Nick DePaula: In a video to fans in China, Klay Thompson says, “My mind and body are 100% ready to get back on the court.” His new Anta KT5 sneaker launch is inspired by his trip last summer to a 400 year-old Chinese medical center in Shanghai and the treatment he received there.
Storyline: Klay Thompson Injury
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Warriors coach Steve Kerr watched Klay work out last week, and came away very impressed. “He looked great. He was moving well and, as you would expect, just knocking down [shots],” Kerr said Friday on KNBR’s “Tolbert, Kreuger & Brooks” show. “He’s not playing ‘live’ yet, he hasn’t done any contact stuff, but that’s kind of the final step and there’s obviously plenty of time for that. “He’s right on schedule, and everything’s going well.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr watched Klay work out last week, and came away very impressed. “He looked great. He was moving well and, as you would expect, just knocking down [shots],” Kerr said Friday on KNBR’s “Tolbert, Kreuger & Brooks” show. “He’s not playing ‘live’ yet, he hasn’t done any contact stuff, but that’s kind of the final step and there’s obviously plenty of time for that. “He’s right on schedule, and everything’s going well.”
Kerr said he drove up from San Diego to watch Thompson work out in Orange County on Thursday, and the Splash Brother looked impressive putting up shots. “It was great to see him,” Kerr told KNBR’s “Tolbert, Kreuger & Brooks” on Friday. “He looked great. He was moving well and, as you would expect, just knocking down [shots]. So, he looked good. He’s not playing ‘live’ yet, he hasn’t done any contact stuff, but that’s kind of the final step and there’s obviously plenty of time for that. He’s right on schedule, and everything’s going well.”
Kerr reiterated Friday that Thompson missing the entire season was a “demoralizing” experience for the All-Star guard. “Because if you love playing that much, then not playing is just devastating,” Kerr said of Thompson. “He really struggled this year not being able to play, and just not knowing what to do … because he couldn’t really do a whole lot in rehab. There was a lot of rest in the beginning, and then the team would go out on the road. Klay loves to be part of the group, bashing on each other and joking around. I just think he really missed everything this year, the whole experience. So I know he can’t wait to get back out there.”
Klay Thompson fully cleared from knee injury
One of the largest early hurdles for the Warriors’ long offseason has been cleared. Klay Thompson, nearing the one-year anniversary of his left ACL surgery, has been training without restriction on his healed knee, sources told The Athletic. He received the final medical clearance a couple weeks back and has been ramping up his workouts since, including a high-octane session on Thursday.
This doesn’t mean Thompson could compete in an NBA game right now. There are many conditioning checkpoints still to be met. Remember how long it took the Warriors to clear Steph Curry for a return from a broken bone in his left hand back in early March? That wasn’t about his hand, which had been medically cleared for full basketball activity for weeks. It was about his entire body needing to rev back up into its traditional basketball shape.
That’s where Thompson is at. He’s essentially reached the finish line of his left knee rehab, as medically approved by his physician. If it were midseason, Thompson would be getting his body ready for a targeted return. But it’s not midseason. It’s not even anything like a traditional offseason. Thompson isn’t really limited physically, he’s limited by the world’s current human-to-human contact restriction.
Now that it has been over 11 months since Thompson went under the knife, is he back to 100 percent yet? “I don’t know,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters on a Monday afternoon conference call. “I think we got to take a look at him when we see him. There’s different versions of 100 percent. “Until we kind of test him and see him and start him in 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 — and the pandemic hasn’t allowed him that opportunity to do those type of things … there’s no rush clearly. “As far as I have heard, he’s recovering fine. There hasn’t been a setback. But one thing that’s been a little bit difficult in the last couple months is our ability to oversee those things as much as you might normally would.”
Wes Goldberg: Myers doesn’t know yet if Klay Thompson is 100% healthy. Has heard that he’s rehabbing fine, but hasn’t been able to evaluate him in person. “There’s no rush, clearly.”
