Injury Notes: Stewart, Butler, Clips, Simmons, Hachimura
Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart will likely return on Tuesday night after missing the last seven games with a sprained toe, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic. He’s currently listed as questionable.
Stewart was the starting center for Detroit’s first 15 games and is averaging 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. His return is expected to give the Pistons more flexibility to experiment with two big men on the court, since Stewart has shown the ability to stretch the floor a little.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who is not yet with the team in Boston, is expected to miss a seventh consecutive game on Wednesday due to right knee soreness, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. According to Chiang, the hope is that Butler will be able to play on Friday in Miami’s second matchup with the Celtics this week.
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) have been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Portland, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. According to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), Leonard didn’t travel with the team and won’t be in Utah on Wednesday for the second half of a back-to-back either.
- Nets swingman Ben Simmons left Monday’s win over Orlando early due to left knee soreness, as Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Simmons, who missed five games earlier in the season due to soreness in that same knee, has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game game vs. Washington, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). It’s unclear if he might miss more time beyond that.
- The Wizards announced today in a press release that Rui Hachimura has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his sore right ankle, which has already cost him the last four games. According to the team, Hachimura will remain sidelined on Wednesday and his status beyond that “will be determined by his clinical evolution.”
Pacific Notes: Clippers, C. Johnson, Paul, Davis
Through 20 games, the Clippers have already used eight different starting lineups and countless second-unit combinations as injuries continue to disrupt their rotation, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Luke Kennard have been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Pacers as they all remain sidelined with no set timetable to return. Leonard continues to deal with a sprained right ankle that has limited him to five games so far, George is out of action with a strained hamstring and Kennard is nursing a strained calf muscle.
John Wall said it’s up to the rest of the roster to find ways to win until those players can return.
“You know, sometimes it’s not good to lose your best two players, but there is always the next man up,” Wall said. “We all put the work in. We all are veterans. We all know how to play the right way. You just go out there and execute. That’s the simplest thing you can do.”
If there’s a bright side for coach Tyronn Lue, it’s that none of the injuries are expected to be long-term. It’s a different situation than last year when Leonard missed the entire season and George also had a lengthy absence. Lue said he feels “pretty good about the situation right now and how guys are progressing.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Suns forward Cameron Johnson is celebrating his progress as he works to return from a meniscus tear in his right knee, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I jumped on it and I was shooting (on Wednesday),” said Johnson, who is projected to miss one to two months. “And I did more cardio and I was able to kind of let rip on the bike and get my heart rate up. When we go from playing every day, we’re sweating and running, that’s cardio. After surgery, it’s a little limited with those options. To be able to get back, work up a sweat and get my heart rate up and explore some new movements post-surgery, it’s my win for (Wednesday).”
- Even coach Monty Williams can’t fully explain why Chris Paul remains unavailable, Rankin states in a separate story. Paul missed his ninth straight game tonight for the West-leading Suns. “My YouTube degree doesn’t go into medical,” Williams told reporters. “I just wait for them to tell me he can play. We’re just not there yet. I don’t have anything to add to that. If he was able to play, they’d be like, he’s ready to go. He’s just not there yet.”
- After missing tonight’s game with a left calf contusion, Lakers big man Anthony Davis is expected to return Monday, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Western Notes: LeBron, Walker, Kawhi, George, Bane
Lakers star LeBron James made his return on Friday night in San Antonio after missing five games due to an adductor strain, and helped lead the team to a 105-94 victory. Speaking to reporters following the win, James indicated that he isn’t planning to sit out the second half of the Lakers’ back-to-back set vs. the Spurs on Saturday, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays.
“There’s a strong possibility that I play tomorrow,” James said. “I just sat out for two weeks. I’m good.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Facing his former team for the first time since signing with the Lakers in the offseason, Lonnie Walker said on Friday that San Antonio is still “home” and the Spurs are still “family,” per Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. Walker, who received the full taxpayer mid-level exception from the Lakers in free agency, is enjoying a career year so far in Los Angeles and making a bid for Most Improved Player consideration. At ESPN, McMenamin takes a look at what’s fueling Walker’s fifth-year surge.
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring), along with sharpshooter Luke Kennard (calf), will remain sidelined for Sunday’s game vs. Indiana, head coach Tyronn Lue said on Friday (story via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). However, Lue added that he doesn’t expect Leonard’s injury or George’s to be a “long-term” issue.
- Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscription required) spoke to orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Kenneth Jung about Desmond Bane‘s toe injury to try to get a sense of how long the recovery process might take. According to Jung, a toe sprain is the sort of injury that can flare up again if the player returns before he’s 100%, so the Grizzlies will likely play it safe with Bane’s timeline.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Green, AD, Lakers, Clippers
Chris Mannix and Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated debate how long the Warriors should hold onto their young talent. Both writers believe that former lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have the potential to be quality players down the road, but none are contributing much right now, and the bench has been a disaster after letting several players walk in free agency.
Mannix and Beck are confident that Jordan Poole will turn things around after a slow start, but if the bench continues to struggle into 2023, they’d start seriously considering making changes. SI’s duo believe the front office owes it to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to maximize their chances of winning another title.
Here are a few more notes from the Pacific:
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently made an adjustment to the rotation that seems to have stabilized the non-Curry minutes, with Green and Andrew Wiggins playing alongside three reserves in Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Lamb. Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the potential impact of the switch. “What am I doing?” Green said. “Number one, just trying to slow the unit down. That unit should not play as fast as the first unit. It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. I think, for me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down and then, number two, most importantly, make sure that unit is defending.”
- Anthony Davis has been absolutely dominant for the Lakers over the past four games, averaging 35.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.3 SPG and 2.5 BPG while shooting 62.3% from the floor and 92.0% from the charity stripe. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if Davis’ stellar two-way play will make the front office more willing to deal away the team’s two available future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) to build around the 29-year-old, since Goon thinks that’s a more compelling reason to go all-in when compared to giving LeBron James the best chance to reach the playoffs at the end of his career.
- Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is preaching patience to reserves John Wall and Robert Covington, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall has been frustrated by having to sit out back-to-backs because he feels fully healthy, but Lue noted that the veteran sat out all of last season, so the team is being cautious. As for Covington, he’s averaging his fewest minutes (13.8) since his rookie season back in ’13/14. “It’s a long season and we have so much talent and so much depth that I know it’s going to be times when people going to play and some people not,” Covington said. “I knew what was coming and knew what to expect at times. I’m not the type of person that’s going to complain about too much, I’m going to sit up there and call and be there ready when my number’s called.”
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) have been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the Nuggets, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There’s no timetable for either player to return.
Pacific Notes: Wiseman, Leonard, George, Paul, Shamet, Christie
Warriors center James Wiseman is being professional about his G League assignment and is trying to use it to improve his game, writes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wiseman, who missed all of last season with a knee injury and was seeing limited playing time this year, was sent to Golden State’s affiliate in Santa Cruz last week for “an extended period.”
“His attitude has been unbelievable from the regard of asking me if there’s things he can do better, asking about the defense, being willing to accept playing here,” Santa Cruz coach Seth Cooper said after Wiseman posted 19 points and 11 rebounds in his first G League game on Saturday. “There are a lot of guys not just picked where he was, but picked anywhere in the draft, who would want to come here and just have the ball all the time. … That’s not him.”
Wiseman, the No. 2 selection in the 2020 draft, is at a critical point in his career, Letourneau states. The Warriors picked up his $12.1MM option for the 2023/24 season, but they’ll have to do something to reduce costs next summer to keep their payroll from rising above $500MM. If the front office decides to hold onto Draymond Green, trading Wiseman is an obvious way to save money.
“There’s urgency,” admitted Wiseman, who has played just 50 total NBA games so far. “I just came back from a rehab. Really, I’m just trying to get back on the court and just get my rhythm again.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both underwent treatment in Los Angeles today for their injuries, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN (video link). Leonard suffered a sprained right ankle in Monday’s game when he stepped on Amir Coffey‘s foot, and he may not be ready to return on Friday. George missed his second straight game tonight with a strained right hamstring. Neither injury is considered long-term, Andrews adds.
- Chris Paul and Landry Shamet were full participants in a non-contact practice today, Suns coach Monty Williams tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Paul is trying to return from a heel injury, while Shamet has been in concussion protocols.
- Lakers guard Max Christie has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols and will join the team for Friday’s game in San Antonio, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Western Notes: Leonard, George, Powell, Poeltl, Collins, Craig, Payne
The Clippers have been extremely cautious with Kawhi Leonard this season and he’ll miss another game on Wednesday, though it doesn’t involve his surgically repaired knee. Leonard is listed out due to a right ankle sprain, according to the team’s PR department. The 31-year-old has only played in five games this season.
