Brickley initially named the runs “BlackOps” because he wanted the workouts and open runs to be discreet. Here, he gives us his breakdown of another year of BlackOps Basketball and his award picks.

The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards

Breakout Season: Paolo Banchero

Photo by @kees2life

This was the fourth summer I worked with Paolo. His energy was laser-focused! We would go 60-75 minutes, and he did every drill at game speed. Coming off his first All-Star season and playoff run, he wanted more. I believe we will see Paolo in many more All-Star Games and many more playoff runs. The Magic will be very good this year.

Best Summer Shooter Award: Klay Thompson

Klay came in this offseason looking like a completely different player. He seemed a step quicker, and he shot incredibly well all summer. He literally broke every shooting record this summer. But, in CJ McCollum’s defense, Klay locked in with me in August/September, while CJ held many records and worked with me in May/June.

Best Middle Schooler I Have Ever Worked With: JJ Crawford

During the workout, JJ’s father (Jamal Crawford), Jordan Clarkson and Boardroom’s Nick DePaula were watching. Ju was hitting NBA three-pointers at a high percentage, picking up the ballhandling drills I was giving him and getting buckets on my interns! The internet always gives the interns a hard time, but they can really defend. After the workout, Jamal and I talked hoops for about an hour, and it was one of my favorite conversations of the summer. Jamal is a true student of the game. I’m calling it now: JJ Crawford will be a top-five pick one day!

Draft Day Award: Matas Buzelis and Tyler Kolek

I believe both of these guys will have long NBA careers. Matas will be a name we see on ESPN’s Top 10 plays many times this season. Tyler Kolek is my sleeper from this past draft. The Knicks got a great playmaker and scorer at No. 34. I think he’ll bring great energy with the second unit.

NCAA Award: lan Jackson

The best thing that happened to Ian Jackson was that to start his senior season, he dropped in the rankings. His entire workout approach changed at that moment, and Ian became a man on the basketball court. He worked out with me five days a week—sometimes twice a day—and went hard! I put him in situations where he played 1-on-1 with NBA players, and he more than held his own—he was wowing everyone in the gym. I can’t wait to see what he does at UNC this season.

High School Award: Kiyan Anthony & Chris Cenac Jr.

I’ve seen Kiyan Anthony develop from a little kid running around MSG to getting buckets in the NBA BlackOps runs. He is constantly texting me, showing his urgency to get in more workouts and keep improving. Chris Cenac played in the Brickley Invitational and shocked me during the workout portion. At 6-10, he can shoot the three, finish around the rim, play in the mid-post and try to dunk on you by the rim. It’s no surprise he’s skyrocketing up the rankings!

Chris Brickley Invitational Award: Tyran Stokes and Jasper Johnson

Tyran Stokes is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2026 for a reason—he’s a matchup nightmare. He can shoot and find his teammates, and his motor is always on 100. Jasper Johnson went crazy in the game, hitting tough shot after tough shot. He really reminds me of D’Angelo Russell. Kentucky is producing high-level prospects right now.

Mentor Award: Russell Westbrook

People can say what they want about Russ, but the reality is he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the Top 75 NBA players of all time. This was the second offseason in a row where he took the time to mentor a younger player. Last summer, it was Azzi Fudd from UConn, and this summer it was New Jersey legend Isaiah Briscoe. Russ invited Briscoe to a few of his 6 a.m. workouts and shared some gems. Russ and I have developed a genuine relationship over the years, and I’m thankful to have him as a friend.

GOAT Award: LeBron James

I was blessed to help prepare LeBron for his Gold medal run. His work definitely paid off, as he ended up getting MVP of the Olympics at 39 years old! Aside from his great workouts, toward the end of the summer, I was offered a lot of NBA coaching positions, and I needed someone to talk to who knows the game and the business. I reached out to LeBron with no expectations—if he didn’t respond, I wouldn’t have been upset at all, knowing he has a million things going on. But he sent me some great advice, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. So, thanks to the GOAT for taking the time to do that.

Best Group Workout of the Summer: Kevin Durant and CJ McCollum

There was something special about the energy at The Summit, with music blaring through the Bose speakers. Normally, players gradually work up to game-speed actions, but this workout was different. KD caught the ball in the corner, ripped through hard with two dribbles and hit a beautiful pull-up–just like he was in a playoff game. Then I passed the ball to CJ, and he did the same thing. For the next 65 minutes, both players gave it their all. That was awesome.

Best Rapper Basketball Player: Russ

Russ decided to take basketball seriously and came to me after training with his Atlanta trainer. He became a knockdown shooter. The transformation in his game was insane. He had dribble moves, was hitting NBA threes with consistency and just played with confidence. I think Russ became the best rapper-shooter l’ve ever worked with.

Best BlackOps Matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley, fresh off signing his $175 million deal with the Raptors, was playing with supreme confidence against All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson. There was definitely a sense of major competition. Quickley backed up Brunson for the Knicks before being traded to the Raptors, so it felt like Quick was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Watching these two go at it for almost two hours was super entertaining. It was like watching a great boxing match. They were giving it their all and not letting up. Man, that was a great run!

Photos by @nextsubject.

The post The 2024 SLAM x BlackOps Awards: LeBron James, Jalen Brunson and More appeared first on SLAM.

We compiled a group of individuals (programming note: 30 entries, not 30 people total) who mean something special to SLAM and to our audience. Read the full list here and order your copy of SLAM 248, where this list was originally published, here.

The process for “discovering” a high school basketball player changed a lot in the social media era.

To set some context: it used to be way different. In the ’80s, ’90s, even early ’00s, you’d read about an up-and-coming player in a newspaper or a magazine, then catch glimpses of them on television if somehow possible (though likely not until they hit the college ranks). You mostly saw very little—a small article here or there with a short text description and a photo; in some extreme examples, some decent footage on a sports highlight television show; and in some super-extreme examples, a magazine cover, the ultimate stamp.

Then came the internet, then Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all that. Pretty soon everyone had a camera in their hands 24/7, which meant that when a high school basketball player did something amazing, it immediately hit the internet, and if it was really amazing, it immediately went viral.

In 2017, Zion Williamson went viral damn near every other day. He was a junior forward out of South Carolina with a combo of flight—he could soar up to eye-level with the rim and just sort of hang out there for a few seconds—and power—he was built like a linebacker and dunked with such ferocity it shook the gym and caused a frenzy amongst the kids in the stands—that made every one of his dunk clips, which flew around social media at light speed, a must-watch.

At the time, the world had started to move with such tempo that on Zion’s game nights, those highlights were viral by the time he woke up the next morning. So where did that put SLAM, a publication with a history of “introducing” players like Zion to the world?

It was a question I thought about a lot at the time. I had become Editor-in-Chief the year before, a role I earned in part because of my ability to help SLAM compete in the hyperspeed media universe. And though the answer would continue to change (and still changes often to this day), at the time it was simple: we’re going to put him on the cover and we’re going to tell his story properly, show people the real Zion. 

SLAM 210 was Zion’s first magazine cover shoot. By the time the cover dropped, everyone knew his name (from Instagram), but this was the first time the audience actually heard from him directly. We had an interview with a “longform” video (like, three minutes) and a slew of beautiful, crispy photographs, which I half-joked at the time were the first look anyone got of Zion’s face outside of blurry camera phone footage.

That content was the result of a day spent with Zion and his family in Spartanburg, SC, where they’re from. There’s a mural in the middle of the city that says “THERE’S ONLY ONE SPARTANBURG,” and Zion’s stepfather bolted a basketball hoop to the middle of the mural for our photos. The images of Zion would become iconic in a different way than, say, a 2001 magazine cover would’ve, but in their own new-age way. Months later, when every college fan base was photoshopping Zion in their favorite team’s jersey, they meme’d our cover photo almost exclusively. Two years later, when Zion was drafted and signed with Jordan Brand, the company bought the rights and used that same photo—funny because of the many adidas logos they had to scrub and replace to make that work. The photo looked great, though, and was still the best visual representation of Z more than two years after the initial shoot.

We continued to cover Zion extensively following that shoot. His season at Duke was a blast, and we shot a great cover with him for SLAM 222—The Future Issue—right before he was drafted in 2019 to the New Orleans Pelicans. He teamed up with SLAM favorite Lonzo Ball, so we shot another cover, a group shot that also included Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday. Fast forward to summer 2020, post-Covid explosion but pre-Bubble, we rented an Airbnb-turned studio, masked up and shot a cool cover with Z to hype up the forthcoming return of the NBA. A few years later, in early 2023, we celebrated the then-surging Pelicans with a Pen & Pixel-style cover featuring Zion, Ingram and CJ McCollum. And then last summer he got another front page, posing on KICKS 26 alongside fellow Jordan Brand endorsees Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic.

As I’m typing this, Zion Williamson is just 23 years old, and though it seems like he’s been around the scene forever, his career is really still in its early chapters. He didn’t rocket to immediate NBA dominance, but some of the chatter about him not performing is just nonsense; he’s a two-time All-Star who’s averaged over 25 points and 6 boards per game while maintaining a 60 percent (!) field goal percentage. It’s already been incredibly impressive, and again—he’s 23! 

There’s an anecdote in my cover story from 2017 that explains what it was like to watch Zion work out in an empty gym, how it felt like each dunk literally shook the room, the sound of the ball smashing through the hoop reverberating off the walls. That intense, seemingly out-of-nowhere, shake-the-room energy—if a sound could be a mission statement, in that moment, Zion produced SLAM’s. Bold, powerful, striking…for us, it was a North Star in the form of a sound wave. We chase that feeling with our content—our covers, our videos, our photos, our stories—every day, and that shoot crystallized it for me. Plus, it helped me figure out what SLAM’s place in the lightning-fast media landscape should be. It looks different than it used to, but we still stand head and shoulders above the competition because of our elite storytelling and the credibility that a SLAM co-sign provides. 

So yeah—we’re Team Zion. Forever. 

Portrait by Zach Wolfe. Photo via Getty Images.

The post THE 30 PLAYERS WHO DEFINED SLAM’S 30 YEARS: Zion Williamson appeared first on SLAM.

On a sunny Los Angeles evening, thousands have gathered inside Crypto.com Arena for the L.A. Sparks’ home opener—a game sure to be a special one for a plethora of reasons. The Sparks are ready to debut their retooled roster led by new head coach Curt Miller, but what the 10,396 fans in attendance may not be prepared for is a different introduction. Ladies and gentlemen…Zia Cooke! The Sparks’ first-round pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, would put a stamp on her professional arrival in front of a national TV audience.

Let’s rewind just a bit. An accomplished athlete at Rogers High School in Toledo, OH, Cooke was always known for her enthusiastic play. The former youth league football player was as tough as they came and already had a state championship and a couple of gold medals with Team USA under her belt. The South Carolina commit was already a star, but she was about to become an even bigger one.

At the 2018 Best of Michigan Holiday Classic, Cooke led her team to the tourney title and was named MVP. However, her finesse and flare on the floor is what really got the people talking. Shake loose the defender, step back, point, attack the rim in showtime fashion. A video of the play was uploaded, and she became an overnight sensation.

Chance the Rapper, Dwyane Wade, CJ McCollum and more boosted the video across social media, along with multiple media outlets. The legend of Zia Cooke was born and everyone wanted front row tickets to the show. The buzz from the video eventually forced Cooke to create a Twitter account.

That attention followed her from high school to college, where she’d play on one of the most elite teams in the country (South Carolina) under one of the top coaches in the game (Dawn Staley). While in Columbia, Cooke would become an All-American, All-SEC selection and national champion. Winning is just what she does.

Remember the aforementioned pro debut? It only took 15 minutes. While donning a fresh pair of adidas sneakers (Cooke is one of the brand’s newest signees), she exploded off the bench for 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. She was showing that she was ready to make an impact right away.

“I was just very excited to be out there,” Cooke says. “I’m super excited every time I step on the floor, but for that game, I had a huge spark in me and a boatload of energy to get out there for my pro debut.”

The life of a WNBA rookie can be fast-paced. In the past two months, Cooke has gone through the NCAA tournament, WNBA Draft, training camp and the season tip-off. So exactly how does a young player find balance with everything going on?

“Self-care for Zia looks like me just being laid-back,” she explains. “I’m getting my hair done, going shopping, getting a massage and watching TV. I love being with family and friends and just somebody cooking at the house and talking.” After a brief pause, she arrives at the conclusion: “I think I’m starting to get boring the older I get.”

Zia admits she may not be the best cook, but she definitely has a few favorite go-to meals. “I really love nachos. I like easy simple things that someone can make that taste good. My favorite dish would be Cajun chicken alfredo. It has to be Cajun,” she says. “I have my mom make that all the time. Or soul food—you can never go wrong with that.”

Dawn Staley definitely knows what makes Cooke stand out. As she tells WSLAM, “[Zia] plays with such passion. She plays the game like every play is her last. She plays it like it’s a part of who she is, and you can see she loves the game. When someone plays it that way, the other characteristics come with it.”

Zia’s passion has fueled her. From early in her basketball career, she knew where she wanted to be.

“I just knew I was destined for something revolving around basketball. As I got older, I understood the Olympics and USA, and then the ultimate goal was to play in the WNBA,” she says. “That’s what I was working for, knowing that I could be on the biggest stage with this sport. Once I understood what the WNBA was, I pushed myself to the limit to get there.

“Also, coming from Toledo, it’s hard to make it. You could get very close and then it doesn’t happen,” she continues. “So when I got to college, that’s all I talked about. I got to get there! I’m not going to be one of those players that did good in high school and has all the highlights and then I’m not heard about. I wanted to stay relevant. I figured the only way that could happen is if I worked my butt off and got to the WNBA and made history and built my legacy from there.”

Staley echoes those sentiments. “Zia has been talking about the WNBA for as long as I’ve known her,” she says. “My very first conversation with her, she told me, I gotta make it. I gotta get to the League. After every year, at the end of the season during meetings, she’d bring it up. I’d say, You want to talk about this now? It’s just your freshman year,” Staley recalls. “To see it all come full circle, it’s amazing.”

Even though her college career is behind her, there were tons of great moments. There was her steal against Mississippi State during her freshman year. Coach Staley singled out her performance against Georgia as a senior. Zia, however, was torn.

“You gave a good one. Coach, too. But I’d have to say in the Bahamas—when we beat UConn and won that tournament [Battle 4 Atlantis]. We were able to go celebrate after the win, too. So that was a good one.”

Cooke has already had her “Welcome to the W” moment. Going up for a layup against the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, she saw firsthand why Wilson is the League’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, in the form of a thunderous block.  

“I wanted to see what that was like. I also want to make something clear about this—everyone said I was looking like, Oh my God, she just blocked my shot,” Cooke says. “But really I was wondering, Why didn’t they call the foul? Because that was a foul! But I guess you can say it was my welcome to the League moment. That’s the big sis and she did put it in the stands. But I’mma get my lick back!”

Cooke is settled in and enjoying the ride while making sure to not take the experience for granted. She is excited to be playing against some of her favorite players, some she’s been watching for a long time. “I had the chance to play against Arike [Ogunbowale], Jewell Loyd, and eventually I’ll have a chance to play against Kelsey Mitchell. I cherish everything, and I just started for the first time last night,” Cooke says with a big smile.

What would be her message to her younger self?

“I’m proud of you. Getting through all the things that you got through, and trying different sports as a kid. I’m happy that you got to the point where you are,” she says. “I’ll probably start crying, because I know what that little girl wanted, and she got it and is still working to get more.”

Representation matters to Cooke. “I aim to give back more to the community for girls who look like me.”

As she navigates her professional journey, Zia Cooke is surrounded by a group of veterans who are there to help. She’s trusting the process and putting in the work to grow. Her “I got to get there” dream has officially come true, and the show is only just beginning. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Rookie Zia Cooke is Putting on a Show on the Los Angeles Sparks—But She’s Just Getting Started appeared first on SLAM.

“If you hear ‘D,’ for those of us in America, well, where’s the B League? Where’s the C League? You think about the grading scale,” says play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Danna, who has been calling Santa Cruz Warriors games since 2012. 

Back when Danna started working in Santa Cruz, the D-League wasn’t regarded as a natural part of the NBA development process. Not yet. Guys who were sent down to the minors often felt extremely discouraged by the news. “When most people talked about the D-League at the time when I came into being a professional, it was more so looked down upon,” says College Park Skyhawks guard Langston Galloway, whose first stint in the D-League came in 2014-15 with the Westchester Knicks.

Concerning assignment players, Galloway adds: “If you got sent down to the D-League [in 2014-15], it was like, either you weren’t retaining the information fast enough or you weren’t being successful when you got your opportunity. So… We need you to pick it up. We need you to be better.”

In other words, the D-League could feel like a punishment. A demotion, rather than an opportunity. Three steps back (B, C, D) instead of just one.

That has changed dramatically as the league has grown, however. Now the G League is considered an important part of the journey for a majority of young players. “It’s a lot more normalized than it was,” explains Danna. “It’s an expected part of the process.” One that is viewed with far more acceptance than it used to be. 

“There’s a definite process in place for most—if not all—teams that includes the G League,” adds Billy Campbell, general manager of the Birmingham Squadron.

So how did we get here? How did that evolution occur?

The most notable development has been the steady increase in the number of teams. Campbell worked as a basketball operations coordinator for the D-League from 2012-16, and when he first started, there were only 16 teams. Some, like the Bakersfield Jam and Fort Wayne Mad Ants, were shared among four different NBA parent clubs. The lack of one-to-one affiliations with the NBA created a sense of disconnect that clouded perceptions of the league. When a player was assigned from the Toronto Raptors to the Jam, for example, he suddenly found himself thousands of miles away, representing a completely new and unfamiliar organization. How could he not feel separate, ostracized, relegated?

“You had those teams that seemed like they were so far away from their affiliates, you didn’t feel like you were a part of the NBA,” says journeyman guard Scotty Hopson, whose first taste of the D-League came in 2014 with the Canton Charge. 

Without a true minor league system in place, there was far less movement back and forth from the NBA. Assignments were less frequent, as were call-ups. Rookies—or struggling older players—didn’t necessarily anticipate spending time in the D-League, so when they were sent down, it was a significant blow.

But the addition of more teams began to transform how the D-League was utilized, and therefore how it was looked upon. The total rose to 18 by 2014-15, then 22 by 2016-17, then 27 by 2018-19. Today, there are 30 teams, 28 of which are single affiliates of NBA franchises.

“It was a really great thing when it was the D-League and it was its own sort of niche league, where we all understood that we had to band together to keep the league afloat,” says Campbell. “The executives and coaches and everybody understood that. There was great basketball being played and there were great players, but now it’s become really the minor league for the NBA in a way that it couldn’t have been until they expanded to have this many teams.”

Player development plans have become more thorough. G League staffs have expanded to help carry out those plans. Communication from the top has increased, making G Leaguers still feel a part of the NBA ecosystem, not banished to some far-off and detached organization.  

“Now [when] you’re sent down, it’s like, We know you don’t get time to play on the main team right now, but we need you to just go out there, get these minutes and play in meaningful minutes at that, too,” Galloway tells SLAM. “I think that’s where it’s kind of changed—where the perception has continued to get better for not just the young guys, but as talent continues to come through this league.”

In 2012-13, there were 186 total assignments (58 players) from the NBA to the D-League. As of this writing, there have been 540 assignments (92 players) to the G League this season. For most emerging talents, especially those with limited or no college experience, the G League is now perceived as an inevitable—and valuable—destination. A place to keep maturing and progressing. 

An opportunity, rather than a demotion.

Perception has also improved as former assignment players have found tremendous success in the NBA. Khris Middleton (Fort Wayne Mad Ants, 2012-13), Rudy Gobert (Bakersfield Jam, 2013-14) and Pascal Siakam (Raptors 905, 2016-17) all made appearances in the D-League before becoming NBA All-Stars, as did CJ McCollum, Clint Capela and Terry Rozier.

Of the 92 players assigned to the G League this year, 21 are former top 20 draft picks, including James Wiseman, Jonathan Isaac, Moses Moody, Johnny Davis, Kira Lewis Jr, Mark Williams, Ousmane Dieng and James Bouknight.  

“Now that the G League has been in place for 20-something years, as opposed to 10 years when I got into the league, there’s an understanding that most first round picks are going to play at least a few games in the G League,” Danna says. 

And it’s easy to see why. 

“I’m a big believer that you get better at basketball by playing basketball,” Campbell says. “Guys who aren’t playing in NBA games aren’t really working on their craft during the season as much as they’d like to, and this gives them that opportunity to play with some freedom and sort of discover that joy, that passion, that swag, that confidence in their own abilities and their games to sort of get back to the guys that they were.”

The talent level has always been high in the G League (yes, even when it was the D-League), and the intense competition brings the best out of players. Just ask Hopson: 

“It’s a dog eat dog league down there, man. It’s cutthroat, it’s real, it’s raw. But there’s beauty in that journey—in that struggle—to get to what you [want to] achieve. There’s a lot of growth that takes place. There are a lot of learning opportunities. And there’s an opportunity as well just to grow yourself as a professional. If guys come down here and take advantage of that, it’ll do wonders for their careers, even if they take it outside of the G League. The G League is a really great place to be, especially right now. It’s the best it’s ever been, and it’s going to continue to grow.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post How the Perception of the G League Has Changed Amongst the Players as Being Part of the Process appeared first on SLAM.

While on set for their SLAM 242 cover shoot, we had Zion, CJ and BI play Point ‘Em Out—and let’s just say, they did not disappoint. The New Orleans Pelicans trio had us cracking up.

Check it out below.

Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram, who just appeared on the cover of SLAM 242, recently opened up about the team’s pursuit this season and how they plan on taking the franchise to new heights. Read here.

SLAM 242 is available now, as well as Gold Metal Editions and Cover Tees. Shop now.

The post WATCH: Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram Play SLAM Point Em Out appeared first on SLAM.

The team’s practice facility, located in Metairie, LA, just under 20 minutes from the Smoothie King Center, has two full-size courts, with one of the sidelines leading to an open-concept weight-room area. The three players are walking through the workout area and onto the court when we spot them from afar. But they stop halfway through the weight room and decide to turn to their right, where a wall mirror stands. 

Haircut check. 

Uniform check. 

Kicks check. 

Zion Williamson is busy making sure the blinged out jewelry around his neck is properly positioned for the looming photo shoot. 

All looks set now. 

SLAM 242 featuring Zion, CJ and BI are available now. Shop here.

The guys keep walking through the weight room and onto the court, where some team staffers await. Except, there’s only two of them now. 

Zion’s here. CJ McCollum is next to him. But Brandon Ingram, who was literally just with them a few seconds earlier, isn’t. 

Zion and CJ look around for BI and eventually realize that he stayed behind in the weight room area. There he is, still in front of the mirror, doing some standing bicep curls with dumbbells in each hand, going as fast as he can.  

Laughter ensues throughout the gym, from staffers to Ingram’s teammates. Zion and CJ shake their heads. They point out that he’s just trying to get a quick pump in so that his arms look swole for the photo shoot. 

Ingram is trying not to laugh. He can hear them teasing him from about 50 feet away—especially Zion. But he just stays focused on each rep, looking straight ahead at the mirror. Eventually, though, Ingram can’t keep a straight face anymore and begins to grin from ear to ear. He puts the dumbbells down and joins in on the laughter. 

The laughs set up the perfect mood for the 60 minutes that follow. It also serves as the perfect example of how this trio, and the Pelicans team as a whole, move in general, on and off the court, and how it’s ultimately contributed to the very joyful run they’ve embarked on over the past 11 months. 

See, we weren’t even sure if this shoot would happen just hours earlier. A couple of days before we were to be on set, it was announced that Zion Williamson would miss at least three weeks with a hamstring strain, which he suffered against the 76ers at the top of the week. If the shoot were canceled as a result, it would have been understandable. After all, two of our three cover stars were currently injured—BI had been out since late November after suffering a toe injury. But despite the bad news just 48 hours before the shoot, we were told everything was still a go. Even then, we were concerned about what mood the guys would be in, considering the sudden loss of a second All-Star right when the team was playing some of its best basketball.

Again, any kind of somber or toned-down enthusiasm from the guys on set would have been very reasonable, given the circumstances. Except, there was none of that. Jokes, laughs and even an early arrival is what we got. 

The symbolism in all of this? It appears that a major reason why this team was one of the biggest surprises to the start of the 2022-23 campaign—the Pels were tied for the most wins (24-14) in the Western Conference on the day of our early-January shoot and had a home record of 17-4, despite its elite trio of Zion-BI-CJ only playing 10 games together all season up ’til then—seems to stem from an overall culture of trust and true buy-in. Trust that the plan put together by the front office has worked to a T because the roster combo works to a T. There is nothing but smiles on set because deep down they feel like the best is yet to come. 

It’s easy to see that this group genuinely clicks by the way they speak of each other. 

