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Northwest Notes: Clingan, Sharpe, Avdija, Gobert, Kessler

November 14th, 2024 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

With Robert Williams sitting out and Deandre Ayton sidelined by a finger injury, Trail Blazers lottery pick Donovan Clingan had his best outing of the season in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. In 31 minutes, Clingan racked up 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks.

“I love defense,” Clingan told Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. “It brings energy to the team. That’s how you win ballgames.”

Shaedon Sharpe also had a big night with 33 points in 36 minutes. Coach Chauncey Billups was thrilled with Sharpe’s assertiveness.

“Shae is such a teammate and he doesn’t want to step on anybody’s toes and wants to just kind of fit in,” Billups said. “And I’m telling him, ‘No, you need to go.’ I’ve got to force him. But he’ll get used to it. He loves that we depend on him to do some of those things. The more that happens, the more he’ll get used to it.”

Sharpe will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Deni Avdija, who is now coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers, had a notable outing against Minnesota on Tuesday. He accumulated 17 points, four rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. In Wednesday’s win, Avdija added seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Billups believes Avdija is well suited for a bench role, according to Aaron Fentress of Oregonlive.com. “Deni is tough,” Billups said. “He plays with a lot of fire. And we need that. We got a lot of kind of easy-going chill guys out there, and his mentality, we need it.”
The Timberwolves have a 6-6 record after those back-to-back losses to Portland. Rudy Gobert told Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he blames himself for the latest defeats. “Those two games are mostly on me defensively,” Gobert said. “I need to set the tone for the team, and I haven’t done it these last two games.”
Jazz center Walker Kessler hasn’t played since Saturday and he’ll miss Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. The team is labeling the ailment as right hip bursitis. Kessler is averaging 9.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest.

Northwest Notes: Thunder, SGA, Jazz, Nuggets, Wolves

November 13th, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

With Chet Holmgren sidelined until sometime in 2025 and Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams still not ready to return, expect the Thunder to fully lean into small-ball lineups, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The team has the roster flexibility to add a veteran center via free agency if it so chooses, but head coach Mark Daigneault seems to enjoy playing small, Lorenzi notes — now it has become a necessity rather than an option.

In their first game without Holmgren on Monday, the Thunder ran out a starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, making their point guard (Gilgeous-Alexander) the tallest player on the court at 6’6″. And the three reserves who saw the most minutes – Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Ajay Mitchell – were no more than 6’5″.

Still, the Thunder made those small lineups work and pulled out a victory over the Clippers, largely due to the heroics of Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a career-high 45 points, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. According to Thunder PR, the guard became the first player in NBA history to have at least 45 points, nine assists, five steals, and two blocks in a game. Gilgeous-Alexander won’t play like that every night, but he’s confident Oklahoma City can keep winning games despite missing its big men.

“We’ve been there before,” he said, per Youngmisuk. “We’ve won games playing small, and we can do it again.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Walker Kessler‘s absence on Tuesday due to right hip soreness highlighted the lack of quality defenders on the Jazz‘s roster, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who suggests that’s an area the team will need to address via player development or roster additions — or both. After giving up 120 points to Phoenix on Tuesday, Utah ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating (117.6) and dead last in net rating (-13.0).
The Nuggets got off to a shaky start this fall, but they’re on a roll as of late, riding a five-game win streak into Friday’s game in New Orleans. They’ve had to lean heavily on star center Nikola Jokic to pick up those victories — the three-time MVP is averaging 38.1 minutes per game, far exceeding his previous career high of 34.6 MPG. In a pair of stories for The Denver Post, Bennett Durando explores whether the Nuggets can keep winning while better managing Jokic’s playing time and considers whether it makes sense for the club to target a center on the trade market. For what it’s worth, Durando believes acquiring a shooter will be a greater priority for Denver than trading for a center.
Following an ugly 14-point Timberwolves loss to Portland on Tuesday, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic says Minnesota needs to recapture the edge and ferocity that characterized last season’s 56-win squad. This year’s Wolves have made things too easy for their opponents and are “opening doors they used to slam in people’s faces,” Krawczynski writes.

Will Hardy Relies On Veterans In Loss

November 8th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are emphasizing player development this season, but coach Will Hardy relied heavily on his veterans in Thursday’s loss at Milwaukee, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Kyle Filipowski, Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh all found themselves out of the rotation as Utah slipped to 1-7. “I have the long view in mind for all of these guys. The reality is that we can‘t play every young guy every night. That’s not how this is going to work. This is the NBA, and there is a level of earning minutes that has to happen,” Hardy said. “I think this notion of like, just getting minutes helps you get better is not true. Just playing for playing’s sake doesn’t just make them better. That’s why we have practices. That’s why we have the G League. There’s so many ways that we’re going to use all of our resources to help all these guys get better.”

