Atlantic Notes: Simmons, Zizic, Vasquez
Sixers coach Brett Brown quashed speculation that rookie Ben Simmons might play his first game January 27th, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia’s contest against the Rockets on that date was recently added to ESPN’s national television schedule. A picture of Simmons appeared on Instagram not long after, leading many to believe it was more than a coincidence. But Brown said today that Simmons, who hasn’t played since suffering a fractured bone in his right foot in October, definitely won’t be ready by then. “I am a social hermit,” Brown said when a reporter asked about the possibility. “I have no idea what you are talking about. But I do know there is no chance that he will play then.”
There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:
- It’s still not definite that Simmons will be able to return this season, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. An unidentified source told Scotto, “Everyone needs to hold their horses and hope he plays at all.”
- Celtics draft-and-stash prospect Ante Zizic is ready to try the NBA next season, relays Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. The 6’11” center is playing for Darussafaka Dogus in Istanbul after being taken with the 23rd pick in the 2016 draft. Zizic is getting an education in the NBA game from former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, who now runs Darussafaka. “I want to prepare for the NBA,” Zizic said. “Because this summer I’m going to the NBA for sure. I think that the best preparation for the NBA is playing at the highest possible level. And EuroLeague provides that.”
- Signing Greivis Vasquez was the first mistake by new Nets GM Sean Marks, writes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Brooklyn gave the 30-year-old point guard a guaranteed $4,347,826 for one season even though he wasn’t completely healed from ankle surgery. Vasquez played just three games for the Nets before being waived November 9th.
Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Simmons, Thomas
The Knicks suffered a disappointing loss in Toronto on Sunday, at one point down 38 points. It was a fitting end to a chaotic week. To the chagrin of those looking for a drastic roster moves in the Big Apple, New York Daily News writer Frank Isola confirmed that Carmelo Anthony has not considered waiving his no-trade clause.
Anthony spoke to the media following the game. Per Isola: “If [the Knicks] feel like my time in New York is over, I guess that’s a conversation we should have.”
Earlier this weekend, Isola wrote about a reported tirade that Anthony is said to have gone on following a Wednesday night loss to the Sixers. At the time Isola reported that it wasn’t expected that Anthony would waive the clause either.
With three years left on his contract, Anthony could technically remain with the Knicks until he’s 35 years old. Whether recent events could change things, remains to be seen. If one thing is known, it’s that Anthony won’t be hastily moved without his permission.
There’s plenty more out of the Atlantic Division today:
- Injured rookie Ben Simmons has been traveling with the Sixers, writes Brian Seltzer of the Sixers’ official website, and Brett Brown is a firm believer in the impact that can have on a young player. “It’s feeling the gyms, it’s feeling the preparation, it’s being a part of a scout tape as you go through game preparation, it’s being on a bench, and seeing referees, and seeing players, and watching how the different flow of the game is real.”
- After suffering a foot injury in October, Jared Sullinger has recently returned to practice for the Raptors. The forward is well aware of the long road ahead of him before he’s in game shape. “It feels great, but horrible at the same time,” Sullinger tells Ryan Wolstat of the National Post of his first week of on-court action, “I have no lungs.”
- The Sixers are starting to win basketball games and play with confidence, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “This is the first time that we’ve had, no disrespect to other teams, but we have an actual team,” said big man Nerlens Noel, the most tenured player on the roster.
- After leaving New York’s Sunday matchup, Knicks forward Lance Thomas is said to have suffered a “fracture to a bone in his cheek,” says ESPN’s Ian Begley over Twitter.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Noel, Simmons
The Raptors have the assets to pull off a substantial trade, but Nick Faris of the National Post wonders if GM Masai Ujiri is willing to sacrifice the long-term view in order to go all-in this season. The team has two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and it has tremendous depth, which could allow it to give up multiple pieces in exchange for a high-quality player. Faris believes Paul Millsap, who was told by the Hawks that he wasn’t going to be traded, would be an excellent addition should Atlanta change its stance.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- During free agency. the Raptors promised Jared Sullinger their starting power forward spot and once the big man is healthy enough to play, he’ll take that role, Josh Lewenberg of TSN writes. Sullinger had more lucrative offers on the table but decided to join Toronto because of that promise, Lewenberg notes. There is still no timetable for his return to the court.
