Kristaps Porzingis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Embiid, Porzingis, Ollie

December 26th, 2023 at 7:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers could put off acquiring another star player until the offseason, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link).

Speaking on the “NBA on ESPN” show, Wojnarowski stated that Philadelphia would prefer to preserve its cap space for next summer and then pursue a max salary player in a trade or free agency. As for this season, the Sixers are more likely to just seek a less splashier move.

“When (the Sixers) made the James Harden trade with the Clippers, there was a sense they may have to … at the trade deadline, find a star player to be able to keep up with Boston and Milwaukee in the East. They’re showing with this group they can do it maybe without a third star, maybe (do) something around the edges,” Wojnarowski said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers will have to go without their superstar for at least one more game. Joel Embiid, who didn’t play against Miami on Christmas Day, won’t suit up against Orlando on Wednesday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Embiid, named the conference’s Player of the Week on Tuesday, is nursing an ankle injury he suffered on Friday against Toronto.
The Celtics made a controversial move by trading for Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason. Jayson Tatum says the team is reaping the benefits of having Porzingis’ large presence in the lineup, Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. “We haven’t had a low post presence like that since I’ve been on the Celtics and it creates so many problems,” Tatum said. “Are you gonna switch us? Are you in drop?…I’m just happy to be on this side of it.”
Kevin Ollie joined Jacque Vaughn‘s Nets staff early in the summer after being one of the finalists for the Pistons’ head coaching position. The New York Daily News’ CJ Holmes details the impact Ollie has made on the staff and the players.

Celtics Notes: White, Trade Assets, Tatum, Holiday

December 26th, 2023 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics guard Derrick White has become one of the most valuable players on a team filled with stars, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. White did a little bit of everything in the Christmas Day showdown with the Lakers, delivering 18 points, 11 assists, two steals and two blocks. He also helped to steady Boston’s offense after losing an 18-point lead in the first half.

“I didn’t realize how good D. White was,” Kristaps Porzingis said. “He’s kind of under the radar a little bit, but man he’s special. The way he plays, how 90+ percent of the time he makes the right play all the time. That’s the perfect teammate you want. On top of that he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. He’s special, man, and I’m happy I have both of those guys on my team, Jrue (Holiday) and D. White.”

White’s impact on the team is felt at both ends of the court, Robb adds. The Celtics have the league’s best record at 23-6 despite facing the toughest schedule through 29 games, and they rank in the top five in both offense and defense. White leads the team in three-point and free throw shooting percentage, along with assists and steals, and Porzingis has joined the campaign for him to be an All-Star.

“He has been improving and he has been playing incredible this whole season, but especially this last stretch,” Porzingis said. “And I think maybe it doesn’t stand out, because the stats are not incredible. They’re gonna, but they’re not incredible. But when you watch the game, people who understand really appreciate what he’s doing on the court.”

There’s more on the Celtics:

Undefeated at home, the Celtics answered doubts about their ability to win on the road by compiling a 3-1 record on their current trip, Robb states in a separate story. Team president Brad Stevens needs to add more depth for a title run, Robb adds, noting that Boston has a $6.2MM traded player exception available along with three tradable first-round picks and a wealth of second-rounders.
Jayson Tatum has been finding ways to help the team even when his shot isn’t falling, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Tatum was just 6-of-15 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range in L.A., but coach Joe Mazzulla was raving about his performance after the game. “That’s what we talk about when he’s got to reinvent,” Mazzulla said. “It’s not so much sacrifice as it is reinvent. You’re starting to see what leadership looks like and what value looks like for him. … And so it’s just not being defined by just scoring, but being defined by playmaking. Being defined by how do you create advantages for your teammates and yourself.”
Holiday is often the fifth option in Boston’s offense, but he appears to be finding a role with 18 points on Monday after topping 20 points in each of the previous two games, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “He’s opened up our system and philosophy a ton because of his ability to be involved in the play and ability to help off the ball as well,” Mazzulla said.

Injury Notes: Martin, Porzingis, Tatum, Towns, Cavs

December 22nd, 2023 at 11:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Fifth-year wing Cody Martin was unfortunately limited to seven games last season following left knee surgery, and he has yet to play in 2023/24. However, he could make his season debut on Saturday against Denver, as the Hornets have officially listed him as questionable (Twitter link).

As Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer tweets, Martin’s last appearance was on January 14, so it’s been 11-plus months since he suited up. Second-year center Mark Williams (low back contusion) seems likely to miss his seventh straight game though, as he’s doubtful for Saturday’s contest.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

After sustaining a left ankle sprain on Wednesday against Sacramento, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out for Saturday’s contest vs. the Clippers, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Jayson Tatum, who missed his first game on Wednesday, is questionable with the same injury as Porzingis. Adam Himmselsbach of The Boston Globe speculates (via Twitter) that Porzingis won’t be sidelined for very long, as he spotted the Latvian big man carrying his own massage table at the team’s hotel on Friday.
Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee soreness) is out for Saturday’s contest in Sacramento, the team announced (via Twitter). However, Towns’ absence is only “precautionary,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who reports that the big man isn’t expected to miss extended time (Twitter link).
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will miss his third consecutive game on Saturday due to an illness, while Sam Merrill is questionable for the matchup with Chicago with a right wrist sprain, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Injury Notes: Beal, Suns, Porzingis, Harris, Adebayo, Jazz

December 8th, 2023 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Star guard Bradley Beal fully participated in the Suns‘ practice on Thursday, but he’s not quite ready to return from his back injury, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team wants to get Beal some more practice reps before reinserting him into its lineup, according to head coach Frank Vogel.

“We want to see him stack together a few practices where he responds well,” Vogel said. “No timeline on how many that is or what that looks like, but we want to continue to make sure he’s responding well before we put him back in there. Stay away from being in and out.”

The shorthanded Suns will also be without Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) and Grayson Allen (right groin strain) when they host Sacramento on Friday. However, as Rankin relays, Vogel referred to those injuries as “short-term” issues, suggesting Durant and Allen may not miss much – if any – additional time beyond Friday.

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

As expected, Kristaps Porzingis appears poised to return for the Celtics after missing four games due to a strained left calf. He’s considered probable to play in Friday’s game vs. New York, according to the team (Twitter link).
[Note: Porzingis has since been upgraded to available.]
Pistons forward Joe Harris, who has been sidelined since November 5 due to a shoulder injury, has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Orlando, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Spacing has been an issue this season for the Pistons, who rank 28th in the NBA in three-pointers per game, so the return of Harris, a career 43.6% three-point shooter, could be a boon.
Heat big man Bam Adebayo will miss a second consecutive game on Friday vs. Cleveland due to his left hip contusion, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adebayo said earlier this week that he’s unsure about his return timeline.
The Jazz are close to getting some lineup reinforcements. Jordan Clarkson (right thigh contusion), who has missed the past three games, and Kelly Olynyk (right shoulder strain), who has been out for two in a row, are listed as questionable for Friday vs. the Clippers. Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring strain) will be unavailable for a seventh straight contest, but was a full practice participant on Thursday and just has to tick a couple more boxes before being cleared to return, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explains.

Southwest Notes: Porzingis, Spurs, Williams, Alvarado

December 6th, 2023 at 9:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis blames immaturity and a personality conflict with Luka Doncic for the failure of their time together with the Mavericks, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. The Celtics big man made the comments during an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast (video link), hosted by J.J. Redick, who was also with the Mavs for part of that time.

Dallas acquired Porzingis in January 2019 after he asked the Knicks for a trade, but he never meshed with Doncic. He played 134 games in his three years with Dallas before being shipped to Washington at the 2022 trade deadline. Porzingis regrets that the experience didn’t work out better.

“It’s a mix of many things. Maturity, for sure. I’m talking about what I could have done better. It’s many things, majority on my part for sure,” he said. “And then I wasn’t that much into analytics and numbers. If somebody I think at that stage of my career presented it to me the right way and said, ‘This is what we need to do, this is what we need from you, you’re going to be way more effective doing this,’ like kind of explaining it to me better, I think that would have made a difference a little bit.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs‘ game at Minnesota tonight gave them an up-close look at a team they may want to emulate in the rebuilding process, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. The Timberwolves were patient in amassing young talent, and they seem ready to compete with the NBA’s elite teams after a 16-4 start. “You have definitely seen them rebuild by starting over and getting a bunch of young guys together and getting them playing on the same page, and now they are the No. 1 seed and winning a lot,” Tre Jones said. “Memphis was the same way for the past couple of years. They have injuries and a lot of guys out right now, but they were at the bottom of the league and then got a couple of draft picks and got some new guys in there and they started winning a lot.”
After spending the majority of his rookie season in the G League, Vince Williams Jr. is now taking on most of the Grizzlies‘ toughest defensive assignments, notes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Williams is hoping to become Memphis’ version of Patrick Beverley, changing games with big plays on defense. “He’s locking up,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “He’s being that guy we need to guard the best wings in the game right now. He’s an irritant, and he’s still scoring the ball.”
If the Pelicans win the in-season tournament, Jose Alvarado doesn’t plan to spend a penny of the $500K cash prize, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Alvarado has already decided it will go into a savings account for his three young daughters.

