Warriors’ frontcourt rotation due for shift with Kevon Looney’s return

The strength of the Warriors lineup is their interior, but will the return of Kevon Looney clog the frontline rotation?

The underlying positive side of the Warriors roster getting tarnished by injury has been the opportunities that have opened up for players at the end of the bench.

Depth pieces like Omari Spellman and Marquese Chriss have impressed with an increased role for the Warriors. Each has earned more playing time, but are their minutes in the Warriors rotation to spare with reinforcements on the way?

For the first time in a long time, Golden State will be getting some healthy bodies returning to the lineup, starting with Kevon Looney. Looney signed a 3-year contract worth $15 million over the offseason and looks to be a core piece for the Warriors’ future. What does that mean for the playing time of Spellman, Chriss and Willie Cauley-Stein?

Adding Looney and a healthy Draymond Green to the Warriors frontcourt suddenly crowds the Warriors big-man rotation— especially if standout rookie Eric Paschall gets minutes at power forward.

Cauley-Stein has started every game he’s been available except for once this season, but hasn’t played a game with Looney next to him. Looney is a bit more versatile and can play both big man positions, while Cauley-Stein is primarily a center option for coach Steve Kerr. Looney’s only start of the season came at the five, with Green playing next to him at the four, in the first game of 2019.

If Kerr opts to continue starting Cauley-Stein, the Warriors can play either Green, Looney, or Paschall at power forward, another crowded position. Both Green and Paschall can play at small forward as well if Kerr decides to go big— something he’s done more of with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson unavailable.

Bank is open on Sundays if you're Draymond Green

📺 NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/2m6xu5cZA0

— Pathe Ndiaye⛹🏽♛ (@KdTrey_23) December 2, 2019

Looney’s return gives Kerr and the Warriors a lot more flexibility with how the team deplores Paschall and Green. With the team still dealing with injuries to their backcourt, Kerr could continue to run Green out as his point guard, with Looney, Cauley-Stein and Pachall all on the floor at the same time.

Looney’s return to the lineup is, of course, a positive; however, it does provide a predicament with the usage of Spellman and Chriss. Each has been seeing a large number of minutes that will probably be split upon Looney’s return to full health.

Spellman’s established himself as a legitimate stretch-four and an offensive rebounding machine, while Chriss has been an energizer off the bench. Each has a unique skill set, but Kerr will have to get creative with how he uses them.

Omari Spellman’s worked his way into shape and been a huge presence for the Warriors lately. pic.twitter.com/pe5boU1SYJ

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2019

The Warriors will have some time to figure out what rotation works best as they’re still dealing with a crop of injuries. Looney is expected to slowly be worked back into the rotation, while Green is dealing with a lingering sore heel. While Kerr maps out how his frontline will look, Chriss and Spellman will have a handful of more opportunities to show they deserve to be apart of the rotation.

Brett Brown wants Matisse Thybulle to take his shots, not be JJ Redick

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown would like Matisse Thybulle to focus on his shots and not be JJ Redick.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to work their way to 103-94 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night led by Tobias Harris and Al Horford, but the rookie made a big impact as well.

Matisse Thybulle scored nine points and he all three of his 3-point attempts and he has made seven of his past nine from deep over the previous four games as he continues to find his niche in the offense. An improvement for him has been shot selection as he is beginning to take more catch-and-shoot threes rather than trying to do too much when he doesn’t have to.

“He’s coming into a team that’s pretty good and taken some shots like he’s been in the league for 10 years,” said coach Brett Brown. “He’s rising up behind dribble handoffs, JJ(Redick) like shots and I love him for his boldness, but you have to remind him ‘You’re on a good team and you’re getting minutes’ that in itself is rare for a rookie. Now the shots you need to take are ‘X’.”

Thybulle admitted post-game that he has learned to take smarter shots rather than trying to be the next JJ Redick. He doesn’t have to be that on his team and he is beginning to understand that. This all comes with his NBA schooling as he grows as a player.

“I use discretion now,” the rookie added. “Every DHO someone goes under, I’m not going to pull. I don’t know how many DHOs they go under — I think I had one against the Knicks. Just knowing what they want from me and then looking at the numbers show me what I’m better at, and then just sticking to it.”

