Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

Chris McGowan steps down as Trail Blazers president and CEO

Today the Portland Trail Blazers announced Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) & Executive Vice President (EVP) Dewayne Hankins as the organization’s new President of Business Operations. He is succeeding Chris McGowan, President & CEO, who will step down from the role after nine successful years, effective November 26, 2021.

Per the Blazers, “under Hankins’ leadership with the team, the Trail Blazers achieved franchise records in ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, specifically in digital media revenue. He also played a key role in signing the first cryptocurrency company, StormX, to an NBA jersey patch deal in 2021, as well as in the negotiation of the broadcast deal with ROOT SPORTS, which brings Trail Blazers games to more fans than ever before across Oregon, Washington and Alaska.”

“Since joining the Trail Blazers in 2013, Dewayne has been crucial to our success and growth,” said Jody Allen, chair of the Trail Blazers. “Now in his ninth season with us, we’re thrilled to have him lead the organization.”

“It was a pleasure to work with Chris, and I want to thank him for the last decade of mentorship,” Hankins said. “I also want to thank Jody and Bert for their continued trust in me as I take on this new role.”

“We are grateful for Chris’s contributions since joining the Trail Blazers nearly a decade ago,” said Jody Allen, chair of the Trail Blazers. “I appreciate his dedication to the organization and to our fans, and we wish him well in his next chapter.”

“I want to thank Paul Allen, Jody Allen and Bert Kolde for giving me the opportunity to lead this great organization over the past nine years,” McGowan said. “In addition, I want to thank our amazing staff for their tireless dedication to creating extraordinary moments at Moda Center and in the community and thank our players who represent everything that is good about Portland.”

Bulls center Nikola Vucevic has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19

The 8-3 Chicago Bulls are off to a terrific start this season, but they’ll reportedly be without their starting center for the (hopefully) very short term. Via ESPN.com:

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic tested positive for COVID-19 and entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Thursday, sources told ESPN.

The Bulls listed Vucevic in the protocols, but the positive test means he will be sidelined for 10 days or once he has two negative PCR tests in a 24-hour period.

Huge offseason trade looks great for Wizards early in 2021-22 season

The Wizards, featuring Bradley Beal and some returnees from last season but also a big stack of new players, are off to a fantastic start in 2021-22. Via the Washington Times:

This offseason, Washington traded Westbrook, reportedly at his request, to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Wizards got Kuzma and a package of other players.

And, perhaps surprisingly, the early returns have been nothing but favorable for the Wizards.

While the Wizards are off to their best start since the 2014-15 season, Westbrook has yet to find his groove alongside stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old’s 18.8 points per game are his lowest scoring average since the second year of his career and he again leads the league in turnovers. Westbrook, with a field goal percentage of 41.1, has shot worse just once — his rookie season.

The Lakers are just 6-5.

“Most people probably thought we lost the trade,” Wizards guard Aaron Holiday said. “But I think we won it.”

Holiday was one of six players the Wizards got in the deal — which ballooned into a complicated five-team swap by the time it was finalized. Of those six players, five were legitimate NBA role players: Kuzma, Holiday, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Spencer Dinwiddie and Montrezl Harrell.

Carmelo Anthony has been a good addition to the Lakers

The Lakers are still finding their way this season, but one bright spot has been the addition of reserve forward Carmelo Anthony. Here’s the Los Angeles Times on it:

Fans’ cheers were still echoing in Staples Center when Carmelo Anthony, wearing street clothes, tinted glasses and a thoughtful smile, came backstage to meet the media Monday night.

The sellout crowd of 18,997 roared at his every move, soaking up the energy Anthony brought off the Lakers’ bench and into the game against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday and reflecting it back at him in cheers and chants. He was in his element, putting the Lakers ahead for good in overtime by scoring the last three points of his season-high 29 as they held on for a 126-123 victory, a game that will make few highlight films except those that preserve the best moments of Anthony’s stellar career.

There were so many good moments on Monday — the seven-for-10 shooting from three-point range, the warm bond between him and the crowd, the boost he gave a team that still hasn’t figured out how to mesh without the injured LeBron James — that it was difficult to imagine Anthony’s career appeared to be over not so long ago.

Released by the Houston Rockets 10 games into the 2018-19 season, Anthony was out of the NBA until the Portland Trail Blazers signed him in November 2019. “I honestly never understood it. I really didn’t,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

Anthony gave Portland two solid seasons coming off the bench before he signed with the Lakers in August. “He’s obviously got a lot in the tank and we’re excited to have him,” Vogel said. “I just never understood it.”

The Lakers are 6-5 this season, which is the 8th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers early in the 2021-22 season are LeBron James at 24.8 points per game, Anthony Davis at 23.9 ppg, Russell Westbrook at 18.8 ppg, then Anthony at 17.6 ppg.

Anthony is hitting 50% FG, and 52% from three-point range.

LeBron is currently injured and has played in just six of the team’s first 11 games.

NBA Players of Week for Week 3 are Jarrett Allen, Paul George

The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and LA Clippers forward Paul George Western Conference Player of the Week for Week 3 (games played Monday, November 1, through Sunday, November 7).

This marks Allen’s first career player of the week award and the 63rd time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly honor.