The Clippers’ other star forward, Paul George, will miss his second consecutive game due to a right hamstring tendon strain.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Clippers coach Tyronn Lue is touting Norman Powell as a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Janis Carr of the Orange County Register writes. Powell is averaging 16.2 points in the past 10 games, including a 30-point outing against Utah on Monday. “Like I said, Sixth Man of the Year, that should be his goal, and he has a great opportunity to do that, having 30 points on 15 shots off the bench,” Lue said. “Very efficient. And we need him to play well especially with guys being out and he’s stepping up, playing well for us.”
- Jakob Poeltl is in his walk year and the Spurs big man knows he could be traded for assets this season, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News reports. “I’m aware of the possibility, but it doesn’t affect my mindset during this season,” Poeltl said. “It’s a possibility at all times in the NBA. Sometimes there’s more trade rumors, sometimes there’s less.” Poeltl is averaging career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (9.8) and assists (3.6).
- Another Spurs big man, Zach Collins, is likely to return after a nine-game absence. He’s listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. He suffered a non-displaced fracture of his fibula earlier this month.
- Torrey Craig and Cameron Payne have been thrust into the Suns’ starting lineup due to injuries to Cameron Johnson and Chris Paul, respectively, and they’ve been quite productive, Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com notes. Craig is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the last four games, while Payne is averaging 19.3 points, 6.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds through the last seven games. “We’re lucky to have the depth that we have,” Paul said.
Clippers Notes: George, Leonard, Popovich, Covington
The Clippers aren’t worried about Paul George, who sat out the second half of Saturday’s game because of soreness in his right knee, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. George didn’t speak to the media after the game, but coach Tyronn Lue said the condition isn’t believed to be serious. George spent the second half on the bench and felt good enough to help throw T-shirts to fans during a break in the action.
“He’s doing OK,” Lue said. “I haven’t seen what they (the medical staff) said happened to him, but I just know he had like a little tweak. But he says he is OK.”
Injuries have played a role in the team’s slow start, but George has been reliable so far, missing just one game because of a non-COVID illness. He was limited to 31 games last season due to a torn UCL in his right elbow.
There’s more on the Clippers:
- Kawhi Leonard embraced Spurs coach Gregg Popovich after Saturday’s game, indicating that any hard feelings are gone from Leonard’s bitter exit from San Antonio, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Leonard has never spoken much about what happened with the Spurs, but he told reporters Saturday that his time with Popovich helped him to improve. “He meant a lot, he’s the reason why I’m the player I am today,” Leonard said. “Built that foundation on showing me winning basketball and yeah, he’s a great coach. Still one of the best coaches I had. We been in too many battles to have a scar on our relationship.”
- The Clippers were happy to welcome Leonard back to the lineup this week, but that meant many adjustments had to be made, Greif adds in a separate story. With Leonard and George able to carry the offense, other players are adapting to complementary roles. Nicolas Batum said the “rhythm is different, the passing is different, the players are different because two years ago we literally had two guys who could create open shots, when you have PG and Kawhi.”
- Lue said he told Robert Covington “thank you for sacrificing” as the veteran forward has played single-digit minutes in four of his last five appearances, Greif tweets. Lue added that Covington will eventually see more playing time, but the team is trying to establish a rhythm with its current rotation.
Kawhi Leonard: ACL Recovery Is “Two-Year Process”
Kawhi Leonard returned from a 12-game absence on Thursday and played 25 minutes in the Clippers‘ 96-91 win over Detroit. Although Leonard only scored six points on 2-of-8 shooting, he impacted the game in ways beyond his scoring, posting a team-high plus-26 rating.
After the victory, Leonard – who missed all of the 2021/22 season after tearing his ACL in June 2021 – spoke to reporters about coming back from that injury and about a recovery process that isn’t always linear.
“Like I said before, at the start of the season, it’s going to be a long journey,” Leonard said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “ACL recovery isn’t just one year. Everybody thinks that, but it’s a two-year process, so I know that and I’m going to keep going and going through the process.”
As Leonard suggests, it’s not uncommon for NBA players to come back from ACL tears within 12 months, but it’s rare for a player to look like his old self right away upon returning. It often takes another year for a player to feel like he’s back to 100%.
Leonard appeared in two of the Clippers’ first three games of the season before being ruled out for the next 12 contests due to knee stiffness. As Youngmisuk relays, the two-time NBA Finals MVP didn’t offer any further specifics about his absence after Thursday’s game.