The big question mark surrounding Thybulle when he was drafted was whether he could actually shoot the ball and become the 3-and-D player that the team envisioned when they selected him. The team believes he can really shoot the ball and he’s been proving that lately.

“When he gets his waist over his feet and his shoulders follow and everything’s aligned, his balance makes him a really good shooter,” Brown added. “He’s improving on being able to stop on a dime, almost and find that, but it’s step shots. It’s side-stepping into a corner, that’s his shot right now, not rising up behind dribble handoffs. I think he understands that and I think the shots that he’s taking are in his wheelhouse.”

Thybulle will look to continue his hot shooting on Thursday against the Washington Wizards. [lawrence-related id=20499,20491,20486]

The record for every LeBron James team through the first 20 games of their seasons

The Lakers are 17-3, marking the second time a LeBron James-led team has gotten off to that hot a start.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 17-3 start marks the second time in LeBron James’ 17-year career his team has played .850 ball through 20 games. Here’s a closer look at how each of the teams King James has been with and how they have fared through the first 20 games of their seasons.

2003-04: 5-15

LeBron’s rookie season saw the Cavaliers struggle from the start. They opened the season with a five-game losing streak and had an eight-game slide before getting to the 20-game mark at 5-15. In his NBA debut, LeBron had 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals against Sacramento.

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Making sense of Mitchell Trubisky’s strong Thanksgiving performance

Following Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky’s impressive win vs. the Lions, fans are likely feeling a) optimistic, b) pessimistic or c) realistic.

It took twelve weeks, but for the first time in 2019, Mitchell Trubisky was very good on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions. On national TV, Trubisky delivered in a big way: 29-38 passing, 338 yards and 3 touchdowns with one interception for a passer rating of 118.1.

Scream bad Lions defense all you want, but Trubisky snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for perhaps the first time in his Bears career. After the Chicago defense let third-string quarterback David Blough score touchdowns on the first two drives of his NFL career, Trubisky led a valiant comeback, capped off by a nine-play, 90-yard drive in the fourth quarter that culminated with the go-ahead touchdown pass to David Montgomery.

Trubisky has had gaudier statistical games (see: last year’s efforts against Tampa Bay and Detroit), but this was the first time he truly put the Bears on his back and carried the team to victory. In those 2018 games, Chicago dominated in all three phases; on Thursday, they came from behind in a game the rest of the team didn’t play all that well. On top of that, it was on the road, in a game the Bears absolutely needed to win to keep their minuscule playoff hopes alive.

It’s an odd development in a season that, until now, seemed to derail any hopes of Trubisky being the franchise quarterback going forward. It has likely provoked a wide variety of reactions, and Bears fans might fall in one of three camps on how to view his strong performance.

The optimist’s view

Those who were holding onto hope for the third-year quarterback can reasonably point to Thursday’s performance and say, this was the Mitch Trubisky we were promised. He was accurate, efficient and decisive, completing over 75 percent of his passes. He dropped dimes all over the field, completing both of his passes that went over 20 yards in the air, both to Anthony Miller. He threw an interception, but came right back and threw a touchdown on the next drive.

Thursday was also the best that Matt Nagy’s offense looked all year, and is surely what the head coach imagined it would look like in 2019. Wide receivers Allen Robinson (8 catches, 86 yards and a touchdown) and Anthony Miller (9 catches, 140 yards) both had monster days. The passing game opened up holes for Montgomery, who averaged 4.7 yards per carry. The tight end made an athletic leaping touchdown catch, although it was Jesper Horsted instead of Trey Burton or Adam Shaheen.

The knock on Trubisky is rarely that he isn’t a skilled quarterback. His athleticism and arm talent have always been there. The issue has been erratic accuracy, coupled with an inability to diagnose defenses and run an offense. Thursday was an example of what it looks like when he puts it all together. That type of performance, on a consistent basis, can elevate this Chicago Bears team.

