Inside Hoops – Page 229 – NBA Blog

Will the Pistons trade Jerami Grant?

Will the Pistons trade forward Jerami Grant? Here’s the Detroit Free Press on it:

The NBA trade deadline is nearly two weeks away and the rumor mill ahead of Feb. 10 is heating up. (Ah, if only it could thaw the winter freeze here in Michigan…)

The prevailing theory is the Pistons might accept a young player and first-round pick for Grant, but will anyone meet that requirement? How flexible are the Pistons with their price? And how flexible is Grant in taking a lesser role on a better team? So far, reports are that’s not what he wants, which would dwindle his market and hurt the Pistons’ leverage…

In a bold move, Grant and his representatives have reportedly shown the Pistons a list of teams he would prefer to be traded to if dealt. He will be eligible for a contract extension this summer and can get up to $112 million over four years — $28 million per year. He signed a three-year deal worth $60 million with the Pistons in 2020.

The Pistons are 11-35 this season and in a rebuilding situation. Whatever moves they make are with the future, not present, in mind.

Rockets notes as team prepares to face Spurs

The Rockets have held opponents to 34.0% shooting from 3-point range over the past 11 games after the opposition shot 39.9% the 12 games prior… Houston ranks 14th in 3-point defense this season (opponents: 34.6%) after finishing 27th in 2020-21 (opponents: 38.2%).

Houston has scored 20+ points off turnovers twice over the past four games, including a season-high 29 at Golden State on 1/21, after not having more than 16 in any of the eight games prior.

Christian Wood has hit 2+ 3-pointers in a career-high tying five straight games and is averaging 3.0 3FGM on 51.7% shooting over that span… he is tied for the third-most 3FGM (77) of any player listed 6’10” or taller this season.

Garrison Mathews is averaging 14.4 points while shooting 11-of-20 from 3-point range over the past three games after having a total of 5 points while shooting 1-of-11 from behind-the-arc the three games prior… Houston is 9-5 when he scores at least 13 points this season.

The latest on the Celtics

The latest on the Boston Celtics, from the Boston Herald:

In a time-worn ritual — the one where an underperforming team bonds together because of outside doubt and criticism — the Celtics are standing against the world, according to Marcus Smart.

Jaylen Brown believes this is exactly the approach the Celtics need.

“The season hasn’t gone the way we expected as far as ups and downs, but we always try to find ways to come together as a team,” said Brown. “So the mentality of us against the world is the right frame of mind to be in. If these are the guys that we’ve got, the guys that we’re rolling with, then we’ve got to make the best of our situation regardless of the media or whatever other people are saying. I would support that.

“There’s always urgency, always a sense of urgency, for sure,” he said. “Whether you’re winning or you’re losing, there’s always gotta be that approach of, you know, we’ve had some ups and downs this season and put some stretches together, and we’re looking to do so more as we took what we learned from the first half of the season into All-Star break and beyond. I think that we have improved in a lot of areas offensively, as a team, as a coaching staff, as players, I think we’ve gotten a little bit more comfortable. We’ve just got to keep that sense of urgency and keep building on top of it.”

Knicks rookie Quentin Grimes getting larger role

When a rookie earns a serious role in an NBA team’s rotation, it’s worth noting. Because most first-year players tend to ride the bench. On the Knicks, here’s the New York Post:

Quentin Grimes’ rookie year started extremely slowly as he was used strictly in garbage time until early December.

But the Knicks’ 2021 first-round pick has impressed Tom Thibodeau so much with his ferocious demeanor, the shooting guard out of the University of Houston is now the coach’s choice to stay in the rotation over Cam Reddish.

Yes, the ballyhooed 2019 lottery pick out of Duke the Knicks traded for nearly two weeks ago is behind Grimes in the pecking order. Ironically, the Hawks asked for Grimes in the trade and the Knicks said no thanks…

In 30 games, Grimes, selected 25th in the draft, is averaging 5.5 points but shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range, where a large percentage of his shot attempts come from. Though he’s shooting 41 percent overall, his effective field-goal percentage — which adjusts for 3-pointers being worth more than 2-pointers — is 57.2 percent.

Anthony Davis set to return for Lakers

The Lakers are about to receive a big boost. Via the Orange County Register:

After the week the Lakers had, they need good news.

It came on Monday afternoon, when Anthony Davis was upgraded to probable for Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. It now appears likely that the 28-year-old All-Star big man will return from a 17-game absence from a sprained MCL in his left knee, which could help lift the eighth-place Lakers (23-24) back into the upper half of the Western Conference standings.

The Lakers are cautiously optimistic, waiting to see how Davis feels on Tuesday before tip-off, but having him back would be a huge lift…

The Lakers have struggled to a 7-10 record without Davis, who was averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game when he was hurt in Minnesota back on Dec. 17. His return is going to significantly change the Lakers’ style and rotations.

Pacers sign Lance Stephenson to second 10-day contract

The Indiana Pacers today announced that they have signed guard Lance Stephenson to a second 10-day contract.

The Pacers previously signed Stephenson to a 10-day contract on January 14.

The Pacers are 17-30 this season, which is the 13th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2021-22 are Domantas Sabonis at 19.0 ppg, Malcolm Brogdon at 18.5 ppg, and Caris LeVert at 18.4 ppg.

Bucks’ Grayson Allen suspended for flagrant foul on Bulls’ Alex Caruso

Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen has been suspended one game without pay for having made unnecessary and excessive contact against Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, resulting in substantial injury to Caruso, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

The incident, for which Allen was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 94-90 win over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 21 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Allen will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Jan. 26 when the Bucks face the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH.

In G League, Long Island Nets add Thon Maker

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, have acquired center Thon Maker from the available player pool. In a related move, Long Island requested waivers on forward Chris Walker.

Maker (7’0”, 221) has appeared in 263 career NBA games (65 starts) across five seasons with Milwaukee (2016-19), Detroit (2018-20) and Cleveland (2020-21), recording averages of 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. Most recently, he spent the 2021-22 season overseas in the Israeli Basketball Premier League with Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Club, where he averaged 3.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per contest over six games. The South Sudan native was selected by Milwaukee with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft. He earned Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors after his sophomore season in high school at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va., before transferring to Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada.

Walker was selected by Long Island with the 20th pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA G League Draft. In 11 games with the Nets this season, Walker averaged 1.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per contest.

Pelicans guard Didi Louzada suffers knee injury

New Orleans Pelicans guard Didi Louzada has been diagnosed with a torn medial meniscus in his left knee.

The injury occurred during the second quarter of the G League Birmingham Squadron’s game against the South Bay Lakers on Friday, January 21.

A date for surgery has not yet been determined.

Louzada will be out indefinitely and his return-to-play status will be updated appropriately.

Detroit Pistons sign Cassius Stanley to third 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed Cassius Stanley to a third 10-day contract using the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Stanley, 6-5, 190, signed his original 10-day contract with the Pistons on Dec. 25 and his second 10-day contract on January 8. He’s averaged 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in seven games (one start) with Detroit.

Stanley has appeared in 13 games (two starts) this season with the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, and is averaging 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.4 minutes per game.

Stanley has one year of prior NBA experience with the Indiana Pacers (2020-21), posting clips of 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in 3.9 minutes over 24 games. The Los Angeles native played one year at Duke University and was the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

He will wear No. 14 for the Pistons.