Hoops Rumors

After missing nearly 11 months of action due to knee and thumb injuries, Sixers guard Jared McCain has looked shaky in his first three games back. Playing just 31 total minutes across those three outings, McCain has gone scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting. In the hopes of getting McCain more comfortable on the court and getting him more full-speed reps, the 76ers assigned the … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: McCain, Barlow, Walsh, Minott, Ingram

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has gotten used to contending for championships, so he wasn’t exactly eager to have a roster filled with unproven players, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. His team may be overachieving somewhat with a 6-7 start, but Mazzulla calls it more of a “fulfillment” than an “enjoyment.” “I don’t enjoy being in the position that we’re in and I don’t … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Mazzulla, Queta, Gonzalez, Kalkbrenner

The Celtics used unconventional lineups to close out Sunday’s win at Orlando, as Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza all saw more fourth quarter playing time than Jaylen Brown, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. All three players contributed to the 111-107 victory, but the biggest shot belonged to Walsh, who sank a three-pointer with 12.4 seconds left that gave … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Walsh, Simons, Garza, Tillman

Jaylen Brown believes the officials are making a point against him. The Celtics forward ripped the officiating after a late no-call against Utah on Monday and he felt that played a role in Boston’s loss to Orlando on Friday. “I think in the fourth quarter, I think the officials made their point,” Brown said, per Jay King of The Athletic. “So I get it. I’ll keep my mouth … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Brown, White, Walsh, Simons

The Knicks and veteran center Mitchell Robinson did not engage in any advanced discussions about a potential contract extension prior to 2025/26, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link), who is skeptical that a deal will come together during the regular season. Still, assuming he’s healthy, Robinson should have plenty of suitors if he hits free agency next … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Robinson, Pritchard, Barnes, Poeltl

Jared Dudley had a lengthy NBA career. As an assistant coach with the Nuggets, Dudley now finds himself in charge of Denver’s defensive schemes. His main mission is a simple one. “Coming up with a defense that protects (Nikola Jokic),” he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. Dudley is doing so by having Denver’s guards and wings take on more responsibilities at that end of … [Read more...] about Northwest Notes: Dudley, Jazz, Ainge, Thunder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to NBA Communications (Twitter links). Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to a 4-0 record this past week while averaging 28.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Maxey carried the Sixers to a 3-1 record by … [Read more...] about SGA, Maxey Capture Players Of Week Honors

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl was inactive on Wednesday vs. Houston and is considered day-to-day with back tightness, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. While Wednesday’s contest was the first one Poeltl has missed this season, the injury has impacted his performance in the early going — he averaged just 6.5 points per night in his first four outings, and the Raptors were outscored … [Read more...] about Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Raptors, Celtics, Minott, Sixers

The Celtics will exercise their team option on Baylor Scheierman‘s rookie scale contract for the 2026/27 season ahead of Friday’s deadline, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Scheierman, 25, was the 30th overall pick in the 2024 draft and played a limited role as a rookie, averaging 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game across 31 regular … [Read more...] about Celtics Picking Up 2026/27 Option On Baylor Scheierman