Northwest Notes: Gobert, Sensabaugh, McCain, Wallace
Rudy Gobert has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes he should capture the trophy again, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter links).
“I think he’s far and away the leader for Defensive Player of the Year,” Finch said.
The oddsmakers disagree. Victor Wembanyama is currently the heavy favorite to win the award, with Chet Holmgren second in the betting. Finch laid out his case for Gobert.
“His iso defense has been the top or near the top all year long,” Finch said. “He drives our defense. The on/off numbers for us speak volumes to his importance. … He takes our defense to a whole ‘nother level. There’s nothing he can’t do defensively.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jazz wing Brice Sensabaugh knows his future is still up in the air, despite his recent performances. The 2023 first-round pick averaged 15.6 points last month and had a 17-point game against Milwaukee on Saturday. However, defense and turnovers have been issues for him. “I have to keep searching for those catch-and-shoot opportunities,” he told Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I want to improve everything except my shooting, to be honest. But like I said, shooting has to be the driving force.” Sensabaugh has one more year on his contract at a $4,862,237 salary before he becomes a restricted free agent.
- Jared McCain admits he was blindsided by the trade that sent him from the Sixers to the Thunder. He thought he could be a long-term fit with Philadelphia, James Herbert of CBS Sports writes. “I definitely thought it could work,” McCain said. “Long-term, I definitely think it could work. I loved playing with them. It was really fun. And I’m going to miss it, too. So I think there was definitely potential there, but they made the best decision for what they thought it was and we’ve just gotta live with it and kind of move on.” McCain has thrived since the trade, averaging 11.7 points in 19 minutes per game through 13 appearances with Oklahoma City.
- Speaking of defense, Thunder guard Cason Wallace has made a strong case for being selected to the All-Defensive Team. Sports Illustrated’s Rylan Stiles uses advanced analytics to display Wallace’s prowess this season.
Thunder’s Ajay Mitchell Set To Return After 20-Game Absence
The defending champion Thunder will get one of their key reserves back on Monday.
Ajay Mitchell will suit up for Oklahoma City’s game against Denver, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets. He has missed the last 20 games due to an abdominal strain and sprained ankle. Mitchell is not listed on the team’s injury report. He hasn’t played since Jan. 21.
The 2024 second-round pick established a rotation role prior to the injuries. In 43 appearances, including nine starts, Mitchell averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 26.3 minutes. He was also a defensive factor, averaging 1.4 steals. He was shooting a solid 48.7 percent from the field (35 percent on 3-point tries).
With Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso and the trade-deadline addition of Jared McCain, the Thunder already had impressive depth at the guard and wing spots. Mitchell will probably play fewer minutes than he did earlier in the season, though he proved to be a reliable backup for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after appearing in just 36 games as a rookie.
The Thunder still have a lengthy injury report for their matchup with the Nuggets, beat writer Rylan Stiles tweets. Isaiah Hartenstein will miss his second straight game due to a calf injury and starting forward Jalen Williams remains out due to a hamstring strain. Caruso (hip) and Chet Holmgren (flu) are listed as questionable.
Eastern Notes: Knueppel, McCain, Edgecombe, Suggs, Carter
Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg appeared to be the frontrunner for this season’s Rookie of the Year award after he scored 49 points against Charlotte on January 29 in his first NBA meeting with Kon Knueppel. However, that was no longer the case by the time the two teams faced one another again on Tuesday, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
Flagg’s extended absence due to a foot injury, combined with a 15-3 stretch for the Hornets, has given his former Duke teammate the upper hand back in the Rookie of the Year race. At least, that’s how Charlotte head coach Charles Lee feels.
“I don’t even think it’s close,” Lee said, per Clark. “(Knueppel) probably would be mad at me for saying something like that, because he just wants to focus on our team winning games and impacting games any way he possibly can.”
