Morning Hoop Heads! Here’s the latest news from around the NBA:
NBA News: The San Antonio Spurs are in a freefall.
As losers of 16 out of their last 17 games, including an active 11-game losing streak, the San Antonio Spurs are really going through it right now. This is after they started the season 5-2 but are now 6-18 and have the NBA’s third-worst record. Just yesterday, they were hammered by a shorthanded Phoenix Suns team, losing by 35 points.
Part of their issues are a myriad of injuries to key rotation players, particularly shooters Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott, and their best player, Keldon Johnson, is playing particularly poorly. He’s only averaging 15.3 points on 29.6% shooting (yes, you read that correctly), and his high-arcing rainbow shot just isn’t falling.
As the losses continue to pile up, the Spurs may look to move some of their veterans in hopes of adding more assets while also maintaining their place in the bottom three. Doing so would guarantee them a 14% chance at the first pick in the NBA draft, which would be tied for the highest odds. If the Spurs land the first or second pick, then all of this will have been worth it for them.
NBA News: The Trae Young-McMillian feud.
There has been speculation that Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan is on the hot seat. However, that was just speculation until Shams Charnia and Sam Amick broke the news that there was an incident between him and star point guard Trae Young.
"Young was receiving treatment on his right shoulder, sources say McMillan asked him whether he would participate in shootaround, receive treatment during walk-through and play in the game against the Nuggets. But Young made it clear that he wanted to focus solely on his treatment while missing shootaround and deciding later in the day whether he would play."
According to Charnia and Amick, McMillian gave him an ultimatum: come off the bench or not show up. Young chose not to attend his team’s game. Young choosing that route isn’t exactly a great look, and people within the Hawks apparently are questioning Young’s leadership abilities as a result.
Key personnel around the Atlanta Hawks believe that Trae Young must find a way to become a more productive and positive face of the franchise, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/ZnfNaIHa1m
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 4, 2022
As for McMillan, the Hawks are only hovering around 500 after making a move to acquire star guard Dejounte Murray in the offseason. Having a strained relationship with his best player probably doesn’t help his job security. Of course, Young has a part to play in the situation too, and perhaps his and Murray’s lackluster on-court conduct was part of the reason he and McMillian had a disagreement in the first place.