J-Speaks: Wizards' Wall (Knee Surgery) Shelved for Two Months

The 2017-18 Washington Wizards, have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA this season. Their inability to win games against inferior opponents, plus the inconsistency from players not named John Wall, and Bradley Beal has had head coach Scott Brooks shaking his head on most nights. The prospects of a quick turnaround got even tougher with some tough news about their All-Star floor general. 

On Tuesday, the Wizards announced that Wall, who earned his fifth All-Star selections last month will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. 

That operation took place on Wednesday in Cleveland, OH to get a second opinion on his knee, that has been an issue for him for much of this season. 

A person with direct knowledge of the No. 1 overall pick in 2010 by the Wizards could miss 6 to 8 weeks. That means without any setbacks in his rehabilitation, Wall could return in late March. 

“It’s a concern, but we have to trust that the doctors, and everybody is going to have the best game plan for him going forward, not about us going forward,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said about Wall’s knee prior to surgery, according to The Washington Post on Monday. 

“We want to make sure, not only with John, but with all our guys that their career is most important. But right now, I don’t know how concerned, but we’re definitely concerned that it’s bothering him time to time.”

Along with losing their No. 2 scorer at 19.4 points, and the No. 2 man in assists per game at 9.3 this season, they lose their floor general who not only can operate the team in the half court but is one of the fastest players in “The Association” in the open court. 

This injury to some extend has taken away some of Wall’s speed, and it has hampered his production from last season where he averaged career-highs of 23.1 points, and 10.7 assists, which was second in the league, on 45.1 percent from the field. 

In July, Wall agreed to a four-year, $170 million contract extension, which begins in the 2018-19 season. 

Last week, Wall earned his fifth All-Star selection, but will miss the Annual unofficial midseason classic in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 18 on TNT. In his place, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chose Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond to replace Wall on captain LeBron James’ squad. 

He had missed nine games from November to December 2017 this season due to that knee, and the Wizards went 4-5 in those contests. 

Attempts to get Wall’s right included draining it and getting platelet-rich plasma injections. 

“It just kept becoming a problem,” Brooks, whose starting floor general a season ago averaged said. 

Manning the lead guard spot until Wall returns will be second-year guard Tomas Satoransky, who was Wall’s understudy. His backup will be Tim Frazier, who the team signed in free agency this summer. 

In the 11 prior games that Wall has missed, Satoransky has averaged 7.3 points, and 4.1 assists on 44 percent from the floor. 

Last Saturday in his second start of the season in place of Wall, who was shelved because of a recurrence of soreness, and swelling in that left knee Satoransky had 11 points, and seven assists, hitting all three of his triples in the Wizards 129-104 win at the Atlanta Hawks (15-36). 

He was one of six Wizards to score in double-figures with Markieff Morris leading the way with 23 points, hitting 9 for 12 from the floor, including 4 for 5 from three-point range. Mike Scott had 19 points off the bench. Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter, Jr. each scored 18. Kelly Oubre, Jr. had 15 points off the pine. While he only scored four points off the bench, Frazier had 14 assists, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes. 

The Wizards shot 57.6 percent at the Hawks, hitting 18 for 32 from three-point range, garnering 40 assists on their 49 made field goals.    

“That was an opportunity for them,” Wizards starting center Marcin Gortat said of his backcourt teammates’ performance. “John has some health issues, and that’s why he was resting (Saturday). That’s an opportunity for somebody to step up.” 

“Tim took that challenge. He used that opportunity. It was an unbelievable game for him… Tomas is Tomas-we know what he can do. He’s shooting the ball very well now, and we’re excited. It’s a lot of fun to play with Tomas. He’s looking for you, and he’s trying to get you the ball.” 

In their rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, the Wizards controlled matters for much of the game, garnering a 102-96 win, to improve to 7-6 without Wall this season. 

Porter led the way with 25 points, with six boards, and two steals. Beal had 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and two steals. Morris had 18 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Oubre, Jr. added 10 off the bench. 

In their first encounter in Oklahoma City on Jan. 25, the Thunder (30-21) scored 36 points of 23 Wizards turnovers; were outscored 60-40 in the paint; scored 22 fast break points; and shot 51.7 percent shooting. 

The Wizards while they shot 38.2 percent from the floor, won because they held the Thunder to 37.5 percent shooting. While they were out-rebounded by the Thunder 61-53; they only had 12 turnovers, leading to 11 points; were only outscored 34-32 in the paint; held the Thunder to 9 for 32 from three-point range; and forced 21 miscues, leading to 13 points. The Wizards also managed 27 assists on their 34 made field goals. 

All-Star Russell Westbrook, who had a season-high 46 points, on 19 for 29 from the field, and 7 for 10 at the foul line, was held 13 points, on 5 for 18 shooting, with 10 assists, six rebounds, and seven turnovers. Anthony had 19 points, but shot just 7 for 21 shooting, including 2 for 12 from distance. 

“Our spirit won the game,” Brooks said following the win. “We fought, we battled, we clawed. We didn’t complain. We just played. How many times can you shoot 38 percent, and have 27 assists? That means the ball was moving around, and shot distribution was great.” 

The Wizards improved their record without Wall to 8-6 thanks with a 122-119 victory versus the Toronto Raptors (35-16) on Thursday night. 

