Bub Carrington

Southeast Notes: Herro, Bitadze, Williams, Wizards

January 15th, 2025 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

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.”

Wizards Notes: Champagnie, Kuzma, Carrington, Sarr

December 31st, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

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.”

Wizards Notes: Losing Streak, Poole, Coulibaly, Valanciunas, Rookies

December 8th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards ended their 16-game losing streak with a victory over Denver on Saturday. Both teams were missing key players and Washington withstood a 56-point barrage from Nikola Jokic. Jordan Poole carried Washington with 39 points.

“Obviously, we want to win more games,” Poole said, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “We want to be extremely competitive night in and night out. But through that, we’re learning. We’ve got a lot of guys learning, a lot of guys in and out (with injuries). So, you don’t want to jump ship just because there’s a little bit of adversity. Everything that we’ve been getting taught all season just happened to show (Saturday).”

Poole made a career-best nine 3-pointers. “Been waiting to do that one for a while,” he said after the game.

We have more on the Wizards:

Bilal Coulibaly had another rough offensive night on Saturday, going 2-for-9 from the field. However, he was a defensive force with four steals and three blocks. “He was wreaking havoc out there,” coach Brian Keefe said, according to Robbins. “Steals. Blocks. … Yes, Bilal hasn’t made some shots lately, but that has not impacted his energy, his effort, his defense. I actually think his defense is actually improving in the last week. Look at some of the guys he’s guarded and what they’ve done against him, it’s not been that great. And that’s a testament to who he is: battling through adversity.”
Jonas Valanciunas is hopeful that Lithuania will be chosen as the host for FIBA EuroBasket 2029. Lithuania is among the countries who have entered bids. “First, a lot has to happen — paperwork, details, all that. But if we get the chance, it would be amazing,” Valanciunas told Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s a basketball feast. We’re a basketball country, just like Slovenia. It would be an honor to host the EuroBasket.”
Rookies have to adjust to NBA officiating and the Wizards’ first-year players are no different. Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network details how Carlton Carrington and other Wizards rookies are learning how to deal with officiating crews.

Wizards Notes: Poole, Wembanyama, Stock Watch, Rookies

November 15th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Rory Maher

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: Bufkin, Wizards, Carrington, Magic, Heat

October 24th, 2024 at 9:03pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Hawks second-year guard Kobe Bufkin suffered a partially dislocated right shoulder during a practice, the team announced Thursday in a press release. It’s the second time Bufkin has dislocated his shoulder in the last six months — he previously suffered the same injury ahead of Las Vegas Summer League in July.

Bufkin has had a rough go with injuries over the course of his young career. He was limited to just 17 games in his rookie season in 2023/24 after dealing with a fractured thumb and sprained toe. He averaged 4.8 points in 11.5 minutes per contest in his healthy appearances.

According to the Hawks’ release, Bufkin and the team are determining treatment options and an update will be provided at a later date. He’s likely to miss at least a few weeks. In the wake of his injury, guard Dyson Daniels will continue to get expanded opportunities.

In addition to not having Bufkin for Friday’s game, the Hawks are also listing Bogdan Bogdanovic as out with right hamstring tendinopathy, according to Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are once again expected to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings this season, but The Athletic’s Josh Robbins observes that there’s now a sense of purpose in the rebuild. With younger players like Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert under contract for the foreseeable future, and 2024 draft picks Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George in the building, the Wizards have a sound core. “When I first came here, there really wasn’t infrastructure,” said forward Kyle Kuzma. “Everything was on the fly, you know? [Now, there’s] much more of a sense of purpose in that department.” In a similar story, The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar writes that 2023 hires Michael Winger (president of Monumental Basketball) and Will Dawkins (general manager) have been crucial in this process. Shankar also explores potential steps forward and considers which players could be on the move this year.
Sarr, this year’s No. 2 overall pick, made his NBA debut on Thursday against the Celtics. He finished with two points, five rebounds and two blocks. Carrington started the game next to Jordan Poole at the guard spot, while George played off the bench. According to Wizards PR (Twitter link), the team’s opening-night starting lineup (Sarr, Poole, Carrington, Coulibaly, and Kuzma) was the youngest in franchise history.
Carrington landed awkwardly following a layup attempt in the fourth quarter of the season-opening loss to Boston, Robbins observes (Twitter link). He was down for a while before limping off the court to the Wizards’ locker room. The rookie guard finished his NBA debut with three points, two assists and two blocks.
The Magic defeated the Heat in dominant fashion in their season opener, leading by as many as 32 points, with forward Paolo Banchero pouring in 33. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, the team’s three-point focus and depth were key takeaways, while Gary Harris‘s dominance from beyond the arc (he made six of his nine three-point attempts for 18 points) is something to note. “It sets the tone for what the standard is with this team,” Banchero said. “Everyone was telling each other this was a hell of a game setting the tone but this is setting the tone for how we’ve got to be every night.“
On the other side of the court, the 116-97 home loss to the Magic was a crushing blow to open the season for a Heat team that was enthusiastic about its new offensive system in the preseason. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo combined for just 12 points on 15.4% shooting in the loss. “Offensively, we have to trust some of the things that we’ve been working on in the preseason,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It has looked a lot different than this. But obviously that’s a very good defense. That’s a top-five defense. They’re very active, long. So you have to trust what we do even more.“

