped to 111.1 when he wasn’t on the floor.
Wembanyama was also named the West’s Defensive Player of the Month in January, so he’s the first repeat winner in either conference so far this season.
The Celtics were the only team with an overall defensive rating (105.5) better than the Spurs’ mark in February, and White was a crucial part of that effort. Despite standing just 6’4″, the veteran guard averaged 1.7 blocks per game for the month, which ranked third in the East. He also contested 75 shots, the highest total among guards, per the NBA.
As was the case with Wembanyama in San Antonio, the Celtics posted a defensive rating of just 100.0 when White was on the court in February.
Wembanya’s teammate Stephon Castle was among the other nominees for Defensive Player of the Month in the Western Conference, along with Clippers guard Kris Dunn, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., and Thunder teammates Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace (Twitter link).
Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson were nominated in the East.
Central Notes: Harden, Thompson, Duren, Bulls
James Harden never considered getting surgery on the thumb he fractured in a Cavaliers game against the Knicks last week, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. Returning to play on Sunday in a matinee matchup with the Nets, Harden scored 22 points on nine shots while adding eight assists and nine rebounds. After the game, he broke down why, for him, it was a simple decision not to opt for surgery.
“That’s too much time out,” Harden explained. “Thought about playing last game (on Friday). Thought about playing in Milwaukee (on Wednesday). There’s going to be some discomfort, so just figuring out ways to fight through… Got no other choice.”
On Saturday, he went to the NBA Players Association in Manhattan to get an individual workout, with the intent of seeing if he could dribble.
“If I can dribble, I can play,” he said. “I still couldn’t dribble how I wanted to, but it was good enough.”
Harden finished the game with five turnovers, which is where head coach Kenny Atkinson saw the effects of the injury shining through.
“Just fumbling the ball,” Atkinson said. “Couple of those turnovers weren’t his. Then I noticed him kind of deferring a couple times when bringing the ball up. Which he never does. Just probably needed to give it a break. It’s a tough one, especially for a guy that handles it as much as he does. But we needed him. He played handicapped. But he still played well.”
We have more from around the Central Division:
- While his stats might not always jump off the page for the Pistons, Ausar Thompson is Detroit’s floor-raiser and defensive heart, Hunter Patterson writes for The Athletic. He had a team-high 144 combined steals and blocks coming into Sunday’s game, and the Pistons are 21-4 when he plays 27 minutes or more. “You know how people have offensive modes where they feel like they’re on fire?” Thompson asked. “I feel like I have defensive modes like that. So when I get in modes like that I’m like, ‘Yeah, this guy’s not scoring.‘” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff highlighted his pick-and-roll defense as being particularly valuable. “His ability to get through screens and get back in front of his man so you don’t ever have to bring two (defenders) to the ball lets our defense continue to play five-on-five instead of playing five-on-four or four-on-three,” Bickerstaff said.
- Jalen Duren, the first-time All-Star, got a feather in the cap of his already exemplary season on Friday, Patterson writes. With Cade Cunningham on the bench after fouling out in the fourth quarter, Duren helped the Pistons erase a nine-point Cavs lead in under three minutes. He scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Pistons got the three-point victory, and added 16 rebounds and three blocks. Despite watching the end of the game from the sideline, Cunningham was all smiles about his teammate’s performance. “It’s special, man,” Cunningham said. “It’s everything we talked about, everything we knew he was capable of. He’s put a lot of work in to be where he’s at.” Over his last four games preceding Sunday’s victory over the Magic, Duren was averaging 28.3 points and 14.5 rebounds on 65.2% shooting. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Bulls got their first win since January 31 on Sunday, beating the Bucks 120-97 and snapping an 11-game losing streak. The win gave the young, awkward-fitting roster a positive moment to savor, Brian Sandalow writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “I know it’s been frustrating for [the players], I know I’m in the locker room after a game and after a loss they feel like they’re working hard, they’re trying hard,” coach Billy Donovan said. “… To see them stick with it for a whole month like this and to go through the struggles of that, I just appreciate the way they’ve stayed together and just continued to try to come back in each day to work to get better.” Donovan says that despite the winless month, he has seen growth from the team.
Central Notes: Bucks, Schröder, Allen, Thompson
A Bucks team that fell to 18-29 on February 1 and was facing the prospect of being without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for several more weeks has pulled off an unexpected turnaround in recent weeks, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. With eight wins in its past 10 games, Milwaukee has reentered the play-in race as Antetokounmpo nears a return.