In a game where both teams were scorching hot from the field, connection on 53, and 51.8 percent from the floor between the Raptors and Wizards respectably, the home team out-rebounded their opponent 50-37; scored 23 points of 18 Raptor miscues, which consisted of 10 steals and had 16 fast break points. The Wizards also registered 30 assists on their 44 field goals, which offset their 16 turnovers that ended up in 22 Raptors points. 

Beal led eight Wizards in double-figures with 25 of his 27 points in the second half, with six boards, six assists and three steals. Porter had 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists of his own. Morris had 15 points and seven boards. Scott had 14 points off the bench, while Gortat, Satoransky, Ian Mahinmi, and Jodi Meeks each scored 10. 

If there is any silver-lining with Wall going on the shelf at this point in the season, the team is the No. 5 Seed in the Eastern Conference at 28-22, just a ½ game ahead of the No. 4 Seeded Miami Heat. 

While it may be a long shot, Wizards’ President Ernie Grunfeld could acquire a point guard before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Brooks said however that Wall’s injury would not alter the team’s approach to the deadline.” 

“This is a minor setback. And he [Wall] will be back-I don’t know when,” he said. “We’re not going to change things up just [be]cause of this.” 

The team has played well in their first two games with Satoransky, who dead a wonderful job on Westbrook, and his understudy Frazier. 

“John is the main guy, so it’s always tough to cover your main guy when he goes down,” Satoransky said. “It’s very challenging.”

Led by their starting backcourt of Wall and Beal, who will be playing in his first All-Star Game in three weeks from this Sunday in Los Angeles, CA, the Wizards were within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics in seven games a season ago. 

For them to be in that same position again this spring, they will have to win at a high rate without their perennial All-Star lead guard. That means Satoransky, and Frazier will have to lead the way at the point. Beal, Porter, Jr., Gortat, Morris, and Oubre, Jr. will have to raise their games. Above all, the team can have no more setbacks in terms of beating teams they are supposed to beat. 

This season still has a chance to be a special one for the Wizards, but only if they play to the level of their talent, and put aside the pettiness that has been a major distraction. 

Hearing Beal say what he did near the end of this week that without Wall, "it's fun basketball. Everybody gets a touch, everybody gets a shot. It makes life easier. It keeps the camaraderie going. At the same time, that's the type of team we need to be in order for us to be special."

They may have won their first few times out without Wall in the lineup, but if they think that life will get easier for them until he returns, they will fall flat on their faces before they know it.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/30/18 www.nba.com article “Washington Wizards’ John Wall to Have Left Knee Surgery,” by Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press; 1/31/18 www.espn.com article, via The Associated Press “John Wall Undergoes Knee Surgery;” 2/2/18 3:30 p.m. edition of "Sportsnation," presented by Toyota with Michelle Beadle, LZ Granderson, and Marcellus Wiley; www.nba.com/games/20180201/OKCWSH#/preview;  www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/wsh/washington-wizards; www.nba.com/games/20180130/OKCWSH#/preview; www.nba.com/games/20180201/TORWAS#/matchup;  www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/4237/john-wall; and www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/6621/tomas-satoransky.

J-Speaks: Grizzlies' Guard Mike Conley Out Remainder of This Season

Coming into the 2017-18 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies chances of returning the playoffs was very small, especially with the departures in free agency of Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Vince Carter. That is even with their two best players still in toe of lead guard Mike Conley and starting center Marc Gasol. Through the first 12 games of this season, the Grizzlies got off to an okay start at 7-6. However, when Conley went down with a left heel injury, the bottom fell out, and the Grizzlies season was lost. There was some hope that Conley would get healthy, and get back on the court, but after several treatment options to get his injury right, it came time for a drastic approach.

On Tuesday, the Grizzlies (18-32) and Conley agreed on season-ending surgery to repair his left heel. 

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace made the announcement in an e-mail last Saturday to the team’s season-ticket holders, that read, “Mike has been extremely diligent as we pursued multiple different approaches to alleviate the pain before deciding surgery was the best solution.”

Conley, who is in the second-year of a five-year $153 million deal he signed back on July 14, 2016 played in just 12 games this season, with his last appearance on Nov. 13, 2017 where he scored just seven points, going a dismal 2 for 12 from the field, and just two assists in the Grizzlies 110-103 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks (27-22). He averaged 17.1 points, and 4.1 assists in those contests, on just 38.1 percent from the field, and 31.2 percent from three-point range.

The 11-year veteran, who the Grizzlies took with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 draft had made some progress earlier in January in 3-on-3 scrimmages. The pain, and soreness in that heel continued to persist. 

This discomfort is something that Conley said earlier this week that he has been dealing with for years, and that it reached a point that surgery was the only option left. 

“We literally did every, single thing the last three years to alleviate the pain,” Conley told the Commercial Appeal. “I did a decent job last year, but this year seemed to be too much for me. I didn’t want to have to continue this cycle. Hopefully this is the answer.” 

Conley, according to a tweet from NBA.com’s Mike Wallace @MyMikeCheck, was as hopeful as anyone in the Grizzlies organization that he would return at some point this season, but he cautioned them that his progress was slow, saying, “Time is the only thing that can kind of heal this kind of thing.” Wallace also mentioned in that tweet that Conley said earlier in January, “And it seems like it’s taking forever.” 

In another tweet by Wallace, Conley mentioned that he had felt some discomfort in his heel in the Grizzlies’ second game of this season, where he had just 10 points, and seven assists, on just 3 for 14 from the floor, including 1 for 6 from three-point range. The former Ohio State standout spent nearly the rest of November 2017 trying to manage the soreness in his heel until he said, “it I knew I wasn’t helping the team.” 