How’s Klay holding up and what’s the latest on his health? Thompson: “He’s frustrated he can’t work out with his teammates. He just works out on his own like everybody else. He can’t work out with other guys in groups. You have to find a place to shoot on your own and do your own exercises. These guys know what to do. You run your sprints alone and can find an empty gym. Get a key to an empty gym and go shoot. All of these guys have connections to a gym.” Is he fully healthy? Thompson: “I don’t know. He’s walking around fine. Who knows if he’s cleared to play. He has to get that clearance from his doctors and the Warriors. They haven’t talked about that yet.” (Before the NBA suspended the season on March 11, the Warriors had only cleared Thompson for light shooting drills).
Klay Thompson fully recovered from injury?
95.7 The Game: “He says he’s feeling great and he’ll be ready to go at full speed next year.” Mychal Thompson provides an update on Klay. “He’s feeling good, he’s working out on his own, he’s doing all of his drills. He says he feels good, he walks around without any kind of limp, no kind of soreness.”
He was quite visible on the bench at most home games, but in the Warriors’ day-to-day activities, Klay was a lot less present than Curry has been. Obviously, Klay had his ACL rehab and the frustration of knowing that he couldn’t play this season. And maybe that leads to a very energetic Klay Thompson season in 2020-21. “It’s been a really, really hard season for Klay,” Kerr said. “He loves to play basketball so much and just not being able to play has crushed him. And so he was, unlike Steph, over the last couple, few months, he hasn’t been around as often as Steph was. I was OK with that just because it was so frustrating for Klay just to be at practice watching and not really being able to do anything.
“Finally over the last few weeks he was able to start shooting with our guys, running through some drills and he was so happy to be out there. But for much of the season, it was just about getting away and not torturing himself by watching us play. He’s going to be so ready to play next year and so excited and the rehab is coming along really well, so I have no doubt that assuming everything starts in September and October like it usually does that Klay and Steph will be in great shape and ready to roll.”
That means a young player like Eric Paschall, stationary in a San Francisco apartment, can’t come in to begin the early stages of a planned summer reconstruction of his jumper. It means Klay Thompson must shift his ACL rehab away from the facility with which he’s most comfortable. “Yes, it’s hard,” Myers said of Thompson’s rehab. “Privately, by himself. Maybe with one of our trainers individually at his house. Even my own hip surgery recovery, anything you can do without interacting with somebody. … If you don’t have your own gym (in your house), there’s not really anywhere to go. Most guys don’t have a basketball gym in their house. They might have a weight room.”
Connor Letourneau: Steve Kerr said Klay Thompson has been joining in non-contact drills and shooting drills. The Warriors don’t expect him to do any contact work this season.
Anthony Slater: Klay Thompson part of team drills post practice today. First time we’ve seen it like this.
Anthony Slater: Warriors practice opens, Klay Thompson in the weight room, mimicking (in a controlled setting) the full lift he’d get on a full speed jumper. First time I’ve seen him really bend and rise high on that knee.
Mark Medina: Warriors formally determine that Klay Thompson won’t return at all this season. But Warriors expect Thompson to return when training camp begins in late September. They had anticipated early this season the possibility Klay wouldn’t play at all this season
Connor Letourneau: Steve Kerr on the possibility of Klay Thompson returning in time for the Tokyo Olympics: “It’s still a possibility. We haven’t really discussed it.”
Klay Thompson officially out for the season
Marc Stein: The Warriors have this week made it official and fully ruled out Klay Thompson (left knee) for the remainder of the season, league sources say
Marc Stein: Thompson, though, remains in contention for a spot on the United States’ 12-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics. @usabasketball will finalize that roster in June and Klay is said to be making good progress in his recovery from a torn left ACL in Game 6 of last season’s NBA Finals
Jay King: Steve Kerr said Steph Curry will “almost for sure” play again this season. Said he and Klay Thompson will play when they’re ready and the Warriors will try to win every game that they can.
Anthony Slater: Klay Thompson said he hasn’t ruled out playing this season, but will be patient: “You may not have seen me much, but I’ve been working.” Full quote on his rehab update here.