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link) hears that Nerlens Noel would still like to change teams in the offseason, barring a maximum salary offer from the Sixers. Noel will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
- There remains no official timeline for Ben Simmons to return to the Sixers‘ lineup, but he continues to make progress, as Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports relays. Simmons played point guard during practice in five-one-zero drills and coach Brett Brown has previously said that he intends to play the rookie at that position.
Sixers Notes: Simmons, Okafor, Noel, Embiid
Injured rookie Ben Simmons has started traveling with the Sixers and has intensified his workouts, according to Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Still recovering from the right foot fracture he suffered in September, Simmons ran sprints and shot jumpers before Friday’s game at Boston. “Because it’s starting to get into a new year and we’re seeing him without the boot and slowly integrated with the team, this is a part of it, including him on the road,” said coach Brett Brown. “At times, we have a physiotherapist and a better plan at home if we’re on really long road trips. It’s a sign that, you know, not too far away, we can see him and start integrating him more and more and more. This is the first small step to doing that.”
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- Jahlil Okafor is the latest big man to fall out of the Sixers’ rotation, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Okafor never got off the bench Friday, even as Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel were in foul trouble. Pompey notes that Okafor doesn’t fit the team’s new emphasis on defense, but adds that the Sixers can’t decide how to manage their three young big men. “There’s a body of work now that is enough to make some assumptions, some decisions in a more reasonable way,” Brown said after Friday’s game. “It’s not like we all just met each other. We’ve been doing this for a while. The great challenge is sometimes pairings aren’t as successful as you wish they were.”
- The most painful part of the Sixers’ rebuilding project appears to be over, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Philadelphia is a virtual lock to miss the playoffs again, but Washburn says the development of Embiid is one of many reasons for hope. The franchise will have room to offer two max contracts this summer and may get the Lakers’ first-round pick in addition to its own.
- Embiid is part of a young crop of versatile, mobile centers who are changing the way the game is being played, states Michael Lee of The Vertical. Embiid is also campaigning to have the center position returned to the All-Star ballot. They were mixed in with frontcourt players in 2013. “I feel like they should put the centers back. We’ve got a lot of talent,” Embiid said. “There’s a lot of talented centers in the league. That’s on [the NBA] to do that. But my job here is to keep playing basketball and be the best I can be and push them to make that decision to put the center back on the All-Star ballot.”
Sixers Notes: Noel, Embiid, Simmons
The Sixers want to evaluate how Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid play together on the court, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet relays. Philadelphia started Jahlil Okafor next to Embiid over the last six games, but the team went 1-5 in those contests, which may lead to the duo seeing less action together. “I think over the course of the year, you’re going to see different things,” coach Brett Brown said. “To do it [with Embiid and Okafor] maybe as much as I have done it, I don’t believe that will be the case. But there will be times you’re going to see them paired up just through situations or foul trouble or injury.”
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Brown added that his intention is to “force feed” the Noel-Embiid pairing, as Derek Bodner of Philadelphia Magazine passes along (Twitter link). Ersan Ilyasova is starting next to Embiid in tonight’s against the Wolves, but the two centers will see court-time together as well.
- Kurt Helin of NBC Sports believes the Sixers are giving Noel additional playing time so they can showcase him to potential trade partners. Finding a team that is willing to give up major value for the center may be a difficult feat, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed in his Trade Candidate piece.
- There remains no timetable for Ben Simmons‘ return to the floor, but the 20-year-old will be more involved going forward, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “You are going to start seeing him integrated more and more as this New Year is now upon us,” Brown said. “It’s still, obviously, not to the point where he’s on the floor practicing. But nobody should be worried that his foot is not healing.”
Sixers Notes: Simmons, Bayless, Lakers’ Draft Pick
The Sixers‘ overstocked frontcourt has been drawing headlines this season, but what the team really needs is help at point guard, writes Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia had planned to let rookie Ben Simmons run the offense with newly acquired Jerryd Bayless providing a veteran counterpart in the backcourt. However, Simmons’ fractured foot and Bayless’ wrist injury have forced the Sixers to turn over point guard duties to Sergio Rodriguez and T.J. McConnell.
“We started the season with Jerryd Bayless as our starting point guard and Ben Simmons was going to share some of that and be starting at a four. We lost them both for, so far, the season and we’re obviously reevaluating Ben,” said coach Brett Brown. “So you have what used to be your second point guard and your third point guard now lifted a shelf higher and the expectations of grabbing that position come with it. I think that under the circumstances they’ve been very good. Now you need a starting guard.”
There’s more this morning out of Philadelphia:
- Bayless tried for two months to heal the torn ligaments in his left wrist without surgery, relays Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Bayless, who signed a three-year, $27MM deal over the summer, first hurt the wrist in training camp. He tried to play through the pain, but managed just three games. “That’s why I was trying to push it off,” Bayless said. “That was the goal, to try to avoid it at any cost. From the beginning I knew it was going to be season-ending, but I decided to do it. It’s unfortunate, but at the same time I’m glad I’m getting it fixed now and I can move on from it.” Bayless underwent an operation December 15th to have three pins inserted in the wrist and must keep it immobilized for 12 weeks.
- The Sixers are still waiting for the draft choice that was part of the Michael Carter-Williams trade nearly two years ago, writes Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly. In February of 2015, Carter-Williams was sent to the Bucks in a three-team deal, with Philadelphia receiving a protected Lakers pick from Phoenix. It was top-five protected in 2015 and top-three protected last season, and L.A. kept it both times. It is top-three protected again this year, and with the Lakers seventh in our Reverse Standings at 11-22, it’s possible the Sixers will have to wait even longer. If L.A. remains No. 7, it would have a 15% shot at getting a top three pick in the draft lottery. The choice will become unprotected in 2018.
Sixers Notes: Noel, Embiid, Colangelo, Simmons
Sixers coach Brett Brown gave fans what they were asking for Tuesday night, and the Nerlens Noel situation took another twist, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Two days after Brown announced that Noel was out of the rotation, he entered the game midway through the third quarter. Brown explained it was because of foul trouble, but Philly fans were loudly chanting, “We want Nerlens” just before he got off the bench. Noel played the final 6:49 of the quarter and finished with four points. “I think holistically [the Sixers have] to find a way to take these bigs and manage them,” Brown said after the game. “We have to try to find a way that is going to help our team moving forward, get some wins, develop our guys.”
There’s more out of Philadelphia:
- Starting center Joel Embiid was happy to see Noel back on the court and referred to him as his “best friend on the team,” relays Shamus Clancy of LibertyBallers. Clancy urges Philadelphia to try to re-sign Noel this summer to ensure that there is always at least one rim protector on the court.
- The Sixers aren’t going to let Noel talk his way into a trade, claims Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Noel has been critical of the franchise for having three young centers on the roster who all need playing time and lashed out after playing just eight minutes in a game last week. GM Bryan Colangelo held a news conference Monday and delivered the message that Noel should keep quiet to avoid further damaging his trade value. “At this point, in order for us to fairly evaluate Nerlens and for Nerlens to be fairly evaluated [by other teams],” Colangelo said, “he needs to show that he’s healthy, and that he’s professional and he’s got a good attitude to everything that’s going on and that may lead to ultimately something that would lead to a move.”
- No. 1 pick Ben Simmons is making progress in his recovery from the right foot fracture he suffered in October, according to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. The team hasn’t placed a timetable on Simmons’ return because it wants to avoid any temptation to rush him back before he is ready. In the meantime, he is getting a classroom-style education about the NBA game and is preparing to be the Sixers’ primary ballhandler. “We’re going to play with probably a considerable amount of pace [with Simmons],” Colangelo said. “He tends to grab and go … rebound the ball and push the ball up the floor, pass ahead, all the things that he demonstrated not only in college, but quite clearly in summer league. I think that the desire of this team and this organization to play a certain style of play incorporates some of that.”
Bryan Colangelo On Noel, Frontcourt Logjam
GM Bryan Colangelo said he doesn’t feel the need to make a trade, as Derek Bodner of the Philadelphia Magazine passes along in a series of Twitter links. “If [all the centers are on the roster at the end of the season], so be it. I will not make a bad deal for this organization,” Colangelo said. The GM added that he’s aware everyone will be lined up to criticize any deal he should make involving Nerlens Noel.
Colangelo believes the root of the logjam in the frontcourt has been the health of Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid. “I don’t think we’ve been at a point where we could actively pursue a trade with any of the centers,” the GM said. He added that the team is “fascinated” with the Noel-Embiid combination.
[RELATED: Trade Candidate: Nerlens Noel]
The Sixers took Noel out of the rotation this week and the team maintains that it was not a direct response to Noel’s comments. Colangelo said the decision was made because they realized that there is a lot of talent on the team and not everyone can play, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter links).
Colangelo added that the team needs to play faster once Ben Simmons returns, but he didn’t provide a timeline for when that would happen, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet tweets.
Sixers Notes: Okafor, Simmons, Noel
Jahlil Okafor could be the odd man out in Philadelphia, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. Sielski notes that Okafor is not a fit next to either Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid, and he’s the worst defender of the three players.
Noel had previously expressed concerns about the frontcourt logjam, but it appears he is now more open to playing alongside his teammates. Embiid, who is likely to get pushed to power forward for the time being, regardless of whether Noel or Okafor is traded, has no concerns over the logjam.
“I’ve always wanted to be a point guard,” Embiid exclaimed. “So that gives me a chance to get the ball, iso, play one-on-one from the three-point line, the pull-up jumpers. I’ll be more of a spacer, more of a stretch four.”
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Ben Simmons took a major step forward in his recovery from a fractured right foot, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. Simmons was able to shoot foul shots without a walking boot for the first time since suffering the Jones fracture.
- Coach Brett Brown is pleased with Simmons’ understanding of the game, Selzer adds in the same piece. “From a non-medical standpoint and just his coach, the evolution that he and I have been able to have in a classroom and on a court, in talking things through over the past few months, is fantastic,” Brown said.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines how the Sixers have failed in previous drafts. The scribe breaks down the team’s last six drafts and finds the team missed out on top talent in nearly every one.
- Earlier today, we learned that rival teams were discouraged with the results of their research on Noel and the Sixers may not be able to get much in return for him as a result.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Okafor, Noel, Simmons
Joel Embiid has been cleared for 28 minutes per game, another sign that his recovery from foot problems is going well, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The rookie center had been limited to 24 minutes along with restrictions on back-to-back games. Even with those limits, he has averaged 18.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per night in 12 contests. The decision to expand his minutes was made after consultations with team doctors. Embiid underwent a CT scan on Monday that showed his foot is in good shape. “Everybody would see the impact that Joel has when he is on the floor,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “The four minutes by all indications will give us a better chance of winning.”
There’s more news out of Philadelphia:
- The postponement of tonight’s game with the Kings robbed fans of the chance to see Embiid and Jahlil Okafor on the court together, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Sixers’ first-round picks in 2014 and 2015 have shared the court for just two minutes and 36 seconds so far this season, but Brown had planned to use them extensively to match up with Sacramento’s big front line. “Tonight, there are matchups the other team puts on the floor that justify it and feel it’s not hurting the team,” Brown said before the game. “You want to judge it on defense and are we getting up and down the floor and matchups, but tonight seems like a good night to make it happen.”
- Nerlens Noel is expected to join the Sixers for practice on Thursday after a short stay in the D-League, tweets Derek Bodner of PhillyMag. Noel was sent to the team’s affiliate in Delaware Tuesday on a rehab assignment.
- Rookie Ben Simmons continues his slow recovery from surgery after fracturing his right foot in October, Bodner tweets. Simmons, who is expected to take over at point guard when he returns, was at a recent practice working on post passes to Embiid and Okafor while sitting on a chair.