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Western Notes: Flagler, Durant, Leonard, Ingram

December 9th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder two-way player Adam Flagler will miss four-to-six weeks due to a right fourth metacarpal fracture, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman tweets.

The 25-year-old guard out of Baylor has appeared in 11 games with the Thunder this season. He’s averaged 1.4 points and 0.5 rebounds in 3.4 minutes per contest, having played almost exclusively in garbage time.

Flagler is a holdover from last season, as he originally signed his two-way deal in February. He was a critical contributor for the Oklahoma City Blue’s championship squad in 2023/24. In three G League contests this season, he has averaged 25.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.7 APG and 2.3 SPG.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Suns are 11-2 with Kevin Durant in uniform and 1-9 without him. Phoenix should be able to overcome Durant’s absences better than that, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com writes. Their futility in the games he’s missed is due in large part to Devin Booker‘s subpar efficiency and spotty defense, as well as Bradley Beal‘s inability to step up his game to fill the void, according to Bourguet.
Kawhi Leonard appears to be progressing toward a return this month and it would be an ideal time to ease him back into the Clippers‘ lineup, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. The Clippers don’t have back-to-back games until New Year’s Day and will only play six games in the 21-day window that begins on Monday, which should help their injured players heal up. “He’s a defensive-minded guy who can guard the basketball, guard five different positions,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of Leonard. “For him coming into what we’re doing, it shouldn’t be hard for him to get involved.”
Brandon Ingram‘s ankle injury, which will keep him out of action indefinitely, means the floundering Pelicans must soon make some difficult decisions, William Guillory of The Athletic writes. They must decide what to do with Ingram, a free agent after the season, and whether there’s still a trade market for him. They also must figure out what to do with their other oft-injured star, Zion Williamson.

Pacific Notes: DeRozan, Huerter, Crowder, Reaves, Booker

November 30th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are optimistic that DeMar DeRozan will be back on the court for Sunday’s game against San Antonio, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After missing the past two games with lower back muscle inflammation, DeRozan was a full participant at today’s practice and is listed as probable on the team’s injury report.

Anderson points out that DeRozan’s early-season battle with injuries has been one of the reasons for the team’s slow start. He missed three games earlier this month with tightness in his lower back, then returned for three games before the back issue flared up again on Monday. DeRozan has been an important cog in the offense when healthy, averaging 22.6 points per game in his first season in Sacramento.

The short-term outlook is less promising for Kevin Huerter, who wasn’t able to practice today, Anderson adds. The veteran guard had to leave Friday’s loss to Portland after rolling his ankle, and he’s considered doubtful to play in Sunday’s contest.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

In an interview with Sean Cunningham of KTXL (Twitter video link), Jae Crowder talks about the chance to resume his NBA career with the Kings. Crowder admits being disappointed that he wasn’t invited to training camp after auditioning for the team in September, but he’s grateful that the opportunity eventually came. “I thought I had a good week here,” he said of the preseason workout. “I was connecting with the guys in a great way, especially the younger guys latched on to me. … I felt like I did my job in the sense of just being a veteran when I came in the gym, and I just tried to play the right way and give myself a chance to be on this team.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves suffered a left pelvic contusion, but no structural damage, on a hard fall in Friday’s game against Oklahoma City, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times (Bluesky link). Reaves was injured when he landed on his back after being hit by Isaiah Hartenstein and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a drive to the basket. Reaves stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, but went to the locker room shortly afterward. Woike adds that he traveled with the team on its four-game road trip and will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Utah.
Before tonight’s meeting with the Suns, Warriors coach Steve Kerr once again singled out Devin Booker for adjusting his game to complement the other elite players on the U.S. Olympic team (Twitter video link from PHNX Sports). “It’s not easy for a guy to adapt his normal role of go-to-guy, scorer and then to be asked to be a defender, connector and then thrive in that role,” Kerr said, “and then become a star when we needed him to become a star.”