“CJ is like the dude that knows everything, but in a good way,” says Zion of McCollum. “Like, if you need to get plugged in with somebody or you have questions about anything, CJ, really, I don’t really know how, but he knows everybody. He has a friend or cousin for everything. I’m like, Yo, CJ, I like these bags. [He’d say,] Yo, I know this dude out in so and so, met him three years ago. I got you. And you know what? He always comes through with it. And I respect that.”

Adds Ingram of Zion: “Z, [he] wake[s] up—basketball. He ain’t gotta come to practice, he gonna have 40. Can’t nobody stop him. He in his own lane, though. He his own person. He ain’t worried about nobody else and he just stay true to his self.”

CJ finishes it off by speaking on Ingram: “BI…works hard, cares about the game a lot, loves his teammates, wants to win [by] any means necessary. Basketball junkie. Wants to be great. He’s funny. He acts like he’s quiet and shy but he not, he not at all.”

Just 11 months earlier, it was looking really bleak in The Big Easy. Their franchise player, Zion Williamson, was out for the season, and the team had a 22-32 record (they started the season 3-16) as the trade deadline approached. And then came February 8, 2022. The Pels acquired CJ McCollum from the Trail Blazers in a trade that sent Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada and some draft picks to Portland, while New Orleans also welcomed Larry Nance Jr (and Tony Snell, who’s no longer in N.O.).

New Orleans went 1-4 right after the trade, sinking their record to 23-36. According to ESPN’s BPI projections, they had only a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs at that point. But it was here when things began to take a turn. The team went 13-10 to finish out the regular season, earning a spot in the play-in tournament as the 9th seed, and then beat the Spurs and the Clippers (coming back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit) to earn the final spot in the playoffs. 

Their performance in the first round against the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns really sent fans of the League (and in New Orleans, of course) into a frenzy. The series went six games (at one point it was tied 2-2, and kinda looking scary for CP3, Book and company), as the Pelicans made the Suns work for every last one of their buckets. And that was all without Zion, of course.

“Two things. I think when you get a taste of something, you want more of it, and being in the playoffs last year, seeing our fans come out and how important the games were, it made it better to play,” Ingram recalls. “It got me up more going into the playoff games, just going out there. And two, you just look around the room, and the players that you’re playing with—like, we know we got something special, we know we’re talented, but we know we have to come in here and work every single day and continue to learn the game, so that’s where our confidence comes from. Just being around each other every single day.”

With the Zion-BI-CJ pairing making its debut this past fall, expectations and excitement around what could be, might be, should be, all ran rampant. In his media day presser, Ingram said that a “championship” was the ultimate goal.

CJ has clarified in previous interviews that when the trade happened last year, he and his wife signed off on it because they saw the potential that New Orleans offered. Nonetheless, even he’s been taken aback by how good and how quickly the results have been. 

“I knew we were gonna be special, I just didn’t know how quickly we would get there. That’s always the hard part about figuring out roles, figuring out how to coexist, figuring out how to maneuver in game situations,” say McCollum. “You can’t script it. Like, you could practice and play together but you gotta be in the fold to really figure it out. And I think that’s what normally takes longer than what’s taken [us]. But I would say that I knew it was gonna be a great experience, I knew it was gonna be a great situation. [It’s been] probably better than I thought, honestly, in terms of how well we’re playing, how deep we are. I knew we were a good team, I didn’t know we were this deep, you know what I mean?

“Having conversations with the front office, with Willie [Green, head coach], understanding what they want to accomplish, short-term and long-term. I would say both parties, you know, for me and my family, and then from the organization, I would say that they’d probably say the same thing—it’s probably going better than we all expected because of how well I was able to assimilate into this culture, but also how well the younger guys were able to develop, and how I was able to just kind of figure out where I fit in.”

After finishing 21st in scoring last season, the team found itself at No. 3 in the League when we shot these photos 38 games into the season. And following a 6-6 start to the ’22-23 campaign, the team went on to win 12 of its next 14 games (including 7 in a row) to stamp its name among the top teams in the West early on.   

“A lot of buckets out there, a lot of buckets,” says Ingram of this year’s high scoring offense. “You know, the funny thing is we haven’t had a chance to play together, but for like maybe 10 games, at that. We got guys that just step up in roles that can really legit be starters on other teams. So, I think it’s just the culture, you know, we set an example of how to work around here and how we treat each other. So, from that, guys just come in here and work and we see the results on the floor. Everybody’s confident, 1 through 13, how[ever] many players that’s playing a night, everybody [is] confident to do what they do. So, coaches make it easy for us and the people that we’re around every day make it easy for us.”

The team eventually hit a slump with the absence of both Zion and BI in mid-January, eventually hitting a 10-game losing streak. They’re currently on a three-game winning streak after defeating the Hawks last night.

There’s still lots to smile about, though. And we’ll probably see a lot more of those come spring when the trio is healthy and ready to outdo last year’s playoff run. 

“I think it’s frustrating for Brandon, frustrating for Zion, that they don’t get to play more,” Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon tells us over the phone a couple of weeks after the shoot. “For us, taking a holistic view, it’s, you know, somewhat of a silver lining because you do get to see these [other] guys develop more, have them play a bigger role. There’s times when all three have been out of the lineup and other guys have to step up and play a huge role. Play 32 minutes, play 28 minutes, when [they’re] used to only playing 18. Guys that you didn’t think might be in the rotation at the start of the year now get to play 10, 15 straight games. So, I think that is going to bode well toward the end of the year when we get everybody healthy, that these guys have had bigger roles in big moments and games. And so that’s not gonna be an issue if they have to play in the fourth quarter at a crucial moment—they would have already done it. And if these injuries didn’t happen, that opportunity might not have happened for that player or players during the year. So, we’re looking at this as a silver lining and when we get these guys back, like you said, we’re deep. But it’s gonna make us even stronger in our depth, hopefully in a late March, early April playoff push.”

CJ adds: “I think for us playing in the playoffs [last year] against the high seed, having to fight in, gives you an idea of, like, OK, what can happen now if we get a higher seed? What can happen if we get home court advantage? What can happen if we win 50 games? You start to imagine what that’s like and then you go chase it. And I think that’s the stage that we’re in now—How do we win 50 games? How do we get a high seed? How do we get home court? What does that look like? What’s that experience gonna be like? And I think when you go through those moments and those experiences, it creates a growth mindset.” 

SLAM 242 is out now in this exclusive Gold Metal Edition and Cover Tee. Shop now.

Portraits by Atiba Jefferson

The post Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram are Ready to Take the Pelicans to New Heights appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s what happened across the L over the weekend. Let’s get it.

Darvin Ham Announces the Pain in Anthony Davis’ Foot ‘Has Just About Dissipated’:

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters that Anthony Davis’ foot has improved to the point that “his pain has just about dissipated” since he first suffered the injury two weeks ago against the Nuggets.

Darvin Ham, two weeks after Anthony Davis suffered the stress injury in his right foot, says “the biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated” and says Davis is trending in the right direction when it comes to approaching a ramp up to return to the court.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 30, 2022

LeBron James Drops 47-10-9 on his Birthday to Deliver a Lakers Win:

LeBron James showed us once again that age ain’t nothing but a number on his birthday. The four-time MVP turned 38 on Friday and celebrated this lap around the sun by dropping 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

“At 18 years old, I knew how to play the game,” James said, per ESPN. “I knew I belonged in the NBA, but I didn’t know what I could become at 18. But I knew if I continued to put in the work and I continued to reach into the game, then I could be one of the greatest players to ever play this game.”

47 PTS
10 REB
9 AST@Lakers W@KingJames showed out on his 38th birthday!pic.twitter.com/33lO5BnVpo

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

CJ McCollum Knocks Down A Pelicans Record 11 Three-Pointers:

CJ McCollum was unstoppable Saturday night as he scored 42 points, four rebounds, five assists on a franchise record, and a career-high 11 made three-pointers against the 76ers.

“You don’t just fall into these types of nights,” McCollum said, per The Athletic. “It comes with preparation. It comes with a lot of different sacrifices you make in your household and things like that. Some nights I go to the gym. Some nights I’m getting treatment. Some nights I’m lifting. It’s time away from home. But I joke with my wife all the time and say, ‘I could be gone a lot and suck at basketball. Luckily, I’m gone a lot, and I don’t suck.’”

42 PTS
4 REB
5 AST
11 3PM (franchise-record, career-high)@CJMcCollum went OFF in the @PelicansNBA win. pic.twitter.com/s09E7DdoQr

— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2022

Tyler Herro Brings in the New Year With a Buzzer-Beater:

Tyler Herro put an exclamation point on Miami’s strong offensive showing with a game-winning buzzer-beater to beat the Utah Jazz on New Year’s Eve, 126-123. Herro posted 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, followed by Bam Adebayo’s game-high 32 points and eight rebounds, and Victor Oladipo rounded out the final win in 2022 with 23 points off the bench.

Miami outscored Utah 54-32 in the win and shot 51 percent from the field. As a team, the Heat dished 32 assists on 45 buckets.

“The ball was flying around,” Herro said, per ESPN. “We were making plays for each other, getting stops defensively, and turning it into easy buckets on the other end.”

TYLER HERRO WINS IT FOR THE HEAT #TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/MqLHRlsVXL

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

Luka Doncic Makes More History After Dropping 50+ For the Third Time in 5 Games:

Luka Doncic has been on a historic tear while helping Dallas win six straight games after Doncic dropped 51 points, six boards, nine dimes, four steals, and six made triples to beat San Antonio 126-125. Luka Legend has dropped three 50+ points in his last five outings, put up the most 40+ point games in Mavs history, and became the first player ever to post 225+ points and 50+ rebounds, and 50+ assists over a five-game span.

The three-time All-Star is also the eighth player in NBA history to contribute three or more 50-point outings in a season before he turned 25-years-old. He joins James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Nate Archibald, and Wilt Chamberlain in the exclusive Hall-of-Fame club.

51 PTS
6 REB
9 AST
4 STL
6 3PM
W

Luka has dropped 50+ in 3 of his last 5 games. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/AFYYqmWaUb

— NBA (@NBA) January 1, 2023

The post NBA Weekend Recap: LeBron James Drops Buckets on His Birthday, and Luka Doncic Makes More History appeared first on SLAM.

Those abilities and the opposing defenses’ inability to keep him in front of them led to Williamson scoring 40 points for the first time during his three-year career. Furthermore, Williamson has a distinctive playstyle where he goes through or around defenders on his way to the rim with his incredible combination of size, strength, quickness, explosion, touch, and body control.

Simply put, Williamson is more likely to wear your ass out and break you down for 48 minutes than play like Kyrie Irving and finesse his way to the rim. Case in point, Williamson attempted 20 of his 21 shots in the paint, and only two came from outside of the restricted area. And that came against three-time Defensive Player of the Year and Timberwolves defensive anchor Rudy Gobert guarding the rim.

On Wednesday, all those unique qualities came together to help Williamson post a career-high 43 points on 14-21 shooting from the field, including 33 in the second half, as he showed off that he can close games out in high-pressure moments. He also went 14-19 from the free-throw line and contributed five assists to help New Orleans beat Minnesota 119-118.

“I’ve never seen anything like him. I’ve played with different types of players – scorers and guys who score in a variety of ways. But never someone who’s so paint-dominant,” teammate CJ McCollum said, per The Athletic. “Everything is predicated on drives to the paint. … the ability to make the right plays and be able to handle and move the way he does. The fluidity in his movements, but also the body control on the jumps. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that. I don’t think we will.”

Career night. Special moment for Z. (via @PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/NoG1XD6EmK

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 29, 2022

Williamson’s playstyle has helped New Orleans (22-12) take the top spot in the Western Conference. It’s a developing spot that matters a great deal to Williamson. The one-time All-Star is focused on winning and knows fans and media will “remember winners.”

“People remember winners,” the 22-year-old Williamson said, per ESPN. “When you look at some of the greatest of all time, the first thing you go to is championships, what they did in big moments.

Williamson also added that teammate McCollum urged Williamson to take over in the fourth quarter. And the former Duke Blue Devil took that advice and ran with it as head coach Wille Green told the Pelicans to “get the ball to Z and get the f— out of the way,” according to McCollum. Williamson scored 14 points over the final three minutes of the game.

43 last night. Most points Zion has scored so far. pic.twitter.com/FyEYdlLKuQ

— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) December 29, 2022

He’s a relentless player that doesn’t take his foot off the pedal, especially when attacking the paint. Williamson doesn’t settle for jumpers; among his 422 shot attempts, 396 of them have been in the paint. That constant aggressiveness helped Williamson average 30.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in December.

New Orleans can build on their West-leading schedule when they play the 76ers on Friday.

The post CJ McCollum Has ‘Never Seen Anything’ Quite Like Zion Williamson’s Career-High 43-Point Outing 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.

Despite having versatile weapons like Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the Pelicans’ defense has been responsible for the team’s early success. In particular, it has been the highly criticized Zion Williamson at the forefront of it.

Williamson has averaged a career-high 1.3 steals a game to go with 0.6 blocks. According to ESPN, the acrobatic sensation has held opponents to 37.4 percent shooting as the contesting defender, which ranks fifth amongst players contesting 10 shots per game this season.

Looking back at New Orleans’ defense last year, they were 18th in the League in defensive rating without Williamson, who was out with a broken bone in his right foot. This season, the Pelicans are No. 3 in the League defensively, thanks to their 107.6 defensive rating.

Although Williamson’s impact and improvements defensively have surprised many this year, Ingram noticed the change before the campaign started and highlighted this aspect of his teammate’s game during the preseason.  

“You know what I’ve seen differently, especially on ball, is his defensive awareness,” Ingram told ESPN before the Pelicans’ preseason game versus the Miami Heat. “It looks like he has it in the back of his mind to have the effort on that end. That’s going to be something big for our team – We know we can score the basketball. But if everybody is defending and setting examples for everybody to go out there and defend, then that’s going to be much more difficult to beat us.”

As the 22-year-old’s defense continues to thrive, don’t let this distract you from what he is capable of offensively. This season, Williamson has still managed to put up 23.9 points and 7.2 rebounds on his regular impressive, efficient shooting from the field at 59 percent. The Pelicans forward will look to continue his all-around form with New Orleans again on Friday when they takes on the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

The post Zion Williamson’s Improved Defensive Play Raises the Pelicans’ Ceiling appeared first on SLAM.

“I told him tonight in the locker room that he was a monster. He carried us. He continued to make the right plays over and over again,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said, via The Athletic. “He was flying around on both ends of the floor … It’s just impressive. Impressive to see.”

The Pelicans were without Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the second and third leading scorer on the team. Williamson was expected to perform and he did just that, showing not only a return to form but a new peak of sustained excellence since he’s returned from his nagging knee injuries. 

“When you have players like BI and CJ out, you’ve got to pick up where they affect the game,” Williamson said. “I just want to thank Coach [Green] for trusting me to be myself, and the rest of the coaching staff and my teammates. If they don’t trust me, it may look a little different for me.”

His teammates showed that same level of trust in Williamson’s game. 

“He was a monster today. It was probably one of his best all-around games that I’ve seen,” said Pelicans forward Trey Murphy. “I’m super proud of him and the work that he’s put in. I know you guys criticize him a lot on his defense. Hopefully, he got more than a B+ today.”

Williamson’s defensive effort and conditioning have been called into question throughout his career but he exhibited the full repertoire on both ends last night, he was everywhere. He even had a key steal and bucket after a Toronto run that cut their lead from 31 to 11, to officially put the game away. 

Zion Williamson is a player always on the verge of improvement, it would be no surprise at all if he tops this showing the next time out. 

The post Zion Williamson’s ‘Monster’ Performance Lifts Pelicans to a Win Over Raptors appeared first on SLAM.

Silver and Irving met two weeks after the embattled Nets guard posted an Amazon link to a controversial film that featured antisemitic messaging. Irving’s post led to Brooklyn suspending him for at least five games and Nike suspending his deal. Nike co-founder Phil Knight said that the business relationship between the legendary sports apparel company and the former Duke Blue Devil is likely severed for good.

“He’s someone I’ve known for a decade, and I’ve never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group,” Silver said, according to the New York Times.

“Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content.

Silver acknowledged that the criticism the League and Nets received for not disciplining Irving faster “may be fair.” Irving was suspended on Nov. 3, a week after he posted his tweet, for not formally apologizing during a news conference he had earlier that day. Irving posted an apology statement on Instagram later that night.

When asked about Irving’s indefinite suspension, Silver told the Times that he thinks the Nets “got the right outcome.” Silver clarified that the League wanted to do “a bit of work and research to understand” Irving’s post, and that information confirmed that the film featured hate speech, which led to the Nets and the League suspending Irving.

“I feel that we got to the right outcome here regarding his suspension,” Silver told the Times. “And in retrospect, we may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism. But I felt it was important to understand the context in which it was posted to understand what discipline was appropriate, not in any way to excuse it but to understand what discipline was appropriate.”

Silver said the Nets would consult with the League regarding Irving’s return. Players union leaders CJ McCollum and Jaylen Brown have both called out the conditions of Irving’s return, calling it an “issue” and that it’s “asking for a lot.” Former Irving teammate LeBron James called the list “excessive” on Twitter.

According to insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, Irving will have a set of conditions to meet before he can return, including a public statement recognizing the film is antisemitic, an apology for supporting the film and the falsehoods within the film, training sessions on the dangers of hate speech, and demonstrating that he understands the severity of the situation with Nets owner Joe Tsai.

The post Adam Silver Has ‘No Doubt’ Kyrie Irving is Not Antisemitic 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.

After going undrafted in 2021, the 6-0 guard out of Georgia Tech, who was splitting time between the Pels and their G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron, kept telling himself that if he wasn’t going to play, just make sure that it felt like he was out there playing.

Do something that makes you impact the day, he’d say. Not just the game but the day. 

That meant learning how to be impactful in other ways, even if he wasn’t on the court. Not only would he watch the game, but he’d study it, thinking critically about ways he would attack the defense if he was out there. Teammates like Brandon Ingram took notice and would ask him for his perspective. 

“Brandon Ingram used to come to the side and be like, Yo, what you see out there? What do you think we should do with it?” Alvarado recalls over the phone, later adding: “I think little by little I grew more disciplined and it made me lock in more.”

Despite what many had said about him coming into the League—that he was too short, or not equipped to hold his own in the NBA—Alvarado’s emergence last season has made him beloved in NOLA and respected all across the League. He went from being an undrafted player making a little over $400K to securing a four-year, $6.5 million contract and solidifying his spot in the Pelicans’ rotation, all in a matter of just four months. 

The word “UNDERDAWG” isn’t just something Alvarado has written in his Instagram bio, it’s a reflection of who he is and what he’s about. Don’t sleep though, the bag has always been well-equipped with his elite style of play: that baseline sneak-attack move, the same one that earned him the GTA nickname in the first place? He’s been doing that since AAU. His lockdown defense? We’re talking about an ACC Defensive Player of the Year here. And yes, he can shoot, too.  

“Going through the whole pre-draft, even college and high school, they said I wasn’t ready for the ACC. I had a rough two years [in college], my junior and senior year I had a breakout. I won Defensive Player of the Year, we won an ACC championship. Then I come in and they say, The League is pushing it. I’m undrafted, come in on two-way, and six months later I’m playing in a playoff game and my guys want me out there to help win the game. That’s truly what I mean when I say I’m an underdog.”

It’s one thing, though, to surpass other people’s expectations, but as Drizzy once said: You know it’s real when you are who you think you are.

“I always have believed in myself, obviously, but for me to do what I did made me feel so much excitement and belief. It was like, Alright Jose, this ain’t no more if or what. This is you now. This is what it is now. It taught me that if I be me, everything else will take [care] of itself.”

All that waiting and studying and preparing paid off when he saw action on the court in January. The New York-native dropped 13 points against the Knicks during his Madison Square Garden debut (and homecoming) and didn’t back down when he went at it against Joel Embiid a few nights later, earning the respect of the five-time All-Star. By March, Alvarado was putting up 16 points, 10 assists and 6 steals in a win against Houston, followed by a career-high 23 points against the Spurs. 

Then came the playoffs.

During the biggest moment of his career, Alvarado held his own in the first-round series against the Suns. The team’s defensive ace averaged 1.2 steals in 19.5 minutes and understood the assignment when it came to competing against the point god himself, Chris Paul. This postseason performance prompted praise from none other than CJ McCollum: “He was agressive, fearless, showed that New York mentality.” 

Looking back, Alvarado says that there was one moment during the playoffs that might top, or at least match, the MSG performance as his best memory from his rookie season. He still remembers that night vividly, how all of Smoothie King Center—over 17,000 people—chanted his name while his family, including his mom, dad and brother, sat on the sidelines and smiled at him as he dribbled the ball up the court. 

“It was like a movie. I remember it like it was yesterday. I started tearing up, like, wow, and everyone was screaming, ‘Jose!’ It was one of those moments I’ll never forget, it’s one of the best memories I got in the NBA.” 

Alvarado even sat down with his friends and family to process the  journey, how everything he’d worked for was coming true, right before their eyes.

“I was like, I can’t believe everything worked out how we always said it would. How many times have people said, Yeah, we’re going to make it to the NBA or we’re gonna do this? A whole bunch of people and it never really happens for whatever reason. I definitely sat down and went, Wow, you’re living the dream and being more than you thought you could be. 

“I’ve been around a lot of people and this doesn’t come around often. Being able to put an NBA jersey on, being in a rotation, being someone in the lineup. I think I’m always going to embrace that,” he says. “No matter what happens to me later in life, I could always tell my kids or anybody like, Jose, you did something special in that one year. But I’m also looking forward to doing more special things.”

That includes representing Puerto Rico on the national team over the summer at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Alvarado says he hadn’t been to PR since he was around 12 years old, but it nonetheless felt like home as soon as he touched ground. 

“I told my parents that as soon as I got off the plane, it felt like home. I had people [on] the plane waiting for me and they recognized me right away. It was crazy, [I] was like a superstar. I called myself ‘Spanish LeBron.’ I’m glad I did it. Everybody was telling me about how Puerto Ricans are so proud about just being, you know, the love of the game of basketball. Going out there and experiencing that love and everyone showing me so much love just because I’m representing them at the highest level. I’ve been doing a lot but seeing them and putting a jersey on definitely is a memory I’ll never forget.”

The decision to step away from the national team wasn’t an easy one, but ultimately Alvarado felt that he wanted to make the Pelicans his priority this summer. 

“That was a tough decision. I am focusing on being Jose, at a higher level. Just learning. I want to polish my game and obviously make shots. I want to be a high-level shooter. I want to work on my confidence. Most importantly, I want to have guys—like, they respect me already and they love me but I also want to be able to hold the superstars accountable. Just more of being a leader. Just going out there and having fun. I think we’re really good [and] once we click, I think all the guys know that we could be something special.”

Back in May, Alvarado tweeted that he was going to win Defensive Player of the Year one day, and when asked about it, he makes it clear that he wasn’t just talking. To him, it’s not a matter of if, but when.

“When I tweeted it, I meant it,” he says. “Not necessarily to say [that] I will win it next year, but I will win it one year because of just how much I love defense and how much I wanna pride myself on it. This NBA thing is not gonna be an easy route for me, no matter what happens here. I had a really good year, but I’m always gonna have to fight and prove every year that I belong, no matter how long I’ve been in the NBA. So that’s my mindset on everything. And especially, this is where [I’m at]: I do the sneaky thing, which is unique, and I love it—everyone loves it—but I want to show that if you’re in front of me dribbling the ball, it will be a difficult time, too.”

He’s also ready to showcase that his talents aren’t just limited to one end of the floor. 

“I talk to [my agent] Ron [Shade] about this all the time, I don’t think everyone knows how good I am offensively, that’s why people get so shocked. I am good, I’ve shown it. It’s just about showing it on the highest level. But my focus is on being the best defender on the court. I’m not the tallest, I’m not the strongest, I’m not the most athletic, but I want it to be like, Where’s Jose at? or Lock in on him. 

“I want to affect the game, and I’m not gonna affect the game by scoring. I am going to affect the game with my energy and defense. The offense is a plus, I know I can make shots, I know I can get to my spots. So, if I do my thing on defense, the offense will become a little more easy for me.”

With the long-awaited return of Zion Williamson this season, Alvarado believes that the Pelicans are only going to add to what they did last season and could make an even deeper run in the playoffs. 

“We have an important piece coming back with Zion. We did pretty good without him, and adding him will be amazing,” Alvarado says. “The rest is about locking in on us. Not letting the outside distract us, the little noise that would make us not [be] together. I think everyone is so locked in on how good we could be. If we lock in how we are supposed to, and if we get along how we are supposed to, then we will have a memorable season that we could talk about for a very long time. I think the team is really locked in. 

“My mindset is obviously getting past the first round but also winning a ring eventually. This is a building process. If we don’t get a ring this year, we know we could definitely get one in the coming years.” 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post After a Breakout Rookie Season, Jose Alvarado Says He’s Ready to Take Everything Up to Another Level appeared first on SLAM.

