Month: December 2019

Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke out with sore oblique muscle

 

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The Memphis Grizzlies will be without forward Brandon Clarke on a week-to-week basis, the team announced yesterday.

In the first half of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Clarke aggravated a sore left oblique muscle, and was out for the remainder of the game.

Already playing without star rookie guard Ja Morant (back spasms), the Grizzlies, who have a 6-14 record through Tuesday’s games, will miss Clarke while he’s out.

Coming off the bench for 16 out of 18 games played, the 6-foot-8, 215-pounder is averaging 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per outing. He’s currently leading all rookies in boards per game.

Wizards center Thomas Bryant out with foot injury

The Washington Wizards will be without starting center Thomas Bryant while he recovers from a stress reaction in his right foot.

Bryant started experiencing pain in his foot after the team’s December 1 road game against the Clippers.

The team says Bryant will be re-evaluated in three weeks.

With point guard John Wall out with a long-term injury, the Wizards are 6-12 this season and don’t look like a contender to make the playoffs. They’re getting an impressive 28.0 points per game from shooting guard Bradley Beal, with Bryant second at 12.8 PPG. But what’s interesting is, as a group the team’s offense has been one of the most efficient in the NBA. The issue is defense, and the Wizards are last in the entire NBA in that department.

Losing Bryant also means the team loses their only strong rebounder. He’s first on the squad at 8.5 RPG, while no other Wizards players are even grabbing 6 RPG.

It’s possible that rookie forward Rui Hachimura, who really does belong at the forward spot, will see some minutes at center while Bryant is out.

Shane Larkin wins EuroLeague MVP for month of November, 2019

Guard Shane Larkin played four NBA seasons, averaging 5.5 points and 2.9 assists per game while playing first for the Mavericks, then the Knicks, Nets and Celtics. These days, he’s doing big things overaseas.

Euroleaguebasketball.net today reported the following: “His was a perfect month of basketball. And by the time that Shane Larkin capped it off with a new Turkish Airlines EuroLeague scoring record, there was no doubt that the 27-year-old Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard was the only choice for MVP of November. Larkin, a 1.83-meter force of nature, was unstoppable as Efes won all five games to finish November holding first place exclusively. His totals of 131 points and 154 in performance index rating were unprecedented for a single month, and his fireworks display to end November put him firmly in the record books.”

Allen Crabbe undergoes non-surgical knee procedure

 

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Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Allen Crabbe underwent a non-surgical right knee procedure today.

He won’t play in tomorrow’s game against the Nets. But could return fairly soon, since the procedure didn’t involve surgery.

But Crabbe hasn’t played much this season: ten games, one start, averaging a modest 5.3 points in 18.9 minutes per outing.

A second round pick in 2013, Crabbe began his NBA career with the Trail Blazers, and in his third season started averaging double-digit points. He did that in his 4th season as well, then put up 13.2 points per game for the Nets in 2017-18, but injuries took their tole and it’s unclear if he ever fully recovered.

The wait continues.

The Hawks, enjoying a fine season from second-year star guard Trae Young but they’ve been playing without talented big-man John Collins (25-game suspension) and are just 5-16 this season.

Ben Simmons wants to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

 

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Oversized Sixers point guard Ben Simmons has a respectable personal goal.

Here’s NBC Sports Philly reporting:

When asked about his goals for this season at media day, Ben Simmons would only reveal one.

He wanted to be the Defensive Player of the Year.

Saturday night against the Pacers, he acted like one, recording three steals in the final 13.9 seconds of the Sixers’ 119-116 win over the Pacers (see observations). Amid all the concern about Simmons’ offense and the question of whether he’ll ever be a willing and able jump shooter, he’s racked up some gaudy defensive numbers.

His 42 steals in 18 games are most in the NBA, while his 72 deflections and 41 loose balls recovered are second. Opponents have shot just 40.9 percent when guarded by Simmons this year.

The Sixers are 14-6 this season, placing them just 5th in the Eastern conference, but barely behind the second-place 14-4 Toronto Raptors.

Defensively, the Sixers are tied right now with the Jazz for the 5th most efficient defense in the league.

Some thoughts on the Charlotte Hornets

 

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The Hornets are 8-13 this season, their first in many years without Kemba Walker. They’re actually winning more games than many expected.

Here’s the Charlotte Observer with some opinions:

The word that sums up this Hornets roster is “fragile.” There is some talent, and certainly potential. But their poor defense, their unreliable rebounding and their tendency to commit turnovers (though that has improved lately), leaves them with a tiny margin for error.

I think they have slightly overachieved by winning eight of their first 21 games, and that’s been mostly about maximizing end-of-game opportunities against other bad teams. The bottom third of the NBA is weaker than usual, so there will be final-minute opportunities like the back-to-back victories over the Detroit Pistons last week.

But it’s telling that they haven’t beaten a good team except the Pacers when Indiana was missing its top two big men. The Hornets need someone to protect the paint and more physical complementary players.

A big bright spot for the Hornets has been the play of second-year guard Devonte’ Graham, drafted second round by the Hawks in 2019 and then traded to the Hornets, who is averaging 18.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 21 games played so far this season.

James Harden scores 60 points in 31 minutes vs Hawks

 

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James Harden had himself a game on Saturday.

Well, three quarters of a game.

Playing 30 minutes and 41 seconds and then sitting out the fourth quarter, the superstar Rockets guard shot 16 of 24, including 8 of 14 from three-point range, and hit 20 of 23 free throws for 60 points, eight assists and three steals.

The Rockets beat the Hawks easily, 158-111.

In the loss, Hawks guard Trae Young put up 37 points and seven assists.

According to ESPN.com, “it was Harden’s fourth career 60-point game, tying him with Michael Jordan for third most in NBA history, trailing only Kobe Bryant (six) and Wilt Chamberlain (32). Harden is the only active player who has scored 60 points more than once.”

The Rockets are now 13-6 for the season.