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Mazzulla, Thomas, Barrett

December 4th, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Kristaps Porzingis has already been ruled out of Monday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal at Indiana, but the Celtics are optimistic he’ll return to action this week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

According to Woj, there’s “increasing confidence” that Porzingis will be available for the semifinal against either Milwaukee or New York if Boston advances past the Pacers. That would take place on Thursday if the Celtics win tonight, but if they lose and are eliminated, their next game would be a normal regular season contest on Friday.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has ruffled some feathers amongst rival teams this season with some of his decisions, including intentionally fouling Bulls center Andre Drummond in the fourth quarter of a blowout victory last week when Boston was trying to secure a berth in the quarterfinal via point differential. Mazzulla says he’s not worried about being friendly with opposing coaches, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). “How do I say this nicely? I don’t care,” he said. “But I also have respect for people. Like I learn from every coach, I think they’re a lot of great coaches in the league. I’ve studied what other teams do. But as far as having an off-court relationship with a coach? I don’t. That’s like last on the list.”
Nets guard Cam Thomas shot just 7-of-23 from the floor in Saturday’s victory over Orlando, which snapped the Magic’s nine-game winning streak. However, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes, Thomas contributed in other ways in his second game back from an ankle injury, drawing double-teams while recording seven rebounds and a season-high five assists. “Look at the passes that he threw. He can play-make. He’s more than a scorer,” said head coach Jacque Vaughn. “He’s really taken a step on the defensive end of the floor, which makes me extremely happy as a coach that he wants to defend. He’s gotten better at defending.” Vaughn also praised Thomas’ preparation and ability to draw fouls.
Knicks forward RJ Barrett had a strong start to the 2023/24 season interrupted by migraines, which caused him to miss three games, and he’s still trying to regain his prior form, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The 23-year-old is shooting just 34.4% from the field and 25.0% from long distance over the past seven games. “Having a week where you don’t play, it’s not ideal,” Barrett said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve also had a [few] weeks where I’ve been playing. No excuses; I’m kind of getting back to it.”

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Knicks, Covington, Raptors

December 3rd, 2023 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics won’t have Kristaps Porzingis for their in-season tournament quarterfinal matchup against the Pacers on Monday. The big man has been ruled out due to a left calf strain, ESPN relays. Porzingis, who has 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first year with Boston, has already missed the last three games.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are 12-7 but their December schedule will be a major test, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. They have to play Milwaukee three times and nine of their remaining 12 December games are on the road. Phoenix and both Los Angeles teams will be part of a West Coast trip and the last three road games including up-and-coming clubs Oklahoma City, Orlando and Indiana.
Forward Robert Covington is heating up in his second stint with the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Covington, who was part of the James Harden blockbuster trade with the Clippers, averaged 15 points and six rebounds in the last two games. “The more and more games I get under my belt, the more and more I’m going to get comfortable within the offense and defense,” said Covington, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
In a report on the Raptors’ first 20 games, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines that the team has looked nothing more than mediocre. Koreen suggests that their transition offense is their only real strength and they don’t have the depth, nor the draft picks, to get significantly better. If they don’t show real improvement over the next 20 games, the Raptors will have to be sellers at the trade deadline, Koreen adds.

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Porzingis, Brown, Mazzulla

December 2nd, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics star Jayson Tatum didn’t believe he should have been ejected from Friday’s game, and the league office appears to be in agreement, tweeting that the flagrant foul called against Tatum late in the third quarter has been downgraded to a common foul.

As Souichi Terada of MassLive recounts, Tatum was whistled for the flagrant foul while battling for a loose ball with Philadelphia’s Robert Covington. When Tatum protested to the officials, he was given his second technical of the night.

“I was extremely surprised,” Tatum said. “Y’all all saw what happened. You might not know what I said, but I mean, I guess whatever I said doesn’t matter at this point. I don’t agree with that. One of the assistant coaches who was there with me doesn’t agree. But it doesn’t really matter, right? It’s like the ref’s word against ours.”

In his pool report after the game, crew chief Bill Kennedy wrote that Tatum was T’d up on the play because “he continued to complain about the foul called on the floor and overtly gestures toward the officials.” Tatum claims he was trying to have a discussion with referees Nick Buchert and Phenizee Ransom when they tossed him out of the game.

“It was like, they was ready to throw me out,” Tatum said. “One of the magic words? Did I cuss? No, I didn’t. I didn’t have to say a cuss word. If you watch the clips, you probably can read my lips. No hand gestures. … I’ve been in the league long enough, I’ve seen a lot worse behavior and reactions get tolerated for a lot longer. So for those two to throw me out the game, I was shocked.”

