Storyline: Victor Oladipo Injury
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Rod Beard: #Pacers center Myles Turner is questionable tonight vs. #Pistons. Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb, Goga Bitadze and Edmund Sumner all are OUT. #DFS
Oladipo was upbeat and calm after ramping up his participation during the Pacers’ practice session at St. Vincent Center. Having been relegated to non-contact drills since the beginning of training camp, he was given the go-ahead to jump into controlled halfcourt scrimmages for the first time. That marked a major step forward in the rehabilitation process related to the torn quadricep muscle he suffered in a game against Toronto on Jan. 23.
“I hadn’t played in 9 1/2 months,” he said, chuckling at the thought. “It felt good just being out there. Making a pass, shooting a jumper…shooting a floater, a layup…something. It feels good to be out there. Feels like I never left, honestly.”
McMillan offered no analysis of Oladipo’s play on Saturday other than to say he “looked good,” and said doctors are not offering a timetable for a return. “You never know,” McMillan said. “I know he’s working hard to get himself back. I’ve been watching him all summer long and I’ve never seen anyone attack the rehab as hard as he has. He’s working extremely hard every day to get back better than he was.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo participated in halfcourt 5-on-5 for the first time since his injury. He went about 30 minutes. “Good,” McMillan said, his face saying more than his words. “He looked good.”
And McMillan made sure the “half-court” distinction was clear in his announcement Friday, one day after Oladipo was absent from practice while getting a check-up with his doctors regarding his injury. “He’s been doing some things 1-on-1,” McMillan said. “But this is a good sign. “They’re going slowly to try to work him into being able to go every day, but it’s good news to know he’ll be able to participate in that first part of practice.”
Scott Agness: Still no updated timeline-to-return for Oladipo. They plan to evaluate him in 5-on-5 half-court at practice for several weeks. This is just another step in his road to recovery.
Jason Anderson: Injury report for Kings. vs. Pacers Kings: OUT–Harry Giles III (left knee soreness), Tyler Ulis (right groin strain). Pacers: OUT–Victor Oladipo (right knee rehab), Goga Bitadze (right ankle sprain). QUESTIONABLE–TJ Leaf (right quad strain), CJ Wilcox (right quad strain).
While Victor Oladipo avoids specifics about his recovery from a surgically repaired right knee, he participated in everything except scrimmaging when the Indiana Pacers opened training camp Saturday. “He spent the first 20 to 30 minutes of practice going through drills,” said coach Nate McMillan, who was briefed by the medical staff last night on Oladipo’s progress after a torn quad muscle Jan. 23. “Nothing with contact. Basically the warm-up part of practice. That was good enough for me to see him out on the floor with his teammates.”
Oladipo watched from the sidelines where he was his typical demonstrative self. He’s not going to scrimmage any time soon with his return on pace for December or January. Could he return sooner? Possibly. But the Pacers will be cautious and manage his workload. Last year he played through early-season soreness that probably led to the rupture of the quad tendon. “It was awesome,” Domantas Sabonis said of Oladipo being with them again. “He did 80 percent of the practice. It looks like he never left.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo went through the warmup/drills with the team, “good enough for me,” Nate McMillan said. Then watched when they went live. His camp always begins with the fundamentals and defense.
Myles Turner is hopeful Oladipo returns in December or January. “I’ve heard some people say after the All-Star break, but I just know how Vic’s wired,” Turner said Friday at the team’s annual media day. “He’s been attacking the whole process. He’s already doing stuff on the court.”
Tim Reynolds: Pacers’ Nate McMillan on Vic Oladipo: “I know that he will not start the season. I haven’t had any information given to me that he will be practicing live with the team anytime soon, so I don’t anticipate Victor being available for a while. I don’t really know what ‘a while’ is.”
Buchanan said he’s approaching 2020-21 as three separate seasons: without Oladipo, reacclimating Oladipo into the lineup, and playing with a fully healthy Oladipo as the rest of the team falls into place around him. “It was a very unique injury, a very rare injury, so we’ll be patient with it,” Buchanan said. “You guys know Vic; he’s an ideal worker, so we feel confident that he’s going to get back to what he was before.”
