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Celtics backup center Vincent Poirier underwent surgery this morning to fix a fracture of the proximal phalanx on his right pinkie finger.
Poirier is expected to return to play in 4-6 weeks.
The Celtics are 17-7 so far this season. Poirier has played in just nine games, averaging 1.7 points in 4.9 minutes per outing.
The Phoenix Suns have their young center back, as Deandre Ayton returned to action yesterday. Here’s Arizona Sports reporting:
In his first time speaking to the media since being suspended 25 games, Deandre Ayton commented on testing positive for a diuretic.
“I know what I did,” he said to the assembled media before Tuesday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, his return game. “It was the biggest mistake, and unintentional mistake that happened in my life and it’s just something to learn from and just build from it. It’s a mistake and everybody makes mistakes.
“It’s just how you bounce back. I think that’s what everybody is waiting for. I already did my time so I’m here.”
Ayton returned on a night in which the Suns faced a tough task — a visit to Los Angeles to face the Clippers. And although Ayton’s shot was a bit off, he put up nice numbers: 18 points and 12 rebounds in just 24 minutes. Despite this, the Clippers, who had three scorers put up 20 or more points, came away with a 120-99 win.
Still, getting Ayton back is a win for Phoenix.
The next Suns game is Friday on the road against the Thunder.
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Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley was evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Wednesday and the following was determined:
Conley reinjured his left hamstring during Utah’s game against Orlando in Salt Lake City last night. He will be reevaluated during the team’s upcoming road trip. Any further updates will be provided when necessary.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “Conley missed five games after experiencing hamstring tightness, which was frustrating for the Jazz point guard. “That’s why they’re like, ‘Be patient, be patient, don’t push it.’ And I’m just trying to push it every day,” Conley said before his return.”
Conley has appeared in 22 games (all starts) in his first season with Utah, averaging 13.6 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per contest.
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For those of you who enjoy keeping up with off-court pop culture news, especially when it involves Kanye West, here’s the San Jose Mercury News:
You may have heard of Sunday Service, a weekly gospel concert led by rapper Kanye West that has attracted a who’s who of celebrities — including Brad Pitt, Katy Perry and Idris Elba, among others… Steph Curry is the latest celebrity to attend the music performance/spiritual service.
There is no word yet on exactly when Steph may return to action for the Warriors.
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura suffered a groin injury late in the first half of last night’s 133-119 win at Detroit. He is out for the next five games and will be re-evaluated when the team returns from their upcoming road stretch.
According to the Washington Post, “Hachimura, who has averaged 13.9 points and 5.8 rebounds through 25 games, sustained the injury in the closing seconds of Monday night’s win over the Pistons. As Hachimura attempted to secure a defensive rebound, teammate Isaac Bonga accidentally made contact, kicking Hachimura between his legs.”
Hachimura, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound rookie from Japan, was drafted 9th overall by the Wizards in 2019, and has started all 25 games he’s played in.
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The Washington Wizards signed center Anzejs Pasecniks to a two-way contract today.
And in a related move, the team waived guard Chris Chiozza.
Pasecniks, a 7-1 center from Latvia, has played in 12 games (two starts) with the Capital City Go-Go this season, averaging 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting .604 from the field. Pasecniks had scored at least 10 points in each of the Go-Go’s last four games, most recently posting 16 points and four rebounds in a win over the Lakeland Magic on December 13.
Pasecniks was a member of the Wizards’ 2019 Summer League team, where he appeared in four games (two starts) and averaged 4.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also appeared in one preseason game with the Wizards this season, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds in a win over the 76ers. He was originally selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on draft night.
Chris Chiozza played in 10 games with the Wizards this season, averaging 2.7 points and 2.8 assists per game. The second-year pro also started in seven games for the Go-Go this season, where he averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.
The Pacers have been a success story this season, which is impressive considering they are still awaiting the return to action of shooting guard Victor Oladipo. A key development this year has been a change in the squad’s frontcourt, and one that definitely affects Myles Turner. Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:
Being defended by smaller players because he’s now sharing the starting lineup with Domantas Sabonis, he’s not just posting and having his number called. It’s how he’s posting up.
No longer do most of his looks in the offense come via the pick-and-roll (or pop). That’s for Sabonis, who is being defended by the slower players at his position on offense at the 5. Turner, listed as the center, is being defended by 4s and offensively faces up better. His defenders are now mostly quicker, smaller and more laterally capable.
When Malcolm Brogdon or T.J. McConnell call for a ball screen, they want slow-footed Alex Len (Hawks) who’d be defending Sabonis or Daniel Theis (Celtics) or Nik Vucevic (Magic). They wouldn’t call for Turner, who’d be defended by John Collins (when he returns from suspension for the Hawks) in that scenario, or Jaylen Brown (Celtics) or Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac (Magic).
The Pacers haven’t gotten much attention this season but they’ve played as well as many of the East’s best squads. Especially on the defensive side of the floor – and Turner is a big part of that.
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the team’s most important players, is dealing with a lingering eye infection. Here’s the Boston Herald reporting:
The infection in the Celtics guard’s left eye that has kept him out of the team’s last three games has now spread to his right eye, coach Brad Stevens said after practice on Monday.
Smart wasn’t at the Celtics practice facility as the team returned Monday and it’s uncertain when he will be back. Either way, his status seems to be in jeopardy as the Celtics return to action on Wednesday night at Dallas.
“You’re worried about it but I was told this particular type of infection could be 7-10 days,” Stevens said Monday. “We’re at seven now.”
The Celtics are 17-7 this season. Smart has started 15 of 20 games played and is averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 assists per game, and is one of the team’s key defensive players.
“Load management” is getting more attention than it deserves. Only a handful of NBA players sit out sometimes, usually during one game in a back-to-back, and occasionally in other situations.
How does LeBron James feel about it? Here’s the LA Times reporting:
“If I’m healthy, I play,” James said after the Lakers’ 101-96 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. “I mean, that should be the approach. I mean, unless we’re getting to like late in the season and we’ve clinched and we can’t get any better or any worse, it could benefit from that, but why wouldn’t I play if I’m healthy? It doesn’t make any sense to me, personally.
“I mean, I don’t know how many games I got left in my career. I don’t know how many kids that may show up to a game and they’re there to come see me play and if I sit out, then what? That’s my obligation.”
The Lakers are 24-3 so far this season. That’s 27 games. LeBron has played in all 27.
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The Heat have suspended shooting guard Dion Waiters three times this season. They haven’t actually used his services as a basketball player. And the two sides may just call it a wrap and see about moving on.
Here’s the Miami Herald:
The Heat is actively exploring avenues to extricate itself of guard Dion Waiters, but Waiters – at this point – opposes giving up any of the money he’s owed to achieve that, according to a source briefed on the situation…
The Heat is open to a buyout of the final year-and-a-half of his contract, but Waiters at this point has been disinclined to accept anything less than $12.1 million he’s owed this year and the $12.7 million he’s due to make next season.
That $12.1 million salary for this season has been reduced by $1.4 million because of the three suspensions, which cover 17 games.
The Heat have been terrific this season. The addition of Jimmy Butler has been a complete success. It’s a shame to waste big salary money on a player that isn’t being utilized, but when a team has a winning situation, they need to protect it.