Pacific Notes: Waters, Powell, Hachimura, Hayes, Booker

November 21st, 2024 at 10:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

With De’Anthony Melton out for the season due to a knee injury, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has at least temporarily decided to go with Lindy Waters III as the team’s starting shooting guard, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. Waters, who started the past three games, has impressed Kerr with his ability to move without the ball, cut to open space and space the floor.

It’s quite a surprise that Waters has become such a valuable member of the team. He was acquired from the Thunder in a draft-day trade for a late second-round pick.

“He’s a good fit in that (starting) group,” Kerr said. “I like bringing Buddy (Hield) off the bench.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Norman Powell missed the Clippers’ game against the Magic on Wednesday and will also miss Friday’s contest against the Kings, according to The Associated Press. Powell, who is averaging a career-best and team-leading 23.3 points, is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Rui Hachimura has been sidelined by a sprained left ankle, missing three games, and Jaxson Hayes has been sidelined for four games since spraining his right ankle during a practice. Lakers coach J.J. Redick is hopeful both players will return to action next week, according to Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
Kerr made a point of telling the media at the Paris Olympics that Suns guard Devin Booker was the “unsung MVP” for Team USA. Booker appreciated the praise, he told Marc Spears of Andscape. “It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker said. “That was probably something that was weighing on his heart throughout the whole process. I said it a year prior what I wanted to do for that team and what we want to do for the country.” Booker’s aim now is to win a championship, something that many of his Olympic teammates have already achieved. “Most of the guys that were there, they have done it,” Booker said. “They have been champs. That is the standard for them. Anything less than that, they don’t want nothing to do with it. It’s contagious … It’s all I want.”

Western Notes: LeBron, Booker, Saric, Nnaji, Williams

November 14th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

A story seemingly as old as time, or at least since 2003: LeBron James is playing at an All-Star level. Just a little over a month from his 40th birthday, James is averaging 24.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 45.9% on three-pointers.

Still, James continues to hint that retirement isn’t all that far off his radar. According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, James said he doesn’t expect to play much longer.

“It’s the mind,” James said of what will determine when he retires. “Wherever my mind is, is how the rest of my body is going to go, whatever the case may be. I’m not going to play that much longer, to be completely honest. One year, two years, whatever the case may be. I said the other night that I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not. I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to be the guy disrespecting the game because I just want to be out on the floor.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Suns are off to a 9-3 start, but Devin Booker‘s play has been up and down. He scored 31 points on Tuesday in a win but followed that up with just 18 points in a loss on Wednesday. Still, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes that there’s no reason to worry about Booker. He’s shooting just 43.4% from the field after connecting on 49.2% of his shots last season, but he’ll almost assuredly bounce back to his normal efficiency, Bourguet opines.
After playing in each of Denver’s first five games, Dario Saric is now out of the rotation. The Nuggets have won five straight games since benching Saric following a 2-3 start. Head coach Michael Malone confirmed the move, according to The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando (Twitter link). “I don’t expect Dario to be walking around here with a smile and pom-poms like he loves this,” Malone said. “But to his credit, he’s been the ultimate teammate.“
On the other hand, Zeke Nnaji played only once in the first five games but has been part of the rotation during the Nuggets‘ five-game win streak. Malone addressed what Nnaji’s been bringing to the rotation, per Durando (Twitter link). “I think he’s been solid,” Malone said. “I think he’s going to continue to get an opportunity. He’s gotta go out there and just try to finish around the basket, knock down open threes. And most importantly obviously he’s gotta be the anchor of our defense if he’s playing backup five.“
The Thunder have been playing 6’5″ forward Jalen Williams at center while dealing with injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. Without their traditional big men, their small-ball lineups are causing havoc, Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman writes. They forced 23 turnovers against New Orleans on Wednesday. Kenrich Williams also saw minutes at the five off the bench and will continue to be leaned on moving forward, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated writes.

Western Notes: Wembanyama, Thompson, Booker, Reddish, Russell

November 12th, 2024 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Victor Wembanyama enjoyed his best game of the season against Sacramento on Monday. The second-year Spurs star racked up 34 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. He knocked down half of his 12 three-point attempts and the team’s interim coach wants him to keep hunting shots after a slow offensive start to the season.