While the Bucks’ current 8-2 stretch began a couple days before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, big man Bobby Portis doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence that the team has been playing better since the deadline passed without Giannis – and most of the rest of the players on the roster – going anywhere.
“So much outside noise about trades, so much outside noise about everything else that doesn’t involve winning, it kind of puts a dark cloud over your locker room,” Portis said. “It’s human nature to go out there and second-guess yourself. Human nature to be like, ‘Am I really gonna be here?’ You know what I’m saying? Now the deadline’s over, guys can just go out there and hoop and just play free and do what’s needed to win.”
As Nehm details, while the Bucks’ recent success has been a team effort, guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are leading the way. The duo has combined to average 43.3 points and 13.2 assists per game during that 8-2 stretch, with Porter shooting 53.5% from the field and Rollins hitting 49.1% of his three-point attempts.
“I think the more that we’ve been working out together, getting some practice (and) some two-mans in, we’re just confident in those stretches,” Porter said of he and Rollins starting and closing games together. “We gotta continue to do it. There’s nothing like game reps at the end of the day. It’s been a long season, so we’ve had those reps early on, but we were able to learn from those reps, also. So, I think that’s what you’re seeing a little bit of.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- With James Harden out on Wednesday due to a thumb injury, one of the other guards the Cavaliers acquired at this month’s trade deadline stepped up — Dennis Schröder made his first start as a Cav and had 26 points and five assists in a hard-fought loss to Milwaukee, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “I’ve always felt in my mind that he is a starting point guard in this league,” said head coach Kenny Atkinson, who coached Schröder in Atlanta earlier in his career. “That’s the way I’ve always looked at him. He’s done it before. If (Harden is out), then we are covered with Dennis.” Schröder twisted his ankle near the end of the game, but said that he should be “alright” going forward, Fedor notes.
- Although Jarrett Allen has benefited from having Harden as a pick-and-roll partner, the Cavaliers center was already in the midst of a hot streak before the star guard’s arrival in Cleveland, says Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Allen credits a pep talk from Atkinson, who told the veteran big man on January 28 that he needed him to “step up.” Since then, he has averaged 20.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game during a 9-3 stretch for Cleveland. For what it’s worth, Allen was involved in a few trade rumors leading up to the deadline, but the Cavs opted not to make a move.
- Hunter Patterson of The Athletic takes a closer look at Ausar Thompson‘s value to the Pistons, writing that the third-year wing views himself as one of the NBA’s best defensive players. “One thousand percent. I think I’m the best,” he said. “But I can always get better. And I know there are a lot of great defenders, but that’s just the way I feel.” While re-signing center Jalen Duren figures to be Detroit’s top offseason priority, Thompson will also be eligible for an extension beginning in July as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract.
Wembanyama, Thompson Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for January, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
After missing a pair of games to open the month, Wembanyama suited up for San Antonio’s next 13 contests and averaged 8.2 defensive rebounds and 2.2 blocks per night — both of those figures ranked second in the Western Conference for January, per the league. While the Spurs posted a modest 7-6 record during those 13 games, their defensive rating during that stretch was 107.5, which ranked first among Western Conference teams.
The strong month has firmly placed Wembanyama back in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, though he can’t afford to miss many more games if he wants to remain award-eligible. He has appeared in 35 of the Spurs’ first 49 games and must play in 30 of the last 33 to qualify for DPOY and other end-of-season honors.
Wembanyama was selected for the Defensive Player of the Month award over fellow Western Conference nominees Kris Dunn and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, Suns guard Jordan Goodwin, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, and Rockets guard Amen Thompson (Twitter link).
Amen’s brother Ausar Thompson of the Pistons has been recognized as the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for January, according to the league.
While he’s not a rim protector like Wembanyama, the Pistons wing wreaked havoc on the defensive end of the court last month by averaging a league-leading 2.4 steals per game, along with 4.2 deflections per game across 14 starts. Detroit went 10-4 in January and ranked first in the NBA with a 104.8 defensive rating.
The other Eastern Conference nominees for Defensive Player of the Month were Knicks forward OG Anunoby, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, Warriors center Alex Sarr, and Thompson’s teammate Isaiah Stewart, who won the award in December.
This is only the second season that the Defensive Player of the Month award has existed, but Wembanyama is a two-time winner, having also earned recognition for his defense in November 2024. It’s the first time Thompson claimed the honor.
