Month: February 2018

Hassan Whiteside playing fewer minutes this season

Talented Heat big-man Hassan Whiteside is receiving fewer-than-expected minutes per game from the Heat this season, and is often finding himself watching 4th quarter action rather than participating in it. He played 29.1 minutes per game in 2015-16, 32.6 minutes per game last season, but this season he’s at 25.5 minutes per game through Monday’s action. Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting:

Back from a one-game absence following a stomach ailment, Whiteside again found himself as fourth-quarter spectator in Monday night’s 111-109 loss to the league-worst Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“I played my average minutes, you know. I average, what, 22 minutes, 23 minutes? So that’s pretty much how it’s been,” said Whiteside, who was utilized for 22 minutes, 44 seconds, nonetheless closing with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

With the emergence of rookie center Bam Adebayo and the addition of Kelly Olynyk, Whiteside is averaging 25.3 minutes per game this season, down from his 32.6 last season, when the Heat’s primary backup big man was journeyman center Willie Reed.

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Paul George says he is happy being with OKC

Is Paul George’s long-term future with OKC? Or elsewhere, like perhaps in Los Angeles? That will remain a lingering question, certainly through the summer. Here’s the Norman Transcript reporting:

Paul George feels “a real brotherhood” with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, he told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in a sit-down interview, which aired Sunday.

Talk of the Los Angeles Lakers has surrounded the five-time All-Star, who will become a free agent at the end of this season. The Lakers are not only George’s hometown team. He also requested to be traded there when he informed the Indiana Pacers he would not be re-signing come 2018 free agency.

George has, however, been complimentary of the Oklahoma City Thunder since the team traded for him over the summer.

“I obviously would’ve loved to go home. That was ideal when it was that time,” George told Nichols. “But now, being here and playing alongside Russ, playing alongside Melo, I feel a real brotherhood with those guys. If we’re here right now, then where can we be next year? Where can we be the year after that?”

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Thunder giving up many 3-points lately

The Thunder defense is clearly not as good with Andre Roberson out. Here’s the Norman Transcript reporting on what’s been going on:

The Thunder have been allowing a bunch of 3-pointers all season, a reaction to personnel changes over the summer and to a 2016-17 defense which gave up a higher percentage of its field-goals allowed at the rim than any other team. The Thunder help more aggressively from the weak side now in an attempt to take away driving lanes. When the strategy isn’t executed well, it’s prone to allowing easier 3s.

The issues have become more exaggerated of late.

“I think it’s just player movement,” Paul George said. “That’s the element of defense that we’re struggling at, understanding guys are moving and causing us to move around.”

The Thunder have allowed 31.5 3-pointers per game over their past eight, up from their seasonal average. Even worse, opponents are making 12.9 of those a game, good for nearly 41 percent. The makes and the percentage are the NBA’s second-worst and fourth-worst figures, respectively, over that time.

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Warriors hope to upgrade bench

The defending champion Warriors still look like the best team in the league, but they’d be even more potent with a better bench. Here’s the San Jose Mercury News reporting:

The Warriors’ goal ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline is clear: They want to upgrade their bench, which has underwhelmed in recent weeks.

Specifically, they’re looking for someone who can provide consistent offense off the bench, and if that player can make a 3-pointer, it’d be a godsend…

Since Christmas, the Warriors’ bench has been a negative unit, allowing six more points than they’ve scored. The culprit behind this turnaround — the Warriors had the second-best plus-minus rating in the league last year (plus-185) — is obvious: they can’t shoot 3-pointers.

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Nets trade Tyler Zeller to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded guard Rashad Vaughn and a second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Tyler Zeller. Milwaukee will convey its 2018 second round pick provided that the pick falls between No. 31-47. If the pick is not conveyed in 2018, it will become an unprotected 2020 second round pick.

Vaughn (6’6”, 210) has played in 22 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.7 points in 7.9 minutes per game. Selected by Milwaukee with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 draft, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas product holds career averages of 3.1 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per contest in 133 games.

