Spurs’ Johnson, Celtics’ Mazzulla Named Coaches Of The Month
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is December’s Coach of the Month in the Western Conference, while Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics is the Eastern Conference recipient of the award, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Johnson guided the Spurs to an 11-3 record in December, not including the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season standings. San Antonio’s big month, which included three separate victories over the defending champion Thunder, occurred despite Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle each missing multiple games due to injuries.
In addition to posting the NBA’s best record for the month, the Spurs also had the fifth-best offensive rating (118.9) and sixth-ranked defensive rating (112.0), which helped earn Johnson Coach of the Month recognition over fellow nominees David Adelman (Nuggets), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), and Chris Finch (Timberwolves), per the league (Twitter link).
As for Mazzulla’s Celtics, they ranked eighth in the East entering December, but finished the month as the No. 3 seed in the conference after going 9-3.
Even without perennial All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, Boston had the NBA’s best offensive rating (124.3) and second-best net rating (+11.0) in December en route to wins over the Knicks, Lakers, and Raptors (twice), among others.
J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mike Brown of the Knicks, and Jordi Fernandez of the Nets were also nominated for the award.
Daigneault and Bickerstaff earned the monthly honor for games played in October and November.
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel Named December’s Rookies Of The Month
For a second consecutive month, former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter link).
Flagg, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, averaged 23.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 35.5 minutes per game in 13 outings this past month for the Mavericks, making 51.6% of his shots from the floor and 80.8% from the free throw line.
While Dallas still hasn’t looked like a playoff team – the Mavs went 6-7 in December – Flagg is showing why he was the consensus top prospect in the 2025 draft class and is considered one of the best rookies to enter the NBA in the past decade. He’s the NBA’s youngest player, having turned 19 on December 21.
Although Flagg has taken over as the betting favorite in the Rookie of the Year race, that’s through no fault of Knueppel, who showed no signs of slowing down after his hot start to the season. In 12 games in December, the Hornets sharpshooter averaged 20.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 4.2 APG, with an outstanding .500/.462/.903 shooting line.
Only Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry have made more three-pointers so far this season than Knueppel, who knocked down 4.0 per game in December and now has 117 on the season.
Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward, Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, Pelicans big man Derik Queen, and Kings center Maxime Raynaud were also nominated for the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award, while Nets guard Egor Demin, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Wizards guard Tre Johnson were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
Spurs’ Wembanyama Out Friday, Considered Day-To-Day
Victor Wembanyama underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed the Spurs‘ star center did not suffer any ligament damage to his hyperextended left knee, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.
Wembanyama sustained the injury early in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s two-point victory over New York.
The French big man has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Indianapolis, as he didn’t travel with the team. However, Wembanyama may not be out long — Wright hears the former No. 1 overall pick will be listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Portland and is considered day-to-day.
Wembanyama, whose official injury designation is left knee soreness, is hoping to return to action within the next week, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Friday will mark Wembanyama’s 13th absence of the season after he previously missed time with a calf strain. On Thursday night, Maxime Aubin of French outlet L’Équipe asked Wembanyama for his thoughts regarding the 65-game rule for players to qualify for major postseason awards (Twitter link).
“I don’t dislike that rule,” Wembanyama replied. “And yes, of course it’s in my mind, even if it’s not the first thing I think about. But I also know the Spurs’ medical staff will do their job regardless of that. That’s what we expect from them, and they’re very good at staying objective.”
Starting wing Devin Vassell will also be out Friday, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is expected to miss multiple games with a left adductor strain.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Champagnie, Vassell, Fox
Victor Wembanyama had a reassuring message for Spurs fans after being forced to leave Wednesday’s game with a hyperextended left knee, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only story. The injury looked scary as Wembanyama limped off the court early in the fourth quarter, but he doesn’t believe it’s serious.
“I’m feeling good, just sore,” Wembanyama said. “I’m confident. I was this close to coming back into the game. They had to hold me back. … It was just a hyperextension. It should be a minimal. … We are going to do everything tomorrow to make sure it is OK.”
Wembanyama expects to be available for Friday’s game at Indiana on the first night of a back-to-back, but he acknowledged that the team’s medical staff may not agree with his assessment. The injury occurred when he landed awkwardly while fighting for an offensive rebound. After having it checked out, he walked normally as he returned to the Spurs’ bench late in the game while wearing slippers.
“Have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but I think I saw what everybody else saw,” coach Mitch Johnson told reporters. “Obviously, he finished the game on the bench with his teammates, so I think that made me feel good. I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and be able to finish the game on the bench with his teammates.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Julian Champagnie sparked a comeback win over New York with a historic shooting performance, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Champagnie made 11 of his 17 three-point attempts on a night when his teammates shot just 3-of-21 from beyond the arc, and his 36 points were the most in NBA history for a player without taking a two-point shot.