Wes Goldberg: Steve Kerr on Klay Thompson: “It just feels good to see him out there on the floor, and to see him feel like he’s getting closer… He’s pretty far down the path (to returning).” Said he’s asked both Steph Curry and Klay to be around the team more.
Splash Brothers to be reevaluated in February
Kerith Burke: Word from the Warriors is Steph will be reevaluted on Feb 1 and Klay will be reevaluted at the All Star Break regarding their injuries and potential playing dates this season.
Ali Thanawalla: Klay in full uni and headband hitting fadeaway trey on pass from Zaza. Warriors practice is lit. 🤣
Logan Murdock: Klay’s been doing this over the past couple weeks. Each pregame, he’ll dress up in full uniform and go through his workout as the team prepares for its game. He’s sooooo ready to be back.
First, host Ernie Johnson asked Thompson whether he planned on returning this season, referring to reports from earlier this week that head coach Steve Kerr was skeptical that the shooting guard would play in the inaugural season at Chase Center. “I feel great,” Thompson said. “At this stage of the rehab, I started jogging, running, putting up a lot of jumpers — which are going in at a high rate, still, so that’s a good sign.”
Nick Friedell: Kerr says it’s ‘still possible’ Klay could return this year.
Connor Letourneau: Kevon Looney on Klay Thompson returning this season: “If he comes back, great. If he doesn’t, that’s good as well.”
Klay Thompson unlikely to return this season
Ever since Klay Thompson tore his left ACL four months ago, the Warriors guard has held out hope that he could return this season in time for a potential NBA playoff run. His coach, however, isn’t betting on that timeline. “It’s unlikely that he’s going to play this year,” Steve Kerr recently told NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview that will air at 1 p.m. PT Tuesday in “NBA Season Tip-Off,” only on the MyTeams app. “So we have to understand that.”
Kerr, who tore his ACL in college, believes Thompson will be on the same timeline as those players. “You have to look at it realistically,” the Warriors coach said. “I had an ACL [tear] in college, and I missed a whole season. Generally, an ACL for a basketball player is a full-year recovery, and if it’s a full year for Klay, that puts them out for the season. “We’ve kind of left the door open in case the rehab goes perfectly and the doctors say he can go. But the reality is, on April 1, that’s the nine-month mark. … April versus nine months post-op for an ACL.
Wes Goldberg: Klay Thompson on the court at UCLA helping teammates get up some post-practice shots. pic.twitter.com/tGJBSCbvBl
The four-time All-Star has no plans to sprint back to the Warriors or set any kind of speed record for returning to the NBA after undergoing ACL surgery. “No, I’m going to do what the team says,” Klay said Monday. “I’ve done my due diligence on rehabs and ACL injuries, and the last thing you want to do is rush back, especially for a player like me who wants to play until he’s in his late 30s. I want to play at a high level until that point, too.” “As much as it kills me not to be on the court, patience is a virtue, and rushing back would be not very smart.”
Klay Thompson ruled out until after All-Star break
Anthony Slater: Bob Myers said Klay Thompson is doing fine, but the Warriors won’t give a real update until the All-Star break.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors says he would like to play for Team USA in the 2020 Olympics. One problem: Thompson should not play high-level basketball at all, not for two years. At least that’s what the science says. A paper presented by Dr. Tim Hewett, a consultant who spent the bulk of his career studying the biomechanics of the knee for the Mayo Clinic and as the director of Ohio State’s Sports Health and Performance Institute, and Dr. Christopher Nagelli of the Mayo Clinic, finds that athletes who suffer ACL tears should not return to action for two years.
“Please do share that with Klay,” Dr. Hewett, who has consulted with NBA trainers in the past, told Heavy.com. “This is not my opinion. People say to me, ‘Well, that is your opinion, there are other opinions.’ No, I deal in science and I deal in fact. People don’t like to hear it but it does not change the facts, and that facts are that you’re at risk for re-injury before two years and you won’t be the same player in the first year.”
