Five straight losses are detrimental to any franchise, but to some, it’s a learning curve to championship success.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been a contributor on four title teams in the last eight years, and within that time period, the Bay Area had to get accustomed to playing a majority of a season without their star players in Green, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson.

The Golden State dynasty was struggling after missing the playoff two years in a row in 2020 and 2021, but the Warriors trusted their core to figure it out and find a way to win another title this past season, and they accomplished just that. Given Green’s veteran leadership, the former defensive player of the year shared advice on how to overcome the challenges, starting with their “commitment.”

“You start hearing noise about trades, and this guy shouldn’t be here, and that guy shouldn’t be here, but you have to stay committed to each other. You can’t let the outside noise dictate how you act or essentially your attitude towards the same or, more importantly, towards your teammates,” Green said per Sports Illustrated. “I think for us, you just always want to re-center yourself and re-center your focus to the game, and if you do that, the game rewards you.”

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The struggles for the Raptors have come in crucial areas of the floor. Thus far, the Raptors rank as the third-lowest three-point shooting team at 32.6 percent. Meanwhile, defensively, the group gives up the fifth most fast break points (15.6) and averages the lowest defensive rebounds across the League (30.1).

There’s plenty to like for the Raptors as well, as they currently lead the League in steals at 9.6 per game, but capitalizing off those forced turnovers hasn’t been on full display as of yet.

“I don’t think that we haven’t shown that this group of guys can play the way we want to play,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

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There are still a lot of games left to do in the season, but the turning point for the Raptors, as Green eluded to, is the team sticking through the thick and the thin of a losing stretch.

The circling trade rumors can’t become a distraction in the locker room if the team hopes to find post-season success; therefore, it’s up to the championship pedigree of the Raptors veterans to invoke a mindset to their young talent.

“We gotta play better; that’s the main thing,” Pascal Siakam said. “We[‘ve] got to get wins, and we[‘ve] got to figure out a way to get a win and then kind of build on it. Yeah, it’s hard for me to try to analyze everybody, but just us, we have to get a win.”

The post Draymond Green to the Struggling Raptors: ‘Stay Committed to Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

The two-time Finals MVP has everything a team could ask for out of a 7-footer. His footwork, speed, shooting, and even his aggression as an interior scorer and defender have helped his game improve significantly. Therefore, the Brooklyn Nets superstar believes his next step as a premier scorer is to take advantage of the different defensive coverages thrown at him, which he studies countless hours on.

“I never know how opposing teams are going to guard me, what schemes they’re going to throw at me,” said Durant after last night’s win over the Detroit Pistons. “Sometimes there’s some new stuff that I haven’t seen before. At this point, I’ve seen a lot of different coverages over the last couple of years. I’m trying to stay prepared for that. So that’s definitely how I can keep getting better; just reading the defense even more.”

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At 34-years-old, Durant has pushed back the clock in the last 10 games with glimpses of his 2014 MVP campaign. KD is averaging 32.9 points (second best) while shooting a whopping 63.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

In the win against the Pistons, Durant scored 43 points, to go along with the highest scoring total in a quarter of any player this season at 26 in the third. While the Pistons thought they had an answer for Durant, his knowledge of what the defense throws at him aided him in making the right reads.

“The full-court, they made some good adjustments; running guys at me and Kai [Kyrie Irving], and we had to make the right decision,” Durant said. “We generated some good looks. We’re still working on that: when teams run and jump us, what’s our alignment after that and how we’re gonna make plays after that? That’s more so what I’ve been focused on.” 

“I feel like those threes at the end of the third; they didn’t know what they wanted to do on their coverage. Whether they were gonna play in the drop, trap the ball, or just switch it. I felt like they were indecisive a bit, and I was able to get free on some of those three-pointers.”

Durant is at a state where he believes he can “predict” what the defense will throw at him, and if that isn’t scary enough, he claims his film study adjustment is to focus on the tendencies of his opponent’s method of scoring to ease his game at his end.

There’s nothing Durant hasn’t accomplished in his 16 years in the NBA, and for what it sounds like, he’s only aiming to solidify his spot as the greatest scorer of all time, a case that can already be made in favor of him.

The post How Kevin Durant Elevates His Game by Studying Coverages appeared first on SLAM.

Herro makes NBA History by becoming the first player to record nine or more three points on back-to-back nights. On Thursday, he tied the franchise record for most three-pointers (10) in a single game against the Houston Rockets, which featured a career-high 41 total points for him.

Wednesday night was a similar performance with a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, as Herro knocked nine 3-pointers to his 35 points. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been on a tear lately, but Herro is only focused on what he can contribute to pushing the Heat back into one of the contenders of the East.

“I didn’t know it was the record until last night when I hit nine, and they said I was one short,” Herro said per ESPN. “I didn’t have any intention of coming in to tie the record, but I was just trying to get 3s up. I think shooting more 3s is helping.”

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It’s not like he’s just chucking three balls out there, either. His numbers are looking as efficient as ever from the outside. Herro shot a career-best 10-15 from beyond the arc. While he shot 12-23 from the field against the Thunder, Herro hit the game-winning basket from 15 feet to aid him as the best field goal percentage made shooter among starting guards the last two games.

“Regardless, he’s too good of a shooter for us to not take 3s off the catch,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “He has to continue to be assertive in those opportunities. He’s just a brilliant shooter. He can do it off the dribble and off the catch.”

The back-to-back historic nights for the Kentucky product aren’t one of his first marks in NBA history. Against the Boston Celtics in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, Herro recorded a 37-point game in a critical Game 5 that listed him with the second most all-time playoff points for a player 20 years old or younger behind Magic Johnson(42).

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This time around, Herro, at 22-years-old achieves another Heat record by becoming the youngest player to have a 40-point game in the regular season, breaking franchise legend Dwyane Wade‘s at 23.

Herro has lived up to his $130 million contract this season, and more importantly, he earned himself a spot in the starting lineup, a role he was excited to grab this past summer.

With the presence of All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat may have solidified a Big Three that can contribute at all ends of the court to reach the destiny of a fourth championship.

For now, only one thing is certain; Herro is indeed a Bucket.

The post Tyler Herro Makes History After Hitting Nine Triples in Back-to-Back Games appeared first on SLAM.

The downplay continued at home Wednesday night against the Knicks when Jalen Brunson made Alex Caruso hit the floor and knock down the dagger that sealed the Knicks their fifth straight win.

The efforts defensively down the stretch may seem like the glaring weakness of the Bulls, but it isn’t just that part. Instead, the problems are at the start of their matchups, where Caruso believes the team isn’t putting a significant emphasis on making the right play.

“We have to do a better job paying attention to details earlier in the game,” said Caruso after their loss to the Knicks, per Sports Illustrated. “Some nights, we’re not there for 48 minutes, and then it’s a coin flip at the end.”

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Caruso’s reasoning is based on the Bulls’ struggles to score points in the first two quarters. Chicago averages 56.1 points in the first half of games, which is tied for the seventh worst in the League. It doesn’t end there as they give up the second most three-pointers made to their opponents in the first half (7.4) and the third highest field goal percentage to their opponent (49.2).

“We just don’t have the margin for error,” Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said after the loss Wednesday night. “We’ve got to be really disciplined in a lot of specific areas.”

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Even their star players were slumped through the 24 minutes against the Knicks. Had it not been for his six free throws made, DeMar DeRozan would have ended up with two points off 16.7 percent shooting from the field (1-6). Although Zach LaVine opened the bout against the Hawks with nine points (4-6 from the field), he struggled to take care of the ball ending up with five first-half turnovers.

Though the tandem of DeRozan and LaVine pick up the slack in the second half of games, winning recipes don’t come off playing from behind. Caruso demands the group starts focusing on the little but large keys to victories, like communicating or finding the better shot.

Hence they don’t find that formula; the ship will continue to sink for a team that was once thought of as ‘championship-caliber’ last season.

“Sometimes it’s been ball-screen coverage or weakside coverage,” Caruso said. “I think it goes to show how hard it is to win in pro sports. Obviously, it’s something we’ve got to get better at.”

The post Alex Caruso Believes Bulls Need to Focus On the Details Early in Games appeared first on SLAM.

The team has been shorthanded the last two games after Devin Booker suffered a hamstring during the front end of their back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans. However, their center DeAndre Ayton, believes Phoenix has no excuse for getting outplayed the way they have during this latest stretch of games.

“The teams we see on film aren’t the teams we play,” Ayton said per NBA Central. “They’re playing harder and with a chip on their shoulder against us.”

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Their two contests with the Pelicans have raised concerns amongst Phoenix fans that the momentum that helped the Suns rise to first place in the Western Conference has halted. Zion Williamson dropped 35 points on a combined 71.1 percent shooting from the field. In the second matchup, CJ McCollum’s posted 29 points and seven assists in 45 minutes to New Orleans get the overtime victory.

Although Ayton credits the efforts of their opponents, the Suns have to answer the reason their defense has gone downhill. They currently have the worst defensive rating (122.4) over five games and have been unable to secure the boards, averaging the lowest defensive rebounds (28.4) across the League during that same stretch.

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Opponents have dominated the painted area against the Suns too, and their next three matchups are against teams finding their form offensively. The Los Angeles Clippers with the return of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Williamson and the Pelicans once more, and finally, the Los Angeles Lakers with Anthony Davis, who has averaged 33.8 points (third best) so far in December.

The Suns can’t afford to lose games in a stacked Western Conference. With the year coming to a close, Chris Paul and Ayton’s leadership must be on full display to regain momentum near the All-Star break.

The post DeAndre Ayton: Opponents Are ‘Playing Harder and With a Chip On Their Shoulders’ Against the Suns appeared first on SLAM.

The 38-year-old has recently prioritized the emergence of his son, Kiyan, who has emerged as an elite high school recruiting prospect. Melo was in attendance for his sons game against Sierra Canyon, led by Bronny and Bryce James, the sons of LeBron James, and spoke with ESPN about whether he’ll continue the pursuit of his first championship.

“I want to be. You know, I love the game, but I realize that there are a lot of things not in my control,” Anthony said. “So I just sit back and let it play out and whatever it’s going to be it’s going to be and I accept that, I’m at peace with that. I get to watch my son play, you know, train him, be around him, come to his games, so these are the things for a long time that I’ve never had a chance to do, so now I can be that father and that man that I need to be.”

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As the third overall pick of the famed 2003 NBA draft, Anthony had a decorated career. As a ten-time All-Star, Melo averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His gifted scoring earned him the ninth spot on the all-time list with 28,289 points. He’s accomplished it all, but adding a title to his coveted legacy is one of the few things he hasn’t won.

“I’m cool man. I would love to play,” Anthony said. “I’m in the gym every single day. When the opportunity presents itself it presents itself, but it’s not something I’m pressing about.”

Team’s around the League may not be in need of a 38-year-old forward, but Anthony is sure he has a lot left in the tank to compete at the highest level. For the moment, the future Hall Of Famer will remain in focus of how his son reaches the professional game.

The post Carmelo Anthony Unsure of His Future in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

Peaking at 29 minutes against Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Leonard recorded 25 points off 10-12 shooting from the field, with nine rebounds and six assists. It was a stellar performance against the NBA’s best team, and the two-time Finals MVP admitted to wanting to give more playing time since the start of the new campaign.

“Sh-t, I’ve been trying to do it since the beginning of the year,” Leonard said. “It’s just about listening to the guys who study this.”

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Leonard refers to the injury that kept him sidelined for all of last season and 20 games this season. The partial tear of his right ACL, suffered against the Utah Jazz in the 2021 playoffs, has limited his form of being titled a top 5 player of the League, at least for now.

“It’s only my ninth game of the season, and that’s after a whole ACL year, just can’t rush it. I wish I could have played more.” Leonard said. “Twenty-eight minutes, 30 minutes is a lot of minutes still,” Leonard said. “Got to just do what I can and win these basketball games.”

The victories may stack just for Leonard’s presence on the floor, but last night was just his first 20-point night. The contribution of Paul George is what has blossomed the duo once more. He’s averaging 20 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and a three-point clip of 42.6 percent when Leonard is out on the floor with him.

George has had an MVP-caliber season thus far with or without Leonard in the lineup, and the seven-time All-Star admits that he sees improvement in Leonard’s game.

“Now he’s adjusted,” George said. “He’s found his rhythm, and you’ll see him more comfortable on the court.

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The pair showed a glimpse of what their dynamic scoring can do. While The Clippers look to keep their success, and Leonard’s game continues to evolve each game, even if it’s a limited time. The team can steadily find its confidence as a whole just in time for the second half of the season.

The post Kawhi Leonard Has Been Pushing to Play 30 Minutes ‘Since the Beginning of the Year’ appeared first on SLAM.

The 10-year veteran had a breakthrough in Indiana when he joined in 2017, where he earned All-NBA and All-Defensive Team honors and the Most Improved Player Award.

Victor Oladipo back in Indy pic.twitter.com/F4v9CX5A0M

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 12, 2022

Injuries stopped that momentum and put a pause on Oladipo achieving a higher level of stardom, but Oladipo remains hopeful of returning to his All-Star form.

“The way you build your character and who you are as a person is how you handle those moments. And I’ve always been an optimist,” Oladipo said. “Even though what happened to me was catastrophic, it doesn’t mean that I can’t still be happy, and I can’t still come back from it and be my best self.”

Oladipo hasn’t returned to the production he would have hoped for. When he was traded from Indiana to the Houston Rockets, he played a total of 20 games before being shipped again in March of 2021 to the Heat, where thus far, in three seasons, he’s only played 16 games.

Oladipo averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in his four years as the Pacers superstar. He became a fan favorite in Indiana during his first year with the team as he led them to the fifth seed of the East while going toe-to-toe in a seven-game playoff series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sound up! Welcome back, @VicOladipo pic.twitter.com/95yPHz2A3G

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 7, 2022

Oladipo’s run with the Pacers was a glimpse of true blossom and an emphasis on why he was selected second overall in his draft. Nothing can take away his moment Monday night, and Oladipo hopes the air in the building refreshes his game as the elite two-way player he once was.

“It definitely brings some nostalgia, you know, just walking into the building,” Oladipo said. “But I’m focused on the good energy. And I let the bad energy go a long time ago, in terms of my injury and everything.”

The post Victor Oladipo Set to Play in Indiana For the Time Since He Left in 2021 appeared first on SLAM.

There’s not much to be proud of in their 12-14 record, but the superstardom of Bam Adebayo has finally blossomed, and it’s greatly benefited, Jimmy Butler.

His aggressiveness has been on display, especially in the last six games. The Kentucky product has scored 18.3 points per game in the second half, which is second-best among centers behind Los Angeles Laker superstar Anthony Davis.

Bam keeps getting the job done by any means necessary pic.twitter.com/HIbWrG5Kdk

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2022

After a tight battle last night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Adebayo (31) and Butler (26) combined for 57 points while showing efficient shooting from inside the three-point line. Even with Adebayo’s point total and improvement in the second half, the center wanted Butler to score the team’s last eight clutch points, which he delivered.

“The ball finds the right places,” Adebayo said, according to Sports Illustrated. “Jimmy had the hot hand. He scored our last eight, and that’s what he does. At the end of the game, if he wants to keep doing, I’m fine with that. I have no problem with him shooting step-back, one-footers.”

JB with a game on the line is just different… the Clippers were the latest to find out. #ClutchJimmy

Popular Moment of the Week // @popularbank pic.twitter.com/Zil4anyaCW

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 9, 2022

The number one option is expected to deliver in crunch time, no matter the circumstance. In his return from a nearly two-week absence, Butler knocked down a stunning fadeaway blow a week ago against the Boston Celtics to steal a victory at TD Garden.

Adebayo quietly recorded 28 points in that same outing and collected seven boards, forcing the Celtics to account for two of the Heat’s superstars.

The tear Adebayo is on right now has made Butler’s job easier. With Adebayo drawing much more attention, the closing minutes rely on no. 22 to take on isolation assignments in which he’s so potent. Another Adebayo eruption with a closing call from Butler is in the possibilities Saturday night as the San Antonio Spurs come into town.

The post Bam Adebayo Has ‘No Problem’ with Jimmy Butler Closing Games Out appeared first on SLAM.

Stephen Curry delivered another brilliant Finals performance, this time against the Boston Celtics, with his typical distance shooting and desire to get his teammates involved in the flow of the offense. Although Curry had solidified his legacy, it couldn’t have been done without the contribution of Andrew Wiggins.

In that series against the Celtics, Wiggins made his case for Finals MVP by shutting down the opposing superstar in Jayson Tatum and being the team’s second-best scorer at 18.3 points a game. He even led the team in rebounding with an 8.8 average and blocks with 1.5, ahead of Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.

The 2014 first overall pick had himself a series that cemented his name into NBA history, but in their title defense season, a rematch with the Celtics at Chase Center will feature Wiggins on the bench due to a right adductor strain, according to head coach Steve Kerr.

It's a bird.
It's a plane.
It's Andrew Wiggins! pic.twitter.com/DCpMYWfLBT

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 28, 2022

Wiggins had missed the last two games resulting in losses for the Warriors, but before his absence, in a win against the Houston Rockets, the forward dropped 36 points in the 34 minutes played. He went 14-19 from the field while shooting 80 percent from three (8-10), showcasing his improvement as an offensive threat once more.

Klay Thompson, the usual Robin to Curry as Batman, has struggled to get to form this season, averaging 18.9 points on the lowest field goal percentage shooting of his career at 39.6 percent. However, Thompson has found his rhythm lately, scoring 20+ points in five of his last seven games. With Wiggins sitting out this primetime matchup, Thompson will have to carry just a little more weight to make up for that missing production.

In Tatum and Jaylen Brown‘s revenge tour, the duo is currently averaging over 25 points each and have led the Celtics’ best record in the NBA at 21-5. The Finals rematch is shaping up to be completely different than last season after the Celtics added another scoring talent in Malcolm Brogdon, and interim coach Joe Mazzulla has created a League-leading 119.9 offensive rating.