The pessimist’s view

Those who have completely given up on Trubisky will dismiss Thursday’s performance as an aberration and will have some justification in doing so. The Lions have a pitiful defense, ranking fourth to last in total yards allowed per game (398.1) and third to last in passing yards allowed per game (280.1). It was a borderline expectation that Trubisky would throw for 300 yards on this defense, which, by the way, was the first time he did it all year. And he still turned the ball over, on a terrible pass lofted late to Robinson that Darius Slay stepped in front of easily. It was just the Lions’ fifth interception of the season.

Yes, Trubisky won the Bears that game. But the instances in which he has lost games for the Bears this year far outnumber the wins. Against the Packers in Week 1, where he lofted a pass into double coverage in the end zone for a game-ending pick. Against the Eagles, where he managed only nine yards in the first half. Against the Chargers, where a fourth-quarter interception and fumble helped the team blow a late lead.

It was nice that Mitch managed to pull this game out and not ruin Thanksgiving. But he had been a subpar quarterback for the entire season until that point, and one good game against a bad defense isn’t going to make his future in Chicago any less murky.

The realist’s view

The measured take on Trubisky’s performance veers closer to the pessimists, but with a huge caveat. Yes, one good performance isn’t going to save a brutal season for the former second overall pick. The dreams of Trubisky being the guy are still likely over, and general manager Ryan Pace should still go quarterback hunting in the offseason, at least to bring in competition.

But at the very least, Mitch gave the team a lifeboat to cling to. The Bears playoff hopes have been declared dead a number of times now, but if they had lost and gone to 5-7, it would have been the final nail in the coffin. Now, at 6-6, they should be able to sneak into the playoffs if they win out. The obvious problem is that they will have to do it against the Cowboys, Packers, Chiefs and Vikings – all teams currently in playoff position. Even if they can beat the struggling Cowboys on Thursday night, they have to go into Lambeau Field and defeat Aaron Rodgers.

Yet in giving the team a very unlikely avenue to the playoffs, he also gave himself a very unlikely avenue to saving his Bears career. If Trubisky can beat those four teams in a row, stack some solid performances together and somehow put together a playoff run, his entire subpar season would be forgiven. All of a sudden, the team would feel much better about their quarterback situation going forward.

The chances may be slim, but after Thursday, it at least feels like there is some positive energy in the Bears locker room for the first time in 2019. The Athletic wrote that there was “plenty of praise for Trubisky in a joyous locker room,” with many reports noting that this win felt different from the others. Maybe the team can rally around Trubisky and recapture their 2018 form. Chicago did beat Rodgers and Kirk Cousins down the stretch last season – and Trubisky played efficient, mistake-free football along the way.

It’s all unlikely. There’s a much higher chance that all the positive energy is gone within a week or two, and we’re back to evaluating Cam Newton trade scenarios. But at least after Thursday, there is some semblance of hope. Which is all Bears fans can ask for right now.

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3 things to watch: Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Seattle Seahawks will take over sole possession of first place in the NFC West with a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

The Seattle Seahawks have an absolutely critical game lined up against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

If Seattle wins, they will not only move to 10-2 on the season – but they will hold possession of first place in the NFC West and a potential bye week in the playoffs.

Should they lose, they would fall all the way to sixth place in the NFC, barely clinging to a playoff spot with just four games remaining.

So you don’t need me to tell you how important this game is for the rest of Seattle’s – and Minnesota’s – season.

However, outside of the actual implications of a win/loss, there are a handful of other key storylines for fans – and fantasy football owners – to pay attention to on Monday night.

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NFC West roundup: 49ers and Cardinals lose, Rams win in Week 13

The San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals lost in Week 13 but the Los Angeles Rams won. Here’s how it stacks u for the Seattle Seahawks.

Week 13 was favorable for the Seattle Seahawks (9-2) overall, despite them not having played their crucial game against the Minnesota Vikings (8-3) yet. That game will take place Monday night at CenturyLink Field at 5:15 p.m. PT.

The San Francisco 49ers (10-2) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (10-2), which provides the Seahawks with a perfect opportunity to take the lead in the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams (7-5) rebounded from their recent struggles with a blowout victory over the lowly Arizona Cardinals (3-8-1), who are now officially eliminated from postseason contention.

Let us dive into the specifics of both games ahead of Seattle’s Monday Night clash with Minnesota.

