Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Magic forward Paolo Banchero named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of Month for Dec. 2022

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December 2022.

Banchero becomes the ninth player in franchise history to be named the league’s Rookie of the Month, joining Dennis Scott, Shaquille O’Neal (four times), Anfernee Hardaway (twice), Mike Miller (twice), Victor Oladipo (twice), Elfrid Payton, R.J. Hampton and Franz Wagner.

Banchero (6’10”, 255, 11/12/02) played and started in 15 games during December, averaging 19.1 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 4.1 apg. and 1.07 stlpg. in 33.5 minpg. He led all NBA rookies in scoring and minutes played, while ranking second in assists. Banchero scored 20+ points in seven consecutive games from Dec. 5-18, tying the longest streak by a rookie in franchise history (O’Neal, Feb. 11-26, 1993).

Selected in the first round (first overall) of the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero has played and started in 30 games this season with Orlando, averaging a team-high 20.9 ppg., 6.7 rpg. and 3.9 apg. in 34.1 minpg. He ranks among all NBA leaders in scoring (33rd) and minutes played (T-36th). Banchero leads all NBA rookies in scoring and minutes played, while also ranking among leaders in rebounding (3rd), assists (2nd), FG percentage (8th, .435), free throw percentage (6th, .755), steals (5th) and blocked shots (6th). He has scored 20+ points 21 times this season, the most of any NBA rookie.

Kings forward Keegan Murray named NBA Western Conference Rookie of Month for Dec. 2022

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray has been named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December, the NBA announced today.

The fourth overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray averaged 12.7 points (46.0 FG%, 46.4 3pt%), 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 28.6 minutes per game in 14 games (14 starts) during the month of December.

Murray began the final month of 2022 with a new career high of 23 points to go with seven rebounds in a win at the LA Clippers on Dec. 3. The Iowa native had 18 points (6-8 3pt) in a win at Cleveland on Dec. 9 and finished with 20 points (7-13 FG, 4-6 3pt) in a victory over the Pistons on Dec. 16. Murray followed those outings with a career-high tying 23 points in Sacramento’s win vs. the Lakers on Dec. 21, going 7-for-17 from the floor, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, to become the first Kings rookie with five or more 3s in multiple games during December.

The first-year forward earns his first Rookie of the Month honor after he led all rookies in total 3-pointers made (39), games with multiple 3-point field goals (10) and 3-point field goal percentage. Since the 1979-80 season, Murray is just one of three rookies to connect on 35 or more 3-point attempts in December, joining Kyle Kuzma (2017-18, 38) and Luka Doncic (2018-19, 35) and the first to also shoot 45.0% or better from 3-point distance. His three games with 20+ points were tied for second in the month among rookies and mark the most by a Kings’ first-year player in December since Tyreke Evans (2009-10, 8).

Among all rookies this season, Murray currently ranks fifth in scoring (11.5) and total points (137) and first in 3-point field goals made (73) and 3-point shooting percentage (38.2%).

Murray is the eighth player in franchise history to receive Rookie of the Month honors and the first NBA Rookie of the Month out of Iowa since the award’s inception during the 1981-82 season.

Injury update on Lakers center Anthony Davis

Via the Los Angeles Times:

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis said pain in his right foot has been significantly reduced and imaging has shown that he’s progressing in his healing.
Though Davis hesitated to put a timetable on his return, he said things are moving in the right direction.

“It’s healing pretty quickly,” Davis said. “So when we get back to L.A., we’ll do another image of the foot, and see how far it’s healed since the last time I did it, which was the 22nd or the 23rd. And it’s really just about pain. The pain is still there, I still feel it a little bit, not as much as I did before. More like a two [out of 10], trending down to one. I’ve been lifting, and lifting is fine. Everything I do in the weight room is fine.

“If I see that it’s healed properly, or enough where I can go start ramping up on the court, then we’ll start that process.”

The Lakers are 15-21 this season, which is the 13th best record in the Western conference.

Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in minutes per game.

Jeremy Lin cuts basketball season in China short

Via the New York Post:

Jeremy Lin, who captivated New York in 2012 during his magical run with the Knicks, is leaving the Chinese Basketball Association, cutting his season with the Guangzhou Loong Lions short.

Lin now plans to come back to America, though he is leaving his basketball future open.

“After lots of consideration, I’ve decided to leave the CBA for this season,” Lin wrote in an Instagram post. “It wasn’t an easy decision. I still love the game of basketball and look forward to getting back to the court one day. As for now, I’m gonna go back to the US to rest and reset before I make a decision with my family for my next step.”