Injury Notes: Vassell, Brogdon, V. Williams, Jazz, Bulls

November 7th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs are optimistic that swingman Devin Vassell could make his season debut on Saturday vs. Utah, Shams Charania of ESPN said on NBA Countdown (Twitter video link).

A former lottery pick who is in the first season of a lucrative long-term extension, Vassell’s 2024/25 debut has been delayed by offseason foot surgery. But it sounds like he’s fully healthy now, with his return “imminent,” according to Charania.

Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link) first reported that Vassell would be back as soon as Saturday.

Here are several more injury notes from around the NBA:

Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon appears to be inching closer to a return. The former Sixth Man of the Year underwent thumb surgery last month, and while he’s still wearing a wrap, he has progressed to shooting with his right hand, which is an encouraging sign, per Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
The Grizzlies have dealt with numerous injuries once again to open ’24/25. One injured player — third-year wing Vince Williams — is getting back into shape. Memphis assigned him to the team’s G League affiliate on Thursday to practice. Williams will be immediately recalled following the practice session, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Williams, who is recovering from a stress reaction in the upper portion of his left tibia, is on track to make it back to game action in about one-to-three weeks.
The Jazz should get some reinforcements back on Thursday in Milwaukee. Lauri Markkanen (back), Jordan Clarkson (heel) and Isaiah Collier (hamstring) have all been upgraded to probable, tweets Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Markkanen has missed Utah’s past three games, while Clarkson has missed the past two. Collier, a first-round pick earlier this year, has yet to make his regular season debut.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently provided a minor injury update on Lonzo Ball, who is dealing with a sprained right wrist. As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network relays (via Twitter), Donovan said Ball is still wearing a splint and there’s no timetable for his return.
Bulls wing Zach LaVine has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday’s game vs. Minnesota due to an adductor strain, Johnson tweets, indicating the two-time All-Star is likely to miss his third consecutive game. However, it’s possible LaVine might return on Saturday vs. Atlanta, Johnson adds.

Northwest Notes: Caruso, Hendricks, George, Collins, Westbrook

November 7th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Alex Caruso, acquired from Chicago in an offseason trade, has been a non-factor offensively for the Thunder through eight games. He’s averaging just 2.6 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 23.7% from the field. He’s also averaging just 4.8 shot attempts in 19.9 minutes.

Caruso, a defensive ace, isn’t worried about his limited contributions on offense.

“I just try to do whatever the team needs to win,” Caruso told The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi. “The last couple years in Chicago, we had guys out. I was on the ball a little more as a lead guard, but here we got Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), we got Dub (Jalen Williams). Even Cason (Wallace)’s on the ball a little more. We got a lot of options. So for me, it’s just about figuring out how I help us win games. Right now, it’s not taking 10 shots a night.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks underwent surgery on his right leg on Wednesday, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake City Tribune tweets. He suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle in the second half of Utah’s game at Dallas on Oct. 28. Hendricks’ injury occurred on a non-contact play as he was running into the offensive lane. Utah has not released a timetable for his return.
The Jazz recorded their first win of the season on Monday, thanks to Keyonte George‘s career night. The second-year guard had 33 points, nine assists and two turnovers in 39 minutes, Larsen notes. With Lauri Markkanen (back spasms) and Hendricks out, John Collins played exclusively at power forward and looked much more comfortable, making 12-of-17 shots for 28 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Collins failed to mesh well with Markkanen and Walker Kessler last season because he wasn’t as involved in screens and thus couldn’t take advantage of mismatches, Larsen adds.
Russell Westbrook has averaged 25 points, six rebounds and six assists in two Nuggets victories this week. Yet coach Michael Malone has high praise for another aspect of Westbrook’s game, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “I think defensively he’s been a rock star,” Malone said. “And what I love about Russell Westbrook: 17-year vet, leopards don’t change their spots, but he is trying so hard to be disciplined. He’s trying to do the things we’re asking him to do, and I appreciate that so much. Because a lot of times at 17 years in, you are who you are. But he cares, man. He is so invested in this team and what he’s bringing to this team, and he’s so hard on himself. I can coach a guy like Russell Westbrook any day.” Westbrook signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Denver during the summer — the deal includes a second-year player option.

Collin Sexton To Keep Playing With Broken Finger

November 3rd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Poor shooting is behind a historically bad start for the Jazz, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah is the NBA’s only winless team at 0-6 and has dropped its last five games by a combined 110 points, making it the worst stretch in franchise history. They rank last in the league in three-point shooting and are 29th in two-point percentage.
Jazz guard Collin Sexton suffered a fracture to his left ring finger on Thursday, but he plans to keep playing by taping it to another finger, Larsen adds. “From all accounts, Collin doesn’t feel pain,” coach Will Hardy said.

Northwest Notes: Markkanen, Braun, Alexander-Walker, Avdija

November 2nd, 2024 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen has been ruled out for a second consecutive game, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who tweets that Markkanen will be unavailable on Saturday in Denver. Utah’s leading scorer also missed Thursday’s loss to San Antonio after exiting Tuesday’s game vs. Sacramento early due to low back spasms.

According to Larsen (Twitter link), Markkanen doesn’t anticipate a lengthy absence, indicating today that he believes he’ll return to action at some point during the team’s current road trip. That trip will include stops in in Chicago (on Monday), Milwaukee (Thursday), and San Antonio (next Saturday) before Utah returns home on November 12.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Christian Braun has impressed the Nuggets in his new starting role so far this season, but he blamed himself for helping to spark a late Timberwolves rally on Friday, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. He and Rudy Gobert were each assessed with a technical foul following a brief dust-up instigated by Braun’s celebration of a big dunk over the four-time Defensive Player of the Year (Twitter video link). The Wolves, down by eight points at the time with 5:14 left, ended up winning by three. “Momentum changed like that, after the tech,” Braun said, suggesting he views the incident as a learning experience. “… It should have been a positive, and then I get the tech, and that turns it to a negative. … I’ve gotta be smarter after I make that play. Get back on defense.”
Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has come a long way since being sent to Minnesota at the 2023 trade deadline as a throw-in alongside Mike Conley, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at Alexander-Walker’s impact after he helped Minnesota steal a win from Denver on Friday. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
After being acquired in an offseason trade, Deni Avdija is off to a miserable shooting start with the Trail Blazers, making just 33.9% of his field goal tries, including 14.3% of his three-pointers, in his first six outings. As Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes in a subscriber-only story, Avdija – who had a key blocked shot late in Wednesday’s one-point win over the Clippers, is making an effort to help the team in other ways during his shooting slump. “I feel like I’m still trying to get in rhythm with everything,” he said. “Opening the season a little bit on the slow start for me personally but I’m trying to contribute with other things.”

Injury Notes: Curry, Melton, Wiggins, Raptors, Clarkson, More

November 1st, 2024 at 7:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guards Stephen Curry (left peroneal strain) and De’Anthony Melton (strained lower back) have been ruled out for Saturday’s contest against Houston, the team announced today (via Twitter), and Melton will remain sidelined for at least two games beyond that before being reevaluated a week from now.

However, the injury news from Golden State isn’t all bad. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Curry has been cleared to participate in parts of Friday night’s practice and will be reevaluated on Sunday, so it’s possible he could return to action as soon as Monday vs. Washington.

Additionally, forward Andrew Wiggins is on track to suit up on Saturday after missing two games due to a low back strain. He’ll be immediately reinserted into the starting lineup upon returning, according to head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Slater).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After missing the first five games of his rookie season, Raptors first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter was cleared to make his NBA debut on Friday vs. the Lakers, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Elsewhere on the Raptors injury front, forward Scottie Barnes (orbital fracture) has a doctor’s appointment on Monday, which could help determine the treatment plan for his injury, while big man Kelly Olynyk (back/lumbar strain) is still at least a “couple more weeks” away from playing, per head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Guard Immanuel Quickley (pelvic contusion) isn’t far off from returning, but he remains out on Friday and will likely miss Saturday’s game vs. Sacramento too, tweets Lewenberg.
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has been diagnosed with left plantar fasciitis and will be reevaluated in a week, the team announced today (via Twitter). Collin Sexton, who figures to play an increased role with Clarkson out, suffered a left fourth finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint avulsion fracture on Thursday but will attempt to play through the injury, according to the Jazz.
Hornets center Mark Williams is doing a “good amount of individual work,” per head coach Charles Lee, but he hasn’t been cleared for full team drills or scrimmages yet, writes Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Williams has yet to play this season due to a sprained tendon in his left foot.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who is recovering from offseason surgeries on both feet, has experienced some “minor discomfort,” but that’s a normal part of the recovery process, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters on Friday (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Redick added that Vanderbilt is “progressing” but that his return isn’t imminent. “We’ll have another update in a week or so,” he said.