Conley is expected to make a full recovery, and be ready for training camp, and the 2018-19 season. 

The question is what will be left of the Grizzlies when he does return next season. Other than Marc Gasol, the team is basically full of young players who are being thrown into the fire to see if they will be part of the team going forward next season, and beyond. 

That cast consists of rookie Dillon Brooks, Deyonta Davis, JaMychal Green, Jarell Martin, Ivan Rabb, Andrew Harrison, and Ben McLemore. 

One player, who has made his mark in the absence of Conley is Tyreke Evans, who has resurrected himself with a scoring average of 19.5 points, his highest since scoring 17.8 points per game in his second season with the Sacramento Kings. He is also averaging five boards, and five assists per game, while hitting 45.8 percent of his field goal attempts, equaling his average from the floor that he shot on his way to winning Rookie of the Year in 2010. 

What has allowed Evans to flourish with the Grizzlies, unlike the past 4 ½ seasons with the Pelicans, is that he is healthy playing in 46 of the team’s 50 games this season, and that has given the team a serious asset to use to acquire draft picks as the trade deadline approaches on Feb. 8. 

The other order of business the Grizzlies will need to take care of at season’s end is at head coach. Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff is the leader on the Grizzlies’ sidelines since they fired David Fizdale after a 98-88 loss versus the Brooklyn Nets (19-33) on Nov. 26, 2017, the team’s sixth loss in a row. 

This is on the heels of Fizdale leading the Grizzlies into the playoffs and giving the No. 2 Seeded San Antonio Spurs a tough series, that they eventually lost in six games. Conley, and Gasol had career seasons, and gave the Grizzlies a fighting chance to make their eighth straight playoff appearance in 2017-18. The injury to Conley, and Fizdale’s ouster put a serious monkey wrench into those plans, as the team has gone 11-20 under Bickerstaff’s direction. 

The reality going forward for the Grizzlies is that Conley, and Gasol because of their salaries will be hard to trade, and that their best path back to winning will be through the draft, and some of their previously mentioned players on the roster developing into role players that will make an impact and become fixtures of this team going forward.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/27/18 www.nba.com twitter report, “Memphis Grizzlies’ Mike Conley (heel) to Have Season-Ending Surgery;” www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/mem/memphis-grizzlies;  www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/gamelog/_/id/3195/mike-conley; www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/gamelog/stats/_/id/3983/tyreke-evans; www.espn.com/nba/standings; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Conley_Jr.; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Memphis_Grizzlies_seasons.

J-Speaks: Clippers and Pistons Make Blockbuster Trade

Late Monday, the Los Angeles Clippers sent shockwaves throughout the entire NBA as they ended their association with perhaps their most accomplished player in franchise history. A player who went from being Rookie of the Year eight years ago, into a perennial All-Star, All-NBA performer, and consistent playoff participant. The other part of this story was injuries, and underachievement in the postseason where they never reached the Western Conference Finals, even though he played alongside a dynamic center, and one of the best floor generals in NBA history. In the blink of an eye, he was dealt, and now will try to make an even better name in the Motor City. 

The Los Angeles Clippers (25-25) sent five-time All-Star Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons, along with forward/center Willie Reed, and forward Brice Johnson in exchange for forward Tobias Harris, defensive perimeter ace in guard Avery Bradley, center Boban Marjanovic, a 2018 First-Round pick, and a 2019 Second-Round pick. 

“Trading Blake Griffin was an extremely difficult decision,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said prior to the team’s tilt versus the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night on TNT. “Blake’s obviously one of the greatest players to put on a Clipper uniform. He led a huge centerpiece of obviously the greatest era of Clipper basketball.” 

It was just this past summer that Griffin, now 28-years of age re-signed a five-year $173 million deal with the Clippers was at the forefront of a team that was this highlight-reel squadron that for years was second fiddle to the 16-time World Champion Los Angeles Lakers that became not only relevant, but a consistent winner. Griffin worked himself into being a superstar in a city that only responds to stars, with his ability to dunk the basketball, as well as play make for his teammates. His athletic prowess became must watch television and earned the Clippers a splashy nickname— “Lob City”—and the main reason the Staples Center was packed each night the team took the hardwood. 

The Clippers had another heartbreaking end in the postseason when they lost in the opening round to the Utah Jazz in seven games. 

After nine-time All-Star Chris Paul engineered a trade to the Houston Rockets before the draft last June, the team moved quickly to re-sign Griffin as mentioned earlier to a max deal, which was on the heels of showering him with video tributes, as well as made up t-shirts comparing him with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, John F. Kennedy, and Albert Einstein during their recruiting pitch. 

Despite his best efforts during the 2017-18 NBA campaign, Griffin was unable to resurrect the team as a legitimate title contender without not only Paul, but J.J. Redick, and Sixth Man extraordinaire Jamal Crawford who left for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves respectably over the summer. 

While they were one game out of the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the Western Conference entering Tuesday night’s action, sources say the Clippers felt they have plateaued having to depend on G-League callups like C.J. Williams, and Jawun Evans, who had to play major minutes throughout this season because of the injuries to key players like Patrick Beverly, who has been shelved for the season because of knee surgery; Danilo Gallinari, Austin Rivers, and Griffin, who missed a month due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. It was that injury, according to sources that raised the white flag to Clippers’ Owner Steve Ballmer, Griffin’s biggest fan. 

