Pacers center Myles Turner day-to-day with small fracture in hand

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has an avulsion fracture in his right hand and is listed as day-to-day. The injury is stable and will not require surgery.

Turner is having a very good season, and is leading the NBA with 4.2 blocks per game.

The Pacers are 8-5 so far this season. They are being led in scoring by Malcolm Brogdon at 22.2 points per game, Domantas Sabonis at 21.7 ppg and T.J. Warren at 15.5 ppg. They recently traded Victor Oladipo in a four-team trade that brought back Caris LeVert, but an exam of LeVert revealed a growth on his kidney, a health concern that will keep LeVert out of action indefinitely.

G League: Westchester Knicks hire Jaren Jackson Sr., promote Ryan Borges

The Westchester Knicks, the official NBA G League affiliate of the New York Knicks, announced the hiring of Jaren Jackson Sr. as an assistant coach and the promotion of Ryan Borges to Assistant General Manager.

Jackson Sr. joins second-year head coach Derrick Alston’s ranks with a 13-year professional playing career under his belt and 18 years’ worth of coaching experience.

His professional career spanned from 1989-2002, highlighted by a 1998-99 NBA World Championship won with the San Antonio Spurs under esteemed head coach, Gregg Popovich. Jackson Sr. has also played on eight other NBA teams, four Continental Basketball Association (CBA) teams, a World Basketball League (WBL) team, and a European Basketball League (FIBA-France) team.

A former Georgetown letterwinner, Jackson Sr.’s coaching resume commences at his alma mater, includes head coaching stints in the CBA, NBLC and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League (2008-10) and opportunities at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and NBA Assistant Coaches Program. For the last five years, Jackson Sr. has been an on-air talent serving as the Mad Ants’ Color Analyst.

Borges was elevated to Assistant General Manager of the Westchester Knicks-the first position of its kind. Having been with The Madison Square Garden Company since 2014, Borges’ journey in the Mecca started as the New York Knicks Basketball Operations Student Associate prior to ascension as the Westchester Knicks Manager of Basketball Operations.

As Manager, Borges has been an integral part of Westchester’s scouting, trading acquisitions, and logistical needs, including travel, of coaching staff, front office and players. Serving as the main conduit between basketball and business operations, Borges has been instrumental in the managing of housing and lodging of the players and visiting teams on their organization’s behalf, and off-court player development.

Westchester returns Allen Deep as Assistant Coach, Yen Pham as Athletic Trainer and Mike Atkinson as Strength and Conditioning Coach and adds Joel Garcia as Video Coordinator.

For its seventh season, the Knicks will be one of 17 NBA G League teams to participate at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando beginning next month.

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.