Nerlens Noel Upset About Playing Time
It didn’t take long for the logjam in Philadelphia’s frontcourt to go south. The 76ers had been largely shielded from their inevitable fate for the first 20 games of the season as 22-year-old Nerlens Noel rehabilitated from a knee injury out of sight and out of mind. Now that the third-year veteran is back and able to play, he has expressed frustration with the conditions to which he’s returned.
Not only is Noel being used less than he had been in his first two seasons (30.8 and 29.3 MPG, respectively), he’s been plugged in the lineup alongside other big men like Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor.
“I just want to play basketball,” Noel told CSN Philly’s Jessica Camerato after playing eight minutes in a loss to the Lakers. “I’m not an eight-minute player so I don’t know what that’s about. […] I need to be on the court playing basketball. I think I’m too good to be playing eight minutes. Like, no, that’s crazy. That’s crazy. That’s crazy. They need to figure this s–t out.”
Throughout the first month and a half of the 2016/17 campaign, Noel’s absence allowed head coach Brett Brown to utilize various combinations of other power forwards and centers without having to balance this final piece. Now that Noel’s back, however, players like Richaun Holmes and Dario Saric, too, have seen their roles adjusted. Holmes saw a DNP-CD Friday, while Saric has been shifted down to small forward.
Displeasure with the club’s new rotation doesn’t seem limited to just Noel, either. Rookie Embiid has voiced his own concerns with the modified rotation. As Philadelphia Magazine’s Derek Bodner tweeted Friday night, Embiid expressed subtle displeasure with the defensive effort of his teammates after the loss and, per Camerato, he wasn’t pleased with his own performance “standing on the perimeter” in Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors either.
The Noel comments serves as the latest example that something appears likely to give in Philadelphia, whether that means the club limits Noel’s playing time in an effort to showcase and eventually trade Okafor, or – more likely – to just deal Noel, as has been rumored for months. Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler speculates that two of the most likely trade partners for Noel would be the Raptors or Wizards.
Wizards' Best Move?
The Wizards have struggled this season and Bradley Beal believes he needs do his part in displaying leadership in order to turn the season around, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. “It’s up to [John Wall] and I to do a better job of leading,” Beal said. “We have to show by example. It falls on us at the end of the day. The responsibility goes on us. We have to be able to pick up our teammates, pick up ourselves when we’re not having the game we want or each other’s not having a good game, we have to be there mentally and vocally to pick each other up.”
- Despite Washington’s struggles, it would not be wise to deal Wall, Aldridge contends in the same piece. Aldridge argues that if the Wizards trade anyone, it should be Marcin Gortat. The team handed Ian Mahinmi a four-year, $64MM contract— a deal worth more than Gortat’s— during the offseason and Aldridge speculates that the addition is something that bothers Gortat. The scribe believes that trading the 32-year-old for some reinforcements off the bench may be the best move for the franchise.
Wall Trade Possible?; Mahinmi Still Hurting
Ongoing chemistry issues in Washington could make John Wall a trade candidate, speculates Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. In a question-and-answer column, the Heat beat writer addresses a reader’s proposal of Wall and Otto Porter for Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow. Winderman cautions that the Wizards might put a greater value on Porter than Winslow, and notes that Miami doesn’t have many draft picks to offer because it still owes two to Phoenix in the deal to acquire Dragic. Even if that trade doesn’t happen, Winderman states that Wall seems unhappy in Washington even after a coaching change that replaced Randy Wittman with Scott Brooks. Wall blasted his teammates for a lack of effort Tuesday after he scored 52 points but the team still lost to Orlando.
- Wizards center Ian Mahinmi will undergo a second MRI on his right knee today, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Mahinmi has issues with both knees and has played just one game this season after signing a four-year, $64MM deal. He had surgery in the summer to fix torn cartilage in his left knee, then developed soreness that is believed to be tendinitis in his right knee after playing 14-minutes in his season debut. The lack of a serviceable backup has forced 32-year-old center Marcin Gortat to average a career-high 35.4 minutes per game, Michael notes.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/6/16
Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
6:55pm
- The Hawks have assigned forward Mike Scott to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League via the flexible assignment rule, the team announced via press release. “Mike has worked extremely hard to return to full health after missing training camp and the early part of the season. In discussing with Mike how he could get himself back in game shape and contributing to the team faster, we agreed that the best way would be to do an assignment with Delaware where he could play meaningful, competitive minutes,” coach/executive Mike Budenholzer said.
- Sheldon McClellan is also headed to the 87ers via the flexible assignment rule, with the Wizards wanting him to get some solid playing time, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post relays (Twitter links). The guard is expected to remain in Delaware for several games, Buckner adds.
3:14pm
- The Celtics have recalled rookie guard Demetrius Jackson from the D-League, the team announced today (via Twitter). Jackson hasn’t seen much action in Boston, but has been very effective for the Maine Red Claws, averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.5 APG, and 5.9 RPG in eight contests.
- The Rockets have assigned rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the club announced today (via Twitter). Even with Donatas Motiejunas not reporting to the team, the Rockets have more than enough depth at power forward, and can afford to have Wiltjer practice and play in the D-League.