As this season progressed, it became very clear that the Clippers were no longer a playoff contender, but their window to contend for a championship was closed shut and showed no signs of reopening anytime soon. That opened the door for trade talks with the Pistons in the last two weeks, and they came to the table with a deal that the Clippers accepted. 

Regardless of that, sources said that the mood on Monday afternoon around the organization was described as “terrible,” and it showed on the face of head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers on Tuesday. 

“Trading Blake No. 1 was hard, obviously,” Rivers said. “Blake was great for us. I really believe Blake put this franchise on the map. This franchise hasn’t had a lot of great history. You get a guy like Blake, and he started it. D.J. [DeAndre Jordan], and Chris, it was really Blake who started it for us, in a lot of ways with his name, and his good play.” 

We need to remember the Clippers before Griffin, Paul, and Jordan got there were the laughing stock of professional sports. In their first 41 seasons in Southern California, they made the playoffs just seven times. They have been in the postseason entering the 2017-18 campaign six consecutive seasons, winning over 50 games the last five seasons in succession. 

That shift came two years after the Clippers drafted Griffin with the No. 1 overall pick out of the University of Oklahoma in the 2009 draft. He did miss what would have been his rookie season after sustaining a fractured kneecap prior to the start of the 2009-10 regular season. 

He made his debut in 2010, and won the 2011 Kia Rookie of the Year, and earning the first of his five All-Star selections, averaging 22.5 points, and 12.1 boards. 

He really was at the height of his powers when he won the 2011 Slam Dunk contest at All-Star Weekend in L.A. when he dunked over a car. 

That led to a slue of ad campaigns that were developed around Griffin’s quirky personality, which also led to him creating his own comedy bits on his YouTube channel, and for the Funny or Die website. 

That did not deter him from his responsibilities to the Clippers, and his continued great play on the hardwood sold tickets, suites, and other amenities for the Clippers at Staples Center, where they did the unthinkable of selling out their home games more regularly than their co-tenants the Lakers. 

In 2011, the Clippers acquired Paul from the then New Orleans Hornets, who originally been acquired by the Lakers, but then Commissioner David Stern, the acting chief decision maker for the Hornets at the time of the league purchasing the team in 2010 to keep them in the “Big Easy” vetoed the proposed deal, allowing the Clippers to step in to acquire the great floor general. 

They promptly became a championship contender with perennial All-Star guard, Griffin, and the emerging Jordan. 

The team though did go any further than the Semifinals, with their most heartbreaking collapse coming in 2015 blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Houston Rockets, where they blew a 19-point lead in Game 6 at home, losing the series in seven games. What made it even more difficult to accept is that the likes of Josh Smith, Corey Brewer, and Jason Terry were the stars of Game 6, and not All-Star guard James Harden. 

The hope now for the Clippers is that they can remain competitive under Coach Rivers, with the additions of Harris, and Bradley joining Gallinari, who has been on the shelf for a lengthy part of this season with a glute injury. 

The one good thing if any about trading Griffin is getting his high salary off the books, which will allow the Clippers, who are ½ game behind the Denver Nuggets (26-25) for the No. 8, and final playoff spot in the West to be a serious player in the free agent market one summer from now, having $40 million in possible cap space available. 

That means though deciding whether to keep Jordan, who is very likely to opt out the last year of his deal, and become, an unrestricted free agent this July, seeking a huge payday, and Lou Williams, who has been spectacular for the Clippers this season at age 31. Both Jordan, and Williams, who will also be an unrestricted free agent this summer are two other Clippers that have had their names in trade rumors as well, and if the Clippers want to have a crack at being able to get back to being a playoff perennial in the West, tying up major money into either one of them seems high unlikely, making the watch on what happens leading up to the trade deadline very interesting. 

Those draft picks the Clippers acquired in the Griffin deal, the First-Rounder is protected for spots 1-4 in the Draft Lottery over the next three years through 2020. It becomes unprotected in the spring of 2021. 

Turning to the Pistons side of things, they have hit a road block in the East after getting off to a 14-6 beginning. They entered their tilt versus the Cleveland Cavaliers with eight straight defeats; ranking 19^th in the NBA in home attendance, despite playing in their new gym, Little Caesars Arena, which they share with the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL, and represented the symbol of the re-emergence of the new downtown Detroit, MI. 

Currently the Pistons (24-26) are two games in the loss column, and one game overall behind the Philadelphia 76ers (24-24) for the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the East.

This is not what head coach and President of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy had in mind when he two summers ago gave a five-year, $130 million extension to center Andre Drummond, who was named as a replacement for the 67 Annual NBA All-Star Game in L.A. next month, and an five-year $80 deal for point guard Reggie Jackson, who missed his 16^th game on Tuesday because of a serious sprained ankle; and engineered trades for Harris in season a couple of years ago, and over the summer Bradley. 

“It been a hell of a 24 hours,” Drummond said to NBATV/TNT’s Dennis Scott before the game about the Pistons acquiring Griffin. “Real excited to have Blake here.” 

Harris was the Pistons leading scorer at 18.1 points per game, and he was their best three-point shooter at 40.9 percent. The acquisition of Bradley from the Boston Celtics over the summer for forward Marcus Morris was a gamble being that he was going to be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. The Pistons gambled that he would play well, and they would re-sign him. That is why they let last season’s starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk in free agency, and he signed a one-year deal with the Lakers. 

