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Sacramento Kings center Hassan Whiteside underwent an MRI in Sacramento on Monday afternoon which confirmed a left hip flexor strain.
Whiteside’s status is considered day-to-day.
Whiteside is averaging 6.4 points (.523 FG%, .500 FT%), 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, and 12.7 minutes per game through nine games (no starts) for the Kings during the 2020-21 season.
The Clippers are getting Serge Ibaka back in action. Here’s head coach Tyronn Lue discussing it, via the OC Register:
Lue said he expects Ibaka back in the lineup on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings. The veteran 7-footer missed his first game as a Clipper on Sunday when an illness unrelated to the coronavirus kept him out of the Clippers’ 129-96 victory over Indiana.
Starring sixth man Lou Williams, however, might need more time before he returns from the sore hip that’s been bothering him.
“He’s gonna do a little bit today in practice, see how he feels,” Lue said.
The Clippers are 10-4 this season, right behind the Lakers atop the Western conference. The team has two clear leaders so far: Paul George, averaging 24.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, and Kawhi Leonard, who is putting up 24.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per outing.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has an avulsion fracture in his right hand and is listed as day-to-day. The injury is stable and will not require surgery.
Turner is having a very good season, and is leading the NBA with 4.2 blocks per game.
The Pacers are 8-5 so far this season. They are being led in scoring by Malcolm Brogdon at 22.2 points per game, Domantas Sabonis at 21.7 ppg and T.J. Warren at 15.5 ppg. They recently traded Victor Oladipo in a four-team trade that brought back Caris LeVert, but an exam of LeVert revealed a growth on his kidney, a health concern that will keep LeVert out of action indefinitely.
The Westchester Knicks, the official NBA G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, announced the hiring of Jaren Jackson Sr. as an assistant coach and the promotion of Ryan Borges to Assistant General Manager.
Jackson Sr. joins second-year head coach Derrick Alston’s ranks with a 13-year professional playing career under his belt and 18 years’ worth of coaching experience.
His professional career spanned from 1989-2002, highlighted by a 1998-99 NBA World Championship won with the San Antonio Spurs under esteemed head coach, Gregg Popovich. Jackson Sr. has also played on eight other NBA teams, four Continental Basketball Association (CBA) teams, a World Basketball League (WBL) team, and a European Basketball League (FIBA-France) team.
A former Georgetown letterwinner, Jackson Sr.’s coaching resume commences at his alma mater, includes head coaching stints in the CBA, NBLC and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League (2008-10) and opportunities at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and NBA Assistant Coaches Program. For the last five years, Jackson Sr. has been an on-air talent serving as the Mad Ants’ Color Analyst.
Borges was elevated to Assistant General Manager of the Westchester Knicks-the first position of its kind. Having been with The Madison Square Garden Company since 2014, Borges’ journey in the Mecca started as the New York Knicks Basketball Operations Student Associate prior to ascension as the Westchester Knicks Manager of Basketball Operations.
As Manager, Borges has been an integral part of Westchester’s scouting, trading acquisitions, and logistical needs, including travel, of coaching staff, front office and players. Serving as the main conduit between basketball and business operations, Borges has been instrumental in the managing of housing and lodging of the players and visiting teams on their organization’s behalf, and off-court player development.
Westchester returns Allen Deep as Assistant Coach, Yen Pham as Athletic Trainer and Mike Atkinson as Strength and Conditioning Coach and adds Joel Garcia as Video Coordinator.
For its seventh season, the Knicks will be one of 17 NBA G League teams to participate at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando beginning next month.
The Toronto Raptors have waived center Alex Len. The team had signed him as a free agent on November 25, 2020.
Len played in seven games (two starts) with the Raptors this season, averaging 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.8 minutes.
The NBA game scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20 between the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.
Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Wizards, the team will not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the scheduled game against the Hornets.
The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.
Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Sixers, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the scheduled game against the Thunder.
The Raptors aren’t off to a great start so far this season, but last night they beat the Hornets despite three Charlotte players putting up 20 or more points. Via the Toronto Star:
The Raptors knew they were going to get a ton of three-point attempts on Saturday night. The Charlotte Hornets play a lot of zone defence that creates those opportunities.
And it was a long two-pointer that was the biggest bucket of the night.
Kyle Lowry made a step-back 18-footer with just over 30 seconds to go for the game-winning basket, allowing the Raptors to post a 116-113 win over Charlotte, their second in three nights in Tampa.
Toronto stayed in the game with some of their best three-point shooting of the season. Despite droughts to start the game and open the second half, the Raptors made 21 on the night.
In the win, Chris Boucher came off the bench and put up 20 points, nine assists and two blocks on just seven field goal attempts. He’s been a standout so far this season and the story of the season for Toronto.
Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Jay Hernandez will serve as the head coach of the Greensboro Swarm for the upcoming NBA G League season.
Additionally, Norman Richardson and Evan Harville have been hired as Swarm assistant coaches.
This year, the G League will play in a “bubble,” starting in February at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
Hernandez will join the Swarm for the start of the team’s training camp and will return to the Hornets bench at the conclusion of the Swarm’s season.
“As an assistant coach and director of player development, Jay has played an essential role in the development of the younger players on both our Hornets and Swarm rosters,” said Kupchak. “We believe his experience in development, his tireless work ethic and his leadership skills will be very beneficial as we look to maximize this G League opportunity. The G League bubble will provide our younger players with coaching, court time and competition that will help them in their next stage of development as they continue to grow and improve.
Hernandez, who serves as a Hornets assistant coach and director of player development, has been a member of Head Coach James Borrego’s staff since 2018. He previously served in a head coaching capacity for the organization, leading the Hornets during the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The Long Island, New York, native began his NBA coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 2014-15 in player development and assistant coaching roles until he joined the Hornets.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach the Greensboro Swarm at the NBA G League bubble,” Hernandez said. “I want to thank the Hornets organization and coach JB for entrusting me with the additional responsibility to help develop our young talent in Orlando. I am looking forward to implementing coach’s system and staying true to the principles of Hornets basketball by playing an exciting up-tempo offense and a team-oriented defense.”
Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari, out with a right ankle sprain since December 30, has progressed to half-court individual workouts and will now be re-introduced to contact activity.
The team is currently listing him as Doubtful for Monday’s game vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Galinari has played in just two games so far this season, averaging 9.0 points in 14.0 minutes per outing.
The Hawks are 5-6 so far this season. They’re being led in scoring by Trae Young at 22.9 points per game, John Collins at 16.4 ppg, De’Andre Hunter at 16.1 ppg, and Cam Reddish at 12.2 ppg.