Bulls guard Alex Caruso set to return

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Guard Alex Caruso plans to return to the Chicago Bulls lineup in Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons after missing three games due to concussion protocol and a shoulder injury.

Caruso suffered the pair of injuries in last Wednesday game against the Atlanta Hawks after attempting to dive parallel to the court to snatch a steal out of mid-air. Instead, he crashed directly into a Hawks player. Caruso described the moment as baffling in real-time — one second he thought he had secured a flying steal, the next he was flat on the hardwood with the entire right side of his body aching.

The Bulls are 15-19 this season, which is the 10th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are DeMar DeRozan at 26.5 PPG, Zach LaVine at 22.2 PPG, and Nikola Vucevic at 16.7 PPG.

Raptors waive Justin Champagnie

Forward Justin Champagnie was waived by the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, the team confirmed.

In 39 games throughout the course of his tenure with the Raptors, Champagnie, a 6-foot-6, 202-pounder, averaged 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 rebounds, and 7.5 minutes. Twice he reached double digits, including a 14-point career best in January versus San Antonio. In the summer of 2021, Champagnie initially agreed to a two-way contract with Toronto.

Toronto’s roster currently has 14 players, and a pair of two-way players.

Injury update on Suns guard Devin Booker: Out at least four weeks

Per the Phoenix Suns:

Further evaluation has confirmed that Devin Booker has sustained a left groin strain. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

And via the Arizona Republic:

“You feel for Devin, but it’s the nature of our business,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “It’s the nature of a guy who puts in a lot of work and lays everything on the line, you’re going to run into this from time to time. I’m actually grateful that it wasn’t worse. He has a tissue injury. When you look around the league, see guys who play with that kind of drive and passion and play that hard, it could be worse.”

Booker sustained the injury in the first quarter Sunday after he only played four minutes of the Christmas game. He went back to Phoenix right after the game was over for further evaluation.

Nets beat Hawks, extend winning streak to 10 straight games

The Nets have won 10 games in a row. Tonight’s win, a tight 108-107 victory against a short-handed Atlanta Hawks team who were without Trae Young, Clint Capela and supporting cast players, was too close for comfort. But the win streak continues. Via the New York Daily News:

“[Winning 10 in a row] sounds good, especially since there’s just been an up and down vibe with our team the past few years,” Kevin Durant said postgame. “So it’s good to win a game and have some fun.”

The Hawks built a 15-point second-quarter lead in part due to Jacque Vaughn’s first truly confusing move since taking Steve Nash’s post as head coach in Brooklyn. His rotations have traditionally been tight, even tighter when it comes to the two superstars: Durant normally plays the entire first quarter, while Kyrie Irving traditionally sits the final few minutes of the first to lead the reserves in the second quarter while Durant gets a rest.

On Wednesday, Vaughn veered from the norm. He played both Irving and Durant the entire opening period — and sat both of Brooklyn’s stars to start the second quarter.

Of course the Hawks went on a run and built a lead five points shy of 20. Vaughn had a lineup of Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Yuta Watanabe and T.J. Warren on the floor until taking a timeout at the 5:25 mark of the second quarter.

Via the New York Post:

Kyrie Irving had a team-high 28 points while Kevin Durant added 26. The pair combined to double Hawks star Dejounte Murray — who had 24 — into the fateful, final miss at the buzzer, preserving the rally.

“They’re playing great basketball and as I said to the team, they’re hot as a firecracker,” Atlanta coach Nate McMillan had warned. “They have of course, Kyrie and Durant that are elite players; but the supporting cast is playing really good basketball, shooting the ball extremely well from the floor.

“They’re playing a lot of guys, they have a lot of dangerous guys that are playing off of those guys. So they’re playing, I think they’re becoming the team that a lot of people thought they would be. And right now they’re playing the hottest team.”

Pistons sign Jared Rhoden to a two-way contract, waive Braxton Key

The Detroit Pistons have signed guard Jared Rhoden to a two-way contract.

And in a related move, Detroit waived two-way forward Braxton Key.

Rhoden, 6-6, 210, most recently played for the College Park Skyhawks, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. In 16 games (four starts), he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 54.7% from the field and 51.4% from 3-point range.

Rhoden, a Baldwin, NY native, played four years, collegiately, at Seton Hall University. In 122 career games (72 starts), he averaged 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Pirates. In 31 games as a senior, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, garnering 2022 All-Big East First Team honors. Rhoden left the program as one of only 12 players to record 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in school history.

Keys was signed to a two-way contract on April 3, 2022, following a 10-day stint with the Pistons. He’s appeared in 12 games with Detroit, averaging 6.8 points and 4.1 rebounds.