Category: Basketball

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups discussed the impressive play of Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren following Sunday’s 134-91 home loss (16 points/6 rebounds/2 blocks/6-6 FG/2-2 3-PT/2-2 FT/+10 +/-).

(via Portland Trail Blazers):

“This is my first time ever obviously coaching against him. He’s going to be a special, special player with his skillset and his size. He has a competitiveness about him that I like too, he’s pretty tough out there. He’ll make a play, he’ll talk a little bit on the court. I like that, I really like that. So they’re going to be able to move him around from the 5 to the 4, they can handle with him. A chip like that you can do so many things with him. So, he’s going to be an incredible, incredible player in this league.”

Pelicans forward Matt Ryan has been diagnosed with a mild right calf strain, sidelining him for an estimated 10-to-14 days. The injury occurred during Saturday’s game against Minnesota.

Ryan, operating on a two-way contract with New Orleans, faces the constraint of being eligible for only 50 NBA games in this capacity. However, the 26-year-old has already participated in all 13 of the Pelicans’ games this season.

Recognized for his sharpshooting skills, Ryan has made a notable impact in the 2023/24 season, boasting career-high averages of 9.3 points on an impressive .458/.471/.929 shooting line in 22.9 minutes per game.

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Pelicans’ Matt Ryan Out 10-14 Days With Calf Strain https://t.co/RpTWIxlre7 pic.twitter.com/04shXB1ezu

— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 20, 2023

Tragically, over the weekend, Mickey Cooper, the brother of retired Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper, was shot and killed at a local L.A. park.

The incident occurred around 4 AM on Saturday, prompting a response from Pasadena police to the area on Washington Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered 64-year-old Mickey unresponsive with gunshot wounds.

Law enforcement has yet to comment on the motive as they actively investigate the shooting, and no arrests have been made at this time.

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Ex-Lakers Star Michael Cooper’s Brother Mickey, 64, Shot Dead At L.A. Park | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/SM4nsPBdez

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) November 20, 2023

In a surprising turn of events this offseason, Damian Lillard, a longtime Portland Trail Blazer, found himself donning the Milwaukee Bucks jersey alongside NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Lillard, who initially expressed a desire to join the Miami Heat, shared intriguing details about the behind-the-scenes efforts that led to his move to the Bucks.

“I had a stretch where Giannis was trying to get me to go to Milwaukee, and I was like, ‘No, you come to Portland!’… Pat Connaughton was my rookie in Portland. After he signed here, he was the middleman,” Lillard revealed on The Players’ Tribune, via ClutchPoints.

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“There was a stretch where Giannis was trying to get me to go to Milwaukee, and I was like, ‘No, you come to Portland!’… Pat Connaughton was my rookie in Portland. After he signed here, he was the middleman.”

— Damian Lillard 👀

(via @PlayersTribune)pic.twitter.com/RDI20qEGdU

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 20, 2023

Despite Lillard’s initial request to be traded to the Heat, the trade dynamics shifted, and the star guard found himself on a new journey alongside two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Phoenix Suns’ new acquisition, Bradley Beal, is facing setbacks as he grapples with a persistent back issue, limiting his appearances in the current NBA season.

“The back is a tricky thing. It’s discomfort, tightness—day-to-day challenges,” shared NBA insider Shams Charania during a recent episode of Run It Back.

The star guard, who joined the Suns in a high-profile trade, has been in action for only three regular-season games, showcasing his skills despite the nagging injury. Beal’s performance has been noteworthy, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 28.7 minutes per game.

In an exclusive update, Charania provided more information into Beal’s status. “Bradley Beal will be reevaluated in three weeks,” Charania disclosed.

“He’s been dealing with a disc issue in his back, suffering it in training camp. Despite multiple MRIs and exams revealing no major structural problems, Beal has battled discomfort and nerve irritation down his legs from the back issue.”

The Suns are managing Beal’s condition strategically. Rather than subjecting Beal to daily uncertainties and potential performance fluctuations, the team opted to shut him down temporarily.

“They’re not playing for November, December, they’re playing to try to be in May and June. So this is the decision they made for Bradley Beal,” Charania explained.

For the Suns, the focus extends beyond the early months of the season. The decision to sideline Beal temporarily aligns with the team’s long-term objectives, prioritizing his health and readiness for the critical stages in May and June.

Indiana Pacers big man Jalen Smith thought the group had a difficult time creating quality offense during last night’s 128-116 home loss vs. the Orlando Magic.