McMillan said he spent time with Oladipo in Miami and Las Vegas during the offseason, in addition to observing the guard at the team facility last week. The longtime coach said Oladipo is in good spirits but he has a hurdle in front of him — contact. “He’s not playing live but he’s moving. He’s in a good position mentally,” McMillan said. “He feels that everything is going well. I like what I see with him. … He’s doing great. He’s not doing any live contact, still in that rehab stage of working with the trainers. I just know (opening night on Oct. 23) he probably won’t be there. The time frame, we have no idea of when he will return.”
Chad Buchanan said he’s approaching 2020-21 as three separate seasons: without Oladipo, reacclimating Oladipo into the lineup, and playing with a fully healthy Oladipo as the rest of the team falls into place around him. “It was a very unique injury, a very rare injury, so we’ll be patient with it,” Buchanan said. “You guys know Vic; he’s an ideal worker, so we feel confident that he’s going to get back to what he was before.”
Victor Oladipo back sooner than expected?
SiriusXM NBA Radio: While speaking with @TheFrankIsola Pacers Center Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) was very optimistic about Victor Oladipo’s (@VicOladipo) return from injury. “He [Victor Oladipo] will be back a lot sooner than people think”.
[Victor Oladipo] resumed on-court work two months ago, but it’s all been one-on-zero. In other words, he hasn’t been challenged by a defense or had to react to an opponent’s movement. “Ah, I’m getting there,” he said, obviously hesitant to share any more. “I’m working my way there. You can’t rush these things, you just got to take your time. At the end of the day, Rome wasn’t built in one day.”
And while Oladipo has not publicly set a timeline to return, he’s eagerly awaiting the day when he can suit up again and rejoin his teammates on the floor, something he hasn’t done since Jan. 23. “I’m just excited to play basketball again, honestly,” Oladipo said as campers were nearby doing station drills. “Just go out there and compete at the highest level possible. I got a lot to let go so I’m looking forward to letting it go.”
J. Michael Falgoust: Since Ive been asked about Oladipo…there’s no indication when or if he’ll be here for #NBASummerLeague …. Wouldnt be surprised if he doesn’t show based on the vibe Ive gotten. No big deal if he doesn’t. He’s got other priorities #PacersGrizz
Oladipo out until December?
Scott Agness: While there’s no official timeline, Kevin Pritchard says he’s hopeful that Victor Oladipo (quad surgery) will be able to return in December or January. Assistant coach Bill Bayno has been in Miami with Oladipo this week, I’m told.
J. Michael Falgoust: McMillan says he’s not been told anything on when Oladipo will be ready #Pacers
Scott Agness: Pritchard had dinner with Oladipo while he was in town. Focus right now is on his physical therapy. “It’s coming along nicely and he feels really good about it. In Victor style, he has promised to come back 200 to 300 percent of what he was.” Still, no timeline to return.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo received clearance from his doctor and has a flight scheduled to Indy this afternoon for Game 3 (8:30pm). It will be his first game since suffering a ruptured right quad tendon on Jan. 26.
Scott Agness: To be clear, Oladipo’s rehab is going well — but he isn’t close to returning. With it being the playoffs, the self-proclaimed “positive butterfly” wants to be back around his guys and show his support.
“He told me he would be coming back,” coach Nate McMillan told IndyStar, before they meet the Celtics for the final time in the regular season Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “I don’t think he’ll travel with us, but I assume when we come home, he’ll be with us for those games.” Oladipo, whose breakout 2017-18 season included All-Star, All-NBA, All-Defense and Most Improved Player honors, went down Jan. 23.
Pacers star Victor Oladipo made significant progress in his recovery Thursday. An Instagram post from his account showed him walking without the assistance of a brace down the hallway. He had surgery eight weeks ago after suffering a season-ending injury in January. His doctor said that while Oladipo should continue wearing the brace in public, he’d like him to not wear it while at home.
