Southwest Notes: Rockets, Green, Pelicans-Lakers, Popovich
The Rockets’ 2023/24 season, their first under new head coach Ime Udoka, is now in the books. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle breaks down how the team showed plenty of promise en route to a 41-41 finish, diminished slightly by the lack of a playoff or play-in berth. The Rockets finished as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference.
“Happy wouldn’t be the word,” Udoka said. “We are disappointed we didn’t meet our goal. When you are a few games behind, you think of all the tough … games we’ve given away, we understand where we could have been. The goal always was to make the playoffs and the play-in and have that experience for our guys.”
Center Alperen Sengun and shooting guard Jalen Green, who both enjoyed breakout seasons this year, are both set to be extension-eligible when the new league year begins in July.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Pelicans head coach Willie Green‘s contract was reportedly extended last year, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Sources inform Clark that New Orleans also extended the contracts of New Orleans executive executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin and general manager Trajan Langdon. Green, a former journeyman NBA guard as a player, is in his third season with New Orleans and boasts a 127-119 record with the club so far. He has led the Pelicans to three consecutive postseason appearances, though the team was eliminated in the play-in tournament a year ago.
- The Pelicans struggled to do much of anything against the Lakers in a critical season finale matchup on Sunday, as Rod Walker of NOLA.com details. In falling 124-108 to Los Angeles, New Orleans fell into the play-in tournament with a 49-33 record — the Pels are the West’s No. 7 seed and have a rematch on tap with the eighth-seeded Lakers on Tuesday.
- Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich suggested that he expects return to coach probable Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama for his second season, writes Tom Orbsorn of The San Antonio Express-News. The 75-year-old Popovich inked a five-year deal worth upwards of $80MM to stick with San Antonio last summer. “He made it very clear day one he cares about his guys as people first,” Wembanyama said. “He is there to poke on us sometimes or to correct us. But the way my teammates and I have responded to all the advice it’s just been great and the dynamic is very good.”
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Mamukelashvili, Branham, Graham
Victor Wembanyama‘s remarkable rookie season is officially over, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Wembanyama is listed as out for right ankle injury management on the Spurs‘ report for Sunday’s finale with Detroit.
After being the most anticipated draft pick in 20 years, the French big man made a powerful impact during his first NBA season, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks in 71 games. Lopez notes that he’s the first rookie to reach those numbers since blocks became an official statistic 50 years ago.
Coach Gregg Popovich indicated before Friday’s game that Wembanyama could be held out on Sunday, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News, and that was before he played 37 minutes in a win over Denver. The Spurs have been careful with their prized rookie recently, resting him on the second night of a back-to-back last week.
“I know this has been in the air,” Wembanyama told reporters Friday night. “I mean, I felt it’s been in the air for some weeks, but I’m always going to fight to play.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Sandro Mamukelashvili is making a strong case for a new contract, McDonald notes in the same piece. The backup big man wasn’t used much early in the season, but he has taken advantage of opportunities presented by injuries and is averaging 10.4 points and 10.1 rebounds over the past seven games, including a season-high 21 points on Friday. Mamukelashvili signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal after becoming a free agent last summer and is eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I love being here,” he said. “I love being around the guys, connecting with them, learning, growing. I’m looking forward to the future and if it’s here, I’ll be very happy.”
- Malaki Branham missed Friday’s game with concussion symptoms and won’t play Sunday either, McDonald adds. The second-year guard was struck in the head during Wednesday’s game at Oklahoma City.
- Teammates were thrilled for Devonte’ Graham after his game-winning shot in the final second to beat the Nuggets, McDonald writes in a separate story. It has been a difficult season for the 29-year-old guard, who only appeared in 12 games before the All-Star break, but Popovich has been impressed by how he has remained sharp and has served as a leader for his younger teammates. “He busted his ass all year long,” Popovich said. “He was always ready. I’m sure he didn’t like (not playing), but he was always there for his team.”
Southwest Notes: Sengun, Wemby, J. Green, Pelicans
Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who has been sidelined since March 10 due to knee and ankle injuries, had hoped to get back on the court in the season’s final week, but it doesn’t look like it’ll happen, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“I would say (it’s) unlikely,” head coach Ime Udoka said. “Alperen still has swelling. A lot was going to be based on our results and how we finished the season. No need to really rush him back.”
Sengun enjoyed a breakout year for the Rockets this season, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per game across 63 starts. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension as of this July.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Spurs will hold Victor Wembanyama out of action on Wednesday at Oklahoma City in the second end of a back-to-back set due to right ankle management, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. San Antonio appears to just be playing it safe with its franchise player as the season winds down, but it means Wembanyama won’t get one more matchup with fellow rookie standout Chet Holmgren. The two big men are virtual locks to be the top two vote-getters for this season’s Rookie of the Year award.
- Mavericks wing Josh Green has missed the club’s past 12 games due to a sprained right ankle, but he appears to be on the verge of a return. As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News tweets, Green’s status for Wednesday’s game in Miami has been upgraded to questionable.
- The Pelicans are getting more comfortable playing small-ball, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who notes that Jonas Valanciunas‘ playing time has declined in recent weeks — the veteran center played a season-low four minutes in Sunday’s win over Phoenix. “It’s something I have been watching and studying and feeling for a long time,” head coach Willie Green said. “We are getting more and more comfortable playing a small unit. We got to continue to rebound. We outrebounded them (on Sunday). When we go small, play fast and open up the floor, it’s harder for teams to load up the paint on us.”
Spurs Notes: Osman, Wembanyama, K. Johnson
Cedi Osman, the Spurs‘ only unrestricted free agent this summer, is interested in staying with the team and helping it build for the future, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Osman, who was acquired in a trade after spending his first six NBA seasons in Cleveland, will be looking for a raise on the $6.7MM he’s making this year.
Although he cautions that “it’s a business,” Osman adds that he has “built a great relationship here with everyone and would love to come back.” At 28, he’s one of the veteran leaders on a team loaded with recent first-round picks, including rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. After a difficult start, the Spurs have gone 5-6 over their last 11 games and Osman believes the organization is heading in the right direction.
“You kind of get excited,” he said. “I think we realize what we’re capable of doing. I really feel comfortable with this team. I think in terms of experience it was a great year for us. Obviously we had a lot of ups and downs during the season, but it’s a process. It’s not something that’s going to click right away. We need to build this up and I think we’re in good position to do that.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Fellow Frenchman Nicolas Batum was amazed by Wembanyama’s performance in a double overtime game against the Sixers on Sunday, McDonald states in a separate story. Batum thought Wembanyama wound eventually become a dominant NBA player, but he didn’t expect him to take over a game with 33 points, 18 rebounds, seven blocks and six assists as a rookie. “I didn’t think he would do that in year one,” Batum said. “I was like, maybe year two. That’s the only thing I am kind of surprised about.”
- Keldon Johnson may be done for the season after appearing to re-aggravate a left foot sprain on Sunday, McDonald adds. Coach Gregg Popovich credited Johnson for accepting a reserve role this season that saw him come off the bench in 42 of the 69 games he played. “He showed a lot of leadership in that regard,” Popovich said. “Overall, he’s matured a lot this season and really become one of the elder players mentally, so to speak.” Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan are already sidelined with injuries that will force them to miss the rest of the season.
- Wembanyama is eager to try to win a gold medal for France at this year’s Summer Olympics in Paris, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “We are representing the home country. It is going to be a very big deal,” he said. “I can’t wait. This is really a dream for me, to be in the Olympics. A lifelong dream. Like everything, I want to make the most out of it. When I was a kid when I just started basketball, I always told my parents that I wanted to be in Rio in 2016 with the basketball team. I am a little bit late. But it is all good.”
Southwest Notes: Green, Ivey, Wemby, Popovich, Pelicans
Early-morning workouts and late-night phone calls with assistant coach Royal Ivey have been a factor in Jalen Green breakout this season, according to the Rockets guard, but Ivey is happy to give all the credit to Green, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“It’s all kudos to Jalen,” Ivey said. “I’m just empowering him and encouraging him. He’s doing the work. At the end of the day, that’s a credit to his resiliency, his determination. And not being in that situation before, facing adversity, sitting down at the end of games, not being in (the game) in defensive possessions, he took that personally. This is the result of that.”
Green’s play earlier in the season was up and down, but he has been one of the league’s top scorers in recent weeks, averaging 28.0 points and 3.9 assists on .479/.394/.798 shooting in his past 17 games. Ivey said the former No. 2 overall pick has had the ball in his hands more lately and has looked more comfortable reading defenses and being aggressive.
“I can say his decision-making is A-1, making the right reads,” Ivey said. “And the finishing, it’s been (about) concentration, not looking for fouls. He’s so athletic, if he gets to his launchpad, good things happen. He’s working with his finishing every day. He’s been more assertive to get to that rim. I just think it’s confidence. It goes back to his mindset. That’s everything.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Spurs star rookie Victor Wembanyama admitted he was a bit surprised to be hit with a $25K fine for throwing the game ball into the stands at the end of last Friday’s win over New York, calling it “funny,” according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “When I threw the ball, I thought, ‘Yeah, I remember players being fined for this,'” Wembanyama said. “But they always threw it in a bad way. I threw it to please somebody. It’s not like I was trying to hurt anybody.”
- Warriors head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t expect long-tenured Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to call it a career anytime soon, as Orsborn relays. “He was supposed to have retired five years ago, so why would we predict he is going to retire any time soon?” Kerr said when asked if he expects Popovich to fulfill the five-year contract he signed in 2023. “He is still going strong and still doing a great job and loving his work, so I can see it.”
- Pelicans head coach Willie Green is still figuring out how to distribute minutes at center as the postseason nears, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. The team has gone back and forth between Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. at the five for much of the season, depending on the matchup. However, Green has also experimented with other options, including using Zion Williamson in that role for the last five minutes of Monday’s game vs. Phoenix, Clark notes.
- Green was critical of his defense after it allowed Devin Booker to score 52 points in New Orleans for a second time this season on Monday. “Quite frankly, we were soft guarding him,” the Pelicans‘ head coach said after the game, per William Guillory of The Athletic. “We just had a soft mentality.”
Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller Named Rookies Of The Month
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Hornets forward Brandon Miller have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for a third straight time, the league announced today (via Twitter). The top two picks in the 2023 draft also earned the honor in both January and February.
The Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Wembanyama is now the overwhelming favorite to win this season’s Rookie of the Year award. In 12 games in March, he averaged 23.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.8 blocks in 31.6 minutes per game, making 47.3% of his field goal attempts.
Miller, the Eastern Conference’s winner, hasn’t received nearly the same level of attention that Wembanyama has in his first professional season, but he has quietly put together a strong debut season in Charlotte. In 14 games in March, he averaged 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.4 minutes per contest, with a .362 3PT%.
Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Miller is a strong candidate to join Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren as Rookie of the Year finalists and looks like a lock for the All-NBA Rookie first team.
Holmgren, Keyonte George, Amen Thompson, and GG Jackson were the other Rookie of the Month nominees in the West, per the NBA (Twitter link), while Jaime Jaquez, Gradey Dick, and Miller’s teammate Vasilije Micic were nominated in the East.
Victor Wembanyama Fined $25K By NBA
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been fined $25K by the NBA for throwing the game ball into the stands at the conclusion of Friday’s overtime victory over the Knicks, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Throwing or kicking the ball into the stands typically results in an automatic fine from the NBA, regardless of whether it’s done out of frustration or – as in this case – in celebration, so this announcement isn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Fans of social media took notice of Wembanyama’s ball toss (Twitter video link) since it came at the end of the first 40-point (and 40-point, 20-rebound) game of his career, as well as a game in which Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 61 points. The Spurs’ rookie phenom apparently decided that neither of them would be keeping the game ball.
It’s the second fine of Wembanyama’s NBA career — he was also docked the standard $2K for his lone technical foul on the season in November.
Southwest Notes: Daniels, Ingram, Jones, Whitmore, Wemby
Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels, who has been sidelined since February 9 due to knee surgery, has been cleared to return for Saturday’s game vs. Boston, tweets Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
Daniels wasn’t a major part of the Pelicans’ offensive attack earlier in the season, averaging a modest 5.5 points per game on 43.8% shooting (29.1% on threes). However, he started 15 of his 52 games and played 21.9 minutes per contest, in large part due to his defensive prowess. Assuming he’s not slowed by his knee at all, Daniels figures to reclaim a rotation role down the stretch.
There’s also good news out of New Orleans on injured forward Brandon Ingram, who was able to do some on-court work on Friday in what William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link) describes as a positive step in his recovery from a knee contusion. Ingram will reportedly remain sidelined until at least Friday, but perhaps by next weekend he’ll be nearing a return.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans will be without guard Jose Alvarado on Saturday for a second straight game due to a right oblique strain, per the NBA’s official injury report. It’s unclear how much more time – if any – Alvarado might miss as a result of that injury.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Christian Clark of NOLA.com makes the case for Herbert Jones to claim a spot on this season’s All-Defensive first team, explaining why the player that Pelicans teammates describe as “our defensive leader” deserves the honor.
- After missing the past nine games due to a sprained right knee, Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore believes he’s on the verge of returning to action. According to Whitmore, he’s working on getting his conditioning back to 100% and hopes to be cleared in time to suit up against Dallas on Sunday, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). “I feel fine. There’s no pain (in the knee),” he said. “No tweaks, no issues, no nothing. I feel back to normal. I just have to feel better moving around laterally.”
- Now that he has appeared in the requisite 65 games, Victor Wembanyama deserves serious consideration for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, writes Mike Monroe of The Athletic. “If you just watch the game you see how (Wembanyama) affects the game defensively,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said. “It’s tough because of our record, but I think most people know he’s already the best defender in the league. He’s already leading the league in blocks; leads in blocks and steals combined, more than previous NBA Defensive Player of the Year winners.”
- Count Jalen Brunson among Wembanyama’s fans. After the Spurs‘ No. 1 overall pick racked up 40 points and 20 rebounds en route to an overtime win against the Knicks on Friday, Brunson – who scored 61 points in the losing effort – predicted that Wembanyama will be “one of the greatest players this game has seen,” tweets Paul Garcia of Project Spurs. “Just the way he’s built and what he’s been able to do so far,” Brunson said. “Got a lot of respect for him and it’s definitely tough to get a shot up and in over him.”
LeBron, Wemby, Maxey Now Eligible For 2023/24 Awards
Lakers forward LeBron James, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey all reached the 65-game benchmark on Friday, making them eligible to win end-of-season awards, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (all Twitter links).
James has technically appeared in just 64 regular season games, but the in-season tournament final in December counts toward the 65-game requirement despite not counting toward the Lakers’ regular season record. That will also be the case for players like Anthony Davis – who surpassed the 65-game threshold earlier this month – and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is three games away.
James is no longer a perennial MVP candidate like he was earlier in his career, but he has a legitimate case for an All-NBA spot, having averaged 25.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 7.3 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game across his 64 starts, with a shooting line (.530/.401/.751) well above his career norm. If LeBron earns one of those 15 berths this season, he’d extend his record for career All-NBA nods to 20, five more than any other player in league history.
Reaching the 65-game threshold is perhaps less crucial for Wembanyama, since it’s not required to qualify for Rookie of the Year or an All-Rookie team. However, it’s necessary to earn votes for Defensive Player of the Year, and while Rudy Gobert is the frontrunner for that award, Wembanyama has a shot at it. The rookie phenom has averaged a double-double (21.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG) and led the NBA in blocks per game (3.4) at age 20.
Wembanyama fell just short of the 20-minute minimum in one of his 65 appearances this season, but he logged over 19 minutes in that contest. A player is permitted to count up to two sub-20 minute games toward his 65-game total if he played at least 15 minutes in those games.
As for Maxey, he’s a leading contender for this season’s Most Improved Player award, having increased his averages to 25.6 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 3.7 RPG in his fourth NBA season. His shooting percentages (.445 FG%, .374 3PT%) are down from last year, but he has been tasked with more offensive responsibilities in Philadelphia following James Harden‘s departure and Joel Embiid‘s knee injury.
Maxey also has a case for All-NBA honors, which could have an impact on his restricted free agency this summer. As Marks notes (via Twitter), claiming an All-NBA spot would make the Sixers guard eligible for a Rose Rule contract starting at up to 30% of the cap (instead of 25%). Such a deal would be worth up to a projected $245.3MM over five years instead of $204.5MM.
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Morris, Green
Spurs rookie star Victor Wembanyama won’t play on Monday against Phoenix due to a left ankle sprain, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News tweets.
Wembanyama, who was ruled out after participating in the Spurs’ morning shootaround to test his ankle, suffered the injury during Saturday’s 131-106 loss to Phoenix. It’ll be the ninth game he has missed in his first season.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it’s a “little better than 50-50” that the No. 1 pick plays at Utah on Wednesday.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Markieff Morris has only appeared in 20 games for the Mavericks this season, but the 34-year-old forward plays a key leadership role, Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com notes. Morris says his practice habits are part of the reason why his words and actions carry so much weight. “You can’t just talk it, you got to still be able to walk it,” Morris said. “And that’s what makes these guys believe in what I say. Obviously, I don’t play (in games much). But if you catch me in practice and see me play, you’d say, he really still can bring it. It’s just not my role for this team (to be in the rotation). I think that’s why people believe what I say. I show it in practice all the time.”
- Jalen Green has been red hot lately, averaging 27.8 points and 3.5 assists this month. Shams Charania noted on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (video link) that the Rockets were willing to deal him. “Two months ago, the Rockets called the Nets on Mikal Bridges and I’m told they discussed a concept around Jalen Green and multiple first-round picks,” Charania said. “That deal was not accepted by the Brooklyn Nets.” That confirms reports prior to the February trade deadline that Houston was open to moving Green for a top-level wing.
- Speaking of Green, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko takes a deep dive into how the third-year guard has improved defensively this season.