Pistons Notes: Ivey, Harris, Thompson, Sasser
Jaden Ivey has played 18 straight games for the Pistons after missing the start of the season due to knee surgery, but has only surpassed 20 minutes twice in that stretch. Detroit is likely to keep Ivey coming off the bench for the near future while he continues to adjust to a full workload, writes Hunter Patterson in a mailbag for The Athletic.
“[There’s] a plan in place for him to ramp up where he’s comfortable, where he’s confident, so that he can get back to playing the bulk minutes,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff recently said of Ivey.
Advanced stats show Ivey to be a promising backcourt complement to Cade Cunningham, Patterson writes, citing their plus-13.3 net rating over 137 minutes on the court together. However, Patterson notes that the gravity Duncan Robinson commands as a shooter could keep him in the lineup over Ivey for the time being.
Ivey is averaging 8.4 points per game on .470/.407/.808 shooting splits, carrying over the much-improved shooting he displayed last season, which was cut short by a leg injury.
We have more from the Pistons:
- Tobias Harris left Tuesday’s win over the Lakers after playing just six minutes due to a hip strain, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), who says it was unclear when the injury was sustained. Harris is considered doubtful to play in Thursday’s game against the Heat due to left hip soreness, per Patterson (via Twitter).
- Ausar Thompson is committed to improving his body and his game during his time away from the court, he tells Mark Medina of Essentially Sports. Whether it’s working out in the weight room post-game or watching film after shootaround, the defensive-minded wing keeps grinding. “He’s one of those guys that does so much homework for each individual matchup,” Bickerstaff said. “You can tell it pays off for him.” One of Thompson’s main focuses this season has been finding ways to stay aggressive without taking himself out of his own game. “It’s definitely a process. You still have to have an aggressive mindset. You got to know how to play basketball the right way and not force shots,” he said. “Being aggressive doesn’t always mean shooting the ball. Sometimes it means just touching the paint or getting shots for one of your teammates. When I think of aggressive, that’s more of what I mean. It’s about getting paint touches and making my man guard me. I’m not necessarily thinking about the amount of shots I take.”
- Marcus Sasser missed the start of the season with a right hip impingement, but in Tuesday’s win over the Lakers, he reminded the team that he can be a valuable contributor, Sankofa writes. Sasser had 19 points, five assists, and two steals. “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what Marcus Sasser did tonight, after not playing but somehow always seeming to find himself ready for the moment,” Bickerstaff said. “Both ends of the floor, I thought he was great defensively. Obviously hit some big shots for us offensively. What he did isn’t easy. It’s not easy to not play a ton and then come out and be as effective as he was.” Sankofa notes that Sasser’s three-point shooting ability could prove very useful to the Pistons’ second unit, as the team ranks 21st in three-point percentage and is in the bottom five in attempts.
Pistons Notes: Bickerstaff, Officiating, Trade Targets, Cunningham
The Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in Dallas as the Mavericks pulled out a nail-biting 116-114 upset victory in overtime. During his post-game remarks to the media, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stressed that his team didn’t lose the game solely because of the officiating, but aired out a number of complaints about the referees, with a focus on crew chief John Goble.
As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, Bickerstaff never explicitly called out Goble by name. However, he repeatedly cited calls made by the crew chief and told reporters that Goble said to him during the game, “Night by night, this is how our interactions are.”
“So, that says to me that the referee is coming into the game not being objective,” Bickerstaff said. “OK? That same referee, at halftime, I get my technical foul. I don’t say anything to him. I go to grab Cade (Cunningham) to get Cade off the floor. He gives me a technical foul. That’s my job to get my player away from the referee, get us back to halftime so we can have the conversations that we need to have.
“So, the same referee who comes into the game who’s not objective, and then he goes out and makes those calls. (That) same referee, if you take a look at the play where he ejects (Ausar Thompson), he steps towards A.T., right? That’s where the minimal contact happens, where he steps towards him and initiates it.”
Goble told pool reporter Christian Clark of The Athletic after the game that he assessed Bickerstaff with a technical foul for “continuous complaining” and that Thompson was ejected for “aggressively approaching and making contact with an official.”
Bickerstaff also wasn’t happy about the fact that he wasn’t awarded a timeout during the Pistons’ final offensive possession despite the fact that “that same referee” (Goble) was standing next to him.
“You had one guy who wanted to make the game about the referees when that’s not what this should have been,” Bickerstaff said. “This was two teams competing their tails off, playing high-level basketball. But anybody who comes into the game and says ‘night by night,’ he clearly has an unobjective point of view.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- In a subscriber-only story for The Detroit Free Press, Omari Sankofa II identifies three-point shooting, power forward depth, and a second scorer to complement Cunningham as three areas the Pistons should be focusing on as the trade deadline approaches. Sankofa also singles out a few players who could be targeted in trades to address those needs, including Lauri Markkanen, Sam Hauser, and Dorian Finney-Smith.