To bring how much the team has struggled recently into context, they have gone 3-17 the last 20 games Bradley has played in, and with rookie First-Round pick Luke Kennard getting more minutes made Bradley basically expendable. 

The Pistons top brass hopes that the acquisition of Griffin can get them into the playoffs this year, and eventually a contender in the East, like they were in the early 2000s, where they won a title in 2004. 

“We are serious about winning, and this is a major move to improve our team,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a press release announcing the trade late on Monday. “Blake Griffin is one of the NBA’s elite players, and when you get an opportunity to add that kind of talent, you take it.” 

“He’s a great fit for our team, and will bring a combination of toughness, and athleticism that will elevate our team, and excite our fan base.” 

While Griffin brings an arsenal of talent to the Pistons, he will also bring a history of being injured as well. 

A staff infection in his elbow, and a quad injury shelved him throughout the 2015-16 season, and it culminated in a tear in the quad in Game 4 of the Clippers opening round series that season with the Trail Blazers, who also lost Paul in the same game to a broken hand. Both players were lost for the remainder of the series, and the Clippers lost the series in six games. Last season, Griffin missed the last three games of the Clippers opening round loss versus the Jazz with a plantar plate injury to his right big toe.

Perhaps the most discouraging injury Griffin sustained happened in 2016 when he broke his hand in a fight with his good friend, and then-Clippers assistant equipment manager Matias Testi outside of a Toronto restaurant during a road trip. Griffin did apologize to Testi, but his services were not retained. 

Even after that rough incident, which would have put a serious tear in one’s reputation with a fan base, Griffin was still a beloved in Southern California. That all concluded on Monday in what one league source said, “It was a (bleeping) hard decision.” It is one that puts both franchises on a new course. For the Pistons, a chance of getting back into the playoffs with a player who can score, rebound, and facilitate for others. It also gives them what they hope is a compliment to Drummond, who he described as, “a monster.” He was that, and then some in the Pistons (23-26) 125-114 win over the Cavs (30-20) on Tuesday night with 21 points, 22 boards, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks, ending the team’s eight-game losing streak. 

In his debut, Griffin, had 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, going 6 for 12 from the field, and 11 for 13 from the free throw line in leading the Pistons to a 104-102 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies (18-33), who lost their fifth in succession on the road on Thursday night. Sustained their fifth defeat by two points this season, and their league leading seventh by two points or less. 

Griffin joined a list of players who had at, or over 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists with their new team, and won in the last 40 seasons. That list consists of NBA on TNT analyst Kevin Garnett, who did with the Boston Celtics in 2007; Hall of Famer, and fellow NBA on TNT studio analyst Charles Barkley, who did in 1992 with the Phoenix Suns; Five-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons Ron Harper, who did it in 1989 with the Los Angeles Clippers; and former Golden State Warriors’ forward/guard Lewis Lloyd did it with the Houston Rockets in 1983. 

Drummond, who along with the injured Reggie Jackson showered Griffin with Gatorade during his FOX Sports Detroit postgame interview also had a double-double of 14 points, 15 rebounds, to go along with three steals. This was Drummond’s 28^th game with at least 15 rebounds. 

“I got the opportunity to play with DeAndre Jordan for many years. Andre is that (type of player, but) he’s bigger, and more physical,” Griffin said earlier in the week. “I’m excited about that development, that growth, and hopefully I’ll be able to help him. I’ve been a fan of a lot of the guys on this team for a long time.”

After his first game as a Piston, Griffin, who became the first player to register 20-plus points, 10-plus boards, and five-plus assists in a Pistons debut since NBA on TNT’s, and Inside Stuff host Grant Hill on Nov. 4, 1994 said to reporters by his locker, “We got some guys that can really play.” 

“Came up with big stops when we needed them. Anthony Tolliver hit some big shots. Playing with Andre was a blast.” 

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life. Played in some big games. There was a lot of adrenaline, and like I’ve said the energy from the fans was awesome. I’m very excited about the future, this season especially. But the future in general. We got a high ceiling with this group.”

One thing if any that should motivate Griffin for the rest of this season, and each time he faces the Clippers in the future is the fact that he found out that he was being traded to the Pistons on Twitter. 

“I just wish that I had known or had the opportunity to talk to somebody beforehand. Finding out through Twitter, and through other people is a tough way to find out, when you’ve been with a franchise for so long,” Griffin said to ESPN’s Nick Friedell after his introductory presser with the Detroit media on Thursday. “But at the end of the day, basketball is a business, and I want to play where a team wants me, and that’s why I’m excited to be hear.”

While there is a clear direction in the “Motor City,” the Clippers future for the rest of this season, and their future going forward remains unknown. We might have a little idea of what happens after the trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 8. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of www.nba.com/games/20180201/MEMDET#/preveiw; 1/29/18 www.nba.com article, “L.A. Clippers Deal Blake Griffin to Detroit Pistons after Superstar Unable to Elevate Team,” by David Aldridge; 1/30/18 8 p.m. “Players Only Pregame Show,” on TNT, presented by Autotrader with Chris Webber, Isiah Thomas, Baron Davis, and Shaquille O’Neal; 1/30/18 8 p.m. contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Detroit Pistons on TNT with Brent Barry, Derek Fisher, Grant Hill, and Dennis Scott; 2/1/18 3 p.m. edition “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN with Rachel Nichols, Zach Lowe, and Tracy McGrady; 2/2/18 1 a.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.nba.com/games/20180201/MEMDET#/boxscore; www.nba.com/games/20180130/CLEDET#/preview; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Los_Angeles_Clippers_seasons.

