Pacers
Indiana forward Pascal Siakam says he is keeping his spirits up while the club tries to navigate a growing injury list.
“It’s almost laughable,” Siakam told the Indianapolis Star. “As bad as it’s getting, I know there’s going to be another side of it.”
Head coach Rick Carlisle is relying on makeshift rotations to stay afloat. Aaron Nesmith is averaging five more field-goal attempts than at any previous point in his career, and rookie Jarace Walker has jumped from 4.8 shots per game last year to 12.6 this season.
“We have a lot of guys playing unusual positions, but the spirit is good,” Carlisle said. Indiana sits at 1-6 after opening last year 11-15 before its run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Kings
Russell Westbrook erupted for 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his first game back in Denver, but Sacramento fell 130-124.
“They didn’t want me back,” Westbrook said, referring to the Nuggets. The guard signed a veteran minimum deal with Denver last summer, appeared in 75 regular-season games and logged meaningful minutes in several playoff series. When his player option came up, he said the team advised him not to pick it up.
Assistant coach David Adelman praised Westbrook’s approach, calling him “the most consistent energy guy I’ve ever been around.” Now with Sacramento, the veteran continues to play with an edge. The Kings are also bringing in big man Precious Achiuwa to bolster the frontcourt.
Mavericks
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd tempered recent optimism about Kyrie Irving returning ahead of schedule.
“When I made the statement—it was more like, we would love to have him back,” Kidd told The Athletic. “But we don’t have a schedule.” Irving tore his ACL in April, and the club still has no timeline for his return.
Source: Hoops Wire
