“Our aspiration is for players to feel comfortable and safe, so they can focus on getting in the “zone”, and enjoy the game more”, says Andy Blinds, CEO of Gamepatch.

As Gamepatch is specifically designed for basketball, the brand has collaborated with NBA player Kristaps Porzingis. All Gamepatch products are hand-crafted overseas in Porzingis’ home country of Latvia, Europe.

“It’s a great feeling to share my first impressions on new product designs from a player’s perspective, working together with Gamepatch to create quality products that help to protect players,” says Porzingis. “Basketball is getting more competitive every day,” he continues, “Players become faster, stronger and the game is getting more physical. For us, it means that we need to prepare our bodies to perform at a high level. Gamepatch has created unique products that can really help us at intense moments of the game and prevent injuries. I believe in the concept and I am proud to be the Brand Ambassador for such a great product.”

Almost every NBA player uses compression wear and a lot of players choose to wear padded gear to prevent injuries. As in any high contact game, players are constantly dealing with aches, sprains, bruises or the worse. On average 22 percent of all basketball players sustain an injury at least once a season. Every player wants to spend as little time as possible on the bench and be capable of playing harder, longer and feeling safe on the court. Gamepatch products are affordable for both amateurs and professionals.

Gamepatch’s product line was born with basketball, but its impact extends well beyond the hardwood to other sports including handball, football, volleyball and soccer. Featuring an innovative “Body Adjusting Technology,” its functionality seems like something out of the future: when worn, Gamepatch quickly reacts to your body temperature to create a softer, more custom fit that feels like a second skin. Through tests and scientific studies, Gamepatch’s team has found that their products can absorb hits 20 percent more effectively than similar products and vastly lowers the risk of injuries.

“There are a lot of athletes in different sports looking for better sportswear with improved functionality,” says Andy Blinds. “List of our users is expanding, more EuroLeague and NBA players appreciate the quality and protective properties of Gamepatch. We are convinced that we can help thousands of athletes across the world to stay safe, prevent injuries, and improve their confidence. This is the vision that drives Gamepatch.”

As the talent level overseas and in the States continues to grow, Gamepatch is ahead of the game in terms of injury prevention—that way, all you need to really focus on is going out there and dropping buckets.

Shop here: https://game-patch.com

The post Gamepatch is Committed to Player Body Protection, Backed by Celtics Newly Acquired Kristaps Porzingis appeared first on SLAM.

The United States will enter the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in August as the second- ranked country in the world.

Yes, the second-ranked country.

For the first time in more than a decade, US men’s basketball slipped to No. 2 in the FIBA world rankings back in November. The top spot currently belongs to Spain, winners of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket—the championship of Europe for men’s national teams—and the 2019 FIBA World Cup (a tournament in which the Americans finished seventh). The US does not send its A-team to events such as the FIBA AmeriCup, where it came in third last year after being knocked out by Argentina, but the results of those tournaments still impact the rankings. And while the squad put together for the Tokyo Olympics emerged victorious two summers ago, it lost to France during the preliminary round and only won by 5, 87-82, in a rematch in the Final. 

You don’t have to look hard for proof that the game is growing around the world. The three finalists for the 2023 NBA MVP hailed from countries outside the United States—winner Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and runners-up Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)—as well as six of the top eight vote-getters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) finished fifth, followed by Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) in seventh and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) in eighth. This marked the fifth straight season that a foreign-born player was crowned MVP, dating back to Antetokounmpo’s first triumph in 2019.

Most of those stars have confirmed that they intend to play in the upcoming World Cup, which will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. This year’s event will be the second to feature 32 teams and the first to be hosted by multiple nations. It’s also the gateway to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as seven countries will qualify based on their performances: two from the Americas, two from Europe, one from Africa, one from Asia and one from Oceania.

For the US, the tournament will be far from a cakewalk, regardless of who lands on the team’s final roster. 

“There are quality players around the world—I think we’re starting to see that,” says Carlan Gay, deputy editor at The Sporting News and an announcer for international competitions. “Four of the five that finished at the top of the MVP voting aren’t American born—that just tells you that the world isn’t catching up, it has caught up.” 

“I think that we have this idea that, well, if it’s not American, it’s not as good,” says Jeff Taylor, an international basketball commentator since 1997. “I understood immediately watching the [1997] EuroBasket—watching a game between Poland and Germany—I was struck by how good they were.” 

Taylor has covered most of FIBA’s flagship events since then, observing firsthand how the level of talent has risen in other countries. “It’s grown exponentially,” he tells SLAM. “I think it was already good at the time, but I think there are different factors at work here [that have made it even better].”

For one, an increasing number of Europeans jumped to the NBA in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The success of guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker helped erase stigmas about foreign players—mainly, that they were too soft and not athletic enough to succeed in the States—and inspired others to follow in their footsteps.

Emerging talents overseas join top professional organizations as teenagers, where they are exposed to elite coaching and stiff competition that accelerates their development. Doncic signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid at the age of 13, and No. 1 NBA draft prospect Victor Wembanyama has been a pro since he was 15. Of course, those high-level prospects also join their respective national team programs early on, which facilitates even more growth.

“There’s more opportunity for development within your national team program [overseas],” says University of Alabama assistant coach Ryan Pannone, who has previously coached in the NBA, G League, China Germany, Slovakia and Israel. “And the pressure those guys are playing under and the pride for their national teams is really high. [For example], Luka was playing within the national team obviously from a very young age in Slovenia, and he was in the academy within Real Madrid in Spain. So he’s getting professional coaching seven days a week from coaches whose full-time jobs are to make sure he develops; and then in the summer, he’s in the national team system of Slovenia, where he’s playing in high-pressure-filled games.”

Basketball journeyman Scotty Hopson, who has played in 10 countries and suited up for the 2018 USA World Cup Qualifying Team, notes that the “athleticism level” has increased among international players. “Whenever I go to these countries and play against other teams and players, I feel like they always have a knowledge of basketball that’s pretty high level,” says Hopson. “And now you add the component that guys are starting to get more athletic, starting to understand how to take care of their bodies, how to train more.”

It’s important to mention that the FIBA game is different—harder, in a lot of ways. Quarters are 10 minutes long as opposed to 12. The court is smaller (91 feet-10 inches by 49 feet-2.5 inches, compared to the NBA’s 94 feet by 50 feet), and the three-point line is about a foot closer. There’s no defensive three seconds, and goaltending rules are modified: players are allowed to swat the ball off the cylinder as soon as it touches the rim.

All of these changes result in a distinct style of play: more strategic and methodical, less spaced. Teams value possessions more because there are fewer of them. On defense, it’s easier to pack the paint and provide help. Closeouts are faster—there’s not as much ground to cover—so coaches emphasize shooting and making quick reads. “The game internationally can be very physical, very tactical. And if you’re going to play it, you have to be very intelligent,” explains Taylor.

“The game in Europe is way harder than the game in the NBA,” Antetokounmpo said last September. “The talent obviously in the NBA is way higher, but the space [is better]—you have a lot of lanes to drive the ball, a lot of lanes to create. Over there it’s more intense.” 

During the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket last summer, Antetokounmpo had to work extremely hard for his points, as opponents clogged the middle and sent double or triple teams his way. “And in the past, this has helped me a lot, like when I came back from [the World Cup] in 2019,” he added. “That was the year we went to the bubble. The first couple of games, I felt like the court was huge.”

“Is it harder? Yes, because I think you really need to have quick thinking,” Jokic said about the international game after EuroBasket. “In the NBA, if you go by the guy, you can see the help is coming. In Europe, help is always there. So you need to think and play ahead.” That challenge helped Jokic evolve into the playmaker that he is today and made transitioning to the NBA much easier. Similarly, Doncic told SLAM in 2022: “I think from [Europe] comes my reading the game, all the passing skills.”

Thus, current and future NBA players can benefit tremendously from participating in FIBA events, especially given the intensity of those environments. Many of those players also assume bigger roles for their national teams, which allows them to showcase other parts of their games. Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, for example, shined as the number one option for Finland at the 2022 EuroBasket, averaging 27.9 points on 54 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent from three.

When he returned to the States for the 2022-23 NBA season, Jazz head coach Will Hardy encouraged Markkanen to play exactly as he had for Finland—confident, assertive, in more of a central role. And Markkanen had the best year of his NBA career, making his first All-Star team and winning the Most Improved Player award.

Says Coach Pannone, who was an assistant for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022-23, “Obviously, Lauri Markkanen and the way that panned out doesn’t happen for every [NBA] team, but [FIBA events] certainly give you the chance to see one of your players in more of a star role—how they’re used, how they handle it, how successful they are. And you get that opportunity without it costing you games by trying to experiment with that throughout the NBA season.”

Markkanen will be with Finland again this summer for the World Cup. Other international players expected to compete include Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Sabonis, Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert (France), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia), Franz Wagner (Germany), Josh Giddey (Australia), Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), Jordan Clarkson (Philippines) and more. The US will likely enter the tournament as a significant favorite, but the depth of talent this year will once again make the road to the Naismith Trophy very difficult.

“Whether you’re from the United States or not, there’s going to be amazing competition here because the level of basketball in this World Cup, I think, will be unprecedented,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said during an episode of One Sports’ The Game.

Defending champions Spain should have another formidable roster, led by veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, MVP of the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and Willy Hernangomez, MVP of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket. Australia, ranked third, should have Giddey and several other NBA players, including Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green and Jock Landale. The likely presence of Antetokounmpo, Doncic and Jokic ensures that Greece, Slovenia and Serbia will all be tough opponents. Canada could be stacked with household names: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks and more. And then, of course, there’s France, a country that nearly toppled the United States in the Tokyo Olympics and should have a similar squad, plus the 7-4 phenom Wembanyama. 

The list of worthy competitors for the ’23 World Cup title goes on and on—each one composed of prideful players determined to reach the podium for their countries. 

“You can go down the list of guys who really take pride in putting on that [national team] jersey,” says Gay. “I don’t think it’s something that we truly understand in North America—how much passion there is for basketball outside of these borders and how much passion there is for performing on the world stage for your country—because of the NBA factor. I think kids around the world grow up not dreaming to be in the NBA but dreaming to play and win a World Cup and win an Olympic gold medal.”

“Representing your national team, it’s heavy,” said Antetokounmpo in September. “You represent your whole country.”

Asked about facing Antetokounmpo during the 2019 FIBA World Cup, then-United States head coach Gregg Popovich said this of international superstars: “When they play for their countries, we like to say that they become superheroes. They get together and, through their relationships and their views about their game, they just form a team that—they fall in love with each other. They enjoy playing with each other. And that goes across the board for everybody that’s in the tournament. A lot of them have grown up together, a lot of them have spent a lot of time playing together, and you can see that.”

“The biggest advantage I felt like [other countries] had was that those teams play together for years and years and years,” Hopson reiterates. He speaks from experience, having lost to a cohesive and well-coached Argentina squad during qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup. “You’re going into a situation where you’re playing against guys who have probably been playing together since they were kids. They have an advantage with that because the chemistry is already built.” 

Combine that chemistry with the rising talent and the hunger of players to win for their countries and the US will certainly have its hands full trying to reclaim the World Cup title and the No. 1 FIBA ranking.

“The gap has closed, but also, the fear factor is gone,” Gay says. “No one’s afraid to play Team USA. In fact, they’re circling that date on the calendar to try to make history.”

SLAM 244 is also available in this exclusive Gold Metal Edition.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post International Superstars are Now Dominating the Game More Than Ever Before appeared first on SLAM.

Trent is averaging 16.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 43.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. His gradual improvement since he was drafted by Portland Trail Blazers in 2018 will help him earn a solid second contract. However, Scotto believes that the Raptors aren’t keen on committing to Trent long-term.

“According to numerous NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype at the G League Showcase, the top Raptors trade candidate is unanimously Gary Trent Jr.,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported.

“The current belief from those executives is Trent Jr. will opt out of his $18.8 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency this summer. Two executives told HoopsHype they believe Trent could earn $20 million or more if he entered unrestricted free agency. There’s skepticism amongst several front offices across the league that Toronto would be willing to retain Trent Jr. if he eclipses the $20 million annual range.”

The Raptors acquired Trent in the middle of the 2020-21 season after trading away Norman Powell for the former Duke Blue Devil. In the 112 games Trent has played for Toronto, he’s averaged 17.7 points per game. Because of that production, it’ll be difficult to let Trent walk, but the Raptors are in the middle of being a playoff threat while they are fighting off being a high-draft pick team or tanking.

Toronto (13-18) will look to break their six-game losing streak against Cleveland (21-11) on Friday.

The post REPORT: Gary Trent Jr. Expected to Opt-Out of Player Option appeared first on SLAM.

Drafted in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Gibson remained with the Bulls for 8 years. While he may not have put up all-star statistics in Chicago, averaging 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, his value and legacy to the franchise are palpable. 

Gibson enjoyed special moments in the United Center, playing alongside all-time Bulls greats Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The 37-year-old was a consistent contributor during the Bulls’ 62-win and conference finals season in 2011-12 and during the 2013-14 season when he was runner-up for Most Improved Player (averaging 13 points and 6.8 rebounds).

Hard-working and loyal, Gibson was a steady supporter, a confidante, and a respected leader in the Bulls’ locker room. One of the most beloved players by coaches, teammates, and fans, Chicago never fails to make Gibson feels special during his “homecoming” games.

“The love stays the same. The love gets better and better every time”, Gibson said Wednesday after losing 111-115 in Chicago, per MSN. 

Despite the loss, Gibson had a special feeling being back in United Center while Bulls fans gave him love.

The vet returns to Chicago on February 26th.

The post Taj Gibson On ‘the Love’ He Gets From Chicago Bulls Fans appeared first on SLAM.

The USC product suffered an ankle injury and was forced to sit out at the end of training camp and Cleveland’s first three preseason games. Because of that untimely injury, Mobley lost the valuable opportunity to play alongside the combination of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Caris LeVert.

Without sizable time to find a rhythm post-injury and to build chemistry with the Cavs’ new backcourt in Garland and Mitchell, Mobley feels like he has “gotten off to kind of a slow start,” per The Athletic. 

Following Sunday’s OT win against the Washington Wizards, the 21-year-old hadn’t taken double-digit shot attempts this season. On Sunday, Mobley shot 28.6 percent from the field and finished with two field goals. 

After Tuesday’s practice, Bickerstaff said, “we’ve gotta get him more involved.” 

“Again, it’s a mix of time together and where he was in the preseason and then him coming back and then Darius being gone. There are some things that we’re still working through. He’s so skilled and so talented, and we want him involved in our offense in a bunch of different ways.”

pic.twitter.com/9PmVr6NJaY

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Bickerstaff likes the shots Mobley is taking but wants him to take more. The Cavs believe Mobley is “the guy who can help take [them] to the next level.” In his rookie season, the center averaged 15 points on 50.8 percent from the field, 25 percent from three, and 66.2 percent from the free-throw line. For Cleveland to rise to a championship-level team, they need Mobley to continue to improve his strength and consistency. 

“Evan’s basketball IQ is what we teach every single day,” Bickerstaff said during training camp. “We were talking about teaching guys how to play basketball; that’s what Evan excels at naturally. He just understands the game at a higher level than most second-year players do, and even as a rookie.”

Mobley is looking to play with more freedom and ease on offense, becoming a simultaneous creator and attacker. 

At Wednesday morning’s shootaround, he said he is “going to stay consistent with it.” 

“I know shots are going to start falling,” Mobley said “And I’m going to be in a better position to take those shots as well.”

On Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, Mobley seemed to have regained some of his flow. The second-year center finished with 22 points on 9-15 shooting, including 17 points in the second half. 

“He was determined to help us win this game,” Bickerstaff said. “We know what he’s capable of. We believe in him a lot. And he was attack-minded, and he went out to prove a point. I think he did that.”

Step back 2⃣ #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/24Vi3YypFd

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Teammate Dean Wade added: “every time he touched a ball, he’s looking to be aggressive. That’s always good to see, especially out of him. Sometimes he goes to make a play but doesn’t look to score, and I think tonight he was always looking to score, and that’s what we needed him to do. So wh n he plays like that, we’re a hard team to beat because he’s going to take at least two guys to stop him. And he’s obviously a great passer, so he can make those passes out. Tonight was exciting to see him just attack every time he touched it. It was fun.”

Mobley’s bounce-back game helped the Cavs seal a 103-92 win over the Magic and earned him the infamous Junkyard Dog Chain award for the night.

While he may have gotten off to a slower start to the season, Mobley looks to build on his 22-point performance against the Boston Celtics tomorrow night.

The post J.B. Bickerstaff On Getting Evan Mobley ‘More Involved’ Offensively appeared first on SLAM.

The Fayetteville-bred guard returns home after previous stops in Dallas, New York, Detroit, and Portland.

After Smith’s lone season at NC State, he had a brilliant rookie season for the Mavericks, posting averages of 15.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game on 39.5 percent shooting from the field. After being traded in his second season for Kristaps Porzingis and dealing with a chorus of injuries, Smith has bounced around the League quite a bit but has found a new home, back home. 

Dennis Smith Jr has averaged 10.7 points per game, 4.2 assists per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for his career. Smith is well known around the basketball world for his nuclear athleticism. His high school mixtapes and hoop stories have achieved near cult status.

He started four of the 37 games he played for the Portland Trailblazers last season, and he joins the Charlotte Hornets backcourt alongside All-Star Lamelo Ball, Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, and Cody Martin. 

The post Dennis Smith Jr. Signs One-Year Deal With the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on SLAM.

After Beal opted out of signing his player-option, the three-time All-Star emphatically answered that question when he signed a five-year extension, a deal that includes the 10th ever no-trade clause, to play for the Wizards until 2027. Beal signed the max contract following a season cut short due to wrist surgery, where he averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game on 45.1 percent shooting from the field.