ESPN story on Portland Trail Blazers F Nassir Little agreeing on a $28M extension https://t.co/hr50OUce6I

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2022

Little has slowly seen his minutes grow over his first three seasons in the League.

The Blazers are a squad with a heavy veteran presence, and following injuries to key rotational players, Little finally got his chance to showcase his skills in the 2021-2022 season. His minutes jumped from 13.3 minutes per game to 25.9 minutes per game. Little’s counting stats grew as well. He went from 4.6 to 9.8 points per game, 2.7 to 5.6 rebounds per game, last season he passed out a career-best 1.3 assists per game. 

His fully guaranteed extension is coming after Little suffered a season-ending shoulder injury he sustained during a strong stretch of play in January 2022. Little averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds on 45.4 percent shooting, including 40 percent on three-pointers, for the month. Portland was 7-5 in the stretch.

Damian Lillard’s longtime backcourt running mate, CJ McCollum, is no longer in Portland and the roster of players Portland has built around their All-NBA guard seems to be getting younger. A new era of Trail Blazers’ hoops is beginning this season and Nassir Little is expected to be a part of it through 2027. 

Photos via Getty Images.

The post REPORT: Nassir Little Locked in with Portland After Signing Four-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

“Twitter already did its thing,” Williamson said jokingly, per ESPN. “They are the doctors, apparently.”

Williamson avoided serious injury and is expected to be day-to-day moving forward, according to him and Coach Willie Green. Green added that Williamson isn’t expected to miss an extended period of time and clarified that he removed Williamson from Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat for precautionary reasons after he rolled his ankle early in the second quarter while he drive to the rim.

Williamson tweaked his ankle after he planted his left foot trying to get into the lane around Heat center Dewayne Dedmon. He played another three minutes before checking out for good with 11 points, two rebounds, and four assists on 3-7 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the free-throw line.

“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,'” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double-check. We wanted to look at it, had a doc look at it, and he just said a little day-to-day soreness. And, but outside of that, I personally feel fine. Wasn’t bad news from the docs.”

Going into Friday’s preseason finale against the Atlanta Hawks, the Pelicans hope they can play their projected starting lineup. The group hasn’t played together yet while Brandon Ingram recovers from left fifth toe soreness. CJ McCollum has only played in two preseason games after Wednesday. Ingram told ESPN that he “felt good” and that his rehab has put him in a position to play on Friday.

New Orleans starts the season with an Oct 19. matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

The post Zion Williamson Listed as Day-to-Day After Tweaking Left Ankle appeared first on SLAM.

Preparation Award: LeBron James 

LeBron is LeBron because of his insane work ethic. This summer, if a workout was scheduled for 10 AM, LBJ would walk in early at 9:15 AM. He’d then do a workout routine that included stretching, balance, and core for about 40 minutes. Once he was done with that, he’d go back to his post workout routine—stretching, some cool down and then balance exercises. For a player going into his 20th season, his body sure doesn’t look like it but he moves on the court like he’s 31, not 37.

Early Bird Award: Jimmy Butler 

Jimmy and I travelled the world this summer. From time zone to time zone, we worked out in New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, the Hamptons, Switzerland, Paris…the list goes on. No matter where we were, we would always start our workouts at 6 AM—I’m not going to lie, but sometimes, depending on the time, I would be super tired when my alarm rang at 5 in the morning. But it was always a great feeling to be done with his first workout by 7:30 AM. In Europe, we even did double sessions. Jimmy had a great summer and I’m excited for him to show off his work this season. 

Biggest Black Ops Surprise (Non-NBA Player): Ian Jackson 

Over the years, I’ve had many elite high school players play in the summer Black Ops Runs: Donovan Mitchell, Obi Toppin, Cole Anthony, Adrian Griffin to name a few. But no high school player had a summer like Cardinal Hayes’ Ian Jackson. His first Black Ops Run was a learning lesson—the pace of the game was very fast for him and he struggled. However, he did come back the next day and played great and had eight threes and a series of nice dunks and passes. After that day, he was comfortable and he surprised NBA players all summer.

The Record Holder: CJ McCollum

There are a few drills each summer that I keep track of, specifically the player shooting 50 threes off the dribble or 100 threes off of the move. Well, CJ McCollum holds the record in almost all of them. He has an incredible work ethic and a very consistent jump shot. He made 92 out of 100 threes in one of the drills and also broke a few other records. 

Viral Sneaker Moment: LeBron James 

LeBron came to a workout one time with a light brown box in his hand. But there was no writing on the box. It wasn’t until after he did his pre-workout stretching routine that he laced up his sneakers and revealed that they were the LeBron 20s. It was the first time anyone had seen them. Within minutes of me posting a picture of them, the photo was everywhere and the top story on every sneaker blog across the world. Definitely a special moment. 

Breakout Season: Dre Hunter 

Dre Hunter worked out with me for the first time this summer and he was hungry! He learned very quickly and always pushed himself. I was very impressed with his professionalism and his skill level, too, and I think this year will be a huge year for Dre. 

Best 1 Day Performance in a Black Ops Run: Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown came to NYC during Fashion Week and pulled up to a Black Ops run. He dominated the run offensively and defensively, even hitting a series of game winners. He couldn’t be stopped and the entire gym saw how talented he was that day. On top of dominating the game, he had asked me to put Ian Jackson on his team so he could mentor him. He’s truly a great leader. 

What People Don’t Know: Drake’s Jumpshot

Everyone knows about Drake’s new gym at his house in Toronto but not everyone knows about how he’s improved his jumpshot. His form looked completely different from when I saw him last—he even played in a run at the Summit and hit 13 threes. The video went viral. 

Most Focused: Ty Jerome 

Ty Jerome’s work ethic this summer was on 1,000. He came to the gym all summer long to workout; he would jump into others players workouts to learn and he really improved. Every player that came to the gym consistently improved their games but Ty improved the most. I’m excited that he has landed on the Warriors. I think that’s a great fit for him. 

Efficiency Award: Kevin Love 

Kevin Love had a very productive offseason. Coming off of getting runner up for Sixth Man of the Year, he had an extra pep in his step this summer. We would shoot 100 threes after each workout and Kev would never get below 75; he’d average between 80 and 85. That is what I call efficient shooting. 

Best Conditioned: Julius Randle 

By the end of the offseason, Julius would come to the gym and workout for 90 minutes straight with no water break and free throws. He would ask me to push him as much as possible and most of the drills would be full court, too. He has to be one of the best conditioned athletes in all of the NBA. 

Biggest Surprise in a Black Ops Run: Paolo Banchero

Paolo came to a run after he was drafted No. 1 and people didn’t know what to expect at first. Well, when they left that day, they knew that Paolo was going to be a very special player. He scored in a number of ways: slashing to the hoop, mid post, offensive rebounds and threes. Funny part about his performance was that after the first game, I went up to him and said, “Can you please be aggressive!” He definitely listened and after a slow start, he stringed off about eight great games. 

Viral Moment: Donovan Mitchell’s Dunk

The angle of the video did not do the dunk justice, but when Donovan blew by his opponent and raised up for a two-hand dunk, he dunked it so hard that the entire backboard shifted. We had to stop the game and shift it back into center. The video went viral and the funny part was that one of the players had yelled out to Paolo Banchero, “Welcome to the NBA.” Unfortunately, Paolo was the one Donovan had blown by.

King of the Hill Award: Kevin Porter Jr.

During the course of the summer, one of my favorite things to do is have the players play 1-on-1. Kevin Porter Jr. was unstoppable in that setting and it didn’t matter if there was a three dribble limit or a single dribble limit. Kevin won every 1-on-1 matchup that summer.

Point God Award: Darius Garland and Cole Anthony

We’ve had some incredible performances by point guards this summer, but both Darius Garland and Cole Anthony played tremendously. The game looked so easy for them: not only do they make their teammates better, but they can get to anywhere they want on the court and make tough shots. Both of those guys have bright futures in the NBA.

Watch Out For: Kiyan Anthony 

Kiyan Anthony, who will be a sophomore at Christ the King, had one of those summers where you say, Man he got so much better! Not only did he grow about four inches this summer, but his game has really developed. He already has a handful of Division I offers and he’s nationally ranked.

The post The 2022 Black Ops Basketball Summer Recap and Awards 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.

The post Zion Williamson at His “Best Right Now’ After Rigorous Offseason appeared first on SLAM.

Take Flight @ZionWilliamson | #Pelicans pic.twitter.com/SSPhYaj9AG

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) June 13, 2022

Talking to New Orleans media on Saturday, Williamson spoke with reporters about his current situation.

“I do want to be here. That’s no secret. I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke,” Williamson said via ESPN. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”

Williamson is eligible to sign a five-year, $186 million rookie extension with the Pelicans this coming offseason. He said he would sign the extension as quickly as possible to remain with the team.

Zion on the Pelicans playoff run pic.twitter.com/90EtyX0vJV

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) June 11, 2022

Given the current state of the roster, New Orleans is on an upward trajectory following the success of the last playoffs. They pushed the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games under first-year Coach Willie Green. With a core of CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and Brandon Ingram, New Orleans has a roster that can go to the next level if Williamson re-signs.

“It sucked watching from the sideline, but I got to see our potential,” he said via CBS. “We’ve got a lot of great pieces, and I’m excited to get on the court with those guys — You saw it on the court. We have a special group. I truly believe that — I’m one of those people that believes the more your team wins, the more individual awards will come. So, with a special group, a coach like Willie [Green], I think a lot of great things will happen.”

The post Zion Williamson on Signing Extension: ‘I Want to Be Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

The list of assistants includes current Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Celtics assistants Will Hardy & Joe Mazzulla, and in-house candidates Alex Jensen & Lamar Skeeter, who were assistants under Snyder.

Former Portland coach Terry Stotts is expected to be in the mix. Stotts spent time with the Jazz later in the year as a personal guest of Snyder’s, according to ESPN. Stotts spent nine seasons in Portland, where he won 402 games and coached players such as Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Wesley Matthews. He took the Trailblazers to the 2019 Western Conference Finals and made the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons.

Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel is also expected to be in the mix; he spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles and managed a 127-98 overall record with an NBA championship in 2020.

Bryant spent the past two years as an assistant under Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the Knicks and was a six-year assistant with Snyder in Utah before departing for the Knicks. Bryant also has a very close relationship with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

In a press conference this past Monday, Jazz owner Ryan Smith had said that the list of candidates could expand during their coaching search. CEO of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge echoed this message while also saying there is no urgency to hire a new coach before the draft.

“We’ve got to get this choice right,” said Ainge. “We’ve got big shoes to fill.”

The post REPORT: Utah Jazz Begin Search to Replace Quin Snyder appeared first on SLAM.

On Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast, he revealed that teams around the League had gotten the impression that LaVine was “off the market.”

However, there isn’t a guarantee about him staying in the Windy City with the Bulls. According to Windhorst, the Trail Blazers have “popped up” as a potential landing spot for the two-time All-Star. While there is no indication that LaVine intends to leave, Windhorst reported that LaVine’s recent comments made people around the League alter their expectations.

“I plan to enjoy free agency,” he said per ESPN. “We’re going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that’s something me and [agent Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience.”

The Blazers are in the market for a star like LaVine, with a projected $48.4 million in salary-cap space after Portland traded CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr., Robert Covington, and Norman Powell ahead of the trade deadline. The real question is, will LaVine be worth signing to help build a contender around Damian Lillard. LaVine can reportedly earn as much as $213.3 million over five years with the Bulls. If he leaves, he can $157.4 million over four years.

LaVine has averaged 24.4 points and 4.4 assists on shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in his five seasons with the Bulls. He is also reportedly considering surgery to address a lingering issue with his knee.

The post REPORT: Trail Blazers ‘Pop Up’ As Zach LaVine Landing Spot appeared first on SLAM.

As the League celebrates it’s 75th anniversary, there’s quite a few Top 75 lists out there already. In fact, we’ve got quite a few of our own, from SLAM’s Top 75 Players of All Time Special Issue to most recently our Top 75 NBA Teams of All Time (shop here). We could’ve easily left it at that, but after checking out Tracy McGrady’s new Ones Basketball 1-on-1 League, we started thinking about the best 1-on-1 NBA players of all time.

So, we decided to have some fun with it and put together a bold list, categorized based on height, of all of the names that should be included in that conversation.

6-3 AND BELOW

1. Allen Iverson
A one-man revolution where the cross was just the beginning. He’s the master mixer on
our list for a reason.

2. Kyrie Irving
Hang it in the Louvre. KAI’s game is entirely its own art form.

3. Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter of all time needs just a sliver of space to make you pay, all while
staring down the crowd as the ball drops through the net. Uncanny.

4. Derrick Rose
Athleticism that was unparalleled and the nonexistence of fear had D. Rose bullying the
League as the youngest MVP ever.

5. Chris Paul
A mid range savant. A floor general. A Point God.

6. Gilbert Arenas
Agent Zero was lethal, tactical and surgical in leaving defenders guessing what portion
of the bag was about to be unleashed.

7. Damian Lillard
You can pick him up, but what comes next is entirely on you.

8. Russell Westbrook
Shot out of a cannon, if No. 0 is barrelling down the court, you best clear the runway.

9. Isiah Thomas
Lower to the ground just meant more ways to attack as the handle powered the
creativity that No. 11 enacted on his way to snagging two.

10. Jerry West
The Logo was constantly carving up defenses to drop buckets and dimes left and right.

11. Ja Morant
The ascension has been recognized. Call 12, and he’s always gonna answer.

12.Baron Davis
A blend of everything. Baron gave birth to the uber athletic displays of guard play that
we’ve become enthralled with over the years.

13. Trae Young
There’s a new villain in town and he’ll take your heart and your team’s straight to the
offseason.

14. Tiny Archibald
Ain’t nothing tiny about this man’s game. Nothing.

15. Stephon Marbury
The inspiration behind one of the greatest hoops flicks of all time attacked the game entirely on his own terms.

16. Tim Hardaway Sr
Having a killer crossover named after you is a mic drop moment.

17. CJ McCollum
The slipperiest shooting guard in the L. Shaking and baking is his M.O

18. Deron Williams
D Will mastered his own pace to the game. Separation was key and once he created it, you might as well just head back down for O.

19. Donovan Mitchell
Picking up this man is like taking a trip throughout the Spida-Verse, sprawling, spinning and overstimulated with flashes of colorful creativity and blinding moves.

20. Jrue Holiday
Always reliable, always locked in, always ready to pull it in your eye. Second-guessing is the greatest compliment a hooper can recognize and Jrue sees it often.

21. Steve Francis
Constantly sending defenders stumbling, Steve Francis doesn’t often get his due as one of the shiftiest guards to ever step on the hardwood.

22. Tony Parker
Some speed is built, some is gifted. TP’s froze defenders in a picture frame as he weaved around the paint for dimes and buckets.

23. Kemba Walker
We know y’all remember THE step back. Nuff said.

24. Chauncey Billups
Decidedly different. Big guard, big body, big buckets.

25. John Wall
Revolutionary athleticism instilled John Wall as the next box-office point guard. Go do your Google searches and watch his mixtapes to see what we’re seeing.

26. Lou Williams
Lou Williams is too smooth with it: a certified bucket, 3x NBA Sixth Man Player of the Year and a derserver of the utmost respect. 

27. Monta Ellis
Those 360 layups were just a regular thing for Monta Ellis. That’s what type of time he was on. 

28. Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel was waaaaaay too quick with it, from the crossovers to the high-flying drives to the lane to those insane dishes and dimes.

29. Jamal Murray
We’ve already told you this before: there’s music in Jamal Murray’s game. Try not to get lost in the melody, though, because he will drop 50 on you. Again and again.

30. Brandon Jennings
Dropping 55 points as a rookie is quite the statement, but then again, Brandon Jennings was never one to shy away from any moment. His game was too electric.

6-4 TO 6-8 

1. Michael Jordan
   The greatest. Put MJ in any situation, matchup or moment and you already know the outcome. Nothing more needs to be said.

2. Kobe Bryant
   He was constantly ascending past the depths of what competing truly meant. He knew your next move before you’d even had a chance to formulate the thought.

3. Tracy McGrady
   Scoring 13 points in 33 seconds is wild, but that’s just what T-Mac was about. One of the most complete scorers in the history of the Association.

4. Carmelo Anthony
   The fadeaway. The jab step. The spot-up jump shot, and his signature “washing machine” spin move. Carmelo Anthony remains one of the game’s most unstoppable scorers of all time. 

5. Kawhi Leonard
   Best believe, any matchup against the Klaw will result in him getting the last laugh. Trying to defend him in a 1v1? Now that’s pure comedy. 

6. Dwyane Wade
   The nickname was fitting: the Flash was one of most elite and efficient shooting guards who attacked the basket with an explosiveness that couldn’t possibly be contained. 

7. James Harden
   Equipped with a signature-move so iconic, a few names on this list have tried it out, the Beard is truly lethal with the rock in his hands.

8. Julius Erving
   A wizard who truly transcended the game. Every move was a symphony of basketball played at its finest. 

9. Charles Barkley
   A relentlessly physical rebounder with an attitude to match, Sir Charles was a force to be reckoned with.

10. Devin Booker
    With the words “Be Legendary” tattooed on his forearm, D-Book has continued to transcend his game towards just that no matter if he’s pullin’ up from midrange or hitting clutch shots from deep. 

11. Scottie Pippen
    One of the game’s greats could really do it all, from dishing out dimes and orchestrating an offense to snagging boards and holding it down on the defensive end. Versatility at it’s finest.  

12. Paul George
    PG’s all-around game is just one of the many things that define his greatness. His explosiveness and ability to create his own shot is another.

13. Paul Pierce
    The Truth can be hard for many to accept, but his dominance was nothing but pure facts. Shaquille O’Neal had a thing for nicknames, and when Paul Pierce dropped 42 on the Lakers in ’01, Shaq went over to the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett and told him to write this down: “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out.” Enough said.

14. DeMar DeRozan
    The King of the Fourth is a true revolutionary when it comes to the art of the midrange.

15. Jimmy Butler
    They call him Jimmy Buckets for a reason. That’s exactly what you’re gonna get.

16. Jayson Tatum
    JT moves different out there on the parquet floor, from the lethal step back and sidestep threes to the sheer dominance every time the rock touches his hands. That’s what happens when you’re mentored by none other than the Mamba.

17. Vince Carter
    Once Vince Carter got within eyesight of that line, it was over before it had even begun.

18. Zion Williamson
    You can’t be contained when the limits never existed. The same goes in the paint, or anywhere on the floor, when it comes to Zion Williamson. 

19. Penny Hardaway
    One of the greatest guards ever. That spin fake into a stepback, move? Pure magic.

20. Luka Doncic
    Luka plays at his own pace while completely dominating in the process. Different.

21. Dominique Wilkins
    With legs like propellers and arms that could absorb contact, Nique had underrated shot-making ability that went along with his otherworldly athleticism. 

22. Grant Hill 
    Versatility in a human being. Grant Hill was a threat to score from all three levels.

23. Elgin Baylor
    Surrender the skies to Elgin Baylor. Aerially gifted with merciless finishes at the rim.

24. George Gervin
    Smooth, refined, patient, disciplined and measured. Ice’s game was where fundamental met flash.

25. Alex English
    Nobody scored more points in the 1980s than Alex English. Nobody.

26. Joe Johnson
    His nickname is Iso Joe. Nothing more needs to be said.

27. Bradley Beal
    Bradley Beal technically has a perfect jumpshot. Pair that exquisite form with his handles and the result is a scoring machine.

28. Klay Thompson
    One of the best shooters ever is also a big body that precisely clamps players of all heights and weights.

29. Gary Payton
    Possibly the best perimeter defender to ever play, Gary Payton could also get to the tin whenever he wanted.

30. Jamal Crawford
    Jamal Crawford is creativity unleashed through instinct and intellect.

6-9 AND UP

1. Shaquille O’Neal
   The most physically dominant player ever. Realistically, there’s nobody stopping the Diesel.

2. Kevin Durant
   Size, skills, smarts. There have been very few other players that are more offensively complete than Kevin Durant.

3. LeBron James
   The case can be made that LeBron James is the best player ever. Full stop.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
   Try guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo without any help defense. Get the picture?

5. Kevin Garnett
   The only part of Kevin Garnett’s game that outshined his skills on both sides of the ball was his competitiveness, a trait that’s gone nearly unmatched throughout history.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon
   Possibly the best two-way center ever, who dominated with equal doses of agility and nimbleness, power and force.

7. David Robinson
   Dunks and jumpers with the left, blocks and steals with both of his hands and a compressed trampoline in his right leg, David Robinson’s basketball IQ was just as ridiculous as his athletic capabilities.

8. Karl Malone
   Brute strength. Left side of the post to the right side of the hoop every single time. Never could be stopped.

9. Wilt Chamberlain
   Scored 100 points in a game, averaged 50 points for a season and if blocks and steals were tallied when he played, Wilt Chamberlain’s mythic status would be even greater than it already is.

10. Joel Embiid
    Joel Embiid is a guard stuck inside a 7-2, 280-pound body.

11. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    The author of the game’s most unstoppable shot, its leading scorer and a shot-blocking terror.

12. Larry Bird
    Larry Bird was so good at scoring that he would tell bigger, stronger and more athletic defenders exactly what he planned to do with the ball and they still couldn’t contain him.

13. Anthony Davis
    Middies, catch-and-shoot threes, barrels to the rim, pick-and-roll ball containment, weakside shot-blocking and passing lane invader properly describes Anthony Davis.  

14. Moses Malone
    Quite possibly the most underrated great in NBA history, Moses Malone was unstoppable from the block and even if he did miss, he’d consume offensive rebounds with such ferocity that the ensuing putbacks would be uncontested.

15. Dirk Nowitzki
    It’s real when a singular shot is credited to a player. Basketball now has the one-legged fadeaway thanks to Dirk Nowitzki.

Subscribe to the official podcast of the basketball bible, SLAM’s “No Pump Fakes.”

Follow host Theus McBee on Instagram @theuselijah and Ahmad Smith, @akisnba.

The post SLAM’s Official Top 75 Greatest 1-on-1 NBA Players of All Time List appeared first on SLAM.

Ingram told reporters that everything was flowing, and the whole team felt connected on the floor.

“Everything was flowing,” Ingram said per ESPN. “Everybody was effective on the floor, all five. All five made something happen, whether it was offensively or defensively. We were really connected today.”

Ingram finished 13-21 shooting from the field and 3-3 from three-point range. In the third quarter, Ingram tweaked his ankle and continued to play. At some points of the game, you can see him grimacing while continuing to lead the Pelicans in scoring.

Pelicans Coach Willie Green praised the Ingram, calling his performance one of his best and how proud he was of Ingram.

“This is one of his best and it was on a big stage. I’m proud of that young man. He works his tail off, he’s a great teammate, high character, high IQ, and he put it on display tonight.”

The Pelicans team shot 57 percent from the three-point range. CJ McCollum shot 6-10 from three and assisted Ingram with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.

The Pelicans look to take a 2-1 series lead against the No. 1 Suns in Game 3 on Friday.

The post Brandon Ingram Leads Pelicans Past Suns With 37 points in Game 2 appeared first on SLAM.

After a stellar 31-point first half, Booker exited the game with right hamstring tightness in the third quarter while Phoenix trailed 77-74.

During a press conference, Suns Coach Monty Williams told reporters that the injury happened as he was tracking Jaxson Hayes down on defense.

“It happened on a play during transition, and that’s where I think it happened,” Williams said. “Other than that, we don’t have much say about it, but it is a hamstring injury.

Booker missed multiple games early in the season with a hamstring injury. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, he returned to the sidelines in his warmup suit and did not re-enter the game.

Without its leading scorer, the Suns took an early lead in the fourth quarter; however, big shots from Pelicans stars CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram caused Phoenix to struggle defensively without Booker on the floor.

Williams told the press that the transition defense was the most significant difference once Booker was ruled out in the fourth quarter.

“Transition defense, it was probably for us the worst we ever looked in transition defense since I been here. For that to happen in a playoff was a bit unsettling for everyone. Our guys have to understand this team is going to play hard, as we seen in the third quarter. We missed a shot, and they were taking off, so that was a bit deflating, and they got hot from three. The transition defensive balance was not there at any level for us tonight.”

Game 3 will be played Friday, April 22, in New Orleans.

The post Monty Williams On Transition Defense Without Devin Booker: ‘Worst We Ever Looked in Transition Defense’ appeared first on SLAM.

After CJ McCollum stole the headlines in the first play-in games scoring 32 points in their win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, it was Brandon Ingram who started the game on fire, scoring 16 of New Orleans’ 30 first-quarter points.

Brandon Ingram wasted no time getting it going in the #MetaQuestPlayIn, dropping 16 of the @PelicansNBA 30 points in Q1! #WBD

16 PTS (8/9 FGM) pic.twitter.com/JAHszGGw6L

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2022

After slowing down slightly in the second quarter, BI was huge in the third quarter when the Clippers took their biggest lead of the game at 75-62. Ingram then dropped in five of the Pelicans’ final 12 points to make the lead manageable going into the final frame at 84-74.

