Tag: Orlando Magic

Gregg Popovich reveals message to Spurs’ Devin Vassell in Magic game

After the San Antonio Spurs’ loss to the Orlando Magic, Gregg Popovich revealed the message that led to Devin Vassell’s scoring outburst.

A relatively quiet trade deadline saw the San Antonio Spurs move Doug McDermott to the Indiana Pacers for a second-round pick and Marcus Morris, who will be bought out. However, that wasn’t the players’ focus on Thursday. They had a game against the Orlando Magic, and by halftime, they were down by 17 points.

San Antonio shot very poorly in the first half, while Orlando shot 57.1% from the field and 50.0% from behind the three-point line. Devin Vassell, in particular, had a rough first half. He shot 0-of-5 from the floor, ending the first two quarters with zero points. It was one of his worst games in recent memory.

But at halftime, head coach Gregg Popovich had a message for him.

“I said: ‘Dev, I don’t want to be too pushy or anything, but if you want to go ahead and score a little bit and play a little bit better, that’d be fine,’” Popovich said via ESPN.

Popovich’s sarcastic remarks must have sparked something inside of Vassell because he exploded in the third quarter.

Vassell poured in 23 third-quarter points, nailing all nine of his shots, including two three-point buckets. He also had two rebounds and two assists, and in the fourth, he followed up the explosion with a modest seven-point quarter.

Unfortunately, Vassell’s impressive third-quarter showing wasn’t enough to earn the Spurs a win, as the Magic ended up taking home a 127-111 win.

San Antonio has now lost six games in a row but will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

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NBA trade deadline 2024: A complete tracker of every trade

Rookie Wire is keeping track of every trade ahead of the Thursday deadline based on the latest intel available.

The week of the trade deadline is in full swing around the NBA, with teams working the phones in an effort to improve their rosters ahead of 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.

Since the start of the season, several notable names in the game have relocated after various trades. The moves have helped teams add more firepower to their rosters, while others have solidified their futures with draft picks and additional assets.

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The buyers and sellers around the league should become known as the action figures to heat up over the next 24 hours, with conversations and trade calls ramping up. The recent rumors and speculation should, once again, create another action-packed trade deadline.

Rookie Wire is monitoring the latest news and compiling each trade ahead of the deadline in this tracker. The list will be updated as news becomes available.

Last Update: Feb. 8, 3:10 p.m. EST

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama among No. 1 picks to compete in Skills Challenge

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama will be among three No. 1 picks to team up in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama will be among three No. 1 picks to team in the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Wembanyama will be joined by All-Stars Paolo Banchero (Orlando, 2022) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota, 2020) in the competition. They will compete against Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers and another team.

The Skills Challenge usually features three teams of three players, typically with teams consisting of rookies, players from the host team and others. The format of the competition last year included a timed on-court relay, passing and shooting obstacles.

Wembanyama and Banchero were also among 28 players selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16. Wembanyama was the top pick in the draft by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, while Banchero was selected second by Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.

The rest of the competitors are expected to be announced soon.

The Skills Challenge will tip off All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 17, with the 3-Point Contest, NBA (Stephen Curry) vs. WNBA (Sabrina Ionescu) 3-Point Challenge and Slam Dunk Contest to follow at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Rumor: Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. expected to compete in Slam Dunk Contest

Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is reportedly expected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend.

Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is expected to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Feb. 17 in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to Chris Haynes of TNT.

Jaquez expressed interest in participating in the event in December and was viewed as a good candidate after winning a dunk contest in high school. He declined to comment on the event last month, likely waiting until the field of participants was announced.

The 18th pick is expected to be joined by Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown, New York Knicks rookie Jacob Toppin and Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung, who won the event last year.

The league typically asks rookies and other young players to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. The field will include an All-Star for the first time since 2017 (DeAndre Jordan) and three up-and-coming players in the NBA and G League.

Jaquez and McClung were also among 28 players selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16. Jaquez will play on Team Pau (Gasol), and McClung will team with six other players from the G League on Team Detlef (Schrempf).

The Slam Dunk Contest will headline the Saturday night festivities during NBA All-Star Weekend. The evening will also feature the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and an NBA (Stephen Curry) vs. WNBA (Sabrina Ionescu) 3-Point Challenge.

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Former Vols’ NBA results for Feb. 6

A look at how former Vols performed in the NBA on Tuesday.

Three former Vols competed in the NBA on Tuesday, while one was inactive.

Miami defeated Orlando, 121-95, at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

Josh Richardson totaled 13 points, five rebounds and one assist in 27 minutes for the Heat. He converted  5-of-7 field goal attempts and 3-for-3 free throw attempts.

Admiral Schofield was inactive for the Magic.

Dallas defeated Brooklyn, 119-107, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Grant Williams recorded five points, three rebounds, one steal and one block for the Mavericks. He converted 2-of-5 field goal attempts and 1-for-3 three-point attempts.

Chicago defeated Minnesota, 129-123, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Julian Phillips totaled two points and two rebounds in nine minutes for the Bulls. He converted 1-of-4 field goal attempts.

NBA Rising Stars 2024: Full rosters revealed in draft announcement

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game.

The NBA on Tuesday unveiled the four seven-player teams for the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game on Feb. 16 as part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The event will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA will be drafted onto three teams. The seven players in the G League will comprise the fourth team.

The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches. The players from the G League were selected by the league office. Each team submitted a rookie ballot and a sophomore ballot featuring four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players of any position.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

Here are the rosters drafted by Gasol, Catchings and Rose.

NBA Power Rankings: Knicks make a jump behind 9-game win streak

Rookie Wire looked at the NBA through games played on Thursday and ranked each team from worst to first.

After an exciting first half of the season, the NBA is closing in on the trade deadline and All-Star Weekend the following week to start the stretch run for teams vying for playoff positioning.

The trade chatter will certainly ramp up considerably before Thursday, with several teams expected to be active. The impending rumors and other speculation should once again create plenty of storylines to watch over the next several days.

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The league announced the 14 reserve players for the All-Star Game on Thursday, with several first-time selections joining the mainstays in the exhibition this year. Of course, the announcement wasn’t without controversy regarding those snubbed players.

To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire looked at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We will return each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.

Jamahl Mosely shows serious love to Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosely was in awe of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.

As the season has gone on, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has turned heads with every chance he’s gotten. Despite the Spurs’ overall lack of success, his presence on the team has given fans and the organization hope for a brighter tomorrow, and it could be closer than people think.

After an ugly start to the season, the Spurs have been picking up the pace as of late. They’re still not winning a ton of games, but they’re becoming more and more competitive in each contest they play in, and Wembanyama’s continuous development has been a big part of that.

Their most recent loss was a 108-98 defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic, and while they were down big in the third quarter, a fourth-quarter run almost earned them a comeback victory.

After the game, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosely revealed that he was in awe of Wembanyama. (H/t Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News)

“I got exhausted watching it,” Mosely said. “There’s a ‘wow’ moment every game.”

In addition, Mosely was impressed by how clearly Wembanyama is trying to improve whenever he can.

“You see how in-game, he’s going to Pop and asking questions,” Mosely said. “He’s in constant learning mode.”

Wembanyama finished the night with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and five blocks while shooting 7-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was impressed with Orlando’s size, and Mosely felt the same way about Wembanyama.

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2024 NBA Mock Draft: Latest first-round projections at midway point of season

Rookie Wire took a look at the 2024 NBA draft class and where the top prospects stand as of Feb. 1.

The top NBA draft prospects worldwide have collectively reached the second halves of their respective seasons as they look to showcase themselves in front of scouts and executives.

The class this year has seen several players help their stock, while others have struggled and fallen down draft boards. Some players have also dealt with recent injuries and other factors that have prevented them from reaching their potential.

The draft is widely considered open at the top of the board, with several prospects in the conversation to be the first selection. Unlike last year, when Victor Wembanyama was the consensus No. 1 pick, there is no clear-cut choice this year.

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Prospects will continue to see their standing fluctuate over the remaining two-plus months of action on the court as scouts have more time to evaluate them. The sheer unknown atop the draft board should create plenty of storylines to follow over the remainder of the season.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that the draft will be expanded to a two-night format, with the first round set to take place on June 26 at the Barclays Center. The second round will be at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York the following night.

Rookie Wire looked at the class and where the top prospects stand at this point of the season. The order was determined by the reverse order of the NBA standings as of Feb. 1.

Note: Player fit wasn’t necessarily taken into account with each pick. Pick protections and other notes courtesy of Tankathon.

Gregg Popovich praises Magic after tough Spurs loss: ‘They’re huge’

After the San Antonio Spurs’ 108-98 loss to the Orlando Magic, head coach Gregg Popovich praised the opponent.

On Wednesday night, the Orlando Magic came to Frost Bank Center to take on the San Antonio Spurs in a battle between two of the youngest teams in the NBA. Orlando has been the more impressive bunch this year, but with Victor Wembanyama leading the way, the Spurs have been just as relevant.

Unfortunately, relevancy doesn’t always translate to wins, and the Magic took home the win on Wednesday by a score of 108-98. Led by Paolo Banchero, they were up by as many as 25 points in the third quarter but had to fend off a late Spurs run in the fourth quarter.

Orlando was able to overwhelm San Antonio with size and physicality, which head coach Gregg Popovich praised them for after the fact.

“They’re huge,” Popovich said via ESPN. “They’re strong, they’re big. Talking about 6-9, 6-10, 6-11 guys that are athletic. Just really impressive.”

Banchero finished the game with 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals while shooting 9-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc.

Meanwhile, Franz Wagner put up 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one steal while shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the three-point line.

Wembanyama did his best to match his Orlando counterparts, as he ended the night with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and five blocks while shooting 7-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-5 from deep.

That said, Devin Vassell led the Spurs in scoring with 26 points while Jeremy Sochan had an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double on Wednesday night.

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