This is the digital version of The Bounce.
If you want it earlier, start every day with The Bounce delivered to your inbox. Sign up here.
Not only did the NBA have far too many injuries last night, I stubbed my toe. It was a bad Monday.
Protect Star PGs
Ja Morant out for season, Haliburton hurt
Monday was not a good night for All-Star point guards. The biggest news is that Ja Morant’s 2023-24 season ended after nine games. The Grizzlies announced Morant suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder during a Saturday training session. An MRI of his shoulder “revealed an underlying labral tear.” He will have season-ending surgery but is expected to be ready for next season.
The Grizzlies already didn’t have a great chance of making the West’s Play-In Tournament for two reasons:
- It’s a very competitive field. They enter today sitting at No. 13.
- Making up 4.5 games and leaping three teams just to reach No. 10 is a tall task.
Sure, it’s doable, but they went only 6-19 during his 25-game suspension. However, they were 6-3 in his nine games played. So, there was at least a path to the playoffs. Now? The Grizzlies have no chance of making this run, even with everybody else healthy.
Memphis has control of its 2024 first-round pick but could swap it for Phoenix’s pick, if necessary. The Grizzlies will most likely keep the pick, though, so they can focus on development and lottery balls. Cinderella stories won’t happen.
As for Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, he had an extremely awkward and painful-looking slip during Indiana’s game against Boston last night. He was driving against Derrick White in the second quarter, tried to stop and slipped into doing Jean Claude Van Damme-esque splits.
He was carried off the court by his teammates. The team announced he has a left hamstring strain and did not let him return. Haliburton will undergo an MRI today, so we’ll hope for the best with him. Sports injury expert Jeff Stotts told us low-grade hamstring injuries typically mean around 13 days missed, while a grade 2 strain can result in approximately 30 days missed.
Let’s tag in Shams for more key injury news.
The Latest From Shams
Before Zach breaks down the injuries to a couple of All-Stars and their potential impact, here’s one more to note: Sources tell James Edwards and me that the Pistons believe guard Cade Cunningham has avoided serious injury to the left knee he injured Sunday against Denver.
Cunningham is listed as out for tonight’s game against Sacramento, and I’m told he’s trending toward a 1-2 week absence. He left the Nuggets game with what the team called a left knee strain. For the season, Cunningham leads the Pistons with 22.8 points and 7.2 assists per game.
Back to Zach, with more from around the league.
Draymond Almost Retired?!
Over the weekend, Warriors champion and instigator Draymond Green was reinstated from his suspension by the NBA, so he’s ramping up to return to the court. Green has also ramped up the PR campaign regarding his suspension and the counseling he experienced in recent weeks.
On his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” the four-time champ claimed he told NBA commissioner Adam Silver he was going to retire from the NBA:
“I told him, ‘Adam this is too much for me,’” Green said in the episode, which was released Monday. “‘It’s all becoming too much for me and I’m going to retire.’”
Green said that Silver convinced him to stay in the NBA.
“Adam said, ‘You’re making a very rash decision and I won’t let you do that,’” Green said.
Want to see my expression when I saw that clip circulating social media? Let me show you.
Claims he came close during suspension
Lying >>>>> https://t.co/uxRpJW0lLA
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) January 8, 2024
As I watched Green discuss this stuff, I found myself thinking it’s all an incredible PR spin. I do think there is plenty of merit to stuff Green has gone through and potentially realized. I buy the idea of a breakthrough and what help means for him as a 33-year-old, not impulses reminiscent of someone half his age. I believe Green realized he can leave “the antics” behind and still find a way to fuel that burning intensity into kick-ass defense and devastating playmaking for the Warriors.
However, it’s hard to believe Green was going to give up nearly $100 million (remaining on his contract) because Silver and Joe Dumars essentially said, “You need to stop choking and hitting players.” That just doesn’t make sense in the slightest. To me, it feels like telling someone you’re dating you should break up in the hopes they’ll fight for you to stick around.
Green should be back on the court any day now, and the Warriors (10th in the West) desperately need him on top of his game.
More About Last Night
T.J. McConnell beat the Celtics!
Everybody started writing off the Pacers once Haliburton went down. They trailed only 60-54 in the second quarter when the injury happened, but that didn’t stop the Pacers from applying their patented third-quarter scoring deluge. Without Haliburton, Indiana scored 44 third-quarter points against Boston’s vaunted defense.
It was the sixth time this season Indy scored at least 40 in the third, a mark matched by only Sacramento. Then, the Pacers pretty much went shot-for-shot with the Celtics down the stretch. Jaylen Brown missed a couple of big shots in the final minute, and Bennedict Mathurin was fouled by Kristaps Porziņģis with under a second left in a tie game on a 3-point attempt. He made two and missed the third on purpose, so the Pacers survived a split-second tip attempt.
With their best player missing the final 27 minutes of game action, the Pacers (21-15) beat the East-leading Celtics (28-8), 133-131.
Meanwhile … in Milwaukee …
Yesterday, we all had a good laugh at Giannis’ comments about his team needing to improve — even the equipment manager was mentioned. Giannis said the jerseys need to be washed better, so that’s what the Bucks got. Entering yesterday’s home game against Utah, the Bucks posted a funny shot of freshly cleaned jerseys saying, “Extra clean.” That is good, wholesome, Midwestern social media work right there.
Unfortunately, the Jazz still kicked their butts. The Jazz were up by 33 points (!!!) in the first half, survived a 44-23 third-quarter run and walked out with a 132-116 win in Milwaukee. Utah’s bench scored 63 points. Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen were awesome. And Utah (18-20) finished 2-1 on a road trip to Boston, Philly and Milwaukee. The Jazz trail the Lakers by a half game for No. 10 in the West. The Bucks are 25-12 overall but have lost four of five. Philly (23-12) trails them by one game for the No. 2 spot in the East.
Also in Monday’s NBA:
Bounce Passes
Victor Wembanyama is clashing with bigs now and knows what he’s doing.
Jeanie Buss believes in Darvin Ham, and that’s all that matters.
Do the Thunder have the best player in the NBA right now?
Screen Game (All times Eastern)
-
Main Screen: Wolves-Magic (7 p.m.). This is between two of the NBA’s best defenses, so don’t expect many points.
-
Second Screen: Blazers–Knicks (7:30 p.m.). New York (21-15) should win easily, but Anfernee Simons against Jalen Brunson sounds like fun. Portland (10-25) is just 5-14 on the road.
-
League Pass Game of the Night: Raptors-Lakers (10:30 p.m.). Toronto (15-21) loves its new additions, and the 18-19 Lakers need back-to-back wins. Full schedule here.
(Top photo: Christian Peterson / Getty Images)