Beal’s signing marked an interesting debate on NBA Twitter. For many, loyalty to where you first played and winning a title with them make a player legendary. However, by today’s player-empowerment standards, players are expected to be willing to leave and team up to create the best scenario to win a title.

“I feel like if I win a championship here in D.C., the grind of it, with everything I’ve been through, all the adversity and ups & downs, that would make a win that much sweeter, make me appreciate it that much more. I do love the grind.” Beal said per Haute Living Magazine.

Players like Beal, Damian Lillard, or four-time champ Stephen Curry who remain loyal to their first teams, are uncommon. Beal is here to say that none of that outside noise matters, and his goal remains the same. To lead the Wizards to their first championship run since winning it all in 1978.

“People always look at me like I’m crazy, but I have a huge desire to want to make it work here and win here. This is the team that drafted me. They’re super loyal; I have a great relationship with ownership and a great relationship with our front office.”

The deal makes Beal not only the face of the franchise for the long haul but also the leader of a team filled with new faces after the Wizards signed Taj Gibson and Delon Wright and drafted Johnny Davis 10th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Heading into 2022-23, the Wizards will look to return to the playoffs led by a potentially dangerous 1-2 punch headlined by Beal and Kristaps Porzingis as the anchor in the paint. The Wizards last made the playoffs in 2021, led by Beal and Russell Westbrook.

“Plus, there’s not a lot of chances in the careers of NBA players to be notated as the franchise guy, you know? To be able to have that opportunity, to be able to be in a position to where I can write my own story, that’s everything.”

By the time Beal suffered a season-ending wrist injury in February, the season was washed. Beal and the Wizards started the season hot, owned the top record in the East for a moment, and had a top 5 defense. That sweet moment was short-lived, though. The team went through a cold December, losing three games in a row twice. They lost six straight in January as well. The Wizards finished the season 35-47, good for 12th in the East.

The key is to figure out how to make that early-season success consistent. A tall task that Beal and Coach Wes Unseld Jr. will have to figure out.

The post Bradley Beal Speaks On What It Would Mean to Win a Title in D.C. appeared first on SLAM.

However, Beal’s reaction on Twitter painted a picture of confusion towards the report. It should be noted that last weekend, the two-time All-Star told reporters that he has already made a decision but won’t reveal what that is until a later date yet to be determined.

The possibility of Beal leaving the Wizards has been a critical storyline for some time now, even after he signed his two-year extension in 2019.

Beal has spent his entire 10-year career with Washington, holding career averages of 22.1 points, and spent two of the last three seasons averaging at least 30 points per game. He’s played most of his career with John Wall at point guard, then transitioned to Russell Westbrook before the team traded for Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline next to Beal as his new co-star.

If Beal elects to leave the nation’s capital, the Wizards are more than likely to set up a sign-and-trade so that they retain some value for Beal leaving.

The post Bradley Beal Refutes Report He Will Decline Player Option appeared first on SLAM.

In the Western Conference, one of the most anticipated matchups is between the Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) and Utah Jazz (No. 5) which is a series that will begin on Saturday night. The Mavericks finished the regular season with a record of 52-30, which gave them the slight edge on the Jazz (49-33) for home court advantage. As such, Dallas will host the first two games of the series and also Game 7 if it’s needed. This could become a huge advantage to get the series off on the right foot and potentially close it out at home.

Any advantage will be key for the Mavs, as their superstar in Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 and potentially Game 2 with a calf strain.

The Mavericks had a fairly slow start to the season, but ultimately got better as it went on. Gradual growth and improvement is a good sign for Dallas, as the team could be peaking at the right time. Early in the season, Jalen Brunson began to emerge as a legitimate piece of the roster. He’ll be a primary scorer for the Mavs during the postseason. Alongside him in the backcourt will be Spencer Dinwiddie, who was the cornerstone piece of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Washington Wizards at the deadline.

While defense was something that’s held the Mavericks back during the past few seasons, it’s been a strength in the 2021-22 campaign. They finished the regular season as the seventh-best team on that end of the floor with a defensive rating of 101.9. Additionally, Dallas was well-disciplined and took great care of the ball. The Mavs’ 1025 turnovers on the season were the third-fewest of any team.

Lacking a dominant center could detrimental for the Mavs in this series, as they’ll go up against a a deep frontcourt team. Utah was a top-three rebounding team this season, while the Mavericks finished 24th in the league. On the flip side, if Dallas is able to have success using their unique floor-spacing bigs and small ball lineups, Utah could have to play out of character to match up.

Dallas hasn’t won a playoff series since its championship run back in 2011. As such, the Mavs are on one of the longest active droughts in the NBA when it comes to winning a postseason series. Could this be the first time in over a decade that they advance past the first round?

If the Mavericks are going to have success without Doncic, it will likely come down to Dinwiddie and Brunson. Both have been extremely effective this season whether their superstar teammate is on the floor or not. If they struggle while Doncic is out, the Jazz could jump out to an early series lead before heading back to Utah.

Utah had a strong start to the season, but has really struggled of late. In fact, the Jazz went just 7-8 over their final 15 games of the season. While Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have been great once again, the production from the role players around them has been fairly inconsistent. There’s no question Utah has the pieces to make a championship push, but will they all come together and play at the top of their games when it matters most? Scoring shouldn’t be a problem, as Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Mike Conley are able to score 20 points each on any given night.

During the regular season, the Jazz took second-most shots from deep (40.3 per game) and knocked down 36.0% of them. They also did a great job at getting to the rim and drawing fouls, finishing fourth in the league in free throw attempts this season with 23.4 per game. These are just some of the things that led Utah to the top offensive rating (11.2) in the NBA this season. What’s most interesting about the Jazz offense is that it’s heavily in isolation, as they were bottom five in both assists per game and assist percentage.

However, the playoffs are all about superstars and who can get a bucket when it’s needed, so perhaps that style of play will work in Utah’s favor. The Jazz also don’t take a ton of shots, playing with a slower pace and attempting the sixth-fewest shots in the league this season. This isn’t dissimilar from the Mavericks, who were in the bottom five in terms of field goal attempts in the regular season.

One of the best defenders in the entire NBA, Gobert will be a major factor on that end of the floor against the Mavs. Since the All-Star break, he’s limited opponents to 39.1% when he’s the closest defender.

The duo of Mitchell and Gobert has certainly had its flaws in the past. If the Jazz aren’t able to get out of the first round this season, could it be time for a major roster shakeup? It seems this series could directly impact what the Utah roster looks like moving forward.

In four games during the 2021-22 campaign, the Jazz and Mavericks have split the regular season series. Utah won the first two matchups of the season, while Dallas won the two more recently. That’s indicative of the seasons these two teams have had, as the Jazz looked better to start but the Mavs have been better down the stretch.

Outside of the primary stars in this series, there are several players for both teams that could really impact the outcomes. For Utah, Conley and Rudy Gay are veterans that have the experience to shine in the big moments. However, if they struggle the Jazz could have a rough series. For Dallas, Davis Bertans and Reggie Bullock will be important offensively, as they have the firepower to fill it up from beyond the arc. If they aren’t converting from deep and producing points, the Mavericks’ offense could stall.

The post NBA Playoff Preview: Dallas Mavericks Take On Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Since that deal was made, Dallas has gone 9-2 and looks as good as it has all season. 

A huge part of the Mavericks’ recent success has been Dinwiddie, who’s playing the best basketball of his 2021-22 season. Since coming to Dallas, he’s averaged 17.5 points and 4.5 assists per contest while shooting 44.2% from deep. 

Splitting time between the bench and as a starter, Dinwiddie has proven to be effective in any role. Whether it’s playing alongside Luka Doncic or facilitating with the second unit, he’s been stellar. 

In fact, on Sunday afternoon against the Boston Celtics, he hit a game-winning triple. 

It’s still unclear whether the Mavs will have the star power to make a splash in the playoffs, but they’ve been solid over the past couple of weeks with their new-look roster. If Dinwiddie can continue playing at this level, Dallas will only continue winning games and climb the Western Conference standings.

The post Mavericks Guard Spencer Dinwiddie Continues to Thrive in Dallas appeared first on SLAM.

The 7-foot-2 forward can make an impact both in the paint and on the perimeter. He’s also shown flashes of being a dominant defender at points in his career as well. 

On Sunday night, Porzingis made his debut as a member of the Wizards and had a productive performance. In a big win over the Indiana Pacers, he finished with 25 points, five rebounds and two blocks. 

While the Wizards likely won’t make the playoffs this season with Bradley Beal out for the year, Porzingis could emerge as a legitimate complimentary piece alongside him. Moving forward, Washington could end up being very happy the Porzingis trade was made. 

The post Kristaps Porzingis Shines in Washington Wizards Debut appeared first on SLAM.

During a call with media on Thursday, Wizards beat writer Ava Wallace reported an exciting response from Beal when she asked if he’s leaning towards re-signing with the Wizards this summer.

Bradley Beal will be eligible to sign a 5-year, $246M deal with Washington, if he declines his player option on 2022-2023. https://t.co/W9VidgGA5y

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 3, 2022

During the 2021-2022 campaign, Beal averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Although his scoring dropped from a career-high 31.3 points per game last season, he did put up a career-high mark for assists while he emerged as a lead playmaker for the Wizards.

Bradley Beal's been taking notes on the Black Mamba's bag I see. (via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/9SnS2RcNDn

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 6, 2021

Beal shut down his season in February after he decided to undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. The decision came as the Wizards had faltered after becoming an early-season darling, briefly owning the top record in the Eastern Conference before their defense failed them and their offense started to stagnate.

Bradley Beal is like that.

(via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/02y1Rdg21r

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 19, 2021

Heading into the season, Beal told reporters that he wanted to play for a winner, and Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard attempted to build a winning team around him after flipping former MVP Russell Westbrook for Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Hope, and used the Lakers 22nd overall pick to acquire Aaron Holiday.

Sheppard had a fire sale at the trade deadline, trading Harrell to the Hornets for Ish Smith and Vernon Carey, and moved Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis.

On Friday, the Wizards (28-33) are set to play the Hawks (29-32) at Capital One Arena.

The post REPORT: Bradley Beal Eligible For Five-Year Supermax Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Recording his third outing scoring 40+ in the past four games, Luka Dončić is leading the new-look Dallas Mavericks into an era without Kristaps Porziņģis. Dončić now has 30 double-doubles, trailing Chris Paul by only one game for the most double-doubles by a guard this season. The Mavericks are 21-9 in such games. How does he do it? He says a good ol’ cup of Joe.

After shipping off Porziņģis to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline, the Mavericks have gone 2-0 with the newly acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dāvis Bertāns. While their performances aren’t eye-popping, it’s their play styles that are making a difference.

Dinwiddie gives Dallas an added ball-handler with a proven ability to score, though his efficiency is down this season. Bertāns provides the Mavericks with a volume catch-and-shoot big that could go back to his old self with his new team, potentially thanks to Doncic.

This performance by Doncic ties him with Mark Aguirre for the most 45+ points game in Mavericks history with four. He’s also the fourth player in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy) with multiple 45 points, 15 rebounds, five-assist games in a calendar month, with Wilt Chamberlain in January 1966 being the last to do it.

The Dallas Mavericks head into the All-Star break with a 35-24 record with the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

The post Luka Dončić Leads New Look Mavericks Past Pelicans With Near 50 Point Triple-Double appeared first on SLAM.

According to him, the Wizards experienced verbal altercations nearly every single day between players. He pointed to this as a reason Washington hasn’t been able to perform at a high level this season. 

“It’s tough to have team chemistry when every single day, the team is basically fighting with each other about, ‘I want to get more minutes’ and ‘I want a bigger role’,” said Bertans. 

To this point in the season, the Wizards are 25-30, but things are about to get worse. Bradley Beal is out for the season with an injury and Washington just traded away most of its other key veteran pieces. 

With Beal being the face of the franchise, the direction of the Wizards will be interesting to monitor. 

The post New Mavericks Sharpshooter Davis Bertans Gives Insight Into Dysfunction in Washington appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday, a couple of hours past the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith signed a four-year extension worth $52 million.

Finney-Smith has been with Dallas since going undrafted out of the University of Florida in 2016. The 28-year-old forward has more than proven his worth over the past six seasons.

In 368 games played for the Mavericks, Finney-Smith has averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while accumulating 256 career starts. His production has seen a real uptick this season, averaging a career-high 10.1 points and 1.9 assists per game while starting in all 54 games he has played in this season.

Following news of his extension hitting being announced, Finney-Smith was asked by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon about the extension. Finney-Smith said that he wanted to use the money to allow his mom to “kick up her feet and chill.”

The Mavericks were quite busy on Thursday. Before the Finney-Smith extension, Dallas also made one of the biggest trades of the trade deadline, sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Finney-Smith’s contract will kick in at the end of the season when his initial three-year $12 million contract was going to expire and make him a free agent.

The post REPORT: Mavericks Give Four-Year Extension to Dorian Finney-Smith 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.

Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal on his left foot in tonight’s game at Golden State. Updates will be given when available.

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 26, 2022

Hardaway went down just five minutes into the second quarter when he went down awkwardly on a drive. Although he was in pain, THJ knocked down his free throws before going back to the locker room to get examined but didn’t return. The injury ended up being a break in the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, specifically after he went down awkwardly on a drive.

According to teammate and close friend Kristaps Porzingis, Hardaway is okay after the two spoke after the game.

“He was down at first…But I talked to him now, and he seemed to be in better spirits already.” Porzingis said per Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News.

Kristaps Porzingis on close friend Tim Hardaway Jr.: “He was down at first…But I talked to him now, and he seemed to be in better spirits already.”

Said THJ was already quizzing Theo Pinson, who’s had a similar foot injury, about rehab and getting back. https://t.co/jQEsgxYtMM

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) January 26, 2022

Hardaway Jr. is putting up 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this season.

The post Mavericks Announce Tim Hardaway Suffers Foot Fracture appeared first on SLAM.

RJ BARRETT BEATS THE CELTICS AT THE BUZZER pic.twitter.com/PAlHvoratT

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 7, 2022

However, the story shifted quickly to one of the players that made that shot possible in Julius Randle. Randle, known for playing with his heart on his sleeve, was seen giving the sellout crowd a thumbs down while he ran back down the court after making a tough layup inside over Al Horford in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Randle made it clear that the gesture was not for his opponent but Knicks fans via ESPN.

“Shut the f— up,” he said.

It seems that Randle’s frustrations are growing by the day after beat reporters asked him about ongoing fan criticism. The 2021 All-Star subsequently responded with harsh words after practice on Thursday.

“I really don’t give a f— what anybody has to say, to be honest,” Randle said. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say.

“So I really don’t give a s—. I just go out there and play.”

The Inside the NBA crew weighed in on the matter, and the entire panel said that Randle was wrong to do that to the fans.

“They’re there to cheer or to boo. There’s only two things you can do as a fan.”

The @NBAonTNT crew discuss Julius Randle’s “thumbs down” gesture at MSG pic.twitter.com/5FOvdOghXe

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 7, 2022

Last season, the Knicks snuck up on everyone by making the playoffs. However, the Knicks have struggled to regain that magic from last season this season. Randle’s production has dipped (19.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game) after an All-Star and All-NBA level campaign, and his jump-shot isn’t falling either (32.4 percent from three-point territory).

Julius Randle and the Knicks (19-20) run it back against the Boston Celtics (18-21) on Saturday night.

The post Julius Randle Explains Who His Thumbs Down Sign Was For appeared first on SLAM.

On Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers, Barrett was back on top of his game, finishing with 32 points and eight rebounds in New York’s 104-94 win at home. His 30+ point performance broke the franchise record for the most career 30 points games by a Knick 21-years-old and under previously held by former Knicks lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis.

RJ Barrett got his 4th career 30-point game.

That is the most by any Knicks player at age 21 or younger in franchise history, breaking a tie with Kristaps Porzingis. pic.twitter.com/NKTIKpeuDg

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 5, 2022

Barret’s exploits earned him praise from Knicks fans within Madison Square Garden. Per the New York Post, Barrett enjoyed the chants stating that hearing fans chanting your name is fun. As for his performance, Barret was just as simple with his analysis stating his high-point total was thanks to his aggressiveness.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Barrett said. “When you get in the paint, you either finish or kick out if the defense collapses.”

Barrett started the game on fire, scoring career highs in one quarter (19) and a half (24) to keep the Knicks close at halftime. His performance was impressive to Tom Thibodeau via the New York Post. His spurt powered a 16-0 run to give New York an early lead.

“The big thing is for RJ; it was incredible for him to start the game,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “With both guys, it’s them attacking the rim. The game will tell you what to do. If we settle for shots, it’s going to cause problems. If we’re attacking the rim, it makes us different.”

“RJ BARRETT ERUPTING IN HERE IN THE FIRST QUARTER.”

He’s got 17 points and counting. pic.twitter.com/ROGXfIuOCr

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) January 5, 2022

Over the last three games, Barrett’s play is starting to trend upward with averages of 25.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. The third-year forward has a chance to continue his hot scoring streak Thursday against the Boston Celtics.

The post RJ Barrett Breaks Knicks Scoring Record Held By Kristaps Porzingis appeared first on SLAM.

Update: On Tuesday, League commissioner Adam Silver announced in an interview with Malika Andrews that the NBA would not be pausing the season for the second season since the 2019-2020 season. Silver also said that the Omricon is ‘beyond dominate’ while constituting 90 percent of positive tests.

REPORT: Per League insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA, and the players union have reached an agreement to lessen the quarantine period for COVID-positive players. Players that tested positive for COVID-19 can clear protocols after five days if their “CT values” are above 30.

If a team has three positive results, two replacement signings are required. For four or more positive tests, three replacement players will be required. Two-way players will reportedly also have no limit to the number of games they can appear in as well. If a team has 13 players available for a game they do not have to sign any players to a hardship exemption.