While Knueppel slightly lags behind Flagg in points (20.4 to 19.2), rebounds (6.6 to 5.5), and assists (4.1 to 3.5) per game, he has been the far more efficient scorer, with an effective field goal percentage of 61.6% compared to Flagg 51.5%. The Hornets wing has also appeared in more games (61 to 49), plays for the better team, and has been arguably the best outside shooter in the NBA — he has knocked down his three-pointers at a 43.5% clip and has made a total of 212, 15 more than second-place Tyrese Maxey.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- With Jared McCain thriving for the Thunder, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports each revisit the Sixers‘ surprising decision to trade the second-year guard at last month’s deadline, exploring whether Philadelphia’s front office was really “selling high” like president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggested at the time. “I don’t think he meant any harm from it,” McCain said of Morey’s “selling high” comment, per Fischer. “I just kind of take it as: That’s his job. And if he feels that’s the best decision (for the organization), then that’s his decision. But obviously I’m gonna have confidence in myself.”
- Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, who left Tuesday’s game early due to a back injury, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a lumbar contusion, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. While Edgecombe has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Utah, he’ll be reevaluated ahead of Saturday’s contest in Atlanta, per the team.
- Recently signed Magic point guard Jevon Carter, an eight-year NBA veteran, is having a positive impact on 24-year-old Jalen Suggs, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “My favorite part about (him) is, he’s held me accountable on multiple occasions,” Suggs said of his new teammate. “Just raw, uncut comms, not trying to sugarcoat, not trying to make me feel good. He’s just sharing real truth with me and I’ve appreciated that. It’s been nice having him around.”
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, McCain, Nets, Pritchard
Sixers center Joel Embiid, who had been out since February 7 due to knee and shin injuries, returned to action on Tuesday in Indiana and didn’t miss a beat, racking up 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action as Philadelphia cruised to a 135-114 victory.
“He just takes so much pressure off us offensively,” teammate Tyrese Maxey said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). “They’ve got to pay attention to him. … And then when I’m second pass right there next to him, it’s hard to (double team) too, so there’s a lot of space out there on the court.”
While the 76ers referred to Embiid’s latest ailment as shin soreness, the big man said on Tuesday that it was actually a stress reaction in his right leg, admitting that it was initially “painful to walk.”
Embiid has dealt with his share of injuries over the years, but told reporters after the win over the Pacers that he hadn’t been familiar with the treatment or recovery process for a stress reaction. As Mizell relays, the former MVP expects to handle it going forward like he dealt with his surgically repaired knee earlier this season, with the team closely monitoring the leg and managing his workload.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Looking back at the Sixers‘ decision to trade Jared McCain at the deadline, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) explains why it was more than just a financially motivated deal to duck the luxury tax line. In what should be a stacked 2026 draft, the first-rounder Philadelphia acquired from Oklahoma City in the trade (Houston’s pick) should have real value this spring, even if it ends up in the early- to mid-20s, Gozlan writes.
- Exploring what the NBA’s anti-tanking efforts could mean for Brooklyn, Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) suggests the Nets were already planning on pivoting from a full-fledged rebuild to being more competitive in 2026/27, when they won’t control their own first-round pick. As a result, any rule changes shouldn’t have a significant impact on the front office’s approach to the 2026 offseason, Lewis says.
- Although he scored just eight points of 2-of-13 shooting vs. Phoenix on Tuesday, Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is still averaging 21.6 points and 6.1 assists per game with a .504/.429/.900 shooting line in eight games since being made a reserve. Speaking earlier this week about Pritchard’s move to the bench, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the 28-year-old will “impact winning” in any role and is willing to do whatever gives the team the best chance to win (Twitter video link via Law Murray of The Athletic). Pritchard has actually increased his minutes per game from 32.6 as a starter to 34.3 as a reserve, so the move to the second unit hardly represents a demotion.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Youngblood, McCain, Jackson
The Nuggets currently have 13 players on standard contracts and will have to add at least one more by Feb. 19 to comply with NBA roster limits. Coach David Adelman indicated the front office and coaching staff are carefully weighing their options, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post writes.
