Month: December 2018

Timberwolves keep losing conference games on road

Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting on Timberwolves, who are having a very good season as long as they aren’t on the road playing against another Western conference team:

The latest Timberwolves road trip out West hasn’t quite taken on the horror show feel of the last one, which ended 0-5 and resulted in Jimmy Butler finally being traded.

But the trip now sits at 0-3 after a 141-130 loss to Sacramento on Wednesday and perhaps feels even more disappointing than that last awful stretch if only because the Wolves had generated great optimism by going 9-3 since the trade and seemingly had discovered a winning combination centered around defense that might lead to better road results.

Spanning both iterations of the Wolves — pre- and post-Butler — this team is now 0-10 in conference games on the road. There are a lot of ways to define a 13-15 season-to-date, but that’s as good as any. Winning on the road is tough, but even marginally better results would have a major impact.

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On the Thunder rotation

The 17-9 Thunder are having a very good season, but like all teams, precise rotation patterns can always use an adjustment. Here’s the Oklahoman reporting:

Out of a timeout midway through the third quarter Wednesday, Thunder coach Billy Donovan finally went to Patrick Patterson at power forward. It was telling that he didn’t go to him earlier.

Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Jerami Grant had picked up his fifth foul, but Donovan instead went to Dennis Schroder, opting to play small by sliding Paul George to power forward. Nothing the Thunder was doing was working against the Pelicans’ front line in a 118-114 loss, so why not go the opposite way?

“It impacted us but it really didn’t make a difference up front who we had out there,” Donovan said of Grant’s foul trouble.

“Jerami is an important player and certainly I’d like to have him out there, but I thought their frontcourt impacted the game around the basket regardless of who we had out there.”

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Jonas Valanciunas out after thumb surgery

 

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After suffering a dislocation of his left thumb in the December 12 game at Golden State, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas underwent surgery at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. His thumb was relocated and damage caused by the dislocation was repaired. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Yao, a specialist in hand, wrist and elbow surgery.

Valanciunas will wear a cast for four weeks. His condition will then be updated as appropriate.

The injury occurred in the second quarter of Wednesday’s victory at Golden State. Valanciunas is averaging 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 18.8 minutes in 30 games (10 starts) this season. He has led the team in rebounding 11 times, and recorded five double-doubles.

According to the Toronto Star, “The Raptors have survived other absences: they are 7-1 in games Kawhi Leonard has sat out, and they have been without Norm Powell since the first week of November. In this case, they will move backup big man Greg Monroe into a far more substantial role. While the Raptors created a feel-good story by calling up Canadian centre Chris Boucher from the G League to fill the roster spot, the rail-thin backup can’t be expected to play any significant role. That leaves Monroe, the 28-year-old veteran on a one-year deal, to assume a key position behind now presumptive starter Serge Ibaka.”

DeMarcus Cousins using G League to prepare for NBA return

DeMarcus Cousins, coming off injury, is now in the G League, only temporarily, for health rehab purposes, preparing for big-time basketball with the Warriors. Here’s the San Jose Mercury News with an update:

With about 10 minutes left in his second practice with the Santa Cruz Warriors, all-star center DeMarcus Cousins threw down a thunderous dunk that gave a glimmer of what could be when he eventually returns to the lineup.

“It felt good,” Cousins said. “It’s all coming back for me, slowly but surely. But it felt good to get up and dunk a little bit.”

Cousins, who tore his Achilles in January, went through a full practice with the G-League squad Wednesday morning, participating in a five-on-five scrimmage that included two six-minute periods. The session was a part of a plan to send Cousins — who signed a one-year, $5.3 million deal in July — back and forth to Santa Cruz in an effort to ramp up his workload.

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Phil Jackson visits Lakers practice

Phil Jackson will always be a fascinating character in basketball. Former player, a legendary former coach, and more. Here’s ESPN.com reporting on an appearance he made today:

Phil Jackson visits Lakers practice

Phil Jackson made a surprise visit to the Los Angeles Lakers’ practice facility Wednesday.

It was the first time Jackson has been seen by the media at the facility over the past two seasons. The team said the former head coach just stopped by.

Lakers coach Luke Walton, who has kept in touch with Jackson and at times solicits advice from his mentor, said he didn’t know his former coach was at the facility until media members pointed at Jackson, who was seated in a balcony above the court.

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Victor Oladipo set to return for Pacers

Good news for the Pacers, per the Indianapolis Star:

Indianapolis Pacers coach Nate McMillan said Victor Oladipo will start against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Oladipo had missed the past 11 games, the Pacers going 7-4 in his absence. Oladipo will be on a minutes restriction but McMillan wouldn’t say what the number is. Oladipo will likely be substituted early so he’ll have minutes available for the second half.

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Tristan Thompson out 2-4 weeks with foot injury

Cavaliers forward/center Tristan Thompson will miss around 2-4 weeks with a left foot sprain.

The injury occurred in yesterday’s road game against the Bucks in Milwaukee late in the third quarter, ending Thompson’s evening early.

Additional evaluation and an MRI today at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health confirmed the sprain.

Thompson will now undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation.

Suns sign Eric Moreland

Suns sign Eric Moreland

The Phoenix Suns yesterday (Monday) signed forward/center Eric Moreland.

A 6-10, 240-pound post player, Moreland has played in 78 games over three NBA seasons with Sacramento and Detroit. With the Pistons last season, Moreland appeared in a career-high 67 games and made the first three starts of his career, averaging 2.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game. In the season finale at Chicago on April 11, Moreland recorded career highs of 16 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks and four steals in addition to four assists; he joined Andre Drummond as the only players in the NBA last season with a performance of at least four each of blocks, steals and assists.

Recently, Moreland played in two games for USA Basketball’s World Cup Qualifying team coached by Jeff Van Gundy. Moreland had 10 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and three steals for the U.S. in a 78-70 win over Uruguay on Dec. 2 and posted two points and eight rebounds in an 81-63 loss to Argentina on Nov. 29. He spent training camp with Toronto prior to this season.

Moreland began his NBA career with the Kings, appearing in three games as a rookie in 2014-15 and eight games in 2015-16. He played the 2016-17 season with the Canton Charge of the NBA G League, earning All-NBA G League Third Team and NBA G League All-Defensive Team honors in addition to being a 2017 NBA G League All-Star. Moreland averaged 12.8 points on 56.1 percent shooting plus 12.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in 44 games with Canton. He also appeared in 12 G League games with the Reno Bighorns over the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons while on assignment from Sacramento.

The 26-year-old went undrafted in 2014 following a four-year career at Oregon State University. Moreland finished his career as the Beavers’ all-time leader in blocked shots (184) and blocked shots per game (2.07) while ranking fifth in rebounds (762) and sixth in rebounding average (8.6 per game). His hometown is Houston, Texas.

Moreland will wear uniform No. 23