Nikola Jokic

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Jokic, Murray, George, Giddey

March 30th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

The battle for control among Timberwolves‘ ownership isn’t affecting the team’s performance, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. While majority owner Glen Taylor and minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez fight things out in the media and probably in the court system, Minnesota picked up one of its biggest wins of the season Friday night at Denver. The Wolves are now tied with Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West with just nine games remaining.

“I don’t think it affects the players as much,” Mike Conley said of the ownership situation. “Maybe it affects the image of the team, the aura of the team around a little bit. But as far as the players are concerned, I think we just are like, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’ Then we go back to watching film and worrying about (Nikola) Jokic, Jamal Murray and (Michael) Porter and those guys. It’s a unique situation and it’s something we don’t have any control over. We’re trying to do our job.”

Rudy Gobert didn’t mention Taylor, Lore or Rodriguez by name, but he said ownership in general has improved since he was traded to Minnesota nearly two years ago, creating a better atmosphere for the players.

“Whether it’s nutrition, recovery, facility, family room, how our family is being treated — it’s a lot of things,” Gobert said. “This organization is becoming really a top-notch organization and I think it’s come a long way.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets may need to prioritize health over chasing the No. 1 seed, contends Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic played with his right wrist taped Friday night, and Durando observes that it was clearly bothering him even though he finished with 32 points and 10 rebounds. “His wrist has been giving him a lot of trouble,” coach Michael Malone said. “But as we know, Nikola plays through things that most guys won’t.” Murray missed his fourth straight game with an ankle injury, but Malone said he’s expected to return before the start of the playoffs.
The Jazz dropped their eighth straight game Friday night as they deal with the realities of starting three rookies, notes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh are struggling with efficiency as they get accustomed to playing big minutes at the NBA level, but the organization is committed to all three players, with coach Will Hardy complimenting George on his mental approach to the game. “Keyonte is really, really smart. He’s really, really smart in general, and that applies to basketball,” Hardy said. “He watches a lot on his own, which is very rare these days. He’s at home watching League Pass, watching games. So with that he has pretty quick recognition of things. He has an ability to learn things fast. He has really good recall. He can remember plays that we ran three weeks ago that we haven’t scripted in a while.”
Thunder swingman Josh Giddey said he used to hate it when teams dared him to shoot from the outside, but he’s learned to use it as a weapon, tweets Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “Now I’ve changed my mindset going into games,” Giddey said, “where it’s like, ‘If he’s gonna leave me open, I’m gonna punish them. I’m gonna make them pay and change their defensive scheme.’”

Nuggets Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Murray, Porter, Jokic

March 22nd, 2024 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be the Nuggets‘ top priority this summer, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Caldwell-Pope has a $15.4MM player option for next season, and there will be a “robust” market awaiting him if he decides to opt out, league sources tell Durando.

“It gets hard not to think about it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “But right now to me, it’s just trying to get to the playoffs, trying to win another championship, whether I have a player option or not. That’s the least of my worries. It’s just trying to play high-level basketball, whoever that may be with.”

The 31-year-old shooting guard was a valuable component to last season’s championship team because of his ability to match up with elite wing scorers. He’s also shooting 40.9% from three-point range since coming to Denver, providing a needed floor spacer around Nikola Jokic.

Durando notes that the Nuggets will be motivated to keep Caldwell-Pope after losing Bruce Brown in free agency last year, but there are financial ramifications to a new contract. Denver is currently within $4.7MM of the second tax apron, and a hefty salary boost for KCP would likely subject them to those provisions next season.

There’s more from Denver:

Jamal Murray left Thursday’s game in the final minute after appearing to hurt his leg on an awkward landing, but it doesn’t seem to be serious, Durando adds in a separate story. “Just turned his ankle a little bit,” coach Michael Malone said.
Michael Porter Jr. set a franchise record for most three-pointers in a season Thursday night, topping the mark of 192 formerly held by Dale Ellis, per Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post. “Even when (Porter) is not hot, it seems like he is going to make every shot,” Caldwell-Pope said. “For him to continue to shoot with that confidence is great for him and us.”
Jokic remains a clear favorite for MVP honors, according to Michael C. Wright of NBA.com. Jokic tightened his grip on the top spot in the MVP race by following up Tuesday’s 35-point, 16-rebound performance at Minnesota with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists Thursday against New York.

Northwest Notes: George, Jokic, Gobert, Warren

March 16th, 2024 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have fallen out of the play-in race and are headed for another lottery finish, but rookie guard Keyonte George continues to impress. He scored at least 25 points for a third straight game in Friday’s win over Atlanta, earning high praise for head coach Will Hardy, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“Keyonte (has) the opportunity to become a real star in this league,” Hardy said. “… There’s a lot of pressure when you’re the No. 1 guy. Like, you’re driving to the gym and you’re thinking, ‘If I don’t play well, we won’t win.’ Role players don’t always necessarily have that burden in their brain before a game and so these opportunities for Keyonte to be the quote-unquote No. 1 guy for us are imperative for his development.”

George was one of three players drafted by the Jazz in the first round last June, but he’s the only one of the three to have earned a significant role as a rookie.

While fellow first-rounders Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh have played a combined 624 minutes, George has logged more than 1,500 across 59 games. The first-year guard has averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .403/.359/.828.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nikola Jokic played in his 65th game of the season on Friday night, ensuring that the Nuggets star will be eligible for end-of-season awards, including Most Valuable Player, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Jokic is currently the betting favorite to win this season’s MVP award, which would be his third.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert underwent X-rays after sustaining a rib injury in Tuesday’s game, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who says those X-rays came back negative. Gobert is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game in Utah due to what the team is calling a left rib sprain, so it doesn’t appear it’s a significant injury for the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner.
With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined, T.J. Warren got the opportunity to play real rotation minutes in his NBA comeback with the Timberwolves, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Warren’s 10-day contract expired last night, so Minnesota will have to decide whether or not to sign him to a second one.

Nuggets Notes: Demoff, White House, Gordon, Jokic

March 9th, 2024 at 10:45am CST by Tristan Tucker

Kevin Demoff, president of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, was named president of team and media operations for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment on Thursday, meaning he’ll oversee the Nuggets and Colorado’s other KSE-owned teams,writes The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando.

The Nuggets’ basketball operations won’t be affected by the move, however. The Nuggets currently don’t have a president of basketball operations over general manager Calvin Booth and it will stay that way, tweets DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind. However, Demoff will “be in the room” for decisions, according to Wind (Twitter link).

“Initially, there’s not gonna be hardly any change. We’re just going to be including Kevin in certain conversations,” Nuggets governor Josh Kroenke said. “… Calvin has done an unbelievable job since he stepped in (after) Tim Connelly’s departure a year and a half ago now.”

Demoff’s responsibility to the Rams will not change, according to Durando, and he’ll be in both Los Angeles and Denver. A new practice facility for the Nuggets is part of KSE’s future planning, but there were no specific updates Thursday.

We have more from the Nuggets:

The Nuggets, one game out of first place in the West, are solely focused on achieving the top spot in the conference, TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reports (Twitter link). As part of keeping their focus on that goal, they’re not visiting The White House as defending champions after the visit was rescheduled from January to March 18, one day before a crucial matchup with the Timberwolves. Haynes emphasizes the decision was made purely from a basketball standpoint.
Denver prevailed in a potential NBA Finals preview against the Celtics on Thursday, and superstar Nikola Jokic recorded a 32-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in the victory. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes, the Nuggets were relentless in exploiting Boston’s mistakes, with Jokic easily finding Aaron Gordon for backdoor lobs when facing double teams. Gordon was effusive in his praise of Jokic after the game. “He’s the center that I’ve always, the player that I’ve always dreamed of playing with,” Gordon said of Jokic. “He’s someone that sees the floor, someone that is super unselfish. And I think he likes just the fact that he can just throw it anywhere and I’ll go get it.“
Jokic sustained a minor injury against the Celtics, but it isn’t expected to cause any issues. Dealing with a right arm contusion, Jokic is listed as probable for Denver’s Saturday matchup against the Jazz, according to Wind (Twitter link).

Nuggets Notes: Nnaji, Murray, Gordon, Jokic

February 29th, 2024 at 3:59pm CST by Rory Maher

After signing a four-year, $32MM rookie scale extension in the offseason, Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji surely hoped to take a step forward in 2023/24. Instead, he’s been out of the team’s rotation for much of the season, averaging fewer minutes per game (9.9) than he did over the previous two campaigns (17.0 and 13.7, respectively).

However, head coach Michael Malone reinserted the 23-year-old into the rotation a few games before the All-Star break and Nnaji is trying to take advantage of the opportunity, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.

“I feel like I’m playing well,” Nnaji said after Sunday’s win vs. Golden State. “Maybe (it’s) the work that I’m putting in, but I found a little rhythm.”

Nnaji, who views himself as a natural power forward instead of a center, which he’s played far more of this season, says he’s remained even-keeled amid his inconsistent playing time, Benedetto writes.

“Never get too high, never get too low,” Nnaji said of his approach while playing time has waxed and waned. “I have confidence in the practice and the work that I put in every day, whether it’s a game day or an off day. Whenever I get my opportunity, I just go out there and try to make the most (of it) and help the team win however I can.”

Here’s more on the defending champions:

Point guard Jamal Murray missed the second game of a back-to-back last week in Portland. John Hollinger of The Athletic asked Malone about the injury, with the coach saying it’s something Murray and the team will have to manage for the rest of the season. “It’s shin splints,” said Malone, “and everything he’s dealing with right now, every time he plays it’s gonna be an issue. This is not second night of a back-to-back ‘resting.’ He is managing an injury. It’s just something we’re just going to have to find a way to figure out.” Malone added that in order for Murray’s shin splints to fully heal, he’ll need an extended period of rest, almost certainly in the offseason. “I’m sure it’s very painful,” Malone continued, “and the more he plays — and Jamal is gonna be a guy who is going to play upwards 35, 36 minutes a night. We just have to try to limit his load as much as possible — shootarounds, practices, whatever we’re doing — to make sure that game days are holy and he can be available for as many of them as possible.” For what it’s worth, Murray isn’t on the injury report tonight vs. Miami, which is also the second game of a back-to-back, as Benedetto tweets.
The Nuggets entered the All-Star break on a three-game losing streak, but they were unconcerned about their form entering the home stretch of the season, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The team has reeled off four straight victories post-break, and forward Aaron Gordon says the team didn’t want to peak too early. “We know what time it is now,” Gordon said after Wednesday’s win. “It’s time to start ramping up. I know we didn’t want to be playing our best basketball early in the season.”
Mo Dakhil of The Athletic breaks down some of the “genius” of two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is the frontrunner for the award again in ’23/24. Jokic has recorded a triple-double in just three quarters in each of the past four games, and his teammates have great timing on cuts to the basket when the Serbian center is double-teamed, Dakhil writes.

Mavs Notes: Nelson Lawsuit, Gafford, Washington, Exum, Luka

February 21st, 2024 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The wrongful termination lawsuit that former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson filed against the franchise in 2022 is scheduled to go to trial this December, according to Xuan Thai of ESPN.

Nelson’s lawsuit alleged that he was fired in retaliation for reporting that his nephew was sexually harassed and assaulted by Mark Cuban‘s chief of staff, Jason Lutin, during a job interview on February 16, 2020. Nelson claims that he didn’t find out about the incident until five months after it occurred, by which point the nephew had reached a settlement agreement with the team.

According to Nelson’s lawsuit, he was in discussions with the Mavericks about a contract extension at the time, but those talks came to an abrupt end after he reported the incident to Cuban. He was fired the following year.

The Mavericks vehemently denied the allegations in a series of statements back in 2022 when Nelson initially filed the suit. According to Thai, in their formal response, the Mavs denied that the veteran executive was wrongfully terminated, stating that his dismissal was the result of multiple other factors, including “poor job performance.”

Here’s more from out of Dallas:

The Mavericks are 3-0 and have the NBA’s best defensive rating since trade deadline acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington made their debuts. But while Gafford has been playing some of his best basketball since arriving in Dallas, the team is still looking to get Washington going, head coach Jason Kidd said on Tuesday, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “I’ve always talked about getting their feet settled. And I think Gafford, you can see, his feet are settled,” Kidd said. “Now it’s (about) getting P.J.’s feet settled. I think P.J. having family and friends here will help with that. And then being aggressive. We need P.J. to be aggressive and not just wait for (Kyrie Irving) or Luka (Doncic). We need him to play his game too.” Washington has averaged 8.7 points on 40.7% shooting in his first three games as a Mav.
Mavericks guard Dante Exum, who has played just twice since January 1 due to injuries and has been sidelined since January 27 as a result of right knee bursitis, appears to be getting close to returning to action. “No setback,” Kidd said of Exum, per Townsend (Twitter link). “He’s been working out. He’ll do practice (on Wednesday), non-contact. I think the plan is for somewhere on this road trip to get him back.” Dallas’ upcoming four-game road trip begins on Sunday in Indiana and runs through next Friday (March 1).
Does two-time MVP Nikola Jokic believe there’s a scenario in which he and Doncic join forces on an NBA team? Asked that question at All-Star weekend, Jokic said he has no desire to leave Denver but suggested with a laugh that if Luka gets fed up in Dallas, he’s welcome to join him on the Nuggets (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports).

Western Notes: Conley, Beal, Curry, Jokic

February 19th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, who agreed to a contract extension on Monday, doesn’t meet the criteria for a full no-trade clause. As explained in our glossary, in order for a player to receive a no-trade clause, he must be signing a free agent contract and not an extension, must have at least eight years of NBA experience and must have spent at least four years with the team he is signing with. Conley isn’t signing a free agent contract and hasn’t spent four years in Minnesota, so he doesn’t qualify.

Suns guard Bradley Beal remains the only player in the NBA with a full no-trade clause.

Darren Wolfson of SKOR News and 5 Eyewitness News observes (Twitter link) that while Conley doesn’t qualify for a no-trade clause, he likely received assurances he wouldn’t be dealt, which possibly helped extension talks move forward.

Relatedly, The Star Tribune’s Chris Hine (Twitter link) hears that Conley’s exact extension number comes in at $20.75MM over two years. Conflicting reports Thursday indicated differing values, though it’s possible the deal includes incentives.

We have more notes from the Western Conference:

Beal underwent a procedure on his broken nose, according to Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic. He suffered the break in the second half of the Suns‘ January 16 game against Indiana. According to Rankin, Beal is on track to return Thursday in Phoenix’s first game out of the All-Star break against Dallas. Beal is averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 30 games (all starts) with the Suns this season.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry indicated he’s nowhere near retiring. “Eventually, your body will tell you when it’s time, but I don’t think I’m anywhere close to that,” Curry said (Twitter link via Yahoo Sports’ Ben Rohrbach). Curry, 35, is averaging 28.0 points per game while connecting on an absurd 42.1% of his 12.0 three-point attempts. Still, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter link) his 10th All-Star appearance made him contemplate the future. “This isn’t going to be around forever,” Curry said. “... I think the lesson I’ve learned is not to put any limitations on it, but approach every year like this could be the last year.“
Even though he’s arguably the best basketball player in the world and was the only defending champion on either All-Star team, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is still OK with being overlooked when compared to his peers, writes The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. “I’m not the face of the NBA,” Jokic said.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Jokic, Braun, George

February 17th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves arrived at the All-Star break with the best record in the West, and they’re determined to finish the season as the conference’s top seed, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. It’s an accomplishment that Minnesota has achieved only once in its history — during the 2003/04 season — but it appears to be within reach. The Wolves are a game-and-a-half ahead of Oklahoma City, and their 20 road wins are the highest total in the league.

“It matters if you’re trying to project everything forward,” coach Chris Finch said. “You want every advantage possible. If you have the best record, then of course you get home court, but it’s too far out to really bank on anything.”

Being in contention for the top spot is a major accomplishment for Minnesota, which had to battle through the play-in tournament last season before being ousted in five games in the first round. Rudy Gobert, who has experience as a No. 1 seed with Utah, said it’s important to keep focusing on business and not get distracted by the standings.

“I can feel that we have a purpose,” he said. “Personally, I came here to help this team win a championship. But last year, it was kind of like a lot of adversity. We realized early on that it probably was not going to be that year, but we could feel that we had the potential. And this year, from day one of training camp, it was a different focus, different mindset. We learned from everything that happened last year, and it made us grow.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Nikola Jokic isn’t a fan of the NBA’s new 65-game minimum for players to qualify for postseason awards, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The Nuggets center believes it puts pressure on players to take the court when they shouldn’t, adding that it likely factored into Joel Embiid‘s meniscus injury. “We saw what happened with Joel,” Jokic said. “… I just don’t like it, how it forces players to play even if they’re injured if they want to achieve something.”
Nuggets guard Christian Braun has been dealing with a series of injuries dating back to October, according to Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. The latest is a sprained left ankle that robbed Braun of his explosiveness and made him grateful for the week-long break. “I don’t want to sit here and make any excuses, but it hasn’t been great,” Braun said. “But I feel all right … I think this this break for me, personally, will be great for my body. I think that’s the biggest thing for me right now, is getting my body back. (It) hasn’t felt great all year.”
Jazz point guard Keyonte George has been through an up-and-down rookie year, but coach Will Hardy has put him back in the starting lineup to see what he can do, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. George turned in his best game Thursday with 33 points and a rookie record nine three-pointers. “He’s very talented. He plays well with the rest of the guys in our starting unit,” Hardy said. “We just thought it was time to put him back in the lineup.”