J-Speaks: Thunder Lose Perimeter Defensive Ace

One week ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder garnered seventh consecutive victory, their seventh in a row, 121-108 at the Detroit Pistons (24-26) and improving them to 20-8 since Dec. 1, 2017. Thunder All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who became the 21^st player in NBA history to reach the 25,000-point mark. All-Star lead guard Russell Westbrook had his 15^th triple-double on the season, and 94 of his career with 31 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. The victory though was bittersweet as the Thunder lost a key member of their starting five. 

In the third quarter of the Thunder’s (30-21) victory on Saturday afternoon, their perimeter defensive ace in guard Andre Roberson suffered a serious leg injury after he landed hard on his back. The five-year guard, who was selected with the No. 26 overall pick out of the University of Colorado, after that tough fall immediately dragged himself off the court so he could receive medical attention. 

The injury occurred when at the 4:33 mark of the third quarter Roberson broke to the basket from the right corner as Westbrook threw a lob to him, but he crumpled to the hardwood after his leg bent over in an awkward direction. 

The injury was so serious, that Roberson had to be examined by medical trainers for several minutes, before being taken off the court via gurney at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI, with his left placed in an air cast. 

Before he was carted off, several of Roberson’s teammates were huddled around him, while Anthony took a knee at midcourt.  

“It’s a hard situation, to kind of be up close and personal with that like that,” Anthony said. “The only thing I did was kind of take a knee and pray a little bit and hope things go for the best at that point.” 

Anthony also said after the game that it was “1,000 percent” difficult to return “to a competitive mindset after seeing one of your guys go down like that.”

It showed as the Thunder who led by as man as 25 points, see their lead cut to nine late in the fourth quarter before pulling away. 

As he was being taken off the court, Roberson exchanged a fist bump with a fan as he was being carted off.  

This past Sunday, the Thunder confirmed the 26-year-old Roberson, who they re-signed to a new three-year, $30 million deal suffered a rupture to the patellar tendon in his left knee. He will miss the rest of the season. 

Head coach Billy Donovan confirmed the nature of Roberson’s injury after the game but did not the extent of it.

“He’s certainly a huge,” Donovan said, “and I think everybody’s been able to see that since he’s…come back to us, and the way he’s played defensively. You play 82 games, there’s going to be guys that are gonna be in and out, and different guys will have to step up in his absence.” 

While the loss of Roberson will unlikely effect the Thunder offensively, as he was averaging five points, and 4.7 rebounds in 26 minutes per game, they have felt his absence at the defensive end, especially lately. 

To bring this point into context, Thunder have allowed 100 points or more on five occasions without Roberson in the lineup. The Thunder loss four of those five contests. 

They allowed 112 points, in their 122-112 win versus the Philadelphia 76ers (24-24), who shot 50 percent from the field, and 11 for 29 from three-point range.  

While the Washington Wizards (29-22) shot just 38.2 percent versus the Thunder, and out-rebounded them 61-53, the Thunder had 27 assists on their 34 field goals in the 102-96 victory. The Thunder forced just 12 turnovers, and committed 21 of their own, though they gave up just 13 points. 

“It’s tough,” Westbrook said to reporters earlier in the week. “Dre is my boy. I love having him on the floor with me, and it’s a tough situation for him. We are just going to continue to lift him up, and pray for him, keep our spirits high for him, and keep this thing rolling.” 

For the Thunder to keep their hot streak going, they will need the likes of Alex Abrines, rookie Terrance Ferguson, Josh Huestis, Raymond Felton, Steven Adams, Patrick Patterson, and Jerami Grant to pick up the slack on both ends. 

On offense, they will need these role players to make perimeter shots when the All-Star trio of Westbrook, Anthony, and George get double teamed. 

In the team’s victory versus the Sixers, they combined for 38 points and 26 rebounds, on 16 for 24 from the field. 

In the Thunder’s setback on Tuesday at the Wizards, the role players combined for 36 points, and 34 rebounds, but shot just 10 for 27 from the field. 

The Thunder defensively were lit up like a Christmas tree on Thursday night in their 127-124 loss at the Denver Nuggets (27-25), with guard Garry Harris hitting the game-winning three-point field goal with 01.4 seconds left in regulation. His fifth make in nine tries on the night. 

They gave up over 30 points in each quarter, with the Nuggets putting up 40 points in taking a 40-33 lead after the first and led by as many as 20 points in the third before the Thunder made a miraculous led by a season-high 43 points of George, who had 14 of them in the four quarter. He was 19 for 26 from the floor, including 5 for 8 from three-point range. Westbrook nearly had another triple-double with 20 points, a season-high 21 assists, nine rebounds, and two steals. Anthony, a former Nugget had 10 points.

While the Thunder got 51 points, and 18 boards combined from Adams, Abrines, Grant, Felton, and Patterson, who were a major part of the Thunder shooting 52 percent on the night, with 34 assists, and just seven turnovers, they went just 9 for 28 from three-point range. 

They allowed the Nuggets to shoot 51.5 percent from the floor; connect on 15 of their 39 three-pointers; forced just 11 turnovers; and register 32 assists on their 50 made field goals.  

