Storyline: Rajon Rondo Injury
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Mirjam Swanson: Doc Rivers on Rajon Rondo’s injury: “There’s almost no way to prevent injury other than not playing at all, and if you did that, you’re not gonna win. “Every time we have a practice, we’re worried about it … it’s hard to prevent injuries, especially fluke injuries like that.”
Kyle Goon: Frank Vogel said he envisions KCP starting in place of Bradley, as expected. Answering a question about Rondo, “We expect Rajon to be a part of our playoff run.” Thinks he can return while the Lakers are still in the postseason.
Rajon Rondo to undergo surgery on right thumb
Mike Trudell: Rajon Rondo sustained a fracture to his right thumb during Sunday evening’s practice in Orlando. He will undergo surgery to repair the fracture this week and is expected to return to full basketball activities in 6 to 8 weeks.
Rondo suffered a nondisplaced volar plate avulsion fracture to his right ring finger in Saturday’s victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. X-rays at the arena came back negative, but a MRI on Monday revealed the fracture. Rondo is expected to be out four to five days, a league source told ESPN.
The Lakers said that Rondo, who started in place of James and had a near triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, has been listed as day to day. The Lakers play again Monday night at Staples Center against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rondo said he was injured in the first half. He started the game shooting six for six from the field, but finished 10 of 22, including one of six from three-point range. “I don’t know what really happened,” Rondo said. “I looked it and it was just hurt.”
Kyle Goon: Rajon Rondo and Troy Daniels will be available to play. Both are under 15 minute restrictions. Daniels will be more likely not to enter the game unless needed.
Brad Turner: Vogel said Rondo will not play vs Warriors tomorrow in back to back game
Rajon Rondo's season debut postponed
Chris Haynes: Lakers guard Rajon Rondo participated in a workout today on an off day in preparation for his return, but he is not expected to make his debut on Sunday against the Raptors, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Rajon Rondo expected back Sunday
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo is aiming to make his season debut Sunday against the Toronto Raptors, league sources told Yahoo Sports. Rondo, 33, has missed the team’s first eight games of the season while nursing a right calf injury.
The 13-year veteran is expected to go through a final workout at the team’s practice facility on Saturday in preparation for his return, sources said. Rondo playing Sunday would bring the Lakers to full strength, with Kyle Kuzma making his season debut a week ago after recovering from a stress reaction in his left ankle.
Ryan Ward: #Lakers list Kyle Kuzma (Stress Reaction, Left Ankle) as PROBABLE for tomorrow’s game vs. #Mavs. Rajon Rondo (Mild Right Calf Strain) as OUT Talen Horton-Tucker (Assignment), Kostas Antetokounmpo and Zach Norvell Jr. (Two-Way Contracts) are with the South Bay Lakers
Kyle Goon: Rajon Rondo wasn’t able to be a full participants in shootaround today and will not play tonight against Memphis. We saw him shooting a few minutes ago after shootaround
Ryan Ward: #Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker have once again been ruled OUT for tomorrow game vs. #Grizzlies. Rajon Rondo remains QUESTIONABLE.
Dave McMenamin: Rajon Rondo underwent a precautionary MRI Saturday which confirmed a mild strain of his right calf, per the Lakers. He remains day to day. He participated in ball handling drills after shootaround today.
Kyle Goon: Rajon Rondo is out tonight again against Charlotte. Frank Vogel said he’s still feeling discomfort.
Ryan Ward: As of right now, Kyle Kuzma and #Lakers rookie Talen Horton-Tucker are OUT for tomorrow’s game vs. #Hornets. Rajon Rondo remains QUESTIONABLE.
Dave McMenamin: Frank Vogel says Rajon Rondo is out tonight vs UTA.
Tania Ganguli: Frank Vogel said Rondo will test out his calf tonight and see if he can play. The starting lineup will not change regardless.