A game will only be postponed if a team doesn’t have at least eight players available to play. A tactic the NBA frequently utilized last year when officials postponed 31 games. The League has decided to postpone nine games in total.

Below is the list of players and coaches currently in the League’s health and safety protocols.

Atlanta Hawks (three players, head coach)

• Chris Clemons
• Gorgui Dieng
• Cameron Oliver
• Nate McMillan

Boston Celtics (one player) 

• Payton Pritchard

Charlotte Hornets (one player)

• Vernon Carey Jr.

Chicago Bulls (one player)

• Alex Caruso

Dallas Mavericks (two players, head coach)

• Jason Kidd
• Boban Marjanovic
• Kristaps Porzingis

Denver Nuggets (one player)

• Petr Cornelie

Detroit Pistons (one player)

• Frank Jackson

Houston Rockets (one players)

• Usman Garuba

Indiana Pacers (six players)

• Justin Anderson
• Goga Bitadze
• Torrey Craig
• Isaiah Jackson
• Caris LeVert
• TJ Warren

LA Clippers (three players)

• Luke Kennard
• Xavier Moon
• Ivica Zubac

Memphis Grizzlies (three players, head coach)

• Taylor Jenkins
• John Konchar
• De’Anthony Melton
• Xavier Tillman

Miami Heat (three players)

• Marcus Garrett
• Udonis Haslem
• Gabe Vincent

Milwaukee Bucks (four players, head coach)

• Grayson Allen
• Mike Budenholzer
• Pat Connaughton
• George Hill
• Jrue Holiday

New Orleans Pelicans (one player)

• Tomas Satorasnky

Oklahoma City Thunder (one player, head coach)

• Isaiah Roby
• Mark Daigneault

Orlando Magic (one player)

• Robin Lopez

Philadelphia 76ers (three players)

• Tyrese Maxey
• Paul Reed
• Jaden Springer

Phoenix Suns (two players)

• Abdel Nader
• Landry Shamet

Portland Trail Blazers

• Norman Powell

Sacramento Kings (one player)

• Richaun Holmes
• Chimezie Metu

San Antonio Spurs (five players)

• Keldon Johnson
• Doug McDermott
• Devin Vassell
• Derrick White
• Thaddeus Young

Toronto Raptors (one player)

• Yuta Watanabe

Utah Jazz (two players)

• Rudy Gobert
• Joe Ingless

Washington Wizards (four players)

• Anthony Gill
• Tremont Waters
• Brad Wanamaker

The post NBA Health and Safety Protocol Tracker appeared first on SLAM.

After a solid start to the season, Dallas has experienced major injury issues. Whether it be Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis or another one of their core pieces, the Mavericks have rarely been fully healthy this season. 

This has resulted in them losing seven of their last nine games, bringing them to .500 on the season at 11-11. 

A loss to the Memphis Grizzlies over the weekend marked the fourth consecutive loss at home for the struggling Mavericks. After that loss, Mavs coach Jason Kidd said the team needs to keep pushing forward and not get discouraged during this rough stretch. 

“I think when you look at it you can get discouraged, especially when you aren’t playing well at home on this stretch,” said Kidd. “But even with injuries and everything there is no excuse – it is next guy up. I think they are in a good place. This group has been together and been through a lot since the beginning of the season.”

As Dallas lost this game to the Grizzlies, Doncic and Porzingis were both sidelined with injury. When fully healthy, the Mavericks have looked great this season, but they haven’t had that luxury often. 

It’s a long season, with nearly three quarters of  it remaining, but the Mavericks are starting to slide down the standings. 

The post Mavericks Struggle As Key Players Miss Time appeared first on SLAM.

Per NBA.com, Porzingis says he feels great about his health, is excited about playing for new head coach Jason Kidd, and is confident he can play well with Doncic.

 “I just work my ass off,” Porzingis said. “I work really, really hard. Whenever you start to feel good on a court and start to feel healthy, it brings out the joy in you again. You enjoy the game much more.”

The first thing to address is the trade rumors that persisted after consecutive first-round playoff exits. Because of the 7’3 big man’s persistent injury struggles and mixed play, his name was reportedly in trade talks, and it looked like the Mavericks were shopping him around.

However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says that Porzingis “is the unicorn and he’s doing more and more unicorn things” while denying that trade talks ever happened and suggesting that Porzingis is “playing at an All-Star level.”

Secondly, Porzingis and Cuban were candid about the former All-Star’s health, something Porzingis is aware he must maintain to live up to his four-year max extension.

He missed the entire 2018-2019 season recovering knee surgery for a torn ACL, missed 18 games for various injuries, mostly in his knees during the 2019-2020 season, and he missed nine games recovering from surgery on his right knee and then 17 more dealing with injuries on that knee as well as on his back, ankle, and wrist during the 2020-2021 season.

As a result, Porzingiz says he devoted this past offseason to “a lot of physical work” to help regain his balance, shooting touch, and ability to attack the rim at his height and size. Although he was not specific about what that consisted of, Porzingis says since missing five games with a back injury, Porzingis claims he feels fully healthy with no limitations. In the last eight games, he has averaged 23.1 points on 50.4% shooting, along with 9.1 rebounds.

“I feel like my body has matured,” Porzingis said per NBA.com. “I feel strong on the court. It’s translating into my game.”

Third, Porzingis admitted to NBA.com that he didn’t feel comfortable with his role under former head coach Rick Carlisle, who declined to use Porzingis in post-ups and instead wanted to use his deep shooting to space the floor. Now, Porzingis says he feels more comfortable around Kidd, who relates better to players and has been more collaborative and willing to communicate with players.

“My teammates have been trusting me,” Porzingis said. “The coaching staff is trusting me and putting me in my most comfortable situations.”

Finally, regarding his relationship with Doncic, Porzingis says the two have made a significant step toward building chemistry and are communicating more to develop their relationship. Porzingis says he enjoys playing Doncic, who “makes the game easier for everybody” and “he does take a lot of the attention off everybody.”

“You just have to do it. Somebody has to take the first step,” Porzingis told NBA.com. “It’s all in the communication. It’s as simple as that. Problems arise when you don’t communicate about things and you don’t talk about it. So, we’re learning those things.”

Doncic is questionable Tuesday for the Mavs (9-7) game against the Clippers (10-7).

The post Kristaps Porzingis on His Comfortability with the Mavericks: ‘You Enjoy the Game Much More’ appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s get something out of the way right up front—Kevin Garnett’s No. 21 not being retired by the Timberwolves yet is some straight-up bullshit. Garnett retired in 2016 after 21 seasons, was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, finished his career back in Minnesota out of respect for Flip Saunders when he could have just let the clock run out in Brooklyn. But that’s not who Kevin Garnett was. That’s not who Kevin Garnett is. Did he want something from it? Yes. He wanted a chance to finally get equity in the franchise that he elevated, to own part of what he built. That didn’t happen. It still hasn’t happened. Maybe it never happens. Maybe certain bridges that burned never get rebuilt. Because of all that, Garnett has flatly stated he doesn’t even want the Wolves to retire his number. But dog, you do it anyway. You give him his day at the arena he poured so much blood, sweat and tears into. He may not have delivered the Wolves a championship, but he gave them so much more than that.

Look too closely for Kevin Garnett’s legacy and you just might miss it. There’s more obvious ones out there. Watch a game on any given night and you have guys pulling up from midrange like Kobe or pulling their version of Iverson’s crossover. You have guys shooting one-legged stepbacks like Dirk or going glass like Timmy. More blatantly there’s a lot of people wearing Michael Jordan’s number or Kobe’s shoes. Garnett wore 21, 5 and 2, numbers that were already common enough. Jimmy Butler wore 21 for his draft position and an old college teammate. Joel Embiid wears 21 for a guy who is entering the Hall of Fame next to Garnett—longtime foe Tim Duncan. And sneakers. KG wore a lot of sneakers, bouncing from Nike to AND1 to adidas to Anta. He doesn’t have an ongoing line with any of those brands, doesn’t have a retro signature model at the moment. Maybe PJ Tucker will eventually break out a pair of KG’s old Nikes, assuming they can still hold up to NBA action. There’s nothing super specific you can point to and say, Oh yeah, that right there, that’s for KG.

But don’t look even closer trying to figure it out. Do the opposite. Pull back. Take a wider view. Not to get too Obi Wan Kenobi with it, Garnett’s legacy in the NBA is everywhere. So much of the NBA now is made in his image. It’s younger, less position-centric, filled with players in full control of their own destiny. A lot of that gets credited to LeBron James and The Decision in the summer of 2010, when he told a national audience he was taking his talents to South Beach. And yes, that was a moment that made a difference. But the groundwork for that was laid 15 years earlier, by a mature-beyond-his-years kid from South Carolina by way of Chicago. A pickup game against some Bulls superstars, a deep conversation with a Pistons legend, and he was ready to do something no one else had done in 20 years.

In the two decades after Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby went pro straight out of high school in 1975, no one else even tried it. Which is surprising, seeing that both Dawkins and Willoughby did OK. Dawkins played 14 seasons primarily with the 76ers and the Nets, shattered a couple backboards, built up a whole mythology around himself. And while Willoughby might be remembered as a bust by some, he was still in the League for nearly a decade. Blocked one of Kareem’s skyhooks, too. A confluence of events drove Garnett to follow their path. He moved to Chicago for his senior season, hooping for Farragut Academy alongside Ronnie Fields and looking after his younger sister. He got pulled into a pickup game with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and held his own. He had a long conversation with Chicago native Isiah Thomas about life in The Chi and his NBA readiness. And his test scores weren’t up to par. By the time they were, it was too late. He had already plotted his course. Garnett was selected fifth overall and pushed open a door that had long been shut. The following year, two high schoolers went in the first round. Six years after his selection, Kwame Brown was the first overall pick. From 1995 to 2006, when the NBA imposed an age limit, 39 high schoolers were drafted by NBA teams. Ten became All-Stars. When Garnett is finally inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, the pandemic having scuttled last summer’s ceremony, he and fellow 2020 inductee Kobe Bryant will become the second and third straight-outta-high-school Hall of Famers. They won’t be the last.

Long before LeBron made his Decision, Garnett made his. The flood of high schoolers and college freshmen who followed after made it seem like a matter of course. But Garnett was the pioneer. When Garnett declared for the Draft in ’95, he was doing something that hadn’t been done since before he was born. He wasn’t going to play at junior college, wasn’t going to wait for his latest set of test scores to come back. He was ready and he was going to go. He took control of his own destiny and molded others to it.

Convinced he was ready, he convinced others. He convinced agent Eric Fleisher to take him on, used a single 90-minute solo workout to convince NBA GMs that they absolutely had to use the fifth overall pick on a high school kid. Timberwolves VP Kevin McHale and GM Flip Saunders went into that workout plotting to overstate their enthusiasm over Garnett in order to get a team picking ahead of them to bite, that way one of the four college can’t-miss guys would slip to them. They came out of it with the realization that Garnett was the guy. And Garnett’s faith in himself never wavered. He signed a three-year rookie deal, then two years into it turned down an extension that was worth more than Wolves owner Glen Taylor had paid for the team two years earlier. Garnett knew his worth. And when the Wolves came back with a higher offer and he signed that historic deal, he ignored all the doomsayers about what it would mean and just worked harder.

Garnett’s NBA legacy is complicated, because he did things that rule changes ensured no one could do again. That huge contract he signed prompted a lockout and restructuring that imposed limits on extensions—and structured rookie deals so they couldn’t sign them so quickly. In 2006, the NBA put in an age limit requiring a would-be draftee be 19 years old plus one year removed from high school. Only three active players—LeBron, Dwight Howard and Lou Williams—remain who entered the League straight out of high school. And then the way the game itself is played has changed. Garnett took 632 three-pointers over his 21 seasons. Embiid took less than four seasons to top that. Ask KG who in the League reminds him of himself these days, and he cites Embiid, along with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. But then he gets to talking about someone else and woo, does it sound like he’s talking about himself. “Giannis is what, Giannis is 7-foot, yo,” Garnett says excitedly. “He keep talkin’ about this 6-10 shit, that motherf***er’s 7-1, he won’t get measured, he’s 7-1 and he plays like he’s 8-11. You know what I’m sayin’? It’s a different league, bro.”

Maybe so. But a league where a 7-1 guy (not saying names here) who insists on never being measured can guard every position on the floor, both start the break and finish it, and fill stat sheets while winning an MVP in the process sounds awfully familiar, whether you’re talking 2004 or 2020. Sure, Westbrook displays Garnett’s ferocious intensity and Durant combines spidery length with height-defying moves on either end, and Embiid is a self-taught, self-assured terror. But if anyone singlehandedly carries forth the blueprint Garnett laid down, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, 6-11 (lol) unicorn.

At this point it’s almost a throwback, a guy who’s clearly seven feet tall not being listed as a seven-footer, seeing that the NBA is a league where the openly 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis can spend a majority of his time floating around the perimeter and firing up threes like a funhouse mirror Stephen Curry. Garnett famously insisted on being listed at 6-11 since seven-footers inevitably found themselves lodged in the paint—and while he never really took to shooting threes, coming up as he did in the Jordan era, he was able to feast on face-ups and operate out of the high post while being the ultimate disrupter on defense. Get by him somehow and well, you still weren’t out of his long-armed range. Garnett’s true height was always the NBA’s worst-kept secret, and something he could have copped to long ago—no one was going to force him to be a back-to-the-basket center—but he kept insisting he was 6-11. Still does.

Garnett’s career was bracketed by team excellence in a way no one else’s was. He entered the NBA the season the Chicago Bulls went 72-10 and retired from it the season the Golden State Warriors went 73-9. Two historic teams that set records playing distinct styles. Garnett can be seen as a throughline between them, alchemizing Pippen and Jordan (and Rodman, too) into Durant and Draymond Green. Garnett was the ultimate complementary superstar, a defensive juggernaut and matchup nightmare who made everyone else’s job easier. “I was really an unselfish player to a fault,” he says, “and my mentality was more of, Man, if I can get everybody else involved and they get going, then I can take advantage of one-on-one opportunities.” 

The game changes, but the mentality stays the same. Remember to thank KG for that. 

KEVIN GARNETT: Anything Is Possible is a feature-length chronicle of Kevin Garnett’s remarkable career and the pivotal moments that defined it. Stream the documentary on SHOWTIME. 

Photos via Getty Images.

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However, the young center has played in just three games before being shut down for back stiffness. Now after missing four games including the most recent loss to the Miami Heat, Jason Kidd announced the team’s plan to bring him back on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Kristaps Porzingis is “progressing” and will “hopefully” play tomorrow night vs. Spurs, Jason Kidd said. Porzingis is out for fourth straight game due to lower back stiffness.

Maxi Kleber will be out at least 7-10 days due to an oblique strain.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 2, 2021

Porzingis can make an immediate impact by helping the team’s rebounding totals. Since he’s been injured, the Mavericks are amongst the worse, 28th, in the League in rebounding percentage.

In the three games, Porzingis did play; he has struggled, averaging just 12.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of only 30.2 percent. A noticeable dip from his career averages of 18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 44.0 percent shooting from the field.

For the Mavericks to take the anticipated next step towards championship contention, they’ll need Porzingis to get healthy and play well this season.

The post Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd Says Kristaps Porzingis is “Progressing and Could Return Against Spurs appeared first on SLAM.

The 7-footer came into the 2021-22 season fully healthy, but had a slow start. Through the first three games of the season, Porzingis averaged just 12.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 30.2% from the floor. 

To make things worse, he left that third game of the season early due to lower back soreness. Since then, he’s missed three consecutive contests with this lingering back issue. 

Luckily for Dallas, the team has looked solid in the absence of Porzingis. In the three full games Porzingis has missed, the Mavs have gone 2-1. 

“We just wanted to play a lot better to start the game no matter whoever is on the floor,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. following Sunday’s win over the Sacramento Kings. 

The wins haven’t necessarily been pretty, but they’re victories nonetheless. The big loss this week was on the road against the Denver Nuggets, when the Mavericks lost by 31 points and really missed Porzingis’ presence. 

It’s unclear whether he will be available for Dallas’ next game on Tuesday against the Miami Heat, but there’s at least some optimism that his back is getting better. 

“He’s doing better, so that’s a good thing,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd on Friday.

The Mavericks went 26-17 with Porzingis in the lineup last season. His health this season will make a direct impact on the success of Dallas. 

They’re currently 4-2 on the season overall with a perfect 3-0 record at home. 

The post Kristaps Porzingis Misses Third-Straight Game, Mavs Still Look Solid appeared first on SLAM.

On Monday, Kidd told media members that he anticipates Porzingis to start at power forward and not center this season.

Kidd said the transition is to help Porzingis “be a basketball player” and not just a spot-up shooter from three. He also hopes for Porzingis to expand his offensive role in 2021-22 by putting the ball on the floor more and taking more midrange jump shots.

This will be a change for Porzingis, who has primarily operated as a center throughout his NBA career. Nonetheless, a swap to the forward position may bring back the performance he seemingly lacked last year (primarily due to injury).

Popularly dubbed “The Unicorn” for his unique combination of size and skill, Porzingis has played in five seasons in the NBA after being drafted fourth overall by the New York Knicks in 2015.

In 286 career games, Porzingis has averaged 18.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

The Mavericks will need an improved performance from Porzingis to take the next step forward as a franchise, as last year’s team couldn’t get out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs, losing in six games to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The post Jason Kidd Aiming for Kristaps Porzingis to Play Power Forward this Season appeared first on SLAM.

Free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr., has signed a deal to attend training camp with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell ESPN. Smith played 23 games between Detroit and New York last season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2021

For the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, it looks like Smith is starting to run out of chances. After having a promising rookie season for the Dallas Mavericks with averages of 15.2 points and 5.2 assists as the team’s starting point guard, he started to struggle with his shooting efficiency. Dallas traded him to the New York Knicks in the deal that landed Kristaps Porzingis. 

In case you forgot how disgusting Dennis Smith Jr’s Dallas highlights were

pic.twitter.com/CPNiIRaLsB

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 2, 2021

The Pistons did not extend a qualifying offer at the end of his rookie contract and Smith became an unrestricted free agent.

The Trail Blazers do offer a legitimate chance to make the roster. The team currently only has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, League rules say that they will have to carry at least 14 during the regular season. With Portland over the tax line, Smith’s contract will be cap-friendly if he makes the team.

In 179 total NBA games, Smith has career averages of 11.8 points and 4.4 assists in 25.2 minutes per game.

The post Portland Trail Blazers to Sign Former Lottery Pick Dennis Smith Jr. to Deal appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM has the breakdowns on each of the matchups below.

No. 5 Hawks 105 , No. 4 Knicks 94

ATL Leads series 2-1

Trae Young left Madison Square Garden boasting “I’ll see you in the A!”. Ice Trae sure backed up his boast he made in New York.

The Hawks went on a huge 22-5 run before halftime behind Young’s offensive brilliance.

Trae’s really all about creating on offense. 14pts and 10ast in the first half. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/e8r52l4uZz

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 29, 2021

Atlanta never looked back. What Trae got started in the first half, Bogdan Bogdanovic continued in the second half.

Lefty wraparound pass >>> (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/EFsWilKSE6

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 29, 2021

Despite an impressive 30-point performance from Knicks’ Derrick Rose, the Hawks went on the defeat the Knicks, 105-94. Young finished with 21 points, while Bogdanović had 15.

No. 7 Celtics 125, No. 2 Nets 119

Nets lead series 2-1

The Brooklyn Nets showed how dangerous an offensive team they are in the first three minutes of this game. The Nets ran off to a 19-4 lead before Boston answered back—thanks to a performance by Jayson Tatum, who went on one of his patented offensive explosions in the first half, scoring 21 points to give Boston an improbable halftime lead.

Too good, JT. (via @celtics) pic.twitter.com/EIAwht3NyT

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 29, 2021

The Nets really missed Jeff Green as Tatum got the switches he wanted and outlasted Kevin Durant and James Harden with a playoff career-high 50 points.

No. 4 Clippers 118, No. 5 Mavs 108

Mavs lead series 2-1

The Los Angeles Clippers cannot stop Luka Doncic, who just keeps exposing them with defensive switches.

Every shot Luka takes like this feels like it’s going in. (via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/XxxqJb1g80

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 29, 2021

The Dallas Mavericks started the game 8-0. Then they extended the lead to 30-11 and the route was on. When Luka sat down, the Clippers answered with a 14-4 run. From then on, it was a dogfight.

Luka Doncic finished with 44 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Kawhi Leonard matched him with 36 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

What was the difference in the game? Leonard got support from Paul George. Kristaps Porzingis on the other hand disappeared.

The one thing that everyone will remember from this game is the introduction of the term “physical taunt”.

Terrence Mann ran at Willie Cauley-Stein after he appeared to get shoved.

A tech was called on the Mavs for a “physical taunt.” pic.twitter.com/F2qNLlRhZp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 29, 2021

The post Post Up: Trae Sees the Knicks, Tatum Scores 50 and Kawhi Outduels Luka appeared first on SLAM.

Playoff seeding came down to the wire, with a play-in tournament deciding the final two seeds in each respective conference. In a season where things seem wide open, nearly every series should be competitive.

With the playoff matchups finally set, let’s take a look at each Western Conference series in the first round. Our Eastern Conference series preview is available here.

1 Utah Jazz (52-20)
8 Memphis Grizzlies (38-34)

The Memphis Grizzlies, although finishing the regular season with the ninth-best record in the West, won two games in the play-in tournament to capture the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. After beating the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies beat Steph Curry and the Warriors in overtime on Friday night to secure this spot.

Now, Memphis will take on the Utah Jazz, who finished the season with the best record in the League. Ja Morant is the clear player to watch for the Grizzlies in this series, as the rising star will make his playoff debut. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert will look to show exactly why they both signed massive contracts last offseason. In the regular season, Utah won all three matchups against the Grizzlies and will look to continue that trend in the postseason.

2 Phoenix Suns (51-21)
7 Los Angeles Lakers (42-30)

After a season full of injuries, the Lakers fell in the standings late in the year and were ultimately part of the play-in tournament. In an absolutely exceptional game, the Lakers beat Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors to claim the seventh seed in the Western Conference and a series with the Phoenix Suns. On the back of a LeBron James’ game-winning three, both he and Anthony Davis will look to defend their title.

In three matchups this season, the Suns got the best of the Lakers, winning the season series 2-1. However, the Lakers were without one or both of James and Davis in all three games. Although Phoenix was excellent in the regular season, they’re going to face one of the most talented No. 7 seeds we’ve seen in the last decade or more. With veteran point guard and a future Hall of Famer at the helm, an overall young Suns team will need him to help navigate the playoff waters. One key storyline to watch will be Devin Booker and his first ever playoff appearance.

3 Denver Nuggets (47-25)
6 Portland Trail Blazers (42-30)

Unlike last season, there was a pretty significant drop-off between the top and bottom halves of the Western Conference playoff race. Although just a few seeds apart, the Nuggets finished the shortened regular season five games ahead of the Trail Blazers. Although they lost their starting point guard in Jamal Murray late in the season, Denver finished the season as strong as anyone could have expected.

The Nuggets won the regular season series against Portland 2-1, proving to be the better team. With that in mind, both teams will look a bit different in this series. Denver made a significant move at the deadline acquiring Aaron Gordon, while the Blazers made a splash bringing in Norman Powell. Nonetheless, the question for the Nuggets will be where their ceiling is without Murray. Although they’ve got the projected NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. will need to continue his dominance to keep their offense alive.

4 LA Clippers (47-25)
5 Dallas Mavericks (42-30)

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the first round, the Mavericks will take on the Clippers for the second-straight season. The only first round rematch in Western Conference year-over-year, Dallas will hope for a different result this time around. This is yet another series in which the seeding is close, but five games separate the two teams.

After being knocked out in the first round by the Clippers last season, Dallas took the regular season series 2-1 during the 2020-21 season. This included hem coming out swinging in 51-point win early in season after their first matchup since the 2020 playoffs. In their last playoff series, Kristaps Porzingis missed the final three games of the series due to a knee injury and will likely be the X-factor of the entire series this time around. If he can stay healthy and contribute on both ends of the floor, him and Luka Doncic have a real chance at a first-round upset.

The post 2021 NBA Playoff Matchups: Western Conference appeared first on SLAM.

“It was really difficult for me to leave my family. My mom encouraged me to go to Italy to follow my path. She knew it would be difficult at first, alone on a new continent, but she told me, You need to go there and work hard! It was difficult when I first arrived in Italy, getting used to the cold weather was complicated but I finally managed to deal with it,” says Nzosa, in his native French, through a translator.

“Sometimes, after a tough practice, I felt homesick. I was thinking about my family and I needed to hear their voices. I was lucky enough to have some good people taking care of me, helping me.” 

“When he left for Italy, he was very emotional. He cried when I joined him one day after his arrival, because he told me it was something big for him to leave his country to go to Italy,” adds Joe Lolonga, a mentor from back home and now his manager, who is also communicating in French through a translator. “It’s a big opportunity for him to help his family and I told him, The way you can make us all proud is by playing really well and defend the culture and the color of Congo by staying self-disciplined, by working hard, by staying focused [and] by listening.”

Soccer is the main sport in the Congo and Nzosa grew up playing goalkeeper. As he got taller and taller, friends began suggesting that he give basketball a try. But he didn’t really have any interest. One day an elder from his neighborhood in Kinshasa offered to introduce him to a gentleman who runs a local basketball program. He suggested that Nzosa, 13 years old at the time, just give it a try. The teenager finally agreed. The hoops team was operated by Lolonga as part of his non-profit organization called New Generation, which serves over 100 kids.

“In my neighborhood, everybody was telling me how easy it would be for me to play basketball. You are so tall, you will just have to go under the basket and score…And that very first month, it was a struggle. I was stressed because I didn’t know how to play the game. I was on the bench all the time, just watching my teammates. I tried to do things but technically I was too limited. I was frustrated, really frustrated. People had told me basketball would come easily for me and I told myself, I have to train hard,” says Nzosa. 

“I wanted to emulate what [Serge] Ibaka is doing in Congo and help my people. When I was young, since I’m tall, people were calling me Mutombo Dikembe. If you are tall in Congo, they call you Mutombo Dikembe,” says Nzosa while laughing. “It’s not an easy thing to be tall in my neighborhood. People were making fun of me. But then playing basketball made me feel good about myself so I didn’t mind being tall anymore.”   

Among the biggest challenges for kids looking to pursue the game in the Congo is access to courts. Lolonga has begun implementing a long-term strategy that he hopes will ensure that future generations are able to train—or just play—on quality courts across the country.

 “We have no indoor basketball court in the [whole] country and most outdoor playgrounds are not safe and regulated. Their layouts aren’t proper. I’m the vice president of the Congolese basketball federation and we want to popularize basketball all over Congo,” says Lolonga. “The main focus is on the national basketball team—we need to win in order to gain followers. We are getting there slowly, and if everything goes according to our plans, we want to develop a pro league to keep our young players from having to go overseas. That way we will be able to get more sport grants, attract more sponsorship to build basketball courts all over Congo. That’s the vision we have at the federation and we are committed to growing our sport.”

Adds Nzosa, “I was lucky enough to play for Joe’s team; we have a court where we can practice. But playing basketball in Congo is difficult. There are many soccer fields and it’s easy to play soccer. Basketball is another story. You can’t really practice and play pickup games. It’s difficult to find basketball shoes, so we had to practice in our everyday shoes. It was a struggle to find a playground.”

After a couple of years in Italy, Nzosa relocated to Spain for the opportunity to play in the best hoops league in Europe, Liga ACB, joining Unicaja Málaga. Nzosa made his debut with the senior team in September of 2020 at the age of 16. After getting some minutes during the preseason, the 6-10 forward didn’t see the court until his third game of the regular season.

It didn’t take long before he was tying or setting new records, though. In his debut, he finished with 10 points after going a perfect 5-5 from the floor, to go along with three rebounds and a couple of blocks. He joined Ricky Rubio and Luka Doncic as the only 16-year-olds in the Spanish league’s history to score at least 10 points in a game. A couple of weeks later he became the youngest player in the prestigious league’s history to finish with at least 4 blocks in a game, surpassing Kristaps Porzingis’ previous record. 

“To be honest, I never really thought about breaking those records when I started to play this season. I didn’t even think I was good enough to play. When I see the names on that list, it makes me want to work harder because it’s an honor to be mentioned side by side with those great players who are way better than me,” says Nzosa. “I don’t really like it when people try to compare me to those guys. The only thing I know is that I’m working the right way and I need to keep on working to get to where they are—that dream of playing in the NBA.”

Two months later, what once felt like the wildest of dreams when he boarded that flight to Italy now began to look like a very attainable goal. ESPN dropped its first mock draft for the 2022 NBA Draft in late December. And there, listed at No. 5, was Yannick Nzosa. ESPN updated its list in April of this year and this time Yannick had moved up one spot to No. 4. Of course, those are just ever-evolving opinions. There’s still a long way to go between now and then. Nonetheless, it was a strong validation that all the sacrifices, relocations and countless hours were indeed paying off. Except, if you ask Nzosa about it, he’d tell you it’s one subject he isn’t invested in spending too much energy on at the moment. 

“To tell you the truth, I don’t really pay any attention to this. It’s great but I’m not really focused on that. They are just predictions. For me, not only do I want to go to the NBA, but I want to play in the League for a long time,” he says. “I want to work as much as I can so that when I go to the NBA, I can really show what I can do. A lot of friends keep on mentioning those mock drafts, and they tell me, Don’t forget about me when you are in the League. I don’t like to talk about this; the goal is to be ready when my name is called.”

Leaving home at such a young age has exposed Nzosa to so many cultures and languages. Only 17 years old, he speaks five different languages already. And he’s learning English, so it’s bound to be six very soon. He studied French back home, since it’s regarded as the official language in the DRC, but also grew up speaking Lingala, the native Bantu language. His parents also spoke to him in Portuguese growing up and therefore he understands it, although he says he’s gotten rusty at speaking it since it’s been a while. Then there’s Italian and Spanish, which he learned over the past 3+ years while kick starting his professional career in Europe. Not only does he have as much upside as anyone in that 2022 class, you also won’t find a prospect with as much of a well-rounded résumé away from the court either. 

Some of the international players in the NBA have begun to take notice of Nzosa. Pau Gasol called him one day and they ended up spending a good amount of time on the phone. The two-time NBA champ offered some advice and answered questions from Yannick, who was eager to learn more about him and his journey. Clippers forward Serge Ibaka, a native of the Congo himself, has sent messages of encouragement through Nzosa’s Málaga teammate and captain Carlos Suarez—Ibaka and Suarez were teammates when Ibaka played a few games for Real Madrid during the 2011 NBA lockout.     

Nzosa is already giving back to the kids of the same program he was once a part of as well. Lolonga points out that Yannick has been sending the basketball gear he’s gotten in Italy and Spain back home to the kids in the New Generation program—sending basketball sneakers, tees and shorts. He’s already a role model in the Congo to those closely examining his ascension while looking to one day follow in his footsteps.        

“Ibaka is the reference for me. He is Congolese [and] in Congo he helps people. He is an example to follow. I see a little bit of myself in him, in the way he plays defense [and] how he excels as a pick and roll finisher,” says Nzosa. “[I’m] a player who is fast and gives 100 percent. I’m good on pick and roll plays. I can defend the 1, the 2 and the 3. Physically, I’m not that great—I really need to build up my body, get stronger. I play with a lot of energy [though]. I leave everything on the court.”

—

Photos via Getty.

Additional Reporting by Pascal Giberne.

The post 2022 NBA Draft Prospect Yannick Nzosa is Ready to Make the Congo Proud appeared first on SLAM.

Ian Begley of SNY reported late last month that the Mavericks reached out to the Warriors to gauge interest in a Porzingis trade. However shortly after, controversial reports surfaced. 

Both Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and head coach Rick Carlisle denied the report, saying that they hadn’t explored any trades regarding Porzingis according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. 

However, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, even though Cuban and Carlisle publicly declared that the team had not engaged in trade discussions regarding Porzingis, the perception among executives around the league is that he is available.

Entering the second half of the season, Porzingis is averaging 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. One of the more unique bigs in the game, there aren’t many players around the league with the upside that he has. 

The post NBA Executives Believe Kristaps Porzingis Is Available In Trade Talks appeared first on SLAM.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, the Dallas Mavericks have expressed interest in the 27-year-old center in recent days. However, the addition of Drummond wouldn’t be to replace Kristaps Porzingis but rather to play alongside him.

“They want a big to pair with him,” a league source told Fischer in regard to Porzingis. “Obviously with physicality, rebounding, toughness.”

Drummond was averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game before being held out. His rebounding average is the second-best in the NBA, trailing only Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (14.0 rebounds per game).

A nine-year veteran, Drummond has built a name for himself as a dominant rebounder with decent guard skills, respectable defensive ability and upper echelon athleticism for a player his size. As a result of his availability, skillset and his production, Drummond is rumored to have multiple teams interested in his services.

These teams include contenders such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat.

Porzingis himself has been subject to trade rumors, as he’s had a disappointing and injury-plagued 2020-21 season thus far. The skilled seven-footer is averaging 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game but has struggled on the defensive end of the floor and has only played 17 games this year.   

The NBA trade deadline is Mar. 25, just little over a month away.

The post Mavericks Rumored to Have Interest in Andre Drummond Trade appeared first on SLAM.

While is was a slow start to the season defensively for the Mavericks, they’ve currently got the seventh best defensive rating in the NBA. After their recent win over the Indiana Pacers, snapping a three-game losing streak, Rick Carlisle announced that there was a new award the team would be introducing internally.

The award will go to the player with the best defensive performance of that particular game. Additionally, this award will only be given after games in which Dallas pulls off a win. Rather than a trophy, it will be a belt that is given to the player that earns the award. In the debut game of the belt, Willie Cauley-Stein took home the hardware.

The Dallas Mavericks currently sit at 7-7 on the season and will continue to prioritize defense going forward. With their young superstar duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s ceiling is extremely high.

The post Mavs Award Defensive Player Of Game Belt After Each Win appeared first on SLAM.

According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, Porzingis is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets. This should be a huge lift for the Mavericks imediately, regardless of how many minutes he is able to play in his debut.

Dallas has struggled all season when it comes to defense and rebounding. Luckily for them, these are both areas that Porzingis should naturally help out. Last season for the Mavericks, Porzingis averaged 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Additionally, standing at 7-foot-3, he shot .352 from beyond the arc on 7.1 attempts per contest.

It might take a handful of games to get back into the swing of things, but once Kristaps Porzingis is fully integrated into the Mavericks’ schemes, things could be looking up in Dallas.

The post Kristaps Porzingis Listed as Probable Starter Wednesday appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t think it’s been easy,” he says at the beginning of what will unfold into a moment of candor that active NBA players seldom offer. “I think it’s something that I’ve adapted to over time. Certain situations you get put in, or certain roles you get put in, might not necessarily be best fit for you. But you’ve still gotta figure it out.”

And that’s what he’s done multiple times over multiple years. 

Quick refresher on Burke’s career in basketball. 

