NBA Notes: Blazers, Scoot Henderson, Nuggets, Tim Hardaway Jr, Pelicans, rumors

Trail Blazers

It has been nearly eight weeks since the Trail Blazers announced Scoot Henderson tore his left hamstring in a preseason workout.

The early timeline suggested four to eight weeks before he resumed basketball activities. The reality is slower.

Henderson tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that he has “made a lot of progress,” but he remains “week to week” as far as resuming full activity. His work has been limited to stationary shooting, light dribbling and upper-body lifting.

“I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding,” Henderson said. “I shoot free throws, some ball-handling, but without moving much.”

Henderson is scheduled to meet this week with Dr. Courtney Watson, the team’s director of health and performance, to determine next steps.

As Quick notes, GM Joe Cronin warned on media day that hamstring injuries can linger well past the eight-week mark, and Henderson’s recovery appears to be tracking closer to 10 weeks or beyond.

Portland could certainly use him. The Blazers have dropped five of their past six to fall to 6-8. Damian Lillard is out for the season with a torn Achilles. Blake Wesley has not played since Oct. 31 because of foot surgery. Jrue Holiday has missed the past two games with right calf soreness.

In the meantime, Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija have taken on more ball-handling duties, and rookie two-way guard Caleb Love has stepped into the rotation, scoring a career-high 17 points in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix.

Nuggets

The Nuggets keep hanging near the top of ESPN’s power rankings at No. 2, and their role players are a big reason why. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the standout bargain. Here is how ESPN’s Tim MacMahon put it:

“Hardaway has made the biggest impact among the veterans added by the Nuggets in the offseason to boost their bench. Hardaway, who signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, is averaging 11.4 points in 22.8 minutes per game while shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range.”

Hardaway has also formed quick chemistry with Nikola Jokic. MacMahon notes that Jokic has assisted on 18 of Hardaway’s 49 buckets, and the Nuggets are scoring 129.6 points per 100 possessions when they share the floor.

Pelicans

The Pelicans’ top-level structure continues to raise eyebrows around the league.

John Hollinger of The Athletic reports New Orleans handed Joe Dumars one of the “most generous” executive contracts in the NBA this spring, despite the franchise historically operating conservatively on spending.

But even with that lucrative deal, Dumars has largely deferred to senior VP Troy Weaver on key roster decisions, according to Hollinger.

Echoing earlier reporting from HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Hollinger says the offseason trade for Jordan Poole was widely believed to be driven by Weaver.

That move itself baffled rival executives. Hollinger writes that there “wasn’t exactly a bidding war” for Weaver after his disappointing tenure in Detroit, and sources in Detroit tell The Athletic the Pelicans never called to vet him before hiring him.

Hollinger stops short of blaming Weaver for the slow start. Instead, he points toward what he calls an “arm’s-length operation” from team owner Gayle Benson and a disjointed structure under Dumars.

Here is more on the Pelicans:

• Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports James Borrego’s best shot at keeping the coaching job past this season is a major improvement on offense. The Pelicans ranked No. 27 in that category when Willie Green was dismissed. Borrego’s offensive reputation goes back to his Hornets tenure, where Charlotte finished eighth in offense in 2021-22.

• Hollinger doubts Borrego sticks long-term, suggesting this season is more of an audition for his next job, with Weaver potentially pushing for a candidate like Kevin Ollie next spring. Fischer has also heard Ollie’s name connected to New Orleans, but describes the situation as “a bit murky.”