- Champagnie started the game in place of Devin Vassell, who’s dealing with an adductor strain. Johnson said Vassell is expected to miss “more than a game or two,” Orsborn tweets.
- The Spurs traded for De’Aaron Fox because of his reputation as one of the NBA’s best closers, and he displayed those skills on Wednesday by scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter after Wembanyama left the game, McDonald notes. The performance looked familiar to Knicks coach Mike Brown, who guided Fox for three years in Sacramento. “He’s just a great player, man,” Brown said. “The stuff that’s happening here with him, it’s not a surprise to me at all.”
Victor Wembanyama Leaves Game Early, Avoids Major Injury
Victor Wembanyama suffered a hyperextended left knee in the Spurs‘ win over the Knicks on Wednesday night, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter). However, according to Charania, initial tests suggested that no major injury had been sustained.
“I’m feeling good, just sore. I’m confident,” Wembanyama said, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “I was close to coming back into the game. They had to hold me back…It was just a hyperextension. It should be a minimal.”
The Spurs’ star bumped knees with Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns in the fourth quarter while fighting for a rebound and landed awkwardly, staying on the ground for several moments before the Spurs committed an intentional foul to stop play. Wembanyama immediately exited the game and headed to the locker room.
Wembanyama reportedly told fans “I’ll be back” when he left the court (Twitter link via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post), but when he returned, he was wearing slippers, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Spurs were able to come back and register a 134-132 victory despite not having their superstar center — they’ll now await a more specific diagnosis.
This was just the third start for the Frenchman since mid-November. He missed 12 games due to a calf strain, then came off the bench for the next seven games, including against the Knicks in the NBA Cup championship, in order to work his way back into competitive shape.
And-Ones: Simmons, NCAA, Rookies, Tanking, 2026 Draft
After recently confirming to Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he continues to work toward a potential NBA comeback, former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star Ben Simmons spoke to Sam Jane of The Athletic about why he has been in no rush to sign a new contract. As Simmons explains, recurring back issues have resulted in him playing – and living – through pain for several years.
“(It’s) one of those things where you’re dealing with it every day, sitting down, going to sleep, flying on planes,” Simmons said. “People don’t understand that.”
According to Simmons, he determined it would be in his best interest to take a more extended rehab period after the 2024/25 season rather than immediately signing a new contract and once again reporting to a team’s camp at less than 100%. His goal as he works out in Los Angeles, he tells Jane, is to become “bulletproof” to avoid more health-related setbacks.
“I’m about to be 30 years old, and I need to make the best decision for Ben Simmons,” Simmons said. “It’s not fun going out there, not being able to move, not be able to jump, or, you know, take hits. There’s no fun in that. Sometimes you got to make a decision with how you feel and what’s best for yourself. And that’s what I’ve done, and it’s not for everybody to really understand, because they’re not in my shoes.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Amid reports that college basketball coaches are reaching out to players with NBA experience, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter links) hears from a source that the NCAA has yet to grant eligibility to anyone who has played in NBA games. Asked if that could happen, an NCAA spokesperson provided the following statement: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro, and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”
- A little over two months into the NBA season, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has updated his rookie rankings, evaluating first-year players based on how they’ve performed so far in 2025/26. The top four players on Vecenie’s list are the same ones selected with the first four picks in the 2025 draft: Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe, and Spurs guard Dylan Harper. Pelicans big man Derik Queen rounds out Vecenie’s top five.
- With the NBA reportedly considering rule changes to further disincentivize tanking, Tony Jones, Eric Koreen, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic evaluate the rumored proposals, expressing the most enthusiasm for one that would prevent teams from drafting in the top four in back-to-back years.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report spoke to three scouts about who should be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, with each of those three scouts laying out the case for selecting a different prospect: Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
Doncic, Antetokounmpo Lead Early Fan Voting For All-Star Game
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, in the first returns of fan voting for the All-Star Game, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
Doncic leads all players with 1,249,518 votes. The top five vote-getters from the Western Conference also include Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.
Joining Antetokounmpo among the top five in the Eastern Conference are Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Fans voting represents 50% of the vote to determine the five players from each conference to be named as starters for the All-Star Game, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. This year, All-Stars are being selected without regard to position.
A newly-created, round-robin tournament featuring a USA vs. World format will be held Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome, the new home of the Clippers.
