Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Harper, Barnes, Fox
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a scary fall to the court in the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to Portland, but there’s no indication he sustained any additional injuries on top of that. Head coach Mitch Johnson said as much during his post-game media session and a pair of team officials confirmed it, per Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News (Bluesky link).
Still, it’s little solace that Wembanyama suffered “just” a concussion, given how tricky they can be to manage. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), the average absence for a concussion is about seven-to-10 days, per the NBA’s injury tracking data, which would mean the Defensive Player of the Year would miss at least Games 3 and 4 — and potentially more than that.
For his part, Wembanyama is hopeful of beating that timeline. Appearing on NBA Today on Wednesday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the third-year star reported to the Spurs’ facility today and is aiming to travel with the team to Portland on Thursday, though that has yet to be determined. According to Charania, the Spurs and Wembanyama are “taking this very much day by day” and his status for Friday’s Game 3 remains up in the air.
As McDonald writes, Wembanyama’s teammates know they have to be prepared to do a better job without him than they did down the stretch on Tuesday, when they blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
“We all got to step up,” swingman Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table and we’ve played without him a couple of games this year. That’s huge void to fill.”
Here’s more on the Spurs:
- Wembanyama wasn’t the only Spur to suffer an injury on Tuesday, but the expectation is that guard Dylan Harper and forward Harrison Barnes will be ready for Game 3, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). Harper aggravated the left thumb injury he suffered during the Spurs’ regular season finale, while Barnes sustained a shoulder stinger as the result of a collision with Portland center Donovan Clingan. “Usually it’s ice,” Harper said of the treatment he’ll undergo before Friday’s game. “That’s about it. You can’t really do much with the thumb. Just kind of preserve it. Not really use it as much.”
- If Wembanyama misses time, the Spurs will need more from their highest-paid player, De’Aaron Fox, McDonald writes for the Express-News (subscription required). Fox scored 17 points on Tuesday, but he had nearly as many turnovers (three) as assists (four) and was 6-of-16 from the floor, including 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter. San Antonio was outscored by 14 points during his 34 minutes of action.
- The Spurs held their own defensively after Wembanyama exited Game 2, but their offense fell apart down the stretch, going 0-for-7 with a pair of turnovers in the final 3:37, as Orsborn details (subscription required). Johnson and the Spurs suggested after the game that wasn’t just about missing Wembanyama — Johnson lauded Portland’s defense and suggested his young team learned an important lesson about the level required to win a tight playoff game. “It looked like there was a level of fatigue there that kicked in just in terms of the intensity of the game and some of the output in minutes that guys had to play,” the Spurs’ coach said. “And that’s a playoff game. That’s what it’s going to feel like. And I think there’s a lot to learn.”
Wembanyama Exits Game 2 After Suffering Concussion
9:54pm: Wembanyama has a concussion and will undergo further testing on Wednesday, Charania tweets. Wembanyama must now have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery, then hit several benchmarks while being symptom-free before he is cleared to play.
8:18pm: Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the remainder of Game 2 of his team’s game against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday after he entered concussion protocol. The team made the announcement during the second quarter, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Wembanyama was injured when he stumbled while driving toward the basket and banged his chin against the floor (Twitter video link).
The big man had five points, four rebounds, a block and an assist in 12 minutes before suffering the injury. He collected his Defensive Player of the Year award prior to the game but the mood among the team and home crowd changed dramatically after Wembanyama fell in the lane and headed to the locker room.
With Wembanyama now in concussion protocol, the No. 2 seeded Spurs suddenly look much more vulnerable. They won Game 1 111-98 behind his 36-point eruption.
Wembanyama will have to meet certain benchmarks and exhibit that he’s symptom-free before clearing the concussion protocol. Until he can return, Luke Kornet will play a more prominent role and another veteran big man, Kelly Olynyk, could also see his minutes spike.