“He makes shots every day,” Mitch Johnson said, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. “He missed really good shots to start the year, and I understand why it’s a talking point. But I don’t think we ever wavered on him not making shots. I think it is just the percentages evening out at this point.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

Klay Thompson feels even better now about his decision to move on from the Warriors and join the Mavericks, he told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Thompson says it was a necessary move mentally as well as career-wise. “Honestly, it’s rejuvenated me and done something I needed bad just for my mental and my career,” Thompson said. “So, I really feel the love here, and I feel highly valued that I can do great things.” Thompson is averaging 13.8 points in 3o.1 minutes per night while starting 10 games.
Devin Booker is still adjusting to Mike Budenholzer‘s rotation patterns. With past coaches, Booker often played the entire first quarter. That hasn’t happened this season — Budenholzer prefers to utilize his players in shorter bursts, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes. “Probably the last eight years of my career, I played the first 12 minutes,” the Suns star guard said. “Trying to find a rhythm, but at the same time, set guys up. It’ll come.”
The Lakers are off to a 6-4 start and the Orange County Register’s Khobi Price offers 10 observations through the team’s first 10 games. He notes Cam Reddish has made the most of his increased playing time since being added to the rotation last week and that bench scoring has jumped since D’Angelo Russell was moved to the second unit.

Pacific Notes: Booker, Davis, Curry, Coffey

November 5th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Devin Booker is experiencing wild swings in performance. The Suns guard earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors but now finds himself in a shooting slump, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic notes.

Over the last two games, Booker is 12-of-41 from the field while making just two of 16 3-point tries. Booker’s shooting hasn’t affected Phoenix’s bottom line — it has won five straight.

“You just flush it,” Booker said. “Thankfully, it came in a win. That’s what the game’s about, but obviously frustrated. Just missing shots I feel I can make.”

We have more from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have listed Anthony Davis as questionable to play at Memphis on Wednesday, Khobi Price of the Orange County Register tweets. Davis is dealing with a left heel contusion, an injury he aggravated in a loss to Detroit on Monday. The nine-time All-Star is averaging a league-best 32.6 points per game.
Stephen Curry returned on Monday from a three-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. The Warriors superstar contributed 24 points and six assists in 24 minutes in a road win over Washington. He was on a minutes limit but coach Steve Kerr believes Curry will see more court time against Boston on Wednesday. “Assuming he feels good, I don’t anticipate a big minutes restriction in Boston,” Kerr said, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
The Clippers posted their first win in their new home, the Intuit Dome, by defeating the Spurs on Monday. Amir Coffey delivered his best outing of the season with 21 points, making all but one of his six 3-point attempts. “Tonight was Amir’s night,” coach Tyronn Lue said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. Coffey needs to have more nights like that — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Suns’ Booker, Cavs’ Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

November 4th, 2024 at 2:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Suns guard Devin Booker and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced (via Twitter).

Booker, who turned 28 years old last Wednesday, helped guide Phoenix to a perfect 3-0 record last week, with victories over the Lakers, Clippers and Trail Blazers. He put up stellar individual stats, averaging 33.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on .484/.370/.906 shooting (37.7 MPG).

The Suns are currently 5-1, tied with the Warriors for the second-best record in the Western Conference.

Mitchell, who won for the Eastern Conference, averaged 25.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 4.3 APG on .506/.419/1.000 shooting in four victories over the Knicks, Lakers, Magic and Bucks last week. He hit a last-second game-winner vs. Milwaukee on Saturday.

The Cavaliers are currently 7-0, which is the best record in either conference (the Thunder are also undefeated at 6-0).

According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were DeMar DeRozan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving and Nikola Jokic, while Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jayson Tatum and Nikola Vucevic were nominated in the East. Tatum and Anthony Davis won the awards for the season’s first week.

Pacific Notes: Suns, Jones, DeRozan, Hield, Clippers

October 31st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns didn’t have a traditional point guard in their starting lineup for most of the 2023/24 season, deploying shooting guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal as their primary ball-handlers. While Booker tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that “we were willing to learn and do it,” Beal admits the adjustment to the new role wasn’t a smooth one.