The Warriors will have to find some defensive answers to figure out against the Celtics, but Kerr is “hopeful” that two of his four-time champions will be able to suit up, in Green and Curry. Dub Nation will undoubtedly miss what Wiggins can bring to the table, being one of the best two-way players in the game, but there should be no doubt in an NBA fan’s mind that the dynamic Warriors can find a way to steal a victory.

The post Andrew Wiggins to Miss Finals Rematch Between Warriors and Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

However, in the final month of the year, the Joker hasn’t been able to get much-valued production from the Nuggets bench unit, who’s currently averaging the fifth most turnovers (6.2), the third-worst Plus-Minus (-3.6), and the eighth-lowest steal rate (2.3).

The dysfunction was evident Sunday night when Pelicans backup point guard Jose Alvarado erupted for 38 points on 8-11 shooting from downtown. Head coach Mike Malone has been around long enough to know he has to send a statement to his bench unit, and he started by sitting out Bones Hyland for the rest of the second half against the Pelicans.

“As I told him this morning, ‘Offensively, we need your scoring, but it’s required to give forth the same effort on both ends of the floor,’” Malone said on Hyland’s production from the bench. “I felt he competed, I felt he fought, he contested, he tried to be physical with guys. That’s all I’m ever asking for, from Bones or for anybody.”

“I felt [Bones] competed, I felt he fought, he contested, he tried to be physical with guys. That’s all I’m ever asking for. For Bones or for anybody” pic.twitter.com/dez6uBX4Tb

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 7, 2022

After the zero points against the Pels, Hyland responded against Dallas the way Malone would love to see, scoring 20 points with five assists and making those hustle plays with two steals.

Though the loss, Hyland has committed to his role and hopes to keep track of that ‘effort’ Malone eluded to.

“We’re on the same page now,” Hyland said on Malone. “I know I can guard. It’s not something that’s mind-blowing or crazy.”

THAT’S NUMBER 5 FOR BIZZY pic.twitter.com/zfGrwYKNvx

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 7, 2022

Of course, accountability has to be taken for the rest of the team, but Malone has been made appreciative of the authentic leadership of his backup point guard. Hyland’s explosive outing against the Mavs was an exposure to how he handles criticism of his play and the mentality he feels he needs to respond in.

The Nuggets still have enough time to turn things around, and there’s no secret that winning a championship takes a team effort. Finishing this month strong can be part of that journey, and answering the bench unit’s woes is the way to begin for Malone.

The post Bones Hyland Says He’s ‘on the Same Page’ as Mike Malone After Benching Against the Pelicans appeared first on SLAM.

Williams recently appeared on the LeagueFits: Survival of the Fittest podcast, hosted by Joe Williams and Ian Pierno, to discuss the origin of his taste in fashion, the best dressed players around the team and the importance of a good fit when the big markets are watching.

OKC has had a long list of stylish players on their roster over the past decade, from Russell Westbrook to James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, who all express their personality through their unique wardrobe. Now, Williams and superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have kept that same energy, and impact, going in the tunnel.

“Westbrook and that whole band,” Williams said on what’s kept OKC as one of the most stylish teams in the L. “I don’t know how we ended up getting that but I do think we’re the best dressed team down from A-Z.”

As for Williams’ own style, the 21 year-old admitted that while he didn’t go through much of a fashion phase growing up, it was during his senior year of high school that Williams began prioritizing his pre-game fit routines by adding eccentric designer looks to his shopping cart. As a sophomore at Santa Clara University, Williams even used stipends to buy the clothes he thought could speak to his character.

But then when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, suddenly his motivation to get dressed up started to decline. That’s when Williams decided cozier fits were mores his vibe.

“Covid took away my motivation to actually put on clothes and take pics,” says Williams. “So then after I was wearing pajamas and walking around class with a blanket so that’s a vibe.”

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“I just tried to do something simple,” Williams says on his pinstriped Gucci suit worn on Draft day. “But I don’t know if anybody’s ever done that before either so just trying to do something unique.”

Suiting up alongside teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Tre Mann (to name a few), Williams has joined them in rocking some incomparable outfits this season. The Thunder apparently even keep a ranking of who dresses superiorly to the rest of the group; Williams has Shai at the top of the mountain, with Darius Bazley as a runner up, Giddey at the third slot and himself as the fourth best.

To add to their competitive nature in clothing trends, the team apparently keeps track of how many times they make it onto LeagueFits.

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While the rookie places SGA in a “different category when it comes to clothes,” he did reveal that there was a moment when the shooting guard himself asked where he got an exclusive tee of the late-Kobe Bryant.

“I wore the Kobe USA tee a couple days ago and Shai asked where I got it,” Williams said. “But I’m absolutely not going to tell him because he’s one of those people that have access to everything, so some stuff you gotta gatekeep.”

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The post Jalen Williams on the Thunder Being the ‘Best Dressed Team’ in the NBA and Shopping with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appeared first on SLAM.

The aggressive play of star center Bam Adebayo and the leadership of Kyle Lowry have brought the team to four victories in their last five games, with the most notable one being this past Friday against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

A game that featured the return of Miami superstar Jimmy Butler saw the forward shatter the hearts of the 19-5 Celtics by hitting one clutch shot after another. After the game, he posed high confidence in the Heat and its resiliency in tight situations but most notably made a promise to team President and all-time NBA legend Pat Riley, as he hopes this season shapes up to be Riley’s 10th championship run.

“When you’re talking about the Heat,” Butler said. “Deep run into the playoffs, championship caliber, that’s the second two is about. You put the two together, Pat Riley; we’re getting your 10th championship.”

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Butler came within reach of Riley’s 10th title on two separate occasions, as in the 2020 NBA Finals, the Heat came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers, losing the series 4-2. Last season, the Heat were once again in the Eastern Conference Finals against the rivaled Celtics, and in Game 7, Butler missed a critical go-ahead three-point shot in the final 18 seconds to give Boston the opportunity to ice the game and move on to the championship series against the Golden State Warriors.

Though the Heat hasn’t looked themselves this season, when Butler is on the court, his elite level of play places him in the upper echelon of star players across the League. He’s currently averaging 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.

The Heat Culture embodies a ‘bounce back’ mentality through their grit and determination on the floor, and Butler has certainly embraced it. However, at 33-years-old, time is certainly closing on him to achieve the dream of winning a championship.

Butler is capable of taking on the challenge on his own, but basketball is a team game, and Heat fans know that if a championship comes to South Beach, it’ll have to be a high-level team effort.

“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said on the early struggle of the Heat. “Count us out. We’re going to win the f—— championship. I’m telling you.”

The post Jimmy Butler to Pat Riley: ‘We’re Getting Your 10th Championship’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Blazers had gone 2-8 in their last 10 games before their matchup with the Jazz, and it was mainly due to the seven games absence of their franchise cornerstone, Damian Lillard.

On Sunday against the Pacers, the six-time All-NBA selection returned to the starting lineup to deliver a 21-point performance off five made three-pointers, to go along with five assists. Lillard’s return had his team clicking on all cylinders to mount a 16-point marginal triumph, and it left head coach Chauncey Billups impressed with No. 0’s performance after not playing since Nov. 19.

“He played well,” Billups said, per OregonLive. “He was pretty crisp for having sat out a lot of time. I know he was antsy to get back out there.”

Welcome back, @Dame_Lillard #RipCity pic.twitter.com/Gu5Cd7Xb4j

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 5, 2022

The Blazers are now 8-4 with Lillard on the floor, but in their 12 games without him, the team has kept their competitive spirits high behind Anfernee Simmons and Jerami Grant.

On Saturday’s event, Simmons erupted for 45 points (15-25 from the field) and knocked down seven treys with two blocks at the defensive end. Grant didn’t hold back either, dropping 33 points and five assists. In a recent matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, the duo combined for 69 points, and their best collaboration was at The Garden against the New York Knicks, both going over 38+ points.

With the return of their starting point guard, Simmons and Grant’s production was going to take a slight dip, but that didn’t stop Lillard from encouraging his teammates to get their buckets.

“Coming into the game, I’m telling Ant and Jerami, Be aggressive,” Lillard said. “Don’t let me stop you from being aggressive because I’m going to have the ball in my hands. I’m going to find opportunities to do what I do.”

Best plays from PDX. #RipCity pic.twitter.com/AJB2fCG8lc

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 5, 2022

Grant acknowledges Lillard’s impact on the floor and said having their superstar back in the lineup “changes the whole flow of how” the Trail Blazers play.

“He changes the whole flow of how we play when he comes back,” said Grant. “We move the ball a lot more. The ball is moving around a lot. Getting a lot of open shots. It makes the game easier when he is with us.”

After a 10-4 start to the new season, the Trail Blazers have been set back due to a few injuries. However, the group has slowly bounced back due to their playstyle of playing collectively and trusting their top players to get the job done. Portland’s stock continues thanks to Simmons, Grant, and Lillard raising their ceiling and taking it upon themselves to make sure the Blazers climb up the playoff rankings.

The post Jerami Grant: Damian Lillard’s Return ‘Changes the Whole Flow of How’ Portland Plays appeared first on SLAM.

A left knee tendinosis diagnosis has kept Oladipo sidelined for all 21 games Miami has played. Head coach Erik Spoelstra says, “I do not have a timeline” for when he can return.

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Oladipo could be the difference-maker for a struggling Heat team this season. In the Heat’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Oladipo averaged 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals off the bench.

Although the stats won’t show it, his best performance was against Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics, holding Brown to four crucial turnovers in the second half to force a Game 7 that ultimately highlighted his perimeter defensive skillset.

The guard play of the Heat has taken its strides from last season as Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, and Tyler Herro are all playing to their capabilities, but Oladipo would be a bonus to a bench unit that has struggled to generate turnovers defensively, being third worst in the League.

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The situation for Oladipo can’t be as troubled as it was to start the season, however, as he has now been putting in reps with the squad in their current road trip. With Spoelstra wishing to coach a healthy lineup, adding Oladipo to team practices could help ease him into a minimal playing status.

“He’s on this trip for a reason, to continue to get good work, but also to get the connection piece, the fellowship piece with our guys,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really important. That’s as important for him, being out, just being around the group.”

The post Erik Spoelstra: ‘I Do Not Have a Timeline’ For Victor Oladipo’s Return appeared first on SLAM.

The two-time MVP acknowledges Sengun’s improvement from the low post, which he believes can help spread the ball in different areas of the floor for the Rockets.

“I think he’s very talented. It might sound weird, but I think they should play through him more,” Jokic said per Sports Illustrated. “The man is talented. He can pass the ball, post up, has the touch, and is a good finisher around the rim. You can see different moves when he is playing. “

Lacing up against your idol pic.twitter.com/k6c3exPesX

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 29, 2022

Sengun believes his game shares similarities to that of Jokic, and his play this season back up that talk. The 6’9” center currently averages 15.4 points, nine rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks in the 17 games played this season.

Although it’s not the triple-double stats NBA fans are accustomed to seeing from Jokic, Sengun’s teammate Jalen Green believes the Rockets center has all the potential to run the offense to the similar all-around play of what Jokic does in Denver.

“I agree with what he is saying,” Green said on Jokic’s comment on Sengun. “I feel we will get a lot more open three’s running the offense from Alperen. It’s a lot of inside-outside game, and I think it opens up the middle of the floor for him.”

Solid night for Alpi

18PTS 7REB 3AST@CreditKarma | #MoneyMoveoftheGame pic.twitter.com/Bz1eirpeyA

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) November 29, 2022

The Rockets are building a young talented group filled with athleticism and outside shooting. A player capable of handling all the offensive duties may soon push the squad toward playoff contention, but head coach Stephen Silas has to decide whether he wants Sengun to be that factor.

Considering the development in recent years of international players like Jokic or Luka Doncic, Sengun could potentially be added to the list as one of the most skilled offensive players in the League.

The post Jalen Green Agrees With Nikola Jokic: Rockets ‘Should Play Through’ Alperen Sengun More appeared first on SLAM.

“No, nothing close,” Brogdon told NBCSports if he’d ever played on a better team like this season’s Celtics. “This is a treat for any NBA player. Whether you ask Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown, anybody, it’s a treat to play on a team like this.”

While playing alongside all-stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Brogdon is averaging 14 points a game with a 48.8 percent field goal average and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc.

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The 29-year-old joined the Celtics hoping to contribute to a veteran role for when they are again pushing towards a championship, similar to last season. However, this isn’t the first time Brogdon has been part of a title contender and playing alongside an MVP candidate like Tatum.

In 2019, the Milwaukee Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals and were two wins away from reaching the big stage. Brogdon averaged 13.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 rebounds per game during Milwaukee’s run to the ECF. The 2019 MVP, Giannis Antetokumpo, was just getting into the flow of superstardom, but the team ultimately fell to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.

In just 25 games as a Celtic, Brogdon says his teammates and the front office have developed their leadership from and have encouraged younger players “to be appreciated of what they have here.” Holding each other accountable while maintaining the good vibes around the team will help the Celtics reach their ultimate goal of hanging an 18th banner.

“There’s a lot of good here, from the top down — the leadership down to the PTs, the players,” said Brogdon. “I remind the guys of that when times get tough because there’s always going to be times and days when there’s lulls, but for me and Blake (Griffin), we’ve been in situations where the team is not winning, and the team is really struggling, and there’s chaos. I try to encourage guys to be appreciative of what they have here.”

The post Malcolm Brogdon: ‘It’s a Treat to Play’ On High-Powered Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

However, numerous injuries have kept Williamson sideline during pivotal periods, and some, like his foot injury in 2021, kept him away from the court for an entire season. The excitement the Duke product once had from his fans turned into a wave of negativity around his production towards his physical health.

In year four, the former first-overall pick has proven he’s lived up to his draft value by making history in his 100th career game. Williamson has scored 2,524 points through the first 100 games of his career, the most scored by any player since Michael Jordan (2,721) did it, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Yea, he did a lil bit of everything #Pelicans | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/yFy8cNupdM

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 29, 2022

The NBA has seen some generational talent, but only a select few come close to the level of production Jordan once did with the Chicago Bulls. With Williamson’s total points being second to the iconic figure, there’s no doubt the Pels fanbase has regained faith in No. 1.

Zion spins and sinks the and-1 in the clutch!

The @PelicansNBA lead by 2 on NBA League Pass with 43.1 remaining. Use code NBA50 at checkout for 50% off https://t.co/kv8oudlxUm pic.twitter.com/LV2i3Y5Pp1

— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2022

That’s one record down and several more to go for Williamson to put under his belt. The human highlight reel may be next to a name like Jordan for his 100th career game, but that doesn’t mean he’ll earn the same level of respect as one of the all-time best. A healthy Williamson has shown his capabilities, and it’s just a matter of remaining consistent with them.

The post Zion Williamson Makes Michael Jordan-Like History in His 100th Career Game appeared first on SLAM.

He is the 7’2 Sudanese forward of the Magic, Bol Bol, who has revived his career in Orlando after three quiet seasons with the Denver Nuggets.

The 23-year-old currently averages 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and is shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range. The leap in production from his years in Denver showcased Bol just needed the opportunity to prove his worth with as many minutes as possible, and Banchero is now front row to see his center blossom.

“Everyone talks about the Victor dude from France. I’m not trying to compare them, but Bol’s 7’2, shoots threes, brings it up the court, makes passes, and blocks shots,” Banchero said. “I feel like people kind of forget about him, but Bol’s a freak of nature.”

a career night for @BolBol

26 PTS • 12 REB • 3 BLK • 57% FG pic.twitter.com/qxsbE4Rz48

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 17, 2022

The numbers Wembanyama usually puts up are just as impressive, but to do that on an NBA floor isn’t as easy as he makes it look overseas, even if the competition is more spirited.

Bol has put up these numbers against Kevin Durant, Julius Randle, and Karl-Anthony Towns, all of which are among the world’s best power forwards. One of his best performances this season was at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, dropping 19 points (1-2 from beyond the arc), five rebounds, four blocks, and an 80 percent shooting clip from the field.

Wembanyama is capable of being the difference maker to a franchise’s title contention, but 29 other teams missed out on the similar products they could’ve received from Bol. If Bol continues to use his athletic abilities to his advantage, the League may evaluate a shift in the type of player teams are looking to develop.

The post Paolo Banchero: Bol Bol’s ‘a Freak of Nature’ Similar to Victor Wembanyama appeared first on SLAM.

The 25-year-old center posted a historic stat line against the Indiana Pacers after recording 31 points off 14-17 shooting and 29 rebounds, a League-best result for attacking the board this season. The Croatian also had three blocks on Sunday, and his execution defensively with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in and out of the starting lineup has inspired him to make his case as an elite defensive team candidate.

“Making the NBA All-Defensive team is something I’m really working towards,” Zubac said to AllClippers. “It’s one of my goals coming into the season, just being as best defensively as I can be— I want to show people that I’m capable of that, and for sure, that’s one of my goals.”

STATEMENT MADE pic.twitter.com/x7CxYlLkTu

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 28, 2022

As the last pick of the 2016 NBA draft, Zubac was doubted by scouts for what he contributes to the floor defensively. Now manning the middle for the Clippers, the team currently ranks second in defensive rating, while he ranks sixth in blocks and gives up the League-lowest field goal percentage when players try to challenge him at the rim.

Not bad for the Mr. Irrelevant of the 2016 draft. Zubac kept those notes, stating the previous doubters have opened up his motivation towards making the Clippers defense hold a fierce personality.

“Coming into the League, that was always one of the questions about me on the defensive end of the floor,” Zubac said. “Just proving people wrong and proving to myself that I can contribute to defense really means a lot to me. Helping my team be one of the best defenses in the league. It’s something we pride ourselves on here.”

.@ivicazubac came up clutch, scoring 14 of his 31 points in the first quarter.

