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The Golden State Warriors youngsters have had a disappointing start to the 2022-2023 NBA season. As a result, some NBA scouts have grown skeptical about how good they really are.
In other news, one prominent NBA analyst has questioned Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving’s trade value following recent chatter around the league.
On that note, here are the top news stories from around the NBA on Nov. 3, 2022.
NBA scouts skeptical of Warriors youngsters Wiseman and Kuminga
The Golden State Warriors were hoping to rely on their youngsters to replace their lost depth in the offseason. This includes second-year wings Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, as well as third-year big man James Wiseman. However, after eight games, the trio of youngsters hasn’t lived up to expectations, which has prompted some NBA scouts to express concerns.
"I understand why they let their veteran bench players go and made a big bet on Kuminga, Moody and Wiseman," one scout said, via FOX Sports analyst Ric Bucher.
"Moody is probably fine and can pick up some of the minutes that equivalent players played last year. Kuminga is not that good and can probably only be used situationally and so, depending on matchups, downgrading from Otto Porter or Gary Payton to him could be a problem.
"Wiseman is just not good at all and to the extent that they're not going to play him in any game that really matters, that could be debilitating to their ability to win."
Through eight games, Moody is averaging 6.4 points on just 39.5% shooting. Meanwhile, Wiseman is averaging just 8.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on 61.4% shooting. Kuminga has been even worse, averaging just 2.7 points per game on 33.3% shooting.
Another scout believes the Warriors will need a breakout season from Wiseman or Kuminga if they hope to get back to the NBA Finals.
"For the Warriors to be back in the Finals, Wiseman or Kuminga has to have a Jordan Poole year, has to break out," the scout said.
"Neither one of them played college basketball and they've been thrown into the best team in the NBA. A group of players who all know how to play and cut and are smart,” the scout continued.
It’s only been eight games so there is still time for the Warriors' youngsters to develop. But the team will need some real production from them sooner rather than later.
For Ric Bucher's full report on the Warriors' youngsters, click here.
Kyrie Irving considered “radioactive” around the NBA
Kyrie Irving's off-court shenanigans appear to be hurting his stock around the league.
ESPN NBA analyst Zach Lowe said on The Lowe Post podcast on Wednesday that Irving is now considered "radioactive" around the league.
"I talked to a lot of people around the league over the weekend, and the sense I get right now is he's radioactive. Even if you drop the price to nothing, the baggage is just too much,” Lowe said.
Irving's unreliability and upcoming free agency already made him a risky trade target. His recent decision to share a link of an anti-Semitic film on Twitter has only hurt his value more. Not to mention the Nets are 2-6 and 13th in the Eastern Conference so it’s not like Irving has had an impact on the court either.
Irving will now have to prove that he can once again be an asset on a contending team, or his NBA future could be in jeopardy.
Darius Garland returns from eye injury, Cavs improve to 6-1
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland made his return on Wednesday night in his team's 114-113 overtime win over the Boston Celtics. Garland had missed the Cavaliers' last five games with an eye injury.
Some expected Garland to be a bit rusty in his first game back. However, he hit the ground running as he scored a team-high 29 points with 12 assists and three steals.
Donovan Mitchell added 25 points for Cleveland as the Cavs came back from 15 points down to win. The win marked the Cavs' sixth straight and second over Boston this season.
Following the game, Garland spoke about how happy he was to be back out on the court.
“We were winning and I was happy about that, but I wanted to be on the floor with them and feel that energy,” Garland said. "I’m happy to be back now."
The Celtics had a chance to win the game at the buzzer. But Jaylen Brown missed the game-winning jumper as Boston lost by one.
“It was pretty much get me the ball to make the play and I came up short,” Brown said postgame.
"Two seconds is enough time to get a good shot. I got a good look. It’s a makeable shot,” Brown added.
Brown led Boston with 30 points while fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics.
Brown later spoke about the Cavaliers' potential this season.
“They’re hungry and they want to make some noise," Brown said. "When you play against them, you’ve got to come ready to play, I’ll tell you that."
The Cavs now sit at 6-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, behind only the undefeated Milwaukee Bucks (7-0). Meanwhile, the Celtics have fallen to 4-3 and fifth place in the East.
Bucks blowout Pistons, tie franchise-best 7-0 start
The Milwaukee Bucks have improved to an NBA-best 7-0 record following their 116-91 blowout win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 32 points, 12 rebounds and five steals.
With the win, Milwaukee also tied a franchise record for their best start to a season. The only other Bucks teams to go 7-0 were the ones in 1971-72 and 2018-19.
Jrue Holiday added 26 points and seven rebounds for Milwaukee in what was a pretty effortless win. It was also the Bucks' 15th win over the Pistons in their last 16 regular-season matchups.
Forward Saddiq Bey led Detroit with 22 points while big man Isaiah Stewart had 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Pistons fell to 2-7 and 14th in the East, ahead of only the 1-7 Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to extend their unbeaten start on Friday on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid misses game versus Wizards with illness as team falls below .500
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid missed his third game of the season on Wednesday night due to a non-COVID-19-related illness. The Sixers went on to lose 121-111 to the Washington Wizards. The loss pushed Philly back below .500 on the season (4-5).
Embiid also missed Monday’s game in Washington for the same reason as well as last Friday’s game in Toronto due to knee soreness. In between, he scored 25 points in a game against Chicago on Saturday.
It's been a disappointing start to the season for both Embiid and the Sixers. The Sixers entered the season with championship aspirations but now sit in eighth place after nine games.
Embiid was considered by many to be the MVP favorite this season but has taken a slight step back production-wise. He is averaging 27.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 blocks through six games for Philadelphia. However, he will likely need to average over 30 PPG and 10 RPG like he did last season if he hopes to win MVP.
Philly’s next game will be on Friday at home against the New York Knicks. They will look to get back to .500.
