NBA Communications: Oklahoma City Thunder forward-center Chet Holmgren and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November.
Source: Twitter
NBA Communications: Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and New York Knicks forward Julius Randle have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 6 of the 2023-24 season (Nov. 27 – Dec. 3).
Source: Twitter
Adam Spolane: Dillon Brooks on the LeBron James-Ime Udoka back and forth on Saturday: “I tried to push LeBron away from it. The refs just let it get out of hand. A terrible group out there that was reffing, and they lost control of the game, and it was very inconsistent.“
Source: Twitter @AdamSpolane
Derek Bodner: Kelly Oubre Jr, on people questioning his account of the accident: “This was, and is, a very traumatic situation for me and my family. I just wish my life wasn’t like The Truman Show, where everybody could kind of watch it and have their own opinion about my life.”
Source: Twitter @DerekBodnerNBA
Last Thursday, Bronny James’s family announced that his doctor had cleared him to resume all basketball activities three and a half months after he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a team workout at USC’s Galen Center. James still needs to be cleared by USC’s medical staff, which is expected to happen sometime this week. There is still much uncertainty in this situation, and given the severity of what happened, no one is cutting corners. But it is looking increasingly possible that... Читать дальше...
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: There’s optimism Boston Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis (calf strain) will return to lineup this week. Porzingis is out for In Season Tourney quarters vs. Indiana Monday, but there’s increasing confidence he’ll be back in Vegas for IST Final 4 should Celtics advance.
Source: Twitter @wojespn
Ky Carlin: Nick Nurse says Kelly Oubre Jr. was in at practice today and he should be cleared to play Wednesday against the Wizards in D.C. #Sixers
Source: Twitter @Ky_Carlin
Sam Amick: I was hoping you could clarify one aspect of that situation. Were you actually told by the Sixers that you had that deal coming? James Harden: A max? Sam Amick: Yeah. James Harden: Yeah. Sam Amick: That was said by Daryl (Morey)? James Harden: Yes. Yes.
Source: Sam Amick @ The Athletic
Kobe Bryant’s last Lakers road uniform, from signature Nike sneakers to gold shorts and number 24 jersey, worn by Mamba during his last NBA road game just sold for nearly half a million dollars at auction! The historic pieces of memorabilia, photo matched to prove they were worn by KB on April 11, 2016, were on the block at SCP Auctions.
Source: TMZ Staff @ TMZ.com
When asked if Edmond Sumner would extend a similar invitation to Kevin Durant for a EuroLeague game in Kaunas, Sumner responded optimistically. “He might pop up, man,” Sumner told Jonas Leksas of BasketNews. “I like KD. He was a great teammate and a great person. Hopefully, he gets here. He always says when he’s done with the NBA, he wants to come over here and play. So, let’s see if that actually happens. But I believe it, though, because he just loves ball, like that’s all he cares about.”
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David Hardisty: Fred VanVleet on the @wojespn pod said he was surprised by how receptive, eager and hungry the young #Rockets were when he came here. “The culture has already changed,” said VanVleet. “And it’s going to continue to change.”
Source: Twitter @clutchfans
Now, Reaves is locking in for the long-term with a new signature shoe deal extension with Rigorer. The multi-year deal, negotiated by his agents Aaron Reilly and Reggie Berry at the AMR Agency, will earn Reaves north of seven figures per year on the deal, along with royalties from sales of his signature product. “I’m proud to continue this partnership with Rigorer,” said Reaves. “The team is incredible, and we’ve developed a signature shoe that I’m proud to put my name on, representing both high performance and accessibility. Читать дальше...
You probably had the most unique player-front office relationship… James Harden: Ever. Yeah, maybe in the history of the game. James Harden: Yeah. It surprised the hell out of me, you know what I mean? I looked at it like a marriage. We talked about a lot of s—. And we’ve got a lot of s— that, in front of people’s eyes, you don’t know or understand. But instead of (Morey) having a conversation with me (about free agency) or saying, ‘All right James, we don’t want to offer you this, but we have this.’ Then we go back and forth... Читать дальше...
In what was a short week for most teams, the Denver Nuggets (3-1), Minnesota Timberwolves (3-0), New York Knicks (3-0), and Boston Celtics (2-0) stand out as the biggest winners. Meanwhile, the Rockets, Spurs, and Pistons all went winless, with the latter two further extending long losing streaks.
What have you seen from LaMelo Ball’s development in his game that’s allowed him to play arguably at an All-NBA level this year? Gordon Hayward: The way he was hitting his threes really opened up his game because it makes teams have to respect it. Now he can drive and get in the lane where he can make plays and finish around the rim. His efficiency from three has opened up his whole game.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
What’s allowed Mark Williams to take a step forward this season? Gordon Hayward: He’s really come along. He’s got a great feel for the game. In Utah, you could see the same thing with Rudy Gobert. Initially, he’s young and kind of like Bambi out there, but you can’t teach that defensive feel where they have good timing and know when to help or when to play cat and mouse. Offensively, he’s got great hands and catches just about everything. He’s still going to get better and has a ways to go, but I think he’s definitely taken a step... Читать дальше...
How would you describe your time in a Hornets jersey over the years? Gordon Hayward: It’s been up and down. There have been moments where it’s been really fun with big-time wins. There have been a lot of moments where I was injured my first two years at the beginning of the year. They were unfortunate injuries. Those suck. There’s nothing you can do about that. It’s sports, and it happens.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
Brandon Miller’s been compared to Paul George a lot. What do you see in his game? Gordon Hayward: I think the thing that impressed me the most about him was his poise in the pocket, especially with the ball in his hands, not only making plays for himself but being able to see over the defense. In practice, he makes passes across the court. That’s stuff that usually takes time to develop. A lot of guys can play with the ball and score. That’s how they get to the NBA, but that’s what has impressed me about him. Читать дальше...
With the Charlotte Hornets struggling out of the gate and multiple playoff-caliber teams who’ve called Charlotte to gauge Gordon Hayward’s trade availability, Hayward sat down with HoopsHype to discuss the All-NBA upside of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, why Mark Williams reminds him of Rudy Gobert, his tenure with the Hornets, his future, and more.
“This team is not a playoff team,” Garnett said of the Warriors. Pierce then questioned that take, to which Garnett responded that the Warriors aren’t a playoff team “at all.” He continued. “No, not at all,” Garnett added when asked if the Warriors are even a play-in team. “… I’m just watching teams get better than them.”
Source: Peter Dewey @ ahnfiredigital.com
Scott Agness: Tyrese Haliburton (upper respiratory infection) is questionable for Monday’s quarterfinal game v Celtics. I expect him to play. Jalen Smith remains out. Kristaps Porzingis is out for the Celtics.
Source: Twitter @ScottAgness
A fun aspect of NBA preseason rankings is looking back on them to see what predictions have aged well and which have aged poorly.
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