Victor Wembanyama Named Defensive Player Of The Year
Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama has been named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025/26 season, the league announced on Monday (Twitter link). He’s the youngest player in league history to win the award, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN, and is the first player to win it in a unanimous vote, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Wembanyama, who received all 100 first-place votes, led the NBA in total blocked shots (197) and blocks per game (3.1) by a significant margin and ranked second in defensive rebounds per game (11.5) despite playing just 29.2 minutes per night. His 28.5% defensive rebounding percentage was the highest mark in the league among qualified players.
The Spurs star also limited opponents to a 42.0% field goal percentage and anchored the NBA’s third-best defense. San Antonio allowed 103.6 points per 100 possessions when Wembanyama was on the court and gave up 113.7 points per 100 possessions when he sat.
Wembanyama was the favorite to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024/25, but a blood clot prematurely ended his season in February, preventing him playing in the 65 games necessary to qualify for consideration. He missed some time this year due to health issues, but met the 65-game criteria during the final week of the regular season.
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, who previously finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Wembanyama in 2023/24, once again finished as the runner-up to his conference rival for a major award — he earned the second-most votes for Defensive Player of the Year, including 76 second-place votes and 11 for third place. Holmgren ranked second in the NBA in blocks per game (1.9) and was the primary interior presence on a Thunder team that had the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.5).
Pistons wing Ausar Thompson was the top Defensive Player of the Year vote-getter among perimeter players, coming in third behind Wembanyama and Holmgren with nine second-place votes and 33 third-place votes. Thompson ranked first in the NBA in steals per game (2.0) despite playing fewer minutes per contest (26.0) than the seven players who ranked right behind him in that category. Detroit was sandwiched between OKC and San Antonio with the league’s second-best defensive rating (108.9).
A total of 13 players showed up on at least one Defensive Player of the Year ballot, with Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes rounding out the top five, in that order.
Celtics guard Derrick White, Thunder guard Cason Wallace, Rockets guard Amen Thompson, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Knicks forward OG Anunoby each received multiple votes, while Pistons center Jalen Duren, Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Heat big man Bam Adebayo showed up on one ballot apiece.
The full results can be viewed here (via Twitter).
While Defensive Player of the Year honors can, in some cases, ensure that a player qualifies for a higher maximum salary on his next contract, that won’t be the case for Wembanyama despite the fact that he’ll likely sign a maximum-salary rookie extension with the Spurs during the coming offseason. The Rose Rule criteria will require him to win MVP or DPOY or simply earn an All-NBA spot in 2026/27 in order to qualify for a contract that starts at 30% of the ’27/28 cap (instead of 25%).
2026 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results
Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.
The NBA has posted a video of the tiebreaking procedure (Twitter link). The results are as follows, according to a press release from the league (Twitter link):
- Utah Jazz (No. 4) over Sacramento Kings (No. 5)
- The Jazz’s pick will land in the top eight, meaning their obligation to the Thunder will be extinguished.
- New Orleans Pelicans (No. 7) over Dallas Mavericks (No. 8)
- The Pelicans will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Mavericks.
- The Pelicans’ pick will be sent to the Hawks (if it’s more favorable than Milwaukee’s) or Bucks (if it’s not).
- Phoenix Suns (No. 16) over Philadelphia 76ers (No. 17) over Orlando Magic (No. 18)
- The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Grizzlies.
- The Sixers’ pick will be sent to the Thunder.
- The Magic’s pick will be sent to the Hornets.
- Toronto Raptors (No. 19) over Atlanta Hawks (No. 20)
- The Hawks’ pick will be sent to the Spurs.
- Houston Rockets (No. 22) over Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 23)
- The Rockets’ pick will be sent to the Sixers.
- The Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Hawks.
- New York Knicks (No. 24) over Los Angeles Lakers (No. 25)
While the tiebreaker winner will pick ahead of the loser(s) in the first round, that order will be flipped in the second round.
For instance, the Magic’s second-round pick will be at No. 46, followed by the Sixers’ pick (traded to Phoenix) at No. 47, and the Suns’ second-rounder (traded to the Mavericks) at No. 48 — that’s the opposite of their order in the first round.
For lottery teams that finished with identical records, the second-round order is still to be determined depending on the lottery results.