Nothing can stop Victor Oladipo from getting buckets. In yet another video showing his recovery following surgery for a ruptured quad tendon, Oladipo shows that his 3-point shot is still very much intact, even with a brace still fitted to his right leg. While he’s shooting, Vic says “They say you gotta crawl before you can walk. They say you gotta walk before you can run.”
On the past few weeks. Victor Oladipo: “It’s just a blessing that I can still do something relating to basketball even though I can’t play the games. Just trying to find ways to get better even though I’m not able to play. I’m still watching games, still watching other people’s games, still study the game, still have time to go form shoot and stuff like that. I’m a very optimistic person and very confident that I’ll be able to come back better than ever. Just taking it one day at a time really.”
On what his surgeon told him about this surgery Victor Oladipo: “My doctor told me that the surgery had went well, that he got all unnecessary things out of my knee. I’m looking forward to seeing my knee be stronger than it ever was. I’m a positive butterfly. I’m not looking too far into the future, and I’m not looking into the past. I’m just focused on today. And trying to get better every day. That’s what it’s all about.”
Victor Oladipo has not been given a prediction for a return to full-scale workouts or playing in a game, but remains optimistic about coming back as strong as before his injury. “I’m just taking it one day at a time,” he said. “At the end of the day I’m a positive butterfly. I’m not looking too far into the future and I’m not looking at the past; just focused on today and trying to get better every day.”
On whether his injury was related to the knee soreness that kept him out of 11 games in November and December: Victor Oladipo: “Who knows? I can sit here and say it’s related, but I really wouldn’t know. I can sit here and say it’s not related, but I really wouldn’t know. I ‘m sure it might be connected in some way, but who can tell? Who knows, really? I’m not toto focused on the past. All I’m really worried about is today and today I have rehab at 4:30.”
On whether he plans to return to Indianapolis and rejoin the team at some point before the season ends: Victor Oladipo: “Definitely. I plan on coming back and coming to some games and supporting when I’m able to. I’m looking forward to that, too. Being back in the arena and seeing the fans and my teammates and my coaching staff and everybody that works for the Pacers as well. I miss them, for sure.”
Seeing is believing. The Pacers know Victor Oladipo is here, recovering from season-ending surgery to his right knee. Friday, before playing the Miami Heat on Saturday, they got a live audience with their two-time All-Star for the first time since rupturing his quad tendon Jan. 23 “It was good to see him, physically,” said Myles Turner. “He was in good spirits. I didn’t expect anything less.”
Oladipo remains on crutches and has to keep his leg elevated. His glee and message didn’t change. Miami is where Oladipo is based on the offseason. “It was pretty much what we’ve talked about when he was with us. We’ve got to stay together,” McMillan said. “We got to work our way through it. People are doubting you. It was really positive.”
“I just want to thank the players, coaches, fans and media for voting for me, it’s most appreciated,” said Victor Oladipo. “I am honestly speechless just knowing I have the support of my peers, people I look up to and admire, as well as the fans. All I can say is thank you and I am working on coming back stronger not just physically, but mentally as well.”
If anyone can understand the lengthy road ahead that Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has to navigate following Monday’s surgery, it’s the veteran guard the Hornets signed in the offseason. Tony Parker fully comprehends the rigors ahead for Oladipo. Parker ruptured his left quadriceps tendon 20 months ago in the San Antonio Spurs’ second-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. So he feels for Oladipo, knowing the grueling journey he’s facing. “It sucks. It sucks,” Parker told The Athletic. “You never want to see that and I wish him well. They already contacted me to talk to him and I’ll try to help him as much as I can because I’ve been through it. It’s a tough injury. It’s worse than an Achilles or an ACL. It’s a big injury. Hopefully, he’s ready for the long challenge ahead and the rehab. Hopefully, he’ll be fine and he’ll be back.”