Southwest Notes: Eason, Fox, Bey, Flagg
After he missed 14 games in November and December due to an oblique strain, Tari Eason‘s return has allowed the Rockets to try a new-look starting five. Eason replaced Josh Okogie in Houston’s new, jumbo-sized lineup in the last two games and has made an impact on both ends of the floor in back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Cavaliers, amassing six steals and three blocks while making 3-for-8 three-pointers.
“It was amazing to be out there. [Head coach Ime Udoka] finally trusted me to go out there. I just had to do what I do best,” Eason said, per The Athletic’s Will Guillory (via Twitter). “We had to get back to being dogs defensively, and I knew I could come out there and set the tone.”
Asked if he valued being in the starting lineup after spending the last few years as a reserve, Eason responded, “Yes, I do.”
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- De’Aaron Fox missed the Spurs‘ game Saturday against the Jazz with left adductor tightness, but the team is optimistic that he won’t be out for long, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. “Not too many big concerns,” said head coach Mitch Johnson. “Obviously he’s out, so it’s real. But hopefully it will be short-term.” Johnson added that he started Julian Champagnie rather than Dylan Harper in order to keep the No. 2 overall pick in a more consistent role. “It goes a long way for players to expect if they’re going to play, when they’re going to play, when do they come out,” Johnson said. “They are creatures of habit from when they wake up to when they go to bed. I think being able to help provide consistency where you can (is important).” The Spurs have gone 17-5 in games that Fox has played this season.
- Saddiq Bey was something of an afterthought coming into this season for the Pelicans, having not played a game since March 2024, when he tore his ACL. But following a trade from the Wizards to the Pelicans this summer, Bey knew he had been given a second chance to establish himself as a reliable rotation player, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “Just to be wanted at that time after not playing in a year and a half meant a lot to me,” Bey said. “New Orleans was showing that they still believed in me and that meant the world to me.” Bey has responded to the opportunity by averaging 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while starting 24 of the 32 games he played this season. “He’s been incredible all year,” said coach James Borrego. “He’s built for these moments. He doesn’t shy away from it.” Bey said that the experience has given him a new perspective on his career: “I feel like I owe it to the front office, the city and this organization for believing in me. Every single game, I’m literally thanking God for letting me finish that game. Win or lose. I’ll never take another game for granted.”
- Mavericks‘ coach Jason Kidd went back to an early-season strategy in an attempt to grind out a win over the Kings without Anthony Davis: using Cooper Flagg as the de facto point guard, Christian Clark writes for The Athletic. The effort ended up coming in a 113-107 loss, but Flagg was able to help Dallas trim a 15-point halftime deficit to three points before Sacramento pulled away again. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists, though he had five turnovers as well. “Once we had to sub, (the Kings’ lead) went back up to 18 (points),” Kidd said. “Just understanding the change — we talked about it at halftime — it gave us an opportunity to get us back in the game.”
Injury Notes: Knueppel, Sengun, Fox, Davis, Adebayo
Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, one of the early frontrunners for Rookie of the Year, suffered a right ankle injury late in the second quarter of Friday’s game in Orlando and was ruled out for the second half of the eventual win, the team announced (via Twitter). Knueppel appeared to come down on Desmond Bane‘s foot after contesting a floater near the basket, causing him to roll his ankle (Twitter video link).
Head coach Charles Lee said after the game that X-rays on Knueppel’s ankle were negative, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is dealing with left calf tightness and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Cleveland, according to the NBA’s official injury report (hat tip to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com). The 23-year-old was also questionable for Thursday’s game at the Lakers prior to being upgraded to available. Sengun made his first All-Star appearance in 2024/25 and there’s a good chance he’ll be in the exhibition game again in 2025/26 if he maintains his current level of production. Through 26 games, the Turkish center is averaging 22.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in 35.6 minutes per contest.
- Former All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who had a huge first half on Thursday in leading the Spurs to their third straight victory over Oklahoma City, is questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Utah due to left adductor tightness, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Fox had appeared in each of San Antonio’s past 22 games after missing the first eight contests of the season with a hamstring injury.
- While Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Anthony Davis is expected to miss multiple games with a mild right groin strain, the Mavericks have listed the five-time All-NBA forward/center as questionable for Saturday’s matchup at Sacramento with right adductor soreness, per Marc Stein (Twitter link). Davis exited Thursday’s loss at Golden State after experiencing groin spasms. The hip adductor muscles are part of the medial (middle) thigh and injuries to the area are often called groin strains.
- The Heat will be cautious with Bam Adebayo‘s injury, head coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Friday’s game vs. Atlanta, which the star big man missed due to lower back soreness. “I think if we handle it now, he’ll be fine,” Spoelstra said after Friday morning’s shootaround, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s pretty sore.” Miami had lost eight of its past nine games entering Friday, but bounced back with a decisive victory over the struggling Hawks.