On the possible future of the Raptors beyond this season

Sports teams always need to think about what comes next, beyond the current season. As for the Raptors, here’s the Toronto Star:

A first-round playoff elimination for the second successive season is likely going to mean a lot of roster churn in the summer of 2023. That’s not pressure, that’s just expectations from the top; they set a high bar because mediocrity is not acceptable and while Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster are patient, they’re not that patient. They may never say it out loud but, privately, the second round in the standard.

They’re too good to go entirely in the tank for France’s teen phenom Victor Wembanyama — get that out of your heads right now — but a first-round failure is going to force some moves come summertime.

The second thing is this: They are going to give this team 20 or 25 or so games to find out what it is; no panic trades, no bold moves, no major rotation switches.

But, as one top official said, they might have all kinds of options to play with at February’s trade deadline. Big contracts, small contracts, young players, established players.

Might be an explosive time and team officials are already thinking about it.

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Pistons assistant coach Bill Bayno undergoes prostate cancer surgery

Detroit Pistons assistant coach Bill Bayno underwent successful prostate cancer surgery Tuesday morning in Detroit. Recovery time is expected to take four-to-six weeks. Bayno said that doctors from Henry Ford Health, the club’s official healthcare provider, are optimistic for a full recovery following the surgery.

“I’m disappointed to miss the beginning of the season with the team, but obviously want to take care of my body and I thank Dr. Craig Rogers and his colleagues who are putting me on a solid path to recovery,” said Bayno. “Once I’ve recovered and get the okay from doctors taking care of me – I look forward to getting back on the bench and supporting our Pistons family that has been so great to me.”

Bulls guard Zach LaVine misses season opener

Bulls guard Zach LaVine’s knee caused him to miss tonight’s season opener against the Heat. Via the Chicago Sun-Times:

“I just want to make sure I’m safe in bringing myself back in and managing it,’’ LaVine said. “It’s the way it is. Just for going forward, I want to make sure I’m 100% at the end of the season, too. So I think the best thing is just managing it and having the team support, me supporting myself in going out there and being the best I can.’’

Hopefully LaVine finds himself close to full strength soon.

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Lakers guard Russell Westbrook speaks on opening night injury

Lakers guard Russell Westbrook had something to say last night as the NBA season tipped off. Via the Los Angeles Times:

If deciding whether to start Russell Westbrook was Darvin Ham’s first big test as Lakers head coach, picking up the pieces after wild postgame comments is certainly the second.

With the Clippers up next in a 10-game gauntlet to start the season, Westbrook and LeBron James put some of the Lakers’ uncomfortable truths squarely in the spotlight.

First, following the team’s 123-109 loss to the Warriors in the opener, Westbrook said his hamstring injury was “absolutely” related to coming off the bench in the team’s preseason finale.

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame,” Westbrook said. “Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. For me, obviously the way I play the game, it’s fast-paced, quick, stop-and-go. And I just happened to, when I subbed in, felt something.

“Didn’t know what it was, but I wasn’t going to risk it in a preseason game. But definitely wasn’t something I was used to. Wasn’t warm enough.”

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Timberwolves waive Eric Paschall

The Minnesota Timberwolves have waived forward Eric Paschall.

Paschall, 6-6, originally signed a two-way contract with the Wolves on July 30. He spent last season with the Utah Jazz where he averaged 5.8 points on 48.5% shooting and 1.8 rebounds per game in 58 games (three starts). During his rookie campaign with the Golden State Warriors in 2019-20, he saw action in 60 games (26 starts) and averaged a career-best 14.0 points on 49.7% shooting, a career-high 4.6 rebounds and a career-best 2.1 assists. He was named to the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie team following his play during his first season. In three seasons with the Jazz and Warriors, Paschall has tallied 1,552 points and 509 rebounds.

The Timberwolves roster stands at 16 players.

Raptors exercise contract options on Precious Achiuwa, Scottie Barnes and Malachi Flynn

The Toronto Raptors have exercised the third-year team option on the rookie scale contract of Scottie Barnes and the fourth-year team option on the rookie scale contracts of Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.

All three players are now signed through the 2023-24 season.

Trail Blazers hire BJ Domingo as Director of Player Personnel

The Portland Trail Blazers have hired BJ Domingo as Director of Player Personnel.

“We are excited to welcome BJ to the front office here in Portland to help bolster our global scouting efforts,” said Blazers GM Joe Cronin. “BJ has evaluated talent at the pro level, collegiate and amateur ranks while developing great relationships across the world.”

Domingo joins the Trail Blazers after serving as the Assistant Director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2021 after previously working for the Milwaukee Bucks as a Scout since 2017. The Bay Area native also served as a basketball operations associate from 2015-17 and as a player relations intern in 2014-2015 for the Bucks.

A graduate of San Jose State in 2013, Domingo first entered the NBA as a video intern for the Golden State Warriors in 2013-14.

Young, rebuilding Rockets set to begin new season

Here’s the Houston Chronicle on the young, rebuilding Rockets as they begin the new season:

It’s hard to know what to expect from the Houston Rockets this season. Stephen Silas’s squad enters Wednesday’s opener in Atlanta following a pair of seasons near the Western Conference cellar, though this isn’t a roster bereft of talent entering 2022-23. Second-year guard Jalen Green is one of the game’s best young athletes, and he could threaten for a scoring title at some point in the 2020s. Talented guard Kevin Porter Jr. and young center Alperen Şengün both sport a degree of All-Star upside, and 2022 lottery pick Jabari Smith should make an instant impact on both ends.

This year’s Rockets team is light years away from championship contention. The play-in feels like a long shot. Yet for all its warts, this should be one of the more entertaining young teams in basketball. Projecting Houston’s performance on a given night will be no easy task.

Win or lose, there should be some fun-to-watch basketball in Houston this season.

Bulls set for new season

Via the Chicago Sun-Times:

There will be no easing into the 2022-23 schedule for the Bulls. Besides dealing with the Heat right off the tip, the home opener is against the up-and-arrived Cavaliers, there’s two games against Boston, Toronto, and New Orleans within the first 15 games, as well as meetings with Philadelphia and Brooklyn…

Right or wrong, the starting core of this Bulls team feels they should also be in that conversation of elite teams. A core that also included Patrick Williams, after he was officially named the starting power forward on Tuesday…

The good news for DeRozan & Co., they start the season relatively healthy. Sure, Lonzo Ball — arguably the best two-way player on the team — will be absent indefinitely after a second left knee surgery at the start of camp, but the coaching staff and front office knew this scenario was likely and had an entire camp to prepare for it.

The NBA season starts tonight with a pair of games. Then things get serious tomorrow with 24 teams, including the Bulls and Heat, seeing action.