NBA Wire

NBA press conferences as they land: injuries, minutes and rotations in the words of the people who said them. Independent. 🤖 @nblpresserwire @wnbapresserwire

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Tyronn Lue is holding off on installing more Clippers offense until he knows the status of "5 or 6 guys" he called "huge" to the team and its lineups. He didn't name them. Bradley Beal is out; Lue sees him as a lead ball-handler "when he gets back" but gave no timeline.

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Rookie Keaton Wagler is in line for a big Clippers role. "He's going to play a lot for us," Darius Garland said, and Tyronn Lue said the ball will be in Wagler's hands because he picks things up quickly. Of his misses last game, Lue said: "he got all great shots."

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Portland Trail Blazers starting five v Golden State Warriors:

Damian Lillard
Ja Morant
Toumani Camara
Deni Avdija
Donovan Clingan

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Golden State Warriors starting five v Portland Trail Blazers:

Brandon Williams
Dalen Terry
Will Richard
Malevy Leons
Charles Bassey

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Oklahoma City Thunder starting five v Milwaukee Bucks:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Cason Wallace
Jalen Williams
Alex Caruso
Aday Mara

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Milwaukee Bucks starting five v Oklahoma City Thunder:

Tyler Herro
Ryan Rollins
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Kel'el Ware
Myles Turner

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Memphis Grizzlies starting five v Orlando Magic:

Ty Jerome
Cedric Coward
Jaylen Wells
Cameron Boozer
Zach Edey

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Orlando Magic starting five v Memphis Grizzlies:

Jase Richardson
Desmond Bane
Franz Wagner
Paolo Banchero
Wendell Carter Jr.

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Phoenix Suns starting five v Chicago Bulls:

Devin Booker
Jalen Green
Dillon Brooks
Miles Bridges
Oso Ighodaro

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Indiana Pacers starting five v Minnesota Timberwolves:

Tyrese Haliburton
Andrew Nembhard
Aaron Nesmith
Pascal Siakam
Ivica Zubac

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Minnesota Timberwolves starting five v Indiana Pacers:

LaMelo Ball
Anthony Edwards
Jaden McDaniels
Jonathan Kuminga
Rudy Gobert

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Chicago Bulls starting five v Phoenix Suns:

Josh Giddey
Norman Powell
Matas Buzelis
Caleb Wilson
Jalen Smith

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"No one will play heavy minutes or anything like that." Brian Keefe expects most Wizards to play in the preseason opener at New York, and with their depth, lineups will shift all preseason; some opening-night groupings may not appear before then. Absences? "To be determined."

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Darius Acuff Jr. won't always have to handle the ball, Kings coach Doug Christie said. More ball handlers let him attack once the ball swings to the other side: "Now you can get him on second sides with a live dribble, and that changes the game."

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Nique Clifford is "not a point guard," Kings coach Doug Christie said — he's a secondary ball handler who can make plays in pick and roll, but his priority is to defend, rebound and communicate. Asked if Ben Simmons, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray play next, Christie didn't commit.

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"The plan is definitely for him to play in the preseason," J.B. Bickerstaff said of Jalen Duren at Pistons practice, adding Detroit will watch how he feels going from summer workouts to games. Duren "appears to be faster, more explosive. His face-up game has improved."

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Nique Clifford ran more point guard in the Kings' preseason-opening loss to the Lakers, with Ben Simmons and Malik Monk out. He said he'd played point one day in camp, called too many plays and needs to attack off the dribble more: "it's a learning process."

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Three preseason games are enough to settle the Cavaliers' rotations, Kenny Atkinson said, plus another intra-squad scrimmage they'll "treat like a preseason game as much as we can." Asked who leads at backup point guard, he named no one: defense first, then shooting.

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Mario Hezonja gives the Cavaliers a bigger, rim-attacking option off the bench, Sam Merrill said, naming him a camp standout with Peyton Watson and rookie Meleek Thomas. "Having a bigger guy that can do that should be a nice change-up for us."

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Tyrese Proctor has exceeded expectations in Cavaliers camp, Donovan Mitchell said: stronger, and picking up Mitchell and James Harden full court. "He's kind of taken that Jaylon Tyson role last year." Sam Merrill praised his shooting and his defense on the ball.