“Just rehabbing, getting ready,” Leonard said of his last few weeks. “I’m not going to explain it because I’m not a doctor, and nobody in here is one. So just getting back, ready to get on the floor.”
Leonard came off the bench in his first two games, but was reinserted into the Clippers’ starting five in his third game of the season on Thursday. According to Youngmisuk, head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that he hadn’t been a fan of the substitution pattern he had to use for Leonard when he was bringing him off the bench, while Kawhi suggested the plan to move him into the starting lineup had been in the works for a while.
“After I played those first two games, it was dead already,” Leonard said of being a reserve. “T-Lue wanted me to start the games and get us going in a flow. So, before I sat out (for 12 games), I knew I was gonna be starting.”
The Clippers will be back in action on Saturday vs. San Antonio, Leonard’s former team. While there’s no indication at this point that his knee didn’t respond well to his return on Thursday or that he won’t be available on Saturday, it’s probably premature to assume he’s simply back for good now — there will likely be more absences coming, even if those absences are just for one game at a time rather than for extended stretches.
“Like I said, it’s a two-year process,” Leonard said when asked about whether he’s past the “stiffness” that sidelined him for 12 games. “Everybody thinks it’s a one-year process, but we don’t know. We’ll see what happens once we keep moving forward.”
Kawhi Leonard On Verge Of Return For Clippers
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is on the verge of returning to action, having been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against the Pistons, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Leonard, who had previously been listed as out, appeared in two of the Clippers’ first three games, averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals as a reserve, but has been sidelined with right knee stiffness since October 23. He has missed 12 straight games with the injury.
The veteran forward was on the shelf for all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, which he sustained during the 2021 playoffs against Utah. A two-time Finals MVP, Leonard’s absence was obviously difficult for the Clippers to navigate, as they were eliminated in the play-in tournament in ’21/22.
In other Clippers health news, sharpshooter Luke Kennard exited Tuesday’s loss to the Mavericks early with a right calf strain and has been ruled out for the next couple of games, Greif tweets. After the Pistons, the Clippers have home games against the Spurs on Saturday and the Jazz on Monday. Kennard will be reevaluated within a week.
The Clippers currently sit with an 8-7 record, the No. 9 seed in the West.
Pacific Notes: Leonard, LeBron, Monk, Wiseman
The Clippers are just a game above .500, but they’re willing to give Kawhi Leonard all the time he needs to start playing again, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Leonard participated in a five-on-five workout Friday for the first time since experiencing right knee soreness on October 23. Although that’s an encouraging sign, his teammates don’t want to rush him back into the lineup.
“I’m excited to get him back whenever he’s ready,” Paul George said. “Nobody here wants to put added pressure on his return. His return is his return. Like I’ve been saying, we got a job to do and that’s to continue to play ball, win games, compete. When he’s ready, he’s ready, but that’s his timetable, not ours.”
Leonard, who missed all of 2021/22 while recovering from a torn ACL, has only been able to play in two games this season. Kevin Durant, whose Nets won in L.A. this afternoon, said Leonard understands what he needs to do to get healthy.
“He knows how to deal with his body,” Durant said. “He knows his body better than anybody. The league is better though, when Kawhi Leonard is playing.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- After missing Friday’s game with a left adductor strain, Lakers star LeBron James has been upgraded slightly for Sunday but still remains doubtful, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. With James sidelined, coach Darvin Ham said “self-inflicted mistakes” cost L.A. in a loss to the Kings, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The Lakers committed numerous turnovers and defensive mistakes in the closing minutes of both halves. “We’ve just got to get some wins, especially in the West,” Anthony Davis said. “Every team is good. Got a lot of basketball left but we dug ourselves a hole. So we’ve got to put some wins together, got to start winning — ASAP. Try to stay positive, obviously. The energy around our locker room feels like 2-10, as it should. But we’ve got to start putting wins together immediately.”
- Malik Monk, who left the Lakers for the Kings in free agency, has been a good fit in Sacramento, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group. L.A. wasn’t able to offer Monk more than the taxpayer mid-level exception, so he signed with the Kings for $9.5MM. “People probably may not look at him like this because he’s so young, and he’s bounced around as a young guy, but he knows how to lead,” coach Mike Brown said. “He uplifts the group. He’s fun-loving. He’s always messing with somebody, and guys really, really enjoy that, and you need that when you’re together as much as we are.”
- The Warriors should consider trading third-year center James Wiseman, who doesn’t fit the team’s style of play and isn’t ready to be part of a championship contender, argues Nekias Duncan of Basketball News.