Although he hasn’t spoken directly with Oladipo yet, Parker plans to lend his verbal support should he inquire with him — something that likely will happen. Pacers team officials may also have an opportunity to ask Parker a few questions when the Hornets are in Indianapolis again to play Feb. 11. If so, just like he’s been there for his new teammates in Charlotte, Parker plans on providing Oladipo with some invaluable knowledge. “Of course, of course,” Parker said. “I’m always open to talk and share everything that I went through.”
Pritchard and Buchanan made it back in time for Monday’s tipoff; Corbeil returned on a later flight and claimed his seat at the front of the bench for the second half. “I just spoke with him, he’s doing fine,” coach Nate McMillan said before the game. “He’s doing good, said everything went great.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo with a pre-game message: “I’ll be back better than ever.” #Feathery #Unbreakable
Victor Oladipo underwent successful surgery Monday to repair a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee, sustained with 4:05 to play in the second quarter of last Wednesday night’s game against Toronto. He is expected to make a full recovery. No timetable has been established for his return. Further updates will be provided as warranted.
When the Warriors (35-14) host the Indiana Pacers (32-16) on Monday, Cousins will not just have concerns on his ongoing progress from his injury. He will also have concerns with All-Star forward Victor Oladipo, who recently suffered a season-ending injury because of a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. “There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to battle from that and be even better a player than he was before,” Cousins said following practice on Sunday at Harvard University. “You hate to see any guy go through that type of thing. It sucks. It really does.”
Cousins also passed along his way wishes to Oladipo, who suffered a similar injury that ended Charles Barkley’s career in 1999. “We put our bodies through so much to play this game. I feel like that is undervalued how much you go through,” Cousins said. “I hate to see anybody go down. You got Oladipo dealing with an injury that is unheard of and probably one of the toughest to come back. Shout out to him and wish him the best.”
“That was brutal,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s had such a great young career the last couple of years. He’s elevated his game to the point where he’s become one of the top 20 players in the game and a perennial All-Star. I hate to see that happen to anybody, especially somebody like Oladipo, who has worked his way up to reach this plateau.”
Anthony Slater: DeMarcus Cousins just went through a grueling rehab. He feels for Victor Oladipo: “We put our bodies through so much in the NBA. I feel like it’s undervalued.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo took a charter flight from Indy to Miami this afternoon. That’s where he’s trained the last two summers. From the snow to 75°.
Anthony Slater: Quinn Cook played with Victor Oladipo in high school. Long-time friends. Oladipo had that devastating injury the other night. Cook has ‘VO4’ written on both shoes tonight.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo on IG: “I will be back better than ever and if you question that well, thank you.” pic.twitter.com/imK0XUKTzU
Pau Gasol: Speedy recovery @Victor Oladipo! Best wishes on your recovery 🙏🏼 #NBAFamily 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/0t7bofCZqZ
Rudy Gobert: Come back stronger @Victor Oladipo 💪🏽.
Donovan Mitchell: Praying for you my brother @Victor Oladipo 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Royce Young: Paul George on Victor Oladipo’s injury: pic.twitter.com/Hi5nKMon60
Thaddeus Young backed up his message with an inspiring second-half performance. He finished with a game-high 23 points and season-high 15 rebounds as the Pacers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Raptors, 110-106. “You try not to think about (the injury),” Young said while seated at his locker. “You try to get through the task at hand and then try to worry about it after because it’s out of our hands. It is tough. “We rallied around what happened to Victor and tried to make the best out of the situation. You don’t like to see guys go down at any point in the season, especially with it being our star player.”
Players weren’t aware of the extent of Oladipo’s injury after the game and had not spoken to him since he left the floor on a stretcher. Neither had coach Nate McMillan, whose 600th career win was an afterthought. Several players planned to visit or talk with Oladipo once they left the arena. “As of right now, we’re worried about the injury, but we have to continue to play because nobody’s going to feel sorry for us,” Young said. “Even though Victor is out, everybody’s going to try to beat the snot out of us.”
