Guard Isaiah Thomas will miss at least another week because of a calf injury, sources say. Thomas has missed the past three games. He’s averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 assists per game this season.
Storyline: Isaiah Thomas Injury
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Candace Buckner: #Wizards injury report is out and Isaiah Thomas will miss his third consecutive game with a left calf strain
Isaiah Thomas has missed the Wizards’ last two games with a left calf strain and it sounds like he will be out at least a little while longer. The Wizards guard caught up with NBC Sports Washington at his holiday toy giveaway at the Boys and Girls Club in Northwest D.C. on Saturday and gave an update on how he’s feeling. “I’m good,” he said. “I think I will be out a few more games and then be able to come back.”
Isaiah Thomas returns after injury
Fred Katz: Isaiah Thomas will play tonight against the Spurs, the Wizards announce.
Isaiah Thomas back for the opener?
Fred Katz: Isaiah Thomas went through full practice today. Brooks said he’s in “pretty good” shape. Sounds like playing Wednesday in the opener is a legit possibility.
Fred Katz: Brooks said he doesn’t think Isaiah Thomas will be out for much longer. Said Troy Brown will likely start practicing some time next week.
Fred Katz: Isaiah Thomas participated in non-contact practice today. Brooks said he’s getting close to participating in contact drills.
Isaiah Thomas laughed at the doctor. His latest injury, a torn ligament in his left thumb, had rewritten Murphy’s Law. On Sept 16., Thomas was playing in the first pickup game of the day with his new Washington Wizards teammates when he attempted to secure the ball and jammed his thumb. Though he played on, the swollen finger would later turn purple. After Thomas received the results of an MRI exam — which revealed he would require surgery to repair a ruptured radial collateral ligament — all he could do was chuckle.
“I was in there laughing because I’m like: ‘Damn. It’s always something,’” Thomas recalled Monday. “But at the end of the day, this won’t break me. I’ve been through way worse.” Thomas is no longer wearing a cast, but he will miss all of training camp, the preseason and at least the first three games of the regular season.
Fred Katz: Sheppard on IT’s injury: “Isaiah said, ‘I am so ticked off right now because I was looking forward to training camp.’ … I said, I’ve been in the league 26 years. You’re the only vet I’ve heard say he’s looking forward to training camp.”
Candace Buckner: Isaiah Thomas underwent surgery on his left thumb in September 18 but no longer wears a cast, per Tommy Sheppard. Thomas is in a splint and has worked on conditioning while he’s been off the court. He will miss the entire preseason.
Isaiah Thomas: Hurt my damn thumb tryna play defense… Never again lol never again!
Isaiah Thomas to miss start of the season
Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas underwent successful surgery to repair a rupture of the radial collateral ligament of his left thumb today. The injury occurred during routine workouts on Monday. Thomas is expected to miss 6-8 weeks before returning to action.
“This was an unfortunate setback for Isaiah, but with his resolve and the top care he will receive from our medical team, we expect him to make a full recovery,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “In the meantime, he will continue to mentor our young guards and have a positive impact on the team as we start training camp.”
Isaiah Thomas is hopeful his season with the Denver Nuggets and a full 2019 summer of work become a pathway back into an NBA rotation, a full-time resumption of a career sidetracked with hip surgery. “Nobody knew what to expect with me coming off hip surgery last year, and two summers of rehab,” Thomas told ESPN. “Now, I can go back to being a gym rat this summer, work on my game again, and build my body back up — my muscle mass, my leg strength — all like I had going into the 2017 season.”
“Denver allowed me to take really as much time as I needed, to get back to 100 percent health,” Thomas told ESPN. “Obviously I wanted to play and I thought I could’ve contributed in the regular season and playoffs, but I understood (coach Michael Malone’s) decision and I think I contributed in other ways as a leader, as someone who was there to answer the questions of the younger guys. I stayed ready and prepared to play.”
“Isaiah was fantastic this season,” Denver’s president of basketball operations Tim Connelly told ESPN. “His voice in the locker room was invaluable. I’m sure it was frustrating for him not playing as much as he hoped, but he never allowed that frustration to negatively impact his approach. We wouldn’t have had the success we had this year without him.”
Sean Grande: Brad Stevens on Isaiah Thomas returning tonight… “It’s so cool. I know what I’m doing when I get home tonight. Thankfully we don’t play tomorrow or Friday so I can watch the Denver game.”