For example, if the Jazz’s first-round pick stays at No. 4 and the Kings’ first-rounder stays at No. 5, Sacramento’s second-round pick would be at No. 34 and Utah’s (traded to San Antonio) would be at No. 35. But if the Kings win the No. 1 overall pick on lottery night, moving ahead of Utah in the first round, then the Jazz’s second-round pick (to San Antonio) would be No. 34, while Sacramento would move down to No. 35.
We’ll publish the full lottery odds and pre-lottery draft order for 2026 later today.
Bulls Get Permission To Interview Five Front Office Candidates
The Bulls have received permission to interview several candidates in their search for a new head of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Charania reports that Timberwolves general manager Matt Lloyd, Pistons senior vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, Hawks senior VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham, Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and Spurs assistant GM Dave Telep will make up the initial group. He adds that the Bulls also hope to talk with agent Austin Brown, the head of CAA’s basketball division.
Lloyd began his career with the Bulls in 1999 as a media coordinator and worked his way up to the scouting staff and then senior manager of basketball operations. He became assistant GM in Orlando in 2012 before joining Minnesota in 2022 as senior VP of basketball operations. He was promoted to GM two years ago.
Lindsey’s NBA career began in 1996, and he spent time with Utah, San Antonio and Dallas before joining the Pistons in 2024. He has been part of a remarkable rebuilding project that saw Detroit go from the league’s worst record to the East’s top seed in two years.
Graham spent 15 years with New Orleans, including one season as general manager, before moving to Atlanta last summer. He earned a reputation in the Pelicans’ front office for identifying young talent in the draft.
Gansey took over as general manager in Cleveland when Koby Altman was promoted to team president in 2022. He previously served as assistant GM and ran the Cavs’ G League affiliate.
Telep has 13 years of experience with San Antonio and formerly served as VP of basketball operations, director of player personnel and director of scouting. He was the senior national recruiting analyst for ESPN.com and a sideline reporter for ESPNU before joining the Spurs.
A Chicago native, Brown is one of the NBA’s top agents with a client list that includes Donovan Mitchell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cooper Flagg, Trae Young and OG Anunoby. He has received offers for numerous front office roles, according to Charania, including the Bulls’ GM position in 2020.
Chicago launched a complete front office overhaul by firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on April 6.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Vassell, Defense, Kornet
One game into the NBA playoffs, Victor Wembanyama is already setting records. The Spurs star poured in 35 points in Sunday’s 111-98 win over Portland, eclipsing Tim Duncan’s mark for the highest-scoring postseason debut in franchise history, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. It’s also the most points ever for anyone in his first playoff game who made at least five three-pointers.
And Wembanyama may have been even more dominant on the defensive end, as the Trail Blazers missed all 11 shots they took when he was the primary defender.
“The first time I stepped on the court, even for warmups, I felt the atmosphere was different,” Wembanyama said. “Everybody was ready. The fans were ready. It’s probably the most excitement I’ve seen this year in this arena. In terms of tactics, the sport aspect of it, it was different because we had more time to prepare.”
Portland tried several different defensive approaches to control Wembanyama, but he managed to keep scoring. Wright notes that he made four of his six shots from the field when guarded by Donovan Clingan and was 2-of-5 against Robert Williams. Against double teams, he finished 2-of-4 with six points.
Wembanyama looked more than ready in his long-awaited playoff debut, and the Spurs appear capable of making a lengthy playoff run. He told reporters that he was inspired by the presence of franchise legends Duncan and David Robinson, who were cheering the team on.
“I heard the crowd when they went on the camera,” Wembanyama said. “Seeing those two courtside and the recognition they get from the fans was amazing. It’s so cool.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- After Wembanyama’s scintillating performance, he chose Devin Vassell to conduct the team’s post-game drum celebration, Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes in a subscriber-only piece. Vassell scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter to help the Spurs build a double-digit lead and registered two impressive blocks 17 seconds apart that ignited the crowd. The first came against the 7’3″ Clingan, and the second was a chase-down block of Jrue Holiday. “That’s what we talk about, not giving up on the play,” Vassell said. “Every possession matters, whether it’s the first possession in the first quarter or the last possession of the fourth quarter. Play to the whistle.”