There’s more from Boston:

The Celtics are hoping Kristaps Porzingis can be ready for Monday’s in-season tournament quarterfinal, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Porzingis has missed the past three games with a strained calf, but coach Joe Mazzulla said he was able to complete an on-court workout before Thursday’s practice.
Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both posting up more often this season, with a combined 4.5 post looks per game heading into Friday, Himmelsbach adds. “I just think that’s two of our skill sets, me and Jayson,” Brown said. “Love to play with our back to the basket as big wings, take advantage of matchups and you score more efficiently, especially in the playoffs when things get a little tougher.”
Mazzulla directed an effort this summer for the Celtics to keep in touch with their former players, Himmelsbach states in a separate story. Emails were sent to about 225 ex-players, and Mazzulla asked new assistant coach Sam Cassell, a backup on the 2007/08 title team, to serve as a conduit for members of that squad. “Joe wants this to be a huge family,” Cassell said. “The tradition is there, but he just wants this to be a huge family.”

Atlantic Notes: Barnes, Maxey, Embiid, Thomas, Porzingis

December 2nd, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Raptors still appear to be figuring out their identity, trying to navigate their path through player development while simultaneously attempting to win now, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. In order to fully develop budding star Scottie Barnes, Toronto needs to better optimize the lineups it is running, Koreen writes.

Koreen observes Toronto’s lineups with cramped spacing aren’t doing much to advance Barnes’ development. Instead of having the opportunity to kick the ball out to shooters, Barnes is sometimes featured in lineups with multiple players who are not feared from beyond the arc.

Barnes also isn’t yet confident enough to singlehandedly run the floor and lineups that feature him and OG Anunoby as the only starters have struggled, per Koreen. Koreen acknowledges this is more of a roster construction issue than a minute-distribution issue, but suggests changes. Otto Porter Jr. is a player mentioned who could help alleviate spacing issues.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Tyrese Maxey continues to play at a superstar level for the Sixers, averaging 27.0 points and 6.7 assists through his first 18 games. Appearing on NBA Today (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Maxey’s development is one of the biggest storylines of the season and speculates that it may just keep Joel Embiid in Philadelphia for the long run. Windhorst says Maxey’s play is keeping the Sixers in title contention despite trading James Harden and because of their play, the chatter from fans and media surrounding Embiid potentially wanting out is dying down.
The Nets are faced with a difficult decision regarding their starting lineup after a strong 26-point return from injury from Cam Thomas, writes the New York Post’s Mark W. Sanchez. Thomas began the season on the bench but was quickly inserted into the starting lineup due to his impressive scoring (26.8 PPG). After missing nine straight games due to injury, he was brought off the bench. But because the Nets’ offense runs through him, they’ll likely look to move him into the starting lineup again, meaning Cameron Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie or Dorian Finney-Smith are candidates to be benched moving forward, according to Sanchez.
Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t played since Nov. 24 and while he still isn’t practicing, he’s been out on the court, tweets The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. Porzingis’s status remains up in the air for Boston’s in-season tournament quarterfinal on Monday against the Pacers. In 15 games this season, Porzingis has averaged 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.

Atlantic Notes: Grimes, Holiday, Porzingis, Sixers

November 26th, 2023 at 8:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Knicks starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes is downplaying a sore wrist that seems to be impacting his play, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post.

After missing two games with the ailment, Grimes didn’t look quite like himself in a loss to the Timberwolves on Monday. He went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting from the floor, while logging a -18 plus-minus, the worst such mark on the team.

“I feel good,” Grimes said. “Everybody didn’t shoot the ball and make shots, and we’re kind of [on the] last game of a road trip, so everybody was a little fatigued like that, but overall it feels good… It’s a little sore and everything. But I got four, five days to kind of just calm back down.”

Grimes struggled again on Friday, compiling as many fouls as points (3) and recording a minus-20 mark in a two-point win over Miami.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics star guard Jrue Holiday has sat out Boston’s last two contests with a right ankle sprain, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach Joe Mazzulla opted to promote guard Dalano Banton into the club’s starting lineup. During his first season with Boston, Holiday is averaging 12.3 PPG on a .420/.338/.792 slash line, plus 7.4 RPG, 4.9 APG and 1.0 BPG.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis sat out Boston’s 113-103 win over the Hawks on Sunday with a calf injury. Joe Mazzulla revealed that the 7’2″ big man will be reassessed in “a week or so,” though there is not currently a set timeline for his return, per ESPN News Services. This season, the 28-year-old is averaging 18.9 PPG on .547/.324/.800 shooting splits for Boston, along with 6.7 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.7 BPG. Al Horford started in his stead against Atlanta.
The 11-5 Sixers have gotten off to a stellar start in 2023/24, and are currently missing a surprising key scorer in starting small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. In a new column, Keith Pompey of The Inquirer considers whether a fully healthy Philadelphia club would be a serious title contender this year. No Joel Embiid-era Sixers team has ever advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs.