Community Shootaround: First Half’s Pleasant Surprises, Disappointments
The fact that Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has been able to play in 19 games so far this season is an achievement in itself, given that he missed the previous two-and-a-half years while dealing with ongoing knee problems. As Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps write for ESPN.com (Insider link), what’s even more impressive is how impactful Ball has been during his time on the court.
Although his numbers, including 5.8 points per game on .359/.318/.750, don’t look especially strong, Ball is once again making the sorts of winning plays that don’t show up in the box score. Chicago has a +6.9 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -5.0 mark when he’s not.
“Someone is going to get him next year and look smart,” one executive said to ESPN of Ball, who is on an expiring contract.
Ball is among several players identified by Windhorst and Bontemps as the pleasant surprises of the first half of the 2024/25 NBA season. Here are a few more of the names on that list:
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks: “He’s been everything the Knicks were hoping for and more, and his absence has left a larger hole than the Wolves would’ve ever thought,” a scout told ESPN.
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons: “When the Pistons gave him the max, there were quite a few people who thought it was a risk, and he’s been very strong,” a general manager said.
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: “What he’s doing is just ridiculous,” an executive said. “Say whatever you want about him meeting expectations; if he gets that roster to the playoffs, he should get MVP votes. And he might.”
- Norman Powell, Clippers: “He’s gotten more minutes and shots, but no one would’ve believed he’d take this leap at this stage of his career,” an exec said to ESPN.
James Harden (Clippers), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), and Cameron Johnson (Nets) are among the others mentioned by ESPN’s duo.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, Heat teammates Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez, and Sixers center Joel Embiid are among the season’s biggest disappointments, as identified by Windhorst, Bontemps, and the sources they spoke to. Here are a few more of the players in that group:
- Paul George, Sixers: “Philly probably knew there was a chance they’d have a rough PG year on this contract but they probably thought it would be year four — not year one,” an executive said.
- Kyle Kuzma, Wizards: “I know he’s dealt with an injury,” one scout told ESPN, “but I think this has been the most disappointing season of his career.”
- Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers: “I thought it was a guarantee he’d play much better this year than last and show some things,” an exec said. “I’ve been wrong. His numbers are down, and the eye (test) confirms it.”
We want to know what you think.
Which NBA players have you been most pleasantly surprised or disappointed by so far this season? Are there any names on ESPN’s lists – or scouts’ and executives’ comments – that you strongly agree or disagree with?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Southwest Notes: Morant, Grizzlies, Jackson, Wemby, Pelicans
Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant made his return from injury on Thursday, as first announced by the team (Twitter link). Morant missed five games with an AC joint injury.
The Grizzlies went 2-3 without Morant, who is averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. He finished with 27 points in a narrow loss to the Rockets in his return.
Morant wasn’t the only Grizzlies player back in action on Thursday, as Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane also made their returns. Aldama missed six games with an ankle injury, while Bane was only absent for Monday’s game against Dallas.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies got more good news on the injury front, as GG Jackson was assigned to the Memphis Hustle for practice on Thursday (Twitter link via team). That means Jackson has practiced for three straight days, twice with the Hustle and once with the Grizzlies. Jackson hasn’t played at all this season after suffering an offseason foot injury, but was a bright spot last year when the Grizzlies were decimated by injuries, as he averaged 14.6 points while shooting 35.7% from deep as a rookie. He was elevated from a two-way contract to a standard deal after being the No. 45 pick in the 2023 draft.
- Victor Wembanyama is establishing himself as the league’s best defender, with plenty of room to grow at 21 years old, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He’s leading the NBA in blocks by a wide margin. “It just strikes fear in opponents’ hearts,” Julian Champagnie said. “That’s the best part about it. It’s like, yeah, he’s tall. He almost blocks every shot that comes his way. So anybody who’s going to the basket, you got that little double-take to see where he’s at.” In another article by Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News, players talked about what it takes to approach a defender like Wembanyama.
- After suffering a shoulder sprain, Pelicans forward Herbert Jones will miss Friday’s game against the Sixers, Will Guillory of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Trey Murphy will miss his third straight game with an ankle sprain.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Jokic, Winning, Jones, Sochan
The Spurs defeated the Nuggets in a close game in Denver on Friday, then the Nuggets returned the favor in Saturday’s overtime victory in San Antonio. Star big men Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic had spectacular showings in the back-to-back, with Wembanyama averaging 27.5 points, 20.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 blocks per game, compared to Jokic’s 43.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.0 steals.
According to ESPN.com, Jokic and Wembanyama expressed mutual admiration for each other after Friday’s matchup.
“I think he’s better this year than last year, and I think he’s going to get even better,” Jokic said of Wembanyama. “I think he’s a special player. I think he’s one of a kind and is going to be remembered forever.”
“Multiple-time MVP, soon to be MVP again,” Wembanyama said of Jokic. “Can’t ask for a better way to get better.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Wembanyama’s name is in the NBA record books for several statistical accomplishments not even halfway through his second season. Michael C. Wright of ESPN shares the top moments of the French center’s first 100 games.
- As impressive as Wembanyama’s highlight reel already is, he says there’s only one thing that really matters to him, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link). “Some people care about highlights, but we care here about the record, the win or the loss,” said Wembanyama, who turned 21 years old on Saturday. “It is the only stat that matters.” After finishing last season with a 22-60 record, the Spurs are currently 18-17, the No. 9 seed in the West.
- Point guard Tre Jones looks like he’s finally back to full strength after battling shoulder and ankle injuries for much of 2024/25, according to Orsborn (subscription required). Jones, who has missed 18 games thus far, played both ends of the recent back-to-back, finishing with nine points (on 4-of-6 shooting) and six assists in 18 minutes on Saturday. “Tre has been great,” Harrison Barnes said. “His ability to pick up the other team, the other point guard, apply pressure and then offensively he gives us another ball handler who’s able to get to the paint, able to find guys and get extra plays for us. He’s been great in that regard.”
- Third-year forward Jeremy Sochan was sidelined for Friday’s contest, Orsborn notes in another subscriber-only story, but the back injury that kept him on the shelf turned out to be minor, as he was able to suit up on Saturday. Sochan will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
And-Ones: 2025, Balance, Expansion, Neto, MVP
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Tim Bontemps lists seven storylines people around the NBA will be monitoring in 2025. Due to their combination of young players, draft assets and a coach (Ime Udoka) that players want to play for, the Rockets are widely viewed as the team to watch the next time a star becomes available on the trade market.
“The whole landscape of the league,” an Eastern Conference scout said, “could change based off what they do.”
Although no one actually expects anything to change, since it would require certain teams to vote against their best interests, league sources tell Bontemps that the imbalance of power between the two conferences may see more calls for playoff seedings to be ranked 1-to-16 instead of the traditional format of 1-to-8 in each conference.
League insiders are also keeping a close eye on the Celtics‘ impending sale — specifically how much the team sells for — as a potential bellwether for expansion, according to Bontemps. The cities of Seattle and Las Vegas continue to be mentioned in league circles as possible expansion spots.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- ESPN insiders Ohm Youngmisuk, Jamal Collier, Chris Herring, Dave McMenamin and Tim MacMahon answer some key questions related to the remainder of the 2024/25 season. Youngmisuk and MacMahon picked Victor Wembanyama to be the breakout player of 2025, with Paolo Banchero, Donte DiVincenzo and Trae Young also receiving votes.
- Former NBA guard Raul Neto and Spanish EuroLeague club Barcelona have parted ways, according to a team press release. Barcelona described the move as mutual. The Brazilian point guard has had terrible injury luck over the past two seasons. After missing the entire 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury, he was limited to just two appearances with Barcelona, getting injured on each occasion. In his debut in late November, he sustained an injury that sidelined him for four weeks. In his return on Dec. 27, he suffered a left thigh injury that will sideline him for 12 weeks. An eight-year veteran, Neto’s last NBA action came for Cleveland during the ’22/23 season.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports ranks his current top-five choices for the 2025 MVP award, though he only views three players as “serious contenders” for first place: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic.
International Notes: Marjanovic, Korkmaz, Samanic, Batum
Longtime NBA center Boban Marjanovic, who began the 2024/25 season with Fenerbahce in Turkey, is taking his talents to China after being released by his EuroLeague club, according to a report from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). That report states that Marjanovic is joining the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Marjanovic, who averaged just 8.7 minutes per game over the course of 331 regular season NBA appearances across nine seasons, also played a limited role with Fenerbahce, logging 10.0 MPG in six EuroLeague outings and 12.3 MPG in seven Turkish League contests. Fenerbahce decided against exercising its rest-of-season option on the 7’4″ center, making him a free agent.
Marjanovic has no shortage of international basketball experience, having played in Serbia, Russia, and Lithuania before making the move to the NBA in 2015. However, this will be the first time that he has played for a team in China.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the international basketball world:
- Turkish wing Furkan Korkmaz, who spent seven NBA seasons in Philadelphia, has returned to his native country, signing with Bahcesehir, according to an announcement from the club (Twitter link). Korkmaz began this season with AS Monaco, but recent reporting indicated that he planned to transfer ahead of the EuroLeague’s deadline. In addition to competing domestically in Turkey, Bahcesehir currently has a 10-2 record in EuroCup play.
- Former NBA forward/center Luka Samanic has officially signed with Baskonia, as expected, the Spanish team announced today in a press release. It has been an eventful few months for Samanic, who initially signed with Fenerbahce after finishing the 2023/24 season with the Jazz, but didn’t play for the Turkish team, instead returning to his home country of Croatia and playing with KK Cibona this fall. Now he’s back in the EuroLeague.
- Speaking to Grant Asfeth of RG.org about his decision to retire from the French national team, veteran Clippers forward Nicolas Batum explained that he felt the program was in good hands with all the young talent coming up behind him, led by rising star Victor Wembanyama. “I could retire peacefully from the national team. I don’t have to play every summer because there’s a new generation coming up,” Batum said. “Good guys are coming in the next draft. I feel like I’ve done my job for the country. I tried to inspire the young guys. They tell me they watched me when they were younger, and I like that. My son is eight, and he’s a fan of this generation now. It’s great for the country.”
- Aris Barkas of Eurohoops explores what the NBA’s rumored foray into European basketball might look like, reporting that Paris Basketball is among the clubs the NBA is targeting for its new league, while EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid has also been in contact with the NBA.
Southwest Notes: Wembanyama, Paul, Thompson, Missi
Those who tuned in for the early Christmas game between the Spurs and Knicks saw an overwhelming performance by Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, even though the Knicks pulled out a three-point win.
Wembanyama finished with 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and four blocks in 40 minutes. No previous player had ever turned in a combination of that many points, rebounds, assists and blocks on Christmas Day. Wembanyama also came close to Wilt Chamberlain‘s record of 45 points in a Christmas debut.
However, Wembanyama was more focused on the loss than his big numbers, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
“It’s not my first thought at all, I don’t even know the real history by heart of the best Christmas games in history,” Wembanyama said. “I’m thinking about the game right now and just thinking we’re close, but we lack some attributes at times. You know, we’re right there. It was a really disputed game.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs are sitting at .500 after losing their last two games. Chris Paul believes the team’s next step is to learn to execute during crunch time, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “For us, the next step is winning those games,” Paul said. “We got to get to that point where all that ‘young guy stuff’ got to go out the window. We pros just like everybody else and there’s a grit and a will that you got to have in this league in order to figure out ways to win those games, especially on the road when we are the only ones that’s cheering for us.”
- Klay Thompson has passed Reggie Miller for fifth place on the league’s all-time 3-point makes list. That’s a special accomplishment for the Mavericks guard, “I loved Reggie Miller growing up,” Thompson told Christian Clark of The Athletic. “I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He’s always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer. It’s just surreal. Talk about times I prayed for. I prayed for times like that.” Thompson is wearing No. 31 as a tribute to Miller, who wore the same number in his 18 seasons with the Pacers.