Nuggets lead guard Jamal Murry had his way all night with his seventh 30-plus point game of the season with 33 points, going 14 for 23 from the floor, including 5 for 8 from distance. Nikola Jokic had his third triple-double of the season, and the ninth of his career with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-high 14 assists, which is the second most in Nuggets franchise history, behind the 43 of former guard Lafayette “Fat” Lever. Harris had 25 points, hitting 9 for 16 from the floor. Will Barton, who missed two game-winning shots in closes losses versus the East leading Boston Celtics (37-15) 111-110 on Monday night, and a 106-104 loss at the No. 3 Seeded in the West San Antonio Spurs (34-20) on Wednesday night had 15 points, six boards, and four assists. 

“A lot changes,” Westbrook said on Saturday. “A lot of things that’s not seen on the court, a lot of things not seen in the stat sheet—and that’s a huge part. Like I’ve always said, he’s a huge part of our team’s success. And obviously, with him going down, we’ve got to be able to figure out and make up for the things he brings to the game defensively and offensively.”

While the team will continue to put their best foot forward in their drive for supremacy in the West, they all said to a man that they will be there for Roberson, who has spent his entire five-year career with the Thunder as he deals with the long road back from this injury. 

George, who broke his right leg in an exhibition game with the USA Basketball team in the summer of 2014 said, “I’ll be there for him along the way, try to help as much as possible, putting him in a good place with the injury.” 

“Because I know how it is. I’ve been down that road before. So real unfortunate. But one thing about Dre, man, he’s tough, and he’s a strong person, so he’ll definitely persevere through it.”  

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 1/27/18 www.nba.com story “Thunder Guard Andre Roberson Ruptures Patellar Tendon Against Pistons;” 1/28/18 www.espn.com article, “Andre Roberson Suffers Ruptured Patellar Tendon,” by Michael Rothstein; www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.nba.com/games/20180127/OKCDET#/recap;  www.nba.com/games/20180201/OKCDEN#/preview; www.nba.com/games/20180201/OKCDEN/boxscore/matchup;  www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2530596/andre-roberson; www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3468/russell-westbrook; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Lloyd.    

J-Speaks: Big Loss In "The Big Easy"

With his third triple-double on the season, and is second of the week of 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, to go along with four steals, New Orleans Pelicans All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins played a major role again in his team’s seventh win their last eight outings. However, his night would not have a pleasant conclusion as what happened at the end of the team’s win would alter the Pelicans season, and his NBA future. 

In the final seconds of the Pelicans (27-23) 115-112 win versus the Houston Rockets on Jan. 26 on ESPN, Cousins was going after a lose ball off his missed free throw, as he tapped the ball back inbounds, he landed awkwardly, and was on the ground in pain in his foot. 

Cousins tried to get up off the ground as the rest of his teammates go back defensively to preserve a 113-109 lead at that moment. He then fell onto the floor again, laying on his back with his both hands placed on his head.

Following a foul on a three-point attempt by the Rockets, two of Cousins’ teammate helped him off the floor, and into the Pelicans’ locker room. 

It was later revealed after the game by head coach Alvin Gentry that the All-Star center injured his left Achilles. 

“He’ll get an MRI. We’ll know the severity of it tomorrow,” Gentry said. “We just know it’s his Achilles. We won’t know the damage, or what’s going on until we see the MRI tomorrow.”

That MRI confirmed the worst as the Pelicans the next day of Jan. 27 as the Pelicans announced in a press release stating, “that forward DeMarcus Cousins has been diagnosed with a rupture of the left Achilles tendon. Pelicans Director of Medical Services/Head Team Physician Dr. Misty Suri performed the initial examination and diagnosis. An MRI taken last night confirmed the diagnosis as a left Achilles tendon rupture.” 

“Cousins will undergo surgery to repair the injury and will miss the remainder of the season. Further updates will be provided appropriately.” 

According to a tweet from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a source he communicated with says that it will take Cousins 6 to 10 months to recover from this injury. 

That means, he will miss the All-Star Game in Los Angeles, CA Feb. 18 on TNT. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chose Oklahoma City Thunder forward/guard Paul George as a replacement.

This is a big blow to a team that as mentioned earlier was really catching fire with their seven win in their last eight contests, and their fourth in a row. 

During that period of time, Cousins had six double-doubles, beginning with an effort of 24 points, 19 rebounds, along with eight assists, and two blocks in leading the Pelicans to a 119-113 versus the Portland Trail Blazers (29-22) on Jan. 12. 

His second triple-double of the season of 44 points, 23 rebounds, and assists, to along with four steals in the Pelicans 132-128 overtime win versus the Chicago Bulls (18-33) was the first since Hall of Famer, and six-time league MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to register 40 points, 20 boards, and 10 assists in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, and Wilt Chamberlin also performed that feat. 

It was also a display of how far Cousins has come as a player, both on the court with his play, and his demeanor. His standing as a teammate, and star player were at the highest of his eight-year career. 

He went from a talent player, who became more well known for his inability to control his temper with the referees to gaining headlines for his play on the court. 

He was getting more attention with his play, and how he, and fellow All-Star center, and fellow Kentucky Wildcat Anthony Davis displayed an ability to compliment on another on both ends of the court that many had called into question if they could mesh together on both ends. 

Cousins showed some of that maturity when he said after his historic triple-double when he said, “It’s about the win.”

“That type of energy is going to carry us through the remainder of the season. Any given night, it could be somebody’s night, and it so happened to be mine tonight. The next game, it may be somebody else’s night, and we’re going to rally around that guy the same way.”