When Coach Willie Green gave his team his marching orders, Ingram responded and went outplayed great defense that helped spark an 11-0 run to even the game at 88 apiece.

“You’ve got to fight!”

Head Coach Willie Green’s message to the Pelicans heading into the 4th QTR pic.twitter.com/vSFjwXbJni

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 16, 2022

The Duke product finished with 30 points (14-21 shooting), six rebounds, and six assists. His final assist sealed the game faced with a frantic Clippers double team to Jonas Valanciunas under the basket as time was running out to send New Orleans to the playoffs.

THE PELS ARE HEADED TO THE PLAYOFFS.

BI: 30 PTS | 6 AST | 67% FGM
Larry Nance: 14 PTS | 16 REB
CJ: 19 PTS | 3 AST
Trey Murphy: 14 PTS | 67% 3PM

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/J0m1aA7Fin

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 16, 2022

After the game, Willie Green had a lot to say about the star of the game, calling him “The Truth.”

“Brandon Ingram is The Truth…He has been waiting for this moment…He’s all you want and more in a player and a person”@PelicansNBA Head Coach Willie Green had high praise for @B_Ingram13 after their #MetaQuestPlayIn win. #WBD pic.twitter.com/5Jf26UECqn

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2022

The Pelicans face the top-seeded Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

The post Pelicans Are In the Playoffs Thanks To A Big Night From Brandon Ingram appeared first on SLAM.

With the win, the Pelicans get the right to face the Los Angeles Clippers in Crypto.com Arena on Friday night. The winner qualifies as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will play the No. 1 seed, Phoenix Suns, in the first round.

Before the game, all of the attention was on Zion Williamson and his pregame workouts that featured this acrobatic 360 masterpiece.

Zion casually ripping down a 360 pic.twitter.com/JnhoU0bdjZ

— NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2022

But when the game started, the sellout crowd in the Smoothie King Center focused their attention on their newest franchise player CJ McCollum, who was the difference in keeping a very balanced Spurs team at bay.

“He was great,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of McCollum’s importance, per ESPN. “He set the tone early. He understood the moment, and it sort of calmed the rest of the guys down. We just got the ball to him, and he made play after play, score after score, and then the rest of the guys that just started to feed off CJ.”

Nothing illustrated that point more than when Brandon Ingram went to the bench with three fouls in the first half. McCollum spearheaded a 14-4 run over the final 3:36 of the half with two three-pointers and two layups to put the Pelicans up 61-50.

McCollum made 10 of his first 12 shots, including 2-3 from long range, to drop 27 first-half points and finished the night with a game-high 32 points.

@CJMcCollum was RED HOT in the first half scoring 27 points on 10/12 FGM! #WBD

The @PelicansNBA will now advance in the #MetaQuestPlayIn to face the LA Clippers with the 8th seed in the West on the line!

PELICANS vs. CLIPPERS
Friday, April 15th at 10pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/cllyfGpdFH

— NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2022

New Orleans counts on the Lehigh product for his veteran leadership, which he acknowledged after the game in his press conference.

“I was just trying to be locked in and aggressive early,” McCollum said. “The playoffs is a lot of antics, a lot of momentum plays, a lot of back and forth. You’ve got to be stable and mentally locked in to withstand a certain level of (chaos). … There’s going to be a lot of winning in our future.”

McCollum had plenty of help as well. When San Antonio made their late run, Ingram shook off his early foul trouble to finish with 27 points, including two huge jumpers. He started the Pelicans’ in-game dunk contest with this monster dunk over Zach Collins.

THE CROWD WENT ABSOLUTELY WILD FOR THIS B.I. POSTER

: @ESPNNBA
: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/oco71BIHWd

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 14, 2022

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

By the end of the game, the only dunk that the crowd was going crazy over was Herb Jones’ baseline slam matching Ingram’s to put the game away.

.@_hoopinglife got UP!

: @ESPNNBA
: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/WiZ7H4RozG

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 14, 2022

This victory ends New Orleans’ postseason drought that started back in 2018.

The post CJ McCollum Shines As the New Orleans Pelicans Eliminate San Antonio appeared first on SLAM.

It was a reminder to both Williams—the youngest VP of the National Basketball Players Association—and women across the sports landscape of why the efforts of organizations like the NBPA are so vital. 

“We have to support our players because we want the best products on the court,” Williams tells us via Zoom. “See how it goes and see that the value of not only the W but how the value of the brand of the WNBA will grow.”

From the moment Williams stepped into the League out of Tennessee, the 23-year-old has been devoted to making the landscape easier to traverse for future players while growing their individual brands at the same time. 

As a rookie during the Players Association’s annual winter meeting during the 2019-20 season, Williams ran for a VP role in the executive committee against Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyrie Irving. Ultimately losing out to the now Brooklyn guard, Williams’ run planted the seeds within the minds of the Board of Representatives of the unique vision he could bring to the role. 

CJ McCollum, Andre Iguodala and Chris Paul all came up to Williams at the end of the meeting, expressing their support for the youngster and for his passion. “Don’t stop running, we would love to have you on this exec committee,” he recalls them saying.

Next thing he knew, Paul’s three-year term had come to an end, with McCollum consequently filling his shoes as the PA’s next president, leaving his VP seat vacated. 

This time around, Williams received five nominations: CP3, CJ, Andre, Jaylen Brown and one other vote. 

Since last August, Williams has been directly involved with the setup and installation of the social justice committee, which came out of the 2020 Bubble’s social movements and protests. Grant’s focus isn’t on what he can do for the players now. “It’s, What can I do for you when your career is done? What can I do for you when you first get into the League?”

“I’ve just been trying my best to learn and absorb all the information possible, but also impact and speak on my opinion and voice the issues of not only the younger players, but also players who are not in a position of the superstars, and the ones that make millions of dollars already,” Williams adds. 

He’s relatively new to the inner workings of the NBA, like dealing directly with the League office and the players he doesn’t yet have relationships with, but this new landscape has provided Williams opportunities to grow as a leader.

“If I can’t figure it out myself, I’m gonna find someone who can,” he says. “If I can’t help you out today, I’m gonna find a way to help you tomorrow. I feel like servant leadership. I feel like as a man, I’ve really embraced it.”

“Whether it’s the NBA, whether it’s mentoring, I feel like these are all things that are very valuable for the next generation. Because we’ve set ourselves up well as NBA players to make generational wealth,” Williams says. “Now it’s about helping those around us to do the same.” 

Photo Credit Richard Brooks NBPA and via Getty Images.

The post How Celtics’ Grant Williams is Making His Voice Heard as VP of the NBPA’s Executive Committee appeared first on SLAM.

The NBA has implemented a play-in tournament to decide the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference. This gives the top ten teams in the East and West a chance to make it into the postseason. 

Each conference will have a short tournament that showcases the eighth through tenth seeds. In a single-game two round event, the seventh and eighth seeds can make the playoffs with one win. The ninth and tenth seeds need to win twice in order to advance to the playoffs. 

In the Western Conference, a matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans (No. 9) and San Antonio Spurs (No. 10) will take place on April 13 at 9:30 PM ET. 

The winner of this game will advance to the final round of the play-in tournament against the loser of the matchup between the seventh and eighth seed for one final shot to make it into the postseason. The loser will be eliminated and officially begin their offseason. 

New Orleans finished the season with a 36-46 record, good for the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Over their last ten games, the Pelicans have been .500 which is good relative to the rest of the season.

Getting to the rim often, New Orleans draws a ton of fouls and are top-five in the NBA at getting to the line. The Pelicans should hope this game doesn’t turn into a shootout, as they don’t take or make many shots from beyond the arc. 

Since trading for CJ McCollum back in early February, the Pelicans have looked like a different team. Despite being without Zion Williamson, New Orleans has gone 15-14 since that trade occurred. 

The Spurs finished the season as the No. 10 seed in the West with a record of 34-47. Winning huge games down the stretch to make the play-in tournament, San Antonio won seven of its final 11 contests. 

One of the most well coached teams in the league, the Spurs play very disciplined. This will be important in this game against the Pelicans. On the flip side, they struggle from the free throw line which could be important late in the game if it’s a close contest. 

Since the All-Star break, the Spurs have been much improved, being roughly a .500 team since that milestone. 

These teams played four times this season, with the Spurs winning the season series 3-1. The Pelicans and Spurs matched up twice in March, splitting those two contests. Outside of the most recent game between these two teams, every outcome was very lopsided. 

The duo of McCollum and Brandon Ingram will be fascinating in this matchup. They’ll need to be effective offensively to combat the versatility that Dejounte Murray brings to the Spurs’ offense.

The post 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament: New Orleans Pelicans Match Up With San Antonio Spurs appeared first on SLAM.

Those absences have opened the door for one of the G League’s top scorers to get an opportunity in the NBA.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pelicans had signed Tyrone Wallace to a 10-day contract with the team.

Wallace has been applying his trade in the G League with the Long Island Nets, where over 16 games, he’s averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. As Wojnarowski notes, over his last 11 games, he’s averaged 27 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

This won’t be Wallace’s first shot in the League, as he has played three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers since being drafted out of Cal in 2016. Wallace has played in 106 career games over three seasons, two with the Clippers and one with the Atlanta Hawks, and has averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.

Wallace hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019, though, last suiting up for the Hawks on Dec. 4, 2019. Since then, Wallace has been applying his trade exclusively in the G League for the Nets, Agua Caliente Clippers, and the College Park Skyhawks.

The Pelicans (27-39) are a team on the fringes of the playoffs at the moment, holding on to the 10th seed and the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games ahead of the 11th place Portland Trail Blazers.

Wallace will get his first chance to help his new team on Friday night when the Pelicans take on the Charlotte Hornets (32-35) at home.

The post REPORT: Pelicans Sign Tyrone Wallace to 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

Unfinished business. That’s the only thought that will be on Josiah Harris’ mind until the end of March. Having turned down options to leave The Land to attend any prep school in the country, he only has one goal on his list at the moment: a state championship.

“I just felt like this year is the year to bring a state championship back to Richmond, and we definitely have the pieces to do it,” the Richmond Heights senior, who has previously reached the Final Four, explains. “Coach Q [Quentin Rogers] and the coaching staff can get me prepared to go to West Virginia and can definitely get me right.” 

Originally from Canton, OH, Harris attended GlenOak HS his freshman year and was next in line to follow CJ McCollum, Errick McCollum and Kosta Koufos as that next dude out. Ultimately, his family decided to move to Cleveland to be closer to his grandmother for his sophomore campaign, and the love that the city has shown Josiah ever since hasn’t gone unnoticed. “The community is much more tight-knit [in Cleveland],” he says, “and the basketball environment is much better with everyone coming out to support the program.”

When it came to college options, the 6-7 forward with a 7-1 wingspan had his pick. He chose to play for Bob Huggins at West Virginia over Ohio State, Virginia Tech and a myriad of others. It was the love that the coaching staff and fans showed when he visited campus that made him pick Morgantown in the end.

“My relationship with the coaches, and then once I saw the atmosphere there myself, it was absolutely amazing,” he recalls. “Having the whole state come out to support you and having such a winning culture made me want to be a part of it.”

In today’s positionless era, Josiah is a dream for any coach. He uses his long wingspan to routinely lock down four different positions defensively. If you throw a smaller guy on him, he’s going to take you to the block. If you put a bigger guy on him, he’s going to face you up on the perimeter and go to work.

Harris agrees, telling SLAM he’s going to bring his “versatility and being able to play just about any position on the floor. I can post up smaller defenders, then take bigger ones off the dribble.”

Running on the AAU circuit with All Ohio Red in the EYBL has prepared him to step in and make an immediate impact in the Big 12. He led the squad in both scoring and rebounding, playing against the nation’s finest all summer. Quentin Rogers, former coach of AOR and now the head coach at Richmond, believes that the range Josiah showed defensively will be his calling card as his offense follows. 

“Buying into defense will help him get on the floor earlier [at WVU] as opposed to his offense,” says Rogers, who has coached the likes of Jared Sullinger, Terry Rozier and Caris LeVert. “He’s a very inquisitive player who is real knowledgeable and an absolute sponge.”

Aside from being a talented hooper, Josiah has put in just as much work in the classroom. Owning over a 4.0 GPA at press time, he’s set to graduate with his Bachelor’s degree in communications from WVU by the time he’s 19.

“I’ve taken all college classes since my sophomore year and got my associate’s degree at the end of my junior year,” says Harris, who has gone to school on a college campus since he was 15. “I am working toward my Bachelor’s degree now and should have it finished by the end of my freshman year.” 

SLAM Presents All-Star Vol 2: The Land is available now!

Portraits Courtney Payton.

The post West Virginia Commit Josiah Harris is Transcending on the Court and in the Classroom appeared first on SLAM.

McCollum spoke again on Thursday after practice to defend his new teammate, saying Williamson is just taking time to rehab and that people need to “Leave the young fella alone.”

McCollum is a new arrival in New Orleans, getting sent south by the Portland Trail Blazers at the NBA’s trade deadline. The trade was a big one, as Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell joined McCollum in New Orleans. The Pelicans sent back Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, a 2022 first-round pick, and two future second-round picks.

Since joining the Pelicans, McCollum has put up tough numbers, averaging 28.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in his first five outings for New Orleans. McCollum spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Blazers, putting up 19.0 points and 3.4 assists per game over his career.

Williamson has yet to join McCollum on the court, as he has spent the season out injured, recovering from a foot injury suffered during the preseason. In his brief appearances for New Orleans thus far, Williamson has been dynamic, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 boards, and 3.2 dimes per game to go along with an All-Star appearance last season.

The Pelicans will need him back soon, too, as they make a final push for a play-in spot. New Orleans sits at 12th in the Western Conference with a 23-36 record.

The post CJ McCollum Backs Zion Williamson: ‘Leave the Young Fella Alone’ appeared first on SLAM.

After a heartbreaking series of trades involving longtime backcourt partner CJ McCollum and a few other important star role pieces apart of the Blazers team, Dame made it known that his loyalty remains with the Blazers.

The star duo had been together since 2013-2014 but hadn’t reached the peak of their potential until McCollum’s MIP season back in 2015-2016. Despite making the playoffs every season since acquiring McCollum, hardships always presented themselves in the postseason.

Following the trade that sent McCollum, Larry Nance Jr, and Tony Snell to the Pelicans, Trail Blazers insider Casey Holdhal spoke with Lillard about the current state of the franchise and how he is handling his surgical recovery on his abdominal injury.

“For me, my heart is Portland Trail Blazer. I want to win it. I know that I have a plan that’s going to put me on my best level when I come back to play. And I want our team to fit that,” Lillard said per Blazers.com. “I’m just waiting patiently to let things unfold and allow him to execute his plan. Once we get there and we see what that looks like and what that is, then I’ll have, I guess, more feelings than I have now, but you’ve got to allow him to do his job and see what that finished product is. That’s just where I am.” Blazers.com.

Lillard told Holdahl that he and McCollum had had conversations in the past about how their breakup could be imminent.

“This is something that me and C, we talked about it over the years, like, this being a possibility,” Lillard said. “But time went on, we both knew that it’s going to come a point where we might not be a backcourt anymore, whether that was him getting traded or me getting traded.

Being that the six-time All-Star has been in and out of the lineup this season with an abdominal injury, it is still unclear when, or if, Lillard will return this season.

The post Damian Lillard: ‘My Heart Remains With the Trail Blazers’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Trail Blazers are waiving center Cody Zeller, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA. Blazers needed to clear one roster spot to make room for players acquired in New Orleans trade. Zeller had surgery on his right knee on Jan. 25 and was scheduled to be evaluated 8-10 weeks after.

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) February 9, 2022

Zeller had been out since January 25th after undergoing surgery to repair a right patellar avulsion fracture, which has cost more than 20 games this season. After signing a free-agent contract with Portland last offseason, he’s played 27 games with averages of 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench.

Before coming to the Blazers, Zeller was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft of the Charlotte Hornets and averaged 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 22.7 minutes. He averaged double figures three times, with his best season coming in 2019-20, when he averaged a career-high in points (11.1) and rebounds (7.1).

However, Zeller’s injury issues have stunted his career, costing him substantial playing time in several seasons. Since playing every game as a rookie, he has never played more than 62 games in a season while averaging just 50 games in his last five seasons.

The post REPORT: Portland Trail Blazers Waive Veteran Center Cody Zeller appeared first on SLAM.

TRADES:

The Lakers and Knicks didn’t make any moves according to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers will reportedly be focusing on the buyout market.

No deal for the Lakers, source tells ESPN. THey’ll focus on the buyout market.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

Houston is trading Daniel Theis to the Celtics for Dennis Schroder, Bruno Fernando, and Enis Freedom. Freedom has been waived by the Rockets.

Boston is sending guard Dennis Schroder to the Rockets in the deal, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/4RFdjoULq3

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Wizards are trading Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis.

The Wizards will send Davis Bertans in deal too, source tells ESPN. Mavericks send a second-round pick to Wizards. https://t.co/RJdybUd0Lw

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Wizards are flipping Montrezl Harrell for Charlotte’s Vernon Carey and Ish Smith.

Charlotte is acquiring Washington center Montrezl Harrell for Vernon Carey and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Pacers are reportedly working on a deal to send Torrey Craig to the Suns for Jalen Smith.

The Celtics will acquire Derrick White from the Spurs.

Romeo Langford and Josh Richardson are included in the deal to the Spurs.

The Celtics are trading PJ Dozier and Bol Bol to the Magic for a future second-round pick.

The Celtics are trading PJ Dozier and Bol Bol, a future second and cash to the Magic for a future second-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Dozier and Bol are both out for the season. Cost-savings for Boston.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Spurs are working on a trade for Goran Dragic and are expected to buy out his contract. The Mavericks, Bucks, Bulls, and Clippers are reportedly interested in the Dragons services. Thad Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 second-round pick are headed to the Raptors.

The Raptors are trading Dragic and protected 2022 first-round picks to the Spurs for Thad Young, Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round pick via Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Pick is protected 1-14 in 2022; 1-13 in 2023 and would turn into two seconds beyond that. https://t.co/SN0sFyVurm

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

The Bucks have traded Rodney Hood and Semi Ojele to the Clippers, Serge Ibaka to the Bucks, Donte DiVencenco to the Kings and Marvin Bagley is headed to the Pistons on Thursday according to Woj.

ESPN Sources:
Full trade participants:
Kings: Donte DiVincenzo, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson.
Bucks: Serge Ibaka, two future second-round picks, cash.
Clippers: Rodney Hood, Semi Ojele.
Pistons: Marvin Bagley Jr.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 10, 2022

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz is receiving Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Juancho Hernangomez of the Spurs in a three-way deal. Spurs receive Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, and the Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, and a second-round selection.

The Utah Jazz are acquiring guard Portland’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Spurs’ Juancho Hernangomez in a three-way deal, sources tell ESPN. The Spurs gets guard Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick, and the Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes and a second-round pick.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2022

The Pacers are sending Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. 

Jeremy Lamb AND Justin Holiday. https://t.co/0GbRwKcRBP

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

The Pelicans receive CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, and Tony Snell in a trade with the Blazers. Portland gets Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Didi Louzada, and a protected first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

Full trade, per sources:
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

The Pacers trade Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick from Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick from Houston, and a 2027 second-round pick from Utah.

Full trade: Indiana sends Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-round pick via Miami to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio, lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick via Houston and a 2027 second-round pick via Utah, per sources.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2022

The Clippers and the Blazers agreed to a trade last week. The Clippers move Eric Bledsoe, Justice Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington. 

The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022

RUMORS:

REPORT: James Harden is pushing for a trade to Philadelphia by ‘screaming in every way he possibly can,’ to get out of Brooklyn.

James Harden is pushing for a trade and is ‘screaming in every way he possibly can’ to get out of Brooklyn, per @WindhorstESPN. https://t.co/D7l2VI9IZq pic.twitter.com/GcFCoivKjF

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 9, 2022

REPORT: Philadelphia refuses to include Maxey in any deal, causing Brooklyn to counter with an asking price of Simmons, Curry, Thybulle, and Drummond. Philadelphia is hesitant to have Curry, though Mills would reportedly end up in Philadelphia.

Update: Sixers have refused to include Tyrese Maxey in any deal with Brooklyn. Nets have countered with an asking price of Simmons, Curry, Thybulle, and Drummond. Sixers are hesitant to include Curry. Any deal would likely send Patty Mills to Philly aside from Harden.

— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) February 9, 2022

Brooklyn needs to see Curry in the deal alongside Simmons for them to be willing to move Harden.

This is from Sunday night’s BS Podcast and nothing has changed — Brooklyn wants Seth in any Harden deal. (And Embiid loves playing with Curry.) pic.twitter.com/sTD2vyY1co

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 9, 2022

Teams around the League think a deal between Philadelphia and Brooklyn is close to being done and that it would open the ‘floodgates’ if the agreement were to be done before tomorrow’s deadline.

It sounds like rival teams think a deal between Brooklyn and Philadelphia may be getting close. One team told me “They’ve kind of put other talks on hold. If that deal finally happens, then the floodgates will open around the league for a lot more to happen.”

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 9, 2022

Philadelphia has talked to Oklahoma City about Tobias Harris, though it may be a ploy to put more pressure on Brooklyn to trade Harden before tomorrow’s deadline.

Now arrives another stretch of uncertainty, with the trade deadline approaching Thursday afternoon and sources telling The Inquirer that the Sixers have explored trading Tobias Harris. https://t.co/Kv6MEFjDDh

— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) February 9, 2022

Buddy Hield may not end up in Indiana after claims of Pacers opening to flipping him to another team before the Thursday deadline.

Small trade note: As of now — and everything can change in the next 26 hours — the Indiana Pacers do not plan to trade Buddy Hield despite some interest from other teams, sources tell ESPN.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) February 9, 2022

Detroit is listening to offers for Jerami Grant but may wait until the offseason to move him. Detroit wants two first-rounders in exchange for Grant, and the Portland Trail Blazers have shown the most interest. 

Pistons Listening To Offers On Jerami Grant, Could Wait Until Offseason For Trade https://t.co/nImk0qLAHF

— RealGM (@RealGM) February 9, 2022

The post LIVE: NBA Trade Deadline Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

The Denver Nuggets are one team still involved in trade talks, and according to reports from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, guard Facundo Campazzo, and forward JaMychal Green is considered “available.”

“JaMychal Green and Facundo Campazzo are considered available for trade-in Denver,” Fischer said.

Graan and Campazzo are a pair of bench contributors for Denver, with only 11 starts combined between the two players.

Campazzo is in his second season in the NBA after spending several years in Europe with Real Madrid, playing for the Spanish club from 2014 to 2020. In his second season since joining Denver, Campazzo has averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 assists in 20.1 minutes per game.

Green is in his eighth season in the NBA but his second with the Nuggets, and he is averaging 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game. In his eight years in the League, Green has played for four teams, the Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers.

This season, the Nuggets have already gotten involved in the trade market, taking part in a three-team trade with the Spurs and Boston Celtics. The trade sent center Bol Bol and the injured P.J. Dozier to the Celtics, and the Spurs received forward Juancho Hernangomez and a Nuggets’ 2028 second-round pick. The Nuggets received guard Bryn Forbes.

The NBA trade deadline is in just a couple of days, with no trades permitted after Thursday, Feb. 10 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

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According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Grant is now considered “unlikely” to be traded in the coming days due to the high asking price from the Pistons front office.

“Despite widespread interest in Jerami Grant… it seems unlikely any rival team will be willing or able to meet Detroit’s lofty asking price of multiple first-round picks,” Fischer wrote.

Fischer reports that Grant has interest from several teams in the league including, “Washington, Los Angeles, Utah, Chicago, Minnesota, and others.”

While it may be unlikely for Grant to be traded before the trade deadline, Fischer adds that Detroit will likely revisit the possibility of moving the forward at the 2022 NBA Draft despite general manager Troy Weaver wishing to keep Grant on the roster during the rebuild.

“Grant has a strong relationship with Piston’s general manager Troy Weaver, and there have been clear indications of Weaver’s interest in keeping Grant entrenched within Detroit’s rebuild, sources said. If Grant is not dealt before the deadline, there remains a strong possibility the Pistons will revisit Grant trade scenarios around the NBA draft,” Fischer wrote.

Grant is on his second season with the Pistons, where he has had arguably the two best seasons of his career despite the Pistons’ poor form. In his two seasons in Detroit, Grant has averaged 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in 82 total games.

Over Grant’s eight-year NBA career thus far, he has played for four teams; the Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder. In those eight seasons, Grant has averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

The Pistons have struggled tremendously this season despite Grant’s high scoring average, holding the second-worst record in the NBA of 12-41, only better than the Orlando Magic’s 12-43 record.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 10, at 3:00 p.m. EST.

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On Tuesday night, the NBA announced the eight players participating in the All-Star weekend three-point contest.

It’s a list of participants all seeking a first three-point contest championship, with most of the players participating in the event for the first time in their careers.