Rondo, who said he first experienced discomfort in his calf the day before the Lakers’ preseason finale in Golden State, went through Thursday’s practice at “full speed” and “didn’t look impaired at all,” according to Vogel, but his availability for Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz is to be determined.
Ryan Ward: Rajon Rondo is considered QUESTIONABLE once again for Friday’s game. #Lakers
Mike Trudell: Rajon Rondo is out tonight (sore calf).
Mike Trudell: Injuries for tomorrow: Quinn Cook is available to play, Alex Caruso is probable and Rajon Rondo is questionable (sore calf).
Dan Woike: Rajon Rondo will play tonight. He’s been out since Christmas with a finger injury.
Mike Bresnahan: Rajon Rondo went through practice today but did not absorb any contact and said he would be a game-time decision for tomorrow’s game vs. Minnesota. Rondo hasn’t played since Dec. 25 because of a torn ligament in his right ring finger.
Mike Bresnahan: Rajon Rondo was not supposed to absorb any contact at practice today…but quickly added that Lance Stephenson “hacked” him a few times. If Rondo plays tomorrow vs. Minnesota, he doesn’t think he’ll be on a minutes limit because his injury is in his hand, not lower body.
Rondo has been cleared to shoot again, and soon can rejoin the post-practice shooting competitions. “My [travel] ban has been lifted,” he said Monday. “I’m off of house arrest and I will be traveling with the team on the upcoming schedule.” Rondo’s love of Connect Four, and his savant-like ability playing the game, has been well documented. It fits the mold of a point guard known best for the way he thinks about the game. A great point guard can see a few steps ahead of whatever is happening on the court, and Rondo can do that within a game like Connect Four.
Ryan Ward: Rajon Rondo is getting closer to his return to the floor for the #Lakers. He’s progressed to dribbling with his surgically repaired hand and has been cleared to travel with the team.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo had surgery Friday to repair a ligament in his right ring finger and is expected to miss four to five weeks, the team announced. It is the second surgery Rondo has had on his shooting hand this season. Rondo injured the finger during the Lakers’ 127-101 win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas. The Lakers believe the injury came during a third-quarter play when he got tangled up with Draymond Green. Rondo had 15 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in the game.
Kyle Goon: Luke Walton said that Rajon Rondo couldn’t really pick up a basketball like he normally could after getting injured. That was the big factor in going ahead and getting surgery — Rondo and Lakers didn’t think he could effectively play through the pain.
Brad Turner: pic.twitter.com/63MKdDvuVc
Shams Charania: Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo is expected to undergo surgery on his injured right hand and miss one month.
Ohm Youngmisuk: A source confirmed that Rajon Rondo is expected to have surgery again on his right shooting hand and could miss a month. The Lakers said they would update Rondo’s status today after announcing on Wednesday that the point guard suffered a Grade 3 sprain to his right ring finger against the Warriors on Christmas. The Athletic first reported that Rondo is expected to have surgery again after having the third metacarpal repaired in his hand back in November.
Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo will miss Thursday’s game in Sacramento as he deals with a sprained sprained right ring finger, the team announced Wednesday night.
Mike Trudell: Ingram and Rondo have both been recalled by the Lakers, after they practiced with the @SouthBayLakers. They’ll rejoin the Lakers when the team returns from the road trip that concludes tonight in Brooklyn.
Dave McMenamin: According to the Lakers Rajon Rondo’s right hand was looked at by a doctor today. The swelling has gone down and he will be re-evaluated in 48 hours in L.A.
Rajon Rondo had fluid drained from his right hand Sunday, possibly signaling a delay in his return from a broken hand. The veteran point guard has been out for 3 ½ weeks.
Mike Trudell: Walton said Rajon Rondo still has swelling in his hand, so he won’t play until that goes down. Original timeline from Nov. 15 was 4-5 weeks, and it’s Dec. 8.