Julius Randle: Yea killa! Happy to see you back @Isaiah Thomas
Nearly a year after a hip procedure, Denver Nuggets guard Isaiah Thomas will make his return to play against the Sacramento Kings Wednesday, league sources tell ESPN. Thomas, who was upgraded to questionable for the Nuggets game against Sacramento in Denver, made his decision to play on Wednesday morning.
Thomas practiced five-on-five on Tuesday with the Nuggets and woke up feeling ready to make his return. Thomas, 29, would be returning to a Nuggets (38-15) team that is currently within 2.5 games game of first place Golden State in the West, and employing a bevy of talented guards.
Isaiah Thomas set to return
Michael Singer: The decision to play tomorrow is up to Isaiah Thomas, I’m told. He’ll work with trainers, development staff before the game and make a determination. He’s been upping his live action, including taking part in 5v5 runs.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Denver guard Isaiah Thomas will decide early in the day about possibly making his season debut vs. Sacramento on Wednesday, league source tells ESPN. Nuggets have upgraded Thomas to questionable. He’s been out since hip surgery last March.
Nick Kosmider: For the first time all season, Isaiah Thomas is listed as questionable ahead of a game. He could play tomorrow night against the Kings.
One of Crawford’s strongest NBA relationships is actually with a former Celtic who was traded for Irving. Isaiah Thomas and Crawford share Seattle-Tacoma roots, and the latter is bullish on Thomas’ future as he prepares to return from his hip problem. “That’s a brother,” Crawford said. “He’ll be a monster when he comes back. I couldn’t imagine him missing one day of basketball, and with all this time he’s missed, he’s going to be a monster. I’m excited for him.”
Harrison Wind: Michael Malone with a very direct response to a question about Isaiah Thomas’ return: “Don’t believe everything you read. I don’t know where these leaks come from. There is no timeline. There’s nothing been set about February…You’ll see him when he’s ready to play.”
TJ McBride: Malone refuted the new report on Isaiah Thomas looking to return before or after the All-Star break. Malone said that there is no timetable for Thomas’ return and not to believe every report.
There is optimism that former All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas will make his debut with the Denver Nuggets prior to the mid-February All-Star Break, league sources told ESPN on Friday.
Thomas has been gathering momentum in his rehabilitation process from hip surgery in March, and there’s hope among Thomas and the Nuggets organization he could return as soon as a Feb. 11-13 homestand against Miami and Sacramento, sources said. There’s strong confidence that he will return no later than the first game of the post-All Star break on Feb. 22 in Dallas, league sources said.
Michael Gallagher: Re IT/Woj: IT tweeted and deleted “25 days” a couple days ago, so it sounds like he might be targeting the Feb. 11 game vs. Miami.
Harrison Wind: Michael Malone today on Isaiah Thomas and Michael Porter Jr who are both without timelines to return. On Thomas: “…I don’t think any of us envisioned it going (this far into the season)…” Porter has gone through non-contact parts of practice. “The guy has a pure jump shot.” pic.twitter.com/Ws3ywQZBBk
Former Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas has yet to play in a game for the Nuggets this season as he continues to work his way back from last March’s hip surgery. Suns guard Jamal Crawford, who has been one of Thomas’s closest friends for more than 10 years, said he speaks to the point guard every day. And as the doubters pile on — just as they have throughout Thomas’s career — Crawford said that Thomas is just using it as fuel. “It’s going to create an even bigger monster, how hungry he’ll be to get back out on that court,” Crawford said. “He loves basketball and he’d be hungry if he missed one game. The fact that he missed all this time, he’s going to be a monster.”
Last summer Thomas, who once had visions of signing a maximum-salary contract when he reached free agency, inked a one-year deal with the Nuggets for $2 million, the veteran’s minimum. “With him, nothing’s ever come easy, so why expect it now?” Crawford said. “Not that he did, but in general that’s just his journey. He’s doing well, considering everything. He’s working to get back. He loves the game as much as anybody I’ve ever been around, so I know it’s killing him.”
Isaiah Thomas: I just want to get back to doing what I love that’s it!
Isaiah Thomas: I miss just hoopin!!!! Almost there though
Thomas, who is targeting a return some time this month, has had to channel his energy into being a leader in practices, on the sidelines and in huddles. It’s also not uncommon to see him jawing with opponents during games, his suited frame teeming with animation. “I see Isaiah’s true personality at times, but I also see there are times where he’s frustrated,” Malone said. “Some guys when they’re out and they’re not playing, they’re okay with that. We have two guys in Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas, it’s killing both of those guys not to be able to play.”
