Tag: Washington Wizards

Wizards’ Tristan Vukcevic credits teammates for helping with transition to NBA

Tristan Vukcevic joined the Wizards this month and the 21-year-old is getting a crash course in playing in the NBA.

Tristan Vukcevic joined the Washington Wizards this month after starting the season in Serbia, and the 21-year-old is getting a crash course in playing in the NBA.

Vukcevic was selected with the 42nd pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Wizards after emerging as one of the top international prospects. The team signed him on March 14 after agreeing to a seven-figure contract buyout with Partizan and Real Madrid, his first professional club.

The 7-footer debuted with the Wizards on Saturday, logging three minutes in a win over Toronto. He registered his first career points on Monday in a 107-105 win against Chicago, knocking down two 3-pointers and hauling in three rebounds in nine minutes.

“He hit a couple of 3s (and) had good protection at the rim,” Wizards interim coach Brian Keefe said. “(We are) thrilled to have him in our program. He has a high basketball IQ, and we’re excited he is here with us.”

Vukcevic averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds on 43.2% shooting from 3-point range in 30 games this season with Partizan. He has spent the past two-plus seasons with the team and helped it claim the ABA League championship last year.

He played with the Wizards in the NBA Summer League before returning to Partizan. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and one steal in four appearances in Las Vegas. He scored in double figures twice, including a summer league-high 15 points on July 15.

Vukcevic will  begin the transition by joining the team for the last month of the season. The game in the United States is much different than in Europe and will take some time to learn.

“It is a different game,” Vukcevic said on Saturday. “It is more fast-paced, less plays. I think in Europe, it is more textbook basketball and it is just something I have to learn. It is a learning process: Speed, pace and everything.”

Vukcevic is viewed as a highly skilled big man and is touted for his ability as a scorer and shooter, with his smooth stroke and ability to work in the post. He impressed at the combine last year and drew interest from several teams drafting in the second round.

With 10 games left to play and the Wizards out of postseason contention, Vukcevic projects to have the opportunity to log extended minutes. He will be leaning on his teammates for help.

“They’re just helping me transition to the NBA and teaching me what to do and what not to do, like my positioning because it is very different,” Vukcevic said. “(Anthony) Gill is doing a good job of telling me where to be at and what to do because he was in Europe and knew how the transition is. I’m very glad that he is helping me.”

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Wizards: Rookie Bilal Coulibaly to miss rest of season due to injury

Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the regular season after suffering a right wrist fracture.

Washington Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a right wrist fracture, the team announced on Monday.

Coulibaly sustained the injury on Saturday while falling in a road loss to the Chicago Bulls. The team initially deemed the injury a contusion, but testing revealed a fracture, which isn’t expected to require surgery, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

He recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes before the injury on Saturday.

Coulibaly didn’t play on Sunday in a loss to the Boston Celtics and was seen wearing a brace on the bench. He will be sidelined for the final 14 games of the season.

Coulibaly finishes the season averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 34.6% shooting from 3-point range in 63 games. He became the third-youngest player to appear in a game in franchise history on Oct. 25, 2023 (19 years, 91 days).

The seventh pick is one of eight rookies to average at least eight points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this season. He is one of four first-year players with at least 40 steals and 40 blocked shots, joining Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson and Victor Wembanyama.

Coulibaly was among 11 rookies selected to compete in the NBA Rising Stars game. He has drawn high praise for his maturity and professionalism since joining the Wizards and appears to be a franchise cornerstone moving forward.

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Celtics mystify Wizards, win 130-104 on the road

The Celtics started their tilt with the Wizards down Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, and finished the game without Sam Hauser as well.

The Boston Celtics started their road tilt with the Washington Wizards down Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, and finished the contest without Sam Hauser as well. And it after Hauser threatened Marcus Smart’s single-game 3-point shot record on his way to tying teammate Jayson Tatum for a game-high 30 points in Boston’s 130-104 blowout win.

The Virginia alum also put up 6 rebounds, and Tatum as many boards and assists, with three other players scoring in double figures, oddly with the same number of points. Al Horford added 14 points, Luke Kornet 14 points, and 6 rebounds, and Payton Pritchard 14 points, 5 boards, and 13 assists for his first double-double of 2023-24.

With the win, the Celtics improve to 53-14 on the season, and now have a 9.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the East, and a 6-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA.

The Celtics next play the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden Monday, March 18.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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PHOTOS: Boston vs. Washington – Celtics beat the Wiz 130-104

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 66th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Wizards.

Let’s be honest, the poor Washington Wizards never stood a chance in this one. The league-last Wiz immediately fell into a 0-7 hole vs. the Boston Celtics, and never led, Boston going up by as much as 36 points in the 130-104 blowout road win.

The Celtics held the Wiz to just 29.4% from beyond the arc for the night, with comfortable to large advantages in assists (30-24), rebounds (43-40), steals (9-3), and blocks (6-5). Despite Boston being without three starters for the game (and losing reserve forward Sam Hauser to an ankle sprain in the game’s second half), this contest was easily won by the Celtics.

Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 66th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Wizards.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics rule out two key starters ahead of Wizards game

The Boston Celtics have ruled out two of their starters for their upcoming game against the Washington Wizards.

The Boston Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White when they face the Washington Wizards on Sunday (March 17). Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are both listed as questionable heading into the day. Nevertheless, Porzingis’s continued absence will undoubtedly be the talking point.

The veteran big man was last seen during the Celtics’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7. He has missed the subsequent four games, with the upcoming Wizards contest being the fifth. He has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Fortunately for Celtics fans, Porzingis has looked good when shooting around at warm-ups, as shown by multiple videos across social media.

With only 16 games remaining in the season and Boston needing only seven wins to secure the first seed, it’s understandable that they’re taking a cautious approach to Porzingis’ health. After all, he is undoubtedly a significant x-factor for Joe Mazzulla‘s roster.

The Warriors have only won 11 games this season. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t be seen as a guaranteed win. The Celtics must avoid complacency if they wish to navigate a potential trap game on Sunday.

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

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Report: Wizards to sign second-round pick Tristan Vukcevic to 2-year contract

Vukcevic averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds on 43.2% shooting from 3-point range in 30 games with Partizan this season.

Tristan Vukcevic, a 7-foot center with Partizan in Serbia, will reportedly sign a two-year contract with the Washington Wizards, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Vukcevic was drafted with the 42nd pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Wizards. He played with the team in the NBA Summer League, averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal and one block in four appearances.

The 21-year-old returned to play with Partizan as a draft-and-stash prospect this year. The Wizards and Partizan agreed to a seven-figure contract buyout this week, clearing the way for Vukcevic to make the jump to the NBA for the remainder of the season.

Vukcevic averaged 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds on 43.2% shooting from 3-point range in 30 games with Partizan. He has spent the past two-plus seasons with the team and helped it claim the ABA League championship last year.

He is viewed as a highly skilled big man and is touted for his ability as a scorer and shooter, with his smooth stroke and ability to work in the post. He impressed at the combine last year and drew interest from several teams drafting in the second round.

Vukcevic will now have the opportunity to get a head start on next year by joining the Wizards for the last month of the season. He will likely once again play with the team in summer league and should have the chance to compete for a rotation spot next year.

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How a Wilt Chamberlain NBA record could soon be broken by … Daniel Gafford

Daniel Gafford has played VERY well since his trade to the Mavericks.

When the Mavericks traded for former Wizards big man Daniel Gafford, it was quietly one of the most intriguing moves of the NBA’s trade deadline.

Gafford, 25, is a perfect lob threat to play alongside Dallas superstar Luka Doncic. Since his arrival on the Mavericks, especially after moving into the starting lineup, he has played particularly well.

In fact, Gafford is approaching historical efficiency records. Gafford has made 28 consecutive field goals and he somehow has not missed a shot in four games, the most of any player since the play-by-play era began in 1996-97.

With seven more makes in a row, he can break Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 35 consecutive field goals made. Here is Gafford’s explanation for how he is doing it (via CBS Sports):

“My philosophy for sure is just being consistent,” Gafford said Monday. “I have the mindset that I want to finish everything, no matter if there’s somebody in front of you, or there isn’t somebody in front of you. At the end of the day, I either dunk it or lay it in the rim.”

For what it is worth, Gafford is getting excellent looks at the basket.

Since arriving in Dallas earlier this season, 88% of Gafford’s attempts have come within four feet of the rim. That ranks in the 97th percentile among all big men, via Cleaning the Glass.

Meanwhile, the big man has a “shot quality” of 0.67 dating back to his first game with the Mavericks on Feb. 10. That ranks as the highest (minimum: 150 minutes) during that span, per PBPStats.

Gafford’s next games are against Golden State, Oklahoma City and Denver. He is in a solid position to potentially dethrone Chamberlain for this unique record.

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Thunder’s Mike Muscala hilariously treats his NBA career like a regular job with LinkedIn updates

Mike Muscala wants to join your professional network.

One of the many perks of playing in the NBA is that you probably don’t need a traditional resumé the way most people in the workforce might.

But in spite of that, NBA veteran Mike Muscala continues to use the professional networking website LinkedIn the way he would if he had a normal job.

Muscala has played ten professional seasons for seven different franchises. He has already played for three teams during the 2023-24 campaign already with stops on the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons before returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder (where he played from 2019 until 2023).

At each stop, as noted by Front Office Sports, the big man has updated his LinkedIn profile:

Muscala has shared updates on his profile, such as thanking the Pistons for his time with the organization.

He even pays the monthly fee for a premium LinkedIn account, which is objectively hilarious.

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The Washington Wizards have hit rock bottom and somehow things are only getting worse

The Wizards have somehow become worse than the Pistons

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a great week and have a better weekend ahead of you.

Mine? Oh, it going great until Thursday night. I watched my Wizards fumble away a win against LeBron James and the Lakers.

This has got to be the most painful season I’ve ever endured as a fan of this team. And y’all know me, man — I’ve been through some stuff with this team. That Clippers comeback. The John Wall thing. Spencer Dinwiddie. Just…ugh.

Somehow, though, this season sits on a pedestal of suckitude alone. The Wizards are a laughingstock. Only having nine wins so far this season already felt like rock bottom. It certainly is. But, as it turns out, things are only getting worse.

Washington didn’t win a single game in February — the team went 0-12. You have to call the team the Ashington Izards now. The Ws are gone. I would say throw some Ls in front of that but I also feel like actual Lizards might be insulted.

I don’t know when the next Wizards win might come. There’s no “get right” game on the schedule. The Wizards are the “get right” team everyone looks forward to. The team can’t play itself. If it did, it’d obviously lose. Yes, it’s that bad.

We’re still quite a bit away from the Wizards potentially breaking the Piston’s streak, but I’ll tell you what: It does feel possible.

It’s hard to pinpoint where the team’s next win will come from.

Washington’s next five games are: @ L.A. Clippers, @ Utah Jazz, vs. Orlando Magic, vs. Charlotte Hornets @ Miami Heat.

Of those five, maybe the Hornets’ game can be a win? The Jazz also aren’t playing the greatest, though that’s a road matchup. The Wizards might be able to steal a game or two from one of these teams during this stretch.

But nothing here is clear. None of these games are guaranteed. And, if Washington doesn’t get one here, we could be looking at another all-time losing streak like the one we saw from Detroit earlier this year.

The basketball gods, man. They’re so cruel.

The 40-20 rule

Jan 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) works the ball around Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) in the second quarter at TD Garden.
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Zeglinski is using an old Phil Jackson rule to determine which team might win the championship this season.

The rule is this: Generally, the NBA champion is going to be a team that wins 40 games before it loses 20 games. He explains more here:

“The 11-time champion coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers once said that for a team to be a true “elite” championship contender, it must win 40 games before losing 20. Now, that might seem like a random barometer that Jackson thought up out of thin air. But when you look at NBA history, it’s actually a fantastic indicator of who has a realistic chance of winning the title.

That’s because 27 of the last 30 NBA champions won 40 games before losing 20. Dearest readers, that is 90 percent of all title winners in recent memory.”

If we’re going by 40-20 rule logic, we’ve got four legitimate contenders: The Celtics, the Timberwolves, the Nuggets and the Thunder.

We’ll revisit this once we get to the Finals.

Shootaround

— Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with the latest mock draft. Of course, the Wizards are picking at No. 1.

— Shaq trying to bait Charles Barkley into giving an OnlyFans shoutout on the air is incredible content. Here’s Charles Curtis with more.

— Prince Grimes has the best bets for division winners in the NBA. That Southwest division is going crazy right now.

— Here’s the latest Morning Win on Caitlin Clark and the false idea of a pay cut waiting for her in the WNBA.

That’s a wrap, folks! We’ll be back on Monday. Until next time! Peace. We out.

-Sykes ✌️

Lakers player grades: L.A. barely squeaks by the struggling Wizards

Yet again, the Lakers looked lackadaisical against an inferior team when they faced the Wizards, but they did escape with a win.

After coming back from a big deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Washington Wizards on Thursday. Given that the Wizards were on a 12-game losing streak, one may have thought the Lakers would’ve gotten themselves an easy win.

Instead, they had a relapse of the ailment that has afflicted them throughout the season — the inability or unwillingness to play hard and be focused when facing an inferior team.

The Wizards came out surprisingly competitive in the early minutes of this game. They led 27-19 late in the first quarter, and they were still up 58-52 with just over four minutes left in the first half. While the Lakers did rally a bit to take a 70-69 lead at halftime, their focus and interest level seemed spotty, especially since they were outscored by nine in fast-break points and allowed Jordan Poole to score 20 points off the bench.

The Lakers were never quite able to take true control of the contest, despite taking a two-possession lead multiple times. Washington actually went ahead 123-120 with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, and it took the Lakers an extra five minutes in order to escape with a 134-131 overtime win.

While they were outscored from the 3-point line, as usual — this time, the discrepancy was 27 points in that category — they did attempt and make twice as many free throws as the Wizards. But Los Angeles cannot keep putting forth such lackadaisical efforts against teams with worse records than it if it is to make the playoffs.

Still, a win is a win, and the team now has a 33-28 record and is still in ninth place in the Western Conference, although it is just half a game ahead of the 10th-place Golden State Warriors.