- Sunday marked the 12th time this season that the Spurs have held an opponent under 100 points and their record is perfect in those games, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Deni Avdija scored 30 points, but San Antonio did a good job of keeping his supporting cast in check. The Spurs were also able to defend Avdija without frequent fouls, as he only shot six free throws.
- As great as Wembanyama was, the Blazers only lost his minutes by four points, per Bill Oram of The Oregonian. They were minus-9 in the 14:17 that backup Luke Kornet was on the court. “Yeah, we couldn’t make money out of those minutes,” Portland coach Tiago Splitter said. “You’re right. Kornet did a good job of defending and grabbing offensive rebounds. We’ve got to be better in those minutes, for sure.”
NBA Announces Finalists For 2025/26 Awards
The NBA has announced the finalists for this season’s major awards, including Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Clutch Player of the Year.
The MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year finalists were announced at halftime of the NBC broadcast of Game 1 between the Pistons and Magic, while the league’s official account tweeted the rest.
Most Valuable Player
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
The leaders of the three top teams in the Western Conference all have strong arguments for MVP. Jokic became the first player to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game while also averaging 27.7 points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31.1 PPG and led the Thunder to the league’s best record despite the fact that multiple starters missed substantial time this season. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game while emerging as a lock for Defensive Player of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
This race is expected to come down to the former Duke teammates. Knueppel played a key role for a resurgent Hornets squad, becoming the first rookie to lead the league in made three-pointers while averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game in 81 appearances. Flagg’s Mavs finished well out of the postseason picture, but he showed massive star upside, averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.5 APG while scoring at least 42 points in four separate games. Edgecombe averaged 35.0 minutes per game over 75 contests, posting a well-rounded 16.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG.
Coach of the Year
- Joe Mazzulla (Celtics)
- J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
- Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
Mazzulla and Bickerstaff each led massively overperforming teams that managed to dominate the Eastern Conference despite having players in and out of the lineup all year. Johnson helped navigate a tricky guard rotation and spacing issues as the Spurs posted the second-best record in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
- Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
Wembanyama is the overwhelming favorite to win this award, ranking first in total blocks, blocks per game, defensive rating, and defensive rebounding percentage this season. Holmgren was second in blocks per game for the league’s top defense, while Thompson proved himself to be arguably the best perimeter defender in the league with his combination of off-ball defensive play-making and point-of-attack dominance.
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Hawks)
- Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
Both Avdija and Duren were first-time All-Stars this season, while Alexander-Walker earned a starting spot on his new team and raised his scoring from 9.4 points per game last season to 20.8 PPG this season on .459/.399/.902 shooting splits, all career high percentages.
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Nuggets)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Heat)
- Keldon Johnson (Spurs)
Hardaway cracked 40% from three this season for the first time in his career while shooting 6.9 attempts in his 26.6 minutes per game. Most importantly for the injury-plagued Nuggets, he played 80 games, including six starts, and was the team’s fifth-highest scorer. Jaquez had an impressively well-rounded contribution off the bench, posting career-highs of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Johnson was a crucial scoring hub for the Spurs bench units while adding offensive pop when the starters struggled to score.
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- Jamal Murray (Nuggets)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Edwards ranked first and second, respectively, in clutch scoring per game, while Murray was second in total clutch points behind the Thunder star and shot the most efficiently from three of the guards.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points notes (via Twitter) that the awards will be announced in the coming days and weeks, starting with Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, April 20.
Spurs Notes: Vassell, Fox, Wembanyama, Johnson, Popovich
Devin Vassell‘s success with the Spurs has come in large part because of his willingness to accept a different role than the one he initially envisioned for himself, James Herbert writes for CBS Sports. Rather than being San Antonio’s secondary star, the 25-year-old wing has become one of its crucial role players.
Vassell has been asked to fill different needs for the team since being drafted in 2020 due to the transitional stage the Spurs were going through. In 2025/26, he posted his lowest scoring average since ’21/22, but he has figured out how to be exactly what the team needs from him.