Trade Rumors: Kuminga, Butler, Reaves, Kessler, Giannis

November 1st, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is the headliner among the six players named by Sam Amick and John Hollinger of The Athletic as possible trade candidates to watch over the course of the 2024/25 season.

League sources tell Amick there was a “significant” gap between Kuminga and the Warriors when they discussed a possible rookie scale extension prior to the season, with Golden State’s offer topping out at around $30MM per year, while the fourth-year forward sought at least in the range of $35MM annually.

The two sides were unable to agree to an extension, putting Kuminga on track for restricted free agency in 2025. While he and the Warriors could finalize a new deal at that time, rival executives believe Golden State is “more willing than ever” to put the former No. 7 overall pick in a trade package, according to Amick, though he cautions the return would have to be significant.

Heat swingman Jimmy Butler is one name to keep an eye on, says Amick, citing league sources who say the Warriors registered some interest in the 35-year-old. Butler is extension-eligible and holds a player option for 2025/26, but reportedly plans to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

Lakers guard Austin Reaves is a favorite of both team owner Jeanie Buss and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and has been made virtually untouchable in past trade discussions, Amick writes. The former undrafted free agent is a developmental success story, is on a team-friendly contract, and has another fan in new head coach J.J. Redick, but if the Lakers hope to make a trade for a star, they may have to have another internal discussion about how strong their hold on Reaves will be, according to Amick.
Walker Kessler is among the other possible trade candidates listed by Amick and Hollinger, with Amick suggesting that Jazz head coach Will Hardy has pushed the third-year center hard in the hopes of advancing his development and getting a clearer sense of whether he’s a long-term keeper in Utah. The Lakers are among the teams that have registered interest in Kessler, and while the Jazz are open to listening, a team source tells Amick that they wouldn’t be interested in a deal centered around D’Angelo Russell and draft picks.
The Bucks‘ slow start this season has led to a surge in trade speculation about star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. There has been no indication that Antetokounmpo will seek a change of scenery and it’s extremely unlikely Milwaukee would consider moving him if that doesn’t happen, but Bill Reiter of CBS Sports says rival executives are increasingly hopeful about the two-time MVP’s potential availability. The Nets have had interest in Antetokounmpo for years, a league source tells NetsDaily, but it’s safe to assume that could be said of many teams around the league, so Brooklyn would have plenty of competition if Giannis ever lands on the trade block.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Holmgren, A. Mitchell, Alexander

November 1st, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Following the Jazz‘s loss to San Antonio on Thursday in Utah, head coach Will Hardy had some pointed words for his club, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz committed a ghastly 26 turnovers, with the Spurs stealing the ball nine times in the third period — the most thefts in a single quarter since 1996.

“This is not guaranteed. Being in the NBA is not guaranteed,” Hardy said. “There’s a lot of players who have established themselves, but they’ve had to fight to do so. You have to scratch and claw and battle to be an NBA player for a long time. I think the average NBA career is like under four years or something, and that’s because the league will just churn players in and out.

“And right now, I just don’t feel that desperation. I don’t feel that hunger on every play.”

Larsen points to a couple of bad plays by second-year guard Keyonte George as being emblematic of the team’s poor effort, and writes that none of Utah’s young players — aside from maybe Walker Kessler — should feel secure about their place in the NBA. The Jazz (0-5) are the only team in the league that has yet to win a game.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Chet Holmgren and the Thunder bested Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Wednesday in a marquee matchup between two of the league’s top young big men, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN. Holmgren finished with 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 28 minutes, while Wembanyama recorded just six points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 27 minutes. Both players downplayed any talk of a budding rivalry, with Holmgren saying Oklahoma City’s defense was key to the 105-93 victory. “We won tonight on the defensive end,” Holmgren said. “It wasn’t perfect on offense. I feel like we were very solid almost throughout the whole game on the defensive end.”
Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell has been receiving rotation minutes to open his rookie season, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. The 22-year-old, who was selected No. 38 overall in June’s draft, turned in his best performance on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, finishing with 12 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), four rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes. “We play a lot of 5-on-5 at training camp, so there is a lot underneath the surface that you guys might not see, but we do,” Head coach Mark Daigneault said of Mitchell. “We take those minutes really seriously…he showed a capacity early, on both ends of the floor. As good as he was offensively tonight, he was really good defensively. He continues to make strides and get better defensively.”
It appears as though rookie Trey Alexander, who is on a two-way deal, is ahead of Jalen Pickett in the Nuggets‘ backcourt rotation, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Pickett, a 2023 second-round pick who is on a standard contract, was recently assigned to the Grand Rapids Gold, Denver’s G League affiliate, while Alexander remains with the Nuggets.