Category: NBA Teams

NBA teams blog

D’Angelo Russell has brought mid-range jumpers to the Timberwolves

The mid-range jumper is a fascinating topic in the NBA these days. Many people frown upon it. But here’s the thing: It’s a good shot if the player shooting it is actually good at shooting mid-range jumpers, and takes them at the right time.

So, yes, it can be a good shot! And in other cases, it is not.

Your mind is blown, right?

Anyway, here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune reporting:

The trade for D’Angelo Russell has meant the return of the mid-range jumper for the 2019-20 Wolves.

He’s attempted 13 shots from between 16 feet and the three point line in just four games with Minnesota, out of 71 total attempts – 18.3% of his total shots. Russell connected on just 1 of the first 7 of those before trying six more in Monday’s loss at Dallas – making three.

That 18.3% small sample size mark is higher than it was pre-trade with Golden State (14.3%) and his career mark (13.2%), but both those numbers would still be more than triple the Wolves’ team rate this season. All would also be far higher than the number posted with the Wolves this year by Andrew Wiggins (8.5%), the man Russell was traded for and a frequent long two hoister in previous seasons.

It’ll be fun watching Russell and center Karl-Anthony Towns develop chemistry as the season continues. And the question this summer will be, who will be alongside them.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal going wild lately

Time to give Wizards guard Bradley Beal some extra attention. He’s certainly earned it. Here’s the Washington Post with a look at his recent play:

The NBA hath no fury like Bradley Beal scorned. While his team remains a defensively challenged work in progress, Beal, with an assist from the All-Star Game balloting results, has succeeded in keeping the Washington Wizards relevant. That’s no small feat for the leader of a rebuilding squad that’s 16 games under .500.

In the 10 games since Beal learned he was not voted an all-star reserve by the league’s coaches, the eighth-year pro has averaged 36 points to increase his scoring average to 30.1, second only to Houston’s James Harden (35.3). Beal has posted new career highs in consecutive games, with 53 points on Sunday against the Bulls and 55 in Monday’s overtime loss to the Bucks.

“I’m a winner, so you can throw those 55 out with the last 53,” Beal said after becoming the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points on consecutive days and have his team lose both games.

The Wizards are 20-36 this season, and despite Beal’s heroics have lost three straight games.

Still, both he and his team have been fun to watch lately.

Lakers sign Markieff Morris, waive DeMarcus Cousins

The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Markieff Morris and waived center DeMarcus Cousins today.

In 623 career games (347 starts) for Phoenix, Washington, Oklahoma City and Detroit, Morris has averaged 11.6 points (.449 FG%), 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.7 minutes per game. He played in 44 games (16 starts) for the Pistons this season, notching 11.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.5 minutes while shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from three-point range.

The Kansas University product owns 46 career double-doubles and has scored 20 or more points on 78 occasions. In 24 NBA Playoff games (19 starts) for the Wizards and Thunder, Morris has totaled 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block per game.

Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. out with knee injury

The Memphis Grizzlies will be without starting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. for the near future.

In Friday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, Jackson Jr. sustained an injury while challenging a shot late in the second quarter, and did not return for the second half. Subsequent imaging revealed that the injury is a sprained left knee.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal adds:

It’s a blow to the Grizzlies, who remain 3.5 games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 8 seed in the West. Rookie Brandon Clarke started the second half on Friday and could start on Monday. Clarke started on Nov. 4 when Jackson missed a game because of injury.

Jackson Jr. will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Ben Simmons dealing with back issue

Sixers point guard Ben Simmons has a back issue. It’s unclear whether it’s a minor injury that will quickly disappear, or something more. Here’s NBC Sports Philly reporting:

Ben Simmons, who missed the first game after the All-Star break Thursday with lower back soreness, left Saturday’s game not even five minutes in and did not return. Simmons will undergo further testing in Philadelphia Sunday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Serena Winters…

The All-Star point guard appeared to reaggravate the injury on a drive against Brook Lopez. After a foul was called on Lopez, Simmons could be seen attempting to stretch his back out. After Simmons made 1 of 2 from the line, Matisse Thybulle fouled Khris Middleton to get a stoppage so Simmons could go back to the locker room.

Here’s hoping it’s a minor issue.

Will Ray Allen be at Kevin Garnett’s Celtics jersey retirement?

Will Ray Allen be at Kevin Garnett’s Celtics jersey retirement ceremony next season?

Doc Rivers hopes so.

Here’s Boston.com reporting:

Doc Rivers isn’t a fan of the lingering beef between Ray Allen and some of his former Celtics teammates.

“I just think we won a title with Ray and we need to get over it,” said Rivers, who coached the team to a championship in 2008.