- Due to injuries, Pelicans rookie center Yves Missi has been thrown into the fire this season and he seems to be improving with each game. Messi had 21 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals against Denver on Sunday. “He’s well ahead of the curve,” teammate CJ McCollum told Rod Walker of the New Orleans Times Picayune. “He’s probably surprised himself. The development has been great for him. From the first day he got here to now has been night and day.”
Western Notes: Colllins, Wembanyama, Finch, Murray
Zach Collins has lost his rotation spot with the Spurs, but he’s not going to cause a distraction. Collins, who hasn’t played in the last five games (including three DNP-CDs) after seeing the court in each of the first 24 this season, says he’ll be ready to play whenever called upon, he told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
“I’ve said this since I’ve been here, I want to play 48 minutes a game,” said Collins, who is signed through next season. “But right now it’s not my role, so my job is just to stay ready. I got to stay ready as a professional when my number is called. God forbid, somebody gets hurt, but the lineups change, somebody gets sick, whatever. Guys have to be ready. Not just me, but all the guys that haven’t been playing, we all got to be ready, so that’s where my mind’s at.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Victor Wembanyama is a unique talent and he knows it. He told the Spurs not to underestimate his versatility prior to his rookie season, Michael C. Wright of ESPN reports. “The best way for me to help is to not put me in a box,” he said then. Wembanyama wasn’t popular in Philadelphia on Monday, as he was showered with boos after Joel Embiid was ejected and Andre Drummond was nearly ejected. Wembanyama was accused of flopping before the officials realized he had tripped. “I’ve seen much, much worse, so this is nothing,” Wembanyama told Orsborn when asked about the hostile fans.
- Chris Finch is grasping for solutions to fix the Timberwolves’ slumbering offense. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Minnesota has lost three straight and the team’s offense has dropped to 23rd at 110.3 points per 100 possessions. Finch has continued to stick with his usual eight-man rotation, though it may be time to do something bold, such as swapping Naz Reid for Julius Randle in the starting lineup, Krawczynski writes. Finch is open-minded about making changes. “Everything’s always on the table, for sure,” the head coach said. “But also we need to keep looking at lineup combinations as the game goes on, too.”
- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray missed Monday’s game against Phoenix after spraining his right ankle the previous night. The Nuggets will face the Suns again on Christmas Day and Murray is listed as questionable, the team tweets. Murray, who is averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 assists, has missed six games this season.
Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham Named Players Of The Week
A pair of former No. 1 overall picks have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week. Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has claimed the award for the Western Conference, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham won it in the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Due to the NBA Cup scheduling, Wembanyama and the Spurs only played two games during the week of December 16-22, but the reigning Rookie of the Year was absolutely dominant in those two outings, averaging 36.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and an eye-popping 7.0 blocks in 33.5 minutes per contest.
Wembanyama posted a shooting line of .525/.478/.826 in wins over Atlanta and Portland and matched a career high with 10 blocked shots in a historic performance against the Blazers on Saturday.
Cunningham’s Pistons enjoyed a 2-1 week, with victories over Miami and Phoenix. The fourth-year point guard averaged 27.0 points, 12.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 39.0 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .492/.409/.778. He had a 20-point, 18-assist, 11-rebound triple-double against the Heat last Monday.
Wembanyama beat out fellow nominees Dillon Brooks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Clippers teammates James Harden and Norman Powell to earn the first Western Conference Player of the Week award of his career, per the NBA (Twitter link).
It’s also the first time in Cunningham’s career that he has been named the East’s Player of the Week. The other nominees for the honor were Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Evan Mobley, Pascal Siakam and Jayson Tatum.
Spurs Notes: Roster, Possible New Arena, Trades, Sochan
The Spurs’ roster was fully healthy for the first time all season for Thursday’s 133-126 overtime victory over Atlanta, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
“It felt like a big relief,” All-Defensive center Victor Wembanyama said. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still questionable. So we were like, ‘Is it the day, finally?'”