“I know my game,” Vassell said. “And I know I can get to my spot whenever I want to, I know I can get a shot whenever I want to. But for the betterment of the team, sometimes that’s not what you need.”
His teammates have been impressed with Vassell’s adaptability and the way he’s rounded out his game. “[His impact] has more substantive value to it,” Julian Champagnie said.
We have more from the Spurs:
- De’Aaron Fox believes that this season offers him the next and last bucket-list accolade for his trophy shelf, Tom Orsborn writes for the Express-News. “I’ve been All-NBA. I’ve been an All-Star,” he said. “The last thing I think that there is, is to win a championship. And I think we have a good shot at it.” He breaks down for Orsborn some of the matchups he expects to see from the Blazers in the first round.
- With the Spurs ready to take on the Blazers in Game 1 on Sunday, Victor Wembanyama is as ready as could be for his first taste of NBA playoff basketball, knowing full well the championship expectations that rest on his shoulders, Weiss writes. “This moment, it’s really what you work on all year, but also your whole career,” the Defensive Player of the Year favorite said. “We’re dreaming of the playoffs as kids before coming here.” Wembanyama called this the first truly high-stakes basketball he has played since the 2024 Olympics.
- Mitch Johnson‘s path from star high school point guard in Washington to Stanford floor general to coaching in the NBA set the stage for his debut as the first San Antonio head coach not named Gregg Popovich since 1996, Jeff McDonald writes in a profile on Johnson for the San Antonio Express-News.
- While Popovich has remained mostly out of the public eye since retiring, he has been monitoring the season and his former players closely, according to Keldon Johnson. “He stays in touch. He texts me or calls me from time to time, probably every other day,” Johnson said, per Jared Weiss at The Athletic, adding that he still gets tips on what he could be doing better from his former coach. “But at the same time, he’s very encouraging, telling me that he’s proud of me and things like that. I mean, he’s definitely still himself. He’s still sharp. He’s still very much Pop. He has not skipped a beat at all.”
Southwest Notes: Durant, Rockets, Harper, Grizzlies, Pelicans
The Rockets were playing without Kevin Durant, who’s dealing with a right knee contusion, in Saturday’s loss at the Lakers. “Several people” who watched the 37-year-old forward work out a couple hours before Saturday’s game said Durant wasn’t moving well and appeared to be in a good deal of pain, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Whether or not Durant is active for the second game of the series on Tuesday, the Rockets need a much better performance from Alperen Sengun, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. The All-Star center finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but shot just 6-of-19 from the field and made several “uncharacteristic mistakes” which negatively impacted the team’s offense, per Guillory.
“I missed a lot of shots, the shots I was making (in the past),” Sengun said. “It happens. It’s the first game — the first away game. It’s going to come back. I’m not upset about it. Of course, I’m upset about the loss, but I’m going to bounce back next game and come stronger. I’m going to have a different mentality.”
Second-year guard Reed Sheppard (17 points on 6-of-20 shooting) is another player who needs to step up for Houston in Game 2, Guillory adds.
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper jammed his left thumb in last Sunday’s regular season finale, but he’s confident the injury to his shooting hand won’t be an issue as the playoffs get underway, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick isn’t on the injury report and was a full participant in all three of San Antonio’s practices over the last week. “Rested it for a little bit, got back, felt fine,” Harper said at shootaround. “Felt like myself, so it’s all good. … The wrap shouldn’t affect me. I think that it’s more of a mental game, a mind game and just not trying to feed into that.”
- Deciding whether to trade or keep Ja Morant, drafting the best players available, and adding future assets are among the priorities for the Grizzlies this offseason, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (subscriber link).
- While head of basketball operations Joe Dumars expressed optimism about the Pelicans‘ future at his exit interview, the team’s fans are frustrated with being a “bottom feeder” and Dumars needs to improve the roster and hire the right head coach ahead of 2026/27, says Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “For the most part, we have some pretty good contracts set up with those guys,” Dumars said. “Between the age (of our roster) and the contracts, it gives us flexibility to do what you need to do going forward. If there is something you need to do going forward, you’re in a pretty position to improve your team.”