Isaiah Thomas: For all the people out there looking at me for inspiration don’t worry I’m grindin everyday to get back right. I got yall!!! #ThatSLOWgrind
Katy Winge: Talked with @Isaiah Thomas this morning about Sue Bird. I started the conversation by asking what comes to his mind when he hears that name. “A legend. A basketball legend.” He also told me Bird was someone he turned to before deciding to get hip surgery. His full thoughts: pic.twitter.com/795d5b0poD
Isaiah Thomas: Sometimes it don’t come fast, it take time! #SLOWgrind
Michael Singer: Isaiah Thomas is targeting a return from hip surgery next month. Confirming @Adrian Wojnarowski report.
Harrison Wind: Michael Malone was asked about the reported December timetable for Isaiah Thomas to return. “It’s day-by-day,” Malone said. “We haven’t put a timeline out there from the get-go….When he comes back we’re going to make sure he’s ready to come back & play and play at a high level.”
Smart has no doubt that Thomas, who has spent his entire life in basketball overcoming the cynicism of the basketball establishment, will eventually succeed again, this time as a proven veteran scorer on a team of young stars. “Oh man, IT, man, he’s gonna be alright,” said Smart. “I think it’s good he’s taken this full year off to rehab that body and give himself a chance to be ready for next season. Get his mind back right, clear his mind and get focused. But this will do justice for him and he’ll come back strong.”
“Every time,” Smart said Monday morning of whether he still feels for Isaiah Thomas’ plight. “That’s a guy who put his heart and soul in every game and sacrificed a lot. The passing of his sister (Chyna), and he comes out and goes crazy. Anybody in their right mind would have understood him taking that time out to be with his family and the mourning of his sister, but that’s the type of person IT is – a competitor.
Brad Stevens: “This guy works as hard and is as dedicated as anyone I’ve been around. That’s why we all are smarter than to bet against him, because when he gets back out on that court he’s going to make a heck of a difference.”
As of right now, the Nuggets are offering no timeline for Thomas’ return. The team’s medical staff is hesitant to put a specific date on it and add pressure on his return, cognizant of how coming back too soon hampered Thomas with the Cavs.
Harrison Wind: Gary Harris (left hamstring strain) is questionable for tomorrow’s preseason opener vs Lakers. Isaiah Thomas (right hip surgery), Michael Porter Jr (low back surgery), Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery) are all out.
Nuggets to sign Donald Sloan
Adrian Wojnarowski: As Isaiah Thomas continues to rehab his hip, Denver is signing veteran guard Donald Sloan to a training camp deal, league sources tell ESPN. Denver has 15 guaranteed contracts.
Chris Dempsey: Isaiah Thomas continues to rehab from arthroscopic hip surgery in March. His availability for training camp next week remains in question. Here is Tim Connelly, #Nuggets President of Basketball Ops, on Thomas’ status during an interview for Wednesday’s Nuggets 360 on @AltitudeTV
Thomas, 29, admits he returned from his hip injury sooner than he would have liked – and may have cost himself millions of dollars in the process. “If I could do it all over again, I wish I would have sat out a little longer for sure,” Thomas said. “But we could always play the what-if game.”
Thomas, 29, admits he returned from his hip injury sooner than he would have liked – and may have cost himself millions of dollars in the process. “If I could do it all over again, I wish I would have sat out a little longer for sure,” Thomas said. “But we could always play the what-if game.”
More than three hours after the first day of practice wrapped up last Thursday, Isaiah Thomas was still working out on the court inside UNLV’s practice facility with Phil Handy, one of the NBA’s top player development coaches, who was recently hired by the Toronto Raptors. Despite still recovering from hip surgery earlier this year, Thomas was in Vegas and participating as much as he could, wanting to show how much it meant to him to be part of the program. It also served as yet another reminder of how much has changed for him since he exited the 2017 playoffs with a hip injury that sent his career careening in a very different direction from where it was not long ago.
So, here at Ocean Prime, he’s talking about the topic that’s been inescapable with his story: money, the kind paid to NBA stars. “You can always play the ‘what-if,’ game, but man, I’ve been F’d over so many times. But, of course, I think about it. I’m human,” Thomas says, shrugging and staring out the window onto Wilshire Boulevard. “I’m human.”