A preliminary exam has left the Indiana Pacers fearful that All-Star guard Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending right-knee injury Wednesday night that will require surgery, league sources told ESPN. Oladipo will undergo an MRI on Thursday in Indianapolis for a full accounting of the damage, the team said.
Ryan Wolstat: Victor Oladipo on injury: “I just slipped and knew it was serious. We’ll see what tomorrow shows and go from there. My teammates stepped up earlier this season and everyone has the utmost confidence going forward.”
Oladipo was carried off the court on a stretcher during the second quarter of the Pacers’ 110-106 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night with a serious right knee injury. He is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday. “It is a serious injury and we’ll know more after the MRI,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We’re not going to speculate. It’s a tough situation. That kid has a beautiful spirit about him. He has always been one to try and to lift us up. We’ve got to lift him now.”
Ryan Wolstat: Siakam on gathering after Oladipo injury: “It’s hard, because I kind of felt like anything can happen. Yeah, it kind of got into me a little bit. Just kind of like trying to snap out of it. It’s sports and things happen, but when you’re that close, it’s a little different.”
Michael Grange: Danny Green on Oladipo injury: “I think he knew right away, he pulled his knee sleeve down and the knee looked very abnormally out of place, it didn’t look normal. Guys were looking at it and looking away. … it did look kind of nasty, it looked like it was out of place.”
A. Sherrod Blakely: Statement from the #Pacers on Victor Oladipo’s knee injury “Victor Oladipo suffered a serious injury to his right knee with 4:05 to play in the second quarter of the Pacers game against the Toronto Raptors. He will have an MRI Thursday and an update will be provided then.”
Josh Hart: Prayers up to my brother @Victor Oladipo 🙌🏽
Jamal Crawford: 🙏🏽 @Victor Oladipo
Shaun Livingston: Praying for you bro @Victor Oladipo
Alan Williams: Prayers up for Vic always hate to see that 🙏🏾
Richaun Holmes: Prayers up for @Victor Oladipo man
Buddy Hield: Prayers Up for @Victor Oladipo 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
CJ McCollum: Prayers up for my homie @Victor Oladipo 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Kyle Kuzma: 🙏🏽🙏🏽 @Victor Oladipo
Karl-Anthony Towns: Prayers up to @Victor Oladipo 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Bradley Beal: Prayers up Vic !! 🙏🏽
LeBron James: 🙏🏾‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ @Victor Oladipo
SLAM Magazine: Victor Oladipo was stretchered off in Indiana with an apparent leg injury. PRAYERS UP 🙏🙏 (via @FSIndiana) pic.twitter.com/vWIEhOmMvR
Paul George: Prayers up VO 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
November 13, 2019 | 4:49 pm UTC Update
Memphis plans to wait on a buyout with Iguodala until February’s trade deadline. The Grizzlies are still holding out hope that a trade can be worked out and have been holding firm on their asking price of a first-round pick. If not, Iguodala will be cut loose from Memphis and free to sign with whomever he chooses—around the league, that’s expected to be the Lakers.
But there are still teams in the mix. All, according to speculation from league executives, are in the Western Conference. “He’s got more value in the West,” one GM told Heavy.com. “I can’t see a team in the East moving for him. He has the experience guarding LeBron and that’s what you want out of him. That and you want to keep him off the Lakers, you want their bench to be a weak spot. He doesn’t have those same kinds of good matchups in the East. You don’t want to put him on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in a seven-game series, for sure.”
But the Grizzlies have yet to show interest in that deal and whether the Mavs would revisit the offer is a question. Sources indicate that the Mavs’ intent as the season progresses is to hunt for a piece with the trade exception they hold from the Harrison Barnes deal, worth $11.7 million. The Mavs can take on a player with a contract less than that value without giving up anything in return.
Alykhan Bijani: The #Rockets have recalled forward Gary Clark and center Isaiah Hartenstein from their single-affiliation G League partner Rio Grande Valley.