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David Nwaba could receive more minutes due to recent play

David Nwaba’s calling card is his defense, but he’s starting to provide the Brooklyn Nets with some offense, as well.

David Nwaba has been just shy of logging 20 minutes in two of Brooklyn’s last three games. The one game he didn’t come close to the 20-minute mark, the wing didn’t even play.

In fact, there have have been seven instances this season where Nwaba hasn’t logged a minute for the Nets. And there have been other games in which he only received garbage time minutes.

But now the wing has put together back-to-back 10-point performances — in addition to providing his standard, impactful defensive pressure — against two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

He has given Kenny Atkinson something to think about, as the Nets head coach told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Miami Heat:

I thought this was another game we needed his physicality. He was driving the ball to the rim. He’s played well. He’s earning himself more playing time.

Nwaba’s defensive approach hasn’t changed one bit. He’s still looking to get stops every time down the floor — which is exactly what the Nets need from their bench, especially if the defense begins to falter again.

But where Nwaba is trying to make more of an impact is on offense, which he told reporters on Sunday — and, again, has done so in his last two appearances:

Just take the open shots. I [have] been just trying to do that. And just be aggressive going to the basket every opportunity that I get. There [are] opportunities out there. I just gotta help the team on the offensive end, I know I can be there on the defensive end. Just gotta be aggressive every opportunity that I get.

Sixers vs. Jazz preview: Sixers look to remain unbeaten at home

The Philadelphia 76ers host the Utah Jazz looking to continue their home brilliance.

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to take advantage of a home heavy schedule when they host the Utah Jazz on Monday. The Sixers improved to a perfect 9-0 at home on Saturday when they knocked off the Indiana Pacers and they also improved to 14-6 on the season.

On Monday, the Jazz invade the Wells Fargo Center and they’re coming off a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday North of the Border. They trailed the Raptors by as many as 40 on their way to a 130-110 loss so they will be entering the game looking to erase what was an overall bad night in Toronto.

It’s now time for the guide to the game with everything you have come to expect in a preview:

How to watch Sixers vs. Jazz

Date: Monday, December 2
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
TV: NBATV, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury Report

Sixers: DOUBTFUL: Josh Richardson(right hamstring tightness)
Jazz: NOT YET SUBMITTED

Storylines

Harris as a scorer

The Sixers have been wanting Tobias Harris to morph into a scorer. The Sixers re-signed him to a $180 million max contract over the offseason and coach Brett Brown has put emphasis on him becoming a scorer. In the team’s previous two wins, Harris put up big scoring efforts in the second half giving the team a bit of a boost in order to allow Philadelphia to leave with victories.

Brown stated:

I have preached it to everyone and to him as well: I want him to find the rim. A scorer is a scorer, it’s not JJ Redick always, but driving [to the basket] is what we want. Whether it’s a rise up, pull up long 2, a catch-shot three, something off a catch go-go catch to the rim, we need him to score and I want him to think like a scorer. I think that he is, but I also think that he has been improving tremendously defensively.

Embiid becoming aggressive

Ever since Joel Embiid had an unacceptable scoreless effort in a loss to the Raptors, the superstar big man has been much more aggressive and dominant. In the three games since then, Embiid is averaging 30.6 points and he’s attempting 14.6 free throws on the heels of a 15-for-15 effort from the line against Indiana. It’s that type of production the Sixers need every night from their “crown jewel”.

Brown added on his star big man:

It’s a mentality. That is a disposition and a mentality, and it is more than a stat. To me, we shot 40 free throws last night and had 36 tonight. I like both of those things and you sure like them a lot more when you make them, but Embiid made a statement. Nobody can underestimate the hurt that he felt after the Toronto game where he felt like he let us down. We have seen him respond.

Prediction

The Sixers fell to the Jazz earlier in the season in Utah so this offers them a chance to get a little payback. Philadelphia is a much different team at home thanks to their home-court advantage and it’s hard to see them letting up or taking Utah lightly. The Jazz, on the other hand, will come out swinging looking to erase the memory of Sunday’s loss, but they had to travel and all of those issues combined make for a bad time in the City of Brotherly Love.

Pick: Sixers pull away late.

