TITLE: LeBron Nears 65-Game Threshold, Pat Spencer Seizes First Start, Malik Beasley in Advanced Talks With Partizan
SLUG: lebron-games-limit-spencer-breakout-beasley-partizan
CONTENT:
LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO & BELGRADE — Three separate storylines are unfolding around the NBA:
Lakers Monitoring LeBron’s Availability
Head coach JJ Redick said postseason awards will not dictate when LeBron James returns to the lineup, even though the forward is one game shy of the maximum absences allowed under the league’s 65-game rule. James, listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup in Philadelphia with right sciatica and left foot joint arthritis, has already missed 16 contests. One more would put him at the limit for awards eligibility.
“The biggest thing was getting him healthy, then re-acclimating him,” Redick told reporters, adding that awards are “so far down the list.” James, who turns 41 later this month, did not make his season debut until Nov. 18 and has appeared in six games, averaging 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 41.3 percent.
Pat Spencer Lifts Short-Handed Warriors
With Golden State missing multiple rotation players in Cleveland, two-way guard Pat Spencer earned his first NBA start and produced a career-best outing. The former Loyola Maryland lacrosse standout scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, handed out seven assists and grabbed four rebounds in the Warriors’ 99-94 victory. Twelve of his points came in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers mounted a late push.
“He’s really improved his jump shot,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Now he’s a threat out there.” Spencer has dressed for all 24 games this season and is trending toward a standard contract later in the year.
Malik Beasley Nearing Deal in Serbia
Free-agent wing Malik Beasley is close to signing a rest-of-season agreement with Partizan Belgrade, according to Nova.rs. The reported contract is valued at roughly $2 million and would not include an NBA out clause.
Beasley appeared in all 82 games for Detroit last season, averaging 16.3 points while shooting a career-best 41.3 percent from three-point range. A potential three-year, $42 million extension with the Pistons stalled after reports surfaced in June of a federal investigation into possible illegal betting activity. Although he was not named in subsequent indictments, neither the NBA nor federal authorities have cleared him, leaving the 29-year-old unsigned midway through the current campaign.
Partizan, a EuroLeague participant, already features former NBA players Shake Milton and Jabari Parker. NBA teams such as Detroit and Cleveland are reportedly monitoring Beasley’s status.
Source: Hoops Wire