(via Indiana Pacers):

“They was playing tough. They was hitting us. Every time we tried to make screens, they would just fly through them. They was pressing Ty [Haliburton] up. Obviously, everybody knows Ty’s our offense and our distributor. And once they took him out of pretty much most of the actions, we kind of got stagnant and we didn’t think for ourselves at that point. We was pretty much just worrying about what Ty was doing. And I feel as though that’s something that we got to improve on is obviously we know teams are going to take Ty out of a lot of actions because he’s Tyrese, and we just got to figure out how to play around that.”

Monty Williams remains undeterred, even as his Detroit Pistons endure an 11-game losing streak. He refrains from expressing discouragement and is adamant about not labeling losing habits as ingrained within his team.

“I can’t say that. My job is to teach and help guys break habits that they’ve had for a while. I can’t speak to what’s happened in the past, but when you see it, you call it out and help guys grow,” Williams said.

Williams added, “The habits are something we’ve talked about since the summertime and we’ll continue to talk about it until it changes.”

Detroit has finished with a losing record in 13 of their last 15 seasons.

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Monty Williams Says Job Is To Help Pistons ‘Break Habits They’ve Had For A While’ https://t.co/0L3v7JZYGd

— RealGM (@RealGM) November 20, 2023

Here’s a couple top quotes from the Orlando Magic’s Jamahl Mosley & Jalen Suggs after Sunday’s 128-116 road win vs. the Indiana Pacers.

(via Orlando Magic):

Mosley on Suggs: “I think he did a great job of following the game plan with Tyrese [Haliburton], was physical. The one thing that was so impressive: He played himself to exhaustion.”

Suggs responds to Mosley’s praise: “I needed a sub today, I’ll tell you what. I almost got a sub at the 8 minute mark. I was gassed. They play fast, but just trying to match that. When you do that and you play against somebody that makes you uncomfortable, won’t go away, won’t quit, you start to question are they ever going to take a step back. And then you start to take a step back, and that’s when you really put the foot on the gas. I think for me playing hard is a standard. It’s not an asset, it’s not an attribute that players have. I think that should be just the bare minimum. I’ve done it all my life, so just trying to continue to be who I am, be what got me to this point, and continue having fun with these boys because we have such a great group. I’ll do whatever for them. I’ll dive on the ground. I’ll get banged up. I’ll play in the paint. I’ll do whatever. As long as we come out with wins and I know I’m doing it for these guys on our roster, I’m cool.”

In the wake of a notable performance where Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV scored 26 points off the bench, he reflects on areas for improvement, specifically recognizing the need to enhance his playmaking skills.

Despite his impressive scoring contribution in Brooklyn’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, Walker expressed a desire to elevate his game beyond scoring.

“I think I need to start adding more of just the playmaking aspect,” Walker admitted, per Erik Slater, in the aftermath of the loss, emphasizing the importance of making better decisions on the court.

While his scoring prowess has been evident, Walker acknowledged instances where he could have opted for facilitating plays, opting for passes rather than shots.

He pointed out missed opportunities to involve teammates, indicating a commitment to broadening his playmaking abilities.

“I had a couple bad shots where I could’ve dropped it off to Nic [Claxton] or thrown corner passes and whatnot,” Walker said.

“So I think just broadening that aspect of playmaking rather than just trying to score first and understanding that they’re gonna be playing me a lot harder and my teammates are gonna be open.”

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Lonnie Walker said he feels he needs to improve as a passer following today’s loss:

“I think I need to start adding more of just the playmaking aspect. I had a couple bad shots where I could’ve dropped it off to Nic or thrown corner passes and whatnot. So I think just broadening…

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 19, 2023

This season Walker is averaging 15.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and two assists in 21.6 minutes per game.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown openly admitted to harboring strong negative feelings towards his former teammate, Marcus Smart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies this past offseason.

“I couldn’t stand Marcus at first… and I love him now… you grow and mature as young men and you learn things about people … But me and Marcus, we didn’t start off great. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Marcus when I first got to Boston,” Brown candidly shared, as reported by John Karalis.

When asked to elaborate on the reasons for his initial dislike of Smart, Brown responded, “A plethora of reasons. You name it.” However, he emphasized the transformative nature of their relationship over time.

Brown’s acknowledgment highlights the personal growth and maturity that can occur between teammates as they navigate the challenges of professional basketball.

Despite the rocky start, Brown came to recognize shared spirits with Smart, leading to a deepened appreciation for his former teammate.

Reflecting on the evolution of their dynamic, Brown concluded, “And if I was going to war with anybody, Marcus would be one of my first phone calls.”

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Why weren’t you a fan? “A plethora of reasons. You name it. But over time I realized that me and Marcus have similar spirits. And if I was going to war with anybody, Marcus would be one of my first phone calls”

— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) November 19, 2023