“People are scared of my hip now,” Thomas says. “I just had to be real with myself. I had to understand that it’s not going to be about the money this summer. I’ve got to show people that I can play — and play at a high level again. And I will.”
“If I didn’t play in the playoffs, I’d be OK,” Thomas says. “I’d be getting paid. I’d be who I am — who I was. But you couldn’t tell me in that moment in time — with everything I was going through — that, OK, I should just sit out. I don’t think Boston went about it the right way, as well. “But at the same time, it was hard for me to sit out. I just lost my sister, one of the closest people in my life. Basketball was the only thing that was going to help me out. I played until I literally couldn’t play anymore. And that was not a good business decision if I was looking in the long term, but I was looking in the ‘right now.’ That’s just what it was.
“People know that I’ve earned and deserved the max contract, and that’s the only reason why I didn’t get paid what I deserved. Because I got injured. I get that. The biggest thing for me was to get to the best opportunity for me this summer and show that I’m healthy.”
Isaiah Thomas: I haven’t been able to really workout & get better in over a year! Finally pain free. This is going to be fun!!! #ThatSLOWgrind
Thomas has dropped in free-agent stature almost through no fault of his own. The problem here is his hip, which front-office execs around the league fear is either pre-arthritic or already arthritic. Maybe the only way that Thomas has hurt his own free agency has been by not choosing to have hip surgery sooner during last season, when he was an All-Star and an MVP candidate for the Celtics. “It’s a red flag that he did not have surgery on it,” one general manager told Sporting News. “If you have a problem that can be fixed heading into your free-agent year, you get surgery. If there is concern that you can’t fix it with surgery, that means probably there is something more wrong. It is something that, obviously, the doctors will look at closely.”
“Just given the way he played last year,” another NBA executive said, “I think you can’t go more than one year on him. Maybe you can do two years if you hold the second year at your option. That’s before you even get into whether he is healthy.”
Off the floor, he would be subject to more swelling and increased pain. Of course, he’s gotten accustomed to hip pain in recent years. But any team that signs him this summer will protect itself against the possibility that Thomas has serious hip damage. “I think everybody likes the guy,” the GM said. “You root for him. But do you want to pay him $12 or 14 million when you know you’re also paying for all the headaches that his health could give you? Someone will get him, but it’s going to be a low-risk deal.”
A year ago, Thomas seemed destined to land a maximum contract in the summer of 2018. Now, he faces a questionable market in which there are already only a few teams with max slots available. Will anyone want to spend that kind of money on a player with an unproven hip? Thomas said he was unconcerned with free agency. “The results will show that the surgery only fixed it,” he said. “The world knew that I never got my labrum fixed when I was going through that and trying to heal on my own. … The decision that I made it felt like it was the best decision for me personally, individually, as a basketball player for the rest of my career.”
“I just feel like it was the right decision to do this to fix the problem,” Thomas said, “which I never solely fixed. I just tried to let it heal on his own and I think I did the best I possibly could while doing that. “Now the problem is fixed and (I’m on) the road back to 100 percent.”
Ohm Youngmisuk: Isaiah Thomas is here at Staples with the Lakers for the first time since hip surgery. He’s walking with the aid of one crutch but in good spirits.
Miami Heat center Kelly Olynyk said he reached out to former Celtics teammate and two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas before he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his right hip Thursday in New York. “I played with him for three years,” Olynyk said. “Unbelievable dude. He helped us immensely. He’s just been in a real tough situation. It’s been a tough year especially at the time of his career when things were looking so bright.”
“I don’t know what will happen in terms of [Isaiah Thomas’] contract, but he deserves to make money in this game,” said Olynyk, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the Heat this summer. “He’s brought a lot to the game, brought a lot to that city in Boston. Anywhere he goes, he gives his heart and soul to the game of basketball. Last year, [during our playoff run] we didn’t know it, but he was sacrificing his own career for everybody in that city. No one knew that at the time.
Kelly Olynyk on Isaiah Thomas: “If you look back a year now, he literally sacrificed his career, his earnings, everything for that stretch. And then to get traded and get traded again and now to have surgery, I don’t know if he has any regrets or looks at it a different way, but you just wish him the best. Good people deserve good things in this world and hopefully it comes for him.”
Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas had successful arthroscopic surgery to his right hip today. Thomas will miss the remainder of the season. His expected recovery time is four months.