- Cunningham just turned 24 years old in September, but he has already emerged as the Pistons’ leader. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic traces Cunningham’s desire to lead back to his high school days, when he was the youngest player on his varsity team and felt like the “odd man out” among players who didn’t want him there. “Me and those guys have come to terms, and we’re all good now. But it was something that made me grow a lot,” Cunningham explained. “… I learned how to lead from that, learned how to make people feel how I wanted to be made to feel at that time. I think that was one of the first moments where I was like, ‘I don’t like how this type of leadership is, and I want to be better whenever I have that opportunity to be the best player on the team.’ So I always revert back to that team whenever I’m thinking about how a leader was (that) I didn’t like.”
- After finishing seventh in MVP voting a year ago, Cunningham has career-high averages of 27.2 points, 9.2 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game so far this season. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said prior to Thursday’s game that the Pistons guard deserves to be an even bigger part of the MVP conversation this season. “When you look at the pace, his speed and his ability to control the game not just from scoring but passing,” Kidd said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “… He understands when it’s time to go. He should be mentioned with the MVPs, if not MVP right now, because of the high level he’s playing.”
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Markkanen, Banchero, Donaldson, Queta
Rival executives have frequently mentioned Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as an ideal trade target for the Pistons, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who suggests that there are a number of reasons why Markkanen and Detroit would be a logical match.
As Fischer writes, the Pistons explored the market for floor-spacing big men over the summer, with Naz Reid, Myles Turner, and Santi Aldama among the players they considered pursuing at the time. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also coached Markkanen in Cleveland. And Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon wanted to go after Markkanen in restricted free agency in 2021 when he was working under David Griffin in New Orleans’ front office, sources tell Fischer.
Still, as Fischer points out, Langdon has projected patience both publicly and privately, so it would come as a bit of a surprise if his front office looks to make a massive in-season move on the trade market. Fischer also hears that the Jazz would likely seek Ausar Thompson in any deal involving Markkanen and says the Pistons have no interest in moving the promising third-year wing. Sources tell The Stein Line that Utah considered trading up for Thompson during the 2023 draft.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Magic have ruled out Paolo Banchero (left groin strain) for a seventh straight game on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, but the star forward believes his return isn’t far off. “I think I’m in a good spot, just doing some movement stuff,” Banchero told Beede prior to Sunday’s loss in Boston. “The groin feels really good so the recovery’s been going well. … I’m definitely, pretty close. I don’t know when but definitely feeling close.”
- The WNBA’s Portland Fire have hired Brittni Donaldson as an assistant coach and assistant general manager, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report relays (via Twitter). Donaldson, who spent two seasons on Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff as an assistant from 2023-25, took on a front office role this fall entering her third year with the Hawks. Her title was director of basketball development, methodology, and integration.
- While it might be an overstatement to say that Neemias Queta is the Celtics‘ most irreplaceable player, it’s not entirely outrageous, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Queta has been Boston’s starting center for all 17 games so far this season and the team has outscored opponents by 16.4 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court. When he’s not playing, the Celtics are being outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. After Queta left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, Forsberg examines the Celtics’ options in the event the 26-year-old has to miss time.
Pistons Notes: Duren, Jenkins, Cade, Thompson, Klintman
After missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain, Pistons center Jalen Duren returned to action on Monday and completely overpowered the Pacers, recording 31 points (on 12-of-13 shooting), 15 rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.
“He’s just continued to dominate and that’s the only way you can say it,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “The way he’s rebounding the ball through contact and in traffic, getting to the free throw line … he’s just playing a well-rounded game.”
Detroit won its 10th straight game, the first time the team has reeled off that many victories in a row since 2008, per the NBA (via Twitter). Duren discussed the achievement after the game, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link).
“It’s the work we put in, I think it’s the summer work that we’ve put in. Obviously camaraderie and I think culture, honesty everything plays a part in it. It’s still early in the season, we have a long, long way to go,” Duren said.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Duren also discussed his growth as a leader, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “I’ve grown a lot,” Duren said. “ … Everybody holds everybody accountable. We’re not the type of team where it’s one guy dictating everything.”