CJ McCollum and Zach LaVine are the veterans of the contest, with each having participated in two prior three-point contests. Trae Young is the only other player of the eight to have participated in a previous three-point contest, and this will be his second.

Karl Anthony-Towns, Fred VanVleet, LaVine, and Young, will also be playing in the All-Star Game the following night.

Patty Mills is the oldest player in the group at 33 years old, and there’s no question he can shoot the rock as a career 39.2 percent three-point shooter and is shooting 42.4 percent from distance so far this season. On the flip side, Desmond Bane – who is in his second NBA season – is the contest’s least experienced player but is shooting 42.1 percent from deep over his career.

Luke Kennard, though, maintains the highest three-point percentage of the eight players this season, knocking down 40.8 percent of his shots beyond the arc this season. Every player on the field is shooting better than 38 percent from three this season.

In addition to the three-point contest, the NBA also announced the dunk contest participants and skill challenge participants.

The NBA All-Star weekend begins on Friday, Feb. 18, with the three-point contest taking place on Saturday, Feb. 19, and the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 20.

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Full trade, per sources:
Blazers: Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Didi Louzada, 2022 protected first-round pick, two second-round picks.
Pelicans: CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2022

According to multiple reports, the Blazers add Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada, and a protected 2022 first round draft pick. The Pelicans receive McCollum, Larry Nance, and Tony Snell.

The Blazers were active in the trade market recently after moving Norman Powell and Robert Covington but remain in the mix to improve their team. The McCollum deal comes hot off the heels of reports coming out that the Trail Blazers were considering options from the Knicks as well as the Pelicans.

Acquiring McCollum can be a positive addition to their offense thanks to his sublime shooting and underrated playmaking abilities as a passer and shot creator. It’ll help alleviate the pressure of scoring and playmaking on not only Brandon Ingram but Zion Williamson once he completes his rehab from a foot injury he suffered in the offseason.

Removing McCollum would also open the door for Anfernee Simons, who has broken out in his fourth year with Portland. The 22-year-old guard averages 15.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Moving Powell helped open up more minutes for Simons, and doing so with McCollum would help create a spot in the starting lineup that Simons could fill.

A Lillard-Simons backcourt could help inject the energy that Blazers need to make a run for a play-in spot similar to what they did in the 2020 Orlando Bubble.

The next time Portland plays is Tuesday against the Orlando Magic at home.

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The Clippers are trading Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson and future second-round pick to the Trail Blazers for Norman Powell and Robert Covington, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2022

Powell and Covington’s pure shooting prowess and defensive capabilities will aid Ty Lue’s undermanned Clippers roster with Paul George sidelined with a torn UCL and Kawhi Leonard’s rehab from a torn ACL. The 6’3 guard from UCLA is averaging a career second-best 18.7 points per game while shooting a scintillating 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.

At the same time, Covington’s three-and-D ability off the bench provides the eighth-seeded Clippers with another solid rotational player.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that the emergence of Anfernee Simons’ game in the absence of Damian Lillard had given the Blazers the confidence to move on from Powell’s long-term five-year $90 million deal, providing George and Leonard with a proven two-way bucket getter.

For Portland, the terms of the deal allow them to slip under the luxury tax bill and create a $6.5 million trade exception that is good for a whole year, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. In comparison, Los Angeles’ tax bill increases by approximately $19 million.

Both players dealt by Portland were brought in over the past two seasons, trading Trevor Ariza and two first-rounders to the Rockets for the 6-foot-9 Covington at the start of the 2020-21 season. The Blazers acquired Powell from the Toronto Raptors during last season’s trade deadline for Gary Trent Jr.

Alongside Dame and CJ McCollum, Powell has started out of position at the three despite being one of the Blazers’ most consistent offensive threats.

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On Thursday, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Lillard had successful surgery on his abdomen and was in good spirits. Haynes also said that Lillard is expected to be out another 5-6 weeks before the team re-evaluates.

Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have not had the season that they likely expected heading into the 2021-22 season. Not only has Lillard been in and out of the lineup, but so has CJ McCollum. Numerous teammates have been in and out of COVID-19 protocols as well. Coach Chauncey Billups and the Blazers are still adjusting to each other. The Blazers also fired longtime general manager Neil Olshey after being investigated for office harassment.

Lillard, who reportedly had been dealing with the abdomen injury since the start of the season, has also not had the season he’s become accustomed to. Before the injury, Lillard was averaging 24.0 points and 7.3 assists per game but doing so on a career-worst 40.2 field goal percentage and 32.4 three-point percentage.

Portland is currently 10th in the west with an unimpressive record of 16-25, only six games ahead of the Western Conference’s worst Houston Rockets. On Saturday, the Blazers are on the road and will play the Wizards (22-20).

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“My thing to the guys was like, I’ve been here before, we’ve been here before. It’s not ideal. You don’t want to keep telling yourselves in the locker room, ‘Alright, We’ve got to keep pushing; it’s going to get better.’ You know, it’s a situation that we have to make better,” Lillard said. “We have to do things better. And that starts with me.”

After missing the previous five games with an abdominal injury, Lillard returned to the lineup and recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists on 5-for-17 shooting from the field. According to The Oregonian’s Aaron Fentress, Lillard took a cortisone shot to speed up his return to the court.

Head coach Chauncey Billups noted Lillard’s noticeable off-shooting night, 3-14 from three, resulted from a lack of basketball reps that Lillard has been able to go through over the past few weeks.

Since boasting a 53-win season in 2018-19, the Blazers have struggled to stay ahead of an ever-changing and stacked Western Conference. With guard CJ McCollum out for the foreseeable future with a collapsed lung, Lillard is confident he and his squad will turn things around, given all they’ve endured over the years.

On Tuesday night, Lillard and the Blazers will continue their four-game homestand against Phoenix (21-4).

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According to ESPN’s top NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, Damian Lillard is unavailable. New interim general manager Joe Cronin plans to execute the franchise’s goals of building around their All-Star.

Lillard has repeatedly expressed his commitment to want to remain in Portland on his current long-term contract, and interim GM Joe Cronin has also expressed a strong commitment to continue building the franchise around the All-NBA guard.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 10, 2021

Instead, the Blazers tried to discuss another deal that included possibly moving guard CJ McCollum instead but were quickly rebuffed.

Simmons has not suited up to play for the Sixers this season after requesting a trade shortly after last year’s playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Then after initially refusing to show up for training camp and being fined, he told the team he did not feel mentally ready to play. The Sixers, however, continued to fine Simmons at times throughout this period while refusing any deal that they believed would be a fair return. A hard stance that Philly executive Daryl Morey stated could go on for a long time.

What is being factored in all of the potential Simmons trade talks is the options Philly has on Wednesday. As of December 15, free agents who signed new contracts over the summer are considered eligible to be traded. All told, that’s an additional 106 players or almost 25 percent of the league. According to ESPN, 84 percent of the 446 players are eligible. This potential flexibility explains why Morey and the Sixers were content to play the waiting game. 

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According to sources close to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has expressed interest in playing alongside Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons.

The 11-13 Blazers’ defensive struggles have persisted, ranking 30th in the League in defensive rating (113.3). The acquisition of Simmons would surely invigorate the teams’ defensive ability and mindset, allowing head coach Chauncey Billups to utilize a small-ball lineup capitalizing on what would be their newly acquired athleticism and length on the court.

There were also reports of Lillard growing frustration with the team’s play alongside a rise in tension between the group and Billups. The initial tweet was quote tweeted by a user questioning the report’s validity if it hadn’t come directly from Lillard, to which the six-time All-Star jumped in and cleared the air.

These mfs love drama too damn much. https://t.co/ej15TkAybZ

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) December 6, 2021

Lillard’s production this season has seen a dip as well, averaging 21.5 points and 7.8 assists per game on 39.7 percent shooting from the field. However, an MRI last week confirmed Lillard has been playing with an abdominal injury since capturing gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The pairing between Lillard and Simmons has been rumored for months. In October, the Blazers rejected a trade package including CJ McCollum, three first-round picks, and three pick swaps for Simmons. Following Neil Olshey’s firing after an investigation into workplace harassment, interim general manager Joe Cronin will have a run of the gambit for potential suitors to place around Lillard.

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Portland was out three key players; Damian Lillard (abdominal tendinopathy), Norman Powell (right quad contusion), and Nassir Little (left ankle sprain).

In their stead, McCollum bore the weight, dropping 28 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals in the Blazers 110-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. In his 22nd game with Portland this season, McCollum surpassed Clifford Robinson to become the organization’s 5th all-time leading scorer.

McCollum has now scored 10,425 in his career, needing to score 905 points to overtake Terry Porter, who holds down fourth place with 11,330 points.

Congratulations, @CJMcCollum! pic.twitter.com/x7xIDLYCMC

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 1, 2021

McCollum is averaging 20.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this season. He’s shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Trail Blazers will host the San Antonio Spurs Thursday night.

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In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, McCollum says that the current Blazers roster could absolutely win an NBA Championship.

“I think whenever we step on the court, we have a chance to win a championship,” McCollum says. “If you don’t have that mindset and that mentality, then you shouldn’t play.”

The future of the Blazers has an air of uncertainty heading into the 2021-22 season, after an offseason of rumors surrounding both Lillard and McCollum potentially being traded out of Portland.

Nothing has come of these rumors so far, and it currently looks as though both of them will remain on the team for the start of the season.

The Blazers finished sixth in the Western Conference last season, with a record of 42-30, and were eventually bounced out of the NBA Playoffs in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. Portland has only managed to get past the first round once out of the past five years.

Now under new head coach Chauncey Billups, the Blazers will look to prove McCollum right in the 2021-22 season.

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McCollum succeeds 16-year veteran Chris Paul, who was the president of the NBPA for the previous two terms, beginning in 2013. Prior to being elected, McCollum was already an integral member of the NBPA, serving as a vice president on the NBPA’s executive committee since 2018.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to take over as the new president of the NBPA,” McCollum said. “Chris has done an incredible job over the last 8 years, strengthening the voice of the players as a whole and using his platform to make sure our membership is taken care of on and off the court. I look forward to stepping into this role and to further growing the game so that future players can continue to learn and benefit from the Union’s work.”

Some of Paul’s major accomplishments were transferring the players’ group licensing rights back to the union and the birth of THINK450, the for-profit section of the NBPA that handles those rights for the players. He also was a key figure in the creation and maintenance of the Orlando bubble in 2020 and the subsequent 2020-21 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among McCollum’s major projects will be finding a replacement for Michele Roberts, who has been the Executive Director of the NBPA since 2014. He will have Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, elected as vice president, at his side. 

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All of those accomplishments added up to Duncan Robinson signing the largest contract by an undrafted player in NBA history. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, he’s signed a five-year, $90 million extension this week.

Duncan Robinson – host of the @TheLongshotPod – has agreed to a 5-year, $90M contract to stay with the Miami Heat, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN. The deal, largest ever for an undrafted player, also includes an ETO after the fourth year.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 2, 2021

The Athletic’s John Hollinger reports that even though the market for Robinson was in the $16-$18 million range, the Heat would match the offers for him.

“One thing that seems more clear – League sources expect the price on Duncan Robinson to land in the $18 million a year range, and that the Heat will likely match offers on the restricted free agent at this price point,”

Last season, Robinson averaged 13.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game on the strength of an impressive shooting display of 40.8 percent from behind the three-point line. Duncan finished fifth in the NBA in three-pointers made behind Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, Damian Lillard, and CJ McCollum.

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We’ve broken down each of the Thursday’s matchups below.

No. 3 Nuggets 126, No. 6 Trail Blazers 115

DEN wins series 4-2

While the Nuggets struggled early overall, Michael Porter Jr. kept the team afloat with 22 first quarter points. From there, MVP-favorite Nikola Jokic finished the job with a final line of 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Monte Morris continues to fill Jamal Murray’s void as well as Denver could ask, finishing with 22 points and nine assists off the bench.

For Portland, there will be decisions to be made this offseason as the duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum once again fall short in the playoffs. After the best postseason game of his career earlier this week, Lillard finished with just 28 points in this elimination game, although he dished out 13 assists. The Nuggets will take on the Phoenix Suns in round two of the playoffs.

No. 2 Suns 113, No. 7 Lakers 100

PHX wins series 4-2

Although Anthony Davis returned in Game 6 for the Lakers, he re-aggravated his groin within five minutes of the game and would not return. Devin Booker set the tone early, scoring 22 first-quarter points while the Lakers scored only 14 points as a team in the opening frame. Los Angeles clawed back into the game late, but Phoenix held on.

This marks the first playoffs series win for the Suns in 11 years. It’s well deserved, as Chris Paul and Devin Booker are the perfect duo for the biggest of stages. LeBron James and the defending champion Lakers will head home, as there will officially be a new NBA champ this season. The Suns will take on the Denver Nuggets in round two of the playoffs.

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Lillard, living up to his “Dame Time” moniker, scored two seemingly impossible stepback three-pointers to send the game into the first, and then second, overtime. 

His scoring outburst was also a historical one; he nailed 12 3-pointers in the contest, a playoff record. His 80 combined points from his own baskets and those he assisted on tied another playoff record.

Lastly, his masterpiece was historically efficient. Dame shot 17-24 from the field, and 9-10 from the free-throw line – good for a 96.8 percent true shooting percentage, the highest in playoff history. 

All around the league and on social media, players voiced their utter amazement and respect for Lillard’s performance.

“I had like 4 tweets I wanted to write to describe this MASTERPIECE by Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr, but I am seriously at a loss for words…,” tweeted Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.

“Someone gotta put this Dame Dolla performance in The Louvre!,” wrote Golden State Warriors wing Damion Lee. “This is a masterpiece!”

“It was kind of a pleasure to be on the court just to witness that,” admitted Nuggets leader Nikola Jokic.

“The degree of difficulty in which he hit some of those shots is god-like,” said teammate CJ McCollum.

However, while all across the league those in the NBA community were singing his praises, Lillard shrugged off his accomplishments after the game. Looking to avoid his second consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs, the 30-year-old was more concerned with the fact that his team wasn’t able to pull out the victory.

“Doesn’t matter,” Lillard said of his performance. “We lost the game. I mean, at this point, all that matters is that we can’t lose another game in this series.”

The Blazers and Nuggets play Game 6 on Thursday, June 3 at 8:00 EST.

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We’ve broken down each of the Thursday’s matchups below.

No. 3 Bucks 113, No. 6 Heat 84

MIL leads series 3-0

In Game 3, the Bucks once again took care of business, proving they’re different from their playoff teams of the past. While they’ve mastered regular season success over the past few years, they couldn’t ever get over the hump in the postseason.  

With the addition of Jrue Holiday, this looks like a completely different team on both ends of the floor. Their ceiling appears higher and their role players are stepping up to help their talented trio. At this point, it’s hard to see a world where Miami climbs out of this hole. 

No. 2 Suns 95, No. 7 Lakers 109

LAL leads series 2-1

Thursday night marked the first time LeBron James played a playoff games in Staples Center as the Lakers took on the Suns in Game 3.  As the series continues to shift, the Lakers have all the momentum heading into Game 4 with yet another home game ahead of them and a series lead.

Chris Paul was able to play 27 minutes on Thursday night, which is a promising sign for the Suns. However, he still didn’t look full strength and his numbers showed it. Devin Booker struggled as well, but DeAndre Ayton continues to show flashes of greatness. LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 55 points and 17 rebounds in the win.

No. 3 Nuggets 120, No. 6 Trail Blazers 115

DEN leads series 2-1

Damian Lillard continues to show that he can’t be guarded, but it wasn’t enough Thursday against the Nuggets. He dropped 37 points alongside CJ McCollum who scored 22 points. Portland just couldn’t slow down Denver from beyond the arc, as they converted on 20 3-point attempts.

Nikola Jokic looked like a real MVP, producing 36 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on Thursday night. Recently-acquired Austin Rivers continues to look like a quality pickup as he chipped in 21 points of his own. Even without Jamal Murray, the Nuggets look like the better team in this series.

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Fortunately for Portland — who has managed to notch a 22-16 record (sixth in the Western Conference) in the absence of McCollum, Nurkic, Zach Collins and Harry Giles — All-Star point guard Damian Lillard will have his backcourt mate back soon.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, McCollum will return to the Blazers’ lineup on Tuesday as Portland faces off against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Additionally, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Nurkic intends to return to the team in “approximately two weeks.”

Prior to his foot injury, McCollum was having a career season, averaging 26.7 points, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting .441 from deep. In 12 games, Nurkic was averaging 9.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 steals per contest in what was a down season but still one in which he demonstrated his versatility..

With the addition of McCollum and Nurkic, a steady Portland squad has a chance to surge up the Western Conference standings as their starting lineup and bench will improve significantly.

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Initially, team doctors reported McCollum’s injury as a foot sprain and he didn’t return after halftime. Additional imaging revealed that he has both a mid-foot sprain and a small hairline fracture “to the lateral cuneiform in his left foot,” possibly from when Hawks center Clint Capela stepped on his foot in the first quarter.

McCollum will be fitted with a walking boot and subsequently be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Now in his eighth NBA season, McCollum has gotten off to a sizzling hot start this season, averaging 26.7 points and 5.0 assists on .473 percent shooting from the field and .411 percent shooting from 3-point range. All career-highs.

After getting off to an 8-5 start, the Trail Blazers have dropped to sixth in the Western Conference in their first game without McCollum. They lost to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in a 21-point drubbing.

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After a recent game-winner over the Toronto Raptors, McCollum told Orlando Sanchez of KGW TV in Portland and other members of the media that he is a killer on the court.

“I’m a killer. Figure out ways to eat. That’s what best describes me. Sharks just go hunt. Don’t worry about things. Never worry about how they get next meal. Don’t worry about anything, that’s how I live my life”.

There’s no question that McCollum is motivated this season. After a disappointing 2019-20 campaign for the Trail Blazers, he has been instrumental in their 6-4 start to the 2020-21 season.

The former No. 10 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has still never been named an NBA All-Star, but if he keeps up this level of play, that could certainly change this season. Alongside his running mate Damian Lillard, Portland has perhaps the best guard duo in the NBA right now.

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We’ve broken down the early returns from all players through the end of Wednesday night’s action, highlighting players who have exceeded their 2019-20 production, and broken them off into 30 team-specific tables. You can access any of the league’s squads in the grid below.

Beyond this team-by-team grid is a break down of the process we used to highlight the season’s early surprises and a quick look at some of the players, league-wide, who’ve taken the biggest strides so far in 2020-21.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

2020-21’s Early Risers

Darius Garland (CLE) – The hits keep coming for the second-year guard out of Vanderbilt. After a relatively quiet rookie campaign – his first full season back after a significant injury that prematurely ended his college career – Garland has thrived in Year 2. Garland averaged 12 and 4 in 2019-20 and has pushed those numbers up to 19 and 7 so far this season.

Christian Wood (HOU) – If you’re surprised that Wood has put on a clinic in his first three games with the Houston Rockets, you weren’t paying much attention at the end of the 2019-20 campaign. Wood, with averages of 27 and 8 and an equally dominant preseason showing, has long been the king of producing when given an opportunity. He got that opportunity for a few months in Detroit but has never been as permanent of a situation as he’s in now on a three-year, $40 million contract.

Michael Porter Jr. (DEN) – Porter Jr. showed flashes of what he was capable of during his first year with the Nuggets and then took his game to a new level in the bubble. For that reason, it’s not exactly groundbreaking that the 22-year-old has already shown he’s capable of 20 and 7 production in Year 2. The key thing to watch as MPJ develops in front of our eyes on a legitimate title contender, is how meshes with and without ball dominant guard Jamal Murray.

Nikola Jokic (DEN) – If Jokic’s Wilt Chamberlain-esque turn at the start of 2020-21 isn’t one of the key stories of the new season, I don’t know what is. Through the first four games of the season, Jokic has put up assist numbers of 12, 18, 10 and 14. He’s just toying with teams now. Still, while his 25, 12 and 14 stat line is mind altering, you know the big man would rather have his team at least above .500.

Jerami Grant (DET) – The Denver Nuggets were ready to spend big in order to retain versatile wing Jerami Grant this offseason but opted not to when it became clear that they couldn’t offer him a similar role in 2020-21. That role, apparently, is as a elite-level scorer. Grant, whose high water mark for points per game was 13.6 before this season, has averaged nearly 23 points per game through four early contests – and that includes a nine point showing dragging down the overall.

Victor Oladipo (IND) – Surely you didn’t write Oladipo off after two injury plagued seasons beyond his control, right? That must have been somebody else. Oladipo has looked strong in 2020-21 with a familiar 21, 5 and 5 stat line, and is ready to silence the naysayers that forgot just how much of an impact player he can be at full health.

CJ McCollum (POR) – We may never fully see what McCollum is capable of at full throttle given the impressive chemistry he’s formed with backcourt mate Damian Lillard over the course of the past half decade but he’s done a fine job of pushing the ceiling so far in 2020-21. The 29-year-old may not hit 28 and 6 over the course of a full season but don’t think for a second that he isn’t capable of doing it if he needed to.

Julius Randle (NYK) – No stranger to oddly dominant stat lines, Randle has taken his game to new heights in New York. The big man has thrived as a distributor with the Knicks this season and is sporting a 25, 11 and 8 stat line heading into the new year.

Josh Jackson (DET) – After a humbling year in Memphis, Jackson has returned to his home state of Michigan. The 23-year-old fell into a great opportunity with the Pistons and has made the most of it with a 17 and 6 stat line out of the gates.

Darius Bazley (OKC) – The not-so-secret sleeper has lived up to the hype through the first few games of the regular season and the Thunder clearly have a valuable young building block in 20-year-old Bazley. The former New Balance intern has put up 10 and 9 so far this season and we can’t wait to see what else he’s got in store.

Jaylen Brown (BOS) – Brown’s slow burning development has been key to the consistent threat that the the Celtics have posed on the Eastern Conference and early returns suggest that he isn’t finished yet. If Brown can keep putting up 28 points per game over the course of the season, what does that mean for Boston’s title hopes?

Dejounte Murray (SAS) – Murray is another player that you ought to have known was in store for a bigger year. Still, it’s always nice to see those glimpses of potential translate into more consistent success. The rebounding guard has averaged 19, 8 and 7 in his fourth season and will be a major part of the Spurs heading forward.

Luguentz Dort (OKC) – Um, if Dort can fill the stat sheet on offense, what on earth does that mean for this young, asset-loaded Thunder squad? The 21-year-old bruiser known largely for his presence on the defensive end has averaged 19 and 4 so far this season. If he keeps it up, OKC looks considerably scarier in the short and long term.

How It Works

Understanding that there’s no consensus way of quantifying the contributions that hoopers bring to the table on a nightly basis, let alone the intangible impacts they have on winning, we’ve measured each NBA player’s 2020-21 production against their 2019-20 numbers.

The results reveal early trends that could end up being significant parts of each team’s narrative throughout the season. Some players have thrived because of work they put in over the summer, some are filling up the box score simply because they’ve landed in a better situation.

In other scenarios, we may just be seeing statistical aberrations that won’t hold up over the course of a larger sample size, hit us on Twitter if you see anything that stands out.

Regardless, seeing which players have shown signs of taking a leap forward in 2020-21, is something that die hard fans, fantasy basketball players and casual viewers alike can get value out of.

In the team tables you’ll see players listed in order of how much more productive they’ve been, with corresponding emojis indicating whether they’ve exceeded or fallen short of their 2019-20 numbers.

You’ll also see each player’s points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game for good measure. Keep in mind that the overall calculation used for player impacts includes more than just those basic stats and does incorporate things like shooting percentages and basic defensive stats.

You can further click each player URL for a more conventional break down of the player’s early 2020-21 stat line and their game log.

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Players Who Have Thrived Out of the Gates appeared first on SLAM.

Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic, in contrast, have been relatively quiet after dominating in the bubble, expect a progression to the mean for those two, which bodes well for a deep Portland squad.

For more information about the numbers behind our Heat Check series, hop over to our main Heat Check 2020-21 post.

CJ McCollum	28.0p, 3.5r, 6.3a
Gary Trent Jr.	13.0p, 2.0r, 1.3a
Enes Kanter	11.5p, 10.3r, 0.0a
Harry Giles III	5.0p, 3.5r, 0.0a
Derrick Jones Jr.	6.5p, 3.8r, 0.5a
Carmelo Anthony	11.7p, 3.3r, 1.3a
Anfernee Simons	3.3p, 0.3r, 0.3a
Robert Covington	5.5p, 5.3r, 1.5a
Rodney Hood	2.8p, 1.5r, 1.8a
Damian Lillard	23.0p, 4.5r, 6.3a
Jusuf Nurkic	9.8p, 7.5r, 3.3a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Portland Trail Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down the Trail Blazers’ depth chart for the 2020-21 season below. We’ve also previously published a summary of the Trail Blazers’ offseason.