Sixers vs. Jazz season series

Game 1 November 6: 106-104 Jazz

Game 2 December 2:

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Opponents’ offensive rebounding latest problem for Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have improved immensely on the defensive end from the start of the season. But there’s still room for improvement.

The Nets are a quarter of the way through the season and currently sit at 10-10 following Sunday’s loss to the Miami Heat. In addition to Kyrie Irving (right shoulder impingement) and Caris LeVert’s (right thumb surgery) absences, the Nets were dealing with issues on the defensive end to start 2019-20.

But Brooklyn’s defense has improved vastly since mid-November. While it’s easy to draw the line to Irving being out, the Nets have made their feelings on the matter clear: they just needed time together.

Time has clearly made a difference, but Brooklyn still has room to improve.

In the Nets’ last three games, the Heat and Boston Celtics (twice) have exposed a possible area of weakness on the defensive end.

Before playing the Celtics on Thanksgiving Eve, the Nets were surrendering 10.3 offensive rebounds per game. Over the last three games, Brooklyn has given up 51 offensive rebounds (19, 16 and 16). That’s 17 additional possessions per game. If the Nets are lucky, their opponents only score on half of those second-chance opportunities.

While Kenny Atkinson saw some improvement on the glass in the second half of Sunday’s game, he noted the Heat’s offensive rebounds later in the game played an important role in the outcome:

It’s just the rebounding. In the second half, I think we did a much better job. I think we only gave up six [offensive rebounds], but I think they were a big six. I think we’d get a stop and … we said it before the game, our physicality — they really took advantage of us in the first half. Second half, [we] did a better job of rebounding. But, again, they got some big [offensive rebounds] that got extra shots. If you talk about one thing that hurt us defensively it was the rebounding again.

Similar to Atkinson, Taurean Prince felt rebounding was an issue on Sunday. He had seven, DeAndre Jordan pulled down eight and Jarrett Allen finished with 12, but Prince explained to reporters the team as a whole didn’t do enough:

We could’ve rebounded better throughout the whole entire game. Control the boards. I think we gave them a lot of second(-chance) opportunities which put us in a tough position in the end.

A couple days between their loss to the Heat and their trip to Atlanta should allow the Nets time to reassess their approach to the glass.

James Ennis III gives Sixers a reliable veteran presence off bench

The Philadelphia 76ers can count on James Ennis III to make an impact off their bemch with his veteran presence.

The Philadelphia 76ers are generally one of the better defensive teams in the league, but in Saturday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, they had their issues defending the Pacers out on the perimeter. Young wings Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle had their struggles defending T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb and it forced coach Brett Brown to make a change.

So, he decided to roll with a proven veteran in James Ennis III down the stretch in the fourth quarter along with the other four regular starters. With Josh Richardson still hampered by a hamstring issue and the youngsters struggling on defense, Ennis III did his job and helped the Sixers hold on for the win.

This comes off the heels of an impressive game against the New York Knicks on Friday when he poured in 20 points off the bench and he gives Brown a steady presence off the bench.

“James has been steady throughout,” said Brown. “For me, it’s like I like him as kind of a solid player coming off the bench. When you get down to making a decision like ‘who’s going to end the game?’ I’ve got a decision to make. You look at Matisse, Furk, or James and I think James has been that person for me. I like him coming off the bench. It’s another stable, veteran mind that can shoot and guard.”

Along with his defense, Ennis scored nine points as he knocked down a couple of shots from deep and it’s that type of production that can keep him in the rotation consistently. While Korkmaz will receive a start when it’s needed due to his ability to provide some quick offense, a veteran like Ennis will add that steady presence in case he isn’t producing to Brown’s liking.

“We go with a wild card like Furk to see what he can do with the start surrounded by a pretty good starting five,” Brown explained. “That’s the reason I do it, how I end the game is the decision I just said. James has been playing well, he was playing well tonight and rewarded with the minutes that he closed the game out with.”

The Sixers will hope to have Richardson back on Monday when they host the Utah Jazz, but he is listed as doubtful so it can be assumed that Korkmaz and Ennis will factor into the rotation heavily again. [lawrence-related id=20406,20397,20389]