“I think about that every day,” Thompson said. He sat straight up and shook his head. “That’s just the humbling part of sports — when you feel like you’re at your best, something traumatic can happen. But I honestly felt like I was at the peak of my NBA career up to that point. I was at my best. The way I was shooting the ball, the way I was playing defense. I felt like I was one of the best players out there. In past series, or Finals, you know, I’ve been able to defer. But in that series, I felt like I was just, like, as close to unstoppable as I’ve ever been.”
The worst part hasn’t even come yet. Thompson knows it. “Honestly, we’ll see in two weeks when I see my teammates out there playing,” Thompson said of the difficulty of rehab. “But, as of right now, it’s easy to lock in and focus on my rehab every day because that’s all I have. I don’t have games. I don’t have to go to the arena. But when that starts, I know it’s going to be a very tough challenge. It’s going to be really hard.”
Despite their intentions, Curry and Thompson playing in the Olympics can’t be considered a lock. If the Warriors somehow went on a deep run into the postseason, it would be their sixth straight year doing so. Turning around and going to Japan to play more might be untenable. Thus, an early postseason exit might be required for their hopes to be fulfilled. Plus, Thompson’s availability will be contingent upon his recovery from a torn ACL.
Mychal Thompson recently talked about his son’s rehab from a ruptured ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on the NBC Sports Bay Area Warriors Insider podcast. “He’s walking normally and he’s very optimistic and enthusiastic about getting back late next season,” Thompson said. Thompson said Klay probably won’t be on the court doing full-court drills until late December or January. That would fall on the early side of the typical recovery period for ACL surgery, which is six to nine months.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the procedure on Thompson at the Kerlan Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, and Thompson said he is on track to return to the court at some point next season. “That’s my goal,” Thompson said. “I doubt I’ll be back before the All-Star break, but I want to be back this season.”
“My season is obviously going to start a little differently,” Thompson said. “I’m going to be on offseason mode for a little bit until I can run again. With Kevin leaving and DeMarcus leaving and losing Andre and Shaun, the parity in the league is back. Everyone was trying to catch up to the Warriors the past five years, but now teams have closed the gap, if not taken that leap, so for us getting D’Angelo was huge because in my absence, he’s a proven All-Star and a 20-point guy and great play maker.”
Klay Thompson likely out until the All-Star
Klay Thompson said he doubted he would be back before the All-Star break. “I’ve heard varying opinions about, especially medically, I don’t want to rush it ’cause I want to play until I’m 38, 39, 40 years old,” Thompson said. “That’s my plan, especially because the way I can shoot the ball. I would love to see the floor this season. I don’t know when that is.”
“I knew I did something. But I’ve never had the severity of an ACL injury or an injury that bad,” Thompson told ESPN’s Cari Champion in an interview during a “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” promotional event in Los Angeles. “So me personally, I didn’t think it was that bad initially. My adrenaline was so high being Game 6, whatever. I thought I sprained my knee; that’s all I thought it was. But when I went back to the locker room, it swelled up a lot, didn’t feel right. It’s just not a good feeling when you feel helpless and the team’s out there competing.”
“We obviously had bumps in the road, but nothing as traumatic as what me and Kevin went through. So it was humbling, but the Warriors showed their loyalty and their respect for me, offering me that five-year deal,” Thomson said of his new $190 million deal. “Jumped on that as soon as I could, just because the history with this team and the franchise it would be so hard to leave. And the feeling of, you know, unfinished business, getting that close in the Finals, or to the fourth championship — tasting it — just being out of reach. It’s the pain of sports, but it’s what keeps me motivated.”
Anthony Slater: Klay Thompson, two weeks post left ACL surgery
Logan Murdock: Warriors GM Bob Myers said there’s no update on Klay Thompson’s ACL other than surgery. Myers said he’ll visit Thompson in Los Angeles soon.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Agent Greg Lawrence emphasizes recovery window of 5-to-7 months after Thompson’s ACL surgery is tilted toward back end of that timetable: “While we are optimistic on a return as quickly as possible, Klay and the team are committed to taking the necessary time with the process.”
