Inside Hoops – Page 699 – NBA Blog

Ian Mahinmi out 4-6 weeks due to knee injury

Wizards center Ian Mahinmi has suffered a partially torn medial meniscus in his left knee. The injury occurred in Thursday’s game against the Sixers. An MRI performed on Friday revealed the partial tear. On Friday evening, Mahinmi underwent successful surgery.

The procedure was performed by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Wiemi Douoguih of MedStar at Washington Hospital Center.

Mahinmi is expected to miss approximately four to six weeks.

Playing for the Pacers last season, Mahinmi averaged 9.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game.

Cavs and J.R. Smith finally have deal

J.R. Smith was a key member of the Cavs last season. And it took a while, but he and the team have finally come to an agreement. Here’s the Akron Beacon Journal reporting:

The Cavs and J.R. Smith agreed to a four-year deal Friday that could be worth $57 million, according to a league source, returning the shooting guard to where he always wanted to be.

Smith, 31, was an unrestricted free agent who earned about $5 million with the Cavs last season. He made a career-high 204 3-pointers last season and emerged as a top two-way player. The agreement came as the Cavs were in Chicago to face the Bulls in a preseason game.

Smith’s first game with the Cavs could come Tuesday in the preseason finale against the Washington Wizards at Ohio State. Coach Tyronn Lue already said he was going to treat Tuesday’s game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

Joel Embiid preseason update

So far through five preseason games, Sixers center Joel Embiid is averaging 9.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in just 13.0 minutes per game. His field goal percentage is only 38.2% but we’re talking about so few shots that it’s too small a sample size to care about. So, forget I even mentioned it. He’s also showing some excellent defensive ability. Anyway, Embiid will soon spend a bit more time on the floor. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Joel Embiid playing time will increase slightly

Brett Brown plans to extend Joel Embiid’s playing time another three minutes Saturday against the Pistons, upping his restriction to 18.

The Sixers have two preseasons game remaining before opening night, when Brown would like to play him even longer.

“We expect to extend some minutes tomorrow night,” Brown said after practice Friday. “I think you might see him get up to as many as 18 tomorrow night, with the end game trying to deliver him to the [season-opening] OKC game at 20, 24.”

Replacing Chris Bosh will be tough for Heat

Chris Bosh is still technically a member of the Heat, but unless there’s some sort of drastic change, he’s probably played his last game for the club. Filling in the power forward spot may be a job for multiple people. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting:

It might feel like an audition on the outside — with three healthy players competing to replace Chris Bosh in the Heat’s starting lineup at power forward this preseason. But to those involved, and the coach making the decision, it isn’t building up to be a one-man job.

Luke Babbitt, James Johnson and Derrick Williams all bring something different to the table, and ultimately whoever ends up earning the starting nod when the Heat opens the season Oct. 26 at Orlando isn’t necessarily going to have the job moving forward.

The Heat, in the midst of a roster rebuild with Dwyane Wade in Chicago and with Bosh’s career in limbo, is more focused on the diversity of its lineups than it is finding a permanent replacement for Bosh.

“It’s more of a developmental phase right now,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday when asked if the starting power forward position is in an audition phase.

Magic shooting badly in preseason

Preseason is just a warmup, and it’s never smart to pay too much attention to stats. Unless something particularly important — like shooting — stands out one way or another. Then, you still don’t sound any alarms. But you take notice. Here’s the Orlando Sentinel reporting:

Setting aside Evan Fournier’s and Jeff Green’s numbers, the rest of the Magic have made only 40.0 percent of their shots.

Wednesday’s 95-89 loss to the San Antonio Spurs provided a case in point. Fournier went seven for 14 from the field, while Green converted seven of his 12 attempts.

The rest of the Magic combined to shoot 32.7 percent…

Center Nikola Vucevic struggled with his shooting stroke against San Antonio, scoring six points on 1-of-7 shooting. But Vucevic said he concentrated on moving the ball and acclimating to playing alongside Serge Ibaka as Ibaka made his preseason debut.

Gary Harris closer to return for Nuggets

Here’s the Denver Post with an update on Nuggets guard Gary Harris, who last season averaged 12.3 points on 46.9% shooting:

Gary Harris took his first shots on the court Thursday afternoon since going down with a right groin strain in the first preseason game. The post-practice shooting was light, but poignant for a player inching his way to a return.

“That was the most I’ve done in a while,” Harris said. “Really haven’t tried anything (until today). Just tried to be cautious with it, make sure everything is cool. Don’t want to reaggravate it and make sure I’m feeling nothing when I’m doing things.”

Joakim Noah has spent preseason with injuries

The Knicks are hoping they’re going to get the good Joakim Noah who was a key difference-maker on the Bulls a few years ago. But so far this preseason, they’re getting the more recent, banged-up version. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting:

Joakim Noah’s good health didn’t last long.

A day after scrimmaging for the first time since straining his hamstring nearly two weeks ago, the center missed Thursday’s practice due to a “minor sprained ankle,” coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Noah, who missed at least five games in six of the last seven seasons, hasn’t played yet for the Knicks in the preseason because of the hamstring ailment. He then hurt his angle on one of the final plays of Wednesday’s practice, and Hornacek was unsure about Noah’s status Saturday’s game against Boston.

Jazz waive Eric Dawson, Quincy Ford and Marcus Paige

The Jazz waived forward Eric Dawson, forward/guard Quincy Ford and guard Marcus Paige today.

Eric Dawson (6-9, 255, Mideastern State) appeared in one preseason game, scoring two points in 13 minutes of action vs. Phoenix on Oct. 12. He signed as a free agent on Sept. 21.

Quincy Ford (6-8, 225, Northeastern) scored two points in 12 minutes vs. the Suns on Oct. 12. He signed as a free agent on Sept. 6 after competing for the Jazz entries in both the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Paige (6-2, 175, North Carolina) averaged 5.5 points and 1.5 assists in two preseason games for Utah. He also competed at the Utah Jazz Summer League and NBA Summer League for the Jazz entries.

The Jazz roster now stands at 17 players.

Lakers waive Julian Jacobs, Zach Auguste and Travis Wear

The Lakers waived guard Julian Jacobs and forwards Zach Auguste and Travis Wear today.

Auguste was signed on August 29 and did not appear in any of the four preseason games for the Lakers. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15:41 minutes per game in four games (one start) for the Lakers’ entry in the 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Jacobs was signed September 1 and appeared in two preseason games for Los Angeles, scoring three points with two assists in 11 minutes.

Wear was also signed September 1, and saw action in two preseason games for the Lakers, scoring three points in addition to two rebounds in 11 minutes.

The Lakers training camp roster stands at 17.

Clippers waive Dorell Wright and Xavier Munford

The Clippers today waived guard Xavier Munford and forward Dorell Wright.

Munford played in just two games for the Clippers this preseason, scoring four points. A 2016 D-League All-Star, he spent last season with the Bakersfield Jam and the Memphis Grizzlies. In 14 games for the Grizzlies to end the 2015-16 season, Munford averaged 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.4 minutes.

Wright, appeared in two games for the Clippers in the preseason. The 19th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, has spent 12 seasons in the NBA with Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia and Portland. In 549 career games (222 starts), the Los Angeles native has averages of 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Wright spent last season in the Chinese Basketball Association playing for the Beikong Fly Dragons before signing with the Heat to close the season. In 37 games for the Dragons, he averaged 24.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

The roster now stands at 15 players for the Clippers.