Category: NBA News Blog

NBA news blog

Wizards vs. Hornets game scheduled for January 20, 2021 is postponed

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.

Sixers vs. Thunder game scheduled for January 17, 2021 is postponed

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.

Kyle Lowry hits game-winner for Raptors over Hornets

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.

G League: Jay Hernandez named head coach of Greensboro Swarm

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.”

Forward Danilo Gallinari should return to action soon for Hawks

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.

New Pacer Caris LeVert out after a small mass was discovered on his kidney

Pacers shooting guard Caris LeVert will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass on his left kidney during a physical prior to finalizing the four-team trade with Brooklyn, Houston and Cleveland.

LeVert will undergo further medical tests.

“On behalf of my family and myself, we want to thank the Indiana Pacers for their support and guidance,” said LeVert in a statement. “We are grateful for their extreme thoroughness during the physical process and I am looking forward to joining the team and being part of this great organization as soon as possible.”

Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard: “We acquired Caris because of who he is as a young man first and foremost. His basketball skill and on court play speaks for itself and we know he has a great career ahead of him. We will support Caris through this time and know that he will join us on the court as soon as he is able.”

Recent three-team James Harden trade amended into four-team trade to include Pacers

The Houston Rockets today announced that their three-team trade with Brooklyn and Cleveland has been amended into a four-team trade involving Indiana.

Click the link in this sentence to see the original three-team James Harden to Nets trade from a few days ago.

The Rockets traded guard James Harden to the Nets and a 2023 second round pick to the Pacers while acquiring guard Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE-po) from Indiana, guard Danté Exum from the Cavaliers, and forward Rodions Kurucs (RO-dee-ahns KOO-rootz) from the Nets.

Houston also acquired the following draft assets:

– Three unprotected first round picks from Brooklyn in 2022, 2024, and 2026.

– The right to swap first round picks with Brooklyn in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027.

– Milwaukee’s first round pick in 2022 from Cleveland.

As part of the deal, the Pacers also received a future second round draft pick from Houston and a future second round draft pick from Cleveland.

“First and foremost, we want to thank Victor for what he gave to the Pacers through his play, his diligence in rehab coming back from a serious injury, and his community efforts,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “These decisions are obviously never easy and this one in particular was hard because of our relationship.

Continued Pritchard, “Caris is a high-quality person who will fit in with what we as an organization are doing, on and off the floor. He’s a versatile young talent who we think will be a great fit with the direction our team is taking. He can play multiple positions and affect the game at both ends of the floor.”

Originally drafted by the Pacers in the 2016 NBA Draft, LeVert was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on July 7, 2016. A 6-6, 205-pound guard, he spent part of five seasons with the Nets. He will wear jersey #22 with the Pacers.

Oladipo (6-4, 210) is in his eighth season and is a two-time All-Star. In 430 career games with 370 starts, he is averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.7 steals. Over the past three seasons, he was the only player to have averaged at least 20.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 rpg, and 1.90 spg. In 2017-18, Oladipo was named Most Improved Player, All-NBA Third Team, and All-Defensive First Team.

Exum (6-5, 214) was the fifth overall pick by Utah in the 2014 NBA Draft. In 245 career games with 72 starts, the 25-year-old is averaging 5.7 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. Over the past three seasons, Exum averaged 14.6 ppg, 5.0 apg, and 4.2 rpg per 36 minutes played.

Kurucs (6-9, 230) was the 40th overall pick by Brooklyn in the 2018 NBA Draft. In 115 games with 55 starts, the 22-year-old is averaging 6.5 points, and 3.4 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game. Over his first two seasons, Kurucs averaged 13.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 1.9 apg per 36 minutes played.

G League: Capital City Go-Go promote Amber Nichols to general manager

The Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, announced today that Amber Nichols has been promoted to general manager, becoming the second female general manager in G League history. She will accompany the team’s flex-affiliate players (who will play with the Erie BayHawks) at the NBA G League single site in Orlando this season.

“The Go-Go has been a major part of our development strategy for both players and staff over the past two seasons and the plans we’ve made for this season allow us to continue down that path,” said Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “Amber’s skills, experience and personality have earned her this promotion and with her overseeing our involvement in the bubble, we have the utmost confidence that our players will thrive in a unique and unprecedented situation.”

Nichols has been with the Go-Go since the team’s inception, starting as director of basketball operations during the team’s inaugural season before being promoted to assistant general manager of operations last season. She has managed all logistics for the Go-Go over the last two seasons, as well as working closely with the Wizards front office during NBA and NBA G League drafts and scouting events.

“I’m honored that the organization has given me this responsibility and I plan to do everything possible to make sure our players continue to grow and develop within the framework of our system,” said Nichols. “We have all worked together across the organization during the pandemic to find ways to improve despite difficult circumstances and I look forward to this opportunity to continue doing so.”

Nichols has also been instrumental with player engagement activities and events through her first two years with the team, engaging the players in educational seminars, financial awareness sessions and speaker series with former NBA personalities. She spent a season as a basketball operations analyst for the NBA G League in 2017-18 where she oversaw logistics for all League events and also helped with the selection of players for the NBA G League Elite Mini Camp and NBA G League Player Invitational through research and talent evaluation. Nichols played four years of college basketball at the University of Richmond, where she received her bachelor’s degree in sociology, before continuing her education at the University of Georgia, where she received her master’s in kinesiology with a concentration in sport management and policy.

Jordan Bell, Yoeli Childs, Caleb Homesley and Marlon Taylor will be the Go-Go’s flex-affiliate players who will participate with the BayHawks in Orlando.

Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves game scheduled for January 15, 2021 is postponed

The NBA game scheduled for tonight between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.

Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Timberwolves, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Grizzlies.