Allen led the Cavs to a perfect 4-0 record this past week, including three road wins against teams with winning records (Charlotte, Toronto, New York). The fifth-year center posted a double-double in all four games while averaging 20.5 points on .633 shooting from the field, an NBA-best 16.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 37.0 minutes per contest. He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 20.0 points and 15.0 rebounds last week and had the highest field goal percentage among any NBA player who averaged 20 points or more. Among Eastern Conference leaders, Allen ranked first in total rebounds per game (16.3), first in offensive rebounds per game (5.0), first in defensive rebounds per game (11.3), tied for first in double-doubles (4), fourth in field goal percentage (.633), tied for 13th in blocks per game (1.25), 15th in points per game (20.5), and tied for 20th in steals per game (1.50). Additionally, he recorded at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in all four outings, the most in the NBA this past week, and became the first Cavalier to put up those numbers in four straight games since Anderson Varejao in 2012 (five straight games from 11/26/12-12/3/12).

Allen opened the week by recording 24 points (9-13 FG), 16 rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 35 minutes of Cleveland’s 113-110 win at Charlotte on Nov. 1. He scored 15 points in the first quarter, his most in any period of his NBA career. In Cleveland’s 107-104 home victory against Portland on Nov. 3, Allen tallied a team-high 24 points (9-15 FG), a season-high 17 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 40 minutes. During the Cavs’ 102-101 come-from-behind win at Toronto on Nov. 5, Allen helped the Cavs erase a 15-point deficit and finished the night with 16 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 3FG, 5-6 FT), 15 rebounds, two steals and one block in 39 minutes. He also hit his first three-pointer of the season, a banker as the shot clock expired, that tied the game at 94 with 4:42 left in regulation. Allen closed out the week with 18 points (8-15 FG), a season-high tying 17 rebounds, a season-high tying four assists and two steals in 34 minutes in the team’s 126-109 win at New York on Nov. 7.

Through his 11 appearances this season (all starts), Allen has helped the Cavaliers reach a 7-4 record (sixth-best in East) and is producing career highs in points (14.9), rebounds (11.6, seventh in NBA), steals (1.27), minutes (32.5) and field goal percentage (.687, third in NBA). The Wine & Gold are 7-2 over its last nine games.

Allen becomes the first Cavalier to win the award since LeBron James (March 19-25, 2018). Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

This is George’s 10th-career Player of the Week Award and his second time winning the award with the Clippers. During the week, George helped lead the team to a 4-0 record while averaging 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.8 steals.

The Palmdale, Calif., native eclipsed 14,500 career points during Sunday’s win against the Charlotte Hornets. George is now one of seven active players with at least 14,500 points, 4,500 rebounds, and 2,500 assists. This week, George was the only player in the NBA to average at least 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.

In his 12th NBA season, the six-time All-NBA player is averaging 27.0 points, the most since his time as a Clipper, and has tied his career high in rebounds (8.2) and assists (5.2). The Clippers are currently on a four-game winning streak and rank seventh in the Western Conference with a 5-4 record.

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones out with concussion

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones sustained a concussion during the third quarter of last night’s game against the Phoenix Suns and has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol.

Per the NBA’s Concussion Policy, Jones must go through the return-to-participation process, which can begin no earlier than 24 hours from the time of injury. The return-to-participation process includes a series of steps designed to ensure an athlete exhibits symptom free behavior before resuming full basketball activities. There is no timeframe to complete the process, as each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

Chris Paul moves up to No. 3 on all-time NBA assists list

Chris Paul continues to make his mark on the NBA historical leaders list. Via ESPN.com:

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul moved into No. 3 on the all-time assists list with his eighth against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With 1:34 left in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Jae Crowder, Paul notched career assist No. 10,336 to push past Suns legend Steve Nash for sole possession of third place.

Paul finished the night with a season-high 18 assists in the Suns’ 112-100 win to give him 10,346 for his career. He now trails only John Stockton (15,806) and Jason Kidd (12,091) on the all-time list.

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen enters NBA’s health and safety protocols

Cavaliers forward Lauri Markkanen is entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols today and will miss tonight’s game against Portland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

In eight games played, and eight starts, Markkanen is averaging 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The Cavs are a solid 4-4 so far this season.

Rockets exercise contract option on Kevin Porter Jr.

The Houston Rockets have exercised their fourth-year contract option on guard Kevin Porter Jr. for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Porter was originally the 30th overall pick by Cleveland in the 2019 NBA Draft before being acquired via trade by Houston on Jan. 22, 2021. He has appeared in 31 games with 28 starts as a Rocket while averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 3-pointers made. Since the start of last season, he is one of 12 players averaging at least 15.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.0 rpg, and 2.0 3FGM. Porter is also the youngest of those 11 players at 21 years old.

Last season, Porter joined Ja Morant as the only sophomores to have averaged at least 16.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, and 3.0 rpg. He had 50 points and 11 assists against the eventual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Apr. 29, becoming the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to have scored 50-plus points in a game and the youngest to have done so while recording 10-plus assists.

As a rookie with the Cavaliers in 2019-20, Porter averaged 10.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 2.2 apg in 23.2 mpg. Dating back to 1994-95, Nikola Jokic (2015-16) was the only other rookie to have averaged at least 10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.0 apg in fewer than 25.0 mpg.