“They were using me more as a facilitator than a scorer and honestly, that kind of f—ed with my head,” Beal told ESPN. “Literally this whole summer, I had just had a whole reflection, just like, ‘Who are you?’ I had to have a real talk with myself, you know. I took some time to look at myself in the mirror to answer: ‘What do I need to do better? Who am I?’ And then just get back to that.”

Recognizing that a more traditional point guard would help maximize the offensive abilities of the Suns’ stars, the front office entered free agency this summer looking to address the position using its limited resources. Phoenix was able to land Monte Morris on a minimum-salary contract, then improbably signed Tyus Jones to a similar deal.

As Shelburne writes, Jones received interest from teams like the Wizards, Pistons, Spurs, and Nets, and could have signed for $8-12MM per year if he had been willing to join a lottery-bound club. Faced with a decision on whether to go for the money or to take a discount to join a contender and revisit free agency in 2025, Jones opted for the latter route after San Antonio signed Chris Paul.

Through four games with the Suns, Jones has been his usual efficient self, running the offense, knocking down three-pointers, and taking care of the ball. He has made 37.5% of his outside shots and has compiled 24 assists to just three turnovers.

“Tyus makes our life so much easier,” Beal told Shelburne. “I have a lot more weight off my shoulders. We can just go do what everybody knows us for.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

DeMar DeRozan‘s ability to get to the free throw line and make his foul shots has helped make an already-dangerous Kings offense even better, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento finished dead last in the NBA last season with a 74.5% free throw percentage, but ranks second so far this season at 82.8%. DeRozan is 26-of-31 (83.9%) from the line through four games.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy, whose team fell to the new-look Kings on Tuesday, said his first thought was “oh no” when he learned Sacramento had acquired DeRozan this past offseason, according to Anderson. “That’s a whole different thing to have to prepare for,” Hardy said. “(De’Aaron) Fox, (Domantas) Sabonis (and) the up-tempo style was already enough of a problem to gameplan for and prep your team for. … It’s like pitching in baseball. You can’t throw a fastball every pitch. I think having that change of pace with DeMar, a change in style, is going to be beneficial for them as they go throughout the season.”
Buddy Hield, who joined the Warriors on a four-year, $37.8MM contract this offseason, has given his new team exactly what it was looking for from him, says Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Hield leads the NBA with 24 made three-pointers and has knocked down 50% of his attempts in his first five games. “He knows what he does well,” Brandin Podziemski said prior to Wednesday’s win in New Orleans. “Obviously, he’s shown that for the first four games. He knows what’s made him a bunch of money in this league and has helped him win.”
The San Diego Clippers’ roster for training camp includes a handful of players with NBA experience, with forward Braxton Key, forward Tosan Evbuomwan, and guard Nate Darling among those in camp with the Clippers‘ G League affiliate.

Clippers Notes: Harden, The Wall, Van Gundy

October 24th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers point guard James Harden recently sat down for an in-depth interview with Shams Charania of ESPN. The conversation covered a number of topics, including Paul George leaving for Philadelphia in free agency, Harden’s relationship with Kawhi Leonard, his on- and off-court role as a veteran leader, and his excitement for playing in the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, among others.

While the former league MVP acknowledges the Clips have a slimmer margin for error in 2024/25, particularly with Leonard sidelined with a knee injury, he says not worried about having an expanded offensive workload at 35 years old.

“I mean, first of all, I’m going to have a lot more opportunity, which is easy,” Harden said. “I’m a natural scorer. I’m a natural play-maker. So the last four years it was sacrifice and whatever, but not even just scoring and play-making, but leadership and finding other ways to win games is very important. That’s all that matters to this point.