@awscloud CourtVision Mascot Mode pic.twitter.com/cnqxNgja2T

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 28, 2022

Though this may just be a breakout week for Zubac, it’s pretty impressive to see the big man lead his team to the fifth-best record in the high-powered Western Conference, primarily through his defense and lack of two superstar wings. His specialty at that end may not be as enticing as a Rudy Gobert swat to the fifth stands or the vocal and scrappy difference-making of a Draymond Green, but Zubac has earned the ‘defensive anchor’ title in the Clippers locker room.

The post Ivica Zubac: ‘Making the NBA All-Defensive Team’ is His Season Goal appeared first on SLAM.

In January of last season, the team reached the mountain top of the Eastern Conference, receiving MVP-caliber play from DeMar DeRozan while Ball showcased his two-way ability as a perimeter defender and facilitator, making the right reads to put his teammates in prime scoring position.

The former second-overall pick was on a mission to lead the Bulls franchise back to title contention, averaging the second-highest point average of his career (13.0), the highest steal rate (1.8), and the best three-point shooting accuracy (42.3) of his career.

"What's it like playing with Lonzo Ball?"

DeMar's smile says it all. pic.twitter.com/SS2Xy7jwDC

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 16, 2021

The fundamentals were on full display, and the team looked on track to make as deep of a playoff run as they did in 2011. However, Ball suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee that forced him out for the rest of the season, and it hit the brakes on the momentum they had built up early on, exiting the 2022 playoffs in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks.

With Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeRozan on the floor, the team has started the new season 8-11, good for 12th place in the East. The slow start isn’t what was expected from the Bulls but team insider Sam Smith shared an update about a possible return for Ball, who may now be considered the solution to all the team’s woes.

“The general word around the Bulls is he might be able to play in January, maybe by the All-Star break,” Smith said. “That would be wonderful, though personally, without any information or “insider” scoops from sources which may or may not know, I’m not counting on him this season.”

Lonzo Ball can do it ALL.

Some of @ZO2_'s best plays so far: pic.twitter.com/YmabRoEl2K

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 27, 2021

Head coach Billy Donovan knows there are missing pieces to the puzzle, but some of his talents have taken on the challenge to improve at their position.

The Bulls could use the floor general presence of Ball to alleviate the ball-handling duties of one-on-one scorers like LaVine and DeRozan while front-court players like Patrick Williams. and Vucevic can catch quick interior passes from Ball. A starting 5 with an unselfish point guard is the general recipe for success, and the Bulls desperately need it.

The post REPORT: Lonzo Ball Probable to Return By All-Star Break appeared first on SLAM.

According to former Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon, the talent that has elevated his game the most for the Rockets is USC product Kevin Porter Jr. His impressive play has Gordon believing there’s still more that Porter can do and bring out his true potential.

“The dude [Porter] has some real talent,” Gordon said, per Sports Illustrated. “It is all about him continuing to do what is best for the team. He has grown, and his progress is real, and it is definitely coming together for him. But I know he can do more, and I expect a lot out of him.”

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Porter is a serious contender for the Most Improved Player award in his third year with the Rockets. He’s currently averaging 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field this season.

Of course, the team record may play a factor in winning the award, but the fourth-year guard has made sure to take leadership as the franchise point guard, capable of leading on the floor while taking accountability for any mistakes on and off the court.

“I’ve been working on controlling my emotions on and off the court,” Porter said. “Being the point guard, I took it upon myself to be more vocal and show my example by leading.”

Though the Rockets are committing towards building a talented young group, Gordon has nothing but veteran experience and quality knowledge to share with players like Porter and Jalen Green. The duo could one day be named one of the best in the League, but for the moment, H-Town continues to focus on the development and tools they should center around them.

The post Eric Gordon On Kevin Porter Jr. Career-Year: ‘His Progress Is Real’ appeared first on SLAM.

As impressive as his resume may be, fans, as well as Doncic himself, realize the importance of what a championship will do to the Slovenian’s legacy. While he came up short last season when he faced the Golden State Warriors dynasty in the Western Conference Finals, the roster improvement the front office made over the summer has Doncic hopeful of remaining in Big D for a long stretch of his career.

“I don’t think they’re worried about it right now,” Doncic tells WFAA on the state of his contract to Mavs’ fans. “I got what, five years left here, so I don’t think they should be worried about it.”

pic.twitter.com/mCKB00HCTD

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 21, 2022

Doncic recently signed a $207 million contract extension with the Mavs to keep him until 2027. Being a 10-year veteran by that time will undoubtedly put pressure on Dallas in the next five years to place the missing pieces for a title. Though Doncic tells fans not to worry about exiting, a player of his caliber may change his position depending on how the front office builds the team around him.

Similar to LeBron James‘ first exit in Cleveland or Kevin Durant‘s departure from Oklahoma City, the talent centered around the superstar can truly shift his commitment towards the organization’s plan.

He can't be stopped pic.twitter.com/b60Lk1U87x

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 21, 2022

Recent rumors indicate that the Mavericks are looking to make a splash on the trade center, specifically for Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons. The two-way presence of Simmons can help alleviate the pressure off of Doncic and allow him to be hidden on the weakest offensive presence on any given opponent’s lineup.

No one can tell what’s to come, but for a generational player like Doncic, a championship roster has to be built from the mud up to make the talent’s story all the more impressive and, of course, avoid a heartbreaking exit. While Doncic is complaining yet about roster construction, the onus will remain on Dallas’ front office to build a championship-caliber roster around their MVP candidate.

His legacy, and the franchises, will be tied around it.

“Basketball is my peace place,” Doncic said. “I always want to go there. I forget about everything that’s going on off the court.”

The post Luka Doncic On Worries About Him Leaving Dallas: ‘I Got Five Years Left Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

Wiseman hasn’t been the pivotal factor to the aging Dubs lineup as head coach Steve Kerr would’ve hoped for. With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green nearing the end of their prime years, Kerr’s response was to send Wiseman down to the G League to “get more reps” in the G-League.

“Every player needs a foundation,” said Kerr, per NBC Sports, on how Wiseman jumpstarts his true potential. “but when you have a guy who missed all of that time with the circumstances and hasn’t been able to really build that foundation, you have to try and do the right thing to help him get going. This is what we’re thinking.”

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The Warriors have put their young talent in circumstances where they have to prove themselves individually, and the Wiseman project rides the same boat, even after a two-year absence.

Kerr suggests that a defense’s attention on the lottery pick will help expose Wiseman to a brighter offensive play style.

“I think it’s just all part of natural evolution of a young player who doesn’t have much experience, who happened to come into the league as the pandemic started and then missed a year-and-a-half with an injury. That’s it; that’s the bottom line.

“Practice is the big thing,” Kerr said. “When you get individualized attention like the guys do in the G League, it’s easier to make more progress, I think, rather than the stops and starts that happen during the NBA season when you’re not in the rotation.”

It’s inevitable that the Warriors will move on from their Big Three that has them four championships. However, good franchises build toward the future to keep the motions of title contention. Kerr and Golden State are making the proper adjustment towards making Wiseman a dominant presence as he was once projected to be.

The post Steve Kerr Won’t Rush James Wiseman Back: ‘Every Player Needs a Foundation’ appeared first on SLAM.

With three of the four losses coming down to the wire, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra feels the quality of his star players on the court, can set a difference in a short amount of minutes.

“At some point, hopefully, we’ll be getting some guys back,” Spoelstra said per Sports Illustrated. “Even if they’re not fully 100 percent, even if they’re close enough, maybe they can give us a little bit of reinforcement, even if it’s just short minutes. That’s where we are right now.”

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The Heat is dealing with a loss of their defensive identity in just one season. They were one of the best defensive teams last season; now, the Heat are currently tied for 14th in the League with the Atlanta Hawks, who both hold a 111.1 defensive rating. They average the second lowest blocks, even with the 16 out of the 18 games Adebayo has played.

Kyle Lowry isn’t the same focal point of an offense as he once was, but he has kept the Heat within reach in the last four games while averaging 18.3 points and 7.3 assists. The resurgence of Lowry is encouraging, considering his struggling performance in last year’s playoffs, but it’ll have to remain once Butler returns and looks to reclaim his spot as Miami’s top scorer.

“Just give us whatever you have,” Spoelstra said. “Whatever you have, just give us. If you’re used to playing 30 minutes, just give us 15. If you’re used to playing 20 minutes, give us eight, so we can kind of manage things right now.”

For now, the Heat remains without several of their former All-Stars, and it may stay that way for the time coming. Questions are piling up, and a fired-up Spoelstra may be the finishing touch to what has been a roller-coaster season for South Beach.

The post Head Coach Erik Spoelstra Awaits The Return Of Star Players appeared first on SLAM.

The attention. The lights. The adversity. It all happens throughout a lottery pick’s early years. For Barnes, his play with the Toronto Raptors last season earned him the Rookie of the Year award and strong consideration as one of the best two-way wing players in the League.

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This season, Barnes has become a top target of defensive game plans looking to shut down the reigning Rookie of the Year. Despite his ongoing adjustment to how opponents defend him, his teammates and coaches still believe heavily in Barnes’ long-term potential as a featured weapon of Toronto’s offense.

“I said that his biggest challenge going in the year was to have the enthusiasm that he had last year,” head coach Nick Nurse said, per SportsNet. “Every game, he was a kid in a candy store, and that’s part of now you’ve got some attention, you get some focal [point], you get some tough defenders, you get knocked around a little bit. But keep working at it.”

With a 5-4 record in the month of November, the Raptors have seen the highs and lows of Barnes’ second year. From five-point performances to 19-point games, Barnes is currently on a roller coaster run, averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 assists on 21.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

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Those numbers certainly don’t matter to a veteran who contributed to the franchise’s first championship in 2019. Fred VanVleet is confident in Barnes’ ability to standout amongst the rest of the young talent around the League, and most importantly, it’s just November.

“Nobody around here is worried about him,” VanVleet said. “We know how great of a player he’s going to be. There’s not any young player I would trade him for. The sky’s the limit for him — I didn’t really even realize [Barnes’ slump] was a narrative until I was sitting at home watching the Detroit game. But yeah, it’s a little overblown.”

The professionalism of the Raptors has been the driving force toward the culture they’re trying to build. They display it again by keeping Barnes accountable and giving their utmost support to their future superstar. If the upcoming games turn out to be strong performances from Barnes, it’ll prove his will to develop and the quality skills he posses as a leader.

“Of course, I’m going to really embrace it, be who I am on the floor,” said Barnes. “…the ball is in my hands a little more when [Fred and Pascal] are out, but I’m just trying to take the game how it is—I feel like that’s a big thing, everybody giving me that confidence from the coaches to the players, having that support staff around me. I feel like that’s helpful.”

The post Raptors Believe Scottie Barnes is Still A Difference Maker appeared first on SLAM.

He is Nikola Jovic, the 27th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Though many speculated he was the steal that night, the opportunity to showcase his talents hasn’t been presented enough until last night against the Toronto Raptors.

“next man up” mentality pic.twitter.com/hniB9AJiE8

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 18, 2022

The absence of Bam Adebayo and Omer Yurtseven made the Heat relatively thin at the front court, and considering their lack of length, Spoelstra had to turn to one of his forwards to fill in the center position. Surely enough, Spoelstra called on the 6’10” rookie out of Serbia for rim protection against Toronto stars like OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Scottie Barnes.

In the 24 minutes the 19-year-old played, Spoelstra had nothing but positive things to say about Jovic.

“We felt putting him with the starters would give him the best chance to compliment that group,” Spoelstra during a TV interview, per BallySports. “He was terrific, particularly in that first half. He played with a lot of energy. He gave us some relief baskets. His skill level — all of those things are good.”

Jović already at 9 points, let’s hear those hot takes #HEATTwitter pic.twitter.com/fS6fIDNn4b

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 17, 2022

Although the Heat took another loss, it’s encouraging to see Jovic stride in different positions. His versatility could undoubtedly be used further down the season, but the Heat should strongly consider evaluating him for the starting four spot right now due to their lack of length and offensive firepower.

Jovic’s intentions are where they need to be, stating there’s plenty more he looks to improve upon, specifically on the glass. The Heat is the third-worst rebounding team in the League, and If Spoelstra looks to turn the Heat season around, giving his rookie more minutes may pay dividends to reclaim that top seed in the Eastern Conference.

“I want to be more efficient rebounding,” said Jovic after the 19 rebound margin in favor of the Raptors. “If I’m the biggest guy on the court, someone needs to grab that ball, and it should be me, and I’m going to work on that more.”

The post Nikola Jovic Impresses Erik Spoelstra in First Career Start appeared first on SLAM.

The Hawks have been actively looking to shop Collins since the midway point of last season but were unsuccessful in finding any partners. Rumors indicate that the Hawks were looking for another superstar in return, but this time around, they’re reportedly willing to settle for a two-way role player like Phoenix Suns‘ Jae Crowder.

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The 19th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has had a solid run with the Hawks, especially in his second year, where he blossomed into averaging 19.5 points per game. Not to mention the 9.8 rebounds he averaged that same 2018-2019 season, and with the pairing of him and Trae Young, it was inevitable for this team to make a deep run one day.

Sure enough, the Hawks made an improbable run as the 5th-seed in the 2021 playoffs, with the team pulling a gentleman’s sweep on the tough-minded New York Knicks. The fans of the latter were letting Young have it all series long. The vibes were similar once they went on the road to play the one-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, where they ultimately stole a Game 7 victory.

The team’s resilience showed because of the maturity Collins and Young displayed. However, it wasn’t enough that year to stop the eventual champion, Milwaukee Bucks.

Fast forward to the first 15 games of this season, and Collins hasn’t been able to prove his value as one of the elite power forwards in today’s game. This season, Collins is averaging 12.6 points per game and has struggled mightily to shoot while averaging 22.7 percent from downtown.

The team brought in Dejounte Murray this offseason in hopes of becoming serious title contenders, and so far, they’ve proven it.

The Hawks currently ride in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference, and one of their notable victories was breaking the undefeated Bucks season. Though the team has taken its strides, they oddly enough feel Collins won’t be the piece to the puzzle to the franchise’s first championship.

The post REPORT: Atlanta Exploring Trade Options For John Collins appeared first on SLAM.

The 2022-23 campaign was supposed to be a referendum on the Warriors successfully fulfilling their dual timeline of focusing on winning now while developing for the future after letting several key veterans walk away in free agency. The results early on feature the Warriors playing less than stellar on defense and their bench play struggling to maintain the leads that the starters built.

The unexpected losses come despite Stephen Curry playing up to his usual superstardom. Furthermore, there is no reason to write off the Warriors dynasty just yet. Especially when a defensive anchor like Green plays with all-time great shooters in Curry and Klay Thompson.

During the first 14 games out of the 82 game-season, Green believes the struggles couldn’t come at a better time, but the learning curve (through the wins and losses) must be addressed because of the difficulty in the profession.

“You’d rather have them sooner rather than later,” said Green to The Athletic on the Warrior’s unexpected losses. “But in saying that, to build what we’re trying to build, we do understand that it takes time. —We’ve been in this position before, where we’ve had struggles and things that we needed to work on and that we had to fix.”

Defense Offense pic.twitter.com/Ngr6zxOyQh

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

Outside of the MVP-caliber play of Curry, the Warriors haven’t played to their’ Strengths in Numbers.’ The team’s leading rebounder, Kevon Looney, is averaging 6.9 rebounds a game, and as a team, they’re the 7th worst in the League in that category. Not to mention, they’re averaging the sixth most turnovers (15.7), and their five-time All-Star in Thompson has struggled to find his shooter’s touch.

Is age starting to be a factor for the Dubs? Head coach Steve Kerr indicated that was a possibility.

“We know this isn’t going forever,” said Kerr. “This could be the last year; maybe next year is the last year. We’re in the final stages. We know that.”

Basketball is a beautiful game.

@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/XumncvBDX9

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2022

The Warriors are currently four games behind the Western Conference’s top seed. Although the playoff picture isn’t the current thought of the team, Green uses the record of his rival opponents to motivate the group towards reaching the throne they have been accustomed to seeing in four of the last seven years.

“In the West, I was looking at the other day, and it’s like no one has stood out,” said Green. “It’s right there for us. If we get ourselves together, which we will, it’s right there for us.”

The post Draymond Green On Having Golden State Struggle ‘Sooner Rather Than Later’ appeared first on SLAM.

This time, arguably their best player, Kevin Durant, spoke out on the blockbuster trade request he made in late June; the two-year drama centered around point guard Kyrie Irving and where their roster currently rests.

Durant essentially took the biggest challenge of his career by joining the Nets in 2019 after winning two titles as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Since then, Durant has only made it as far as the second round of the playoffs, and he believes former coach Steve Nash wasn’t able to bring out the best of the Nets.

“Ask Steve Nash; you can go call him right now. I would say, ‘Yo, I need more closeout drills. We need to practice more.’ That’s what I was on,” Durant told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “I wasn’t feeling that, and nobody was on that same vibe with me.”

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The team’s commitment towards success last season was the breaking point for Durant. A team unwilling to spend extra hours in practice to improve their play resulted in No. 7 considering a run towards the exit.

“I had some complaints in the summer, and my complaints were not about just me; it was about how we are moving as a unit,” Durant said. “I want us to be respected out here in the basketball world. I don’t want players to look at us and say, ‘Oh man, these [expletive] are full of s—. That’s not the type of team I want to be on.’

“So when we’re all playing like s—, you know the one person they’re going to look at. That’s why I requested a trade.”

The Nets were able to keep Durant in the fold after a summer meeting with Brooklyn’s front office. It didn’t help that Brooklyn faced much scrutiny surrounding Durant’s trade request and free-agent negotiations with Irving.

Irving, who has refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine and was recently mired in controversy for posting a movie filled with anti-Semitic messaging that forced Brooklyn to suspend him indefinitely after he declined to apologize and disown the antisemitism in the film.

Irving’s constant sideline absence left Durant to defend his teammate and flex his leadership, telling reporters that he “can’t tell a grown man what to do.” Durant is making it clear he has accepted Irving’s availability, and it’s time to stop deeming the Nets as championship contenders. Durant subsequently asked, “what do you expect” from Brooklyn’s starters, and bluntly said the Nets are expected to win because he’s in the lineup.