During an episode of ESPN’s “The Jump” on Tuesday, former Celtic Paul Pierce and longtime NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan touched on the difference in the team’s leadership. Specifically, the departure of Kyrie Irving and the arrival of Kemba Walker. “They got better leadership in there,” Pierce said. “Let’s just call it how it is.”
After ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols — the show’s host — offered a clarification that the leadership was simply “different,” Pierce jumped back in. “It’s better,” reiterated Pierce. “Kemba, he’s known throughout the league as being a great leader. I mean, he played on losing teams, he stayed positive. He went out and played hard every night, and that can be infectious. That can be the difference between losing and winning and chemistry. That’s what he’s brought to the Celtics.”
November 13, 2019 | 3:54 pm UTC Update
Through their first nine games, James had assisted Davis on 26 baskets, 10 more than any other teammate, per ESPN Stats & Information research. Compare that to his first nine games with Bosh, when it was 17 assists, and his first nine with Love, which produced only 11. Their pick-and-rolls have resulted in the highlight dunks that fans love and a schematic nightmare for opposing coaches. And even though they sometimes are caught a little out of position, there’s a natural flow that’s easy to see. “I think that’s part of [LeBron’s] genius that he’s able to morph into whatever he needs to be, to bring out the best out of the other players,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team faced the Lakers last week. “His connection with [Bosh] was pretty natural, and I think this is, this just fits like a glove. … When both guys want to do it, commit to the process of getting better with it, you’re just going to see that improve dramatically as the season goes on.”
If he wanted to, Chris Bosh could coach up a different niche group: big men playing with LeBron James. “Playing with LeBron was like buying a Ferrari,” Bosh said. “You know it’s the best in the world. It looks amazing when you see it. But you have no idea how powerful it is once you try to drive it. You can go right off the road.”
Amid the ongoing debate about resting players in the NBA, count Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban among those openly willing to support load management. “The problem isn’t load management, per se,” Cuban told reporters in Boston on Monday. “I think teams have to be smarter about when to load manage. I’m all for load management. Worse than missing a player in a [regular-season] game is missing him in the playoffs.”
“It’s all data-driven,” Cuban said. “We’re not going, ‘OK, let’s just mess with the league and our meal ticket to fans to do something just because it might be interesting. We spend so much money, not just on analytics for predictive reasons, but also for biometrics so we know how smart we can be. “The dumb thing would be to ignore the science.”
Cuban said that while it might be frustrating to see players on the bench now, it all pays off in the postseason. “You actually get more of your stars [in the playoffs],” Cuban said. “You get shorter rotations of more of the guys playing in the playoffs, which is what you want to see anyway, right?”
“He had a tough couple of weeks before training camp,” Dunn said. “Most people, when I get at them and I see fear, they’re done. They’re outta there.” But White didn’t budge. He showed no fear, no quit. He refused to back down. He just kept coming. “Training camp came and he turned it on,” Dunn said. “That showed he’s still learning, but he’s going to bring it. He’s going to keep bringing it. He kept the same intensity. He kept the same energy. And I love it.”
Justin Kubatko: The @Jaryd Wilson Trae Young has joined LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to reach 10 career 30-point, 10-assist games before turning 22 years old. James had 11 such games before his 22nd birthday.
Though some of the feelings were foreign to him, he could recognize them as a threat to his well-being. “That kills more dreams, careers, on and off the court, basketball-related and just (in) regular life,” Brown says. “As soon as you start not believing in yourself, it’s over. So I had to quiet that voice that was in the back of my head. Everybody has it. It’s not something that, like, just Jaylen has been through it. I think everybody on this planet probably has that voice in the back of their head telling them to stop or to quit or not to keep going. And that voice had been louder last year than it had ever been. So I had to make sure to quiet that fucking voice because it was pissing me off.”