“The numbers and things like that are going to happen, just because my usage rate is going to be high, I’ll be playing a lot. You got a high usage rate, the numbers are going to show, but it’s about actual details and being impactful obviously for the game and then for your teammates as well. So I feel like I get an opportunity at the highest level to show my teammates that I can be a leader in that aspect.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Harden had mixed results in his first game of the ’24/25 season. He recorded 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on Wednesday in L.A.’s overtime loss to Phoenix, but he attempted 28 shots and committed eight turnovers. “I’m so disappointed that we didn’t get the win,” Harden said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “That’s probably one of the most frustrating things I can think about, as far as tonight, just history in Inglewood, in Intuit Dome. The fans came out and showed out, but we just, we got the short end of the stick.” Head coach Tyronn Lue said the Clippers are asking a lot of Harden until Leonard returns. “We need him to be special until Kawhi gets back,” Lue said.
“The Wall” — a steep section of fans behind the basket near the opposing team’s bench — made an impact in the fourth quarter last night, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Suns star Kevin Durant, who has converted 88.4% of his career free throws, missed two straight attempts in the fourth, while Devin Booker (87.0% career) made one of two. Both players were impressed by the section. “I think I experienced that [once before],” Durant said. “Oklahoma State has somewhat of an arena like that, obviously not that big. But to see something go straight up, and I always thought that was cool. The noise sounds a little different. It’s going to be a tough road environment for anyone who comes in here.”
Former Knicks and Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy was hired in the offseason to be Lue’s top assistant. Van Gundy, 62, has been tasked with leading the Clippers’ defense, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. “He’ll be the guy, make sure we set the tone, make sure we’re talking defensively,” Lue said of Van Gundy. “And we got to be a loud talk team. We got to talk our coverages, understanding what we’re doing. And JVG’s done a great job of setting the tone early on.”

Injury Notes: Shamet, Randle, Bassey, Suns

October 16th, 2024 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks guard Landry Shamet injured his right shoulder during the third quarter of Tuesday’s preseason game against Charlotte, falling to the floor in pain after swiping at the ball on defense (Twitter video link). While the team has yet to offer a formal diagnosis on Shamet’s injury, it looked as if his shoulder was “dislodged from the socket,” writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

The update on Shamet will be an important one, since the Knicks were counting on him to make the roster as the 13th man despite his non-guaranteed contract. The team is facing serious roster restrictions related to its hard cap and won’t be able to carry a full 15-man squad, so if Shamet is ruled out for an extended period, it may not make sense for New York to hang onto him for the start of the season due to depth concerns.

Shamet’s Exhibit 9 contract ensures he would receive $15K if he’s waived while still recovering from an injury he sustained in the preseason. If he’s cut, it would create a path for another veteran – possibly a camp invitee like T.J. Warren or Chuma Okeke – to make the roster. In that scenario, Shamet could sign a new contract with the Knicks later in the season, once he’s healthy.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Veteran forward Julius Randle will make his Timberwolves debut on Wednesday vs. Chicago, head coach Chris Finch confirmed on Tuesday (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). Besides being Randle’s first game as a member of his new team, it’ll also be his first game since he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in April — he spent the offseason recovering from that procedure, so the Wolves will be keeping a close eye on how the should responds on Wednesday.
Spurs center Charles Bassey suited up and took the court on Tuesday for the first time since suffering an ACL tear last December, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News details. Bassey, who had four points and four rebounds in 10 second-half minutes vs. Miami, earned praise from head coach Gregg Popovich for his energy and said he was relieved that his knee wasn’t an issue. “I didn’t know how I would feel and I didn’t know if I was going to play,” Bassey said. “Overall, I felt good. I was moving well. It was great.”
Suns guard Devin Booker, who has missed the past two preseason games due to right ankle soreness, should be “ready to go” after scrimmaging on Tuesday, per head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). However, Jusuf Nurkic (finger) and Grayson Allen (Achilles) will likely need a little more time. “Nurkic, I think, hasn’t had any contact, hasn’t done any basketball,” Budenholzer said. “He’s been doing a great job with his conditioning, but there’s nothing like playing basketball. And really the same thing for Grayson. Really hasn’t done basketball things since (the first preseason game). I think those guys, it’s going to take them a little bit more, but (Tuesday) was a great first step.”