So what’s next? There are only a handful of teams with real cap space this summer and even fewer where Thomas makes sense. The Sixers will have room — they also have Markelle Fultz. The Mavericks have room. But there’s Dennis Smith, too. Chicago and Atlanta are rebuilding and make no sense for a near-30-year-old point guard coming off a brutal season. “No one is going long there [with a deal], in all likelihood,” former Cavs GM David Griffin told Yahoo Sports. “[The hip] is a very significant factor. His whole game is predicated upon quickness and creating shot separation. If he can’t do that, he is a small non-defender.”
Lakers keeping Isaiah Thomas?
Despite a looming surgical procedure on his right hip, the Los Angeles Lakers continue to hold an interest in exploring a free-agent deal with guard Isaiah Thomas this summer, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Mike Bresnahan: Isaiah Thomas (hip surgery) will not play again this season, Luke Walton said.
Shams Charania: Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Thursday, team says.
Ryan Ward: #Lakers will provide an update on Isaiah Thomas after his surgery. Unfortunate turn of events for the vet who was hoping to make an impression before hitting free agency
Bill Oram: Isaiah Thomas will not rejoin Lakers for Wednesday’s game against Dallas. Will miss his third straight game with hip soreness.
Mike Trudell: Isaiah Thomas is not with the Lakers today, as he is going to New York to evaluate options for his hip. He missed last game due to soreness in the hip, and was ruled out of tonight’s game previously.
Ryan Ward: Isaiah Thomas on his hip: “I mean, this is the first real practice I had all year. Let’s see how my hip responds tomorrow with the soreness & things like that, but I’m here. I’m here & I’m happy. Got my joy back & I’m ready to put on a show for the Lakers.” #LakeShow
Thomas, meanwhile, estimated he’s at about 75-80 percent as he continues to work his way back from that hip injury. A hindered Thomas, coupled with an injured-and-absent Love, could spell disastrous for a Cavs team that will fall to fourth in the East if they lose to Miami at home on Wednesday. 20. “I don’t have anything I used to have right now and I know I will at one point, but it’s just a process that I gotta really be patient with myself,” Thomas said. “Set small goals to reach, because coming back I just want it all right now. It’s just not realistic for anybody that’s been out as long as I have.”
Thomas made his Cleveland Cavaliers debut Tuesday, coming off the bench to score 17 points in 19 minutes in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. And he’ll make his first start with the Cavs on Saturday, taking over the spot that Jose Calderon filled as a stopgap solution, when Cleveland plays the Orlando Magic. His minute restriction will be loosened, if only incrementally.
The Cavs are in no rush to remove the limit on Thomas’ playing time. Nor will they say when Thomas will no longer be limited to only participating in one leg of the back-to-backs they play – the stipulation that kept him out of the lineup in Wednesday’s much-anticipated matchup when Cleveland played in Boston.
Isaiah Thomas will make his debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Monday.
A source told ESPN that Thomas would be held to 8-to-12 minutes in his debut. “I know it’s going to take time at first and we got to go through the steps of going out there and playing in the game and figuring those things out but once I get comfortable then all the restrictions got to be off soon,” Thomas said.
Dwyane Wade: He’s back!!!! @Isaiah Thomas Let’s Get IT!!!
Evan Turner: Welcome back, hoop god @Isaiah Thomas
August 3, 2020 | 3:32 pm EDT Update
“Zion is not on their injury report,” said Brian Windhorst on his podcast. “They are treating him as though he’s coming back from an injury, but he’s not on their injury report. I cannot make an assumption as to what’s going on there. When you watch him play, he clearly is not in condition to compete at the highest level. As I’ve watched him play two games, I don’t actually think they should have played him at all with the way he’s playing. I talked to a scout who said to me he shouldn’t be out there right now with the condition he is in. He said to me, ‘He’s moving worse than he did in Summer League last summer when he got hurt in his first or second game.’ “I don’t know if that’s because he’s out of condition, or that’s because he’s got something that they’re not discussing. This is one of the things that the Pelicans have to deal with… this is a guy who has a history of knee injuries and is not right either because of conditioning or because of something else.”
Williamson was gone from the Pelicans for over a week and then was under quarantine for a few days when he returned to Orlando. “He does not look right,” said Kirk Goldsberry. “It does not look good. I don’t know if I would go so far as to say he shouldn’t be out there because I don’t know… Something smells fishy here. I don’t know what’s going on. He does not look like the kid that was dominating the league in March.”
Now that the Wizards have lost their first two games at Disney World, that rule is coming back into the forefront. The Wizards are currently tied in the loss column with the Hornets, who aren’t in Orlando but are locked in with the eighth-best lottery odds. What that means is if the Wizards continue to lose, they can’t gain more ping-pong balls for lottery night, which is set for Aug. 25. And now there is a distinct possibility they could have worse odds than a team with a better win percentage than them.
It would be a cruel twist for the Wizards, who need as much help as they can get in this year’s draft as they hope to find another blue chip prospect to add to their burgeoning young core. Making that pick count is especially important given their salary cap situation with John Wall and Bradley Beal on the books, which has left them with fewer resources to work with. They could get another key rotation player on a rookie contract. The good news is that the lottery rules were changed more permanently before last year’s drawing in order to create more parity in the annual event. It smoothed out the odds to discourage tanking and the results in its first year were as-intended.
August 3, 2020 | 2:49 pm EDT Update
Dennis Schroeder leaves bubble
Brandon Rahbar: Dennis Schroder is officially out of the Bubble with his wife for the birth of his new baby. Terrance Ferguson is also out with a leg contusion. Good news: Schroder, assuming he comes back, will definitely be back for the playoffs.
Brandon Rahbar: Donovan on Schroder’s time being out: “It happened this morning. He’s with his family. I’ll talk to him later today or tomorrow. He’s out this game and we’ll gather more info from him when we talk to him on the phone.”
Eric Woodyard: Victor Oladipo won’t play today vs. Washington.
Zalgiris big man Jock Landale will be playing in a different team next season. With the request of the player, Jock Landale and Zalgiris have mutually agreed to part ways, as the Aussie continues to seek out his dream of playing in the NBA. A member of the Australian men’s national team signed a deal with Zalgiris last summer and had a running contract for next season. After the two sides reached an agreement, the 24-year-old addressed the fans and the Zalgiris organization. “I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for everything you’ve done for the past year. It was such an incredible experience coming to Lithuania and playing for such a historic club and a legendary coach. To the organization, I appreciate what you guys have done. Everyone’s got goals and ambitions, and you really helped me reach mine. You’ve got a fan in me for life.”
Michael Singer: Michael Malone said he voted for OKC’s Billy Donovan in the Coach of the Year vote.
Brandon Rahbar: Abdel Nader on Billy Donovan winning NBCA Coach of the Year: “He’s been huge. He’s been our main leader. He’s kept us on the right path and the right mindset. He’s built an identity for us. It’s good to see him recognized for it.”
August 3, 2020 | 2:11 pm EDT Update
Shams Charania: 76ers’ Kyle O’Quinn missed his coronavirus test on Sunday and is not eligible to play today vs. San Antonio, team official confirms to @The Athletic @Stadium. O’Quinn was tested today and will rejoin the team upon negative result.
Jim Eichenhofer: JJ Redick on #Pelicans: “This is a drama-free group. At no point during the season did we point fingers or place blame on anybody. This is a group that’s had each other’s back all year. That’s my expectation going forward. We’re going to make the most out of these six games.”
Harrison Wind: According to a source, the Nuggets had hoped to wear the “Justice For Elijah McClain” shirts during the National Anthem, but the league’s rules on what players can and can’t wear wouldn’t allow for it. How Michael Malone brought those shirts to life: thednvr.com/how-the-nugget…
Jeff Goodman: Alabama’s John Petty is coming back to school, source told @Stadium.
Adam Zagoria: Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert will return for his senior season, the school announced. They also have Joel Ayayi coming back and Jalen Suggs coming in.
Duane Rankin: Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Billy Donovan are the 2020 recipients of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association announced today. pic.twitter.com/pkmUQiazWj
Josh Lewenberg: There’s only one official NBA end-of-season award that isn’t determined by media voting: Executive of the Year, which is voted on by the league’s execs. Masai Ujiri finished FOURTH last season despite acquiring Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Marc Gasol.
August 3, 2020 | 12:55 pm EDT Update
Adrian Wojnarowski: The NBA’s 30 head coaches vote on the award. Toronto’s Nick Nurse was one vote away from making it a three-way tie, per sources.
The award, named in honor of longtime NBCA executive director Michael Goldberg, is voted on by the league’s 30 head coaches, with each coach voting for a single winner. Among those who also received votes, sources said: Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins, Indiana’s Nate McMillan, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, Boston’s Brad Stevens and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel.