Dave McMenamin: Luke Walton says Rondo participated in “pretty much all” of Tues practice. The team says Rondo has been cleared to ramp up contact. He’s close, but not quite back and has been ruled out Weds. Luke: “He’s still holding back a little bit. … but he says it’s not from pain”
Harrison Faigen: Luke said he’s “not surprised” with how quickly Rondo is progressing. He says “he’s been doing everything he can” to stay as close to basketball shape as possible. Rondo is still not cleared for contact.
Ryan Ward: Brandon Ingram on Rajon Rondo back on the practice court: “I’m not surprised [laughs]. It looks like he ripped his thing off. Nah, he’s been trying to practice ever since the 1st day he broke his hand. I’m not surprised at all that he’s back there shooting right now.” #Lakers
Bill Oram: Rajon Rondo on the court 11 days after surgery on his broken right hand. pic.twitter.com/wCQXTXE5OU
Talking to reporters for the first time since suffering the injury on Nov. 14 and undergoing surgery the following day, Rondo was in good spirits and discussed what he’s been cleared to do. “Still able to do a little bit of cardio,” said the veteran point guard, who is averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds. “I just got back on the court as far as, [the doctor] allowed me to sweat a little bit more. But I still can’t do anything upper [body] yet. But I can run and use my legs.”
Rondo later added: “It is all about perspective. It’s not that bad an injury as far as being out 12-13 months… [four to five] weeks is nothing compared to what I’ve been through. Young [or] old, if you have an injury in particular like an ACL [it would be worse]… [This] will be alright.”
“Just the same,” Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said of what he’s seen from Rondo post-surgery. “He’s just not on the court. He’s always in the film room, always talking to people, always has something to say about whatever the other team is doing and he’s always willing to lend a hand out there.”
Mike Bresnahan: Rajon Rondo (broken hand) said he was able to do some cardio work but would “stick to the script” of the four to five week timetable for his return. He was injured Nov. 14 against Portland.
Rachel Nichols: Rajon Rondo (broken hand) serving as a de facto assistant coach in this game. He’s in the coaches huddles, has the clipboard, is standing during play – the whole deal.
Bill Oram: Luke Walton said Rondo is “fighting his case” to be on this road trip, but they need to wait for swelling to go down post-surgery so he can be cleared for air travel. Obviously a huge voice for Lakers, even off the court.
Kyle Goon: Luke Walton was pleased that Rondo was helping out with his voice today in practice: “He was talking. Surprise, surprise, he was talking.”
Mike Trudell: Walton said Rondo continued to play for a few minutes after the injury occurred (when he stripped Nurkic and hit the floor with his right hand), essentially with one hand, which the coaches noticed and they discussed at the time out.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Rondo is expected to miss three-to-five weeks, league source tells ESPN.
Brad Turner: Rajon Rondo will get MRI Thursday on broken right hand, per source
Rondo will see a specialist Thursday to determine whether surgery will be his best course of action, a team source told ESPN. The Lakers are operating under the assumption that Rondo will be out three to five weeks, depending on the decision on surgery and the healing process, the source said.
Will Guillory: Pelicans announce that Rajon Rondo (right wrist sprain) will be available to play tonight.
Jay Allen: Rajon Rondo (right wrist) will not play tonight vs. the @Portland Trail Blazers. Ian Clark will make his 3rd career start (2nd this season). Nikola Mirotic (right hip) is available for the #Pelicans. #RipCity @RipCityRadio620
Jim Eichenhofer: What will determine whether you can play tonight vs. Portland? Rajon Rondo (questionable with right wrist sprain): “I’m pretty good at handstands and backflips, so I’m going to see what I’ve got. If I can’t land on my hand, then I’ll probably take another day of rest.”
Scott Kushner: Alvin Gentry confirmed Rajon Rondo will start tonight and play 14-16 minutes for the #Pelicans. He will start alongside Holiday, Cunningham, Davis and Cousins.
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.