He found the best response was sometimes to detach from a situation, even if others did not always understand the tactic. He wasn’t doing it out of a lack of care, he says, but because he needed to preserve his positive energy and keep moving in the right direction. While he says he didn’t lean much on others for advice, his grandfather recommended a number of helpful books. “A lot of it had to do with astrology and stuff like that,” Brown says. “Finding out what you’re made of. I had to remind myself of who I was. That was good for me.”
Brown has a bigger role again. Head coach Brad Stevens inserted him into the starting lineup from Day 1. Through nine games, the Celtics lead the NBA with an 8-1 record and a plus-9.5 net rating. Brown is averaging 19.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on 53 percent shooting. Those marks would all establish career highs. He has lived near the rim so far — which he called a conscious decision — but he does not want to pigeonhole himself into a slashing style. If teams start backing up, he says, he may need to start lacing 3-pointers again. “The media or analytics, they always try to put you in a box and say this is the type of player he is or this is the type of player,” Brown says. “I don’t think anybody knows what type of player I am. I can try to continue to grow and get better. In two years I might be improved at anything just because I work on my game that way.”
Brad Turner: After getting X-rays on his ribs (right side) after game Tuesday night that were negative, all signs point to the Lakers holding out Anthony Davis for Wednesday night’s game vs. Warriors at Staples Center, per source. Davis also been dealing with right shoulder issues.
November 13, 2019 | 8:14 am UTC Update
Knicks players back David Fizdale
Despite their frustrations following the loss at Chicago — one in which they turned the ball over 18 times and were outscored 52-46 in the paint — Knicks players were still adamant in their support of the second-year coach. “We’ve got 9-10 new guys? We’ve got 10 guys that have not played together at all and me who hasn’t even been in the league yet,” said rookie RJ Barrett. “You’re gonna have some challenges, but you’ve got to keep pushing, keep pushing through everything. That’s all I can really say. You’ve just got to stay together. “He’s up to the challenge. We believe in him,” he continued. “We’re staying together, and like we said, we’re all-in with him and are just gonna keep fighting together.”
Fizdale didn’t seem fazed by the speculation during Tuesday’s shootaround, telling reporters, “It’s always a media firestorm in New York, so for everybody else this is a big deal, but for us, it’s a normal environment. So, our guys are focused, they’re connected.”
Knicks owner James Dolan spoke with team president Steve Mills and others in management on Monday, the day after Mills and GM Scott Perry held an impromptu press conference to express their frustration with the Knicks. Dolan speaks with Mills and other top decision-makers regularly, just as most NBA owners do, but this conversation seemed to carry a little more weight. Sources familiar with the conversation told SNY that management came away with the impression that their jobs would be secure as long as the Knicks ‘showed progress’ this season.
Despite another defeat, there was a clear attempt to calm roiling waters surrounding Fizdale. Sources indicated Mills and Perry felt their unprecedented James Dolan-inspired press conference Sunday came off as too harsh in the form of pinning the blame on the coach.
Sources told SNY that, in addition to Fizdale, Mills and Perry are also ‘on notice’ in the wake of the Knicks’ slow start. Regardless of what happens with Fizdale, opposing executives expect Mills and Perry to be given the remainder of the season to show Dolan that the team they put together can be competitive.
Stadium: NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports Dion Waiters will return to the Heat when his 10-game team suspension ends after “gummy” incident. “There isn’t a buyout on the horizon … he has to get back into the good graces of the organization”
Jeff Siegel: The Atlanta Hawks are now eligible to sign a 16th player to their roster, now that John Collins has been suspended for five games and can be moved to the Suspended List. When his suspension is up in late December, they would then have to make a cut to get Collins back.
The Houston Rockets made the signing-and-trading for veteran Chris Paul in the summer of 2017 the landmark move of their offseason, but the All-Star floor general only experienced two seasons in Clutch City before being quickly shipped off again on his career. Speaking to comedian and actor Kevin Hart on his cold tub show that we all knew existed before this moment, the 34-year-old Paul called his 2019 offseason trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder a “stab” in the back (via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports). Hart: Do you feel like there’s been times where, “Damn, that’s a little eye-opening. I got stabbed in the back”? Paul: Absolutely. This last situation was one of them. The GM there in Houston, he don’t owe me nothing. You know what I mean? He may tell me one thing but do another thing. But you just understand that that’s what it is.
