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Texas Longhorns in the NBA: 2/3 - 2/9

Avery Bradley was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies.

By Collin Parker
NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA trade deadline now in the rearview, one former Texas Longhorns star is on the move, while others are working through various injuries or slumps.

Kevin Durant made sure to share his opinions with the media in a not-so-friendly manner, and DJ Augustin will soon be competing for minutes at point guard with Markelle Fultz in town.

Here’s how the Horns in the NBA fared last week:

LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs

Aldridge was selected to Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Draft. Otherwise he had a pretty quiet week. Aldridge missed his first game all season on Wednesday, which may have resulted in his struggle to score for the remainder of the week.

Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

  • Wed, 2/6 - Home win over San Antonio Spurs: 23 points (9-13), 8 rebounds, 9 assists
  • Fri, 2/8 - Road win over the Phoenix Suns: 21 points (6-11), 8 rebounds, 3 assists

Durant was selected to Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Draft as the number one pick. In other news, Durant and the media are in the thick of another feud.

After nine days of silence against the press, Durant had this to say to a throng of reporters:

“It’s unnecessary. You got a dude Ethan Strauss who come in here and give his whole opinion on stuff and make it seem like it’s coming from me. He just walk around here, don’t talk to nobody, survey, and write something like that. And now y’all piling on me because I don’t want to talk to y’all about that. I have nothing to do with the Knicks. I don’t know who traded [Kristaps] Porzingis. It ain’t got nothing to do with me. I’m trying to play basketball. Y’all come in here every day ask me about free agency, ask my teammates, my coaches, rile up the fans about it. Let us play basketball. That’s all I’m saying. And now when I don’t wanna talk to y’all, it’s a problem on me. Come on man. Grow up. Grow up. Yeah, you [looking at Strauss]. Grow up. Come on bruh. I come in here and go to work every day. I don’t cause no problems. I play the right way, or I try to play the right way. I try to be the best player I can be every possession. What’s the problem? What am I doing to y’all?”

Durant followed up with, “I just don’t trust none of y’all. Every time I say something it gets twisted up and thrown out in so many different publications -- try to take me down with my words that I say. So when I don’t say nothing, that’s a problem. I just wanna play ball. I wanna go to the gym and go home. That’s all. Is that a problem?”

This blowup was in response to many different things, but in general there were two key points: 1.) Durant was upset with reporters, particularly Ethan Strauss, for surveying games, never asking questions, and just making general assumptions about him as if he said them. 2.) Durant isn’t fond of free agency talks and the New York Knicks babel.

Regardless of what Durant was up in arms about, he and the media have become a proverbial pair. They will likely be butting heads sometime in the future.

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Turner fueled an impressive 4-0 week for Indiana, scoring efficiently and easily in every matchup. Turner’s highlight would obviously be scoring 22 points in a 42-point win over the Lakers on Tuesday, handing LeBron James his largest loss in his 16-year career.

That said, I would like to see more of a rebounding presence from Turner. At 6’11, he should be snatching around 10 boards every night.

Cory Joseph, Indiana Pacers

  • Mon, 2/4 - Road win over the New Orleans Pelicans: 13 points (5-7), 4 rebounds, 4 assists
  • Tue, 2/5 - Home win over the Los Angeles Lakers: 5 points (2-7), 5 rebounds, 4 assists
  • Thu, 2/7 - Home win over the Los Angeles Clippers: 13 points (6-10), 9 rebounds, 6 assists
  • Sat, 2/9 - Home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers: 10 points (5-7), 9 rebounds, 10 assists

The biggest takeaway I have from last week is Joseph’s ability to impact the game without scoring. He averaged six assists and 6.8 rebounds per game over four games, inching very close to a triple-double against the Cavs.

Avery Bradley, Memphis Grizzlies

  • (LAC) Sun, 2/3 - Road loss to the Toronto Raptors, 4 points (2-6), 2 rebounds, 0 assists
  • (LAC) Tue, 2/5 - Road win over the Charlotte Hornets: 6 points (2-5), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
  • (MEM) Sat, 2/9 - Home win over the New Orleans Pelicans: 8 points (3-10), 1 rebound, 2 assists

Avery Bradley was the only Texas alum to hop aboard the NBA’s trading carousel leading up to the trade deadline. The Los Angeles Clippers traded Bradley to the Memphis Grizzlies for JaMychal Green and Garrett Temple.

Bradley shouldn’t see too much of a dip in minutes on his new roster. He played 25 minutes in his first appearance as a Grizzly, which is just five minutes below his average time playing in Los Angeles.

Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers

Thompson has missed 11 straight games due to a lingering left foot injury.

Jarrett Allen, Brooklyn Nets

  • Mon, 2/4 - Home loss to Milwaukee Bucks: 8 points (4-7), 11 rebounds, 1 assist
  • Wed, 2/6 - Home win over the Denver Nuggets: 15 points (6-10), 5 rebounds, 1 assist
  • Fri, 2/8 - Home loss to the Chicago Bulls: 12 points (4-8), 10 rebounds, 0 assists

Allen is showing the potential to become a double-double threat night in and night out. In every game last week, he either had a double-double or been within arms reach of one. Look for him to take a few more steps in that direction through the second half of the season.

Mohamed Bamba, Orlando Magic

Bamba is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left leg. Orlando says there will be no surgery, but the diagnosis entails extensive rehab.

DJ Augustin, Orlando Magic

  • Tue, 2/5 - Road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder: 8 points (2-6), 0 rebounds, 4 assists
  • Thu, 2/7 - Home win over the Memphis Grizzlies: 6 points (1-3), 1 rebound, 6 assists
  • Sat, 2/9 - Road win over the Milwaukee Bucks: 9 points (4-7), 2 rebounds, 5 assists

It was a very mellow week for Augustin, who may have bigger fish to fry very soon. With the Magic’s edition of former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, the two may have to battle for minutes as Fultz returns from injury.

PJ Tucker, Houston Rockets

  • Mon, 2/4 - Road win over the Sacramento Kings: 2 points (1-4), 10 rebounds, 1 assist
  • Wed, 2/6 - Road win over the Phoenix Suns: 5 points (1-8), 8 rebounds, 3 assists
  • Sat, 2/9 - Home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder: 0 points (0-3), 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Once again, it was a relatively underwhelming week for a guy that plays over 30 minutes per game. It’s looking like his role will be strictly defense from now on, as James Harden and others are monopolizing the offensive load.

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