Rubio, Gobert Still Adjusting To One Another
- New Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio is still working to develop chemistry with incumbent star Rudy Gobert, as Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News details. “I’ve got to learn his game, he’s got to learn mine,” Rubio said. “It’s just a process. We’re trying but we don’t want to overdo it. It’s going to come with time.” Added Gobert: “I think it might be overthinking. We’ve just got to play basketball.”
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/9/17
Here are the G League transactions for Thursday:
- The Grizzlies have recalled offseason signee Ben McLemore from their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the team announced on its website. McLemore recorded eight points in a rehab start for the squad on Sunday. The team has also recalled rookie Ivan Rabb.
- The Kings have assigned second-year center Georgios Papagiannis to their G League affiliate, James Ham of NBC Sports California tweets. The 20-year-old has seen action in just two games with the big league club this season.
- The Jazz have recalled rookies Tony Bradley and Royce O’Neale from the SLC Stars, their G League affiliate, the team announced over Twitter.
- The Magic have assigned Khem Birch and Wesley Iwundu to their G League affiliate in Lakeland, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Rockets have recalled Zhou Qi from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Qi averaged 12.5 points through two games with the G League affiliate.
- The Timberwolves have assigned guard Marcus Georges-Hunt to their G League affiliate in Iowa, the team’s public relations Twitter account announced.
Jazz Assign Bradley, O'Neale To G League
- The Jazz have assigned a pair of rookies, Tony Bradley and Royce O’Neale, to their G League affiliate, according to a press release.
Jazz Value Thabo Sefolosha's Leadership
- Speaking of veteran leadership, the Jazz feel like they’re benefiting from the presence of free agent signee Thabo Sefolosha, with coaches and teammates alike referring to the swingman has a strong leader. “Leadership is something that can’t be forced,” head coach Quin Snyder said, per Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. “I think people have to want to follow you. You have to be able to lead them a direction that’s productive and [Sefolosha’s] experience and intelligence allow him to.”
Joe Johnson Expected To Miss At Least Two Weeks
Jazz forward Joe Johnson has been diagnosed with tendon instability in his right wrist, and is expected to be sidelined for Utah’s next several games, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Jazz, Johnson will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Johnson, who is in the second and final year of his contract with the Jazz, is off to a slow start this season. While the sample size is very small, Johnson is putting up career-worst numbers so far in PPG (6.3), FG% (.391), and 3PT% (.118). He’ll look to improve those marks once he gets back on the court, which may happen later this month.
In Johnson’s absence, regulars like Joe Ingles, Rodney Hood, Donovan Mitchell, and Thabo Sefolosha could see their minutes increase slightly. Since Johnson has spent most of the year playing at either the three or four, a backup forward like Jonas Jerebko may also have an opportunity to enter the rotation.
The Jazz aren’t currently eligible to apply for a hardship exception and gain an extra roster spot, since they only have two players – Johnson and Dante Exum – on the shelf with injuries.
Jazz Recall Tony Bradley From G League
- Following a brief stint with the Salt Lake City Stars, rookie center Tony Bradley was recalled today by the Jazz, according to the team.
Jazz Assign Tony Bradley To G League
- The Jazz have assigned Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced today in a press release. The rookie center, selected 28th overall in this year’s draft, has yet to make his regular season NBA debut.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/28/17
Here are the G League updates from around the league today:
- The Heat sent rookie guard Matt Williams to their affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.
- The Jazz recalled Tony Bradley from the Salt Lake Stars, the team announced on its website. The rookie center hasn’t appeared in a game yet for Utah.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 10/27/17
Here are the G League updates from around the league today:
- The Grizzlies have assigned center Deyonta Davis and forward Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle, their G League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Neither Davis nor Rabb saw action with the big league club in the first week of the regular season.
- The Jazz sent Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, their affiliate team in the G League, the organization revealed in a press release.
Jazz Notes: Udoh, Exum, Ingles
The Jazz have been impressed with the production they’ve seen out of backup big man Ekpe Udoh, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes. The 30-year-old returned to the NBA this offseason after spending the last two campaigns abroad.
“It’s great, when I’m on the bench, I’m able to relax,” Rudy Gobert, the man ahead of Udoh in the depth chart, said. “When you have someone who plays defense like he does, you know the team is in good hands. He makes us better as a team.”
Through five games this season, Udoh has blocked an impressive 2.4 shots per. Gobert, perhaps the league’s most vaunted defensive big man, has averaged just 2.2 despite playing nearly 20 more minutes per contest.
It’s not just the gaudy per-36 statline that has the Jazz organization impressed. Head coach Quin Snyder sees Udoh’s length and competitiveness as valued intangibles as well.
There’s more news out of Utah:
- Injured guard Dante Exum underwent surgery on his shoulder Tuesday. Per Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News, the 22-year-old’s return timeline remains indefinite.
- The Jazz don’t look much different than they did last season, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes in a comprehensive account of life in Utah sans Gordon Hayward. The scribe notes that Rudy Gobert had always been their most valuable player anyway.
- The league has handed forward Joe Ingles a $15K fine for the groin shot on Steven Adams over the weekend, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.