NBA notes: Rookies face pandemic; Giannis signs supermax deal; Harden trade talk
A new rookie class has arrived in the NBA less than a month after the league held its annual draft.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of this year’s freshman class didn’t have the benefit of a June draft, summer league and traditional training camps. Kings coach Luke Walton said this year’s rookies are at a disadvantage because of the truncated NBA calendar and COVID-19 restrictions. Some of the top picks in the draft have struggled thus far, but a few captured the imaginations of fans with some solid performances in their preseason debuts over the weekend.
“They are definitely at a disadvantage compared to every other rookie class that’s come through,” Walton said. “Not having the summer league, not having the three months to train at NBA facilities, to go through the rookie transition program. … We’ll see what the long-term effect is. I don’t know what it is now. I am happy with the rookies we have and the effort they’re playing with, and I’m very impressed with Tyrese’s understanding of the offensive playbook already.”
No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards was held to five points on 2-of-9 shooting in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 107-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. He had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting in a 123-104 loss to the Grizzlies on Monday. Through two games, Edwards is shooting 26% from the field and has made just 2 of 12 (.083) from 3-point range.
No. 2 pick James Wiseman did not suit up for the Golden State Warriors in Saturday’s 107-105 win over the Denver Nuggets. He began practicing with the team Monday after testing positive for COVID-19 and could make his debut against the Kings on Thursday.
No. 3 pick LaMelo Ball went scoreless for the Charlotte Hornets in a 111-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, although he finished with 10 rebounds and four assists. Ball had 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting in a 112-109 loss to the Raptors on Monday. So far he is shooting 20% from the field and 22.2% from 3-point range.
The early standouts included lottery picks like Haliburton, Washington Wizards small forward Deni Avdija, Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Isaac Okoro, Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams and San Antonio Spurs swingman Devin Vassell. Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Aleksej Pokusevski, the No. 17 pick, and point guard Theo Maledon, a second-round pick, also had impressive debuts.
“This is our summer league and our preseason condensed into these four games,” Haliburton said.
Pokusevski and Maledon came off the Thunder bench to combine for 34 points in Oklahoma City’s 121-108 victory over San Antonio on Saturday. Maledon, the 34th pick in the draft, had 20 points and five rebounds in 29 minutes, making 7 of 14 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range. Pokusevski had 14 points and eight rebounds, knocking down 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Vassell, the No. 11 pick, looked good in that game, too, posting 12 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists for the Spurs.
Okoro, the No. 5 pick in the draft, started for the Cavaliers in their 107-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. He had 18 points and three steals, finishing 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range. Okoro also demonstrated his defensive capabilities, guarding Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo and Aaron Holiday at various times and getting a crucial stop on TJ McConnell in the final seconds.
Okoro had another solid showing in a 116-106 win over the Pacers on Monday. He had 15 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting with four assists.
Avdija, chosen with the No. 9 pick, started for the Wizards in Sunday’s 119-114 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The big story in Brooklyn that night was the return of Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but Avdija made a nice impression, scoring 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including three 3-pointers. He also had four rebounds and two assists.
Williams, the fourth pick in the draft, produced two double-digit scoring efforts for the Bulls. He had 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with three rebounds in a 124-104 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday. He had 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting with three rebounds and three steals in a 104-91 victory over the Rockets on Sunday.
Haliburton, chosen by the Kings at No. 12, showed glimpses of his game but looked timid at times in a 127-102 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, finishing with five points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He was much more assertive in a 121-106 win over the Blazers on Sunday, posting 11 points, seven assists, six rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot.
Haliburton made 7 of 14 (.500) shots from the field and 2 of 5 (.400) from 3-point range in the two games. He showed promise as a playmaker and defender. Most of all, Walton said he was impressed with Haliburton’s grasp of the game.
“It’s his basketball instincts, the way he gets the deflections, the steals,” Walton said. “He’s seeing what’s happening out there from not just his spot, but like all great guards, he sees it from what everyone else is doing, too. Those instincts for someone as young as he is — and was only drafted a few weeks ago — is pretty exciting.”
Antetokounmpo signs supermax deal
Decision day was Tuesday in Milwaukee, where the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million max contract extension before the Dec. 21 deadline.
The Bucks made a big move trading for Jrue Holiday to show Antetokounmpo they are committed to winning, but Antetokounmpo reportedly wanted former Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Kings and Bucks nearly pulled off a sign-and-trade deal that would have sent Bogdanovic and Justin James to Milwaukee in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson, but that deal unraveled amid tampering allegations.
Antetokounmpo is entering his eighth season with the Bucks, who selected him with the No. 15 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Antetokounmpo averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists last season to capture his second consecutive MVP award. The Bucks posted the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, but they were knocked out of the playoffs with a 4-1 series loss to the Miami Heat in the conference semifinals.
Harden trade talk
Rockets star James Harden is expected to make his first preseason appearance Tuesday against the Spurs, but the eight-time All-Star and former MVP could be suiting up for a new team soon.
Harden is reportedly asking for a trade despite Houston’s additions of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers remained at the top of Harden’s wish list, saying the 76ers have the assets for such a deal while the Nets would need to involve a third team.
Sources told ESPN Harden intended to be a good partner with the Rockets as they seek an equitable deal. Wojnarowski explained: “If he wants that trade, and he does very much, what James Harden has to do is not become a distressed asset for the Rockets, making it harder for them to get full market value as they look for trades around the league.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
