Author: Inside Hoops

InsideHoops.com has been a world leader in NBA basketball coverage for over 20 years. Read our blog, but also be sure to read our main website on www.insidehoops.com

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball making progress in recovery from wrist injury

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball underwent further evaluation on his right wrist today by Dr. Michelle Carlson of The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Ball’s cast was removed and a CT scan confirmed the wrist has healed. He has been cleared to return to individual basketball activity.

Ball sustained a fractured right wrist during the Hornets game against the LA Clippers on March 20.

Ball, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, is averaging 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.59 steals (7th in the NBA) per game in 41 contests. Among rookie leaders, Ball ranks first in assists and steals, second in scoring and is tied for second in rebounds. Since entering the starting lineup on Feb. 1 at Miami, he is averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.7 steals in his 21 starts while shooting .464% from the field and .426% from three-point range. Ball is the only player over the last 60 years to lead all rookies in total points, rebounds, assists and steals at the All-Star Break. Ball won three consecutive Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Awards to open the season in January, February and March.

Clippers sign Yogi Ferrell to 10-day contract

The LA Clippers have signed Yogi Ferrell to a 10-day contract.

Ferrell, 27, appeared in two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, averaging 9.5 points. 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. The 6-foot-0 guard also appeared in 14 games for the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League this season.

Ferrell holds NBA career averages of 7.8 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 251 career appearances with the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Cavaliers. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Ferrell earned a spot on the 2016-17 All-Rookie Second Team, and in February 2017, became just the second undrafted rookie to win Rookie of the Month honors in his first professional season.

Prior to the NBA, Ferrell was a four-year starter at Indiana, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team member and a Wooden Award Finalist for the 2015-16 season.

Start dates for 2021 NBA free agency period are set

NBA free agency start dates for the summer of 2021 have been announced.

NBA free agent negotiations will begin Monday, August 2 at 6PM ET.

NBA free agent signings will begin Friday, August 6 at 12:01PM ET.

In past years, before the coronavirus pandemic shook, free agent negotiations and signings usually began in early July. So, this is only one month behind the usual timing. One more welcome return to normalcy.

Raptors sign Yuta Watanabe to standard NBA contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Yuta Watanabe to a standard NBA contract. He had been on a two-way deal.

Watanabe, 6-foot-9, 205 pounds, is averaging 4.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 13.4 minutes in 39 games (one start) as a two-way player with the Raptors this season. He is shooting .448 (56-125) from the field, including .400 (24-40) from three-point range, and has scored in double figures six times. Watanabe recorded a career-high 21 points Apr. 16 vs. Orlando.

A native of Japan, Watanabe spent the last two seasons (2018-20) as a two-way player with Memphis. He played collegiately at George Washington (2014-18) where he was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

The Knicks are on a six-game winning streak

The Knicks beat the Pelicans 122-112 in overtime Sunday. Via New York Newsday:

Derrick Rose, who finished the game with 23 points and five assists, took over at the end of regulation to push the Knicks to the win. With his team trailing by six points with 1:48 left in the fourth quarter, Rose hit a three-pointer, found a wide-open Reggie Bullock for the game-tying three and then blocked what would have been a game-winning 17-footer by Eric Bledsoe at the buzzer.

Rose then scored the first bucket in overtime and the Knicks went on to outscore the Pelicans 19-9 in the overtime period.

In the win, Julius Randle had 33 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals, D-Rose had his 23, RJ Barrett scored 18, while Reggie Bullock added 15.

In the loss, Zion Williamson had 34 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals, Eric Bledsoe scored 22 with 4 assists, and Brandon Ingram had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Will the Hornets wind up in the NBA’s play-in tournament?

Will the Hornets end up in the NBA’s play-in-tournament? Via the Charlotte Observer:

If the Charlotte Hornets end up in the NBA’s new play-in format, what will that mean?

It’s certainly germane to explore: The Hornets are on a four-game losing streak heading into Sunday night’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers. That has dropped them from fourth in the Eastern Conference standings to eighth. The Hornets are trying to break a four-season streak without a playoff appearance.

Finishing seventh or eighth in either NBA conference no longer guarantees a team a best-of-seven playoff series. Instead, the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th teams will briefly play each other to complete the eight-team playoff draw in the East and West.

Right now, the Heat are the East’s 7th seed, Hornets are 8th, Pacers close behind at 9th, then a few games after the Pacers are the Bulls, Wizards and Raptors all with 23 wins so far this season.

The Wizards are on a four-game winning streak

The Wizards are on a four-game winning streak. Via the Washington Post:

Even after they had defeated the league-leading Utah Jazz on the road and conquered Zion Williamson and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans in overtime, perhaps the best test for these streaking Washington Wizards came Saturday night at Capital One Arena.

The opponent? The lowly Detroit Pistons, last in the East yet a victor against Washington already this month. In fact, the Wizards entered Saturday’s contest with a 3-7 record against the five other teams at the bottom of the conference.

Bradley Beal said Friday that his team’s ability to close out a tight win in overtime against New Orleans showed improvement from a squad that has squandered late leads often. The matchup with Detroit offered the opportunity to showcase a different kind of growth.

Even after losing two starters to injury during the game, Washington was up to the task in a commanding 121-100 win.

In the victory, Beal scored 37, Ish Smith scored 16 off the bench, Russell Westbrook put up 15 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and Robin Lopez added 15 off the bench.

Raptors sign Freddie Gillespie to second 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Freddie Gillespie to a second 10-day contract.

Gillespie, 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, is averaging 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 15.9 minutes and is shooting .619 (13-21) from the field in five games with the Raptors. He signed his first 10-day contract Thursday, Apr. 8. Prior to joining Toronto, Gillespie posted averages of 10.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 27.8 minutes in 15 games with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League bubble.

A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Gillespie played two seasons at Division lll Carleton College (2015-17) before transferring to Baylor (2018-20). As a senior, he was voted the Big 12 Most Improved Player and earned All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Defensive Team honours.

Trail Blazers sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to second 10-day contract

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to a second 10-day contract, it was announced today by president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Hollis-Jefferson, 26, has appeared in two games for the Trail Blazers, averaging 2.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 6.0 minutes.

Portland first signed Hollis-Jefferson to a 10-day contract on April 8.

Paul George is getting serious buckets for the Clippers lately

Paul George is putting up serious scoring numbers for the Clippers lately. Via the OC Register:

The Clippers are coming home from their three-game road swing for a bona fide meet-and-greet, a long-awaited home game at Staples Center in front of people who’ve bought to tickets to be there – and possibly to bear witness to some personal scoring history by Paul George.

The Clippers’ star has been on a tear, with a career-high-tying five-game scoring streak of 30-plus points. He’s steered through defenses that have been better able to key on him without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup, and performed despite a nagging toe injury and, in the last game, the lingering effects of illness.

George is averaging 34.8 points in this recent five-game stretch, shooting 53.4% from the field and 52.4% from 3-point range. He’s also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 steals in that span.

The last time he had this kind of run was in Oklahoma City in 2018-19, the season he finished third in MVP voting.

The Clippers are 39-19 this season, which is the third best record in the Westtern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Kawhi Leonard at 26.0 ppg, George at 23.6 ppg, then Marcus Morris at 13.1 ppg.