Wizards center Alex Sarr frequently displays the defensive potential that made him the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, but he still has room to grow, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Sarr is tied for sixth in the league with 1.5 blocked shots per game, although some of his underlying numbers put him far behind the league’s top rim protectors. Shankar notes that … [Read more...] about Wizards Notes: Sarr, Middleton, Bey, Johnson
Southeast Notes: Magic, Hornets’ Offseason, Heat Loss, Wizards’ Process
The Magic clinched home court in all potential play-in games by defeating the Celtics on Wednesday. In the process, they also clinched the Southeast Division title, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando still needs to win a play-in game to clinch an official postseason slot, but it’s still an impressive feat for a team that endured varying lengthy injuries to … [Read more...] about Southeast Notes: Magic, Hornets’ Offseason, Heat Loss, Wizards’ Process
Marcus Smart: “Control What I Can Control”
For years, Marcus Smart dreamed of bringing a championship to Boston, so it felt odd to be back at TD Garden on Sunday with the rebuilding Wizards, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Smart didn’t play, despite loud chants from Celtics fans for coach Brian Keefe to put him in the game. Keefe explained that he’s focused on giving time to younger players as the season winds down. With … [Read more...] about Marcus Smart: “Control What I Can Control”
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Sarr, Middleton
Despite having lost their last three games in a row and six of their last 10 contests overall, the Hawks have been making a push to develop their young perimeter players with a play-in tournament berth already assured, writes Jake Fischer for Hawks.com. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in particular has been taking positive strides as the season has transitioned into its … [Read more...] about Southeast Notes: Hawks, Sarr, Middleton
Injury Notes: Heat, Lillard, VanVleet, Coulibaly, Yabusele
Heat forward Andrew Wiggins will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday due to right hamstring tendinopathy, but another Miami forward, Duncan Robinson, will make his return vs. Memphis, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson hasn’t played since March 23, having been sidelined for the club’s past five contests due to a back problem. However, he feels “a lot … [Read more...] about Injury Notes: Heat, Lillard, VanVleet, Coulibaly, Yabusele