And-Ones: MVP Race, 2024 Draft, Korkmaz, Okafor, More

February 13th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

With Joel Embiid no longer eligible for this season’s MVP award due to the number of games he has missed, the race appears wide open, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who conducted another version of his straw poll ahead of the All-Star break.

The 100 media members polled over the weekend by MacMahon selected Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the current MVP favorite, with Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the runner-up. Jokic earned 69 first-place votes and was the only player selected by all 100 voters on their five-player ballots, while Gilgeous-Alexander was listed on 99 ballots and was the top choice on 24 of them.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, and Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard rounded out the top five in Bontemps’ latest poll, with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell also appearing on double-digit ballots. Notably, while just four of 100 media members had Anthony Edwards in their top five, one made the Timberwolves guard their MVP choice.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Although Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) still feel as if the 2024 draft class is short on high-end talent, they believe it could end up being a relatively deep draft. Givony and Woo suggest that some teams will be able to find rotation players later in the first round or in the second round, even if there are no sure-fire stars at the top of the class.
After being traded from Philadelphia to Indiana and then waived by the Pacers, veteran swingman Furkan Korkmaz has turned down interest from Turkish club Besiktas for now and is hoping to remain in the NBA, according to a report from Eurohoops. Korkmaz didn’t play much for the Sixers the past two seasons, but is still just 26 years old and is a 36.1% three-point shooter over the past five years.
Former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor is on the move again, having recently signed with Puerto Rican team Capitanes de Arecibo, as Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Okafor played in Spain and China earlier this season. He last played in the NBA with Detroit in 2020/21.
Grizzlies guard Vince Williams has been chosen to replace injured Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels in this Friday’s Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend, while Indiana Mad Ants guard Kyle Mangas will replace Sixers two-way player Kenneth Lofton Jr. in the G League Next Up game, according to a pair of announcements from the NBA and NBAGL.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Deadline Approach, Jokic, Gordon

February 5th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray may be the most accomplished active player to never make an All-Star team. The Nuggets guard was passed over against last week when the Western Conference reserves were announced.

Murray said he’ll draw added motivation from the latest snub, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“Yeah, of course, but there’s multiple players in the league that should be All-Stars (who aren’t), you know what I’m saying?” Murray said. “(De’Aaron) Fox wasn’t an All-Star. There’s somebody else. Trae (Young) wasn’t an All-Star. So … what do you want me to do now? I think you guys have seen me play at a pretty high level against those same guys who are All-Stars.”

Murray is averaging 21.0 points and 6.6 assists per game for the defending champions. He has missed 14 contests due to injury but coach Michael Malone said that shouldn’t have prevented him from being selected.

“Plenty of guys make it that have missed games,” Malone said. “And whether Jamal uses that as motivation or not, we’ll see. But I think he’s motivated in just helping this team win.”

We have more of the Nuggets:

Denver’s front office is monitoring the market for frontcourt depth and bench scoring but the Nuggets aren’t expected to make any major moves and could stand pat, according to Durando. Malone says the front office isn’t desperate to make a deal. “Calvin (Booth) and his staff, I’m sure, are fielding phone calls. But I can’t imagine we’re actively calling many teams right now,” Malone said. “Are we satisfied? No. I think you always have to be responsible enough to look within and say, ‘Hey, can we do anything that makes us better?’ That’s always a question you have to ask. But knowing Calvin and the brief conversations we’ve had, there is nothing where Calvin’s on the phone, burning up the phone lines to 29 other teams.”
After getting a night off last Wednesday, Nikola Jokic has been his usual dominant self since then. He racked up 27 points, 22 rebounds, 12 assists and two blocks against the Trail Blazers on Friday, then followed that up with a 29-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist performance against Portland on Sunday. Denver won both games by double-digits. “I like that we are playing with the same effort,” Jokic told Durando.
Aaron Gordon is often on the receiving end of Jokic’s creative and deft passes. Gordon has a simple explanation why they work so well together, as Durando relays. “That’s the best passer in the business,” he said. “I’ve got the best hands in the business.”

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