While watching Sunday night’s box-office affair between the Houston Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks, perhaps the saying speaks more to the mental exercise of what it takes to play defense and get stops. “Heart and will,” James Harden said. “Everybody says we’re undersized — and they got a couple of offensive rebounds on us just cause they have 7-footers and whatnot — but you gotta just keep fighting, keep fighting. Once we get that ball, we’re out, so it just takes good spirit, fighting and making sure we’re communicating defensively and in our right positions.”
Westbrook finished with 31 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but it’s more important to note how he kept Houston afloat while Harden sat with foul trouble. He constantly put pressure on the Bucks’ defense, forcing them to concede open shots to Green, Tucker, Ben McLemore, and others. In addition, it seemed like him and Harden struck a good balance of when to attack versus when to move the ball and look for others. When Harden struggles offensively, Westbrook is more than capable of picking up the slack. “Yeah, I think we’re comfortable now,” Harden said of the pair’s chemistry. “I think with that training camp, we’re in a good place. We found ourselves.”
“We loaded up,” House explained. “We talked. The most important thing was to stop him before he got downhill, of course. We did a good job about locating him before he could get the ball or even after he got the ball to make sure that we were on the help side and that guys were already communicating with one another. That’s been a big help and a big factor for us — communication on defense. So we don’t have those “my bad” moments.” “Very important,” Harden added on their late-game defense. “I think throughout the course of the game we played some really good defense. Obviously, they’re a really good offensive team, but throughout the course of the game we got stops when we needed to.”
Scott Agness: Malcolm Brogdon (sore neck) is questionable for today’s game against the Wizards at 4pm. Victor Oladipo (rehab) is doubtful. This is their only back-to-back in the bubble and he won’t play in both games. They face his first team, the Magic, on Tuesday.
Nate Darling: After discussing with my family, I have decided to keep my name in the 2020 NBA draft and pursue my life long dream of being a professional.
Mike Trudell: Frank Vogel said “everything” still needs to improve for the Lakers as they build towards the postseason, but he pointed out the spacing and screening as two things that need to improve offensively.
Jonathan Isaac suffered a torn ACL on Sunday night and will be out for the remainder of the season, and the injury came at a time when the Orlando Magic star was gaining tremendous popularity. Isaac’s jersey sales have skyrocketed recently, with only LeBron James having a hotter-selling jersey. The increase in sales was likely a response to Isaac refusing to kneel during the national anthem recently.
August 3, 2020 | 11:16 am EDT Update
NBA makes changes to COVID-19 testing protocols
Adrian Wojnarowski: The NBA has adjusted its protocol for players who return inconclusive tests for the coronavirus, allowing for a quicker possible return to game action, according to a league memo shared with teams.
Adrian Wojnarowski: NBA teams have been concerned that player availability could become jeopardized should an inconclusive test result fall in the middle of a playoff series and force someone to miss a game. In certain cases, this protocol change could shorten that quarantine window for players.
Marc Stein: Home-court advantage is allegedly dead at the NBA Bubble in arenas with no fans … but “home” teams have gone 9-2 the last two days and are 14-7 overall
Bleacher Report: James Harden (20,796 points) passed David Robinson to become the all-time scoring leader for a lefty.
Jonathan Isaac: IT IS WELL!!! 2 Kings 4! Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns I’m encouraged. Remember our God is not just a God of the hills but a God of the valleys! (2 Corinthians ch 4 vs 9!) MY COMEBACK WILL BE GREATER THAN MY SETBACK!!!! I STILL STAND IN JESUS NAME!!!!
Former NBA player Robert Swift will re-sign with Circulo Gijon Baloncesto (Spain).
Alex Kennedy: LeBron James wrote a children’s book titled “I PROMISE” that will be available on August 11, 2020. LeBron has a two-book deal with HarperCollins and he’s also writing a “middle grade novel” that will come out in 2021. Here’s the cover of “I PROMISE,” which can be pre-ordered now: pic.twitter.com/9N91HNV9RP
August 3, 2020 | 9:07 am EDT Update
Makur Maker withdrawing from draft
Adam Zagoria: Makur Maker is withdrawing from the NBA Draft, per his guardian Ed Smith. He committed to Howard earlier this summer.
Disney World is no longer the happiest place on Earth, not for these Pelicans. Their budding-superstar of a rookie can’t stay on the floor, certainly can’t make a dent in the outcome, while the sands of time on their playoff hopes are quickly running out. “We knew these two games were our toughest two games,” a team source said. “Bad showing. Move on.”