Biggest Questions

• Is there a logjam at the power forward and center positions? There seems to be a handful of guys at those positions that will be fighting for crucial playing time. How will this affect continuity and rotations?
• Can Damian Lillard win his first MVP award? After seeing what he was able to do in the bubble last season, it’s not out of the question to think he could have the best season of anyone in the NBA.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Portland Trail Blazers: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

Many athletes have unapologetically rejected the notion of “sticking to sports” and have been using their platforms to not only speak out on the litany of issues that came attached to the hip of the new decade, but to also inform the world around them.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum is one of many players who has been actively utilizing his platform.

After undergoing surgery to repair a vertebral fracture, McCollum decided to hone in on his journalistic passion by starting his very own show, “ReMaking America.”

The first episode features Sixers forward Tobias Harris and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. The three are rivals on the court, but they teamed up together to have a sit down with California senator and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The first episode of “ReMaking America” discusses a slew of topics ranging from voting, police brutality, education reform, and the importance of investment in underserved communities.

The post CJ McCollum Interviews Kamala Harris on ‘ReMaking America’ appeared first on SLAM.

In addition to a summary for each of the 30 teams (accessible in the link grid below), we’ve also tiered the top NBA free agents league-wide and published a general comparison of all teams’ cap space. Follow @SLAMnewswire on Twitter for constant offseason updates as we head into free agency.

Projected Roster Players

Projected Free Agents

Dead Money

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000
• Bi-Annual Exception – $3,623,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Will Portland bring back Trevor Ariza or waive him for just $1.8M? Ariza’s absence was felt when the Trail Blazers needed a bigger 3&D forward. He’s a nice fit alongside Portland’s stars because Ariza doesn’t need the ball, but can knock down shots. The Blazers aren’t so tight to the tax this year, so expect him to be back.
• Is Zach Collins worthy of an extension? Portland would love to get Collins locked up on a team-friendly deal. But it would have to be very team-friendly for it to be worth it for them. Expect Collins to bet on himself and then hit a better restricted market in 2021.

Projected Team Salary

$156,602,865

For the first time in a while, the Trail Blazers aren’t dancing around the luxury tax line. They could even have some cap space, if they chose to clear their books of all their non-guaranteed salaries. As it stands though, Portland will probably stay over. With the ability to use the full Non-Taxpayer MLE, and maybe even the Bi-Annual Exception too, the Blazers should be able to rebuild their depth. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$47,462,865 (20^th out of 30). $25,291,417 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Portland Trail Blazers: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Damian Lillard, too, fresh off of a groin injury in February, was only just playing himself back into game shape when the hiatus began. Lillard’s March numbers (20.8 points and 6.0 assists) paled in comparison to the herculean effort he had posted previously (29.5 points and 7.9 assists).

With Lillard compromised, McCollum raised his own game in March, raising the 22.2 points and 4.2 assists per game he averaged before the month began to 25.8 and 5.6.

One of Portland’s hottest players at the time of the suspension, Trevor Ariza, won’t be with the team at all in Orlando. Ariza averaged 14.0 points per game in March, production that will now need to come from elsewhere. Bosnian Beast, anyone?

SLAM’s Heat Check series compares each individual player’s personal production in the month of March with their production prior. The goal is to get a sense of the direction in which players were trending when the league stood still. For a more in-depth description, check out our Heat Check (Hiatus Edition) introduction.

Heat Check Portland Trail Blazers

CJ McCollum
Trevor Ariza
Mario Hezonja
Gary Trent Jr.
Hassan Whiteside
Wenyen Gabriel
Carmelo Anthony	–
Caleb Swanigan	–
Anfernee Simons
Nassir Little
Damian Lillard

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check (Hiatus): Portland Trail Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a couple of days before the bubble is starting as I’m writing this. You’re from the future, so you know either what kind of miracle the bubble is or what kind of incalculable disaster it wound up being.

I am, at this moment, some naive idiot from July, before whatever third apocalypse came in August or September. Is it dinosaurs? Have dinosaurs come back yet? I’m betting the dinosaurs came back, with knives for hands.

So forgive me, but for the first time in months, I’m experiencing this foreign, potentially disgraceful feeling that was once known as hope. And I’m experiencing this because of—get this—a couple of Twitter accounts: @TheNBABubble and @NBABubbleLife.

Yesterday, I saw a post on @TheNBABubble. It showed Jamal Murray, shirtless, bombing a 3-wood on a driving range, then flexing like he just won the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

A couple of hours later, he was ruled out for the team’s scrimmage because of “golf-related fatigue,” and the Nuggets had to start three centers and two power forwards.

This is the sort of garbage and hijinx I live for, and the world has been severely lacking in it for the past six months, as our country has had a pandemic and a long-overdue reckoning with racist police violence to sort through.

I thank God every day for these NBA Bubble Twitter and Instagram accounts. I’m now living vicariously, from about 18 inches higher, through Tacko Fall and Boban Marjanovic.

It’s reminding me that I will one day, too, be holding up a 6-foot-wide replica marlin and pretending I caught it on a boardwalk, like Norm Powell just posted on Instagram.

This was part of the point, according to Drew Ruiz, who started the @NBABubbleLife Instagram with three friends and NBA media vets Nick DePaula, Travonne Edwards and Wells Phillips.

“Initially, it was something that was just between four friends, then it took off immediately. We just wanted to shed light on positivity, and the players’ posts on the pandemic and racial injustices,” says Ruiz. “It’s good just to see somebody having a good time, like they’re at a summer camp.”

The @TheNBABubble account is more of a DIY operation by Matt Krasuski, who is a student without a school to go to. He follows every NBA player on Twitter he can find and sifts through the good stuff.

It was an instant hit. JaVale McGee complaining about vegan food while telling Kyle Kuzma he looks like a pancake. JR Smith “having the time of his life,” Krasuski said, while reminding people to “stay woke” about tracking devices on his Instagram Live.

“I’m a full-time student, so I have a good amount of free time right now,” Krasuski says.

Both Drew and Matt have similar Bubble Life MVPs: Tacko, Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum, Jamal Murray, Boban.

And look, I know I’m over-philosophizing this picture of Boban I’m looking at right now, where he’s playing on a normal-sized Ms. Pac-Man arcade machine that looks like it could fit into one of the pockets of his XXXXL shorts, but all I see in these pictures is hope.

One day in the next year, we all, too, will go fishing and catch nothing at all, or go to a driving range and completely miss the ball. It’ll be perfect. Then I’ll check Instagram, and I’ll still be following Tacko and CJ, probably for the rest of my life, because they reminded me that the apocalypse wasn’t permanent, even when it felt like it.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF SLAM 228

Ben Collins is a writer and reporter for NBC News. He’s also a SLAM columnist and writes The Outlet, a monthly column in which BC muses on…well, whatever he wants. Follow him on Twitter @oneunderscore_.

Photo via Getty.

The post LIVE FROM ORLANDO: The Rise Of NBA Bubble Social Media Accounts appeared first on SLAM.

Adams is expected to join the Blazers when the transaction window closes at the end of the night tonight. The 24-year-old is fresh off an All-G League nod with Milwaukee’s affiliate after averaging 20.7 points and 5.7 assists per game at the minor league level.

Adams will compete for playing time in Portland’s backcourt with the likes of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Anfernee Simons. His brief, rest-of-season deal with the franchise, however, will come to an end in the offseason.

Prior to joining Milwaukee’s G League affiliate, the Wisconson Herd, Adams played through training camp with the Bucks.

The post Trail Blazers to Sign Jaylen Adams appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t support going into Orlando,” said Irving, per The Athletics‘ Shams Charania. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”

The call, which reportedly lasted 90-100 minutes, focused on “combating systemic racism, investing in black communities and sticking together through this process,” reports Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. Several players suggested that they’d be willing to sit out the remainder of the season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

While Irving made it known he was against resuming the NBA season, he said he would travel to Orlando if the players agreed it was the right decision.

“If it’s worth the risk, then let’s go and do it,” said Irving, per Haynes. “But if you’re not with it, it’s OK, too. We’ve got options for both ways. Let’s just come to a middle ground as a family.”

According to Haynes, WNBA players on the call vowed to stand united with the NBA counterparts, as they prepare for a season tipoff in July.

NBA players on Friday’s call included:

• Kyrie Irving, Nets
• Kevin Durant, Nets
• Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets
• Garrett Temple, Nets
• Chris Paul, Thunder
• Russell Westbrook, Rockets
• CJ McCollum, Blazers
• Carmelo Anthony, Blazers
• Zach Collins, Blazers
• Joel Embiid, Sixers
• Tobias Harris, Sixers
• Dwight Howard, Lakers
• Avery Bradley, Lakers
• Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
• Mike Conley, Jazz
• Malcolm Brogdon, Pacers
• Myles Turner, Pacers
• Justin Holiday, Pacers
• Al-Farouq Aminu, Magic
• Mo Bamba, Magic
• Kyle Lowry, Raptors
• Lou Williams, Clippers
• Andre Iguodala, Heat
• Rudy Gay, Spurs
• Harrison Barnes, Kings
• Mason Plumlee, Nuggets

WNBA players included:

• Tiffany Hayes, Dream
• Renee Montgomery, Dream
• Kristi Toliver, Sparks
• Natasha Cloud, Mystics

RELATED: NBA Players Planning To Take Stand Against 2019-20 Season Restart

The post Kyrie Irving Plays Key Role in Conference Call Featuring 80+ NBA Players appeared first on SLAM.

The questions that he craved answers to weren’t really being discussed.

What comprised certain deals? Who was making them and why? How did companies interact with athletes? How did athletes go about creating their own brands? The list goes on.

There was nowhere to easily find that information. To the extent that it was covered at all, it was in publications aimed at those already a part of that world; but to the average consumer or a kid like Rich dreaming of a future in the field, it remained largely a mystery.

Kleiman kept his dream alive up until the day it came true. After a successful career in the music industry, he helped launch Roc Nation Sports and now manages NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Kleiman is also the co-founder of Thirty Five Ventures, which serves as the umbrella for his and KD’s business endeavors. The company, which incorporates an investment portfolio and charity foundation, also has a creative development arm. That’s where The Boardroom fits in.

“About two years ago, Thirty Five Ventures had started to come into shape. We were doing quite a few media projects on different networks. We were starting to work more actively with brands, and we had a pretty robust venture capital fund that we started,” Kleiman says. “I had always wanted to create a platform of some sort and we didn’t really know what it was.”

At 2018 All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, the idea finally hit him.

From his own experience, Rich knew three things: 1) that fans were interested in a particular aspect of the sports world that wasn’t very accessible; 2) that there was a path to enter this world that most people weren’t able to see; and 3) that athletes themselves were becoming more embedded in this world as time passed.

In his mind, Thirty Five Venture’s new platform would highlight the intersection of sports, business and culture, taking its audience inside the boardroom.

“I called Kevin from a party I was at in LA,” Kleiman explains. “I said, ‘I want to do this platform and I already have the name, it’s The Boardroom. And I already think Jay Will should be the host.’ Kevin was like, ‘I love it, man. We gotta do it. We have to do it.’”

“I got on the phone with Rich and I had already been moving in this direction, so I thought it was very ironic,” Jay Willams tells SLAM. “I was doing a lot of these focus groups about what it means to be involved in sports business and what the new age athlete looks like.”

The concept was pitched to ESPN, resulting in the production of a show for ESPN+ hosted by Williams. Each episode zeroes in on a unique facet of the sports business landscape, from player development to league fashion to free agency to the sneaker game. Through two seasons, guests have included superstars like LeBron James and Tina Charles, rappers like 2 Chainz, analysts like Stephen A. Smith, CEOs like Jack Dorsey and franchise owners like Steve Ballmer.

Yet Rich’s vision wasn’t merely to start a television series. It was to create a holistic media platform, one that delivers consistent content in a variety of ways—and, importantly, in ways that are reachable and not overly difficult to understand.

So every morning at 10:30 a.m., the minds behind The Boardroom connect on a conference call. They break down past decisions and outline for the future. They hit on pressing issues: procuring interviews, establishing a voice, organizing assets, starting a TikTok, overall social media presence, what’s trending and more. Kleiman and Durant speak one-on-one daily about content strategy, with KD presenting essential feedback and direction. 

“We’re all workaholics,” says Williams. “This isn’t something where we just say, Hey, we’re going to throw it together. We’re constantly ideating on what is next for our brand and how do we keep our brand relevant.”

“We have our social media properties that will do everything from showing old, vintage and classic sports commercials to doing polling and infographics,” Kleiman describes. “We do Twitter Q&As with people like Mark Cuban and Adam Schefter and different athletes. We create short form digital exclusives that live on theboardroom.tv, as well as all of our social properties. Those are one-on-one interviews that either I will do, Jay Will will do, or we just added Ros [Gold-Onwude] to the equation. We have a newsletter that’s a snapshot of that week and [gives] our perspective on what went on.”

The Boardroom has continued to produce content throughout the coronavirus pandemic, determined to be a positive distraction and outlet for people. The fact that sports leagues are suspended also means that athletes are exploring other interests and diving deeper into the business world. Thirty Five Venture’s platform caters to those types of conversations, as opposed to conversations regarding stats, matchups or rankings. For example, No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft Sabrina Ionescu spoke to Ros about expanding her brand and negotiating endorsement deals; Warriors GM Bob Myers walked through his career path with Kleiman; Danilo Gallinari openly discussed contracts and how he’s been studying the CBA agreement; CJ McCollum spoke to Jay Will about NBA guys managing their money.

According to Williams, athletes today are far more conscious about business opportunities and building personal brands compared to when he was playing. The Boardroom is also a valuable useful resource for them—to learn how their peers and competitors are operating in different markets.

“It’s more of a holistic approach that I see the new age athlete taking with their brand and also what their brand stands for from an earlier age,” Williams says. “If anything, I think what we’re trying to promote with The Boardroom is that this process needs to start at a lot earlier of a stage.”

The increasing convergence of sports, business and culture means that The Boardroom has more and more to tackle. They’ve got big plans for growth, including a podcast network that’s coming soon and will feature Durant.

“I want [The Boardroom] to become a major voice in the world of sports and entertainment,” says Kleiman. “We do it for fans and young people that want to be in the sports business like I did when I was 12, 13, 14 all the way up until I was able to get into it. We really do give true information and have incredible perspective and access to what’s going on. We just don’t deliver it in a way in which it won’t relate to the regular sports fan.”

—

Follow The Boardroom on Twitter and Instagram.

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via Thirty Five Ventures.

The post INSIDE ‘THE BOARDROOM’: How 35 Ventures Is Building a New Platform appeared first on SLAM.

The Pacers made a truly inspired comeback, at one point outscoring Boston 21-2, in order to make things interesting. But down the stretch, Marcus Smart converted a contorting layup, Victor Oladipo missed a 3-pointer, and the game slipped away.

Jayson Tatum (30 points) and Gordon Hayward (27 points) led the way for the Celtics, while Domantas Sabonis (28 points) and Oladipo (27 points) led the Pacers.

Wizards 122 (24-40), Knicks 115 (20-45)

Bradley Beal is on fire. amid a tough losing season in Washington, he’s done nothing but excel, and tonight was no different. Beal put up 40 points, 7 assists and 3 steals in the win.

The Knicks have very few bright spots nowadays (or ever), but Frank Ntilikina had 20 points, 10 assists and 2 steals on very efficient shooting. If he can figure out his offensive game, he’s going to be a problem.

Spurs 119 (27-36), Mavericks 109 (39-27)

This was a quality win for the Spurs, with their playoff chances on life support. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way with 24 points, 3 steals and 4 blocks, while six other Spurs reached double figures.

Luka Doncic’s 38 points weren’t enough for the Mavs.

Bulls 108 (22-43), Cavaliers 103 (19-46)

What Coby White has been doing deserves some more recognition. The rook is scoring like a vet, and while he had too many turnovers tonight, he dropped 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to take home the win.

Rockets 117 (40-24), Timberwolves 111 (19-45)

Good for the Rockets snapping their mildly concerning losing streak. Russ and the Beard were at the forefront as usual, combining for 64 points, 6 steals, 14 assists and 10 boards to seal the win.

Magic 120 (30-35), Grizzlies 115 (32-33)

In a battle of the current 8 seeds, The Magic’s bench pulled through, with Terrence Ross (24 points), Michael Carter-Williams (20 points) and DJ Augustin (16 points) all stepping up to beat the Grizzlies.

Trail Blazers 121 (29-37), Suns 105 (26-39)

The Blazers can still pop off with their healthy lineup. Unfortunately, they’ve not had that luxury all season due to injuries and trades.

Dame Lillard had 25, CJ McCollum had 22, Trevor Ariza had 22, and Melo had 21 points. Hassan Whiteside also chipped in with 16 points and 14 boards. That’s what you call a group effort.

Clippers 131 (44-20), Warriors 107 (15-50)

This was a demolition.

After losing to the Lakers last game, the Clippers took out their anger on the poor Warriors, ultimately winning by 24 points.

No Clipper overexerted themselves, and we glimpsed this gorgeous step-back jumper from Montrezl Harrell, who is adding more and more tricks to his offensive bag by the day.

Lakers, Nets

It was a close one down the stretch, with Anthony Davis draining a 3-pointer to tie the game. Then, Spencer Dinwiddie came back and brought the Nets up 2 with a smooth jumper.

Ultimately, Davis had a wide-open 3-pointer to win the game, and it rimmed out. After beating two of the league’s heavyweights in Milwaukee and the Clippers, it’s not surprising the Lakers dropped their next game.

The post Post Up: Brooklyn Nets Defeat Lakers in Close Game appeared first on SLAM.

Bradley Beal went off for 35 points on 7-of-10 shooting from deep to help the Wizards earn the home win. Cam Reddish scored 28 points for the Hawks.

Spurs 120 (26-35), Nets 139 (28-34)

Caris LeVert notched his first career triple-double (27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in the Nets’ victory over the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan led San Antonio with 24 points.

Thunder 126 (39-24), Knicks 103 (19-44)

The duo of Danilo Gallinari (22 points) and Chris Paul (21 points, 12 assists) took charge against the Knicks, guiding their team to a win. Six Thunder players hit double-digit scoring against New York.

Jazz 99 (40-22), Celtics 94 (42-20)

The two hopeful playoff contenders fought valiantly in this tight contest, but it was the visitors that came out on top. Mike Conley contributed a team-high 25 points to the Jazz’s winning effort.

Pacers 108 (38-25), Bulls 102 (21-42)

Indiana received a boost from their All-Star big man, Domantas Sabonis, to overcome the Bulls. Sabonis posted a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. Bulls rookie Coby White continued a string of strong performances with 26 points against the Pacers.

Magic 132 (28-35), Timberwolves 118 (19-43)

Nikola Vucevic (28 points, 12 rebounds) and Markelle Fultz (24 points) led a two-headed attack to fend off the Wolves. Malik Beasley impressed with 29 points.

Heat 104 (40-23), Pelicans 110 (27-36)

Miami made a late run to pull within one bucket, but New Orleans locked down in the final minutes to send the Heat packing. Jrue Holiday led a balanced attack for the Pelicans with 20 points and 6 assists.

Grizzlies 96 (31-32), Mavericks 121 (39-25)

Kristaps and Luka continue wreak havoc on opposing defenses. Porzingis put up a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Doncic added 21 points and 6 assists in the Mavs’ home win.

Blazers 117 (28-35), Suns 127 (24-38)

Aron Baynes notched a career-high 37 points as the Suns overwhelmed Portland. CJ McCollum’s 25 points weren’t enough for the Blazers.

Bucks 103 (53-10), Lakers 113 (48-13)

This matchup of heavyweights didn’t disappoint. The duo of LeBron James (37 points) and Anthony Davis (30 points) proved too much to beat for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points for Milwaukee.

The post Post Up: Caris LeVert Notches First Career Triple-Double in Nets’ Win appeared first on SLAM.

Utah took control in the second half, led by 28 points from Bojan Bogdanovic; Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 9 rebounds. Collin Sexton put up 32 points in the loss.

Rockets 123 (39-21), Knicks 125 (19-42)

Houston had a chance to tie the game with the final possession, but New York locked up on defense to shut down the Rockets’ comeback attempt. Rookie RJ Barrett tied a career high with 27 points, including the bucket that put the Knicks ahead for good. James Harden scored 35 points for Houston.

Blazers 130 (27-25), Magic 107 (27-34)

Portland overwhelmed Orlando in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Magic 38-19 to take home the win. CJ McCollum did it all for the Blazers, leading them with 41 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Magic center Nikola Vucevic posted a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Grizzlies 127 (30-31), Hawks 88 (19-44)

Nine Memphis players hit double digits in the victory over Atlanta. Gorgui Dieng paced the Grizzlies with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Bucks 89 (52-9), Heat 105 (39-22)

Miami’s defense held the reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to only 13 points as the Heat overwhelmed the Bucks. Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler each chipped in 18 points to Miami’s winning effort.

Mavericks 107 (37-25), Bulls 109 (21-40)

Chicago outscored Dallas 33-17 in the third quarter, a turning point for the game. Six Bulls put up double-digit scoring, led by Coby White’s 19 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 26 points for Dallas.

Pacers 116 (37-24), Spurs 111 (25-34)

Indiana stormed back in the final minutes to leave San Antonio with the win. Malcolm Brogdon scored a team-high 26 points. Patty Mills contributed 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench.

The post Post Up: CJ McCollum Scores 41 Points as Blazers Snap Losing Streak appeared first on SLAM.

The short-handed 76ers earned the home win on Thursday thanks in part to Tobias Harris. Harris led Philadelphia with 34 points while adding 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Julis Randle scored 30 points for New York.

Blazers 100 (26-34), Pacers 106 (35-24)

Myles Turner stepped up with the dagger 3-pointer that sealed Portland’s fate despite a late rally. Domantas Sabonis paced Indiana with 20 points and 11 rebounds. CJ McCollum put up 28 points for the Blazers.

Kings 108 (24-34), Thunder 112 (37-22)

OKC outscored the Kings 31-26 in the final frame to steal the win. Danilo Gallinari (24 points) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20 points) combined to give the Thunder the offense they needed. Harrison Barnes scored a team-high 21 points for Sacramento.

Lakers 116 (45-12), Warriors 86 (12-47)

Los Angeles, even without LeBron James, made easy work of Golden State. Anthony Davis led the team with 23 points. Warriors rookie Eric Pachall put up 23 points of his own.

The post Post Up: Tobias Harris Scores 34 Points to Help 76ers Beat Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

Domantas Sabonis led the way with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists on 8-10 shooting as Indiana cruised to a win at home. Five other Pacers scored in double figures, including T.J. Warren (19) and Malcolm Brogdon (15). Myles Turner was dominant on the defensive end, finishing with a career-high 8 blocks. The Hornets were led by Miles Bridges who dropped 17 in the loss.

Bucks 108 (50-8), Raptors 97 (42-16)

In a much-anticipated battle between the top two teams in the East, the Bucks pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Raptors 34-19 en route to their 50th win of the season. Khris Middleton dropped a team-high 22, while Giannis stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 19 rebounds, and 8 assists. Eric Bledsoe added 17 and 7 rebounds, and Brook Lopez finished with 15 points and 5 blocks in the win. Pascal Siakam finished with 22 points and 5 3PM in the loss.

Thunder 124 (36-22), Bulls 122 (20-39)

It was a wild one in the Windy City. The Bulls erased a 24-point second half deficit to tie the game late. The comeback was led by Coby White (35 points, 6 3PM, 7 rebounds) and Zach LaVine (41 points). But big-time buckets from Chris Paul and clutch free throws from the entire Thunder team held off the Chicago surge and secured the road win. Danilo Gallinari finished with a team-high 24 points, and Dennis Schroeder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each dropped 21 in the win. CP3 added 19 points and 9 assists for OKC.

Nuggets 115 (40-18), Pistons 98 (19-41)

The Nuggets picked up their 40th win of the season, led by 29 points off the bench from Jerami Grant. Jamal Murray added 16 points and 8 assists in the win. For Detroit, Derrick Rose and Christian Wood each dropped 20 in the loss.

Celtics 118 (40-17), Trail Blazers 106 (26-33)

Boston also secured win number 40 on the road in Portland. Jayson Tatum was unstoppable, dropping 36 points, including a career-high 8 3PM to lead the Celtics. Jaylen Brown added 24 points, and all five Boston starters finished in double figures. Without Damian Lillard, the Blazers were led by CJ McCollum, who dropped 28, and Hassan Whiteside, who finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds in the loss.

Lakers 118 (44-12), Pelicans 109 (25-33)

It was the game every NBA fan had been waiting for: the first installment of LeBron vs. Zion. And it did not disappoint.

The Pelicans battled tough with the West’s top team, but the Lakers pulled away in the fourth, outscoring New Orleans 30-23 in the final frame. LeBron showed out, dropping a season-high 40 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the win. Anthony Davis finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks, and Danny Green added 17 points on 5 3PM. Brandon Ingram led the way for New Orleans, dropping 34 points on his former team. In Zion’s first matchup with the King, he finished with 29 points, including 13-19 from the free throw line.

