Skal Labissiere

Kings Notes: Evans, Temple, Lawson, Rookies

Swingman Tyreke Evans is trying to make a good impression for potential suitors as he enters unrestricted free agency, Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee reports. Evans, who is in the final year of his four-year, $44MM contract, is trying to show teams that he’s still effective despite undergoing three knee surgeries, Kawahara continues. “A lot of teams know I had tough injuries so they want to see how I’m moving, how I’m playing every night,” Evans told Kawahara. “There’s teams watching. I know the Kings are watching, too. So I’m playing for my teammates still at the end of the day, but I’m going out there and being myself.” Evans is averaging 14 PPG on 47.4% shooting since being included in the DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Pelicans, though he hasn’t played in six of the last 11 games.

In other news regarding the Kings:

  • Shooting guard Garrett Temple has emerged as a locker-room leader, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. Temple has taken the younger players under his wing and maintained an active role in their development, as he told Jones. “The players that are playing have gotten a lot younger so it’s more of a teaching, mentoring role,” Temple said. “Whereas when [Cousins] was here, if I’m talking to him it’s more of a keeping him calm, talking more nuances of the game, things that we can do better as a team. But with the young guys it’s a lot of specifics about how to get open, how to defend, ways to teach them the veteran tricks we all have learned in our years in the league.”
  • Point guard Ty Lawson denies that he has violated his probation, according to an Associated Press report. Probation officials allege Lawson, who was given probation in a Colorado drunken driving case, has tested positive for alcohol three times in the past six months and has failed to complete his community service duties, the report continues. A judicial hearing will be held in May before a decision is made on whether Lawson will receive a more severe punishment, the report adds.
  • Rookies Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis and Buddy Hield and second-year man Willie Cauley-Stein showed growth during a recent three-game road trip, as Shahbaz Khan of the team’s website details.

Kings Notes: Hield, Evans, Richardson

When the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans, the majority of discussion surrounding the deal focused on the superstar heading to New Orleans.

As the dust continues to settle, it’s become increasingly clear that Tyreke Evans and Buddy Hield can have substantial impacts of their own. Benedict Tagle of Kings.com recently wrote about what the pair have been accomplishing since arriving in Northern California.

Though just seven games into his second stint with the team that drafted him, Evans has improved upon the numbers he posted with the Pelicans at the start of the year. Evans began the 2016/17 campaign on the shelf and had to slowly play himself back into game shape. Since rejoining Sacramento, however, he’s posted career highs in points, rebounds and blocks per 100 possessions.

Hield, too, has seen his production rise since the trade. Hield’s 14.2 points per game since the trade are 5.6 higher than what he posted in New Orleans and his effective field-goal percentage has ballooned to .636.

There’s more from the Kings today:

Pacific Notes: Temple, Labissiere, Crawford

For the first time since his January injury, Kings veteran Garrett Temple went full speed in practice. The 30-year-old has been cautious with the injury, Jonathan Santiago of Kings.com writes, but finally found himself comfortable enough to return to the court.

I’ve been out longer than I guess expected just because I know that I wanted to make sure that I got it all the way right,” Temple said this week before suiting up for the Kings in Sunday’s contest. “The setback I had last time was during the first day of practice. So after I got through my first day of practice yesterday without any other effects – a nice long two-hour practice – it helped my confidence.”

In 49 contests for the Kings this season, Temple had posted 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

  • Thrust into a larger role ever since the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento big man Skal Labissiere has run with the opportunity. Shahbaz Khan of Kings.com spoke with the rookie about his experience during the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
  • Though he’ll turn 37 years old this week, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford would like to play three or four more seasons, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Crawford is averaging 12.3 points per game in his 17th season.
  • The Warriors will need to re-adapt to life without Kevin Durant but Zaza Pachulia has made an effort to come to terms with it, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. “If I did something on purpose or even if I had flopped, that probably would have made me feel worse,” Pachulia said, “But it wasn’t even a flop. I got pulled. I fell. Nobody had control over it.
  • The lawyer of Matt Barnes requested a court date that doesn’t coincide with the NBA Finals, Rebecca Rosenberg of the New York Post writes. Barnes recently signed with the reigning two-time Western Conference champion Warriors.
  • The return of Chris Paul has thrown the Clippers bench into disarray, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. With Paul back in the starting five, Austin Rivers has had to slide back into the second unit. “Things like this happen,” backup center Marreese Speights said, “But we still got time to get it right before the playoffs. We’ll be all right.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/15/17

Here are the D-League transactions for the day so far:

5:21pm:

2:15pm:

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/2/17

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

7:40pm:

12:27pm:

  • Forward Joel Bolomboy is headed back to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to a press release issued by the Jazz. In Bolomboy’s last game for Utah’s D-League affiliate, on Friday, he posted 18 points and 12 boards to help lead the Stars to a double-overtime win.
  • The Celtics have recalled a pair of players, Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo could be active tomorrow for the C’s, depending on the health of a few Boston players.
  • The Spurs have recalled rookie guard Bryn Forbes from Austin, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Forbes has played well for the NBADL Spurs this season, averaging 23.4 PPG in seven games.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/26/16

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

11:24pm:

  • The Clippers have assigned rookie center Diamond Stone to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. He previously played four games with Santa Cruz, as the Clippers don’t have a direct affiliate in the D-League. The 40th pick in this year’s draft, Stone has appeared in four games for L.A.
  • The Kings have recalled Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis from Reno, tweets James Ham of CSNBayArea. Labissiere was activated for tonight’s game, but Papagiannis was not.

5:30pm:

2:20pm:

  • The Nets sent Chris McCullough back to their D-League affiliate today, the team announced in a press release. McCullough, who is playing in the Long Island Nets’ afternoon game, could be recalled prior to tonight’s contest between Charlotte and Brooklyn, which would allow him to suit up for both Nets teams today.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/24/16

Here are the D-League moves from Saturday:

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/20/16

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

3:21pm:

11:53am:

  • With Clint Capela sidelined due to a fibula fracture, the Rockets have recalled 2016 second-rounder Chinanu Onuaku from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced today (Twitter link). Onuaku, who had been on his latest D-League assignment for nearly a month, has averaged 10.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 16 games for the Vipers this season.
  • Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee have been assigned to the D-League by the Knicks, according to the team (Twitter link). The duo will join the Westchester Knicks in time for New York’s NBADL affiliate to take on the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight.
  • The Thunder have sent Josh Huestis back to the D-League, according to a press release issued today by the team. Huestis, who has been shuttled back and forth frequently between the NBA and NBADL, has appeared in nine games for the Oklahoma City Blue, but has yet to play this season for the Thunder.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/13/16

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Kings have recalled a pair of rookies, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Richardson has been the leading scorer for the Reno Bighorns this year, averaging 21.0 PPG in 11 games, while Labissiere has contributed 14.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG for Sacramento’s D-League affiliate.
  • The Sixers have assigned first-rounder Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the Delaware 87ers, according to a press release from the club. He’ll suit up for Philadelphia’s NBADL squad tonight against the Oklahoma City Blue.
  • Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije will be heading back to the Grand Rapids Drive for the team’s games on Wednesday and Friday, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed today (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com). Unlike last time, Stanley Johnson won’t be joining them on this assignment.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/23/16

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

6:24pm:

  • Chris McCullough will have a chance to be the fourth player to appear in a D-League game and an NBA game in the same day. He was recalled by the Nets today after starting for the Long Island Nets in their home opener this afternoon, Brooklyn announced in a press release. The NBA Nets host the Celtics tonight.

3:16pm

  • The Kings have recalled a trio of 2016 first-rounders, Malachi Richardson, Georgios Papagiannis, and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The trio helped lead the Kings’ affiliate – the Reno Bighorns – to a narrow victory over the Texas Legends on Tuesday, combining for 57 points.
  • The Pistons have sent rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije to the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a press release issued today by the club. Neither player has seen much action for Detroit this season, but they should both suit up and play major roles tonight for the Drive against the Iowa Energy.
  • The Bucks, who don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, recalled Rashad Vaughn from the Westchester Knicks today, the team announced in a press release. Assigned to the Knicks’ D-League squad, Vaughn only saw 15.9 minutes per contest in a pair of games, but managed to score 11.5 PPG.