NBA News: Everybody hates Trae? Anthony Davis injury update. More

Morning Hoops Heads! Here’s the latest NBA news from around the league.

NBA News: Anthony Davis’ season hangs in the balance.

Things aren’t going well for the Lakers at the moment. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games and 13-19 overall, and probably won’t be able to claw their way back to 500 as long as star Anthony Davis remains out. Davis was previously expected to miss a month, but now that timetable has been updated to the much more ominous “indefinite.”

This is due to the diagnosis of a stress injury in his foot. That could lead to foot surgery, but for now, the Lakers and Davis are hoping to avoid that by having him rest it.

If the injury doesn’t heal on its own, he could be forced to have season-ending surgery, which would all but end the Lakers’ chances of making the playoffs. Even if he does return, then the Lakers could still be in a deep enough hole that they can’t dig themselves out of. We’ll know more in 7-10 days, but Lakers fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up.

NBA News: The new Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class

The newest nominees for the 2023 Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame class were recently announced, and it’s likely one of the best ever. Players such as Dwyane Wade, Paul Gasol, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, and coach Gregg Popovich are all expected to make it.

To be sure, that’s a lot of star power, and each has played an important role in NBA history. Nowitzki helped usher in the stretch big-man era and, over the course of his 21-season career, drained nearly 2,000 threes and scored more than 30,000 points. He also led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals twice and won in 2011.

Wade was the best shooting guard in the NBA at his peak and was key to turning the Miami Heat into a winner. He won three championships with the team and helped form the first superteam, which led to the player empowerment era.

Parker was initially the third-best player on the greatest NBA trio in NBA history. However, he later helped carry the Spurs to two NBA Finals as their best player. Playing under Popovich for 17 seasons, Parker won four titles and an NBA Finals MVP award and was consistently among the best point guards in the NBA for more than a decade.

Meanwhile, Popovich is still coaching and holds the record for most wins by an NBA coach. Additionally, he has five championships and three Coach of the Year awards. As for Gasol, he was the first star of the then-young Memphis Grizzlies franchise. Then he helped lead the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals and back-to-back championships. Overall, each nominee was crucial to the NBA and deserves a spot in the Hall.

NBA News: One-handed free throws

San Antonio Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan has lived up to expectations thus far as a top-ten pick, though he has struggled to knock down shots from outside. That’s fixable, and the Spurs are known for working magic with developing players’ shots. However, that development has taken an unusual turn with Sochan recently unveiling a one-handed free-throw shooting approach.

It may seem like an odd strategy, but free throws are generally seen as a key indicator of whether someone can eventually become a good three-point shooter. Therefore, improving his performance from the line could eventually lead to better shooting results beyond the arc. It’s more likely that it’s temporary, however, and that the Spurs coaches are simply working on his shooting form.

Air Alamo’s Roberto Araiza has an interesting in-depth breakdown of why this is a known strategy and how it could help Sochan eventually evolve into a good shooter.

NBA News: Trae Young’s unpopularity.

It seems that Trae Young isn’t particularly well-liked in Atlanta. In fact, if Steve Bulpett is correct, both head coach Nate McMillan and most of the team itself can’t stand him.

That’s not great, and this is the latest chapter in weird news coming out of Atlanta. Previously, Young didn’t bother to show up for a game that he learned he wouldn’t be starting after receiving an ultimatum from McMillan, and now this news.

Young was criticized by team staff for not being enough of a leader following that incident, but it seems that his would-be followers aren’t exactly fond of him. Given how the Hawks have struggled this season, in part because of Young’s play, and the news about his status on the team, it’s not surprising that Haynes also reported that he may want out.

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1605972032998490112?s=20&t=QD2PSKU_1uy5KnpY9l9-Wg

Chris B. Haynes suggested that he could eventually force his way off the team, and it’s not like it would hurt his reputation within the Hawks organization. Still, it’s a surprising development given the potential the Hawks have.

NBA News: Miles Brdges’ return?

The Charlotte Hornets haven’t had a lot of things go right of late, with injuries and court cases helping to wreck their season. The two most notable absences have been LaMelo Ball, who is now healthy after missing the majority of the team’s first 30 games, and Miles Bridges who was the team’s leading scorer last season.

He was set to receive a big payday this past summer when he was arrested and charged with domestic violence. Those charges were later reduced, paving the way for his NBA return. Now, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, it seems that he could rejoin the team on a new contract.

It’s not a great look for the organization, which hasn’t been particularly well run dating back to the Charlotte Bobcats era. Bringing back Bridges is sure to draw a lot of criticism, and rightly so. After all, Bridges may not be facing prison time, but it will be impossible to forget what he was accused of doing.

Thus, the Hornets may lose fans over the team’s decision as a result. That’s all for now Hoops Heads!