James Ham: “F— the headband. No more headband. F— that s—. I’ll burn that s— up next time I see one.” -Buddy Hield after missing his first six 3-pointers while wearing a headband
David Levy is resigning as chief executive officer of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, abruptly walking away from the fast-growing sports operation owned by Alibaba Group billionaire Joe Tsai. Levy, a 33-year veteran of Turner Broadcasting, was named to the CEO job less than two months ago. Oliver Weisberg, head of J Tsai Sports, will now take over as interim Nets chief.
Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter, a vocal critic of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, teamed up with two Democratic U.S. senators on Tuesday as they introduced a bill to condemn the alleged violation of human rights in Turkey. As Erdogan arrived in the United States for a White House meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump, Senators Edward Markey and Ron Wyden held up Kanter as a victim of the Turkish government’s targeting of political rivals.
November 13, 2019 | 3:01 am UTC Update
Kyle Neubeck: Joel Embiid’s status for tomorrow will be updated by tomorrow’s 1 pm deadline, Sixers say. Read between the lines on that one
Kyle Neubeck: Brett Brown says Tobias Harris had a stomach virus and that he went through today not knowing if he was going to play.
Casey Holdahl: Sounds like Rodney Hood (back spasms) will not play tonight vs. Kings.
November 13, 2019 | 2:40 am UTC Update
Scott Agness: With five players in the rotation sidelined, Pacers improve to 7-4 entering a back-to-back at Houston, home vs Milwaukee on Fri/Sat. 111-85 over the Thunder, easily the Pacers’ largest win of the season. Sabonis had 18/16 vs his former team.
Derek Bodner: Kevin Love misses an open jumper at the top, scramble for the ball, time runs out and the #sixers, somehow, pull out a 98-97 win over the Cavs. Embiid (27 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists) played great, the Sixers shooters a little less so.
Fueled by the desire to make the Hawks regret trading him, Spellman, 22, shed 55 pounds from his 6-foot-8 frame since July. Able to give all-out effort for longer stretches, he has emerged as the Warriors’ primary backup at center.
Atlanta’s training staff wanted him to take accountability and ask for help, but he was too stubborn. The NBA lifestyle had messed with his priorities. Instead of focusing on his diet and cracking the rotation, Spellman did favors for friends and hobnobbed with celebrities. Today, he calls that dark period a “time of self-sabotage.” And injuries only worsened his depression. A hip issue, likely the result of his rapid weight gain, sidelined Spellman for seven games last winter. In early March, a high ankle sprain ended his season.
Those closest to him have seen a changed man. After slogging through a year-long depression, Spellman is finally finding reasons to smile again. “I have a great opportunity with the Golden State Warriors,” said Spellman, who had his third-year option of $2 million picked up two weeks ago. “They’re helping me every day. I’m losing more and more weight, and I can really get to whatever point they want me at. I know what I need to do.”
Dane Moore: Jeff Teague is questionable to play tomorrow against San Antonio (illness) Shabazz Napier (hamstring) and Jordan Bell (shoulder) are doubtful to play. If Teague can’t play, this again should mean more time for Jarrett Culver and Jordan McLaughlin at the point.
November 13, 2019 | 2:22 am UTC Update
An MRI provided answers to why Gordon had gotten off to such a slow start, even relief Gordon said. But the Rockets lose him when the schedule turns far more challenging. “I haven’t been able to do all I really want all year,” Gordon said. “I’ll be able to be more balanced, more athletic. I knew I wasn’t on balance all year. I’ll be able to get it right, now.”
James Ham: According to Luke Walton, Cory Joseph will start.
Michael Singer: Malik Beasley is out tonight with an illness.
