Hornets
The Hornets managed to stay within a game of .500 without their starting backcourt. Now comes a chance to see what they can do with a little more help for Brandon Miller.
Coby White will make his season debut Monday against the Pistons, the team announced. A left calf strain kept him out through the preseason and Charlotte’s 3-4 start, with Dennis Schröder filling in at point guard.
Miller has carried the offense, but White should ease some of that responsibility. He averaged 15.6 points in just 19.3 minutes after arriving from Chicago last season, giving Charlotte enough encouragement to bring him back on a three-year deal.
The full picture will have to wait. Kon Knueppel remains out with a hamstring injury, though his recent practice assignment with the Greensboro Swarm marked progress.
Getting both back would give the Hornets more shooting and fewer possessions that depend on Miller creating something.
Spurs
The Spurs signed Tobias Harris to help their young team. They’re willing to wait to get that help.
Harris hasn’t played since signing a two-year, $31 million contract over the summer, and coach Mitch Johnson indicated his left calf strain requires patience, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
“We need to just be patient and make sure we get it all the way right and get him all the way right in terms of being ready to prepare to play an NBA game at the (fast-paced) style of play we want,” Johnson said.
That last part explains some of the approach. Harris needs to be ready for the pace the Spurs expect to play once he joins the rotation.
“It’s a calf strain, so that’s a thing we’ve seen can be tricky,” Johnson said, emphasizing “being patient and not getting ahead of ourselves and understanding we have 70 whatever games left.”
Grizzlies
Grizzlies fans had plenty of reason to wonder what they were getting into. A 25-win season and the departure of the old core didn’t exactly promise an enjoyable winter.
Instead, Memphis is 6-0, matching its best start ever, as Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal details.
Cameron Boozer is the biggest reason for optimism, scoring a career-high 27 points in Saturday’s rout of Sacramento. But the encouraging part extends beyond the rookie.
Isaiah Stewart and GG Jackson II combined for 45 points off the bench on just 19 shots. With Ty Jerome sidelined by a back injury, Cam Spencer supplied 10 points and 13 assists. So Memphis kept rolling despite missing the guard who helped get this start going.
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