- Rookie forward Georges Niang, the 50th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to a press release issued by the Pacers. Indiana’s D-League affiliate doesn’t play until Thursday, but the squad’s next five games are at home, so it’ll be interesting to see how long Niang’s assignment lasts.
Otto Porter A Candidate For Max Deal In 2017?
The Wizards raised some eyebrows over the summer when they inked Bradley Beal to a five-year, maximum-salary contract that put the team on the hook for nearly $130MM for a player who has never been healthy for a full season. Now, another Washington player may be a surprise candidate for a max deal in 2017. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), two front office executives have predicted to him this week that Otto Porter will get a maximum-salary offer next summer.
The third overall pick in the 2013 draft, Porter had a solid season in 2015/16, recording career-highs in PPG (11.6), RPG (5.2), SPG (1.4), FG% (.473), and 3PT% (.367), among other categories. So far this season, however, he has taken his game to another level, improving his averages in each of those categories and others. In 19 games (all starts), the 23-year-old has scored 14.7 PPG to go along with 8.1 RPG, 2.0 SPG, a .535 FG%, and a .414 3PT%.
Those numbers aren’t necessarily eye-popping, but in a league where three-and-D wing players are increasingly valuable, they’ll look awfully appealing to suitors hoping to pry Porter away from the Wizards in restricted free agency in July. For comparison’s sake, many of Porter’s numbers so far stack up favorably to Nicolas Batum‘s 2015/16 marks, and Batum landed a five-year, $120MM contract over the summer.
With three-quarters of the season to play, Porter’s outlook could change significantly between now and next July. Still, if the Georgetown product, who didn’t sign a rookie-scale extension before the October 31 deadline, were to receive a maximum-salary offer sheet from another team, the Wizards would find themselves in a difficult position. A long-term max deal for Porter would put two such contracts on Washington’s books, and neither one would belong to the team’s All-Star point guard, John Wall.
Al Horford Says Rockets Were His Second Choice
Celtics star Al Horford thought hard about joining the Rockets this summer before opting to go to Boston, relays A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Horford listed his finalists as Boston, Houston and Washington, in that order, if he decided to leave Atlanta.
“[Houston] and Boston were probably the two teams I was really, really looking at,” he said before today’s game in Houston. “Just a lot to consider. … “At the end of the day, I just felt I was better off being here in Boston.”
The Celtics haven’t been disappointed after giving Horford a four-year, $113MM deal. He has displayed the versatility that made him a two-time All-Star with the Hawks, averaging 14.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists through 20 games.
James Harden was part of the recruiting team that nearly convinced Horford to sign with the Rockets.
“I thought we had a chance,” Harden said. “I thought we had a real good chance, but obviously it didn’t work out. Which is fine.”
After Horford turned them down, the Rockets used their cap space to sign Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon and are off to a 14-7 start.
Someone who didn’t take the news quite as well as Harden was Horford’s father Tito, a former NBA player who went to high school in Houston, tweets ESPN’s Calvin Watkins. Al Horford said his father was “heartbroken” by the decision, but has since gotten over it.
Danuel House Has Fractured Wrist, Out At Least 6 Weeks
Wizards rookie Danuel House has been diagnosed with a fractured right wrist and will miss at least six weeks, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Surgery won’t be necessary, as doctors have decided to let the injury heal on its own.
House has a $543,471 contract with only $100K guaranteed, but the Wizards must pay his full salary as long as he is injured, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical (Twitter link). All NBA contracts will become fully guaranteed on January 10th, which is roughly six weeks from now. House is also signed for next season for a non-guaranteed $905,249.
A 6’7″ shooting guard out of Texas A&M, House suffered the injury last week in practice. He has gotten into just one game with the Wizards with one minute of playing time.
Ian Mahinmi Still Having Problems With Knees
- Ian Mahinmi made his Wizards debut over the weekend, but his troublesome knees continue to act up, as Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com details. The veteran center, who signed a four-year, $64MM deal with Washington in July, missed Monday’s game and looks questionable for Wednesday.
Cousins Has Talked To Wall, Bledsoe About Teaming Up
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins frequently talks to his former Kentucky teammates about reuniting in the NBA, tweets Ben Standig of Locked on Wizards. Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game at Washington, Cousins addressed the possibility of someday joining forces with Wizards point guard John Wall. “He wants me here,” Cousins said. “Eric [Bledsoe] wants us in Phoenix.” Cousins will be a free agent after the 2017/18 season, and although he has been the subject of trade rumors, his public stance is that he wants to remain with the Kings. Wall won’t be a free agent until 2019. “Do we ever talk about playing with one another? Is that your question? It’s come up,” said Cousins. “They’re going to all come to Sac. Come to Sac.”
Mahinmi Ready For Action After Surgery
Free agent addition Ian Mahinmi will play his first game of the season for the Wizards tonight, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Washington signed the 30-year-old center to a four-year, $64MM deal in July, but he has been out of action since October 14th when he had surgery to fix a partially torn medial meniscus in his left knee. Coach Scott Brooks said he will monitor Mahinmi’s playing time for a while, and he understands the center will need time to play himself back into shape (Twitter link).