Trail Blazers Notes: Splitter, Head Coach, Avdija, Scoot
Tiago Splitter has done an admirable job as the Trail Blazers‘ interim head coach, guiding the team to its first playoff appearance in five years while overseeing the development of several key young players, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscriber link).
However, there has been a lot of speculation about Splitter’s future with Portland, with multiple reports indicating new owner Tom Dundon doesn’t want to pay the going rate for even a first-time NBA head coach. Dundon himself suggested the team would look at other coaching options beyond Splitter.
Splitter, who purchased a home and moved his family from France when he was hired away as head coach of Paris Basketball to be an assistant last summer, pointed out that he has improved throughout the season and continues to get better. According to Freeman, Splitter chuckled and said he wasn’t sure how he’d approach his interview with Dundon about the position.
“I don’t know yet,” the 41-year-old said. “I’ve still got to think it through. I’ll probably just go with the facts, what happened, what I did and why I did it at that moment, why it worked or didn’t work. We’re going to go down with the facts.”
A former NBA big man, Splitter laughed when he was asked earlier in April if he wanted the job, replying, “Of course I do.” The Brazilian coach also had no issues with Dundon interviewing other candidates, Freeman writes.
“He’s probably going to interview a bunch of coaches and probably I’m going to be one of them,” Splitter said. “We’ll see what he wants from me and what he wants from the head coach, and we’ll see if I’m the best option or not. This is a normal thing to happen, right? When you buy a team for $4.25 billion, you probably want to make that decision. So it’s fair. I understand. I think he’s smart to wait and talk to other coaches. I would do the same. Right now, I’m not losing sleep because of it, honestly, I’m just trying to do the best I can and finish the season.
“But me and my family, we love it here. Honestly, before we came here, we were not sure if we would like it or not. But we love it. The outdoors — my kids are playing outside all day — and my wife says it feels like home. We love the city and we love the organization.”
Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:
- Splitter, who was previously an assistant in Brooklyn and Houston, took over for Chauncey Billups prior to the second game of the season after Billups was arrested on federal charges related to illegal gambling. Splitter recorded a 42-39 regular season record and has the support of the locker room, Freeman adds in the same story. Robert Williams, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija are among the players who voiced their public support for Splitter. “Results speak for themselves,” Avdija said. “He was put into a challenging situation when he took over the team and we’ve had to use different rotations and guys all season. But I feel like he adjusted amazing through all that. I feel like he got the best out of everybody. We love playing for him. I appreciate the job he’s done and I respect him as a coach and a human.”
- In addition to his own team, Splitter has drawn praise from rival clubs as well. Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is a fan of Splitter’s, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “I think Tiago’s crushed it,” Johnson said. “I think when you see their team, and they’ve had a lot of in and out and the rosters and lineups, the temperament that he’s had and being able to lead that team and just what they’ve done recently (it’s impressive). The way they finished and the way they’re playing is a testament to him and the way those guys are playing and fighting for him and each other.”
- Although Scoot Henderson admits the first three years of his career haven’t gone the way he imaged after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2023 draft, the former G League Ignite guard remains supremely confident in his abilities, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian. Henderson still thinks he should have gone No. 1 that year, ahead of Victor Wembanyama, his opponent in the first round. “Hell yeah,” he said after a practice this week. “I do. I think I bring so much to any team I go on. I bring that winning mentality, my confidence in my game and my approach to the game.” As Oram writes, Henderson obviously hasn’t approached Wembanyama’s level as a player to this point in their careers, with Henderson essentially acting as undersized 3-and-D shooting guard when he re-entered the starting lineup a few years ago. Still, Henderson has a chance to show he’s part of the team’s long-term future with a strong series, Oram notes, and Henderson says he’ll do whatever he can to contribute. “The way I look at it,” Henderson said, “however I can get on the court, however long I can stay on the floor, whatever I got to do, I’m out there. I’m trying to do it, trying to get stops.”