- Daniss Jenkins, who was nominated for the Player of the Week award in the Eastern Conference, had another huge game on Monday, recording a career-high 26 points to go along with eight assists. The second-year guard, on a two-way contract, has thrived over the past handful of games amid backcourt injuries.
- Speaking of injuries, star guard Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game with a left hip contusion, while starting forward Ausar Thompson missed his fourth straight due to a right ankle sprain. Both players were listed as questionable before being ruled out, and Bickerstaff says they’re “trending in the right direction,” Patterson tweets.
- Second-year forward Bobi Klintman is expected to miss a “little bit of time” with a left ankle sprain, Bickerstaff told reporters, including Sankofa (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in last year’s draft (37th overall).
Central Notes: White, Davis, Siakam, Martin, Cunningham, Duren
Bulls guard Coby White made his long-awaited season debut and he didn’t disappoint. White, who was sidelined by a calf strain, scored 27 points and delivered eight assists in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday.
“The coaching staff talked to me about coming back and being aggressive, being who I was,” White said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Not kind of tiptoeing. I focused on that.”
White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was born in Chicago. Would the Bulls consider trading for the highly productive but oft-injured Davis? Cowley doubts that, noting that executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said at the start of training camp, “We have to be patient, we have to do it the right way and we can’t skip steps.” Davis has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his three-year, $175.3MM deal, which includes a player option for 2027/28.
- The Pacers have been decimated by injuries, but forward Pascal Siakam says that’s not a strong enough excuse for a 1-12 start. “We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” he told The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak. “There shouldn’t be a reason why you’re out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There’s thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we’re in. There’s no excuse. Obviously, it’s been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they’re not supposed to be in. But we can’t find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, ‘Whatever happens happens.’ It has to matter. We have to fight.”
- Cody Martin‘s 10-day contract under the hardship exception expired on Saturday and the Pacers couldn’t sign him to another, according to Dopirak, since they currently don’t qualify under the hardship rules. Martin appeared in four games during his brief stay with Indiana.
- The Pistons could have three starters back on Monday against Indiana, including star guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has missed the last two games due to a left hip contusion, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) has missed the last three — both players are listed as questionable. Jalen Duren, who has also missed the last two games due to a right ankle sprain, is listed as probable, according to The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II.
Central Notes: Nesmith, Walker, Terry, Pistons
Aaron Nesmith had to crawl off the court in Thursday’s loss at Phoenix, but the Pacers are hopeful that his injury won’t keep him out for long, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Nesmith was getting into a defensive stance in the third quarter when his left foot bent the wrong way (Twitter video link). He was helped to the locker room, and the team announced that he wouldn’t return due to knee soreness.
Nesmith was limping and appeared to have an ice bag on the knee as he left the arena, but he wasn’t using crutches, Dopirak observes. Coach Rick Carlisle was optimistic that it isn’t something severe like a ligament tear.
“Hoping that Aaron’s situation is not very serious,” he said. “At this point, it looks like we may have dodged a bullet in terms of something that is very serious. But he will miss some time.”
Losing Nesmith would add to a catastrophic run of injuries for the defending Eastern Conference champions that began with Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Seven players were sidelined heading into Thursday’s game, which Indiana lost by 35 points to fall to 1-11.
Nesmith would be a major loss if he has to miss any significant time. Dopirak points out that he’s handling an increased offensive load for the short-handed team in addition to being its most versatile defender.
“It hurts,” Carlisle said. “He’s a top player on this team. It hurt us out there tonight and it’s going to affect us.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Another rough shooting night for Jarace Walker brought his field goal percentage down to 29.7% for the season, Dopirak tweets. The third-year power forward missed all 10 of his shots in Phoenix after going 1-of-8 in the previous game at Utah. He was removed from the Pacers‘ starting lineup on Tuesday after starting seven straight games.
- Bulls guard Dalen Terry isn’t getting the playing time he had hoped for, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Terry, who will be a restricted free agent after not receiving a rookie scale extension, has appeared in seven of the team’s 11 games, but is averaging just 5.9 minutes per night. “I feel like it’s been a situation I’ve been in my whole life, to be honest with you,” he said. “With this being a contract year and things not starting like you want them to, guys can go into a dark place. But I just look at it like, ‘Man, it’s just basketball, and we’re winning right now.’ So my feelings aren’t really the priority.”
- The 10-2 Pistons are off to the best start in the East, but they have a lengthy injury report for Friday’s NBA Cup game against Philadelphia, notes Hunter Patterson of the Athletic (Twitter links). Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are all listed as questionable, while Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris are out.