Kings 112 (24-33), Warriors 94 (12-46)

Harris Barnes and De’Aaron Fox each finished with 21 points to lead the Kings to the win on the road. Bogdan Bogdanovich dropped 17, and Buddy Hield added 19 off the bench in the win. The Warriors had all five starters finish in double figures, led by Marquese Chriss with 21, and Andrew Wiggins with 16.

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With the game close down the stretch, Lebron James (29 points) hit a clutch turnaround to give the Lakers the lead as they escaped with the W on Sunday afternoon.

Anthony Davis finished with 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma was huge off the bench, scoring 16 points.

Raptors 127 (41-15), Pacers 81 (33-23)

Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 21 points, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and Serge Ibaka finished with 15 points to give Toronto its 17th of 18th win. Matt Thomas (17 points), Terence Davis (13 points) and Rodae Hollis-Jefferson (12 points) combined for 43 bench points.

Nuggets 128 (39-18), Timberwolves 116 (16-39)

Four of Denver’s starters finished in double figures with Paul Millsap scoring 25 points in 26 minutes. Monte Morris had 13 points off the bench.

Thunder 131 (35-22), Spurs 103 (24-32)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with a team-high 22 points, Steven Adams finished with 21 points and Luguentz Dort went 6-for-6 from the field, adding 15 points in the win.

Bulls 126 (20-38), Wizards 117 (20-35)

Zach LaVine put up 32 points in 36 minutes in the home win. Coby White had an impressive performance, too, scoring 33 points off the bench.

Pelicans 115 (25-32), Warriors 101 (12-45)

Zion Williamson scored 28 points, scoring 20-plus points for the eighth-straight game. Jrue Holiday finished with 23 points and dished out 15 dimes in the Bay.

Trailblazers 107 (26-32), Pistons 104 (19-40)

CJ McCollum had a 41-point performance in the W. Carmelo Anthony was the Blazers’ second-leading scorer with 32 points.

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Cleveland jumped ahead with 33 points in the first quarter and never looked back. Tristan Thompson registered a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Pistons 112 (19-38), Magic 116 (24-31)

Both teams hit clutch threes to send the game into overtime, but it was the Magic that came away with the win. Orlando featured a two-headed attack by Aaron Gordon (25 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) and Markelle Fultz (22 points, 10 assists).

Raptors 91 (40-15), Nets 101 (25-28)

Toronto’s 15-game wining streak came to an end Wednesday in Brooklyn. Five Nets players hit double digits, including four of their five starters, led by Caris LeVert’s 20 points.

Bucks 111 (46-8), Pacers 118 (32-23)

Milwaukee fell short in Indiana as Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his second game due to the birth of his son. TJ Warren set the tone for the Pacers with 35 points and 4 steals.

Wizards 114 (20-33), Knicks 96 (17-38)

Washington turned it on in the fourth quarter, scoring 37 points to seal their road win. All-Star Bradley Beal paced his team with 30 points.

Blazers 104 (25-31), Grizzlies 111 (28-26)

The Grizzlies’ young duo of Brandon Clarke (27 points) and Ja Morant (20 points) helped fend off Portland. CJ McCollum scored 23 points for the Blazers.

Hornets 115 (18-36), Timberwolves 108 (16-37)

Minnesota reclaimed the lead in the closing minutes, but Charlotte rallied and earned the victory. Devonte’ Graham put up 28 points for the Hornets, while his teammate Malik Monk added 25 points.

Kings 111 (21-33), Mavericks 130 (33-22)

Luka Doncic was back to normal in his return after a seven-game absence due to a sprained ankle. Doncic posted 33 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists in the Mavs’ home win; Kristaps Porzingis added 27 points and 13 rebounds of his own.

Warriors 106 (12-43), Suns 112 (22-33)

Devin Booker’s 27 points led Phoenix in their victory over Golden State. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points for the Warriors.

Heat 101 (35-19), Jazz 116 (36-18)

Utah received an offensive boost with three 20-point scorers: Donovan Mitchell (26 points), Bogdan Bogdanovic (22 points) and Jordan Clarkson (21 points). Jimmy Butler put up 25 points for the Heat.

Lakers 120 (41-12), Nuggets 116 (38-17)

Anthony Davis (33 points) and LeBron James (32 points) gave L.A. the firepower it needed to top the Nuggets in overtime. Davis and James connected for two straight threes in the extra period that sealed Denver’s fate. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 32 points.

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The 76ers picked up their 25th win at home, tied with the Bucks for most in the NBA. Ben Simmons was dominant, notching his second consecutive triple double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Joel Embiid dropped 26 and Josh Richardson added 21 for Philly. The Clippers were led by Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 30 points and 9 assists in the loss.

Wizards 126 (19-33), Bulls 114 (19-36)

The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal, who finished with 30 points and 7 assists in the home win. Rui Hachimura added 20 points. Zach LaVine dropped a game-high 41 points to go along with 9 rebounds in the loss.

Pelicans 138 (23-32), Trail Blazers 117 (25-30)

It was the Zion Williamson show in New Orleans tonight. The rookie finished with 31 points on 10-17 shooting, the first 30 point game of his career. He also added 9 rebounds and 5 assists as the Pelicans cruised to the home win over the Blazers. JJ Reddick dropped 20 points off the bench, and Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball finished with 10 assists each. For Portland, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard each scored 20 points.

Spurs 114 (23-32), Thunder 106 (32-22)

The Spurs outscored the Thunder 35-29 in the fourth quarter to pick up an impressive win on the road. LaMarcus Aldridge led San Antonio with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Dejounte Murray added 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Patty Mills dropped 20 off the bench in the win. For OKC, Chris Paul finished with team-high 31 points and 7 assists.

Rockets 116 (34-20), Celtics 105 (37-16)

The Rockets scored 38 points in the fourth quarter to pick up a big win, snapping a two-game losing streak. James Harden went off for 42 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, including scoring 19 straight Rockets points in a third quarter in which they outscored Boston 31-22. Russell Westbrook also shined, finishing with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win. Boston was lead by Gordon Hayward, who dropped a team-high 20 points in the loss.

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Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds as he picked up a win in the city that let him go a season ago. CJ McCollum and Dame Lillard combined for 49 points.

James Harden had a season-low in points, scoring 13 in 36 minutes.

Pistons 116 (15-27), Celtics 103 (27-12)

Sekou Doumbouya scored 24 points on just 13 shots and Derrick Rose added 22 as the Pistons picked up an upset win in Boston.

Magic 119 (20-21), Lakers 118 (33-8)

Aaron Gordon (21 points) put on a dunk show at the STAPLES Center and Markelle Fultz (21 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) came up big in crunch time to take down the No.1 team in the west.

LeBron James had 19 points and 19 dimes in the effort.

Nets 106 (18-22), 76ers 117 (26-16)

Tobias Harris scored a game-high 34 on 14-for-20 shooting and grabbed 10 boards to lead the Sixers’ scoring effort. Ultimately, Philadelphia’s defense secured the W, holding Brooklyn to 16 fourth quarter points after trailing at the end of the third quarter.

Wizards 106 (13-27), Bulls 115 (15-27)

Zach LaVine’s hot streak continued, and this time it got the struggling Bulls a win. The Seattle-native finished with 30 points, 7 boards and 7 assists as he went 6-for-11 from deep.

Spurs 100 (17-22), Heat 106 (28-12)

Kendrick Nunn dropped 33 on a blistering 13-for-18 shooting night to put Miami past San Antonio.

Mavericks 127 (26-15), Kings 123 (15-26)

Luka Doncic stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 17 assists and Seth Curry provided a spark off the pine with 21 points and five made 3’s.

Sacramento’s trio of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes combined for 77, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Dallas.

Hornets 86 (15-29), Nuggets 100 (28-12)

Michael Porter Jr.’s time to shine was well worth the wait. His energy off the bench (19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals in 28 minutes) led Denver past Charlotte.

Terry Rozier scored a game-high 20 for Charlotte.

Pacers 104 (26-15), Timberwolves 99 (15-25)

Domantas Sabonis scored 29 on 13-for-17 shooting and tacked on 13 rebounds and 6 dimes to lead Indiana. His plus-minus of +21 led all players in his 36 minutes of playing time.

Raptors 130 (26-14), Thunder 121 (23-18)

Oklahoma City cut Toronto’s 30-point lead down to just three in the fourth quarter, but the defending champs were able to right the ship in the game’s final minutes to escape with a win.

Norman Powell scored a team-high 23 for Toronto and OG Anunoby added 21 points, 5 boards, 5 dimes and 3 steals.

Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 25 off the bench for OKC.

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The Celtics did not miss a beat without star guard Kemba Walker, as they defeated the Hawks to bring their home record to an admirable 14-2. Jaylen Brown was excellent, scoring 24 points on an efficient 8-13 shooting with 10 rebounds and 2 steals. Marcus Smart, back from a recent eye infection, stuffed the stat sheet as usual, and even though he only scored 15 points, he made his presence felt with 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. If I’m in the playoffs, I want him on my team.

For the Hawks, Trae Young was marvelous, with 28 points, 10 assists and some jawdropping long-range bombs, but this game showed exactly why the Hawks were reportedly targeting Andre Drummond. They lost the rebounding battle 42-54, and the Celtics had twice as many offensive rebounds. Bring on the trade rumors.

Magic 106 (16-19), Heat 85 (25-10)

Remember when 85 points was a normal score? Nowadays, if a team scored that many, it usually doesn’t end well. Despite a valiant effort from star Jimmy Butler (23 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals), center Bam Adebayo was the only other player to reach double-digit points.

Thanks to 25 points on a scorching 6-10 from deep from Terrence Ross, the Magic were able to take advantage of Miami’s off night. They also got this wild dunk from renowned leaper Aaron Gordon:

Blazers 122 (15-21), Wizards 103 (10-24)

The Blazers easily handled the Wizards thanks to their core four. Damian Lillard dropped 35 points, CJ McCollum contributed 24 of his own, Hassan Whiteside had 23 points, 21 rebounds and 5 blocks, and Melo had a sweet put back jam to go along with 16 points on 7-9 shooting

The Wiz can take solace in an unexpected 35 points from reserve guard Jordan McRae at least.

Rockets 118 (24-11), 76ers 108 (23-14)

James Harden broke out the braids, and the results were fantastic as usual. The braided Beard dropped 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a convincing win over the inconsistent 76ers. Clint Capela also exploded for 30 points and 14 rebounds on 80% shooting.

Sure, Ben Simmons had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, but it simply was not enough.

Suns 120 (14-21), Knicks 112 (10-25)

The Suns got to throw out their original starting lineup of Ricky Rubio, Devin Booker, Kelly Oubre, DeAndre Ayton and Aron Baynes for the first time in a while, and the result was a victory. Sure, it was against the Knicks, but it was a victory nonetheless.

Booker was fantastic per usual, with 38 points and 7 assists; it was his fifth straight game of 30 or more points. Oubre continued his phenomenal season with 29 points on 11-16 shooting and Ayton added a double double and 5 assists.

Lakers 123 (28-7), Pelicans 113 (11-24)

It was a big reunion night for all involved from the blockbuster Lakers-Pelicans trade this summer. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball combined for 45 points, but it was not enough against the rolling Lake Show.

AD was out for vengeance, exploding for 46 points, 13 rebounds and 3 steals, while LeBron supplanted a modest 17 points with a monster 15 assists. Danny Green also splashed home six 3-pointers for 25 points.

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Sometimes, the Cavaliers can be very competent. John Henson (remember him?) swatted 7 shots, Jordan Clarkson exploded for 33 points on 12-17 shooting, and Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love both recorded double doubles in a solid victory.

Meanwhile, even though they lost, Ja Morant was this close to smashing home the dunk of the century.

Pacers 119 (20-9), Kings 105 (12-16)

What the Pacers are doing is so admirable. They play team ball, no one is selfish and you don’t hear a peep from them about how much they miss star Victor Oladipo, who is still recovering from a quad injury. By dismantling the Kings, Indiana just won their fifth game in a row, with all starters and two bench players hitting double digit points. Just imagine this team when Oladipo is back out there wrecking poor fools.

The Kings are slowly getting back their injured young guns De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, and they’ll have to sort out a crowded front court when everyone is back to full strength.

Celtics 114 (19-7), Pistons 93 (11-18)

The Celtics keep on rolling, this time with a dub over the middling Pistons sans Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each had 26 points, while Enes Kanter gobbled up 18 rebounds and rookie Grant Williams had a career-high 18 points off the pine.

Thon Maker was the Pistons’ highest scorer with only 15 points. Yup, it was that kind of night for Detroit.

We were also treated to some Tacko Time, and the fans in TD Garden gave his a standing ovation as he entered the game.

Raptors 122 (20-8), Wizards 118 (8-19)

You simply have to tip your cap to the Raptors. In the past few days, they’ve lost Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell to injuries, and they’ve already withstood injuries to Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka. But nonetheless, the wins keep coming. Lowry had 26 points and 9 assists, VanVleet had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and Ibaka added 23 points, 10 caroms and 3 blocks.

Meanwhile, Bradley Beal continued his phenomenal season with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Also, shoutout Ish Smith for dropping 26 on 9-9 shooting. That type of efficiency deserves to be appreciated.

Heat 129 (21-8), Knicks 114 (7-22)

The Heat are now 12-1 at home after easily dispatching the Knicks. It goes to show how deep they are when seven players hit double digits and Jimmy Butler wasn’t even one of them. We were treated to a fantastic Derrick Jones Jr dunk and a smooth Goran Dragic between the legs dime.

Mavericks 117 (19-9), 76ers 98 (20-10)

Kristaps Porzingis is starting to shake off his post-ACL rust and the result is terrifying. The Unicorn recorded 22 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks to crush the 76ers at home. Tim Hardaway Jr also lit it up from deep, with 27 points and seven 3-pointers.

Other than a touching Boban reunion with their former beloved role player, the 76ers did not bring it. Joel Embiid was the only player to show up, with 33 points and 17 rebounds, but when the rest of the starting lineup manages only a combined 38 points, that is…not good, chief.

Thunder 126 (14-14), Suns 108 (11-17)

The Thunder have won 9 of their past 13 games, and it’s pretty great to see a team so at peace with themselves. For a franchise that has been worrying about superstar departures for the past few years, it must be refreshing to be thriving amid small expectations while potentially cultivating their next star…Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:

Nuggets 109 (19-8), Timberwolves 100 (10-17)

Someone help the Wolves. Losers of nine in a row, they have to pick up the intensity to prevent a lost season.

At least Nikola Jokic has broken out of his slightly underwhelming start to the season. He dropped a 22-10-10 triple double with 2 blocks and has looked much more engaged recently. The league is better off when the Serbian Star is pleased and balling out.

Blazers 118 (13-16), Magic 103 (12-17)

It was a vintage Blazers backcourt game. Dame Lillard did his thing, with 36 points and 6 assists with 7 treys, while CJ McCollum dropped 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists to handle the Magic. Hassan Whiteside also chipped in 17 boards and 5 blocks.

The Magic were outmatched, but Nikola Vucevic had a vintage game with 23 points, 12 rebounds and an impressive 6 steals.

Markelle Fultz also unleashed this vicious dunk:

Warriors 106 (6-24), Pelicans 102 (7-23)

Behind 25 points and 7 assists from D’Angelo Russell and 20 points from Damion Lee, the Dubs squeezed out the win against the pesky Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday each had 25 points, while Lonzo Ball swiped 6 steals off the bench.

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Kristaps Porzingis stepped his game up in Luka Doncic’s absence, racking up 26 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots. His plus-minus of +20 led all players.

Seth Curry added 26 points off the pine to help bring an end to the Bucks’ 18-game win streak.

Giannis Antetokounmpo brought his game, leading all players in points (48) and rebounds (14). No other Bucks starter scored double-digit points as the rest of the team shot just 35.1 percent from the field.

Wizards 133 (8-17), Pistons 119 (11-16)

Bradley Beal led the way with 35 points and 10 assists and Isaiah Thomas scored 23 in his return from injury as the Wizards scored 43 points in the first quarter and never looked back.

Derrick Rose scored 22 off the pine, but the Pistons suffered from the absences of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

Cavaliers 113 (6-21), Raptors 133 (18-8)

Pascal Siakam (33 points), Kyle Lowry (20) and Norman Powell (26) lit up the scoreboard as Toronto picked up a blowout win.

Spurs 107 (10-16), Rockets 109 (18-9)

The Rockets overcame a 25-point deficit — its largest ever in a victory — to deliver a payback blow to their in-state rival.

Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 31 points and James Harden scored 28 on 10-for-29 shooting.

Heat 111 (19-8), Grizzlies 118 (10-17)

The rookies ran the show for both sides as the Grizzlies picked up a win while wearing their Vancouver-inspired throwback jerseys.

Ja Morant had a team-high 20 points and 10 dimes and Brandon Clarke added 14 points and nine boards off the bench.

Tyler Herro scored 22 for Miami and Kendrick Nunn added another 18.

Trail Blazers 111 (11-16), Suns 110 (11-15)

Kelly Oubre (24 points) completed a four-point play in the final minute to give Phoenix the lead, but Dame Lillard came right back with an and-1 of his own to give Portland the win.

CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony and Lillard combined for 80 points.

Bulls 106 (10-19), Thunder 109 (12-14)

Zach LaVine dropped 39 on just 25 field goals, but it wasn’t enough as the Bulls let go of a 21-point first quarter lead as Chris Paul (30 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals) led the OKC comeback charge.

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Spencer Dinwiddie finished a tough, go-ahead layup with 26 seconds left to lift the Nets to their 3rd win in a row and 8th in their last 10. Dinwiddie dropped a team-high 24 points and added 8 assists, and Jarrett Allen finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Nikola Jokic stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 11 boards, and 6 assists, and Jamal Murray added 21 for Denver.

Hawks 122 (6-17), Hornets 107 (9-16)

The Hawks outscored the Hornets 34-24 in the fourth quarter to secure the win in Charlotte. Trae Young did his thing, dropping a game-high 30 points and adding 9 dimes. The Hornets were led by PJ Washington and Miles Bridges, who both finished with 20 points in the loss.

Clippers 135 (17-7), Wizards 119 (7-15)

The Clippers’ superstars were dominant as LA cruised to a win in Washington. Kawhi finished with 34 points, 11 boards, and 5 assists on 12-18 shooting, and PG dropped 27, 6, and 6. Montrezl Harrell added 20 points off the bench. For the Wizards, Davis Bertans hit 6 threes and finished with 25 points in the loss.

76ers 110 (17-7), Raptors 104 (15-7)

Philly came away with a big win in a battle between two of the top teams in the East. Tobias Harris led the way with 26 points, and Ben Simmons added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Kyle Lowry dropped 26 on 7-14 shooting for Toronto.

Heat 110 (17-6), Bulls 105 (8-16)

It was the Tyler Herro show in Miami.

The rookie hit big shot after big shot in the Heat’s thrilling overtime win over the Bulls. Herro finished with 27 points, including 16 of the team’s last 18 and 11 of 13 in overtime. It’s safe to say that this young bucket getter has officially arrived.

Jimmy Butler added 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the win. The Bulls were led by Lauri Markkanen, who dropped 22 points in the loss.

Kings 110 (9-13), Mavericks 106 (16-7)

The Kings went up big early and held off the Dallas comeback to secure a big road victory. Nemanja Bjelica led Sacramento with 30 points on 13-18 shooting, and Buddy Hield added 26 points on 10-15 shooting. For Dallas, Tim Hardaway Jr. dropped a team-high 29 in the loss. Luka Doncic (27p, 7r, 8a) extended his streak of consecutive games with 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists to 19, passing Michael Jordan for the most since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. The 20 year old has been unstoppable all year and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Thunder 108 (10-12), Blazers 96 (9-15)

OKC outscored Portland 26-18 in the fourth quarter to grab their 10th win of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 14 of his team-high 21 points in the 4th quarter for the Thunder. For the Blazers, Damian Lillard finished with 26 points and 7 assists, and CJ McCollum added 20 in the loss.

Lakers 142 (21-3), Timberwolves 125 (10-12)

There’s something special brewing in LA, and it all starts with the dominant duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

AD went OFF for a season-high 50 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 20-29 shooting, his first 50-piece as a member of the Lakers. The King added 32 points and 13 assists on 12-20 shooting in the win. The LakeShow secured their NBA-best 21st win of the season and have won 9 of their last 10.

Are the Lakers the early favorites to win it all? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Carmelo Anthony (20 points), Hassan Whiteside (22), Dame Lillard (24) and CJ McCollum (33) led the way as the Trail Blazers shot a blistering 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.

Portland improved to 4-3 since signing Anthony.

Warriors 91 (4-19), Hornets 106 (9-14)

Terry Rozier got the Hornets rolling early with 12 points in the first quarter and Devonte Graham finished the visitors off with 10 made 3’s en route to a 33-point night. Graham’s 10 3’s tied a franchise-record.

D’Angelo Russell scored 18 points in 25 minutes of action — his first game since Nov. 15 — but it wasn’t enough for the struggling Warriors.

Bucks 127 (19-3), Pistons 103 (8-14)

Giannis Antetokounmpo only needed 28 minutes to put up 35 points (4-for-8 from 3), nine rebounds and two blocks as the Bucks won their 13th straight contest.

Andre Drummond had the highlight of the night, dunking over Antetokounmpo and Robin Lopez. He finished the night with 23 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks.

Suns 114 (9-11), Magic 128 (10-11)

Aaron Gordon shot 5-for-5 from deep and 13-for-15 overall as he clocked out with 32 points, five assists and five rebounds. Evan Fournier added another 21 to help lead the Magic.

Frank Kaminsky scored 21 points in the first half for Phoenix, but he cooled off after the intermission, finishing with just 23.

Lakers 121 (19-3), Jazz (12-10)

There were complaints about the Lakers’ strength of schedule (or lack thereof) to open this season, but back-to-back wins over Denver and Utah have put doubts of Los Angeles’ legitimacy to bed.

Anthony Davis scored 26 on only 11 shots and LeBron turned in 20 points and 12 dimes in just 29 minutes. Rajon Rondo moved up to 17th all-time on the NBA’s assists leaderboard.

Nets 130 (11-10), Hawks 118 (5-17)

Taurean Prince shined against his former team, scoring 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting.

The Nets trailed be four to the end first quarter, but a second quarter surge made the difference in what was an otherwise close game the rest of the way.

Trae Young scored a game-high 39 points and dished out 10 dimes.

Heat 93 (15-6), Celtics (15-5)

Jimmy Butler followed up his triple-double from the previous night with a game-high 37; however, a combined 59-point outing from Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown was too much for his team to overcome.

Grizzlies 99 (6-15), Bulls 106 (8-14)

Zach LaVine continued to shine, scoring a team-high 25 points. All four other Chicago starters (Satoransky: 13 points, Kris Dunn: 10, Wendell Carter Jr.: 16, Lauri Markkanen: 15) scored double-digit points.

The Grizzlies struggled to get its backcourt going as Ja Morant missed his third game due to injury.

Pacers 107 (14-7), Thunder 100 (8-12)

Seven Pacers scored double-digit points as TJ Warren’s 24 led the way.

Steven Adams had 20 on 8-for-8 shooting to lead OKC.

Timberwolves 114 (10-10), Mavericks 121 (15-6)

Dallas’ bench got hot in the fourth quarter — Jalen Brunson was a team-best + 21 with 16 points — as the Mavs closed out the final period with 41 points.

Luka Doncic turned in 22 points, six assists and seven boards to keep the Mavs hot. Dwight Powell added 24 on 9-for-9 shooting. Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points, nine boards and seven assists for Minnesota.

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Kemba Walker made his return to the court following a neck sprain sustained last week and he delivered. Walker registered a season-high 39 points as he scorched the Nets’ defense. Kyrie Irving was inactive for his return to Boston.

Pistons 101 (6-12), Hornets 102 (7-12)

Detroit failed to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded, losing this game by just one point. Charlotte meanwhile boasted six double-digit scorers, led by Bismack Biyombo (19 points). Blake Griffin put up 26 in the loss.

Magic 116 (7-10), Cavaliers 104 (5-13)

Orlando dominated in the second half to get win No. 7 this season. Evan Fournier led the team with 30 points. Collin Sexton scored 20 points for Cleveland.

Jazz 102 (11-7), Pacers 121 (11-6)

Indiana continues to turn heads as they keep the wins coming. The Pacers received big scoring nights from Domantas Sabonis (23 points), TJ Warren (23 points) and Malcolm Brogdon (22 points). Bojan Bogdanovic notched 30 points against his former team.

Kings 91 (7-10), 76ers 97 (12-6)

Despite the close score, Philly was in control throughout. Joel Embiid put up 33 points one game after going scoreless.

Knicks 98 (4-14), Raptors 126 (13-4)

Toronto scored 37 points in both the second and fourth quarters as they pulled away. Pascal Siakam scored 31 points in 30 minutes of action.

Heat 108 (12-5), Rockets 117 (12-6)

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 61 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in the win. Heat rookie Tyler Herro contributed 22 points.

Clippers 121 (14-5), Grizzlies 119 (5-12)

Montrezl Harrell hit the game-winning tip-in layup with 2.3 seconds left to break the tie. Harrell co-led the team in scoring (along with Lou Williams) with 24 points.

Hawks 102 (4-14), Bucks 111 (15-3)

Giannis Antetokounmpo recored a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds in Milwaukee’s home win. Jabari Parker put up an impressive 33 points against his former team.

Timberwolves 113 (10-8), Spurs 101 (6-13)

The duo of Andrew Wiggins (26 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (23 points) helped pace Minnesota’s scoring as they outlasted San Antonio. LaMarcus Aldridge notched 22 points in the loss.

Wizards 140 (6-10), Suns 132 (8-9)

Washington had the scoring edge thanks to Bradley Beal (35 points), Thomas Bryant (23 points) and Ish Smith (21 points). Devin Booker scored 27 points to lead the Suns.

Lakers 114 (16-2), Pelicans 110 (6-12)

Anthony Davis came up clutch in the final seconds, knocking down three free throws to steal the win in New Orleans. Davis finished with a monstrous 41 points against his former team. LeBron James made history as the fourth player ever to reach 33,000 points.

Thunder 119 (6-11), Blazers 136 (7-12)

Portland continues to click on all cylinders, getting their second win in a row. Damian Lillard led the team with 27 points, while the team also got key contributions from CJ McCollum (22 points), Hassan Whiteside (21 points) and Carmelo Anthony (19 points).

Bulls 90 (6-13), Warriors 104 (4-15)

Warriors rookie Eric Paschall gave the team a spark with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Zach LaVine scored 36 points for the Bulls.

The post Post Up: Anthony Davis Comes Up Clutch in Return to New Orleans appeared first on SLAM.

Giannis Antetokounmpo put in an MVP performance against the Blazers, registering a triple-double of 24 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists. Eric Bledsoe added a team-high 30 points in the win.

Without Damian Lillard for the second straight game, CJ McCollum stepped up with 37 points. Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points.

Pelicans 124 (6-9), Suns 121 (7-7)

New Orleans pulled ahead late in this back-and-forth game thanks to Brandon Ingram. Ingram finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds and several timely buckets in the fourth quarter.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Giannis’ Triple-Double Propels Bucks Past Blazers appeared first on SLAM.

HE’S BACK.

Carmelo Anthony made his debut for the Blazers, his first appearance in an NBA game in 376 days. Melo shook some of the rust off and finished with 10 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes. The Pelicans spoiled his return by coming away with the win, but hoop fans everywhere should be nothing but thrilled that Melo is playing NBA basketball again.

Jrue Holiday led New Orleans with 22 points and 10 assists, and Brandon Ingram added 21 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists. CJ McCollum dropped 22 in the loss.

Warriors 114 (3-12), Grizzlies 95 (5-9)

Alec Burks dropped a game-high 29 points and Draymond Green stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points, 10 boards, and 11 assists to lead the Warriors to their 3rd win of the season. The Grizzlies were led by Ja Morant, who finished with 20 points in the loss.

Kings 120 (6-7), Suns 116 (7-6)

The Kings held off a 4th-quarter surge by the Suns to secure the win at home. Bogdan Bogdanovic went off for a career-high 31 points on 11-14 shooting and 7-9 from three. Corey Joseph dropped 14 dimes and Richaun Holmes added 20 points and 15 boards for the Kings. Devin Booker led the Suns with 30 points and 8 assists, and Mikal Bridges at 20 off the bench in the loss.

Lakers 112 (12-2), Thunder 107 (5-9)

The Lakers won their 5th in a row, led by monster nights from their two superstars Anthony Davis and LeBron James. AD finished with a game-high 34 points on 13-24 shooting. LBJ’s 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Thunder made him the first player ever to record a triple-double against every team in the NBA, an insane accomplishment for The King.

The Thunder were led by Dennis Schroder, who dropped a team-high 31 points off the bench. Danilo Gallinari added 25 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Carmelo Anthony Makes Blazers Debut appeared first on SLAM.

The Kyrie-less Nets managed to drop 43 points in the fourth quarter to pull off the road win.

Joe Harris dropped 22 points with 8 dimes and had a +16 plus/minus. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 of his team-high 24 points during the fourth.

Bucks 102 (9-3), Pacers 83 (7-6)

Milwaukee took care of business against a depleted Pacers squad.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 26 points with 13 boards, 6 dimes and had +19 plus/minus.

Hornets 103 (6-7), Knicks 102 (3-10)

The Knicks looked like they were on their way to their fourth win of the season, but a red-hot Devonte’ Graham ripped their hearts out with a game-winning three.

Graham dropped a game-high 29 points, including 9 threes.

Rockets 125 (10-3), Wolves 105 (7-6)

The game was close until the fourth quarter, when Houston outscored the Andrew Wiggins-less Wolves by 12 points.

James Harden dropped 49 points on an insane 41 shot attempts (22 three-point attempts), finishing with a +16 plus/minus.

The Rockets have now won 7 straight.

Pelicans 94 (3-9), Heat 109 (9-3)

Miami took care of business against a depleted Pelicans team.

Jimmy Butler dropped 16 points, with 13 dimes and 8 boards, finishing with a +22 plus/minus. Bam Adebayo added 18 points with 14 rebounds. Kendrick Nunn dropped a team-high 22 points.

Raptors 102 (8-4), Mavs 110 (7-5)

Up 14 points mid-way through the fourth quarter, the Mavericks nearly blew the entire lead, but ultimately was able to hang on.

Luka Doncic dropped a game-high 26 points with 15 boards and 7 dimes.

Blazers 121 (5-8), Spurs 116 (5-8)

Down by 15 points early the third quarter, the Spurs would go on a run of their own after Gregg Popovich was tossed from the game. San Antonio would take a 15-point lead in the fourth, but Portland rallied back to regain the lead.

Damian Lillard dropped 22 points with 6 dimes, finishing with a +18 plus/,minus. CJ McCollum added a game-high 32 points with 7 dimes.

After the heartbreaking loss, San Antonio has now lost 5 straight.

Hawks 101 (4-8), Clippers 150 (8-5)

The Clippers simply couldn’t be stopped, as the TEAM shot 53.8/51.5/94.3 splits for the entire game.

In just his second game this season, Paul George dropped 37 points, scoring the most points of any Clipper in his home debut. PG would finished with a +28 plus/minus.

—

Ryne Nelson is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @slaman10.

The post Post Up: Devonte’ Graham Sinks Hornets’ Second-Straight Game-Winner 🚨 appeared first on SLAM.

T. J. Warren led the way with 23 points on 10-14 shooting as the Pacers cruised to a win in OKC. Malcolm Brogdon added 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

76ers 98 (7-3), Cavaliers 97 (4-6)

A clutch, go ahead dunk from Joel Embiid with 13 seconds left lifted the 76ers to the win over the Cavs. Embiid was a monster all night, finishing with 27 points and 16 rebounds. Kevin Love and Jordan Clarkson each dropped 20 in the loss.

Heat 117 (7-3), Pistons 108 (4-8)

The Heat held off a late surge from the Pistons to secure their 7th win of the season. Miami had 6 players finish in double figures, and Jimmy Butler led the way with 20 points and 13 assists. Luke Kennard finished with 22 points in the loss.

Bulls 120 (4-7), Knicks 102 (2-9)

It was the Coby White show in the windy city.

The rookie splashed a franchise record 7 threes in the 4th quarter alone and finished with a game-high 27 points. Zach LaVine shined too, dropping 25 points and 5 assists. For the Knicks, rookie RJ Barrett continued to impress, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Lakers 123 (8-2), Suns 115 (6-4)

The top-seeded Lakers took care of business on the road against the Suns, closing the game on a 12-2 run. Anthony Davis dropped a game-high 24 points to go along with 12 rebounds. Kyle Kuzma added 23 points, and LeBron stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Suns, who have been the surprise of the season thus far, battled till the end on the backs of Devin Booker (21p, 9a) and Ricky Rubio (21p, 10a).

Hawks 125 (4-6), Nuggets 121 (7-3)

Ice Trae continues to tear up the league.

He went OFF for a season-high 42 points, including 8-13 from three, and 11 assists to lead the Hawks to a big win in Denver. Trae became the first player in Hawks franchise history to record 30 points and 10 assists in three straight games. Nikola Jokic finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Jazz 119 (8-3), Nets 114 (4-6)

The Jazz continued their red-hot start to the season with a wire-to-wire win over the Nets. Donovan Mitchell shined, dropping a game-high 30 points. Rudy Gobert added 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Kyrie Irving led the Nets with 27 points and 5 assists.

Kings 107 (3-6), Blazers 99 (4-6)

The Kings outscored the Blazers 35-21 in the third quarter and held off the late comeback to pick up their 3rd win of the season. Bogdan Bogdonaovic led the way with 25 points and 10 assists off the bench. Portland’s elite backcourt showed out, with Damian Lillard dropping 27 and CJ McCollum adding 24 in the loss.

The post Post Up: Trae Young Drops 42 to Lead the Hawks to a Win in Denver appeared first on SLAM.

Late in OT, Nikola Jokic hit the game-winning bucket over Karl-Anthony Towns to give the Nuggets the win on the road. Jokic had a team-high 20 points to go with 7 dimes and 6 rebounds.

Pacers 109 (6-4), Magic 102 (3-7)

Domantas Sabonis put up a double-double (21 points, 16 rebounds) to give Indiana its third-straight win. T.J. Warren and Malcolm Brogdon had 19 apiece, while Doug McDermott had 18 off the bench.

Sixers 114 (6-3), Hornets 106 (4-6)

Four of Philly’s starters scored in double figures – Joel Embiid (18 points), Al Horford (15 points), Tobias Harris (14 points) and Josh Richardson (11 points).

Bucks 117 (7-3) , Thunder 114 (4-6)

Tied 114-all with under a minute, Brook Lopez knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Bucks the W. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another monster performance, finishing with 35 points and 16 rebounds.

Cavaliers 108 (4-5), Knicks 87 (2-8)

Collin Sexton finished with 21 points at The Garden. Kevin Love was the second-leading scorer with 17 points.

Suns 138 (6-3), Nets 112 (4-5)

All five Suns starters finished in double figures as Devin Booker led the team with 27 points. Ricky Rubio had 22 points and 12 dimes; Kelly Oubre also had 18.

Trailblazers 124 (4-6), Hawks 113 (3-6)

Damian Lillard and Kevin Huerter traded back-to-back buckets to force it to overtime, but the Blazers prevailed at home. Lillard (30 points) and CJ McCollum (23 points) combined for 53 points, and Anfernee Simons finished with 20 points off the bench.

Raptors 113 (6-2), Lakers 104 (7-1)

Toronto extended the lead to 10 in the 4Q and closed it off when the Lakers started to make their run. Last season’s MIP finished with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Fred VanVleet also had 21 points in the win to snap the Lakers’ 7-game wining streak.

The post Post Up: Pascal Siakam Helps Snap Lakers’ Seven-Game Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

Kemba Walker received nothing but love in his first return to Charlotte after joining the Celtics this past summer. The crowd greeted the All-Star with a standing ovation in warmups.

Walker went on to score 14 points in the Celtics’ blowout win.

Thunder 112 (3-5), Spurs 121 (5-3)

LaMarcus Aldridge led the way for San Antonio with a season-high 39 points. Teammate Dejounte Murray added a double-double of 17 points and 10 assists. Danilo Gallinari paced the Thunder with 27 points.

Heat 124 (6-2), Suns 108 (5-3)

Jimmy Butler scored 30 of his game-high 34 points in the first half alone, helping Miami build its lead early. Bam Adebayo added a double-double, totaling 15 points and 10 rebounds. Aron Baynes led the Suns in points with 23 off the bench.

Blazers 101 (3-5), Clippers 107 (6-3)

The Clippers came out on top in the nail-biter thanks to timely buckets from Kawhi Leonard and the ultimate dagger by Lou Williams. The Leonard-Williams duo combined for 53 points in the win. Portland received 22 points apiece from Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

The post Post Up: Celtics Get the Win in Kemba Walker’s Return to Charlotte appeared first on SLAM.

OKC got its first win of the season after routing the Warriors at home. Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points as four of five of the Thunder’s starters finished in double figures. Dennis Schroeder had 22 points off the bench.

Grizzlies (1-2) 134, Nets (1-2) 133

Ja Morant scored the go-ahead bucket to tie it at 120-all and blocked Kyrie Irving’s jumper to force OT, finishing the contest with 30 points and 9 dimes. His final assist was to a trailing Jae Crowder, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

Timberwolves 116 (3-0), Heat 109 (2-1)

Andrew Wiggins put up 11 straight points in the money quarter to finish with 25 points as the Wolves remain undefeated. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double (25 points, 11 rebounds) in front of the home crowd. Jeff Teague also had 21 points and 8 assists.

Trailblazers 121 (2-1), Mavericks 119 (2-1)

Damian Lillard’s layup sealed the victory on the road in Dallas. Lillard (28 points) and CJ McCollum (35 points) combined for 63 points. Rodney and Zach Collins finished in double figures with 20 and 10, respectively.

Lakers 120 (2-1), Hornets (1-2) 101

The Lakers went 2-0 this weekend after defending home court against the Jazz and Hornets. Anthony Davis had a 29-point, 14-rebound performance and LeBron James finished with a double-double (20 points, 13 assists) of his own, too. The Lakers are back at home Tuesday night against the Grizzlies.

The post Post Up: Ja Morant Drops 30 Points to Lead Grizzlies Over Nets in OT 🤫 appeared first on SLAM.

—

Gym Rat Award: Cole Anthony

Cole lived in the gym. He would put in 60-90 minutes on the court pretty much every day. Even when he was off, he would come by and observe guys like CJ McCollum and Donovan Mitchell work out. He really is a student of the game. He’s hungry.

Locked-In Award: D’Angelo Russell

During free agency, when D’Angelo didn’t know where he would be playing this season, we had some of our most intense workouts. I’m talking, some of the most intense workouts I’ve ever conducted. Some nights we would be on the court working from midnight to 2 a.m.

18 Minutes Champion: James Harden

One of my favorite workouts is an 18-minute shooting drill. It consists of 18 straight minutes of 3s. For nine of those minutes, the player is on the move; and for the other nine, they stand still. James Harden had the summer record with 265 makes. CJ McCollum finished second with 261. Those numbers are ridiculous!

Biggest Surprise: Ty Jerome

When Ty played in the Black Ops runs, he controlled the game. He was hitting threes from almost half court and also making his teammates better. One day, he won every single game (nine straight). Ty is going to have a big rookie year. 

Biggest Surprise, Non-NBA Player: J. Cole

J. Cole played in a handful of Black Ops runs, but one of the days was particularly memorable. Sharing the court with nine NBA guys, he hit 3 game-winners and shot 7-8 from deep.

Most Focused: Donovan Mitchell

Heading into Team USA tryouts, Donovan would come in the gym every morning with a chip on his shoulder. He logged double sessions a lot of days, too. He was extremely focused and pushed himself to be as ready as possible for USA. His work was rewarded by his great play in the World Cup.

What People Don’t Know: James Harden’s Work Ethic

James would work out daily and he’d run suicides on his own afterward. One day, following a tiring session with two other NBA players, James still got on the line and knocked out his suicides. Averaging 36.9 points per game doesn’t just happen. Tremendous work ethic is required.

The Mentor: Carmelo Anthony

Melo worked very, very hard this summer himself, but he also helped others get better. He did individual sessions and played one-on-one with Cole Anthony, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle, Donovan Mitchell and Terrence Clarke. He shared his knowledge and taught them how to do specific moves. Melo showed his maturity and his leadership qualities. He didn’t have to do those sessions. He did it because he wanted to pass on his wisdom to the next generation.

Best Duo: Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young

Imagine these two in the same backcourt. It’s a coach’s dream. It started in Louisville, when Mitchell and Trae worked out together and played pick-up against the Cardinals’ men’s basketball team. Then when we started the Black Ops games, they ran together and it was a scary site. They have great chemistry. 

Walking Bucket Award: TJ Warren

TJ played in a few Black Ops games and was unstoppable. He can score in a number of ways and he’s highly underrated on a national scale. 

NC Crew: Dennis Smith Jr, TJ Warren & J. Cole

The North Carolina crew is very close. Not only would they play on the same team during Black Ops runs, they would also work out together at night.

Most Viral Picture: Cole Anthony Putback Dunk

Wow Moment: Adrian Griffin Jr & Terrence Clarke

Adrian Griffin Jr was the youngest player to ever play in a Black Ops run. He was 15 years old and he was on fire. His first outing, he scored over 20 points and played like a grown man. Everyone left the gym impressed. Terrence Clarke also put on a show. His handle reminds me of Jamal Crawford and he’s very skilled. Kentucky got a great one.

Most Competitive Workout: Russell Westbrook & James Harden

James and Russell worked out together and I said, ‘First to win 10 drills wins the workout.’ It literally came down to the last shot. It was 9-9 and the last drill was 50 threes on the move. James got 35. Russ was at 34-49 and the last shot would have tied James to send the workout into overtime, but he missed it.

Any time Russ is on the court, he brings a whole different level of intensity. I love it.

High-Flyer Award: Kelly Oubre

Oubre really had 16 dunks in a single Black Ops run. And he had a beanie on when he did it, too. The internet ran with it. #BeanieKelly

—

Follow Chris Brickley on Instagram.

The post Black Ops Basketball: 2019 Summer Recap and Awards appeared first on SLAM.

“We never really consider ourselves underdogs,” says Collins, adding that they’re focused on winning a title.

The big fella credits All-Star teammates Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum with fostering a winning culture in Portland.

Per HoopsHype :

Would you agree that you guys have embraced that underdog role and approach everything with that us-against-the-world attitude?

ZC: “Yeah. Like you said, every year since I’ve been here, the analysts say that we’re not even going to make the playoffs, and then we get the two-seed and three-seed back to back. So, to us, it’s just white noise. I mean, we don’t really pay attention to it. And if we do, it’s just motivation, like you said, embracing that underdog role. But we never really consider ourselves underdogs. We always consider ourselves the best team in the West, one of the best teams in the NBA. So for us, it’s not really ever like a conversation about how they’re counting us out and how we’ve got to prove them wrong. It’s always about how this is the year and we have the guys in the locker room to compete for a championship. So what they say about us, we don’t really converse about – we’re on our own path. Inside that locker room, we’re all together and we’re going into this season with one goal and that’s to win a championship, regardless of what everybody else is saying.”

There are quite a few teams that seem like legitimate contenders and it feels more wide open than in recent years. Would you agree with that?

ZC: “Absolutely. I think both conferences got a lot better. It’s been a while since there wasn’t – according to other people and analysts and talk shows and websites and everything – a clear-cut favorite. I know a lot of people are talking about the Clippers and Lakers. But again, those are two teams that, in the past, weren’t really up for talks about a championship. So even that right there just tells you how much has changed over the summer and how much better the entire league is going to be, not just one part of it.”

Related Portland Won’t Load-Manage Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum

The post Portland’s Zach Collins: ‘We Always Consider Ourselves the Best Team in the West’ appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Award Predictions

Champions: Los Angeles Clippers

Most Valuable Player: Anthony Davis

Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert

Sixth Man: Lou Williams

Most Improved: Terry Rozier

Rookies Most Likely To…

Drop a fire album: Coby White

Appear in a Gunna music video: Cam Reddish

Be a second-round steal: Bol Bol

Start dancing in the middle of a game: Darius Garland

Steal your girl: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Average 10 rebounds: Rui Hachimura

Average 10 assists: Ja Morant

Average 20 points: RJ Barrett

@Leaguefits Most Likely To…

Wear his own jersey to the arena: Gerald Green

Be posted on @LeagueFits and @SLAMKICKS the same night: PJ Tucker

Be @LeagueFits ROY: Tyler Herro

Be @LeagueFits MVP: Kelly Oubre

Have a breakout season: Dwayne Bacon

Wear a tuxedo to a game: Serge Ibaka

Have their entire roster at fashion week: Houston Rockets

Wear sunglasses Inside: John Wall

@SLAMKICKS Most Likely To…

Have the most diverse collection: Montrezl Harrell

Have the best PEs: Kyrie Irving

Have the most heat this season: PJ Tucker

Surprise people with his collection: Taurean Prince

Play in designer shoes: Russell Westbrook

Be @SLAMKICKS ROY: Bol Bol

NBA Most Likely To…

Be Comeback Player Of The Year: Dejounte Murray

Have the best handshake: Russell Westbrook & James Harden

Dunk on your head: Miles Bridges

Be the best duo: LeBron James & Anthony Davis

Be a first-time All-Star: East—Trae Young, West—Donovan Mitchell

Be the best Twitter duo: Damian Lillard & CJ McCollum

Have the best bench celebrations: Brooklyn Nets

Block your shot: Mitchell Robinson

Drop 70 points in a game: Bradley Beal

Be the best LeaguePass team: Atlanta Hawks

Photobomb an interview: Jared Dudley

Break your ankles: Kemba Walker

Have the best social media clapback: Joel Embiid

Invent a new move: Stephen Curry

Roast a reporter at a press conference: Mike Scott

Use a Drake lyric as an Instagram caption: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The post NBA 2019-20 SEASON PREVIEW: Award Predictions and Superlatives appeared first on SLAM.

McCollum adds that the Trail Blazers can’t load-manage their two stars the way the Toronto Raptors successfully did with Kawhi Leonard last season.

Portland’s braintrust will focus instead on giving Dame and CJ as much rest as possible in-between games.

Per The Oregonian:

“We’re not some big super team,” Lillard said. “So I don’t think we have the luxury to sit out, especially with how competitive the West is going to be.”

Added McCollum: “The race in the Western Conference is extremely tight. I don’t know if we can afford to Kawhi it, so to speak. You’ll Kawhi your way out of the playoffs.”

That said, it sure wouldn’t hurt the Blazers’ postseason aspirations to manage their stars. McCollum led the NBA in total distance run from 2015-18, a three-year stretch that saw him run a combined 634.20 miles during games. A late-season knee injury was the only thing preventing him from “defending his title” a year ago. And Lillard, who ranked fifth in the NBA last season in distance run (202 miles), looked gassed late in the 2019 Western Conference playoffs, a byproduct of playing longer than ever and carrying the Blazers after McCollum and [Jusuf] Nurkic suffered late-season injuries.

“We got to the Western Conference finals and I felt it,” Lillard said. “We hadn’t been that far and my body was tired. I was fatigued to the point where it was a real challenge. How I manage myself leading up to that point is going to mean everything.”

Related Damian Lillard: ‘Our Focus is to Win a Championship’

The post Portland Won’t Load-Manage Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum appeared first on SLAM.

Below is a list of the contract types the Portland Trail Blazers have heading into training camp. This resource will be updated as players are signed and waived. Check back often to see if your team’s roster configuration has changed.

Portland Trail Blazers

For a complete list of all the NBA teams and links to each team’s roster breakdown, check out our 2019 NBA Training Camp Index. Follow the curators of this database, Chris Crouse and Austin Kent, on Twitter.

More NBA Training Camp Rosters

The post Portland Trail Blazers Roster Count: 2019 Training Camp appeared first on SLAM.

Things are no longer a “cakewalk” according to Bryant, who points out that his own 2008 Olympic quad had to sweat out its Gold Medal victory.

The Black Mamba adds that global hoops competition will only become more fierce in the coming years, and that Team USA must “respect everybody.”

Per The Athletic:

“Put the best players that you think are going to make the best U.S. team out on the floor, we are still going to have challenges,” Bryant said Friday in Beijing, between World Cup semifinal games. “It’s not going to be a cakewalk. The days of the ’92 Barcelona Dream Team are gone.”

Bryant, 41, was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and an anchor for the 2008 “Redeem Team,” which came here to Beijing and avenged a spate of American hoop embarrassments at the 2002 and ’06 World Cups and 2004 Olympics.

“That was a hell of a team we had,” Bryant said. “We still needed a real late push to beat Spain in that gold medal match.”

This summer, All-Star-caliber players James Harden, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Kevin Love, Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond backed out of commitments to play at the World Cup. LeBron [James], Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving were never in the mix.

“It’s not a matter of the rest of the world catching up to the U.S., it’s that the rest of the world has been caught up for quite some time,” Bryant said. “And it’s to the point now where us in the U.S. are gonna win some, we’re gonna lose some. And that’s just how it goes.”

Related Kobe Bryant Hung His Olympic Gold Medal in Pau Gasol’s Locker

The post Kobe Bryant: ‘The Days of the ’92 Barcelona Dream Team Are Gone’ appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down the overall ratings for each player and sorted them by team so that you can see how your squad stacks up against the rest of the league.

Portland Trail Blazers NBA 2K20 Ratings

This table is updated as of Nov. 22, 2019

Can’t get enough 2K? SLAM’s dedicated gaming channel, @SLAMftw, is blowing up. Hit us with your best uploads and watch our streams!

More NBA 2K20 Ratings