Capitalizing on the team’s surprising health edge, acting San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson started Devin Vassell for the first time all year, moving Julian Champagnie to the bench for the first time since November 4. Vassell responded with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The story, of course, was Wembanyama, who led his team with 42 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and four rejections.
“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his sheer size when he’s demonstrative, playing with conviction, where he is going to get the ball to the spots he wants to get to and nothing’s going to stop him.”
San Antonio has gone 14-13 thus far this season, but in the competitive West, that’s only good for the No. 11 seed.
There’s more out of Alamo City:
- A grassroots community group in San Antonio, COPS/Metro Alliance, has come out in opposition to the city using any of its own dollars for a proposed new Spurs arena downtown, per Molly Smith of The San Antonio Express-News. “Whoever says that this is a done deal I think is crazy, because it’s not a done deal,” said Sonia Rodriguez, leader of COPS/Metro Alliance.
- In a Southwest Division mailbag, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko says he’s skeptical the Spurs will be open to offloading many of their rotational pieces in trades this season. Iko does suggest that – if the offer is good enough from a title hopeful – San Antonio could probably be convinced to part with Vassell or Champagnie. However, the club’s current roster seems capable of qualifying for this year’s play-tournament, Iko posits, adding that oft-injured veteran center Zach Collins, who is owed $34.7MM through 2025/26, may be the most tradable current Spur.
- In addressing the Spurs’ current starting five, Iko advocates for a shooting-oriented group made up of point guard Chris Paul, Vassell, Champagnie, forward Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. Iko cautions, however, that relegating forward Jeremy Sochan and Castle to bench roles would naturally limit their defensive contributions to the roster.
Texas Notes: Wembanyama, Rockets, Washington, Exum
All-Defensive Spurs center Victor Wembanyama intends to suit up for the French national team every time he gets the chance, per L’Equipe (hat tip to Eurohoops for the translation). The 7’4″ big man added that he plans to rejoin his countrymen for the EuroBasket competition next summer.
“I don’t know the exact dates, but there’s always time to make it work with the French team,” Wembanyama said. “You just have to sacrifice a bit of your physical preparation for the following season. So yeah, it’s definitely my goal to play for the French team every summer.”
Wembanyama indicated that he had spoken with new Team France head coach Frederic Fauthoux about his intentions.
“I’ve spoken with him briefly since he became coach. But we haven’t formally discussed any specific deadlines,” Wembanyama said.
The reigning Rookie of the Year averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game for the French national team during last summer’s Olympic games in Paris. France won its second consecutive silver medal thanks in large part to his efforts.
There’s more out of the Lone Star State:
- While they didn’t get past the Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday, the Rockets proved that they belong in the conversation as legitimate threat in the West with their 91-90 tournament quarterfinal victory over Golden State, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “When you get a taste of winning, it’s from the other side,” guard Jalen Green said after the win. “It’s a side I ain’t been on in two, three years of this. You’re going to do whatever it takes. So I saw the opportunity to dive on the floor, and I took it. The results came out amazing.”
- In the midst of his best season yet, Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has emerged as a critical below-the-radar contributor, opines Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. To wit, Dallas has gone 1-5 without Washington available thus far this season. “[If] they watch the game and see how much dirty work he’s doing, he’s on the floor,” center Dereck Lively said of his teammate. “He’s gambling for loose balls. He’s trying to get a jump ball. He’s trying to get rebounds. He’s trying to attack the rim. He’s trying to shoot the ball. My man P.J. is an amazing player.”
- Injured Mavericks guard Dante Exum is taking big strides as he works his way back from a right wrist surgery, Curtis tweets. He has missed all 25 of Dallas’ games so far this year — the Mavericks have gone 16-9 without him. “He’s doing a lot of work with the left hand to be able to go both ways with his right and left,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “I think his attitude and he’s been working extremely hard. He looks great.” When Exum underwent surgery in early October, reports indicated he was expected to miss three months.