“You expect us to win because I’m out there. So if you’re watching from that lens, you’re expecting us to play well because No. 7 is out there.”

The post Kevin Durant Reflects on Trade Request and Brooklyn’s Roster Moves appeared first on SLAM.

This past summer, they traded most of their future draft picks to get three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. They paired him with one of the most dominant offensive bigs in the NBA in, Karl Anthony-Towns.

More importantly, they have one of the brightest and freakishly athletic young talents in the League, Anthony Edwards. So how is this group not reaching the success everyone had deemed them to be atop of? D’Angelo Russell’s struggles may answer that.

whole squad ate tonight.

DLo – 30 PTS / 2 REB / 12 AST / 1 STL
KAT – 29 PTS / 12 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK
TP – 19 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST
Rudy – 15 PTS / 12 REB / 1 AST / 2 BLK
Ant – 10 PTS / 7 REB / 1 AST pic.twitter.com/q0z2JWrr52

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2022

While basketball is team-oriented, Russell’s raw production has undoubtedly taken a dip. The Ohio State alum is averaging 14.4 points per game on 32.9 percent shooting from long distance. The only way to combat that kind of slow start through the first 14 games of the season; is to put in more work.

“[Russell was] Extremely locked in in his preparation coming into that game,” said head coach Chris Finch in an interview on KFAN Radio. “I’ve never had a player not benefit from extra work. D’Lo put the work in when he needed to, and it paid off for him and for us.”

0 was in his bag tonight

30 PTS / 2 REB / 12 AST / 1 STL pic.twitter.com/Q99BxNADKB

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 14, 2022

Russell had a much-needed 30-piece against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The narrow victory proved to Finch that the “little live 5-on-5 drills” he conducted in practice were starting to revive Russell’s shooting touch.

“Playing a little live 5-on-5 against coaches and against other players so he could feel a bit more of the rhythm of a game and how he wanted to play,” said Finch. “I told him when he was playing to be very aggressive, shoot it all the time. Just shoot yourself back into a rhythm.”

The 11 assists that night were also an encouraging factor in his performance. Russell’s facilitating, as always, helped Edwards make the cuts for his explosive slams, while Anthony-Towns, in pick-and-pop situations, knocked down the treys that led to victories.

Once everyone finds their game for the Wolves, the team will be a force in the Western Conference; there’s just too much talent not to believe it. For Minnesota to have their star point guard work his way out of the struggles can greatly inspire the rest of the group to find their rhythm.

The post D’Angelo Russell’s ‘Extra Work’ Results in Breakout Game appeared first on SLAM.

It wasn’t the prettiest of victories to their now three-game win streak, as the Suns held a 13 point-advantage at one point, but the dominance of Bam Adebayo showed up at the perfect time in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 of his 30 points.

His two-way play seems to be pushing the team in the right direction, as his screens and playmaking are getting Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry in much needed rhythm.

After the game, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke on the value Adebayo provides on both sides of the ball and how his responsibilities can benefit the rest of the team.

“He’s such a winner. He’s an absolute winner,” said Spoelstra. “He can morph into so many different roles for us where he makes it look so much easier to the average fan – everybody just wants him to score 40.”

Adebayo had been off to a slow start for the first seven games of the season, resulting in the Heat winning just two games in October. Now, winners of five of their seven games in November, Adebayo has jumped his averages to 20.7 points per game, 10.3 rebounds, and 40 assists per game on 52.7 percent shooting from the field.

The Heat is doing better once Adebayo takes over a game, but as co-star Jimmy Butler mentioned last week, Miami’s defense is “not where it needs to be.”

With a 111.8 defensive rating, the Heat are 17th in the League in that category, a major drop from their fourth-best rating last season. However, the team is third in the League in points allowed in the paint (44.7), courtesy of Adebayo’s anchoring down inside.

“Understanding how to read defenses and what’s necessary for this team,” said Spoelstra on Adebayo. “when to be assertive, when to create for others, when to set screens for guys, look, I’ve never coached really somebody where there’s been so many different responsibilities,”

Spoelstra has taken leadership over legends like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and of course, Butler, the current face of the team. Encouraging words like the one Spoelstra said on Adebayo should factor into how confident the big man plays the rest of the year.

The post Erik Spoelstra: Bam Adebayo ‘Can Morph into Many Different Roles’ appeared first on SLAM.

The other half of the legendary Splash Bros has been going through a tough start to begin the season. However, Thompson believes that that shouldn’t discredit the four championships he’s contributed to the team and his legacy as one of the greatest shooters of all time.

11th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft
Grew up in the 11th house on 11 Lane
K is the 11th letter in the alphabet
Wears number 11

11.11 || @KlayThompson pic.twitter.com/OzZTyxSEEf

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 11, 2022

He’s currently averaging the lowest points per game since his rookie season (12.5) at 14.7. The 20 points per night that NBA fans are accustomed to seeing for years has come in the way of his red-hot three-point shooting or his point totals at the foul line. This season, however, Thompson is shooting career lows in both statistical categories; his three-point percentage currently rides at 33 percent, while his free throw shooting takes a significant drop to 75 percent.

Doubters will have a field day with numbers like this, but there’s plenty of hoop action for Thompson to redeem where his strengths are.

“You just can’t please everybody,” Thompson said in an interview with Bleacher Report. “But for myself individually, it’s about rediscovering that form of efficiency and that two-way play that made me great. And I feel like I’m well on my way there.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Thompson plans on shutting the critics down. On Jan. 9, when he returned to action after two seasons missed due to a torn Achilles and ACL, Thompson dropped 14 points on the Cleveland Cavaliers, showing promise that the injury did not hold him back. The five-time All-Star played a pivotal role in Golden State advancing to their sixth NBA Finals since 2015.

The Warriors ultimately won the 2022 NBA Finals after beating the Celtics in six games. Despite winning his fourth title after an arduous journey just to get back to the hardwood sanctuary, Thompson believes that his injuries weren’t accounted for enough in their title victory.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I feel like I deserve more credit for battling through all that injury s—,” said Thompson. “I helped a team win a championship last year, and people still want to discredit what you do.”

An 82-game season has its ways of bringing the lows of a player, but for Thompson, his Hall-of-Fame career can be a testament to how quickly he can flip the script on his struggles. In doing so, the Dubs may be competing in mid-June once more for a back-to-back title, solidifying the greatest dynasty of the new generation.

“On the bright side, I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” said Thompson. “I have no doubt in my mind I’ll get back to form; I was there last year. We won a championship – The proof is in the pudding. But there’s one more thing I’ll say: You can’t take away the hardware.”

The post Klay Thompson Addresses the Latest Backlash Towards Him and the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗗

Head Coach @coachthibault is retiring from coaching the Washington Mystics.

The 3-time WNBA Coach of the Year, 2019 WNBA Champion and winningest coach in WNBA history will continue with the Mystics as our General Manager.

https://t.co/vGX6a2DCci pic.twitter.com/saMvZOJ6ty

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) November 15, 2022

Thibault, 72, will hand off head coaching duties to his son, Eric Thibault, and will now join the front office of the Mystics as the general manager. In a press conference announcing his retirement, Thibault shed recognition to the ownership group that believed in his abilities to bring Washington its first championship in franchise history.

“I will be forever grateful to Ted Leonsis, Sheila Johnson, and the Monumental ownership group for the support and resources they have given us to succeed,” said Thibault. “As well as the lifetime friendships that we have formed, I have been blessed to have worked with so many great players here in D.C. and throughout my career, and I’m excited to still be around the wonderful core group we have returning this coming season.”

Associate Head Coach Eric Thibault has been elevated to Head Coach!!@ET_hoops, who has spent 10 seasons on our staff has helped lead the team to eight postseason appearances, has directed much of the player development in his four years as Assoc. Head Coach.

— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) November 15, 2022

Thibault is in the Mount Rushmore of WNBA figures, and his resume speaks for itself. Thibault is the winningest coach in WNBA history after winning 379 games throughout his career with the Mystics and Connecticut Sun.

In three of his 19 seasons, Thibault was awarded the prestigious coach of the year award in 06′, 08′, and 13′. The wins came in bunches, but the epitome of his coaching legacy came from his first championship in 2019.

The Mystics went 26-8 that season and were led by 2019 MVP Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver, and Emma Meesseman, to name a few. That Big 3 set the edge for their Finals series against Thibault’s former Sun team. The Mystics made it to the Finals the year before but were swept by the Seattle Storm. Game 5 of the 2019 WNBA Finals was just a little more significant with the backdrop of trying to win Thibault’s and Washington’s first-ever title.

It was the cherry on top to finally be crowned a champion for Thibault. His role now is to hope his son delivers the same success he has had for the last two decades.

“A special thanks to the wonderful staff we have had throughout our time here – I couldn’t ask for better teammates in this journey,” said Thibault. “I have had so many great mentors and met so many unbelievable people because of the game of basketball – thanks to all of them. Thanks also to our great fans who believed in us when we promised them a championship after all the years of waiting.”

The post Mike Thibault Retires After Legendary Coaching Career appeared first on SLAM.

From his confidence as a shooter to his pesty defensive motives, Alvarado has rightfully earned himself a roster spot in today’s NBA. Of course, Alvarado’s success doesn’t happen if he didn’t stick with the grind it takes to make it in the toughest League in the world.

Alvarado’s competitive fire was forged in Brooklyn, NY, where he learned that setting himself apart from opponents was essential. He carried those lessons to draft workouts with the Toronto Raptors in 2021; Alvarado had a mental edge that impressed 2019 NBA Finals champion Fred Van-Vleet.

“It was probably the best draft workout I’ve ever seen,” VanVleet recollects from the Raptors 2021 workout with Alvarado and now Portland Trail Blazer guard Trendon Watford. “Just the energy, the spirit, the competitiveness. And I just remember watching him [Alvarado] like, ‘I remember being like that.’ You know what I mean? I could see myself in him. Just the mentality.”

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Though the defensive wonder never suited up for the Raptors, it was only a matter of time until a team like the Pelicans would take their chances to build for a playoff push.

In July of 2021, the Pelicans signed Alvarado to a two-way contract, and it paid dividends once they reached the 2022 playoffs as an 8th seed. Though they didn’t win their series against the Phoenix Suns, the Pelicans took the one-seeded Suns to six games behind the pressure Alvarado imposed on Chris Paul.

“There’s no time to take plays off; there’s no time to be emotional,” Van-Vleet said. “You’ve just gotta come in and make a mark. And that’s something I was obviously able to do and something I’m watching Jose do.”

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Alvarado has now earned the nickname ‘Grand Theft Alvarado’ and he keeps living up to that reputation because of his steals from the opposing team’s inbound so far this season.

Van-Vleet is noticing the heart Alvarado shows on a nightly basis, and it won’t be long until the rest of the League puts their flowers on the hustle Alvarado provides to the Pels. A defensive anchor like Alvarado may one day see New Orleans basketball at the mountaintop of the NBA.

“You don’t want nobody to go in your house and take something from you and walk out in front of you, right?” Alvarado said. “So that’s how it is. You go play defense.”

The post Fred Van Vleet On Jose Alvarado’s Competitiveness: ‘I Remember Being Like That’ appeared first on SLAM.

The 2019 third-overall pick notched just four points in 2-10 tries, resulting in head coach Tom Thibodeau sitting Barrett for most of the second half. With a 6-7 record, the Knicks are still finding a way to coalesce, especially on the defensive side of the floor. Until then, rumblings of the Knicks dismissing Thibs will still be around.

For now, however, Barrett will put the loss on his shooting and effort against Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

“It falls on me for sure because I was guarding Shai, and he got me into some foul trouble,” Barrett said, per Sp. “That’s not good. I got to do a better job of not fouling. Especially the silly one in the third. So I got to do better with that, too.”

Gilgeous-Alexander came away with 37 points (his second-highest total this season) and eight assists on 59 percent (13-22) shooting from the field. The Canadian guard had his way with Barrett on both sides of the ball, but where the Knicks really lost the battle was at the paint. The Thunder outscored the Knicks 64-50, a testament to New York’s shaky defense.

“We just got behind by so much that we were just looking for life,” Thibodeau said when asked why Barrett played just two minutes of the second half. “The group that was in there gave us a little bit of a spark. So that’s what we went with.”

Whether it’s the roller coaster play of Barrett or the team slowly losing its demeanor defensively, the Knicks need to perform at a higher level before the scrutiny of the basketball media finds its way to them again.

The post Knicks Star RJ Barrett Takes Responsibility For Lackluster Performance: ‘It Falls On Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

The team comes off a 117-112 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets Thursday night. In a game that featured the Heat forcing 20 turnovers, nine of them steals, the team just could not put away the Hornets in the regular period, even when their lead was as big as 15.

“Not where we need it to be,” Butler said on the state of the Heat’s defense, per Sports Illustrated. “It’s not all bad, but there are a lot of mistakes, miscommunication, not getting back easily correctable stuff. Hopefully, we start doing that pretty soon and stacking some Ws because we’re in dire need of some wins.”

35 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists last night… and his teammates appreciated every bit of it. #HEATCulture

Popular Moment of the Week // @popularbank pic.twitter.com/Dptz8fiddc

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 11, 2022

Their 110.8 defensive rating puts the Heat near the middle of the pack across the League. It’s not a dramatic drop, but the team did have a 108.4 defensive rating last season, fourth-best behind the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics.

The Heat was defeated at the buzzer against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, a game where the Heat also had a chance to run away with a sizable victory.

Butler had 16 points to go along with six steals, but leaving Blazers guard Josh Hart open at the corner three-point line left the FTX Arena stunned as he knocked in the winning trey.

HART FOR THE WIN #RipCity | @joshhart pic.twitter.com/kTTLL5dcam

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 8, 2022

Though they’ve managed to give up close ones, the Heat seems to be finding their defensive approach to avoid living in those late-game circumstances, according to head coach Erik Spoelstra.

“It’s part of our identity that we really need to be disruptive and get teams out their comfort zone in a lot of different ways, which requires a big energy and focus commitment,” Spoelstra said. “To be able to be active, get our hands on balls, deny passes, play multiple schemes, that’s our lifeblood defensively.” 

The Heat have a chance to prove they’re back to their pesky defensive habits again against the Hornets tomorrow night.

The post Jimmy Butler Says the Miami Heat Defense is ‘Not Where it Needs to Be’ appeared first on SLAM.

However, Boston’s All-Star duo changed that narrative and blossomed into the mature stars that Celtics fans had been hoping for since 2010 when they beat the Miami Heat to advance to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.

A credit to their dynamic run was the message shared by former teammate Kemba Walker, who spent time with the team from 2019-2021. During an appearance on NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast, Walker talked about the importance of the duo playing team basketball in order to reach new heights.

“They’ve always seen the talks and people saying they can’t play together. But I always just tried to tell them, ‘Just block that out,'” said Walker. “I always told them, ‘This organization ain’t going nowhere without you two.’ Literally.”

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The two frankly needed each to go on the journey they did last season. In the games Brown missed, the team went 8-8; without Tatum, the Celtics had a record of 2-4.

Of course, the stud defensive unit of Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Robert Williams may have contributed to a portion of those victories, but the team certainly doesn’t match the post-season threats of a Brooklyn Nets or Milwaukee Bucks without the star power and intangibles of Tatum and Brown.

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“My main thing to those guys was that they had to love each other,” said Walker. “Those two guys, Jayson and Jaylen — you two guys have to come together as much as you can and lead this team to the promised land. They can’t go anywhere without those two guys. Those two guys are so special, and they’ve shown it.”

The chemistry they’ve developed has grown into this season, as the Celtics currently have an 8-3 record, tying the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second-best in the conference.

The road towards another shot at a championship remains long for the Celtic. If Tatum and Brown still look to win the ultimate prize, they must still consider the leadership-quality messages of Walker.

The post Kemba Walker: Boston ‘Won’t Go Anywhere’ Without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown appeared first on SLAM.

Since then, the Magic have settled in on their lottery picks with Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero and trading their star big Nikola Vučević to the Chicago Bulls. Building a young athletic core seems to be the philosophy of the front office in Orlando. Their premiere defensive player believes it’s just a matter of time until he makes his emotional return to the court.

“I’m closer than I’ve ever been,” Issac said to the Orlando Sentinel. “I’ve been playing the last few weeks and just getting in shape. I’m still getting there. But in terms of body, knees, and hamstrings, everything is great. I’m just not in game shape.”

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His defensive tenacity was fully displayed before getting hurt in the 2020 season. He averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game, leading the team in both categories. Issac was also as pure as it gets going 47 percent from the field, ahead of notable pieces like Aaron Gordon and Markelle Fultz.

Though the team hasn’t given a clear date as to when Issac can play, he’s undoubtedly pushed the strides to get back out there. It’ll certainly be a surreal night for when the time comes, but the star forward remains on the task at hand, fully healthy.

“The only step is continuing to get in shape,” Isaac said. “We played the other day, and I was gassed. Obviously, I haven’t done it in a long time. Continuing to get in shape and playing 5-on-5 four times a week. Just being able to run up and down and get in shape is what I’m focused on right now.”

The post Jonathan Issac Inches Closer to His Return From Two-Year Injury appeared first on SLAM.

A win against teams like that can build a spark to the locker, but being on the losing end creates questioning on where the Kings need to improve their roster.

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The Kings find ways to look solid for four quarters by relying on the two-way prowess of former all-star Domantas Sabonis and the point guard wizardry of De’Aaron Fox. He currently averages 16.3 points, 11.1 rebounds (8th best in the League), and 6.1 assists per game. In the three games played in November, the center has averaged 36 minutes a game which is the most amongst others in his position.

In this case, the Kings’ frontcourt depth isn’t as solid as Brown would have hoped to start the season. However, their 2010 fifth overall pick DeMarcus Cousins believes he has the intangibles at 32-years-old to push the Kings out of their 16-year playoff drought in a recent Twitter reply.

In his seven years with the Kings from 2010-2017, Cousins averaged 21.1 points per game. His last two seasons with the franchise were one of the most dominant showings of a big in the modern era, as he averaged over 25 points a game to pair with a double-double in rebounds. Not to mention, Cousins also recorded a 56-point outing, the third most among active NBA centers.

Boogie hasn’t been the same since tearing his quad and ACLbut is still capable of turning back the clock to his All-Star level of play. In his current form, Boogie is a reliable force down low; he can spread the floor as an occasional floor spacer and rebound at a fearsome pace off the bench.

Cousins has become a journeyman in the latter stages of his career due to the injuries above. However, being a significant contributor on a playoff squad could help him become a franchise legend and help him land a job on another team if he so chooses.

The post DeMarcus Cousins Believes He Can Contribute to Kings Making a Playoff Push appeared first on SLAM.

Before the start of last season, Williamson weighed over 300 pounds, a 15-pound gain from his entrance to the League in 2019. The criticism had been constant until the previous week when Williamson spoke to FOXSports on the body shaming he’s faced.

“What people don’t understand is, even the writers and stuff, if they have children of their own, imagine if somebody talked about their child how they spoke about me. Critiquing my body, critiquing how I look.”

Out of the 22.7 points Williamson is averaging this season, 18.9 of them are coming from inside the paint, second best in the League. Williamson has become the force the League knew he could one day become, thanks largely to the training staff that spent hours with him in the gym and his personal chef this past off-season, Jhonas Lewis.

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Lewis had altered the eating habits of Williamson, who had ‘two large Dr. Peppers’ along with his meal. More importantly, Lewis’ meals would cut Williamson to a healthy standard.

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to say the number, but I will say this: [He lost] well over 35 pounds, for sure,” Lewis said. “We were dropping almost 7-9 pounds a week. By the third week, he started seeing the results. You couldn’t pay Zion to put his shirt on.” 

It’s safe to assume Williamson is satisfied with his weight, but the criticism still lingers across his mind. With the way the Pelicans have played with Williamson on the floor, it looks like the Duke product is using the weight trolling as a motivation to succeed.

“Every time they talked about me, it was about weight,” Williamson said. “I don’t even think they realized what kind of impact that can have on you.”

The post Zion Williamson Speaks Against Media ‘Critiquing’ His Body appeared first on SLAM.

“I really don’t care at all,” Herro said, per the Sun Sentinel. “Maybe if it ended in a loss, but we won — I’m just going to play my game, and if they call a travel, they call a travel.”

The League announced the missed call a day after the game, as Herro picked up his dribble off a pump fake and changed his pivot in the motion of the three-point shot.

We only needed 2, a Herro came to the rescue with 3

Money Play // @FTX_Official pic.twitter.com/jK8EGUzk99

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 3, 2022

That kind of moment has defined Herro’s season thus far. Herro is second on the Heat in scoring, averaging 18.6 points a game to go along with career highs in both rebounds (6.6) and field goal percentage (47.8).

Unwilling to give up a third loss in their last four games, Coach Erik Spoelstra spoke on the call and how sometimes officiating hasn’t gone their way.

“They’re just really tough calls at the end of games,” said Spoelstra. “We’ve been on both sides of it. So I can understand the frustration on their side of it — The game can be decided in so many different ways and not just a whistle at the end of a game.”

Kings Coach Mike Brown was upset the travel wasn’t called but credited his group for putting up a fight to last season’s number one seed in the East.

“I would not be doing my job if I didn’t come up here and protect my guys,” said Brown. “To pump fake on a sidestep, a sidestep or hop, and then one-two and a shot and not make that call, to me, it’s just unbelievable. It’s not why we lost the game, although I don’t think we got a fair whistle.”

Criticizing officiating is a tale as old as sports itself. The scrutiny around the missed call has unforeseen consequences that may not be understood until the season starts to matter in April.

The post Tyler Herro Reacts to NBA’s Call On His Game-Winner Against the Kings appeared first on SLAM.

Each team has lost the games they’ve played this week, possibly due to the distraction centered around the coaching staff, but veteran leader Al Horford believes the Celtics need to move on from Udoka if his decision happens to ship him to Brooklyn.

“Right now, our focus is on our group and continuing to move forward,” Horford told NBC reporters during the team’s shootaround this morning. “If that materializes for (Udoka), obviously, we’ll be happy for him, but at this point, we’ve already moved forward — We need to bounce back. That’s what’s on my mind.”

The Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an overtime thriller Wednesday night, marking their third loss in the last four games. The team averages the most three-pointers (15.4) and sixth most blocks (6.1) across the League under interim Coach Joe Mazzulla. One thing that hasn’t helped is that Boston isn’t forcing many turnovers. They’re averaging 5.7 steals per game this season versus the 7.2 they created last season under Udoka.

That Udoka defense of last year led the team to the NBA Finals, but the past is the past. Horford wants the team to focus on Friday’s game versus the Chicago Bulls.

Considering the reasoning behind the suspension of Udoka, there’s no surprise that a title-contending organization like the Celtics is allowing Udoka to seek coaching opportunities outside Beantown. The objective remains to bring home an 18th title.

“The games are coming on. Things are not going to get easier, ” said Horford. “We’ve got a big challenge starting tonight with Chicago. So, our group, we’re moving ahead. We have to focus and look ahead.”

The post Al Horford Wants Celtics to ‘Focus On Our Group’ So They Can ‘Move Forward’ appeared first on SLAM.

Coach Tom Thibodeau’s backcourt consists of play from Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, and their 2021 first-round pick Quentin Grimes, who made his season debut against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night.

Playing the last five minutes of a blowout loss, Grimes came away with just one assist on his stat line. Nonetheless, he was relieved to get some playing time under his belt and is pleased with how the coaching staff has handled his return to the court.

“They don’t want to throw me in too fast and go in and play 30 minutes,” Grimes said. “They don’t want my foot to flare up again like it did. So right now, I’m just focused on what Thibs [Thibodeau] needs me to do whenever I get into the games.”

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The slow start to Grimes’ second season is no coincidence as Thibodeau hopes to see his development in the ‘situational’ moments of a game going forward. That may be tough to evaluate as Grimes, in the 21 minutes played (pre-season and regular season), has only shot three attempts with zero points.

“He’s situational right now,” said coach Thibodeau. “But we’ll take a look at it.”

Extending his minutes may detriment the bench scoring of the team, but with his 6’4 210 pound frame, Grimes is confident he can find an area in his game that can implement a winning foundation for the Knicks.

“With me, I feel like I can come in, bring a lot of energy, intensity to the game,” said Grimes. “And hopefully [we can] lockdown defensively as a unit.”

The Knicks are averaging the fourth-lowest steals among NBA teams at the moment and if Grimes looks to add any baskets and keep true to his word, turning defense into offense is a way to start.

The Knicks may not have the pieces falling apart just yet, but if they continue to give up 30+ point performances as they have the last three games, it wouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise if Thibodeau looks to make a defensive adjustment by adding a man like Grimes to the bench unit.

The post Tom Thibodeau: Quentin Grimes is Playing a ‘Situational’ Role appeared first on SLAM.

The head coaching search didn’t last long for the Nets as reports have now circulated that they’ve narrowed their candidates to just Udoka and former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. The Nets could possibly name him as their new head coach within the next 24 hours according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Last season, Udoka led the Celtics to a first round sweep against the Nets, which then resulted in seven game series wins against the then-defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and the first seeded Miami Heat.

Leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals was pinnacle success for the first year head coach, but then this offseason, allegations surfaced around a former employee and Udoka having ‘inappropriate relations,’ leading to the one-year suspension.

Altough it isn’t finalized as of yet, Udoka could soon lead the helm of another franchise with high expectations.

The post Ime Udoka Reportedly Emerges as Frontrunner for Nets Head Coaching Job appeared first on SLAM.

Nash spent two full seasons with the team and reached the playoffs on both occasions, one of which featured a classic seven game series against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

This season, the Nets’ elite scoring duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant returned after several speculations of them leaving circulated during the off-season. Then there’s the return of a healthy Ben Simmons, who had not played last season due to reported mental health concerns and severe back pain.

After news had broke out that the Nets had fired Nash, Nash took to Twitter to release a statement thanking ownership and the fanbase for putting trust in him to lead the group. Read his latest statement below.

The Nets have reportedly decided to have interim head coach Jacque Vaughn lead tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

The post ‘Thank You, Brooklyn’: Read Steve Nash’s Statement After Nets Departure appeared first on SLAM.

That leaves Philadelphia with 2 tradable 2nd round picks in the next 7 years:

2023: The more favorable of ATL, CHA and BKN
2029: Own

The lone first they can trade is in 2029. https://t.co/fjBhB91dHc

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 31, 2022

The Sixers were found to be tampering, defined as engaging with a player before free agency begins that allows teams to negotiate deals. The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania reported that the $15 million pay cut that former MVP James Harden took this off-season was not part of the offense to League rules.

The team made a statement acknowledging the result of the investigation, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski states the League will look into tampering rules to avoid a conflict like this again.

In such a case, the NBA would have to investigate several teams, considering how quickly reports of signings are released. The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls were found to be tampering last season as well, and this could very much influence the League’s decision to make harsher punishments.

After concluding their investigation with the Sixers, the NBA focuses on the New York Knicks’ signing of Jalen Brunson.

The post NBA Docks Two Second-Round Picks From 76ers For Tampering appeared first on SLAM.

When you look on paper at how they’ve gotten to a 5-0 start, it’s primarily due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominant two-way play. The Greek Freak already has two 40-point performances and a double-double season average of 34.4 points and 14 rebounds per game.

However, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer credits the energy his 15-year veteran Brook Lopez provides to the floor. Splash Mountain continues to be the quintessential modern center while he averages a League-best 3.6 blocks per game while thriving as a floor spacer on the offensive end, shooting the three-ball at 35.1 percent.

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“For Brook to come out, it just kind of energized the whole team. It gave us a huge boost,” said Budenholzer after their win against the Atlanta Hawks Saturday night. “Giannis and Jrue [Holiday] knew they had another guy who was going to help carry the load.”

The Hawks’ three-point shooting is pretty tough to keep up with, especially when Trae Young puts up 42 points on the board. However, Lopez kept the shooting intact for the Bucks by hitting 5-8 threes. Coming away with two blocks as well, Budenholzer praises Lopez for his dual-threat play style.

“When Brook is making threes and blocking shots, the team loves him,” said Budenholzer. “It’s just a little even extra value added besides just the obvious points.”

The Bucks continue to roll because of their frontcourt. With Antetokounmpo always being in the MVP conversation and Lopez doing all kinds of dirty work to keep this team high-spirited, it might just be the reason Milwaukee wins their second championship since 2021.

Lopez looks to keep his momentum tonight against the Detroit Pistons at home.

The post Mike Budenholzer Credits Brook Lopez For Energizing the Milwaukee Bucks appeared first on SLAM.

To push the panic button right now is an over-exaggeration. Despite the endless drama centered around its players, Lakers superstar LeBron James believes there have been encouraging signs at one end of the floor that keeps them close games.

“For the first three games, it hasn’t,” James said regarding the team’s shooting, per Lakers Daily. “We still can’t shoot a penny in the ocean, but it hasn’t stopped us from competing and defending. That’s given us a chance in all three games to win.”

Dialed in pic.twitter.com/GaiApLt1C7

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2022

The Lakers rank at the top of the League in steals averaging 11.3 a game. It’s partly thanks to Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook, who is averaging over two steals a game. However, Anthony Davis’ third-best steals (2.7) and fourth-best blocks (2.3) around the League have given the Lakers a chance at victory in the new year.

James fully supports the defensive play thus far when opponents try to get easy buckets inside. However, the number of fouls given up, especially against the amount they gave up against the Portland Trailblazers, won’t rest easy with the four-time champion.

“I think it’s understanding that no one is on an island by themself,” said James. “When guys penetrate, we try to get multiple bodies in front of bodies, and if the ball is on the ground or it’s loose, we try to get good hands in there — when you’re defending at a high level like we are, we can’t allow teams to get easy buckets by going up there and not facing the defense with free throws.”

Transition Bron lookin' scary pic.twitter.com/VOYJW2NzcK

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 21, 2022

According to James, the frustrating losses have been put in the past, but if the team looks to avoid missed back-to-back playoffs, they must turn defense into offense. Easy buckets off fast-break opportunities could do wonders for the aging group, and it’ll likely lower the habit of shooting 39 three attempts a game.

The Lakers are back in action Wednesday night to face the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center.

The post LeBron James Likes Lakers ‘Competing and Defending’ Amidst 0-3 Start appeared first on SLAM.

The team has relied on Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to handle the load at the power forward slot, but the team looks to be losing hope in their defensive powers as reports suggest the Heat are looking at trade suitors.

“Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson aren’t the only potential moves that the Heat have been linked to recently,” according to Heavy.com’s Thomas Darro. “Link them to PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as finalizing a reunion between Crowder and the Heat. But another has been Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons and Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz.”

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Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is off to a fantastic start to the young season as he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a staggering shooting at 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His size and length could turn him into a problem under the talented Heat coaching staff, but Heat President Pat Riley always keeps the door open to other options.

Washington is a restricted free agent this upcoming off-season due to the inability to negotiate a contract extension. The Hornets may be focused on providing their star point guard LaMelo Ball an enormous deal for the 2024 season, leaving little cap space to work for Washington.

The Heat wouldn’t mind one-year rentals, especially when there’s a lot of talent that needs to be proven out of the group. The 24-year-old would add the floor spacing, agility, and defensive intangibles that much up well against star rivals like Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Demar Derozan.

Finally, the reunion Heat fans would welcome with open arms. Not too long ago, Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder was part of the resilient 2020 Heat squad that, as a 5th seed, went six games against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The chemistry on display, both offensive and defensively, is in no way bound to be lost in just the two seasons apart.

With this possibly being his 10th straight playoff appearance, a reunion with the Heat opens the door to a final run at a championship.

The post REPORT: Heat Linked to Kyle Kuzma, P.J Washington, and Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

The League generates about $24 billion in revenue via its broadcast deals, according to Bill Shea of the Athletic. It’s mainly generated by the national televised games on ESPN, ABC, and TNT. Since their contracts with the networks expire after the 2024-2025 season, the League’s resurgence in ratings since the COVID-19 pandemic could prompt enough money from media rights partners to lock in the expansion.

“In order to evaluate any teams coming in, we need to know where we stand from a media standpoint,” Silver said, per NBA insider Baxter Holmes. “That’s obviously our most significant form of revenue overall.”

Silver had also addressed the integrity of competition in the sport amidst the rumors that teams are purposely tanking to draft Victor Wembanyamayear during the 2023 NBA Draft.

Silver, along with members of the board, thought of implementing an English Premiere League-like relegate to the NBA that would impose the worst team of a season to drop to the lower ranks, in which case, the G-League. However, because the relegation would imply that the best G-League team gets added to the NBA, the possibility of lost viewership and lack of competitiveness makes it a hard leap.

“It would so disrupt our business model,” Silver said. “And even if you took two teams up from the GLeaguwouldn’twouldn’tt be equipped to compete in the NBA.

The post Adam Silver Delaying League Expansion While NBA Negotiates Media Deals appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat seemed like the clear landing spot for Mitchell as NBA fans believed they had enough assets to send the Utah Jazz in exchange for the shooting guard. A deal like that would have pushed the Heat toward favorited championship odds, especially considering Mitchell and Adebayo’s chemistry at the Miami Pro League over the summer. Mitchell and Adebayo were also seen working out with one another throughout the offseason

“I said this to somebody, I was like, ‘Man, I’m working out with Bam [Adebayo] and others, and I’m thinking like, ‘This is just preparing. This is what it’s going to look like.'” Mitchell said on J.J Redick’s “Old Man and the Three Podcast.”

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Adebayo wasn’t the only player in the Heat roster that would spark rumors of Mitchell joining the Heat. Jimmy Butler had spent the second week of his off-season with Mitchell at a restaurant in Miami for basketball media influencer Chris Brickley’s birthday

In that same late June period, rival Kevin Durant had requested a trade from his team and the NBA world believed Heat President Pat Riley would pull the trigger for the future Hall of Famer.

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The Heat ended up standing pat during the off-season, but they extended Tyler Herro to a four-year deal worth $130 million. Though securing the young star bodes well for the Heat, the East has gotten much more competitive, especially with Mitchell making the Cavs a potential top-five seed in the conference.

Cleaveland’s future success rides on the play of Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley in order to consider the Cavs the winners of the trade. As for Miami, the team’s lack of trades and signings puts pressure on them to succeed at the same rate they did last season. If this season goes any worse, the question arises of why the Heat didn’t make the effort of making the Butler, Adebayo, and Mitchell big three.

The post Donovan Mitchell Touches On Working Out With Bam Adebayo Over the Summer appeared first on SLAM.

White did just enough for Boston to turn their early struggles around, and it reconciled into a second seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The success went on into the playoffs as the Celtics secured their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010.

White couldn’t have imagined this surge from the Celtics after being acquired, but personal issues and adjustments to the new squad became a mind-racing experience for him, leading to a championship series loss to the Golden State Warriors.

“It was crazy. I mean, from February to June, it felt like I was on the move nonstop,” White tells NBC Sports Boston. “This year, I feel much more settled in and comfortable. Last year was a great experience, and I loved it all. But I’m feeling much more settled in this year.”

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Although most of the statistical categories took a slight decline for White, his Celtic tenure can be remembered by the elite shot-making and defending he displayed in Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. In those games combined, White totaled 35 points off the bench while securing nine rebounds and nine assists.

Just days before that stellar play, White’s wife, Hannah, gave birth to their son Hendrixx which attributed to him spending time away from the team. Of course, the Celtics still found ways to win due to the offensive eruptions from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White shared his recognition of the unorthodox duo and how their commitment is a significant aspect of the team’s success.

“From the outside, you see the games, and you’re impressed,” said White on Tatum and Brown. “But it’s all the stuff on the practice court, the things they do after practice — They’re obviously super talented, and their work ethic is a big reason why.”

After the Finals loss, White needed to settle into Boston with his family and team properly. Including the adjustment to fatherhood over the summer, White spent hours in the facility working on his craft as a perimeter shooter, to which interim coach Joe Mazzulla noticed he was shooting far differently as he did in the series against the Warriors.

“I love where he’s at from a confidence standpoint,” said Mazzulla. “I think when he plays with confidence, I think that’s important for all of us to make sure he’s confident because he’s really good for us. When he’s shooting with confidence, I think he’s a threat at all three levels.”

Now comprehensive of his career-changing, White looks to be that x-factor off the bench that the Celtics had wished he would’ve been just four months before. With White’s emerging presence in the gym, he feels the team has gotten much closer, with the taste of revenge lingering on their minds.

“I mean, everybody’s frustrated. Just be so close and not finish it,” said White. “You just want to have another opportunity at that. But you just have to keep getting better and understand the things that you need to work on and work on them. We can’t skip any steps.”

The post Derrick White Discusses the ‘Crazy’ Struggle He Faced After Getting Traded to Boston appeared first on SLAM.

The talent may not be elite on the roster, but that’s what makes Lakers Coach Darvin Ham even more impressed with Brown’s start.

“Mike [Brown] is a great ambassador for the game and a great coach in his own right,” Ham told the Sacramento Bee after the Lakers lost to the Kings to end the preseason. “making sure they’re detail-oriented, making sure they’re consistent. He’s a guy that’s passionate but not emotional — At the end of the day, he’s going to make sure he has all of his resources in order — to reemphasize why they should be doing exactly what he’s asking of them to do.”

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Brown is at the helm of a team in a 16-season playoff drought, the longest of any franchise in the history of the NBA. It may be a mountain to climb in this new tenure, but Brown has been through the highest and the lowest of being an NBA head coach.

Notable moments of Brown’s career were when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals, surrounding the team’s former superstar, LeBron James, with various shooters and stout defenders. Later in his tenure with the Cavs, Brown orchestrated back-to-back 60+ win seasons, earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009.

Although his coaching career took a slight bump with the Cavs and Lakers in the early 2010s, Brown picked his name right back up as an assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s coaching staff, winning three championships in five years (2017-2022) with the Golden State Warriors.

One of the philosophies Brown has seemed to incorporate into the Kings from the Warriors is the expectation of relentless defense from the young assets. Kings star De’Aaron Fox believes Sacramento has benefitted from Brown’s heavy ‘attention to detail’ defensively. James noticed that playing defense is also a tenet of Brown’s coaching philosophy.

“He’s someone that, if you don’t defend, you won’t get on the floor,” James said. “When he came to Cleveland, we became one of the best defensive teams in the League every single year. That gave us a chance to win every single night. Offensively, some nights we weren’t that good, but we were always in games because we defended.”

IT’S GAME DAY! #RoarWithUs pic.twitter.com/2CsVAhTlTi

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 19, 2022

Sacramento fans could be heavily intrigued by that, considering Fox hasn’t returned to that pesky defender he once was in the 2018-19 season, where he attributed 133 total steals (sixth best). Of course, Brown first wants to see stout defensive teamwork before jumping into individual accolades.

“Although we want everybody to bring it defensively as an individual, it’s not one guy guarding the ball,” said Brown, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “It’s five guys guarding the ball, so we want to see five guys on a string. We want to communicate — Those are some of the things which are staples that we want to see on the defensive side of the ball, but the biggest thing is competing.”

The Kings aren’t expected to become the NBA’s best defensive team or break the 16-year curse of missing the playoffs, but wilder things have happened from first-year coaches, and Brown looks to fill the hearts of the many Sacramento fans that have been desperate for a team built towards long-term success.

The post ‘Detail-Oriented’ Mike Brown Inspiring Confidence in and Out of Sacramento appeared first on SLAM.

When it comes to pure skill and dominance, there are only a few names that make the shortlist of the greatest hoopers to lace them up. On that short list would Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James, who all share the ‘killer’ mindset that has broken the hearts of many opposing fanbases and elevated their status to all-time heights.

Antetokounmpo aims to be on that list and may already be there, as he psychologically challenges himself to dominate whatever is in his way of becoming the greatest of all time.

In a group text to his siblings, Antetokoumpo was inspired by a ‘Redeem Team’ movie scene that featured Bryant running through his then Los Angeles Lakers teammate Pau Gasol in an Olympic game. Let’s not forget, it was Bean who once challenged Antetokounmpo to become MVP in 2019. The late great Laker always had confidence in Antetokounmpo, so to see the multi-time All-Star embrace his inner “crazy” would make the Black Mamba happy.

“In order for you to be great, you have to be a little bit crazy.”

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Through whispers in his head telling him he can’t do the impossible, Antetokounmpo responds to that inner monologue by overworking on areas of the game that he’s not elite in. Though that’s what a coach wishes to hear from their star player, Antetokoumpo adds a statement that lets you know he’s operating on a different level.

“I’m working so hard on things that I’m able to do, but I’m not unlocking it,” Antetokunmpo told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “And that’s the next step for me: to unlock things that I’ve worked on this summer and make my game easier.”

Season 10. Let’s gooooooo!! pic.twitter.com/k8W6jZEtPB

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) October 19, 2022

Essentially, the back-to-back MVP has enforced the idea upon himself that no one can guard him effectively. Though it comes off a tad bit disrespectful, who really gets in the way of Antetokounmpo nowadays? The 2021 Finals MVP won his first championship off a ridiculous 50-point game that featured him making 17 made free throws, silencing critics who complained about his accuracy from the line and perceived it to be a weakness of his game.

When you factor in how the 2021 Finals MVP has evolved into an elite physical specimen capable of finesse scoring at times, you understand that the work ethic is there, and it’s resulted in Antetokounmpo becoming the most physically dominant player in the NBA today.

The Greek Freak is entering the early years of his prime as he turns 28-years-old on Dec. 6. Although NBA fans may consider Antetokounmpo the best player in the world, his legacy rides on just how far he’s willing to take the term ‘crazy.’

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Chasing Greatness by Becoming ‘a Little Bit Crazy’ appeared first on SLAM.

At age 21, the Cavaliers coaching staff has noticed the improvement each time around in practice for Mobley, which is what led assistant coach Greg Buckner to expect his young star center’s jersey to be hung up in the rafters when it’s said and done.

“He has the skill level to be a Hall of Famer,” Buckner told cleveland.com. “I tell him, ‘I want to remind you every day that when you get finished with this game, you are going to be a Hall of Famer and if you’re not, you let your body down, you didn’t reach your full potential.”

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In his rookie season, Mobley, along with All-Star Darius Garland, led the Cavs to a 44-38 record, a winning mark they hadn’t been done since LeBron James was in Cleveland in 2018. The 7 footer was scoring effectively last season, averaging 15 points and shooting over 50 percent from the field. Still, head coach J.B Bickerstaff sees Mobley reliability on other areas of the floor.

“He has the ability to be a superstar without being the leading scorer,” said Bickerstaff. “…Very few superstars, which he’s going to work his way to be, can be that type of player without dominating the ball on the offensive end of the floor. We believe he has the ability, and we’ll get there.”

Mobley, who was All-Rookie First Team last season, even had the chance to train with Kevin Durant this summer.

“This offseason when I got in the gym, I was really focused on what I needed to work on for the upcoming season,” Mobley said. “Every single rep was very intentional…He [Durant] would go at me, and I would go at him. We were just working on our games. He told me that he liked my game. It challenges you.”

With superstar Donovan Mitchell coming over to the Land, high expectations ride the shoes of Mobley and Garland to keep the same level of play they had last season. If Mobley is any better than he was last season, they’ll likely be the team to beat in the East.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Cavaliers Coaching Staff See Hall of Fame Potential in Evan Mobley appeared first on SLAM.

Scratching that championship quest was the Golden State Warriors, who came back down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder. A stunning turn of events in the series led to Durant departing from Oklahoma City, to join that same Dubs squad.

Forming a Big 4 in San Francisco with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Durant dealt with his own criticism when he made the move. Now, KD has shared his thoughts on the negativity surrounding his former teammate for Westbrook’s recent play with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The dialog around our game is just so toxic at this point,” said Durant on the ETCs podcast. “I get criticism [on the court] but it’s starting to turn into something else now.”

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At age 33, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, the third lowest average in his career. While the Lakers’ performance last season wasn’t entirely on Westbrook, critics (and haters on the internet) have placed a lot of the blame on him.

“When you’re playing alongside the biggest figure in L.A in LeBron James everything you do is gonna be magnified,” said Durant. “…If people don’t trust that your team is gonna be good…you have to be on point every time.”

Both Westbrook and Durant, as of now, have remained with their respective team’s of last season, but the expectations they are assumed to bring to the table remain.

Photo via Getty Images.

The post Kevin Durant on Criticism Towards Russell Westbrook: ‘Dialog Around Our Game is Just so Toxic’ appeared first on SLAM.

After back-to-back disappointing seasons since their championship win in the 2020 NBA Bubble, the Lakers aren’t considered title favorites for this upcoming season. Reasons for it include an aging LeBron James, key talents being injury prone, and the distraction around Russell Westbrook and his play.

The list goes on, but Davis believes it comes down to the trust of each individual to perform at a high level.

“We just go out there and play basketball and perform, but it’s also the truth,” said Davis when talking about the criticism towards the team. “I mean, no one has us winning it this year besides us in this organization.”

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Last season, Davis played 40 games averaging 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. His play wasn’t much of a factor, as the Lakers had a 17-23 record with him in the lineup. The numbers may look impressive for Davis, but the durability must be there to win his second championship in three years.

New additions like Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV should improve the offensive and defensive load if either of the Lakers stars goes down. Davis is confident Beverly, Walker IV, and other team members are satisfied with their roles and will do whatever it takes to succeed and help the Lakers make a deep playoff run.

“We feel like we’re the underdogs,” Davis said. “And I think everybody on this team has something to prove. I feel like everyone on this team has a chip on their shoulder and is going to come out ready to play this season.”

The Lake Show starts a new season away from home against the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, a game that could determine how well the team has improved through the off-season.

The post Anthony Davis Confident in ‘Underdog’ Lakers Heading into New Season appeared first on SLAM.

The journey of an 82-game NBA season always has storylines and developing factors that can create a remarkable year. In Wall’s case, one of the highlights he expects from this upcoming season is his return to Washington, D.C.

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Wall was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft for the Washington Wizards, and after nine years with the team, he is expecting a standing ovation when he crosses the country to play against his former squad.

“I never had the opportunity to be back to play in front of [Wizards] fans,” Wall said. “So, hopefully, I’ll get that big standing ovation that I think I deserve.”

Wall believes he’s a candidate for the ovation because of his five All-Star seasons with the Wizards and his leading the team to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2014-2018. Wizards fans saw Wall at his best during the 2017 playoffs when he averaged 27.2 points, 10.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He hit a game-winner in Game 6 of the Wizards’ second-round series against the Celtics, but Washington’s season ended after losing Game 7.

The 32-year-old hopes to play a full season since his ruptured Achilles in 2019 had kept him away from the game for nearly two years. If he does stay healthy, Wall can fulfill his wishes of playing Washington as an opponent for the first time on Dec. 10, a game that will feature deep emotion and gratitude from both sides. At the end of the day, it’ll be great to relive some of his favorite career moments in the city that first adopted him.

“My ultimate goal was trying to bring a championship there,” said Wall. “everything I gave to that city, from playing through my injuries, giving back to the community, it felt like a second home to me.”

Houston will play in Washington on Dec. 10.

The post John Wall Hopeful For A ‘Big Standing Ovation’ From Wizards Fans appeared first on SLAM.

The former All-Star went viral on social media for a fadeaway airball he took at the Nets’ “Practice in the Park” in Brooklyn. Simmons had some displeased words for the audience of that video and took a jab at an NBA superstar that has also struggled to shoot in the previous years.

“They’re going to say that regardless,” said Simmons on fans’ criticism of his shooting. “Even if I hit a shot, what are they going to say? ‘I still can’t —That’s like saying can, Giannis [Antetokounmpo] shoot? Can he?”

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Simmons didn’t play for the 76ers with mental health issues, and a back injury prevented him from playing with Brooklyn last season. He ultimately received back surgery to fix the “lower spine irritation” he was experiencing. Simmons missed Brooklyn’s first-round loss to the Celtics due to that back injury and reportedly received some backlash from his teammates about his unavailability.

In the wake of all the criticism he’s had to deal with, Simmons fired back that all the backlash “comes with being Ben Simmons right now.”

“It finds me all the time,” Simmons said. “And it doesn’t f—ing stop. Sometimes I’m even sick of it, but then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m Ben Simmons, you know? It comes with being Ben Simmons right now.’

In a recent preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Simmons held Giannis Antetokounmpo to 6-21 shooting from the field, showing his defensive abilities are still at the top of the rest of the League. In addition, Coach Steve Nash has made it clear that no matter the position Simmons plays, he’ll settle for whatever jump shot he takes.

Through all the controversy surrounding his name, Simmons is more than confident to be a better version of himself from previous years and is siked to take on one of his biggest challenges this season, play at Wells Fargo Arena against his former Sixers squad.

“F— I can’t wait to go there,” said Simmons.

The post Ben Simmons Responds to Recent Media Criticism About His Jump Shot appeared first on SLAM.

Curry, arguably the greatest shooter of all time, has four titles under his name with a Finals MVP to back up his coveted career. The Warriors superstar believes there’s another teammate who was playing for the legacy he has submitted in Golden State.

In a recent interview with NBC Sports’ Kerith Burke, Curry remarks on the legacy of his longtime teammate, Andre Igoudala, who he believes was a significant contributor to the Warriors’ four titles and is a sure shot at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Absolutely, I didn’t know that was much of a debate,” said Curry on Igoudala being labeled a Hall of Famer. “He’s kind of the mature vet that’s still putting up solid numbers but impacting winning at a level that is a difference maker.”

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Igoudala’s four championships with the Warriors may be underestimated by playing with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry through the years. However, his defensive tenacity in the 2015 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off Golden States’ illustrious dynasty.

Igoudala scored 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game and won the 2015 Finals MVP. In that series, Curry and Thompson averaged 34.2 percent shooting from their three-point distance, but Igoudala’s heroics kept James shooting at 38.1 percent from the field when guarded by him.

Iggy is now in the later stages of his career. He rejoined the Dubs over the summer and averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during the regular-season. When it came down to the postseason, Coach Steve Kerr trusted the 38-year-old to play during the 2022 Finals. Iggy rewarded that trust by posting seven points and three assists during Game 1 and played spot duty the rest of the Finals as a 3-and-D wing.

“I hope there’s a keen eye part of just watching his career unfold,” said Curry. “Seeing the different iterations of himself that impact winning, that’s what it should be about.”

Igoudala enters his 19th season in the League, more importantly, his last go at defending a championship for the Warriors. The farewell tour starts against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Chase Center.

The post Stephen Curry Believes Andre Iguodala is ‘Absolutely’ An Hall of Famer appeared first on SLAM.

Of course, 15 seasons of professional basketball can take a toll on anyone’s body, and Dragić hinted that the 2022-23 campaign could be his last year at it.

“It’s a lot of mileage that’s on my body,” Dragić per Sports Illustrated. “After every NBA season, I play for my national team for 12, 13 years. In those years, I didn’t have a break. Now, it’s a little bit different. But I’m still here. I’m still enjoying basketball. That’s the most important thing.”

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Dragić made a name for himself as a member of the Phoenix Suns. His breakout season came during the 2013-2014 season when he averaged 20.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 50.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. Dragic capped off that tough season by winning the 2014 Most Improved Player award and an All-NBA third-team selection.

That same year, Dragić struck big in free agency after signing a five-year $90 million deal with the Miami Heat to play with all-time great Dwyane Wade. He’d spend the next seven years in Miami, where he would be selected as an All-Star in 2018 and was the starting point guard for the 2020 Heat team that made the NBA Finals after beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.

“I never thought I was going to be in the League for 15 years,” said Dragić. “But I always worked hard. I always tried to be better the next season. I feel like because of that; I’m still here.”

If the Dragon retires after this season, he will start his farewell tour against his old Miami Heat team on October 19 at FTX Arena.

The post Goran Dragić Contemplating Retirement Heading into 15th Season appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons was shipped from the Philadelphia 76ers to Brooklyn at the trade deadline of last season for James Harden. The basketball world erupted as the big 3 of Harden, Irving, and Durant couldn’t bring the Nets their first championship in franchise history.

When Simmons rolled into town, high expectations were still set on the Nets, and eyes laid on him to make a significant impact defensively. His back-to-back All-Defensive team selections and a fifth-place finish in steals (1.6) for the 2020-2021 season produced a case for it.

However, the Nets got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, and Simmons did not play a single game last season, leading to a rash of media backlash and rumors of their superstar players leaving over the summer. The team is still intact now, and Coach Steve Nash believes ‘patience’ will bring Simmons back into the All-star play he had in Philadelphia.

“He (Simmons) is an incredibly talented and unique player,” said Nash. “But he’s not going to be at his best in the short term, and he’s just got to continue to slog through this period of returning to play and getting his confidence, timing and rhythm back.”

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That ‘best’ as Nash mentions, won’t require much scoring from Simmons. The Nets seem to be hopeful that the elite scoring of Durant and Irving would alleviate the pressure off Simmons from shooting jump shots, but Durant would like to see Simmons take as many shots to not only find a shooting stroke but also regain that confidence around the rim.

“Just trust in him. Pass him the ball when he’s open,” said Durant. “When Ben is aggressive and gets downhill and looks for everybody and then puts the ball in the rim, it’s going to be a plus for our team.”

Nash may preach how patience will tell the story of Simmons’ start in Brooklyn, but if Simmons still struggles to shoot, Nash already has a backup plan to remain a top-tier team in the East.

Simmons has been linked to the possibility of playing center this season, which would be an upgrade to the squad considering the position is getting smaller across the League and requires much more skills than rebounding. Simmons would indeed find success throughout the season because of his playmaking and defensive intangibles, but it’ll be up to Nash to make Simmons an effective scorer that’ll once again submit the team as title favorites.

The post Steve Nash Reveals Plan to Help Ben Simmons Back to All-Star Form appeared first on SLAM.

The second-year man had the opportunity to fill in a roster spot last season, but he suffered a similar injury to the one he’s dealing with now. Although Garrett’s chances of filling the Heat roster spot have slimmed, Coach Erik Spoelstra offered an optimistic outlook to Garrett for when his time will come.

“This is the journey for young players sometimes,” said Spoelstra. “Sometimes you just can’t predict it. Sometimes it doesn’t go how you want it to. But he has that perseverance and grit to get healthy and get back at it.”

As demoralizing as the injury is, Spoelstra doesn’t rule out the possibility of Garrett making the roster. He, and small forward Jamal Cain, have put in extensive hours during practice and proved their worth on the court, making effort plays.

Recent Undrafted players for the Heat, like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent, had made their impact offensively when the team needed it most. In Garrett’s case, his defensive tenacity during the Summer League put Miami’s front office on notice, leading to his second two-way deal with the South Beach franchise.

“We’re all here getting at it every day,” says Jimmy Butler on the significance of pre-season games. “Whenever you get in the game, I think that’s the easy part. You just need to maintain your conditioning and then make sure you’re in a rhythm.”

Garrett may not be involved in the rotation or even be on the roster to start the season, but his determination has earned the locker room’s respect, and he now presents himself as a ‘Next Man Up’ target.

The Heat opens its 2022-2023 season at FTX Arena against their Eastern Conference rivals, the Chicago Bulls.

The post Marcus Garrett Set to Miss Final Preseason Stretch After Suffering a Wrist Fracture appeared first on SLAM.

The loss in the opening round turned out to provide optimism to Pelicans fans on their future as they won two games without their star player Zion Williamson.

Would not be denied pic.twitter.com/OR7fvLcBFx

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 8, 2022

Williamson hasn’t stepped on the court since May 4, 2021, due to a broken right foot suffered while working out in the off-season. Missing all of last season due to the injury, Williamson will now return on Oct. 19 against the Brooklyn Nets, aiming to make a statement for all the chatters that labeled him a ‘bust.’

“I was in dark places at times,” said Williamson on his recovery. ” — just seeing how the world reacted? — It did a lot on my spirit.”

Zion Williamson plays another game of basketball tonight #Pelicans | @zionwilliamson pic.twitter.com/3diD8J7ntB

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 9, 2022

The 2019 first-overall pick showcased all of his raw athleticism at Duke University. However, a slew of injuries has grounded his ascent to superstardom in the League. Since 2019, Williamson has played 85 games with the Pelicans. For a four-year player, his unavailability has been a source of frustration, but when he’s been on the court, Williamsons’ greatness can’t be denied.

Williamson’s averaged 27.0 points while shooting 61.1 percent from the field with an impressive 125.3 offensive rating.

“They’re gonna see that my game has evolved,” said Williamson. “I’m gonna show the world things that I’ve had in my arsenal that I didn’t show before.”

Zion for 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/M3hAKkUMw7

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 10, 2022

The Pelicans have high hopes for the dynamic duo of all-star Brandon Ingram and Williamson. Though he hasn’t played a game in over a year, Williamson is hopeful that his weight loss and a new bag of tricks will bring the Pelicans its first championship in franchise history.

“One of the main goals was to get Zion back to the same athletic ability he had before the injury,” said Williamson’s strengths and conditioning coach Jasper Bibbs. “In the process, he’s improved athletically. I truly think he’s a better athlete now than he was before. Once you guys see him on the court, I think you’ll agree.”

The post Zion Williamson Ready to Show NBA World How Much ‘My Game Has Evolved’ appeared first on SLAM.

“It’d probably be disrespectful to say it,” O’Neal told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “But I would like to go back home. I’ll leave that to the viewers to figure out [what it means]. I would like to go back home.”

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Home can mean many places for O’Neal as he played for six NBA franchises, played college basketball at LSU, and was born in Newark, NJ. O’Neal’s first professional “home” was with the Orlando Magic, where he was selected number one overall in the 1992 NBA Draft. He established himself in just four seasons averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.

O’Neal and his crew brought the Magic to its first NBA Finals appearance in 1995 but couldn’t get it done against Hakeem Olajuwon’s back-to-back Finals-winning Houston Rockets. Nonetheless, the city of Orlando could still have great respect for their best center of all time, and the fans could settle on him taking over the organization.

O’Neal’s next ‘home’ is where many saw him become the legendary figure he is in the history of basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal won multiple championships in Los Angeles with the late-great Kobe Bryant. The pair blossomed into the most dominant duo of their time, and in the 1999-2000 season, O’Neal won his first season MVP award.

The history of the Lakers would undoubtedly be held in good hands with O’Neal at the helm, but that won’t happen any time soon.

A final team to note as one of Shaquille O’Neal’s ownership probabilities is the Phoenix Suns. Though his time in the desert wasn’t the highlight of his career, he still showed what he had in the late stage of his career — making an All-Star appearance in 2009 and averaging 17.8 points as a 37-year-old.

The Suns have been under media scrutiny recently after team owner Robert Sarver was suspended a year after an independent investigation found he helped foster a toxic workplace culture based on racist and misogynistic behavior. Sarver recently revealed he was planning on putting up the Suns and Mercury for sale due to the investigation.

O’Neal has his options, but for now, he can give back to the community and continue investing in the several businesses he owns. No franchise is a long shot for the four-time champion, but an ownership decision may come sooner than expected.

The post Shaquille O’Neal Talks Buying an NBA Team: ‘I Want to Go Back Home’ appeared first on SLAM.

“So, I just wanted to go relax. Long season, clearly,” Tatum said in an interview with Andscape. “Enjoy some time with my son and the family. Get away from it. The Finals were so fresh in my mind.

And every time we walked out the room, somebody saw me and said, ‘Oh, man, we wish you would’ve … ’ ‘Good luck next year.’ And that’s even said to this day. But it was just three or four days afterwards, so it was really fresh.”

Two seasons after being eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat in 2020, the Celtics came back this past season to win a pivotal Game 7 in Miami to clinch their first NBA Finals berth since 2010.

“It was just a learning experience, learning a lesson,” he added. “Maybe do some things differently next time if you get to that point. Obviously, it’s tough to learn a lesson that way, but it is what it is …It just fuels you. Motivates you to get back to that point.”

While Tatum has using the moment as “fuel,” his all-around game is enough to catch the attention of even his own competitors. Four-time NBA champion and Warriors forward Draymond Green recently called JT the ‘Young GOAT.’

“Resiliency allows teams to show their true characters,” said Green on The Draymond Green Show. “We’ll get to see the true character of the Boston Celtics led by none other than the young GOAT, young next greatest Jayson Tatum.”

The post Jayson Tatum Reveals How He’s Processed NBA Finals Loss Against Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

In a recent press conference, RJ Barrett shared why he feels the Knicks are ‘disrespected’ across the League.

“Besides the fans, which we do have a lot of fans, everybody else really doesn’t like us,” Barrett said, per the New York Post. “…But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Barrett responds to today’s GM Survey release that features predictions on who will be the next superstar and where teams will rank.

“I’ve gotten respect, but at the same time, there’s also a lot of disrespect. But that’s fine. All the guys that they want to put in front of me or whatever, I’m in their heads, so it doesn’t really matter.”

His recent extension signing with the Knicks keeps him in the squad for another four years, and it looked to be an easy decision for him, as he claims he just wanted to ‘lock in’ the deal and remain in New York.

A promising season is ahead for the team as newly acquired Jalen Brunson looks to make a productive run at point with Evan Fournier as his companion in the backcourt. Meanwhile, Barrett and Julius Randle will hold down the forward slots with a lot riding on how the team will perform this season.

The post RJ Barrett Shares Why He Thinks There’s ‘Disrespect’ Towards the Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

As the game continues to evolve, superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo are now mentioned in the conversation as greats. The NBA champion and Finals MVP recently shared his thoughts on what it takes to make waves in the League.

“It takes more than skills to be great,” said Antetokounmpo in an interview with SiriusXM Radio. “…But the thing that makes me a step further…is the obsession and the discipline I have towards the game.”

The Greek Freak’s resume includes winning the Most Improved Player award in 2017, which jumpstarted a long list of All-NBA teams as well as a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, a back-to-back Most Valuable Player award from 2019-2020 and an NBA title to go along with a Finals MVP award in 2021.

For him, greatness goes beyond just one’s skillset—and he uses James as an example of how he’s not only dominated throughout his career, but has been consistent.

“You think about LeBron [James] you think about consistency,” said Anteteokounmpo as his example. “He’s been great for 20 years… it’s about getting better, obsession… it’s not just skills.”

It’s that commitment that has made James, and Antetokounmpo, superstars that are continuing to make waves today. Anteteokounmpo continues his pursuit of greatness with the Bucks on Oct. 20 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Believes It Takes More Than Skills to Make the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

“Me, and I give Draymond [Green] and probably Giannis [Antetokounmpo],” said Adebayo when naming players that can defend the best players at each position to NBA writer Couper Moorhead. “Three guys who can literally guard 1-through-5 and be effective.”

The Heat used Adebayo to matchup against superstar scorers such as Atlanta Hawks‘ Trae Young and Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid in their playoff meetings last season. Young shot 31.9 percent from the field and 18.4 percent from beyond the arc, netting an average of 15.4 points a game, while Embiid was 11 of 29 shooting when guarded by Adebayo during the games he appeared in.

“I’m going to always go for the award,” said Adebayo on the Defensive Player of the Year award. “I’m never going to give up on anything that I set my mind to. It’s set in stone.”

Nonetheless, his three-peat in the All-NBA Defensive Second Team speaks for his case and for how far the Heat get every season is in part to his play against the League’s best scorers. As he enters Year 6 of his career, it’s clear that Adebayo is ready to take his defensive talents to all-time great heights as the Heat look to bring a title to South Beach.

The post Bam Adebayo Lists His Top 3 Players That He Believes are ‘Effective’ at Defending Every Position appeared first on SLAM.

Heading into training camp, Mitchell has challenged himself to be a leader defensively, acknowledging that his biggest weakness has been on the less glamorous side of the court, and the only way this team reaches its destiny is with him committing to be an elite two-way backcourt.

“I can play defense. I know that for a fact,” Mitchell said confidently, per Cavaliers Nation. “I haven’t shown that, and that is what I’m looking forward to doing here.”

The three-time All-Star will be holding down the backcourt with rising young talent, Darius Garland. His play last year with the Cavs earned him his first All-Star selection, and it came by way of his elite playmaking and scoring and his swiper instincts defensively, averaging 1.3 steals a game during the regular season. Though the Cavs didn’t make the playoffs, this upcoming season’s hopes are much higher than simply making the playoffs.

Mitchell may have averaged 1.5 steals a game in his final season with the Utah Jazz, but it didn’t mitigate any narrative that Mitchell will commit to playing defense.

If the Louisville product does decide to play hard on the defensive side, it could elevate him into the top 10 player conversation around the League. Defense wins championships, and the Cavaliers roster knows that Evan Mobley can defend well in the paint; it’s just up to Mitchell to provide that spark against an East packed with dangerous guards.

He’ll start with the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 19 in Scotiabank Arena.

The post Donovan Mitchell Knows ‘for A Fact’ He Can ‘Play Defense’ appeared first on SLAM.

“I love playing the 5,” said Simmons. “I don’t mind.”

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Simmons has been one of the more controversial players in the League over the past year. In his six years with the Philadelphia 76ers, The three-time All-Star showed promise to be an elite two-way player. Defensively he had shown his capabilities, like in 2020 when he led the League in steals with 2.1 a game and a career defensive rating average of 105.3, better than LeBron James (103.8) and multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert (103.5).

The struggle for Simmons has been at the offensive end, especially in big moments. The Sixers formed the duo of Simmons and Joel Embiid in hopes of achieving multiple championships with their all-around talent. While Embiid has seemed to improve in every facet, Simmons was scrutinized for not taking jump shots and a lack of aggression at times.

With misses at the line and outside of 15 feet from the basket, teams like the 2019 Toronto Raptors and the 2021 Atlanta Hawks would figure out a way to take Simmons out of the equation. Though the series went to seven games in each series, Simmons looked out of sync offensively that he’d pass up open layups.

Fast forward to the 2022 trade deadline, Simmons was traded to the Nets, with Brooklyn hoping the transaction would lead to the Nets winning a championship with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. A back injury season kept him sidelined for the rest of the year and resulted in an early playoff exit for the Nets.

Doubts raised through the roof, but Coach Steve Nash managed to keep his core together and has even made promises to improvise the offense around Simmons, letting it be known that he doesn’t care if Simmons “ever shoots a jump shot.”

Simmons may have the defensive prowess to play the five, but the team looks to implement an offense that makes him valuable, even if that means he takes more shots from the perimeter.

The post Ben Simmons Doesn’t Mind Playing New Position: ‘I Love Playing the 5’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Suns brought back Ayton by matching his agreement on a massive contract with the Indiana Pacers this past summer. The deal made him the third highest-paid center at 30 million dollars, behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. The Suns were hesitant to extend their 2018 first-overall pick last summer because they reportedly believed they could get a similar player at a better price.

Although the Suns and Ayton agreed on a massive deal, Ayton seemed aloof to the teams’ commitment to him. When reporters asked him about the deal, he said, “I’m here,” When he was asked if he was happy in Phoenix, Ayton added, “I’m alright.” Ayton also revealed that he hasn’t spoken with Coach Monty Williams since he was benched in Game 7 of their semifinal series against the Dallas Mavericks for “internal reasons.”

“I haven’t spoken to Monty,” Ayton said definitively. “I haven’t spoken to him at all. Ever since the game.”

When Ayton was asked what he would say to Williams, he said the following.

“I can show him better than I could tell him,” Ayton said.

Asked if he’s happy here in Phoenix, DA said “Yeah, I’m all right.”

Asked what he’d want to say to Monty, he replied, “I can show him better than I can tell him.”

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) September 27, 2022

When Williams was asked about what the apparently disgruntled Ayton said, the reigning Coach of the Year said he hasn’t spoken to a lot of guys over the summer.

“As I said earlier this summer, they needed a break from me, the gym,” Williams said. “Unless you are in the gym, like every day I’ve had interactions with everybody but talking to guys about deep stuff, there’s a number of guys I haven’t talked to. I think when you’ve been around our group as much as we have the last three years with (the) first year, the bubble, condensed seasons, I felt like guys needed a break; even when guys were in the gym, I wouldn’t come downstairs just cause I wanted them to get a break from me.”

“I haven’t talked to a lot of guys.”

Monty Williams addressing Deandre Ayton saying the two haven’t talked since Game 7. #Suns pic.twitter.com/hDSFVuRAiK

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 27, 2022

In the 58 games he played last season, Ayon averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on 63.4 percent shooting from the field.

Ayton and Williams will have a chance to hash out any problems they have as training camp rolls along. Their harmony will help determine the success of the franchise this season.

The post DeAndre Ayton Reveals He and Coach Monty Williams Haven’t Spoken Since Game 7 appeared first on SLAM.

This team looked destined for glory once more.

However, in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 14, Ball would suffer a catastrophic injury to his left knee that would keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2021-2022 NBA season.

Concerning news for Bulls fans came from Ball himself as he made it clear his injury still bothers him, and it may be possible he’ll be sidelined to start the season. Ball told reporters he is unable to run or jump as of yet, and it’ll be up to his arthroscopic debridement on Sept. 28 that will determine whether he’s eligible to play.

“This is something I’ve never dealt with,” Ball said. “Even the doctors are surprised a little bit.”

Ball’s contribution is a must-have in order to find success for this Bulls team. Doubts will continue to rise if Ball is unable to return, but proper conditioning may see him reach his elite status once more.

“That’d be the worst-case scenario,” said Ball when asked if there’s a possibility he’ll miss this entire upcoming season. “I’m at a point now where I can’t get back out there until I’m comfortable playing and can actually play. When that day comes, I’ll have the jersey back on.”

The post ‘Even the Doctors Are Surprised a Little’ About Lonzo Ball’s Nagging Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Haslem entered the League in 2003 as an undrafted rookie out of Florida. With all-time great Dwyane Wade, the pair won an NBA Championship in just their third season with the Heat after defeating the star-studded Dallas Mavericks squad. Haslem would make another 17 years of unforgettable memories for the Heat.

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UD was part of the back-to-back championship roster for the Heat from 2012-2013. Haslem started in 59 games in 2013 and proved his vocal leadership from the forward slot would end up making one of the Heat’s best defensive lineups in League history. He still shows that leadership on the bench as he constantly directs where a Heat defender should be on plays. Of course, it worked, as the Heat were one of the best defensive teams last season.

That stout defense had its moments, like when Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra got into a heated argument over a defensive possession. Haslem broke up this matter; and assured the team and press that he wouldn’t condone Butler’s behavior by yelling “I’ll whoop your a–” towards the six-time All-Star.

Udonis Haslem addresses what he says is the beginning of his “The Last Ride.“ pic.twitter.com/qA7OxZSeyC

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) September 27, 2022

Fans thought the team was falling apart, but it was only a wake-up call to get back into their winning ways. Butler would then lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they would end up a Game 7 victory short of playing in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.

“Got one more in me for Pop,” said Haslem per Heat Nation. “Got one more in me for the city. Got one more in me for the team.”

The Heat forward dedicates his last season to his late father, Johnnie Haslem, who passed away in August 2021. The UD farewell tour starts Oct. 19 against the Chicago Bulls. A lot of emotion heads into this season, but the best thing Haslem and the Heat can do is bring a fourth banner to the 305 and write off Haslem with a legendary career.

The post Udonis Haslem Announces His 20th Season Will be His ‘Last Ride’ appeared first on SLAM.

He starts by announcing Evan Fournier as a ‘front-runner’ to be a starter for a second straight season.

The team announced their training camp roster on Tuesday, appearing to be a substantial variety of guard play. Many speculated that the team would look to aim for a younger backcourt to pair up with Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett. Names like Quentin Grimes, their first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, showed a glimpse of becoming a shooting phenom last season as he dropped seven three-pointers on the Milwaukee Bucks last December.

However, his play was not as impressive to coach Thibodeau as he did finish with a season average of just 6.1 points. Though he may love his young guns, Fournier’s veteran experience and leadership ability may take this team into contention in the East.

“With Jalen, with RJ, with Julius (Randle), we need shooting (at shooting guard),” Thibodeau said.

Fournier averaged 14.1 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent from downtown. He made a career-high 241 made threes (fourth best in the League). Fournier plays alongside a quality young talent for the Knick faithful, and Thibodeau seems to believe Fournier can expand his game beyond shooting.

The post Tom Thibodeau Calls Evan Fournier a ‘Front-Runner’ to Start For the Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

Ball also signed a training camp deal with the Pistons in 2020. Detroit ultimately waived Ball before he could play in the preseason due to an ankle injury. This left older brothers Lonzo Ball and Lamelo Ball in the League.

The trio is widely known for their impressive play at Chino Hills High School, where each of the brothers put up unguardable numbers. Liangelo Ball had out-of-this-world performances, which has kept their father, LaVar Ball thinking he’s the best out of the three. As everyone knows, LaVar is one of the more popular voices in basketball, and he proves so in an interview back in 2020, stating:

“Everybody’s trying to create the Big Three. They’ve been the Big Three since they’ve been babies. And people are telling me, ‘Man, you know the odds of all three of your boys being on the same team?’ and I say, ‘Yeah, probably the same odds of me coming into the NBA with my own brand.”

The middle child once scored 72 points in a single game, just a day after getting 56. Later that month, he dropped 65 points as well, leaving his mark as one of the best high school performances in a single month of all time.

LiAngelo Ball has had a tough slate of reaching the pros, but his career is still young, and he has an opportunity to prove to basketball fans he is that scoring phenom out of his three brothers.

The post LiAngelo Ball Signs One-Year Deal With Charlotte, Joining Brother LaMelo Ball appeared first on SLAM.

“I feel like I’m at my best right now — Moving faster, jumping higher. I feel great.”

The first overall pick of the 2019 Draft appeared at Media Day to remind everyone just how special basketball is to him; and the matter of transforming his body. Williamson broke down how he has been able to keep his body at a satisfactory level for him on Monday.

“I’ve learned a lot from a nutrition standpoint… how long I need to be in the gym and the most efficient way to work out.

Williamson has only played in 85 games for the Pelicans in his four-year career, but his dominance from his days at Duke University still transferred to the pros.

Williamson averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in the 22 games he played during his rookie season. The following year showed many why he went number one in the 2019 Draft, increasing his points per game average to 27 while also adding 7.2 boards and 3.7 assists. In both seasons, he was taking smart and efficient shots jumping from 58.3 percent shooting in 2019 to 61.1 percent shooting from the field in 2020.

“I found true resolve within the game of basketball. Something mentally in me shifted; the game of basketball is it for me. It’s my love. It’s what I want to do.”

Hearing words like the ones Williamson used at Media Day is certainly encouraging for the city of New Orleans. However, with that comes high expectations, and Williamson should be expected to prioritize being that potent, freakish athletic scorer the Pelicans took their chances on. With Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and several key players at their position, the team adding back their superstar player with a killer mindset can reach high destinations.

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One of the NBA’s most elite dynasties, the Golden State Warriors, has reached the top of the mountain once more. With the brilliant play of Stephen Curry and company, the franchise has won four championships in a 7-year span. It’s quite remarkable, to say the least, but it all starts with one of the veteran pieces that keep the locker room in check and comes up big on the biggest stage.

The 38 year old Andre Igoudala may not be the pivotal factor to decide a championship series, but there’s something about his presence in the locker room that leads to success. It’s not just with the Warriors too, Igoudala took part in the Miami Heat‘s incredible 5th seeded run to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Bubble. His high IQ on defense was a major contributor to the Heat’s success, but the team ultimately fell to the LeBron James led Los Angeles Lakers.

The matchup between him and LeBron James is always considered one of the more unexpected rivalries in League history. However, in 2015 with the Cavaliers up 2-1 in the NBA Finals, Igoudala stepped up to attribute 16.3 points a game with 5.8 rebounds and 4 boards. What carved his name into the Bill Russell Finals MVP award, was his teriffic defense on a LeBron James who’d been dominating all post-season long.

“I’m letting you know now Steph,” said Igoudala. “This the last one.”

Though the Warriors haven’t come to terms with a deal for Igoudala, it seems clear he’s comitted to signing a veternan minimum deal. If so, Igoudala will play his final season, in a quest with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green at their fifth ring.

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The procedure looks to remove the broken down cartilage and tissues that would help him get back to form. The Bulls announced Ball’s surgery nine days after multiple reports stated he would miss the beginning of the season due to injury. Chicago will further evaluate him in 4-6 weeks to see if there’s any progress.

Ball has dealt with several nagging injuries since his arrival to the League, but none look more complicated than this one on his left knee. On Jan. 20, the Bulls’ starting point guard was found to have a bone bruise and small meniscus tear on his left knee after a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors, resulting in the surgery he had during last season.

Chicago had hoped that Ball would be able to make progress in the four-month span between his diagnosis and the playoffs. However, Ball struggled to put weight on the knee, resulting in extra rehabilitation and a season-ending announcement before the series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The gentleman’s sweep in favor of Milwaukee led to many headlines around Chicago as to what could have happened if the Bulls could’ve deployed Ball’s elite playmaking and defending. He questioned that himself as well and knew that his play would generate at least some good end to the Bulls, as he said in a press conference.

“Every time you watch the game, you feel like you can leave an impact on the game. I feel like my shooting could’ve for sure helped. And also obviously defensively versus the guys they have on the other side that are All-Stars.”

When Ball’s recovery timeline is up, the Bulls and their medical staff will determine the best course of action. Before he was injured, Chicago was a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference, without him they finished with the sixth-best record in the East.

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1. A’ja Wilson Pulls Out An All-Time Championship Shirt

The two-time league MVP and now world champion, A’ja Wilson let the public know how she planned on celebrating the victory. She asked in the press conference after the game if fans can take four shots in honor of the Game 4 win. The shirt resembles the early history she has implemented in the league as well as the party-hard characteristic she possesses.

2. The Introduction To The Best Trio

Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson added the spark the team needed to get to this success all season long. Crediting each other’s accomplishments, each of them individually got creative with their dance moves when brought to the podium.

3. Dearica Hamby Announces Baby No. 2 On The Way

Dearica Hamby announced in the parade that her second child will be on the way moments after winning a championship. This pregnancy will leave a special memory to the Aces organization as Hamby still managed to play throughout the four-game series.

4. Owner Mark Davis Embraces The Accomplishment Done By The Aces

Las Vegas Raiders and Aces owner Mark Davis took the stage to congratulate the women that brought home Sin City’s first professional title. Davis was part of the celebration the night they won it all and includes the fans as a big part of this journey.

5. “This is only the beginning”— Kelsey Plum

Once it was Kelsey Plum’s turn to give a speech at the podium, she didn’t hesitate to announce what this victory does for years to come. Claiming they are ‘just getting started’ is quite the confidence coming out of the superstar and all of Las Vegas, but it proves their focus is now to defend their reign.

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Sarver was caught using several offensive languages around his respected organizations. With reports coming out stating he used the ‘N-Word’ frequently, as well as misogynistic comments, Draymond Green opened up about how this makes a representation of the NBA.

“That’s bulls–t. You can’t continue to represent way more people than yourself with those views,” said Green. “With speaking to people the way he did, with treating African Americans and women the way he has. That’s not OK.”

The NBA has been able to address racial justice matters pretty seriously; however, this recent polemic on behalf of Sarver has the basketball community believing he should be removed from his position and banned for life.

The support of the Black Lives Matter movement since 2020, and the termination of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling back in 2015 make this case look rather simple for League commissioner Adam Silver. However, he ponders the idea that removing the rights to Sarver’s ownership of the teams is too much to get behind. Essentially, Silver believes the $10 million fine and one-year suspension will serve as a lesson for the inappropriate acts caused by Sarver.

“What it would take to remove that team from his control is a very involved process,” said Silver. “and it’s different than holding a job. It just is. When you actually own a team, it’s just a very different proposition.”

Green called on League governors to vote on Sarver’s position. A vote is required from at least three-quarters of the board to remove him, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Draymond Green continues to shed light on matters that need to be discussed around the League, and his input will certainly re-adjust the decision of Adam Silver.

The post Draymond Green Reacts to Robert Sarver’s Suspension on His Podcast appeared first on SLAM.

Though many believe the acquisition of the former MVP has yielded disastrous results, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green thinks it’s just a matter of time until Westbrook returns to form and contributes to an 18th banner.

“Who wouldn’t ask for Russell Westbrook?” Green said, per the Checc’n In Podcast, after being asked whether he believes LeBron James asked for Westbrook to be traded to the Lakers. “You’d be out of your mind not to ask for Russell Westbrook.”

Westbrook, who is due $47 million this season, has been involved in many trade talks just one year after being sent from the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft from the Lakers. The deal hasn’t worked out thus far, but Green believes the reason for that is because of how on-the-ball dominant each of the three superstars is.

“I 100 percent think the fit is terrible,” said Green. “I don’t think you could talk to Russell Westbrook right now, and Russell Westbrook wouldn’t think the fit is terrible — just, because the fit is terrible, don’t mean you don’t go for it. Because guess what, if you go for it and it works, then you got a championship.”

The star power of the Lakers is undoubtedly one of the best in the League, but the Lakers finished 33-49, 11th in the Western Conference. Many Lakers fans worry Westbrook’s turnover issues and inability to hit shots at the rim will hold back the Lakeshow.

Health issues were also a more significant issue last season. James and Davis missed a significant amount of time sitting on the sidelines last season, missing a combined 68 games without one of them appearing on the court.

Meanwhile, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists last season, per ESPN. Coach Darvin Ham has confirmed that he thinks Westbrook “has a ton left in the tank” and that he has a “wholehearted plan” to utilize Westbrook to the best of his abilities. Davis, James, and Westbrook also chopped it over the phone to reconfirm their commitment to each other as well

Green may be a rival, but he certainly notices the potential this squad has. With former MVPs and defensive player of the year caliber players, the Lakers are expected to make a playoff run this upcoming season, but if all fails again this season, the NBA world will likely call for the Lakeshow to move on from Westbrook and trade him elsewhere.

The post Draymond Green Defends Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook: ‘Who Wouldn’t Ask?’ appeared first on SLAM.

Basketball fans hope he’d be terminated altogether, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes he has ‘no right’ to remove Sarver from his position in ownership of the teams.

“I don’t have the right to take away his team,” said Silver. “I don’t want to rest on that legal point because, of course, there could be a process to take away someone’s team in this League. It’s very involved, and I ultimately made the decision that it didn’t rise to that level. But, to me, the consequences are severe here on Mr. Sarver.”

The NBA has faced racial misconduct amongst ownership in the past, most notably from Donald Sterling, former Los Angeles Clippers owner. The racist comments he made to his mistress on a leaked audio recording forced the NBA to take action and ban Sterling from any NBA events for life. Many feel that Sarver’s comments have been just as bad, if not worse than Sterling’s, and the League is now facing questions about whether or not they are handling ethical guidelines solemnly.

When asked why termination wouldn’t apply to an owner but would to an average employee of the League, Silver said: “What it would take to remove that team from his control is a very involved process, and it’s different than holding a job. It just is. When you actually own a team, it’s just a very different proposition.”

Further investigation of the case revealed that Sarver had been using the N-Word pretty openly and allegedly used it ‘five times’ around the workplace.

Although Sarver has already pledged to take complete accountability and practice ethical values, many fans and leadership across the League will not condone the moral decision to give him a one-year suspension. A suspension of that nature and donations to organizations addressing race and gender-based issues shouldn’t overcome the harassment tolerated by employees in Phoenix. Further action may be in store from Commissioner Silver.

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Mitchell says in his introductory to the Cavs that his deal to the New York Knicks looked done, and maybe, it should have, considering the team’s packages. One of New York’s best offers at Utah’s CEO Danny Ainge was a deal centered around Mitchell for RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and three unprotected first-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

At the start of trade talks in July, New York offered Utah a Donovan Mitchell package including RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Jazz turned down that offer and Robinson signed a $60M extension to stay w/ NY. https://t.co/3eDg2Mf7f1

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2022

The NBA world was shocked to see the Knicks add RJ Barrett to the deal, considering he’s one of their bright young talents, by giving them a 20-piece a night at 22-years-old. The talent Mitchell can be at his peak is off the charts, and the homecoming would’ve seemed fitting to embark on that journey.

“I thought for sure I was going back home; I’m not gonna lie about that,” Mitchell told reporters on Wednesday in his introductory Cavs press conference, per the New York Post. “Who doesn’t want to be home next to their mom?” 

The all-star guard is from Elmsford, NY, a town located in Westchester County. He lived there until his high school days, when he would end up in Canterbury School in Connecticut and Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He left his mark at Louisville, where his play earned him the 13th selection in the 2017 NBA draft.

Mitchell did all he could in Utah, but the pieces to a title just seemed like lost hope. Though he never spoke about where he wanted to play next, it did seem like the Mecca was one of his more intriguing options. Ultimately, Mitchell ends up in Cleveland and will look to team-up with All-Star Darius Garland and promising center Evan Mobley. The three look to form a dangerous Big 3 in the East.

While the homecoming party in New York will have to wait, fans can get a proper show with Mitchell in the Land before he hits free agency in 2025.

The post Donovan Mitchell ‘Thought for Sure’ Jazz Would Trade Him to Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

“Whatever role they want to give me, I’ll be happy to take,” said Reaves when talking to Shams Charania about his possible personal goals going into the 2022-23 season. ” Try to do that to the best of my ability, but (starting), especially as a Laker with the guys that we have, is cool. At the end of the day, I just want to win and accept whatever role they want me to have.”

With the many injuries the Lakers faced last season, it was up to the then 23-year-old undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to spark productivity off the bench. Reaves did that as he finished last season with a scoring average of 7.3 points a game on 45.9 percent shooting from the field, 83.9 percent from the charity stripe, and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Reaves also added some highlights to his play last season, most notably stunning the Dallas Mavericks by hitting an overtime game-winner. He finished with 15 points that night and went 5-6 from downtown, the last attempt being the winning shot. The Laker faithful had just been promised a talented young asset, and the hype around him was real, but he still had to prove he had what it takes to play at the highest level.

“Playing with him [James] is very easy,” said Reaves. “He puts you in the right spots to be successful, and for the team, he orchestrates the whole game — To share the ball and these moments with him is very special to me.”

Reaves has shown James he’s capable of the spotlight; in the season finale against the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets, he dropped 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. The triple-double mounted another overtime win for the Lakers, and although the game had no implications, it definitely showed what Reaves is capable of.

Reaves enters his second year in the League, and with playoff expectations, as always, around the Los Angeles Lakers, he must prove he has the competitive spirit to perform when it matters most. Growing up a Kobe Bryant fan, Reaves has already been influenced by the challenges in the NBA season, especially when wearing the purple and gold. If he earns a starting spot, Reaves has shown he’s capable of meeting the Lakers’ challenge.

The post Austin Reaves Broke Down His Goals for Next Season and What it’s Like Playing with LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

The Miami Heat come off a 53-29 record that earned them first place in a loaded Eastern Conference. Their championship dynamic seemed to have shined all post-season long as they knocked off the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Vincent scored 17 points to go along with three blocks, helping Miami rally to a 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics. Vincent’s production took a slight decline for the next few games as Miami ended up finding themselves down 3-2 in the series.

The back-and-forth bout left for a critical Game 6 in Boston’s roaring TD Garden. Players and fans around the league had already written off the Heat before the pivotal game, as Draymond Green boldly said that the Warriors were prepared to face Boston in the NBA Finals.

The confident statement from Green sparked Jimmy Butler to go off for 47 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists to force a series-deciding Game 7.

The Heat had fought through Game 7, even when trailing by 15 with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It came down to a transition three attempt from the top of the break by Butler that, had he made it, would’ve punched Miami’s ticket back to the NBA Finals. However, the ball went off the rim and landed in the hands of Boston, allowing them to ice the game and have a date with the Warriors.

That miss started the off-season of the Heat, and there were many rumors about everyone not named Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo. PJ Tucker joined the 76ers while Max Strus, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry were linked to trade talks for big-name superstars around the League like Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or now-Cleveland Cavalier Donovan Mitchell.

The summer of rumors had worn off, and the Miami Heat kept most of their pieces together. Miami will be on the short list of Eastern Conference Finals threats that can make it out of the conference and into the Finals.

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Culver was drafted sixth overall by Minnesota in the 2019 NBA draft. As a rookie, his talents looked promising as he averaged 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field. However, Culver ended up falling out of favor after his rookie season, and Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns would be the future of Minnesota.

Minnesota ended up trading Culver to the Memphis Grizzlies for Juancho Hernangomez and Patrick Beverley. The trade ended up helping the TImberwolves make a playoff appearance, while Culver averaged 3.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 37.8 percent from the field.

Although he wasn’t scoring at a high rate, Culver proved himself to be enough of a defensive asset, ranking 25th in the League in defensive rating last season. Atlanta traded for Dejounte Murray to form a dangerous two-way backcourt with Trae Young with the hope of building a young core built around their walking-bucket backcourt and athletic, lengthy wings like Culver.

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