“The conversations we’ve had have been interesting,” he said. “Because you could look at it like, ‘Well, we’ve had injuries at these spots. We should go get somebody that can take that spot if we got into a bad moment where someone couldn’t come back, if we’re in (the playoffs) at the end of the year.’ … And there’s the other part of you that says, ‘I don’t know who’d we play if we made the playoffs.’ And every team out West demands something different. Maybe you’re looking at, we could use more ball-handling. Maybe you’re looking at, we could use more size with the current injuries for the wing position.”
The Nuggets are reportedly interested in signing Lonzo Ball, who was waived after getting traded last week. Two-way player Spencer Jones, currently out with a concussion, is expected to be added to the standard roster once he’s cleared to play. The Nuggets are confident they’ll be able to add Jones and another player to the payroll without going back into the luxury tax, Durando adds.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, has added guard Chris Youngblood to its roster, the team announced (Twitter link). Youngblood was waived on Friday after holding one of Oklahoma City’s three two-way spots. Youngblood was used so frequently by the NBA team that he reached his limit of 50 games on the Thunder’s active roster last Wednesday in San Antonio. If OKC had wanted to continue playing him, he would’ve needed to be promoted to a standard contract.
- Jared McCain, who was acquired by the Thunder from the Sixers last week, spoke to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscription required) of how he was already blending with his new team. McCain had five points in 14 minutes during his Thunder debut against the Rockets on Saturday.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. made his Jazz debut on Saturday, contributing 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 25 minutes against Orlando. He sat during crunch time, along with several other key players, as a means of “soft tanking.” However, Jackson is excited about his new team and its coach, Will Hardy. “He’s just getting to know me, I’m getting to know him, and we’re seeing how we can build this thing into something beautiful,” Jackson told Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s been good conversations.”
Sixers Notes: McCain Trade, Draft Assets, Roster Spots, Barlow
Despite exceeding expectations so far this season and holding a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race at 29-22, the Sixers were sellers at the trade deadline, sending second-year guard Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and three future second-rounders.
Speaking today to reporters, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey explained that the team remained active after agreeing to terms on that McCain deal in the hopes of adding win-now help.
“Because we’re playing well, we were trying to upgrade the team and add to the team now. That was goal number one,” Morey said, per Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. “Obviously, no deal materialized, including using the picks we got from the Jared deal. We were trying to.
“That’s why we did that move a little early (in the week). We were trying to reuse those draft picks to add now. … The picks we got were offered to many teams, and nothing materialized for a player that we thought could move the needle with those picks now. But we feel like going forward, those picks will help us build the team in the future in a good way.”
McCain got off to an excellent start as a rookie in 2024/25 but underwent season-ending knee surgery and then had his 2025/26 debut delayed due to a procedure on his thumb. Despite the stop-and-start nature of his NBA career so far, the Thunder were willing to give up the sort of package for him that Morey felt he couldn’t turn down.
“I am quite confident we were selling high,” Morey said. “… And (we) weren’t looking to sell, I’ll be frank. Like, teams came to us with aggressive offers for him, and you could say, ‘Yeah, that’s ’cause he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value for our franchise, what we could get.
“… That return is for a starter quality player on a good team. That is – it’s actually above that. We do a lot of analysis on how we think things will play out, both here and around the league going forward in terms of the quality of play, what kinds of returns will return, what players in the future. And the bottom line is, Jared’s a player who is a great future bet and a potential great player, and we wish him luck. We feel like this return sets us up better to set up the team in the future better.”
Here’s more from Morey on the Sixers, via Aaronson:
- The fact that that the first-round pick Philadelphia acquired in the McCain deal will be in a 2026 draft considered to be loaded with talent wasn’t a determining factor in the Sixers pulling the trigger, according to Morey. “We’re not necessarily using the pick in this draft,” he said. “It could be used for moves around the draft. The three seconds that we got with it, we think could be used to move up in this draft. I and our front office have done a lot of deals over the years, and this just gives us more tools to make the moves that we think will help our future.”
- After ducking the luxury tax for a third straight trade deadline, Morey said he understands criticisms about the team’s approach to that tax threshold. However, he pointed out that the Sixers’ current ownership group has paid tax penalties in the past and would do so again if he identified an opportunity that warranted it. “I understand the perception, and I’d hoped to defeat it by finding a deal that I can go to ownership and say, ‘We think this move is the right move to do for that and create the apron issues that it would create,'” Morey said. “But I haven’t been able to recommend that move yet.”