Wizards Notes: Arena, Kispert, Carrington, Injury Report

October 23rd, 2024 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, D.C., has put forth a proposal for the city to buy Capital One Arena from Monumental Sports, the Wizards‘ parent company, according to Michael Brice-Saddler and Sam Fortier of The Washington Post.

The plan proposes the city buy the arena for $87.5MM, with that money coming out of a $515MM fund that city council approved earlier this year for renovations and expansions to the building. The idea would be to lease the arena back to the Wizards, with that lease extending through at least 2050.

D.C. already owns the land under Capital One Arena, Brice-Saddler and Fortier write, and if Monumental maintains control of the building, Ted Leonsis‘ company would be required to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes back to city on the money it receives for arena renovations, which are projected to cost $800MM in total (with at least $285MM being contributed by Monumental). That wouldn’t be the case if the arena is sold to the city.

“This is the deal that was always contemplated when Mayor Bowser and the D.C. Council approved a $515 million improvement in Capital One Arena,” deputy mayor for planning and economic development Nina Albert said in a statement. “This is the best structure to effectuate that; it is what enables an efficient use of public money to be fully reinvested in this project.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Wizards sharpshooter Corey Kispert said on Tuesday that he felt a “huge sense of relief” after finalizing a four-year, $54MM contract extension with the team ahead of Monday’s deadline, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m excited to get the deal done and secure the future for my family and play for this organization and ultimately now just really focus on the season,” Kispert said. “I tried to think that I was focused here anyways, but the amount of relief that I felt afterwards made me realize that subconsciously it was weighing on me. So I’m happy that’s out of the way now and I can play.”
Four rival talent evaluators who spoke to The Athletic were “almost universally optimistic” about rookie guard Carlton Carrington‘s long-term outlook, according to Robbins. One of those four scouts expressed confidence that Carrington can become one of the better players from this year’s draft, while another went even further. “I think he’s the best young prospect on the Wizards,” the second scout said. “I think he has a chance to be the best point guard in this previous draft class, and if he’s a 10-year NBA starter, it’s not going to shock me.”
With the exception of Malcolm Brogdon (thumb) and Saddiq Bey (ACL), the Wizards’ entire roster is expected to be healthy for the team’s regular season opener on Thursday vs. Boston, head coach Brian Keefe said this week (Twitter link via Robbins). That means Alex Sarr (calf) and Bilal Coulibaly (finger) should be good to go after missing Washington’s last two preseason games.

NBA GMs High On Thunder’s Offseason Moves, Celtics’ Title Chances

October 8th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder made the best roster moves during the 2024 offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. Within his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 37% of his respondents picked Oklahoma City as having the best summer, with the Sixers coming in second place at 33%. The Knicks got 20% of the vote share, while no other club received more than a single vote.

It was one of many favorable outcomes in the survey for the Thunder, who were overwhelmingly selected as the team with the best young core — 60% of GMs selected OKC, compared to 20% for the second-place Magic.

New Thunder guard Alex Caruso was chosen by general managers as the most underrated offseason acquisition, receiving 23% of that vote share, while last year’s Most Valuable Player runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was picked as this year’s MVP favorite (40%), narrowly edging Mavericks star Luka Doncic (30%).

The Thunder also received a handful of votes from the league’s GMs as the team that will win the 2025 NBA Finals, but at 13%, they finished a distant second to the Celtics, who earned a whopping 83% of the vote. Besides those two clubs, only the Mavericks (3%) received a vote to become this season’s champions.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

New Sixers forward Paul George got 60% of the vote as the offseason acquisition who will have the biggest impact in 2024/25, followed by new Knicks Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns at 13% apiece. The Towns trade, meanwhile, was named the most surprising offseason move, eking out George leaving Los Angeles for Philadelphia (27% to 23%).
Unsurprisingly, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the overwhelming choice (77%) for which player the GMs would most want to start a franchise with. Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic each earned three votes in that category, while Doncic got one.
The league’s general managers are high on No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard — the Rockets‘ guard is their pick to win the Rookie of the Year award (50%) ahead of betting favorite Zach Edey of the Grizzlies (30%). Sheppard also comfortably received the largest vote share (43%) when the GMs were asked which rookie will be the best player in five years. Spurs guard Stephon Castle (17%) and Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (13%) were the runners-up in that category.
There was no consensus among the GMs on which 2024 draftee was the biggest steal. Wizards guard Carlton Carrington, Kings guard Devin Carter, Pacers wing Johnny Furphy, Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon, and Thunder guard Nikola Topic each received three votes to lead the way.
Among newly hired head coaches, Mike Budenholzer of the Suns is the one GMs feel will have the biggest impact on his new club. Budenholzer received 40% of the vote, beating out Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers and J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons (20% apiece). Meanwhile, Spurs guard Chris Paul (30%) and Raptors guard Garrett Temple (20%) are the active players that GMs feel would make the best head coaches down the road.
Asked what they’d change about the NBA, 20% of GMs said the rules related to the tax aprons, trades, and roster construction are too restrictive and/or should be “indexed to (a) team’s market,” per Schuhmann, making it the top response.

Atlantic Notes: Fernandez, Barrett, Shead, Sixers’ Wings

October 7th, 2024 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez has established a rugged tone in training camp, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

“Probably one of the most unique, and hardest training camps I’ve been through in these 12 years now,” guard Dennis Schröder said. “Like it, though, so far. Everybody’s buying into it. Coach and coaches are doing a great job of keeping us organized and together. It’s been great.”

Forward Dorian Finney-Smith shared similar thoughts on the first week of camp.

“We’re going to be well-conditioned,” Finney-Smith said. “The people I talk to around the league, they all had great things to say about him, so I knew what to expect. I heard he was a hard worker and he’d want us to compete. That’s what he’s been asking us.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

RJ Barrett didn’t play in the second half of the Raptors’ preseason game against Washington on Sunday due to a bruised right shoulder, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Prior to the injury, Barrett scored 17 points in 14 minutes. He’ll be reevaluated early this week.
Second-round pick Jamal Shead showed off his defensive skills in the same game. He matched up against fellow rookie Carlton Carrington, who missed all six of his shots and committed three turnovers. “Me and him have a little bit of a history, he got the best of me in a pre-draft workout,” Shead told Grange. “So I had to come out and make it as hard as possible … he’s going to be really good, but I had to give him a taste of NBA-ready defense.”
The Sixers have a lot of versatility, especially at the wing spots, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. They are projected to start three wing players in Paul George, Caleb Martin, and Kelly Oubre. They also have options coming off the bench in Eric Gordon, Ricky Council IV, and KJ Martin. “I like to be super versatile, and you got to be able to shift people all over the place,” coach Nick Nurse said. “We do have a lot more in the middle that we can shift around.”

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Miller, Salaun, Carrington

October 4th, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, new Hawks big man Larry Nance Jr. singled out Jalen Johnson and Vit Krejci as players who have impressed him in training camp, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.

“He dominated practice today,” Nance said of Johnson. “He was awesome. He was knocking down threes in transition. He’s been really, really impressive, and I’m trying to push him into speaking some more and leading the group and breaking the huddles and stuff like that, because he’s going to be a guy in this league and with that comes ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ He’s going to wear the crown one day, and he is being groomed for that.”

Nance, who was acquired from the Pelicans this offseason in the Dejounte Murray trade, said he wasn’t very familiar with Krejci’s game before he joined Atlanta, but that has quickly changed.

“The dude can really play,” Nance said of Krejci. “He passes, he dribbles, he can shoot it. He’s shooting the heck out of it. And he defends. … Vit has been super impressive.”

