NBA News Today: Report claims Draymond Green and Jordan Poole got into an altercation, Victor Wembanyama shines in NBA audition, and more | October 6, 2022
A report has claimed that NBA All-Star Draymond Green and Jordan Poole got into an altercation during the Golden State Warriors' practice on Wednesday (Oct. 6).
Green is expected to face disciplinary action from the team following the incident.
In other news, star French prospect Victor Wembanyama shined in his first taste of NBA action.
Here's the latest news from around the NBA as of Oct. 6, 2022.
Report claims Draymond Green "forcefully struck" Jordan Poole at Dubs' practice, could face discipline from the team
Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green reportedly got into an altercation with teammate Jordan Poole at practice on Wednesday.
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater shared a report about the same. As per the report, the duo were involved in a "heated" interaction and Green "forcefully struck" Poole.
The two players later needed to be separated. The report went on to state that the Warriors ended practice immediately after the incident and that internal discipline could soon follow.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Green apologized for his actions. Haynes also mentioned that tension had been building in training camp as teammates noticed a change in Poole's behavior as he nears a contract extension.
The journalist tweeted:
“Draymond Green was apologetic in aftermath of the altercation with Jordan Poole, but there was a buildup stemming from teammates noticing a change in Poole’s behavior throughout camp with the guard on the verge of securing a lucrative extension, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.”
Draymond Green was apologetic in aftermath of the altercation with Jordan Poole, but there was a buildup stemming from teammates noticing a change in Poole’s behavior throughout camp with the guard on the verge of securing a lucrative extension, league sources tell @YahooSports.
Poole is eligible to sign a five-year, $186 million rookie extension by Oct. 17, which would kick in next season. He was a key part of the Warriors' championship run last season, averaging 17.0 points per game on 50.8% shooting over 22 playoff games.
Meanwhile, Draymond Green is well known to be the heart and soul of the Warriors’ franchise. It will be interesting to see how Golden State handles the incident between Green and Poole moving forward.
2023 No.1 draft prospect Victor Wembanyama shows off all-around versatility during highly anticipated exhibition game
Projected 2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama made a strong impression in his first taste of NBA action.
Wembanyama and his French club, Metropolitans 92, took on Scoot Henderson and the NBA G League Ignite in an exhibition game on Oct. 5. The Ignite beat the Metropolitans 122-115, but the real story was the battle between Wembanyama and Henderson.
Wembanyama dazzled, posting final numbers of 37 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including seven 3-pointers. He also tallied five blocks and four rebounds and showed plenty of versatility for his size, which he recently revealed to be 7'3".
Meanwhile, Henderson, the projected 2023 No. 2 pick, finished with 28 points and nine assists and showcased his elite athleticism at the guard spot.
WHAT A DUEL
Scoot Henderson & Victor Wembanyama PUT ON A SHOW TONIGHT! https://t.co/jOApxyIJoD
It was reported that 200 scouts and NBA executives came to see the highly anticipated showdown, which did not disappoint. Both prospects only furthered their status as consensus top picks in 2023.
Victor Wembanyama is a 🦄
7’4” - 7 3PM
#PhantomCam https://t.co/cVo0AoRqx3
Wembanyama spoke on the first-time experience after the game.
"It was a great experience, a great experience. I can’t wait to do it again. I know we’ll do it again in two days, and then for the rest of my life," Wembanyama said.
RESPECT 🤝
A whole lotta buckets in this #PhantomCam
Scoot & Victor are BIG TIME! https://t.co/jFKK89tuSK
The teams will face off again on Thursday (Oct. 7) at 3:00 p.m. ET. The game will once again be broadcast on ESPN 2 & the NBA App.
Zion Williamson looks good but still limited on his long-awaited return
The New Orleans Pelicans' All-Star forward Zion Williamson played his first game in 17 months on Oct. 4 and looked good on his return.
Williamson scored 13 points to go along with four rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes as the Pelicans beat the Chicago Bulls 129-125 in preseason. However, after the game, the star talked about how he was still a bit limited, via ESPN's Andrew Lopez.
"Couldn't show them everything," Williamson said.
"But just kind of getting a feel for it again. Find spots. Picking and choosing where I want to attack. But I got a new team since the last time I played. I'm still learning some of the guys."
Considering Williamson hasn’t played since May of 2021, Pelicans fans will likely be fine with him taking some time to ramp up. He will look to get back to his regular All-Star form this season and help New Orleans' young core take the next step.
In his last season in 2020-2021, Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 61 games played.
NBA analyst doubts Nikola Jokic as MVP contender this season
Denver Nuggets superstar point-center Nikola Jokic is coming off back-to-back MVP seasons for the Nuggets.
He won the award last season after carrying a banged-up Nuggets squad to 48 wins and the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Denver is finally healthy and ready to compete for the title this season thanks to the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
However, Jokic still doesn’t have much of a chance to win his third straight MVP this season, according to ESPN analyst Zach Lowe. During an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Lowe spoke about his skepticism regarding Jokic's ability to enter this season’s MVP race.
“I don't think he's gonna win three-straight MVPs. People just hate to give it to the same guy over and over again. That's why Giannis [Antetokounmpo] wasn't gonna win last year,” Lowe said.
Wait a second… are we sure Jokic can’t win 3 straight MVPs?
***********From the new BS Podcast w/ @ZachLowe_NBA
https://t.co/KURxTBTS57
Voter fatigue often plays a role when deciding who should win the MVP award.
In the NBA’s recent general manager survey, 48% of GMs picked Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic as the most likely 2023 MVP winner. He was followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 34% of the vote, Joel Embiid with 14%, and Steph Curry with 3%.
Jokic’s name was nowhere to be found.
4x NBA all-star apologizes for his past mistakes, says he needs an opportunity to show his better side
DeMarcus Cousins was among the best centers in the NBA during his time with the Sacramento Kings.
Injuries have since slowed him down, but Cousins has still proven that he can contribute to an NBA team. However, the four-time All-Star's poor temper and tendency to rack up technical fouls has tarnished his reputation around the league.
As a result, Cousins still remains unsigned entering the upcoming season. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, he acknowledged his past mistakes.
"Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. Have I done things the wrong way? Absolutely. For that, I’m very apologetic," Cousins said.
Cousins then talked about the positive things he’s accomplished and advocated for another chance in the league.
"But I’ve done even more things the correct way and I’ve done even more positive things compared to my negatives. I just don’t want those positives to be overlooked ... I’m just asking for a chance to show my growth as a man and a player," he said.
Last season, Cousins proved to be a reliable backup to Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field in just 13.9 minutes per game.
The Nuggets also had a 22-9 slate in games Cousins played in compared to a record of 26-25 when he was out. His displays proved that he could still play a bit-part role on a title-contending roster if given the chance.