- The Sixers have a full 15-man roster for the time being, but two of those spots are occupied by players on 10-day deals. Asked about how Philadelphia could eventually fill them, Morey mentioned a guard and a wing, but said the team will focus on adding the best player available. A Jabari Walker promotion from his two-way deal also remains a possibility, per Morey, who added that the team expects to be in on players on the buyout market as well. “I think we’re in the mix (for buyout players),” he said. “I think they see a really good team or a really good market. We’ve had a lot of conversations already. We’re obviously in competition with other teams, so I don’t know if we’ll get the first option necessarily, but we’ll be in there with getting some of the top options.”
- While Walker remains on his two-way deal, ineligible to suit up unless he’s converted to a standard contract, the Sixers’ other two-way standout, Dominick Barlow, was officially promoted to the 15-man roster on Thursday. According to Bobby Marks of Sports Business Classroom, Barlow was signed using a portion of Philadelphia’s taxpayer mid-level exception and will earn $3.4MM for the rest of this season, with a $3.4MM team option for 2026/27. Morey said on Friday that the 76ers would have liked to do a longer-term deal and aren’t ruling out the possibility of working out another multiyear contract with Barlow in the summer rather than picking up his option.
Sixers Trade Jared McCain To Thunder For Draft Compensation
7:59 pm: The trade sending McCain to the Thunder is now official, the team announced in a press release. In order to open up a roster spot for the newcomer, Oklahoma City waived Plumlee, who was acquired from Charlotte in a separate deal.
1:02 pm: The Sixers and Thunder have agreed to a trade that will send Jared McCain to Oklahoma City for Houston’s 2026 first-round pick (which the Thunder control) and three second-rounders, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The three second-round picks involved in the trade are a 2027 selection (most favorable of Thunder, Rockets, Pacers and Heat), OKC’s own 2028 pick, and Milwaukee’s 2028 second, reports Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).
McCain, who turns 22 years old later this month, was the 16th overall pick in the 2024 draft. The former Duke guard got off to an excellent start to his rookie campaign, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds on .460/.383/.875 shooting in 23 games (25.7 minutes per contest), but missed the remainder of 2024/25 after undergoing season-ending knee surgery.
McCain’s ’25/26 debut was delayed after he suffered ligament damage in his thumb, which required surgery. The injury occurred in an offseason workout just before training camp.
Although McCain has played a bit better recently, he largely hasn’t played at the same level as he did as a rookie, averaging 6.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG and 1.7 APG on .385/.378/.880 shooting in 37 games (16.8 MPG). He was sent to the G League multiple times to get more playing time and to try and find his rhythm.
Assuming Philadelphia doesn’t receive a player back in return, the team would generate a traded player exception worth $4,221,360, which is how much money McCain makes this season.
The Sixers likely viewed McCain as a luxury rather than a necessity due to the strong backcourt play of All-Star Tyrese Maxey and standout rookie VJ Edgecombe. It’s worth noting that all three players are on the smaller side as well, so it would be difficult to play them all at once.
The Thunder, meanwhile, have an excess of future first-round picks and will be betting that McCain can recapture his previous form in a new environment. His rookie scale contract covers two more years beyond ’25/26 for a total of $11.2MM.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line hears Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng may be involved in the deal as well (Twitter link). According to Fischer (Twitter link), there’s momentum on a trade that would send Dieng to the Hornets for Mason Plumlee. Shedding Dieng’s salary rather than waiving him would help the Thunder stay below the luxury tax threshold.
Avoiding the tax is also presumably a consideration for the Sixers, who will receive a tax variance credit as a result of Paul George’s 25-game suspension and are in position to finish the season as a non-taxpayer after moving McCain.
Sixers Willing To Consider Trading Andre Drummond
The Sixers are willing to move veteran center Andre Drummond before next week’s trade deadline, sources tell Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required).
Drummond, 32, holds a $5MM expiring contract. He provides a reliable backup for Joel Embiid when Embiid is able to play and a veteran presence in the starting lineup when he’s not. But the strong performance of second-year big man Adem Bona has lessened the need to keep Drummond on the roster.
Drummond has appeared in 35 games this season, making 16 starts and logging 20.0 minutes per night. One of the league’s best rebounders, he’s averaging 7.1 points and 9.0 boards per night while shooting 49.7% from the field.
A report last month noted that the Knicks have shown interest in Drummond in the past, but New York has limited flexibility on the trade market due to its hard cap and may be more focused on backcourt help.
Pompey explores the Sixers’ overall trade outlook heading into the deadline, concluding there are no pressing needs on the roster. He notes that the team is about $7MM above the tax threshold and roughly $1MM away from the first apron. They have a history of making deals to avoid the tax, but that philosophy could be different this year as they’ve shown signs of being one of the East’s best teams when their star players are healthy.
Pompey points to veteran guard Eric Gordon, who has a $3.63MM expiring contract, as another player who could be moved. Gordon, who’s 37 and in his 18th NBA season, has only appeared in six games and hasn’t played at all since December 23. He agreed to the deal in July after turning down a $3.47MM player option, but he only counts $2.3MM against the cap, which could help his trade value.
Pompey suggests the Nets or Jazz might be convinced to take on Gordon if a sweetener is included, but he also points out that Gordon has been serving as a mentor to rookie standout VJ Edgecombe, which is an argument for keeping him on the roster.
Pompey notes that Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3MM) and Quentin Grimes ($8.7M) have expiring contracts as well, and Grimes holds an implicit no-trade clause that allows him to veto any deal. There are teams around the league that are watching to see if the Sixers are willing to part with Oubre, according to Pompey.
Pompey also makes a case for keeping second-year guard Jared McCain, who has fallen out of the rotation and was sent to the G League last week. McCain was off to a promising start before an injury ended his rookie season after 23 games, and Pompey notes that he provides insurance in case Grimes leaves in free agency this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Barrett, Bridges, McCain
Anfernee Simons had his best game of the season for the Celtics on Thursday night in a 119-114 win over the Heat, writes Jay King for The Athletic. Simons scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 39 points while hitting seven threes, all while coming off the bench.
“I think he definitely was in that mode tonight where, let’s get him the ball and get out of the way and let him be special,” teammate Sam Hauser said.
Jaylen Brown, who ceded the role of closer to Simons for the night, had similarly high praise.
“That boy can play,” Brown said. “He’s probably more talented than the role that he’s placed in. I think that’s kind of obvious, but I have hella respect for him to come out and play winning basketball and do what the team needs (him) to do on a night-in and night-out basis. He doesn’t complain. He just brings good energy and just contributes in a positive way.”
After he spent several seasons with a sub-.500 Blazers team, it was unclear whether Simons played a winning brand of basketball, King writes. According to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal, there’s a feeling that, to an extent, those questions have been answered and that Simons has boosted his trade stock this season.
The Celtics have been rumored to be in the market for a big man, but Simons’ play could make the team more reluctant than expected to move him, unless a deal brings back a longer-term impact player.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- RJ Barrett is missing a fifth straight game on Sunday due to a left ankle sprain, but the Raptors forward seems to be moving in the right direction. Michael Grange of Sportsnet reports (via Twitter) that Barrett has begun doing on-court work, adding that the 25-year-old wing was practicing with intensity and doesn’t appear to be favoring the ankle. Grange expects Barrett to return sometime during the Raptors’ five-game road trip, which runs through next Sunday (Twitter link).
- The Knicks‘ recent struggles can be traced to many different sources, but one key factor has been the play of Mikal Bridges in the fourth quarter, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. According to Bondy, Bridges is averaging just 3.5 points on 42.4% shooting in fourth quarters despite playing the most minutes of any Knick, compared to 55.2% shooting during first halves. Bridges has also struggled to play with physicality — Bondy notes that there are 80 players in the league who play fewer minutes and average more free throws than the 6’6″ wing. The biggest issue, though, is how he’s struggled to step up when Jalen Brunson is unavailable to play. After being brought in to be a tertiary offensive creator, Bridges has averaged just 17.8 points in the five games without Brunson, in which time the Knicks hold a record of 1-4. There were similar concerns about Bridges’ play last season, Bondy notes, and he stepped up when needed in the playoffs.
