NBA Notebook: James Harden intends to test free agency

This week’s information has been headlined by the announcement of the 2022 NBA All Star Sport starters – together with a controversial choice. We’ll get you caught up on that and extra in our NBA Pocket book. Let’s dive in!

ALL-STAR STARTERS ANNOUNCED

The 2022 NBA All-Star starters have been introduced final evening. Within the East: DeMar DeRozan, Trae Younger, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid. Within the West: Steph Curry, Ja Morant, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Andrew Wiggins. Because the main vote-getters of their respective conferences, James and Durant will tackle group captain duties.

Wiggins’ inclusion as a starter is one thing of a head-scratcher. The previous No. 1 choose has had a advantageous season, however he’s a strictly tertiary participant, who advantages enormously from the Golden State Warriors’ system. Given the instances that so many different deserving frontcourt gamers have, it’s fairly egregious that Wiggins was given a beginning spot.

That Draymond Inexperienced, Wiggins’ personal teammate, did not make the starters over Wiggins simply demonstrates how superficial some basketball evaluation is, as the one factor that Wiggins does higher than Inexperienced is rating factors. Inexperienced is without doubt one of the greatest basketball gamers of all-time, and sadly, he’s change into one of the crucial unappreciated even by his personal fan base.

ALEX CARUSO INJURED, GRAYSON ALLEN SUSPENDED

In an incident that set NBA Twitter on hearth, Grayson Allen dedicated a wildly harmful flagrant foul that resulted in Alex Caruso’s damage earlier this week. Caruso was chopping for a dunk, and Allen had no life like path to soundly problem his try. He challenged it anyway, making preliminary contact with the ball together with his left hand, however then introduced his proper hand down on Caruso as effectively, severely unbalancing him as he crashed to the bottom. 

Allen was given a flagrant two and ejected, however it emerged later that the play had resulted in Caruso fracturing his hand and that he’ll miss between six and eight weeks. Given Allen’s historical past with tripping and perceived soiled play within the NCAA (and an incident the place he appeared to journey Derrick Rose earlier this season), some corners of the NBA world wished extreme punishment. The NBA opted to droop Allen one recreation, which is in keeping with suspensions for comparable actions up to now.

For the Bulls, Caruso’s damage couldn’t come at a worse time, because the group lately misplaced Lonzo Ball to meniscus surgical procedure for the same timeframe. The 2 guards are the center of the Bulls’ defensive identification and are important to their success. 

JAMES HARDEN’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Jake Fischer dropped one thing of a bomb for Bleacher Report regarding James Harden this week. Citing sources near the Brooklyn Nets star, Fischer makes it clear that no matter what he’s stated up to now, Harden totally intends to check free company this offseason.

A number of the causes cited embrace his frustration with Kyrie Irving’s vaccination standing, Steve Nash’s rotations, and normal dissatisfaction with dwelling in Brooklyn. Daryl Morey, having a longstanding relationship with James Harden, has apparently been emboldened by this info and is unlikely to commerce Ben Simmons earlier than the deadline to be able to use him as an indication and commerce piece for the Nets this offseason.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported later that the Nets have acquired assurances about Harden and aren’t below any circumstances listening to commerce provides for him, however provided that the report is essentially involved with this coming offseason when Harden shall be a free agent, they don’t precisely contradict Fischer’s reporting both.

It might be an unmitigated catastrophe for the Nets if Harden leaves this offseason, significantly given the uncertainty of Irvings taking part in future. The Internet’s title window is perhaps closed after this 12 months.

NEW RISING STARS FORMAT

The NBA introduced a brand new (and actually fairly complicated) format for the Rising Stars Sport as a part of All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. The principle takeaway is that 4 G League Ignite gamers will now play within the recreation.

The Rising Stars recreation is all the things that’s fallacious with the NBA All-Star recreation however worse, so I’m in favor of any revisions irrespective of how unintuitive and radical to inject some life into the occasion.

INJURIES AND ABSENCES

This was sadly an enormous week for accidents across the Affiliation, however listed below are a couple of of the extra impactful ones outdoors of Alex Caruso.

Tim Hardaway Jr. broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in a recreation in opposition to the Warriors this week. The restoration time for this damage is listed at 10 weeks, however in lots of instances is vulnerable to setbacks. That very same damage has stored Zion Williamson out all 12 months.

Nassir Little suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season. It’s a very robust break for the 21-year-old ahead as he was actually breaking out during the last month.

And as if that wasn’t sufficient Portland damage information, backup middle Cody Zeller had surgical procedure to deal with a patellar damage and will miss as much as 10 weeks. With Damian Lillard nonetheless recovering from surgical procedure and the accidents piling up everywhere in the roster, it’s effectively previous time to wager in opposition to the Blazers making a playoff push.