Rivers, who currently coaches the Los Angeles Clippers and spoke to members of the media Saturday, said he hopes “everyone is there” when Kevin Garnett gets his jersey retired next year. That includes Allen, and Rivers told reporters he’ll “make the right calls” to try to get that to happen, though he doesn’t have any guarantees.

It would be fitting for Allen to be there. We hope Doc gets his wish.

Kendrick Nunn has a unique memory of the 2018 NBA draft

Here’s the Miami Herald reporting on Heat guard Kendrick Nunn’s unique memory of the 2018 draft:

Kendrick Nunn doesn’t have a physical, written-out list of all the guards taken in the 2018 NBA draft. He does feel confident, however, he can name everyone who was picked in the draft last year.

He remembers seeing names called while he waited at home to see if someone would take a flier on him. No one did, so Nunn spent almost all of his first season as a professional playing in the NBA G League before the Miami Heat signed him on the final day of the regular season last year. It’s easy for him to remember Collin Sexton was in the draft, taken No. 8 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. All he could do was laugh — then cackle — when asked whether he likes to go up against the guard.

“Yeah, I do — most definitely,” Nunn admitted. “I don’t have to say much about that. When I get a chance to go up against those guys, I’m going to show up and give it all I got.

“I don’t have a written list, but I remember because I was watching that and I just remembered from the top of my head.”

The Heat are 36-20 this season, and Nunn has started in all 53 games he’s played in this season, averaging an impressive 15.5 points and 3.5 assists per game.

Nunn is a cool success story. And a player we enjoy watching.

Kings hand Clippers another loss

Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles, the Kings came to town and beat the Clippers, 112-103. In the win, Sacramento got 20 or more points from starting guards De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic as well as backup forward Kent Bazemore. The Clippers were still without starters Patrick Beverley and Paul George. Here’s the Sacramento Bee:

The Kings went nearly two years without beating the Los Angeles Clippers. Now they’ve done it twice in three weeks…

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 points for the Kings (23-33), who have won eight of their last 12 games. De’Aaron Fox finished with 19 points and eight assists. Harry Giles III recorded his first career double-double, posting 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard had 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Clippers (37-19). Lou Williams came off the bench to score 24 points.

The Kings made a franchise-record 21 3-point goals in a 124-103 victory over the Clippers on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles. The Kings snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Clippers with the win, beating them for the first time since March 26, 2017.

And the LA Times:

Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 31 points and was even serenaded with “MVP” chants less than a week after the Clippers’ star was named the most valuable player of the NBA All-Star game. His dunk with 57 seconds remaining trimmed the Clippers’ deficit from eight to six, but Kings guard De’Aaron Fox answered with a layup of his own with 39 seconds remaining to effectively shutter the Clippers’ comeback and continue his torture of the Los Angeles defense.

The Clippers added a lot of depth recently, but a clear picture of the team as a whole won’t be visible until Pat and PG13 are back in action.

Pistons sign Donta Hall, from G League, to 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons signed forward/center Donta Hall to a 10-day contract today.

Hall, 6-9, 229, appeared in 36 games (35 starts) this season with the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Pistons. He’s averaged 15.4 points (66% FG), 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes per game.

Collegiately, Hall played four seasons at the University of Alabama where he averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 135 games and was named to the SEC All-Defensive as a junior.

The Luverne, AL native was a member of the Pistons 2019 Summer League team and was also in training camp with Detroit this season.

Rudy Gobert calls for Utah Jazz to step up

The Jazz lost 113-104 to the Spurs Friday. And despite playing at home, they started slowly, trailing by six points after one quarter, and were outscored by 13 in the second. Center Rudy Gobert wasn’t pleased after the game. Here’s the Deseret News reporting:

“It’s on us to be more physical and come out with an edge that we used to have,” Gobert said after the 113-104 loss. “If you want to be a champion, if you want to be one of the best teams in the league it’s got to be who we are and we’ve got to come out every night with that chip on our shoulder. No matter who we play we’ve got to come out with something to prove. That’s what teams are doing to us and they’re having fun.

“They don’t really respect us, They come out, push us around, deny us, we don’t react, take us out of what we want to do, and then offensively they’re just playing free. Dejounte Murray, all these guys they’re playing like they get out of the cage and they can do whatever they want because it’s easy.”

Gobert did his part last night, putting up 18 points and 14 rebounds on nearly-perfect 7-of-8 shooting. But the four other Jazz starters each shot below 36% from the field. And Jazz perimeter defenders allowed 10-of-20 three-point shooting from San Antonio.

Still, the Jazz are 36-19 for the season. A very solid record.