Johnson is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason ahead of the final season of his rookie contract, while Krejci just signed a new four-year contract with Atlanta over the summer.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

With several new players on the roster, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is trying to figure out which lineup combinations work best together, writes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Snyder suggested that the starting lineup is very much up in the air, and could change over the course of the season. “So, I think the question really is, ‘How does our team function?’” Snyder said Thursday. “And the other part of it is, people will focus on the first game as, like, a definitive statement about something. And, we have an 82-game (regular) season. Well, say that we’ll have focus on that in the first (exhibition) game. And, we could start anybody we want, and there’ll be different starters, I think, throughout the year, based on a lot of things, there’ll be different lineups, and it’s something we have to continue to observe and see how guys play together, see who complements each other, see what rotations look like.”
Hornets wing Brandon Miller is coming off a strong debut season in which he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. While he has a reputation as a scorer, Miller has set an unusual goal for the 2024/25 season, per Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. “I want to lead the team in charges taken,” said Miller, who added that he wants to be an “elite two-way player.” As Fowler writes, the rookie led the team several hustle stats last season, including charges taken. The 21-year-old Miller also wants to add muscle to his lean frame.
French forward Tidjane Salaun, whom the Hornets selected No. 6 overall in June, may have a lengthy learning curve as he enters his rookie season. But the team has been pleased with Salaun’s competitiveness, work ethic, and constant desire to improve his game, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “It’s for sure a lot for Tidjane right now,” head coach Charles Lee said. “I think the terminology is a lot different than what he’s experienced — the physicality, the pace of the game. He’s in different positions on the floor, but he’s done a really good job of paying attention and asking questions.”
Wizards wing Corey Kispert says rookie guard Carlton Carrington has a great on-court mentality, according to Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “I mean, he flips the switch, man,” Kispert said. “He’s the most friendly, talkative, bubbly guy off the court. And then as soon as the ball goes up, he turns into a killer. You want guys like that on your team and you hate playing against guys like that on other teams.”

Eastern Notes: Holland, Caboclo, Cavs, Wizards, Heat

August 15th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Pistons forward Ron Holland, the No. 5 overall pick of June’s draft, has high expectations for himself as he prepares for his rookie season, he told Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required).

“I want to win Rookie of the Year, but my work ethic is going to produce like I’m trying to get it,” Holland said. “Whatever coach (J.B.) Bickerstaff and everybody else on the coaching staff needs me to do, I’m there to do it whether it’s defend, make shots, get people shots, whatever it is I’m willing and able to do it and I feel like I’m going to be available to do it. I’m going to do it to the best of my ability and whatever I need to work on, just sit back and learn and listen to my vets is what I’m really looking forward to doing.”

As for what he’s been focused on this summer, the 19-year-old said he’s working to improve his jump shot, with playing strong defense another area of emphasis.

“My main (offseason) focus has been a lot of catch and shoot, a lot of movement shots and really just attacking off the dribble and moving without the ball, and a lot on defense.” Holland said, per Sankofa. “I’m really keying in on defense because I know that’s one thing that will keep me on the floor this year.”

Here are a few more notes from the Eastern Conference:

A source told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that the Cavaliers were scouting Bruno Caboclo while the veteran forward was competing in the Olympics with Team Brazil (YouTube link via The Wine and Gold Talk podcast). Fedor was careful to couch that reporting by stating that no deal was imminent and that he was just illustrating a point about Cleveland’s front office regularly keeping tabs on international players (hat tip to HoopsHype). Caboclo, a 28-year-old former first-round pick, spent last season with Partizan in Serbia and has said he plans to return to the EuroLeague club next season.
Head coach Brian Keefe recently discussed the general development plan for the Wizards‘ trio of first-round picks, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Washington selected Alex Sarr (No. 2) and acquired the rights to Carlton Carrington (No. 14) and Kyshawn George (No. 24). “Establishing habits, No. 1,” Keefe told Monumental Sports Network. “I said the same last year with Bilal (Coulibaly), you teach them the professional habits and how to work in this league. It’s the only way you get better is to have consistent work habits and approach to everything you’re doing. That will be our No. 1 focus for those guys.”
The Heat enter 2024/25 with no true point guard on the roster, which could be an issue during the season, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel states in a mailbag column. As Winderman observes, Miami has several capable ball-handlers, but no true table-setter after trading Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round pick for Terry Rozier in January.

Load More Posts