T.J. Warren? Really nice player, an amazing acquisition from the clueless Phoenix Suns, who gave him away for “cash considerations,” but you could have gotten a trillion-to-1 odds on Warren going for 50-plus on the very first regular-season game in the bubble. Or in any game. Anywhere. “We fed the dragon,” Oladipo said, smiling. “A guy that hot, you try to get him the ball, and I thought all our guys were trying to do that,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. “T.J. was as hot as I’ve ever seen him. And I thought his teammates did a good job of sacrificing, of screening and getting him the ball and giving him proper spacing. You’ve got to milk him. I thought our point guards (Aaron Holiday and T.J. McConnell), they combined for 18 assists, we had 44 assists in the game, so our ball movement was good, and a lot of that was ending up in T.J.’s hands.”
Even if he remained almost 1,500 miles away, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum sensed he was not too far from family. His son, Deuce, joined the virtual fan section and became giddy after seeing his dad on the screen in uniform for Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers. “He’s a fan favorite,” Tatum said. “I was happy he was able to watch the game.” Deuce saw his old man help the Celtics to a 128-124 win over the Trail Blazers by scoring 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting. He also saw Tatum have a bounce-back game coincidentally after getting a haircut here on the NBA Disney campus.
JJ Redick starting podcast company
Now, Redick hopes to expand his platform. In a telephone interview, he said he was set to start his podcast company, ThreeFourTwo Productions, this week with his co-host and business partner, Tommy Alter, along with a new weekly podcast, “The Old Man and the Three,” which ticks the obligatory podcast box of having a pun in its title. “It’s a little play on Hemingway,” Redick said. “I’m the old man in this scenario.”
Redick’s final podcast for The Ringer website, which had produced his namesake show since 2017, was released on July 24. But he said the idea of starting his own company had been percolating for months when he brought the idea to Alter, 29, a producer for shows like “The Shop” on HBO and “Desus & Mero” on Showtime.
August 3, 2020 | 2:32 am EDT Update
Jonathan Isaac out for much of the 2020-21 season?
Isaac now faces an extended rehabilitation period. Magic officials did not provide an expected timeline for his recovery, but it seems likely that he’ll miss at least a significant portion of the 2020-21 season. Before Sunday’s injury, Isaac slotted as the team’s long-term answer at the power forward position — a spot Gordon currently occupies.
After Isaac’s injury in early January, Magic officials expected Isaac to miss the remainder of the season and the playoffs, but the pandemic gave him extra time to rehabilitate and strengthen his leg. When players were allowed to return to the Magic practice facility in mid-May for optional individual workouts, Isaac often worked twice a day with team performance staff and medical staff. The current Magic front office has a reputation for being ultra-cautious with the health of its players, especially its younger players. But questions now will be raised whether Isaac was allowed to return too quickly.
Isaac, a 22-year-old forward and potential franchise cornerstone, crumpled to the court and clutched his knee as Magic head athletic trainer Ernest Eugene and athletic trainer and manual therapist Aki Tajima attended to him. A pained expression crossed Evan Fournier’s face. Wes Iwundu looked to the ground, his hands cupped to his face. Fultz prayed. “That was tough, man,” said Aaron Gordon, another of Isaac’s teammates. “That one brought me to tears instantly just because I know how good of a guy J.I. is and I know how hard he works and how hard he has worked to get back.”
“It was very difficult to see him go down like that again, especially the same knee,” said Nikola Vucevic, who saw the injury occur from the Magic bench area. “He was looking great, actually. We were all very happy for him mainly just because he’s a great guy and great teammate. We all have a lot of respect for him, and so for him to go down like that was very difficult to see, especially when you know that he had just came back.”
Luka Doncic: prayers up!
Kristaps Porzingis: Speedy recovery to @JJudahIsaac ????????
Mavs make playoffs despite loss
The Dallas Mavericks weren’t in the mood to celebrate the end of the franchise’s three-year playoff drought. The Mavs officially clinched a playoff berth due to the Memphis Grizzlies’ 108-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday afternoon. Hours later, Dallas dropped to 0-2 in the NBA bubble with a 117-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “Our goal was to make the playoffs, and we achieved that, but for me and for us, we’re going to try to win every game now that we have left in the regular season,” said Mavs center Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 30 points in the loss. “Then, we’ll see where we end up in the playoffs and go from there. This is not a sprint. This is a marathon, and with each day, with each game, with each practice, we want to be a better team and better individually.”