According to the New York Daily News, “Zeller has started 33 games for the Nets this season, averaging 7.1 points on 54.6% shooting from the field to go along with 4.6 rebounds. The 28-year-old big man is on a team-friendly two-year, $3.6 million contract with the second year non-guaranteed.”

Zeller, 28, is in his sixth season in the NBA and holds career averages of 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. This season with the Nets, Zeller appeared in 42 games (33 starts) and averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game while shooting 54.6 percent overall. Zeller was in his first season with Brooklyn after spending three seasons (2014-17) with the Boston Celtics, and his first two seasons in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-14). The North Carolina product was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, but was traded the following day to the Cavaliers where he began his NBA career.

Bucks center John Henson and Zeller were teammates at North Carolina from 2009-12 where they advanced to the Elite Eight in consecutive seasons in 2011 and 2012.

Report: Nets trading Tyler Zeller to Bucks

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks will be acquiring center Tyler Zeller from the Brooklyn Nets.

In return, the Nets will reportedly receive a protected 2018 second round pick along with Rashad Vaughn, a former first-round draft pick.

Zeller adds frontcourt depth for Milwaukee. The Nets did start Zeller for 33 of the 42 games he played for them this season, but he was still averaging just 16.7 minutes per outing.

The Bucks, through Sunday’s games, are 29-23, which is the fifth best record in the Eastern Conference. And are trying to improve right now. The Nets, at 19-35, are 12th best in the conference and focused more on the future.

Darren Collison to undergo surgery

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Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison on Tuesday will undergo left knee arthroscopic surgery.

His return date is fairly soon: the team says he should be back in two to three weeks.

The Pacers are 30-24 this season, which is the 6th best record in the Eastern conference. The Bucks are 5th and the Heat are 7th. Only a half-game separates the three teams.

Indiana is led in scoring this season by Victor Oladipo at 24.0 ppg. Then they have five players averaging between 12.0 and 13.7 points per game.

Collison for the season has played 52 games, starting all 52 at point guard, averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 assists per outing, on excellent shooting.

Donovan Mitchell to replace Aaron Gordon in Slam Dunk contest

Aaron Gordon, our favorite to win the upcoming 2018 Slam Dunk contest at All-Star weekend, will miss the event due to a hip injury. Young talented Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will reportedly be his replacement. Here’s the Deseret News:

As the Utah Jazz wrapped up shootaround at New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center on Monday morning, the news broke of Aaron Gordon withdrawing from the NBA Slam Dunk contest due to a strained left hip flexor.

All eyes then turned to Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell. Would he be open to do it?

“Hopefully, I get invited,” Mitchell said smirking. “I’d be excited. Like I said before, I would love to do it.”

Then moments later, as he wrapped up his interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story of Mitchell being expected to replace Gordon.

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Pelicans sign DeAndre Liggins

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed guard DeAndre Liggins.

Liggins, 6-6, 209, who was signed to two 10-day contracts by the Pelicans in January, has appeared in four games this season for New Orleans, averaging 4.3 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 12.8 minutes per contest.

Liggins will be available for the Pelicans’ game tonight against Utah at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans’ roster currently stands at 17, including two two-way players (Charles Cooke and Mike James).

Kevin Love injury update: out around 8 weeks

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The Cavaliers are 30-20 this season, and have been struggling a lot in recent weeks. And then they lost power forward Kevin Love to injury: a non-displaced fracture of his left hand fifth metacarpal.

Today, team provided an update on how much time he’s expected to miss.

The examination and consultation process, including the Cavaliers medical team, Head Team Physician Dr. James Rosneck and Dr. Steven Maschke of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery, is now complete. Love will undergo a non-surgical treatment and rehabilitation process to repair the injury.

Love is expected to miss approximately eight weeks.

The team needs a better effort from a lot of players. New point guard Isaiah Thomas is still recovering from injury and hasn’t looked great just yet. He’s scoring 15.4 points and dishing 4.2 assists per game, shooting just 36.3% from the field and just 25.0% from three-point range. Shooting guard J.R. Smith has also fired bricks this season, averaging just 7.8 points in 29.8 minutes per outing, shooting 37.7% FG.

The team’s overall issue, however, is their collective defense, which has been among the league’s worst this season.