He started to make his way back to the Golden State locker room, but as you all remember … the machine returned to the court. “Somebody went out and grabbed us in the tunnel and said, ‘If he doesn’t shoot these free throws, he can’t come back,’ Warriors GM Bob Myers explained Thursday on 95.7 The Game. “And Klay didn’t even wait for an answer. He just walked back on the court.
“And I grabbed him and I said, ‘Listen, man. If you’re gonna shoot these free throws…’ — because we didn’t know what it was at that time, we had no idea, he hadn’t been examined — and I said, ‘We don’t know what this is, shoot the free throws, don’t move. Just shoot the free throws and stay there.’ “[Klay said] ‘OK, all right. I got it.’ [He] shoots the free throws and starts running back (laughter). I said, ‘What are you doing?’ Maybe that’s my own fault for trusting. “But that’s the competitor in the guy.”
Andre Iguodala: “I’m confident in us. Klay will be back in February I hope. He’s a fast healer. We’re going to have another run at it. It’s not over.”
Ryan Wolstat: Green on Klay Thompson injury: Said he thought Klay would go for a one-handed dunk. When he saw it was two thought he could get the block and got a piece of it. Thought it was pretty clean but knows that’s a fair time to call a foul. Warriors told him they know he isn’t dirty.
Michael Grange: Danny Green says Draymond and Iguodala told him they knew the play on Klay Thompson was clean, not intentional; has reached out to Klay through channels.
“Klay is such a polished specimen with his athleticism and his strength, I literally think this will be a small bump in the road for him for the next nine to 12 months as he rehabilitates it,” said Dr. Daniel Kharrazi, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles who serves as the team doctor for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. “He should be able to get back to how he was before. “I know people are freaking out about his career, but I don’t think it’s going to affect his long-term outcome at all. I think he’s going to be back doing exactly what he was doing as soon as he’s done rehabbing his knee.”
The moments left Mychal Thompson feeling sleepless. It did not tamper his optimism, though. His son, Klay, tore an ACL in his left knee and walked out of the arena on crutches. Then, the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, hardly the ending they envisioned in their final game at Oracle Arena after winning three NBA titles in the past four years. That only leads to two questions. First, how will this affect Thompson when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 30?
“You have to ask Joe Lacob that one,” Thompson said about the Warriors’ majority owner. “That’s up to the Warriors. But Klay will be back. It’s unfortunate, but it’s kind of a routine injury. Nobody wants it. Guys are able to come back fully recovered from this injury.”
Second, did this mark the end of the Warriors’ dynasty? Not only do the Warriors have questions about Thompson. Kevin Durant is recovering from a surgically repaired right Achilles tendon. The Warriors otherwise have limited purchasing power and a No. 28 pick to bolster their team. Nonetheless, Thompson said that “Klay and Kevin will both be back to wreak havoc among the league.” Thompson also added “the Warriors are far from done.” As for Durant’s free agency? “I always have faith he’ll stay. This is the second-best organization you can play for. Of course, you know what the best one is,” said Thompson who played for the Showtime Lakers and remains a radio analyst for the team’s flagship station. “Why leave a great situation like Golden State? These guys are still going to be championship contenders for years to come.”
Connor Letourneau: Per his father, Klay Thompson will undergo surgery “as soon as possible” on his torn ACL in Los Angeles.
Thompson, who emerged as a vocal leader during the NBA Finals, tore his left ACL late in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 114-110 loss Thursday in Game 6 that gave the Toronto Raptors their first championship. Thompson is expected to miss up to nine to 10 months, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
“Even though Golden State had some tough injuries the last game and this game, they showed how much heart they have,” Raptors center Marc Gasol said. “What it means to be a championship team. They didn’t make any excuses. They kept playing.” Afterward, Warrior Stephen Curry sat at his locker appearing to be more pained about the team’s injuries than its three-peat hopes and days at Oracle Arena coming to an end. Most of his concern centered on the health of his fellow All-Stars Durant and Thompson. “It’s not good. Klay and KD are two dudes who are supposed to be walking into the best summer of their lives,” Curry told The Undefeated. “It was taken away from them just like that. It’s tough. It is tough. Two really good dudes.”
