NBA Notes: Clippers, Bradley Beal, Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga, Mavericks

Clippers

Bradley Beal’s season is over, and the Clippers insist the hip fracture has nothing to do with his other injuries. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters that on Wednesday, per veteran NBA reporter Mark Medina).

Beal had the knee scope in May, missed chunks of camp, and started the season on a minutes restriction. Then came the play Saturday against Phoenix, when the hip gave out early in the second quarter, per Frank.

“He did everything he was asked. He’s a high-character guy,” Frank said. “I feel horrible that he’s dealing with this.”

Frank added that doctors are “extremely optimistic” Beal will fully recover and that the time off will help the lingering “knee inflammation” too.

Agent Mark Bartelstein echoed that optimism in an interview with Medina for Essentially Sports. He said Beal had been trending toward having his minutes restriction lifted.

“It’s devastating,” Bartelstein said. “He put so much into getting back. Everything was moving the right way. Then this happens. But the good news is it’s a full recovery. It’ll take time, but he’ll get there.”

Beal played just six games for the Clippers and now faces a six-to-nine-month recovery.

Warriors

Coach Steve Kerr warned changes were coming, then removed Jonathan Kuminga from the starting lineup in San Antonio. The Warriors won by a 125-120 count.

Kuminga had started the first 12 games, and Kerr said two weeks ago he had earned that job. But the recent skid — five losses in seven games, six straight on the road — pushed Kerr to pull the plug, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.

The new group featured Will Richard alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. Richard has only 10 career games under his belt but has shot the ball well enough to earn a look.

Green’s comments about “personal agendas” after Tuesday’s blowout in Oklahoma City hung over the move.

He didn’t name Kuminga, but the subtext was clear. Kuminga spent the summer pushing for a bigger role and has had turnover issues during the slump.

The numbers say Kuminga has actually held up fine at nearly 15 points, almost seven boards, and strong on-court ratings in most Curry lineups. Kerr insisted the move isn’t about blame.

“It’s never one individual’s fault,” he said. “It’s about how the collective fits.”

Mavericks

Coach Jason Kidd hopes Tuesday’s firing of Nico Harrison will quiet the noise inside American Airlines Center.

The “fire Nico” chants started after Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers and had become a nightly soundtrack, sometimes during possessions.

Kidd told reporters that his players felt disrespected.

“These guys are playing hard,” Kidd said, via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. “I understand the fans got their point across. Now we have to move forward.”

Kidd pointed back to last spring, when the team limped into the play-in with barely eight available bodies. This year hasn’t been much easier.

Anthony Davis missed his seventh straight game on Wednesday with a calf strain, and Kyrie Irving remains out after ACL surgery.

“We’ve got over $100 million sitting on the sideline,” Kidd said. “And we’re still competing.”

Kidd also voiced support for new co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi.

“It’s about getting back to basketball,” he said. “Energy and effort. We believe Riccardi and Fin can do a good job.”