- Jared McCain was assigned to the Sixers‘ G League affiliate on Saturday after struggling to retain a role in the rotation in his second season, writes Kyle Neubeck of PHLY. McCain hasn’t been able to find his offensive consistency, shooting just 35.4% from the field and 32.3% from three, both dramatic declines from his shortened rookie season, when he shot 46.0% overall and 38.3% from deep. As Neubeck relays, head coach Nick Nurse has maintained that the most important thing for the second-year player is getting minutes and getting comfortable. McCain’s struggles seemed to continue in the G League, however. Playing for the Delaware Blue Coats on Sunday, McCain scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting while hitting just 2-of-9 threes and committing six turnovers (to zero assists), per Adam Aaronson of the Philly Voice (Twitter link).
Sixers Notes: Walker, Edgecombe, Embiid, Barlow
Head coach Nick Nurse stuck with the same five players through the entire fourth quarter Saturday night in the Sixers‘ win over Dallas, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Reserve Jared McCain joined Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a three-guard lineup alongside backup big men Jabari Walker and Adem Bona. That group held the Mavericks to 30.4% shooting from the field in the final 12 minutes to reclaim control of a game that appeared to be slipping away in the third quarter.
Maxey had 16 points in the closing quarter, and Nurse believed all three guards were having a positive impact. He was also confident in the contributions he was getting from Walker and Bona.
“As far as the two bigs, I felt Jabari was playing (Cooper) Flagg super physical,” Nurse said. “And the other thing, we started doing some switching between the four and five. Jabari also would get switched onto (Anthony) Davis and was playing him physically to get him off the block and battle him. I don’t know how many rebounds Jabari got. But it sure seems like he snatched a bunch of them down there, that was also critical.”
Walker pulled down six of his eight rebounds in the fourth quarter while playing effective defense on Flagg, helping to hold the star rookie to four points in the quarter on 2-of-6 shooting. Walker, who has been a valuable contributor after signing a two-way contract during the summer, credited “a great scout report” for the defensive effort against Flagg.
“I think (Dominick Barlow) started off on him. Big credit to him,” Walker said. “He had a great night tonight, also. I want to show him some love with that. I think either one of us could have finished the game. We both understand that about each other. So, some games it is going to be (like that). So I just tried to feed off the energy he had tonight.”
There’s more on the Sixers:
- Saturday’s game featured two of the top selections in June’s draft, with Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, four assists), who was chosen at No. 3, slightly outperforming the top pick Flagg (24 points, four rebounds, three assists). Nurse marveled at the ability of both players to be able to contribute right away, Pompey states in the same piece. “The rookies that have impacted in a big way is really something,” he said. “Especially considering those two guys are really young. I guess they’re really good. I think most rookies, you will see flashes. You will see one great game, then six go by. These guys are starting to do it like night in, night out. And to me, that’s like what the NBA is.”
- Joel Embiid sat out both weekend games due to right knee injury management and an illness, Pompey adds. He’s now up to 16 missed games for the season and will almost certainly fall short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. “He just didn’t have a great week with the illness and a little bit of soreness in the right knee,” Nurse said. “And fortunately, we can get through the week and … get another couple of days, and hopefully get him going.”
- Barlow, another two-way offseason addition, was more aggressive than usual in attacking the basket against Dallas, observes Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (subscription required). The fourth-year forward finished with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, taking advantage of his matchup with Klay Thompson and the Mavs’ defensive focus on Maxey. “If he’s scoring the ball the way he does, they’re gonna over-help on that. Or if they’re switching they’re not gonna worry as much about me as they are him, and that makes a lot of sense,” Barlow explained. “Just being aggressive on that, to make them where they have to respect me, guarding the ball, knowing that I will do that (drive), will make his life easier.”