Jordan Bell: No man!!! This lost hurt but hearing about this killed me. Prayers up to you bro @KlayThompson
Klay Thompson has torn ACL
Adrian Wojnarowski: Golden State’s Klay Thompson has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, his agent Greg Lawrence tells ESPN.
Andre Roberson: Prayers to Klay!! Heart of a champion!!! The get back start now!! @KlayThompson
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr said Klay Thompson told him on his way off the court: “Just a two minute rest and I’ll be ready.” Next thing Kerr heard Klay was done for the night, crutching out of the arena.
Anthony Slater: Steve Kerr: “What matters is Kevin Durant is going to miss next season with an Achilles tear. What matters is Klay suffered a knee injury. We’ll know more later. But it’s just brutal, just brutal what these guys have had to deal with.”
Klay Thompson suffers knee injury
Golden State’s run of injuries to star players continued in the third quarter of Game 6 when star guard Klay Thompson’s left knee appeared to buckle in an awkward landing after a contested dunk attempt with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter.
Thompson remained down for a few minutes in significant pain, clutching at his leg. He was helped into the tunnel and headed for the locker room, but came back to shoot the free throws to put the Warriors ahead 85-80.
Blake Murphy: Klay Thompson says he was sore after Game 4 but feels great. Estimates he’s in the 80-90% range. More bothered by the loss than his hamstring.
Marc J. Spears: Klay (hamstring) says he expects to feel closer to normal tomorrow.
August 3, 2020 | 7:05 pm EDT Update
Kendra Andrews: Nuggets beat the Thunder 121-113. Nikola Jokic finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. Michael Porter Jr. with a career-high37 points and 12. rebounds. Monte Morris and Paul Millsap add 17 points each.
Scott Agness: Pacers earn their 41st win of the season, 111-100 over the Wizards. Now 2-0 in the restart. Pacers used runs of 20-2 and 22-2 to grow their lead, as large as 22. T.J. Warren had 34/11/4/4. Brogdon added 20/7/6. Up next: vs Orlando tomorrow in their only b2b.
August 3, 2020 | 5:46 pm EDT Update
Michael Singer: That’s 20 first-half points for Michael Porter Jr. His career-high is 25. He’s also a rebound shy of a first-half double-double. This is like his breakout game in Indiana. Except it’s coming two weeks before the playoffs.
Anthony Chiang: Heat now 1-13 this season in games that it shoots 32 percent or worse from three-point range in. Bam Adebayo: “We were getting good looks. We were just missing shots. That’s the bottom line.”
August 3, 2020 | 5:12 pm EDT Update
Josh Lewenberg: Fred VanVleet on his career-high 36 points… and scoring 3 more points than Lowry did on Saturday: “That’s a double whammy right there. I’ll take that.” He joked that he was disappointed he couldn’t top the 37 that Powell scored earlier this season.
George Karl: Happy birthday today to Nate McMillan. One of my favorite leaders and Glue Guys ever! Hope you are safe and well in the Bubble, my friend.
August 3, 2020 | 4:42 pm EDT Update
Anthony Chiang: FINAL: Raptors 107, Heat 103.
StatMuse: Fred VanVleet in today’s win vs the Heat: 36 PTS* 8-16 FG 7-12 3P* 13-13 FT* *career-highs pic.twitter.com/ZFa0FeAzyj
Barry Jackson: Heat with two late costly turnovers, loses 107-103 to Toronto to fall to 42-25. Dragic 25, Olynyk 17, Butler and Crowder 16 apiece. Next up: Boston at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Kendra Andrews: Jamal Murray is out today against the Thunder.
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.