The 6’10” Cousins was averaging career-highs in rebounds per game (12.9), which was No. 3 in the league this season; assists at 5.4; blocks per game (1.6), ranked No. 7 in the league; steals per game at 1.6, which was ranked No. 11 in the NBA; and three-pointers made at 104, where he was shooting 35.4 percent in the final season of his current contract. 

“It’s just unfortunate,” NBATV analyst Steve Smith during the Saturday edition of “Gametime,” last weekend. “We’re watching a big guy that’s just showing us everything. We’ve seen some guys shoot some threes, but handling the basketball, the assists, and being able to do this with Anthony Davis, and him allowing him to be able to still get unreal numbers, and they we’re winning. They we’re starting to find a grove. I was looking forward to these two bigs in the playoffs.”

To put the season Cousins was having into perspective, he, first time All-Star selection in forward/center Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks, perennial All-Star forward Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, and first time All-Star selection Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves were the only players in the NBA with 75-plus blocks shots, and 75-plus made three-pointers this season. 

He was expected to command a huge max contract, maybe even a super max contract this offseason. That gamble the Pelicans made in acquiring him at the All-Star break a season ago, and how he and Davis have made a dominant pairing in a league that has gone to smaller lineups, and embraced the three-point shot, the Pelicans figured to make their first postseason appearance since the spring of 2015, and the first appearance in the playoffs in Cousins’ eight-year career. All of that has changed dramatically, particularly the Pelicans hopes of making the postseason. 

The Pelicans have sustained two consecutive losses to inferior opponents at the Smoothie King Center. The first was to the Los Angeles Clippers 112-103 at home on Sunday, and a 114-103 versus the Sacramento Kings (16-34). 

In their loss versus the Clippers (25-25), the Pelicans, who had a 21-point lead at one point in the first half, where outscored 29-15 in the third quarter, and were outscored 61-41 in the second half. 

Without Cousins, the Pelicans relied more on a smaller lineup, with reserve forward Daunte Cunningham starting for the All-Star big man, and had eight points, and seven rebounds in the game. Davis led the Pelicans wit 25 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 41 minutes, on 8 for 17 from the field, and 9 for 12 at the foul line. 

The Pelicans attempted 35 three-point shots, but only connected on nine of them. They only hit 2 of 15 from long distance in the second half. 

“We didn’t make shots to start the quarter and we let it affect our aggressiveness defensively,” Gentry, whose team’s woes in the third quarter continued said. “We have to get past that.” 

Those same struggles were carried over in the loss versus the Kings 48 hours later where the Pelicans despite shooting 50.6 percent on the night where out-rebounded by the visitors 49-36; out-rebounded the Pelicans 55-42, including 14-2 on the offensive glass; outscored them 26-0 in second chance points and 52-42 in the paint. The Pelicans struggled again from three-point range going 9 for 25, including going 3 for 15 in the second half from distance. 

Davis had another double-double of 23 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and six blocks, but shot 6 for 16 from the field, though he was 9 for 10 at the charity stripe in 46 minutes. 

Veteran forward Zach Randolph of the Kings had a double-double of 26 points, and 12 rebounds, while center Kosta Koufos had 17 points, and a career-high of 17 rebounds, which included seven offensive boards. 

“Anytime you lose a player like DeMarcus Cousins, there’s going to be residue from it,” coach Gentry. “Some kind of way, we’ve got to get over that. It may take a few games. 

In a serious pickle, the Pelicans front made a move to at least keep them in playoff contention acquiring forward Nikola Mirotic from the Chicago Bulls along with a 2018 Second-Round pick, in exchange for center Omer Asik, guard/forward Tony Allen, veteran guard Jameer Nelson, and a protected 2018 First-Round pick. 

While he may not provide the kind of rebounding, and low-post presence that Cousins gave, the addition of Mirotic, who averaged 16.8 points, and 6.4 boards, on 47.4 percent from the field, and 42.9 from three-point range will give the Pelicans a knockdown shooter, who will spread the floor, and give Davis much needed space to operate down low.

The Pelicans just one week ago were flying high, no pun intended, and look to be a lock to make the playoffs for the first time in the last three seasons. The loss of Cousins has put that dream in jeopardy.  

Going forward, Davis will have to raise his game even higher, and not miss anytime because of injury. Mirotic will have become a serious second option, so that the rest of the Pelicans cast in Rajon Rondo, Darius Miller, Jrue Holiday, and Ian Clark can play their roles, and not play out of character. More than anything, the Pelicans must fix their third quarter issues, because having second half performances like their last one, where they were outscored 53-41 versus the Kings will prevent them from making the postseason.

“I still think we’re a good team,” coach Gentry said after the loss versus the Kings. “I still think we’re going to be OK.” 

“We’re going to keep fighting. At the end of the day, no matter who’s on the floor, we’re going to compete,” Davis said after the win versus the Rockets on how the team will respond in the absence of Cousins.  

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of www.nba.com/games/20180124/NOPCHA#/preview; 1/26/18 www.nba.com story, “New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles) Out for Season;” 1/27/18 1 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by State Farm with Casey Stern, Steve Smith, and Brendan Haywood; www.nba.com/games/20180128/LACNOP#/recap/boxscore; www.nba.com/games/ www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/gamelog/_/id/4258/demarcus-cousins; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/6583/anthony-davis; www.espn.com/nba/statistics; www.espn.com/nba/standings; and 2/2/18 1 a.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal.