Basketball Notes: Kennedy Injured, Morris Sidelined, Draft Rankings, All-Star Voting, 65-Game Rule Scrutiny
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Philadelphia, PA — Veteran NBA referee Bill Kennedy left Friday’s 76ers-Magic game in a wheelchair after sustaining an apparent right leg injury during the first quarter. Kennedy began limping while trailing a Philadelphia fast break, hopped near the baseline as Paul George completed a layup, then signaled for help during an Orlando timeout. Fellow officials James Williams and Michael Smith handled the remainder of the contest.
Monte Morris out 3–4 weeks
Former NBA guard Monte Morris will miss three to four weeks with a left leg injury suffered in a EuroLeague game, Olympiacos announced via Eurohoops.net. The 28-year-old joined the Greek club last month after being waived by the Pacers on Nov. 21. Morris appeared in six games for Indiana this season, averaging 10.8 minutes.
New names atop draft board
BYU wing AJ Dybantsa holds the No. 1 position on Sam Vecenie’s latest draft board for The Athletic. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson ranks second, followed by Duke forward Cameron Boozer. Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance has climbed to No. 6, buoyed by his defensive potential.
All-Star fan voting update
Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain the overall vote leaders in their respective conferences, according to the NBA’s second round of returns. Western Conference top five: Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama. Eastern Conference top five: Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell. Fan ballots account for 50 percent of the selection process; voting runs through Wednesday.
65-game rule draws fresh attention
The Athletic’s John Hollinger reports that many elite players are unlikely to meet the new 65-game and 20-minute minimums required for postseason awards under the latest CBA, raising questions about unintended consequences of the policy.
Source: Hoops Rumors