He and Jared Sullinger eventually dominated high school ball in Ohio together. A family relocation to Atlanta as an eighth grader came back to haunt him as a ninth grader when he moved back to Ohio. His name had fallen out of the OH state rankings so he had to sit and watch his friends play as a freshman. But things got active after that. The point guard reportedly had a 97-5 record during his time at Northland High School in Columbus. His two seasons as a Michigan Wolverine would prove to be legendary. Drafted by the Timberwolves with the ninth pick in 2013, traded that same day to the Jazz. Three years in Utah until a trade to the Wizards in 2016. One campaign in DC and then an agreement with the Knicks came. 

Then he got waived.  

Didn’t matter. 

Burke ended up playing 26 games with the Westchester Knicks because his desire to be in the NBA was that strong. That strong.  

The NY Knicks came calling shortly after the calendar turned to 2018. Buckets were scored and crossovers were distributed and dimes were dropped. A little over a year went by and he was traded again to the Mavericks. Then he linked up with the Sixers to start the 2019-20 season. They let him go in February. 

Pandemic. 

Season postponed. 

Months of uncertainty. Months of testing that desire Burke’s shown again and again. Months of working out without any promises. With just hunger. 

Bubble in Orlando. Call from the Mavericks. Burke has various impressive performances, sometimes with big numbers and sometimes with big cojones. 

And finally, finally, finally, in December of 2020, his patience is rewarded with a three-year contract from the Mavericks. 

That’s a bird’s eye view. Zoom in and check it out year by year and it’s obvious that Burke’s NBA career has been mentally and emotionally trying. But the man has no quit in him. 

Things got tough, Burke says, after his rookie year in Utah. Empty promises about the future and inconsistent playing time cast a shadow over what he thought was a successful rookie campaign. 

“I was going through a phase that second year when they drafted [Dante] Exum,” Burke says. “I had basically came off a first team All-Rookie campaign. And I thought that they wanted to grow and develop with me. They drafted Exum that next year, my second year, and then the head coach, who was [Ty] Corbin at the time, had ended up getting fired. It was a whole new staff. Things went how they went. I started not playing. And I had to figure out, ‘Ok, is it me?’ I had to take an approach as to being the victim or take the approach as to, ‘I don’t care what they do. I don’t care what my environment is presenting me. I’m going to stay the same TB. I’m going to stay the same Trey. That same Trey is going to be getting up every morning, getting his extra work in, going to practice and then getting his late work in after. And still being myself and sticking to my script, my routine regardless of how it’s looking with my minutes.’”

But that clarity he’s speaking with right now didn’t come then. It actually didn’t come until a little bit later. So the rocky ending in Utah was followed by his uneven time as a Wizard. 

“When I got with Washington, those same habits that I was dealing with were coming back,” he says. “And I found myself back in that same situation in Washington. And I kept hearing people say, ‘It ain’t about your talent, it ain’t got nothing to do with your game, Trey.’ And that was what was always confusing to me because now I realize they was basically saying my skill wasn’t the problem. It’s certain things that organizations—it’s a role that they put you in and they want to see if you can do your job in that role.”

Burke was searching for a way to feel like himself again. He began to study his mind and understand why patterns were emerging between Utah and DC. He thought it was just about basketball. But he found out that he had to “re-learn who [he] was as a person.” Then, he believed, he could return to being himself on the 94×50 and being himself off of it. He got some help from Denzel Washington’s performance in The Hurricane. He saw Denzel’s character be put in “unfavorable situations.” But, and this is the part that Burke has taken with him, Denzel’s character didn’t let those situations define him. 

The old Trey, or maybe the new one, was starting to take shape.

Because Burke would soon be met by a valley. The Knicks waived him just three days after they signed him in October of 2017 and he very unexpectedly landed in the G League. Nobody would have thought that the former ninth overall pick would be down there. But just the fact that he was willing to play in the G League is a window into his devotion. 

Burke brings up the G League on his own and says that he will “always emphasize that time.”

“I kind of re-found myself throughout that G League journey,” he says. “I kind of got away from everybody and I was able to come back to being TB, being myself. Sometimes you’ve gotta go through those rebirth situations. I think the G League was a rebirth type of situation. New York ended up calling me back up and I had some huge games that year.”

But after he was included in the trade for Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas, he bounced around again, finding himself in Philly for just 25 games at the beginning of 2019-20. So when he got waived in February, he didn’t get caught up in a mental spiral. 

“Sometimes you don’t necessarily know, for real, what’s going to be threw your way,” Burke says. “It was times where I thought it was going to be sweet coming into shootaround that game. I thought I was going to play 30 minutes. Coach might come up to me like, ‘Yo, I’m going to give him a shot tonight. Boom, boom, let him play this, this and that.’ 

“Like, you don’t know what hand you might get dealt that day,” he continues. “I’ve been learned, through my experience, as long as you don’t let your circumstances define you and you stick to a structure that you done put together for yourself that’s helping you get better everyday, you’ll always be in control of the situation. I feel like we are creators of our reality. We create the reality we experience through our thoughts and our actions. I truly am a believer of that. So I believe I might go through some bullshit. A coach might sit me one game after I done had 21 and 8 and I might sit the next three, four games, which is kind of mind boggling to me but this is a real situation. Over those experiences, I done learned allow that anger to go to that chip. Don’t show it, don’t wear it on your sleeve. Allow that anger to motivate you more to get to the gym before that first bus. I learned how to use the unfavorable situations that I was experiencing as fuel.”

Then the time came, the time where all of his own truths and his battle-earned knowledge came rushing back in to real life. 

Game 4 against the Clippers in the playoffs. Porzingis was a very late scratch and Burke found out he was starting in the playoffs for the first time in his career just moments before the tipoff. 

Let him share the story. 

“Game 4, we was down 2-1 in the playoffs to the Clippers,” he begins. “It wasn’t, like, nervous butterflies but it was butterflies. Sometimes it’s butterflies and it ain’t good and you really are nervous. It was, like, excited butterflies, like, ‘Oh shit.’ Like, I was starting in a matter of seconds. I knew I was going to play a lot of minutes in Game 4 because I was producing at a high level but you’re telling me seconds before tipoff I’m about to be starting on national TV. My first playoff experience, my first real playoff experience. 

“I stood on everything that I just talked about,” he says with the utmost confidence. “I didn’t let my thoughts waver. Those thoughts came though. I want young athletes to know that. They came, those thoughts of doubt, those thoughts of failure, it all came but I always stood on I’m prepared, I’m ready, I done seen this already, I done studied this, I know what I gotta do, I know their weaknesses. I’m ready to play. So every time I would have a thought, I’d deflect it. And that takes time. That really takes time with working on your mind. And not just letting your thoughts run wild. Come game time, it’s easy to let them run wild. Especially when you’re not in a certain role. So I think once Carlisle, Mark and Donnie, once the whole staff saw me perform under that pressure the way I did, I think that’s when I relaxed, not in a sense of I made but relaxed in a sense of, ‘Ok, this is starting to feel like home. This can be a place for me in the future. I can see it now.’

“I learned a lot about myself,” he says of that game. “In some of the most unsure-est situations, stand on who you are, stand on what you know within. You’re going to be fine. I ended up with 25, Luka hit the game-winning shot and that’s going to be one of those playoff games they’re going to always be playing back. I think that’s my favorite game when it comes to the NBA.”

The post Trey Burke Gets Honest About the Mental Side of Playing in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

“At this point, I’m confident it’s weeks not months, but that’s all I’m going to tell you.”

On Tuesday, Carlisle gave further insight into the situation, giving optimism that his return might be sooner than later. Porzingis was a full go in practice, signalling that he is getting closer to game action. 

While there is no timetable for him to return to action, Carlisle said his debut could be in the next couple of weeks. 

“Sometime in the next couple of weeks isn’t far-fetched. It isn’t certain, either. I think we just have to go day to day with it and hope that things can keep moving in a positive direction.”

The Mavericks could really use Porzingis going forward. As the second-best player on the team, he makes life easier for Luka Doncic. Dallas has struggled on the boards this season, which is something that could naturally fix itself upon Porginzis’ return to action. 

Last season, Kristaps Porzingis averaged 20.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting .352 from deep. 

The post Kristaps Porzingis Debut Could Come in Next Couple Weeks appeared first on SLAM.

On the bright side, Jalen Brunson looks spectacular off the bench with his ability to score the ball at a high level. With Kristaps Porzingis set to return to action in just a few weeks, the Mavericks have a light at the end of the tunnel.

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

James Johnson	4.0p, 4.5r, 3.0a	–
Jalen Brunson	10.8p, 2.5r, 3.0a	–
Tim Hardaway Jr.	14.5p, 3.8r, 1.3a	–
Josh Richardson	13.5p, 3.5r, 1.8a
Trey Burke	8.0p, 1.0r, 1.8a
Dorian Finney-Smith	8.5p, 4.3r, 1.0a
Maxi Kleber	8.0p, 4.8r, 0.8a
Wes Iwundu	4.7p, 0.3r, 0.0a
Dwight Powell	6.5p, 3.3r, 1.0a
Boban Marjanovic	4.0p, 2.3r, 0.0a
Willie Cauley-Stein	4.0p, 3.3r, 0.8a
Luka Doncic	23.8p, 5.8r, 6.3a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

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

Biggest Questions

• Can the Mavericks stop anyone on defense? Last season, they had the most efficient offense in NBA history but were among the league’s worst defensively. If they can be a mediocre defensive team, they could be looking at a top-four seed in the Western Conference.
• Is Kristaps Porzingis going to be healthy on a consistent basis? To this point in his career, his knees have been an issue. In fact, they kept him out of some of the most crucial games in the playoffs last season. Without a healthy Porzingis, the Mavericks aren’t nearly as much of a threat.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Dallas Mavericks: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

Porzingis suffered the injury in Game 1 of the Mavericks’ first round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, opting to have surgery in early October. It’s Porzingis’ second major knee surgery, with ‘The Unicorn’ having torn his left ACL in Feb. 2018 and missing the entire 2018-19 season.

Pound-for-pound one of the most gifted players in the league, Porzingis’ absence could be rocky even if budding superstar Luka Doncic continues to play at an MVP level. Porzingis averaged 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in the 2019-20 regular season and 23.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.0 block per game in the playoffs.

Simply put, that type of production is difficult to replicate. Nonetheless, the Mavericks were able to go 11-7 without Porzingis last season and they were 32-25 in the games he did play.

Unfortunately for Dallas, some of the best teams in the West are only going to get better: the Los Angeles Lakers are set to acquire sixth man Dennis Schroder via trade; the Phoenix Suns are finalizing a trade for Chris Paul; and the Portland Trail Blazers are adding Robert Covington to their roster.

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says that Jan. 1 is the date that Porzingis will be cleared for on-court activity. Following his surgery, the Mavs were optimistic that he would be ready by the start of training camp.

The post Kristaps Porzingis to Miss Start of 2020-21 Season appeared first on SLAM.

However, if Dallas wants to be seen as a championship contender, they’ll need to compete with at least the triumvirate of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. In order to do that, they’ll need to make slight but significant upgrades all over the roster.

Related: Full Boston Celtics 2020 Salary Cap Preview

Mavericks Draft Needs

With the Mavericks looking to add a third star to the roster, the players selected with their picks in the 2020 NBA Draft may not even be on the roster on opening night.

If Dallas was to keep their picks though, addressing their defense would be the obvious priority.

There are quite a few players in the rotation that are difficult to replace but not the most impactful defenders. Of course, if Dallas manages to swing a trade for an additional star, then players with higher salaries will be sent away. As a result, the Mavs have to be even more careful to select the right players.

If Dallas can find a defensive-minded wing or guard with one of their two picks in the upcoming draft, then they should walk way from draft night satisfied. Because of their lack of depth at small forward, the Mavericks would likely prefer a wing.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

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On the night of the 2020 NBA trade deadline, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Thunder and Heat were working on such a deal. Ultimately, what stalled the deal was that an extension to keep him in Miami for several years could not be agreed upon and he finished out his season in Oklahoma City.

As it turns out, not only did the Heat nearly trade for Gallinari at the trade deadline, but so did the Dallas Mavericks. 

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News recently reported that after last season’s trade deadline, Mavs owner Mark Cuban revealed that the team had a trade in place for an unnamed player. The deal ultimately fell through because the player wanted to test free agency in the upcoming offseason rather than agree to an extension in Dallas. According to Townsend, that player was Gallinari.

The Mavericks would have been slightly more dangerous in the playoffs with Gallinari on their roster. Now, he will get his opportunity to test free agency.

While there are minimal teams with cap space, there should still be plenty of suitors for the Italian’s excellent offensive game. We will soon find out whether he should have signed an extension with the Heat or Mavericks as part of a trade or if he will get the payday he is expecting on the open market.

The post Mavs, Heat Made Run at Danilo Gallinari At Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

Recently, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (subscription required) reported that Dallas is trying to make at least one splashy move this offseason.

Feeling a sense of urgency to capitalize on a Western Conference that has no true superteam, the Mavericks want to acquire a third All-Star. In hopes of acquiring a third star, the Mavericks have made every player except for Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis available in a trade.

Dallas is also attempting to secure a lottery pick (1-14) in the 2020 NBA Draft; they currently have the 18th and 31st overall pick. Although the upcoming draft hasn’t been heralded as one with a great selection of star talent, there are quite a few prospects who have the makings of high-end starters or rotation players.

There could hardly be a better time for the Mavericks to try to pull off a hard reset.

As previously alluded to, teams in the league are more evenly matched than they’ve been in a decade. If Dallas manages to procure a third star that can join forces with Luka and Porzingis, two of the most talented European players in NBA history, they would arguably have the best core in the league.

In addition, with the financial implications of the Coronavirus pandemic, teams may not be able to overspend on talent to keep up with them for a couple of years.

Kudos to the Mavericks’ brain trust for trying to capitalize on their current talent and the league’s current situation. Now, all that’s left to see, is who Dallas has on their radar and whether or not they can get a deal done.

The post Mavs Eye Trades to Add Pivotal Third Star appeared first on SLAM.

Following the workout, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz referred to the 16-year-old French big man as “arguably the best prospect in the world regardless of age.”

Standing at 7-3 with a 7-8 wingspan, Wembanyama has a chance to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 Draft, according to Schmitz.

Schmitz says that Wembanyama is not your typical big man.

Despite his huge feet and thin frame, he moves like a wing. Not only does he put a lid on the rim like Rudy Gobert, he also shows the floor-spacing potential of a young Kristaps Porzingis, with a far better handle and passing feel.

When being asked about how he has been able to become such a unique talent at his size, Wembanyama talks about always having a ball in his hands.

“That comes from the fact that I’ve always been balling since I was young. Even when I was not in a club yet, when I was 5 or 6 years old, I always had a ball.”

Wembanyama will need to put on some size to reach his full potential at the next level. When it comes to the NBA, he still has plenty of time to not only get stronger, but also improve his game.

Remember the name Victor Wembanyama.

The post 2023 NBA Draft Prospect Victor Wembanyama Impresses Against Rudy Gobert 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

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Is Willie Cauley-Stein going to opt in? Cauley-Stein is at the point in his career where he could make more than $2.3M on the open market, but it’s not a guarantee. He seems to be fairly happy in Dallas and with Dwight Powell making his way back from a torn Achilles’, Cauley-Stein should have a path to plenty of playing time.
• Will Tim Hardaway Jr. deviate from the plan of opting in? Hardaway will be hard-pressed to find a team that will pay him $18.9M this offseason. He’s also still young enough that long-term security shouldn’t be a concern just yet.

Projected Team Salary

$151,977,957

The Mavericks have one more season before they can be major offseason players. They’ll likely run it back with a lot of the same team as last season, as both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Willie Cauley-Stein are likely to opt in. Look for Dallas to use their MLE to bring in another wing player, but on a short-term contract. This will allow the Mavs to conserve space for the 2021 offseason. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$42,837,957 (16^th out of 30). $29,788,398 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Dallas Mavericks: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Smith Jr, who turns 23 next month, missed nearly half of last season due to injuries and the loss of his stepmother. According to Begley, some people with the Knicks would like to give Smith Jr “a legitimate chance to bounce back” after a disappointing 2019-20 season.

Smith Jr averaged just 5.5 points and was the only player to average more than 12 minutes per game (minimum 20 games) and shoot below 40 TS%.

The front office could still feel some investment in Smith, who the Knicks acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. And new head coach Tom Thibodeau was reportedly “a big fan” of Smith Jr coming out of the 2017 Draft, per Begley.

But he’ll likely have to vie for minutes with Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina, who are both under contract. Smith Jr will earn $5.7 million next season before hitting restricted free agency in 2021.

The post Report: Dennis Smith Jr Has ‘Significant Support’ Within Knicks Organization appeared first on SLAM.

While guesting on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast with JJ Redick and Tommy Alter, Durant said that the Hornets’ Devonte’ Graham, Bulls’ Zach LaVine and Mavs’ Kristaps Porzingis “are going to be some forces going forward.”

Durant admitted that he initially thought that Graham wouldn’t make it in the NBA. But Graham made a huge jump this past season, emerging as Charlotte’s full-time starting point guard. “Just to see his ascent from where he came from,” Durant said. “I didn’t think he could be in the League, to be honest.”

In this third season with the Bulls, LaVine finished 11th in the League in scoring and narrowly missed an All-Star berth. “I think he has superstar potential,” KD said of the 25-year-old.

Durant added that Porzingis also has superstar makeup because of his mobility and ability to shoot the ball with a 7-3 frame. He disputed the claim that Porzingis is soft: “He plays with some toughness and he wants to play a little bit stronger and harder,” Durant said.

The post Kevin Durant Impressed by Graham, LaVine, Porzingis appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve listed the entire roster with comparisons to last year’s launch rating below. We’ve also identified some general NBA 2K21 ratings trends for the league as a whole.

Mavs NBA 2K21 Ratings

View the NBA 2K21 player ratings for other teams below.

The post Dallas Mavericks: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

Isaac’s run in the bubble came to a premature end when he tore his left ACL and the team is in no rush to jeopardize his recovery. The versatile 22-year-old forward had just made his return to the court from another significant knee injury on Jan. 1 when he did it.

Isaac is just the latest NBA player to suffer from the major knee injury, although it’s not the career ending prognosis that it once was. Other recent examples of players who’ve suffered the same fate include Kristaps Porzingis, Spencer Dinwiddie and Klay Thompson.

In many cases, the recovery period for such an injury is at least one full season. Otherwise, a nine-month to one-year window is common. While we don’t know what the 2020-21 NBA campaign will look like, shutting Isaac down for the entire season is a welcomed cautious approach for a player with a long career ahead of him.

Isaac had begun to establish himself as one of the premier defenders in the NBA and certainly factors into Orlando’s long-term plan.

The post Jonathan Isaac to Miss 2020-21 Season appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down that game and the rest of Sunday’s action below.

No. 3 Celtics 111 at No. 1 Raptors 97

BOS leads series 1-0

The Raptors couldn’t buy a bucket in their second round opener and were quickly reminded that you can’t have an off day this deep into the postseason and expect to get away with it. The Celtics leapt out in front of the defending champions in the first quarter and didn’t look back. Toronto shot just .369 from the field while Boston buried them with their well-rounded starting five. What the Raps have in a size advantage on paper, Boston quickly neutralized with scheme, setting the stage for an intriguing series.

No. 2 Clippers 111 at No. 7 Mavericks 97

LAC win series 4-2

The Mavs already faced an uphill battle down in their series against the Clippers but the formal acknowledgement that the injured Kristaps Porzingis would miss the entire series certainly didn’t help. Marcus Morris drew the ire of many with a well placed karate chop to the face of wunderkind Luka Doncic and was rewarded with an ejection from the contest. The blow didn’t prevent Doncic from dropping 38 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. The Clips pulled away in the first half and endured a late push from Dallas to close out the series with relative ease. Kawhi Leonard’s 33, 14 and 7 were welcomed but another lackluster shooting night for Paul George (.316 on 6-of-19 from the field) is hard to overlook.

No. 3 Nuggets 119 at No. 6 Jazz 107

Series tied 3-3

We already knew that this was one of the best first-round pairings of the year but on Sunday, the Nuggets and Jazz took things to new heights. Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell, specifically, took things to knew heights. Murray erupted for 50 points for the second time this series and had Mitchell on his heels with 44. The two All-Stars went berserk in the game’s final frame combining for over 40 fourth-quarter points between the two of themselves alone. Murray became just the fourth NBA players to have cracked the half century mark twice in one series. Mitchell, of course, was the third. Only Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson have accomplished such a feat, which should put the duel between Murray and Mitchell into context. A do-or-day Game 7 between these two could bvery well e one of the most hyped matchups of the entire postseason.

• Aug. 24: Post Up: Thunder Rally Back
• Aug. 23: Post Up: Where Luka Happens
• Aug. 22: Post Up: Lakers Hit Next Level
• Aug. 21: Post Up: Kawhi Carries Clippers
• Aug. 20: Post Up: The Empires Strike Back
• Aug. 19: Post Up: The Cavalry Has Arrived
• Aug. 18: Post Up: Crazy Eights
• Aug. 17: Post Up: Donovan Mitchell Makes History

The post Post Up: A Guard Duel For The History Books appeared first on SLAM.

Porzingis missed Dallas’ past two contests with knee soreness and now the extent of the injury, a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, is known.

Porzingis averaged 20.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during the 2019-20 campaign and added 34 points in his final taste of action on Aug. 21. Dallas ended up winning their first contest without the big man but now trail the Los Angeles Clippers 2-3 in their series.

In addition to Porzingis, the Mavericks are already down Dwight Powell and Willie Cauley-Stein, so expect head coach to rely more heavily on Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic.

The knee injury that cost Porzingis the complete 2018-19 was in his left knee.

The post Mavs’ Kristaps Porzingis Out for Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down all of Tuesday’s actions below.

No. 6 Jazz 107 at No. 3 Nuggets 117

UTA leads series 3-2

The underdog Jazz looked poised to close out the Nuggets for the first three quarters of their Game 5 tilt but that all changed in the fourth and final frame when Jamal Murray took over. The 23-year-old officially followed up his 50-point Game 4 with a 42-point showing and continued to shoot the lights out while he did it. Murray split defenders like pylons and penetrated in ways reserved only for the elite. Ask Rudy Gobert. He wasn’t alone in the win – Nikola Jokic scored 31 points and the Nuggets shot .506 from the field as a team – but in a series where much of the attention has justifiably fallen on Donovan Mitchell, the guard is finally getting a chance to demonstrate how much he continues to improve.

No. 7 Mavericks 111 at No. 2 Clippers 154

LAC leads series 3-2

The Clippers obliterated the Mavericks in the first quarter of their tie-breaking Game 5 performance and didn’t look back. Luka Doncic was contained to a mortal 22 points while Los Angeles cruised to a 43-point victory. Paul George, whose struggles thus far in the series have been well documented, erupted for 35 points on 12 of 18 shooting in just 25 minutes of action while Kawhi Leonard added 32 of his own. The Mavs were without Kristaps Porzingis on account of his sore right knee and there’s no indication that he’ll be back for their do-or-die Game 6.

• Aug. 24: Post Up: Thunder Rally Back
• Aug. 23: Post Up: Where Luka Happens
• Aug. 22: Post Up: Lakers Hit Next Level
• Aug. 21: Post Up: Kawhi Carries Clippers
• Aug. 20: Post Up: The Empires Strike Back
• Aug. 19: Post Up: The Cavalry Has Arrived
• Aug. 18: Post Up: Crazy Eights
• Aug. 17: Post Up: Donovan Mitchell Makes History

The post Post Up: Jamal Murray Demands Your Attention appeared first on SLAM.

The Dallas Mavericks survived Game 4 without their unicorn big man who was a late scratch with a knee injury. The team has now listed Porzingis as questionable for the Tuesday follow up and expect his availability to be a game-time decision.

Head coach Rick Carlisle told the media, including Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, that the team expects Porzingis’ decision to be handled similarly to that of Luka Doncic’s ahead of the last game.

Doncic was questionable to play in Game 4 after spraining his ankle but he committed to playing shortly before tip off.

Soreness in Porzingis’ right knee is what sidelined him for the crucial playoff game on Sunday night. The soreness has plagued him since Game 2 of the series but the issue was particularly difficult to deal with during the warm up before Game 4.

An MRI conducted on the knee revealed no major red flags that would preclude Porzingis from suiting up.

Porzingis missed time with right knee soreness in December and January of this season. It’s was the ACL of his left knee, however, that Porzingis tore as a member of the Knicks.

The post MRI Reveals No Structural Damage in Kristaps Porzingis’ Knee appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s our breakdown of Sunday’s action.

No. 3 Celtics 110 at No. 6 Sixers 106

BOS wins series 4-0

The Celtics kept their foot on the gas against a vulnerable Philadelphia team and ended up holding on to a fourth consecutive win in their first-round series. Sixers forward Tobias Harris suffered a head injury scare after a nasty fall in which his face hit the hardwood. Fortunately, despite the unbraced fall, he managed to avoid significant damage and returned to the game with a facial laceration. Harris and Joel Embiid paced Philly with 20 and 30 points respectively but the well-oiled C’s, led by Kemba Walker’s 32 points, were too much to overcome.

No. 2 Clippers 133 at No. 7 Mavericks 135 (OT)

Series tied 2-2

Luka Doncic had a triple double with eight minutes left in the third quarter on Sunday and that wasn’t even the most impressive thing that he did. The superstar 21-year-old, who wasn’t even a sure bet to play due to the ankle sprain he suffered in Game 3, toyed with the Clippers all day long eventually nailing a game-winning three at the buzzer in overtime. Doncic finished with 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists while continuing to exceed any rational human being’s expectation of what a second year NBA player should be capable of. The Mavs win came without Kristaps Porzingis, who ended up sitting out with a sore knee and despite a 36-point performance from uber reserve Lou Williams. This was a Hardwood Classic in real time, catch it on League Pass if you missed it.

No. 2 Raptors 150 at No. 7 Nets 122

TOR wins series 4-0

The Raptors hit the 100-point threshold with over three minutes remaining in the third quarter of their Game 4 win over the Nets, ultimately settling with 150 points in a lopsided victory to close out their series sweep. Not only did every Raptors player score in this one but every one recorded at least one assist. It wasn’t all good news for Toronto, however, as the team lost veteran leader Kyle Lowry to a foot injury in the first quarter. Caris LeVert hit 35 points in the losing effort.

No. 3 Nuggets 127 at No. 3 Jazz 129

UTA leads series 3-1

The Nuggets and Jazz went toe-to-toe for four quarters but only one team could come out on top. Thanks to yet another impressive performance from elite closer Donovan Mitchell, Utah will take a stranglehold on the series. Mitchell finished with 51 points, his second 50-piece of the series, but it was the late buckets that put the nail in the coffin for Denver. Jamal Murray added 50 points of his own but will now face elimination despite a remarkably improved showing after a disastrous Game 3.

• Aug. 22: Post Up: Lakers Hit Next Level
• Aug. 21: Post Up: Kawhi Carries Clippers
• Aug. 20: Post Up: The Empires Strike Back
• Aug. 19: Post Up: The Cavalry Has Arrived
• Aug. 18: Post Up: Crazy Eights
• Aug. 17: Post Up: Donovan Mitchell Makes History

The post Post Up: Where Luka Happens appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve laid out the biggest takeaways from the games below.

No. 3 Nuggets 135, No. 6 Jazz, 125 (OT)

DEN leads series 1-0

The short-handed Jazz learned early on that their best chance of stealing a win from the favored Nuggets would come from feeding Donovan Mitchell. Utah’s 24-year-old All-Star accepted the challenge and blew up for 57 points, the third-highest individual playoff point total in NBA history. Ultimately though, it was Denver’s depth that allowed them to eke out the win despite a less-than-perfect performance. It took overtime but the Nuggets preserved home court advantage thanks to a gutsy performance from combo guard Jamal Murray. Nikola Jokic got the better end of a fascinating head-to-head matchup with Rudy Gobert, while Monte Morris and Jerami Grant were solid off the bench.

No. 2 Raptors 134, No. 7 Nets 110

TOR leads series 1-0

The Raptors ran up the score early in their first-round debut against the Nets but give Brooklyn credit for at least showing sporadic signs of life throughout. Six Raptors players hit at least two three-pointers, while Fred VanVleet took center stage with eight bombs and a game-leading 30 points. Kyle Lowry was up to his usual savvy tricks, and complemented the pile of charges drawn with 26 points and 11 assists. The Nets were led by Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who connected on six threes and emerged as the only Brooklyn player with a positive plus-minus.

No. 3 Celtics 109, No. 6 Sixers 101

BOS leads series 1-0

The Celtics are in good hands with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown carrying the franchise and the young core paced their offense with 32 and 29 points respectively. The game went back and forth but the Cs wrestled the lead away in the fourth and didn’t look back, despite Joel Embiid’s solid showing on offense and even more impressive command of the boards. Embiid finished the game with 26 points and 16 rebounds. The Celtics were dealt a blow in the fourth when Gordon Hayward sprained his right ankle after landing awkwardly on the foot of Daniel Theis in the paint. His status heading forward isn’t yet known.

No. 2 Clippers 118, No. 7 Mavericks 110

LAC leads series 1-0

The Clippers broke out of the gates in typical, physically dominant form and it rattled the upstart Mavericks. If you think super sophomore Luka Doncic didn’t adjust, however, think again. The Mavs rallied back from a 16-point hole in the first to somehow win the quarter. The two offenses went at it for the next two quarters until Kristaps Porzingis was controversially ejected with nearly nine minutes remaining in the third. The unicorn picked up his second tech for getting a little too involved in an otherwise mild Doncic-Marcus Morris confrontation. The Clippers were far from perfect in the opener, which shows just how good an opponent needs to be in order to win a game against this powerhouse. Doncic set an NBA record with 42 points in a playoff debut but the 11 turnovers he recorded are indicative of the challenges he faces against Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverley.

The post Post Up: Donovan Mitchell Makes History appeared first on SLAM.

The seeding games came down to the wire, with some teams relying on their final regular season game to earn a spot in the playoffs or jump higher in the standings. In fact, three Western Conference teams finished with identical records, meaning tiebreakers decided who was seeded where. Players will face off against former teams, rivalries will be showcased, and the best players in the game will square off with one goal in mind.

With the playoff matchups finally set, let’s take a look at each Western Conference series in the first round. Our Eastern Conference series preview is available here.

1 Los Angeles Lakers (52-19)
8 Portland Trail Blazers (35-39)

Upon entering the bubble, the Portland Trail Blazers were 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the final spot in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. After an incredible run behind 2020 Kia NBA Player of the Seeding Games, Damian Lillard, they took control of the No. 8 seed and won the play-in game to solidify their spot against the Lakers in the first round.

In three games head-to-head this season, the Lakers beat the Trail Blazers twice. As good as Lillard has been, it will take high-level play from the rest of his Portland teammates if they are going to challenge Los Angeles in the first round. Although LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the rest of the Lakers didn’t look all that great in the bubble, going 3-5, we all know that they will be ready to compete in the playoffs.

2 LA Clippers (49-23)
7 Dallas Mavericks (43-32)

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers were first and second, respectively, in offensive rating this season. Both of these teams have a high-powered offense that can score points in bunches. The only issue here is that while Los Angeles has one of the best defenses in the league, Dallas struggles on that side of the ball. This is probably why the Clippers won all three of their head-to-head matchups this season.

While Dallas does have two young superstars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, Los Angeles might be the best team in the NBA to defend them. Doncic will shine and show the world just how good he is, but with two elite wing defenders in Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, nothing will come easy for him all series. The Clippers also have the most depth in the entire league, which gives them a huge advantage over the Mavericks whose bench will likely struggle to keep up. Regardless, this matchup should still be one of the most fun to watch in the first round.

3 Denver Nuggets (46-27)
6 Utah Jazz (44-28)

This series will feature a battle between two of the league’s best big men in Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic. While the No. 3 seed seems much higher than the No. 6 seed, Denver finished just 1.5 games ahead of Utah in the Western Conference standings, meaning these two teams are a very even match. One thing that sticks out in this series is that while the Jazz lost a premier scorer in Bojan Bogdanovic over the past couple of months, Denver found a premier scorer in Michael Porter Jr., who led the team with 22.0 points per game in the bubble.

The Nuggets beat the Jazz in all three of their regular season matchups, although just by a total of 11 points. While the battle between each team’s center will be important in this series, so will the guard play. To this point in the season, Mike Conley has been fairly underwhelming and he’ll now miss the first few games of the series to quarantine after leaving the bubble to attend the birth of his son. Both him and Donovan Mitchell will need to play well against Jamal Murray and the variety of long wings that Denver will throw at them.

4 Houston Rockets (44-28)
5 OKC Thunder (44-28)

Last summer, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets swapped point guards. Russell Westbrook would play for a new team for the first time in his career and Chris Paul would be moved to a team that nobody thought would be a playoff contender. Fast forward to today and these two teams have identical records as they match up in what might be the most intriguing first-round series. In three games played against each other this season, the Thunder took home the crown winning two of those three matchups.

There are two key injuries that could have an impact on this series. Russell Westbrook has a strained quadriceps muscle and is expected to miss at least the first couple of games against his former team and OKC’s lockdown defender Lu Dort is day-to-day with a knee injury. With a ton on the line, Chris Paul will look to prove to his former team that they never should have traded him away. It will be interesting to see how the small-ball Rockets fare in the 2020 playoffs.

The post 2020 NBA Playoff Matchups: Western Conference appeared first on SLAM.

Heading the first team is Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, also named the MVP of the Bubble. Joining him are household names James Harden and Luka Doncic who helped steer their Western Conference powerhouses into the postseason.

Devin Booker, fresh off an 8-0 run with the Phoenix Suns, earned the nod, while T.J. Warren received praise for his star turn as an unstoppable scorer. Warren cracked 53 points once and averaged 28.0 per game.

Only three players were tabbed as unanimous first-team selections: Lillard, Booker and Doncic.

All-Bubble First Team

Michael Porter Jr. and Caris LeVert wasted no time taking advantage of their opportunities in the bubble and proved just how scary their teams can be if they end up consistently hitting their ceilings as players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only second-team player to receive first-team votes. He was joined by All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Kristaps Porzingis on the roster.

All-Bubble Second Team

The post NBA Names All-Bubble First and Second Teams appeared first on SLAM.

Both honors will be sponsored by Kia and presented before the Western Conference play-in tournament on Aug. 15. The recipients will be chosen by the media.

There will be a total of two All-Seeding Games teams, covering 10 players.

Media on site in the bubble have no shortage of heroes to comb through when prepping their ballots. We’ve seen typically impressive performances from some of the game’s top stars and breakout performances from others.

Through the first six games of the bubble round, Mavs guard Luka Doncic has averaged a staggering 33.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 11.6 assists per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been his dominant self, too, averaging 31.0 points and 12.8 rebounds in just 28.8 minutes of playing time.

Generating a swath of headlines has been Pacers forward T.J. Warren, one of six players averaging north of 30 points. Warren averaged 19.8 points per game during the season.

Kristaps Porzingis has similarly increased his footprint in the bubble, averaging 29.4 points per contests, up from just north of 20 in the regular season.

No player, perhaps, has enjoyed the bubble more than Jusuf Nurkic who had missed the entire 2019-20 campaign before the shutdown. Nurkic returned to health after a broken leg just as the league’s hiatus began. He’s averaged 18.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Blazers since play resumed.

The post NBA to Name Top Players of Seeding Games appeared first on SLAM.

Which players were the hottest and coldest when the league shut down on March 11? I did the math – lots of it – and laid out the impact that the suspension could have on each of the league’s 22 bubble squads.

I’ve already written extensively about how the hiatus impacted player health around the NBA so my focus with this one was to boil down data provided by Sport Radar and compiled by Sports.ws to display, at an elementary level, just who was performing the best in March relative to how they were doing previously.

For those keeping track at home, I’ve included the math at the bottom of this post.

My main motivation for crunching the numbers was to get insight into what we might be able to expect from teams in the bubble. For some squads and players, the Disney World restart represents a complete shakeup but for others, those otherwise forgettable late-season March matchups could provide glimpses into where teams are going with their rotations.

Is Shake Milton for real in Philadelphia? Is Kristaps Porzingis finally, truly, back to New York form in Dallas? What does a Caris LeVert-led Brooklyn team look like and will that even matter when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are healthy? Do we need to worry about New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram?

Only 16 teams will make it out of the seeding round into the postseason. The rest of us – in the bubble and at home – can at least take the opportunity to start mapping out what the future might hold.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The fire and snowflake icons in the team-by-team player lists correspond to that player’s net output in March vs. their output in October – February. Output was determined by a weighted scoring algorithm compiled by Sports.ws.

Output = PTS + def_reb + (off_reb x 1.5) + (AST x 2) + (STL x 2.5) + (BLK x 2) – (TO x 1.5) – (FG miss x 0.5) – (FT miss x 0.5)

The post Heat Check (Hiatus Edition) Introduction appeared first on SLAM.

In March, just prior to the shutdown, Porzingis was averaging 23.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Pair the solid numbers with his absurd length and unprecedented perimeter game (shout out Rick Carlisle’s analytics team), he’ll be a must-watch candidate in Orlando.

Porzingis isn’t the only one that was flexing for the Mavs in March. Seth Curry posted 21 points per game of his own in the contests he suited up for during the period and that doesn’t even include the 37 points he dropped on the Miami Heat in late February.

Tim Hardaway Jr. cracked the 20-point mark in the month of March, too, giving Luka Doncic plenty of possible options to run through now that the season is back.

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 Dallas Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis
Seth Curry
Boban Marjanovic
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Courtney Lee
Delon Wright
Justin Jackson
Dorian Finney-Smith
Maxi Kleber
Luka Doncic	–
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
J.J. Barea
Willie Cauley-Stein

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check (Hiatus): Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

Each of the 22 teams chosen to participate in the unprecedented Walt Disney World bubble will play eight games to determine their final playoff seeding.

The opportunity gives those on the cusp of making a postseason appearance one last shot at getting in. Once finalized, the 2020 NBA Playoffs will be played as they traditionally are and a champion will be crowned in October.

These final eight games will be crucial for teams and stakes will be as high as ever. Not only will they be fighting for the final playoff spots, but with how tight the conference standings are, certain teams can still move up or down more than three spots in the standings. For this reason, the strength of schedule for each of the 22 teams is extremely important.

There are certainly many factors that come into play when looking at how difficult a team’s schedule is, but purely based on cumulative opponent win percentage to this point in the season, let’s see who has the easiest schedules.

1. New Orleans Pelicans (.495)

The team with the easiest remaining schedule is New Orleans, who play six of their eight remaining games against sub-.500 opponents. They are also the only team that has a cumulative opponent win percentage under .500. Still 3.5 games out of the playoff picture, not only will New Orleans have to take advantage of this relatively easy schedule, they will have to rely on other teams fighting for the final playoff spot to perform poorly. Although there are many moving parts, the Pelicans may have the best chance of anyone to steal the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference from the Grizzlies due to their schedule.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (.506)

Over half of Philadelphia’s remaining opponents have a losing record. For a team that is only two games out of the No. 4 seed in the East, having one of the NBA’s easiest schedules going forward is a huge advantage. Their potential playoff opponents and how they match up would vary quite a bit based on where they land in the final standings.

3. Sacramento Kings (.529)

The Sacramento King haven’t fared quite as well as some hoped this season. Nonetheless, they still have one last chance to change that narrative and make the playoffs, even if it is unlikely. The Kings are currently 3.5 games out of a playoff spot but will have the luxury of playing five of their eight games against teams that are under .500 on the season.

4. Brooklyn Nets (.544)

Not only will the Nets be without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Orlando due to injury, but they’ll also be missing DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and a number of others due to health concerns related to the current pandemic. While they will likely be heavy underdogs in any first round series they participate in, they do have a manageable remaining regular season schedule. Their first two games will be against the Magic and Wizards, who are both below them in the Eastern Conference standings.

T-5. Boston Celtics (.550)

Although Boston has a pretty difficult start to their schedule, four of their final five games are against teams with a losing record. With the amount of talent the Celtics have, this means they should finish out the regular season on a very positive note. Of the teams with a top-five easiest schedule, Boston is one of the best based on their current record. Jayson Tatum, who was looking like a superstar before the season was paused, will be exciting to watch the rest of the season.

T-5. L.A. Clippers (.550)

On opening night in Orlando, the Clippers have a highly anticipated matchup against the Lakers. After that, they have five straight games against teams they should have no trouble with, followed by Denver and Oklahoma City to round out their schedule. The Clippers do have a chance to move up to the top spot in the West and could even slide down to the No. 3 seed, but it seems likely they will finish out where they are now at the No. 2 spot. A fully healthy and rested Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is scary for opposing teams going forward.

7. Orlando Magic (.551)

The Magic will be playing in Orlando like they have many times this season, only now it will be in a different stadium roughly 20 miles southwest of their home court. Orlando will have a touch stretch of Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston in the middle of their schedule, but have a manageable start and finish. Although they have a losing record, they still sit comfortably in the playoffs and would have to have an extremely poor outing to lose that spot.

8. Dallas Mavericks (.555)

Dallas is a team that started off hot but has fallen off more recently. With a fully healthy Luka Doncic and more time for Kristaps Porzingis to get his knee strengthened, the Mavericks will be a dangerous team heading to Orlando. One advantage on the schedule for Dallas is that they will get to play the Suns twice in eight games, who will be without Kelly Oubre.

9. Utah Jazz (.556)

The Jazz are one of the most intriguing teams heading into the bubble. Considering Rudy Gobert was the main domino that fell prior to the league shutdown and the locker room drama that came with it, all eyes will be on them as they play in the first NBA game in over four months. The Jazz will matchup against the short-handed Spurs twice in the restart, which should play out in their favor. Utah will be without their second leading scorer on the season in Bojan Bogdanovic due to a season ending surgery.

10. Indiana Pacers (.562)

Indiana is currently two games behind Miami for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. Luckily for them, they play the Heat twice in eight games and will have every opportunity to make a run at that spot prior to the playoffs. With questions surrounding Victor Oladipo given his uncertainty about playing in the restart, it is hard to predict how good this Pacers roster will be.

11. San Antonio Spurs (.567)

It’s tough to see the Spurs make much noise at Disney World with their star big man LaMarcus Aldridge sidelined after season-ending shoulder surgery. On top of this, their schedule only gets gradually tougher as they go. After matching up against Sacramento and Memphis in their first two games, five of their final six games are against teams who have already locked up a playoff spot.

12. Milwaukee Bucks (.573)

As the best team in the NBA this season, the Bucks have quite a few decisions to make in the final eight games of the regular season. Being 6.5 games ahead of Toronto for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they don’t necessarily have to play their best players all that much. With that being said, would they prefer to utilize their regular rotations to rebuild chemistry and knock off some rust? Seven of their eight games are against teams who currently hold a playoff spot.

13. Washington Wizards (.578)

While five teams in the Western Conference are getting a chance to earn a postseason spot that aren’t currently in the playoff picture, the Wizards are the only team from the Eastern Conference that are getting this opportunity. With that being said, they currently sit 5.5 games back of the Magic for the final playoff spot. It would take everything going their way to earn that No. 8 seed in the East but it is not impossible. It does not help that Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans will not be competing with the team at Disney World.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder (.583)

Every team has one back-to-back during these final eight games, but Oklahoma City might have the easiest of any. They will play Washington on the first night and Phoenix on the second night of their scheduled back-to-back. The Thunder have struggled against the eight teams they will match up with, going just 6-10 against them to this point in the season. Behind Chris Paul, the Thunder have shocked the world with their play thus far in the 2019-20 season.

15. Houston Rockets (.587)

Houston will look to continue their small-ball style of play in Orlando and with the way they like to play, this long rest and reset might actually benefit them. Although they are the No. 6 seed as of now, they’re only 2.5 games back of the No. 3 seed in a tight Western Conference race. Their schedule will do them no favors as they only play three teams with a losing record and will also play both the Lakers and the Bucks over the final eight games.

16. Phoenix Suns (.589)

Of all of the Western Conference teams heading to Orlando, the Suns have the worst record of all and are a full six games back of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed. Combine that with an injury to one of their best players in Kelly Oubre, Phoenix could be eliminated from the playoff race early on. After starting their schedule against the Wizards, their next seven games are against current playoff teams.

17. Memphis Grizzlies (.597)

The team that five others in the West are chasing for the final playoff spot is Memphis. Currently 3.5 games ahead of the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Kings, the Grizzlies have a solid cushion heading into the bubble but nothing is guaranteed. If they can win over half of their games, they will lock up their spot in the playoffs. This won’t be easy though, with one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league. Two of their first three games are against the Trail Blazers and Pelicans who are chasing them, so they hold their own fate early on.

18. Portland Trail Blazers (.600)

After making a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Trail Blazers are on the outside looking in. Getting one last chance to make a playoff push, it will take an exceptional showing for Portland after a disappointing, injury-ridden season. Not only do the Trail Blazers have a top-five most difficult schedule in the NBA, but their one back-to-back features the Clippers and 76ers, which will be a tough task.

19. Denver Nuggets (.618)

The Nuggets have been one of the best teams in the West this season and hold the No. 3 seed. It will take a productive eight games out of Denver to hold onto this position as they have the fourth toughest schedule remaining. They will even have to play the Lakers and the Clippers in consecutive games towards the end of the eight-game schedule, who are the only teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. One positive for the Nuggets is that Nikola Jokic seems to have slimmed down quite a bit and looks to be in excellent shape.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (.625)

The Lakers have a comfortable 5.5 game lead over the Clippers for the top spot in the West. Due to this, we may see them rest guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis down the stretch once they have secured that No. 1 seed. Regardless, they will have to work for it as their first seven games are against current playoff teams. With how good they have played all season, it is likely that they will have no trouble, even with such a difficult schedule. They may be more interested in starting to build chemistry with their newer additions in Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith.

21. Miami Heat (.636)

After a hot start to the season, the Heat cooled off a bit down the stretch before the NBA hiatus. After starting the season 22-8, they’ve gone 19-16 since Christmas. Perhaps this time off will be beneficial for a team like Miami as they will get to reset and get back on the right foot like they had earlier in the season. It will be fascinating to see how much production they get out of new acquisition Andre Iguodala as well. Miami will only have one game against a team with a losing record while in Orlando before the playoffs.

22. Toronto Raptors (.638)

The team with the toughest schedule over the final eight games of the regular season is the defending champion Raptors. Not only are every single one of their opponents current playoff teams, but they will also have to match up against the top team in each conference – the Lakers and Bucks. A full three games above the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the East, Toronto will need to take care of business throughout this difficult stretch to hold their spot.

The post Disney Restart: Strength of Schedule Comparison appeared first on SLAM.

Part and parcel with the league’s restart plan is the fact that players can opt out of the Disney World games without breaching their contract, but whether or not players will forfeit a prorated share of their contract when they opt out or not depends on whether they’re formally excused or not due to a medical issue.

Many of the players who will forego suiting up for the squads when the league resumes are facing the same injuries that they faced prior to the shutdown, most notably the likes of Kevin Durant and John Wall, who were expected to be out for the season regardless and will not alter those plans to take part in the unprecedented campaign extension.

Other players that have already revealed that they won’t participate at Disney did not appear on injury reports prior to the shutdown.

In addition to players who will sit out due to recent positive COVID-19 diagnoses – like DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie – there are players like Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo who will take the opportunity to sit despite being active in mid-March.

To get a sense of where player’s stood when the league shut down in March, I’ve combed through the league’s final injury reports from prior to the shutdown, noting any instances where players were formally listed as “out”.

A total of 19 of the 22 Disney-bound teams had at least one such player in their most recent injury report prior to the shutdown. All told, 49 NBA players from those teams were listed as “out” on their team’s last injury report before the league ground to a halt on the night of March 11.

At least 11 of those players that were listed as “out” in March are not expected to play at Disney World. Many of the rest have long returned to health and will be active in Orlando later this month.

Out Then; Out Now

Of the 11 players that are expected to be out of action when the Disney World games tip off, three had missed the entire 2019-20 campaign. Not all players that spent the first seven months of the season on the sidelines will forego the return, however.

Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers has been sidelined since breaking his leg in March of 2019 but has been cleared to suit up for his squad after the extended layoff.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson is another example of a player that could make his season debut at Disney. Roberson has been on the sidelines since January, 2018.

A grand total of 30 players that were “out” the day the league stood still are now at least reasonably expected to be back at full health on July 30.

Out Then; Available Now

Naturally, there are a number of cases where availability isn’t known or at least hasn’t been verified. This list could grow with confirmations that players like Nigel Williams-Goss or Justin James are deemed eligible.

In addition to those less documented cases, there’s no consensus yet that a player like Malcolm Brogdon, who has recovered from his right quad injury but now faces recovery from COVID-19, will actually suit up at Disney World, or if a late signee like Jontay Porter, who inked a deal mid-rehabilitation on March 10, will make his debut for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Other players like Memphis’ Grayson Allen and NOLA’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, much like Roberson, could potentially be capable of returning but don’t yet have a formally revealed clean bill of health.

Additionally, not all players that were available in March are expected to suit up for their teams during the restart. I’ve published a dynamic list of NBA players who’ve voluntarily opted out of the Disney World games but these aren’t the players that I’m concerned about here.

Below is a list of the additional players that won’t play for medical reasons. For several of these players, the hiatus represented an opportunity to undergo surgery to treat nagging injuries. LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Utah Jazz elected to go this route.

Other players will sit out of the restart after testing positive for the coronavirus during the shut down. A trio of Brooklyn Nets players, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince, have done exactly that and this list may grow if more players see positive diagnoses closer to the July 30 tip off.

Available Then; Out Now

The post List of Injury Updates Ahead of NBA Restart appeared first on SLAM.

This won’t be Burke’s first run with the Mavs, he averaged 9.7 points per game with the team in 2018-19 after arriving in Dallas as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

The Mavs will add Burke as a substitute player for Willie Cauley-Stein who has opted out of the league restart.

The addition of Burke will fortify a Mavs backcourt that will be without Jalen Brunson for the playoff push and postseason. Brunson underwent shoulder surgery in March and isn’t expected to be available for the team.

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Last Week’s Notebooks: East || West

• Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs are about as healthy as they’re going to be the rest of the season. Luka Doncic is dealing with some right ankle and left thumb soreness, but is playing through it. That’s good news for Dallas, as Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have developed some great chemistry. The Mavericks are only two games out of the fourth spot in what is shaping up to be a wild finish in the Western Conference.
• Denver Nuggets – Denver added Troy Daniels after he was cut by the Los Angeles Lakers and that should just about finish the Nuggets roster. Mike Malone was already able to go 10-deep in his rotation, but with Daniels and Noah Vonleh, he’s now got some experience vets behind his main guys. Denver is only a game behind the LA Clippers for the two seed, but they also have to keep an eye behind them as Houston and Utah have closed to with 2.5 games.
• Golden State Warriors – Steph Curry is back and Steve Kerr says that is a springboard into next season for the Warriors. Kerr will get a look at Curry playing with Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins over the last 20 or so games. It won’t make a bit of difference for the rest of the season, but it could help lay a nice foundation into the offseason and the start a bounce-back season for Golden State next year.

• Houston Rockets – Just when it looked like the Rockets cracked the small-ball code with six wins in a row, they lost at the Knicks and got blown out at home by the Clippers. No one needs to overreact, as the Knicks game seemed like a fluke loss and the Clippers are really good, but a couple of troubling items did emerge. New York scored 64 points in the paint and LA defended the arc well, holding Houston to just 7-of-42 shooting. For the Rockets to work with this makeup, they need to hold their own inside and hit shots. It was either one of those weeks for Houston, or signs of trouble.
• LA Clippers – The Clippers seem to have settled on their playoff rotation and it’s deep with solid NBA talent. Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Patrick Beverley and Marcus Morris are a tough group to score on. Ivica Zubac can be productive in the right matchups in the starting group as well. And when Doc Rivers goes to his bench, he’s got Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Landry Shamet, Reggie Jackson and JaMychal Green. That group brings a lot of offense to the table. That’s hard to match for any other team in the league.
• LA Lakers – Not enough is being made of LeBron James leading the NBA in assists at 10.7 per game. The days of “Can LeBron average a triple-double?” are gone, especially with Anthony Davis gobbling up so many rebounds, but James has become the NBA’s preeminent playmaker. It’s almost gotten to a point where teams might be better of letting James shoot, as he’s under 50% from the floor for the first time in five years. Oh, and the Lakers will soon add Dion Waiters to the mix for some additional bench scoring. Waiters will be on a short leash, but seems motivated to make it work in LA.

• Memphis Grizzlies – Just when it looked like Memphis’ playoff hopes were teetering on the edge, the Grizzlies hammered the Lakers and then won two-straight on the road by 39 points apiece. Now Memphis is back to .500 on the season and has pushed their lead for the West’s last playoff spot back to 3.5 games. The baby bears might just do this thing.
• Minnesota Timberwolves – Ryan Saunders said the Wolves hope to have an update on Friday for Karl-Anthony Towns’ eventual return from a fractured left wrist. The Wolves have 21 games left and would love to see a chunk of them with Towns playing alongside a bunch of new teammates, including D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
• New Orleans Pelicans – The Pelicans have lost three-straight games as of this writing and have fallen five games behind the Grizzlies. Just as important, there are now three teams between New Orleans and Memphis. The Pels still have an easy closing schedule, but that’s a lot to overcome. And sharpshooter JJ Redick is still sidelined for another week or so. Starting to look like it might be next year for this group’s playoff debut.
• Oklahoma City Thunder – OKC is now just 1.5 games out of homecourt advantage in the playoffs. That still isn’t enough to stop swirl around Chris Paul’s future. Reports surfaced this week that the New York Knicks are monitoring Paul and could consider a trade for him this summer. It’s probably not a coincidence that Paul’s former agent, Leon Rose, now runs the Knicks. And this report came after one that the Chicago Bulls want to hire Sam Presti to run their basketball operation. Despite it all, the Thunder just keep quietly winning games.

• Phoenix Suns – Forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is likely out for the season. He underwent a procedure to repair a torn meniscus and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. That timeline is almost to the end of the season. With the Suns out of the playoff picture, they should be cautious and keep Oubre out. Yet again, it’s “Wait till next year” time in Phoenix.
• Portland Trail Blazers – Damian Lillard is back for Portland and the Blazers are about the same place as they were when he strained his groin. The Trail Blazers are 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies for the eighth spot in the West. Portland has a far easier closing schedule than Memphis, and may eventually get Jusuf Nurkic and/or Zach Collins back in the lineup. That’d go a long way towards helping make up that difference in the standings.
• Sacramento Kings – Sacramento has won six of their last eight games to push back in the playoff picture. They’re four games behind Memphis, but have a pretty easy schedule to wrap up the season. Unfortunately, the Kings have two games left against the Lakers. Sacramento has to hope LA is in coast mode for those April matchups.
• San Antonio Spurs – The Spurs are clinging to playoff life, as they’ve fallen four games behind the Grizzlies now. San Antonio’s frontcourt is a mess, as LaMarcus Aldridge has missed four straight games with a shoulder injury with no update on a potential return date. Jakob Poeltl is also on the shelf, as he’s got a sprained MCL in his right knee and will be out 2-4 weeks. That leaves Trey Lyles and untested youngsters manning the middle for the Spurs as they try and extend their playoff streak to 23 years.
• Utah Jazz – Utah has seemingly righted the ship, as they’ve won three games in a row as of this writing. Despite all the recent turbulence, the Jazz are just 3.5 games out of the two-seed. On the flip side, they’re only two games away from the seventh spot in the West. Right now, Quin Snyder is focused on getting his finally-healthy roster to fit together. The early returns were bumpy, but guys seem to be figuring out their roles. That’s good news for Utah heading into the postseason.

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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.

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If this game was any indication, the future of basketball is in very good hands. Luka Doncic (30 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists) came up big for the winners in overtime, but he wasn’t the only young stud to turn in a solid night.

Brandon Ingram had 27 points, Zion Williamson scored 21 and Lonzo Ball hit seven 3’s en route to 25 points for New Orleans.

Kristaps Porzingis led the way on both ends for the Mavs with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Celtics 112 (42-19), Cavaliers 106 (17-45)

Jayson Tatum’s hot streak continued as he chipped in 32 points, 9 rebounds and 6 dimes for the Celtics. The wing shot 5-for-10 from deep, keeping his 3-point percentage at .500 since the All-Star break (38.2% before).

Thunder 114 (38-24), Pistons 107 (20-43)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a team-best plus-12 in his 35 minutes of game time as he scored 27 points on 12-for-15 shooting. Dennis Schroder added 23 on 7-for-14 shooting off the pine.

Magic 113 (27-35), Heat 116 (40-22)

Duncan Robinson shot 9-for-12 from deep en route to a team-high 27 points for the Heat as they picked up a win over their in-state foe.

Wizards 104 (22-39), Trail Blazers 125 (28-35)

Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points in the first half en route to a 25-point night on an efficient 8-for-13 shooting.

Despite the loss, Bradley Beal turned in his 20th straight game with at least 25 points as he finished with 29.

Bulls 108 (21-41), Timberwolves 115 (19-42)

Six Timberwolves scored double-digit points to overcome a 26-point night from Coby White.

Grizzlies 118 (31-31), Nets 79 (27-34)

Twelve Grizzlies got on the scoring sheet as they held the Nets to just 30-for-90 shooting from the field and a staggering 7-for-42 performance from deep. Josh Jackson scored a team-high 19 in 17 minutes off the bench.

Jazz 112 (39-22), Knicks 104 (19-43)

Julius Randle scored 32, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Jazz as Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic each scored 23.

Pacers 100 (37-25), Bucks 119 (53-9)

The Bucks started off hot with 36 points in the first quarter and never looked back as Giannis racked up 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Donte DiVincenzo scored 19 in 23 minutes off the bench to aid the effort, too.

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Kristaps Porzingis posted a season-high 38 points in the W, his third straight game with 20 or more points. Seth Curry was Dallas’ second-leading scorer with 27 points. Luke Doncic missed Sunday’s action with a thumb sprain.

Bucks 93 (52-8), Hornets 85 (21-39)

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the last nine points for the Bucks, finishing the day with 41 points to give Milwaukee its sixth straight win. The Greek Freak also grabbed 20 boards. Brook Lopez added 16 points.

Clippers 136 (41-19), Sixers 130 (27-24)

The Clippers had four players who finished with 20-plus points as Kawhi Leonard led all scorers with 30 points. Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, one of the L’s top 1-2 bench duos, finished with 24 apieces in L.A.

Nuggets 133 (41-19), Raptors 118 (42-18)

Nikola Jokic messed around and had a triple-double (23 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists) on Sunday night. This was Jokic’s 43rd triple-double of the season. Jamal Murray finished with 22 points.

Kings 106 (26-34), Pistons 100 (20-42)

De’Aaron Fox sealed the game with a bucket down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Sacramento overcame a 17-point deficit in front of their home crowd. Buddy Hield put up 19 points off the bench.

Lakers 122 (46-13), Pelicans 114 (26-34)

It was one of those nights from LeBron James, who posted 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds against the Pelicans in the Big Easy. With no Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma filled in the void, scoring 20 points in the win. Averly Bradley and Danny Green had 10 apiece.

Wizards 124 (21-37), Warriors 110 (13-47)

Bradley Beal scored 22 of his 34 points in the first half. His streak of 25-plus point games is now at 18 (franchise record). David Bertans went 8-of-10 from beyond the arc and put up 29 points in 30 minutes.

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The Magic played incredible, with Terrence Ross recording a season-high 33 points, Nikola Vucevic having 27 points and 10 boards and Aaron Gordon enjoying his first triple-double of his career with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.

D’Angelo Russell was solid for the Wolves, scoring 28 points and dishing 7 assists with a respectable +8 plus/minus on the night.

Hawks 141 (18-43), Nets 118 (32-36)

This wasn’t just a promising game for the Hawks because they won, but also due to the fact that their young core of players were the biggest contributors to their success. Trae Young dropped 22 and 14 assists. John Collins popped off for 33 and 12 boards. Kevin Huerter scored 15 on an efficient 60% from the field. The rook DeAndre Hunter had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Cam Reddish had perhaps his best game of the season with 26 points on 6-9 from deep.

As for the disappointing Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie did his best with 24 points and 13 assists, but it simply wasn’t enough.

Hornets 99 (21-38), Raptors 96 (42-17)

Well, this was a surprise.

The Raptors usually steamroll objectively inferior opponents, but not tonight, apparently. No Hornets starter even scored 20 points, but they all reached double figures. Solid performances from Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry weren’t enough to offset a bench that only mustered nine points.

Despite all that, there was still a chance to win, with the game tied at 96 with about two seconds left, Hornets ball. But Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was called for an off-ball foul. Tough way to lose.

Heat 126 (37-22), Mavericks 118 (36-24)

This was a very quality win for the Heat, beating a bona-fide playoff team in the West and one of the best offenses in league history. Jimmy Butler predictable led the way in scoring with 26, but Duncan Robinson (24 points, 6-9 from deep, +24 plus/minus) and Kelly Olynyk (13 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists in only 19 minutes) were the unsung heroes.

For Dallas, despite a Seth Curry explosion of 37 points and stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis both scoring in the 20’s, Miami was too tough.

Kings 104 (25-34), Grizzlies 101 (28-31)

The Kings are closer to the 8th seed than you think. After beating the Grizzlies, a team currently above them in the chase, Sacramento is only three games out of a playoff berth. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 25 points in what was a very solid all-around team win.

The Grizzlies are crumbling right now, through no fault of their own. Young bigs Jaren Jackson Jr and Brandon Clarke are out with injuries, and they traded two reliable wings in Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill for a Justise Winslow, who is still recuperating from injury. Dillon Brooks led all scorers with 32.

Bucks 133 (51-8), Thunder 86 (37-23)

This was simply an annihilation. The scary part is OKC is a tough, gritty and respectable team with the second best record in the entire damn league since Thanksgiving. But they were no match for Milwaukee and their unskilled star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped an easy 32 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 measly minutes.

Pelicans 116 (26-33), Cavaliers 104 (17-42)

The Pelicans have now won six of their last 8 games thanks to a mixture of superhuman Zion Williamson efforts and excellent supporting cast members in Brandon Ingram (an All-Star!), Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball, plus a deep cadre of role players.

Ingram led the Pels with 29 points, Zion followed with 24 and Holiday had 22.

Pistons 113 (20-41), Suns 111 (24-36)

We were just treated to a throwback Derrick Rose game.

Rose dropped 31 points and the game-sealing bucket, a beautiful driving, off-balance floater. Also, shoutout to Brandon Knight, who has endured many tough injuries, for scoring 19 points in the win.

Jazz 129 (37-22), Wizards 119 (21-37)

Between a losing streak, uncharacteristic drop in efficiency and some epic role confusion over who is starting and sitting between Mike Conley, Joe Ingles and Royce O’Neale, Utah needed this. Donovan Mitchell once again put the team on his back, going for 30 points and this monster dunk on poor Rui Hachimura.

Bradley Beal can’t be happy after dropping 42 points, 5 boards, 10 assists and 2 steals and still coming away with a loss.

Clippers 132 (40-19), Nuggets 103 (40-19)

Big win for the Clips, who inch closer to the Nuggets for 2nd place in the Western Conference standings.

It was quite the balanced victory, with all ten rotation players notching between 19 and 25 minutes.

Paul George had 24 on an efficient 9-15 shooting, and Kawhi had 19 points on 50% shooting.

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Charlotte’s backcourt duo of Terry Rozier (26 points) and Devonte Graham (21 points, 5 assists) led the way as Charlotte picked up a home victory.

Alonzo Trier scored 15 points in just 16 minutes of action off the pine for New York.

76ers 94 (36-23), Cavaliers 108 (17-41)

Joel Embiid joined Ben Simmons on the injury report after logging just 8 minutes for the shorthanded Sixers.

Collin Sexton scored 28 points to lead the Cavs to their second straight win.

Nets 106 (26-31), Wizards 110 (21-36)

Jerome Robinson hit the game-winning 3-pointer for the struggling Wizards in just his seventh game with the squad.

Bradley Beal’s hot streak continued as he poured in 30 points.

Magic 130 (26-32), Hawks 120 (17-43)

Trae Young dropped 37, but the Magic’s one-two punch of Aaron Gordon (25 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and Evan Fournier (28 points on 11-for-18 shooting) was too much to overcome.

Timberwolves 129 (17-40), Heat 126 (36-22)

The Timberwolves overcame a 12-point deficit with under 5 minutes to go as D’Angelo Russell (27 points, 6 assists, 3 steals) made a clutch block on a driving Jimmy Butler in the game’s closing seconds.

Grizzlies 112 (28-30), Rockets 140 (38-20)

Russell Westbrook was a team-best plus-37 in 34 minutes of action as he stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. James Harden added 30 and Austin Rivers chipped in 23 off the pine.

Once in the clear driver’s seat at the No. 8 spot, the Grizzlies are feeling the pressure after dropping their fourth straight contest.

Mavericks 109 (36-23), Spurs 103 (24-33)

Kristaps Porzingis (28 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Luka Doncic (26 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists) put up big numbers as Dallas ran out to a 16-point first quarter lead and held on the rest of the way.

Clippers 102 (39-19), Suns 92 (24-35)

Kawhi Leonard made his impact felt on the box score, racking up 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals as the Clippers picked up a needed victory.

DeAndre Ayton had 25 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks for Phoenix.

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Leon Rose will start his new job as President of the New York Knicks on March 1, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports. Rose was first rumored to be the Knicks choice to run their basketball operations just ahead of the NBA trade deadline in early-February.

Rose will be making the transition from the agent side of the basketball world to the front office side. As an agent, Rose has represented superstar players like Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Now, as he leads the Knicks’ roster building efforts, Rose will be across the table in negotiations with superstar players.

When reports broke that Rose was going to takeover leading New York’s front office, he was rumored to have William Wesley joining him in the endeavor. Better known as “Worldwide Wes”, Wesley has been connected to Rose going back over 30 years. Rose acknowledged in 2005 that he had been Wesley’s attorney for over 20 years to that point.

As talks for Rose to take over the Knicks continued, it was determined that Wesley would not be joining him in the front office. Wesley will reportedly remain a consultant to Rose, but will not join New York in any sort of formal capacity.

Rose will be the latest in a line of agents that have made the jump to lead NBA front offices. In recent years, Neil Olshey, Bob Myers and Rob Pelinka have all switched sides. Olshey has built consistent playoff teams in Portland and with the Los Angeles Clippers. Myers built a dynasty with the Golden State Warriors and Pelinka has the Los Angeles Lakers currently on top of the Western Conference.

Rose has the backing of the NBA’s biggest market, but he’ll have to reverse a long trend of losing. The 2019-20 season will mark the seventh-straight season the Knicks will miss out on the NBA playoffs. Overall, New York has made the postseason just four times over the last 19 seasons.

Among Rose’s first decisions will be to figure out which of his players are long-term fits around RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox. The previous front office tandem of Steve Mills and Scott Perry signed several veterans to short-term contracts that only run through the 2020-21 season. Several of those players have only small guarantees for next season, including Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson and Elfrid Payton.

Rose will also have to decide if Dennis Smith Jr. or Frank Ntilikina is the Knicks point guard of the future. Both are under contract for next season, before restricted free agency looms in the summer of 2021. While both Smith and Ntilikina have had flashes of brilliance in their first three years, neither has established himself as a sure thing in the lead ballhandler role.

New York could have up to $44.6M in cap space this summer, pending decisions on picking up the guarantees for Bullock, Ellington, Gibson and Payton and the team option for Bobby Portis. It’s a weak free class, but the Knicks could have the spending power to chase one or two of the handful of impact free agents available. For example, Rose will be in position to extend a big offer sheet to restricted free agent Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans, should Ingram and the Pels not be able to come to an agreement on a new contract.

In addition, after years of minimal draft capital due to failed trades, New York owns all their own first-rounds picks moving forward. The Knicks also have an extra 2020 first-round pick from the Clippers (from the Marcus Morris trade at this year’s deadline) and two future first-round picks coming from the Dallas Mavericks from the Kristaps Porzingis trade. While the 2020 draft projects as weaker than recent years, New York is well-positioned to take advantage in future years.

Leon Rose will start his new job with his hands full. If he can re-energize Knicks fans and return the winnings ways to New York, Rose will get Madison Square Garden rocking again. It’s been far too long since the Knicks were a real destination. Maybe Rose, and his deep connections across the NBA, is the guy to finally change that.

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Sacramento led the entire game until the Clippers took the lead with 8:29 left in the fourth. But the Kings battled back in crunch time to secure the dub.

Kent Bazemore dropped a team-high 23 points with 6 boards and 4 steals.

Nets 115 (26-29), Hornets 86 (19-37)

After taking a 10-point lead into halftime, Brooklyn ripped open a huge lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets by 15 points in the period.

Caris LeVert dropped 17 points with 6 steals. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added a game-high 21 points off the bench.

Mavs 107 (34-23), Hawks 11 (-1.5)

Atlanta erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Mavs who were without Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

John Collins dropped a game-high 35 points with 17 boards. Trae Young added 25 points and 10 dimes.

Unhappy with the calls during the game, Mark Cuban took to twitter to roast the refs. Prepare for a fine from the League.

Cavs 105 (15-41), Heat 124 (36-20)

The Heat blew out the Cavs on the night that Dwyane Wade’s No. 3 jersey went up into the rafters.

Kendrick Nunn dropped a game-high 24 points with 8 dimes.

Suns 112 (23-34), Bulls 104 (19-38)

After falling behind by 17 points late in the second quarter, Phoenix outscored the Bulls by 18 points in the second half to get the win.

Deandre Ayton dropped 28 points with 19 boards and 3 blocks. Devin Booker added a team-high 29 points.

Chicago has now lost a dismal 8 straight games.

Sixers 98 (35-22), Bucks 119 (48-8)

Milwaukee dismantled the Sixers, building a 25-point lead by the third quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 31 points with 17 boards and 8 dimes.

Rockets 120 (36-20), Jazz 110 (36-20)

Down by 4 at halftime, Houston outscored the Jazz by 19 points in the third quarter to take control of the game.

James Harden dropped a game-high 38 points with 7 dimes. Russell Westbrook added 34 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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As laid out in a comprehensive and recommended Forbes report, the NBA is now home to three different franchises worth more than $4B. Those three franchises – the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors – are among the top five most valuable professional sports franchises in North America.

The leader of the NBA pack, James Dolan’s Knicks are worth a staggering $4.6B and franchise values across the board are up 14% versus what they were last year.

Put simply, while the disruption in the NBA-to-China dynamic is significant, neither that nor the supposedly struggling television ratings have been enough to curb the growth of the sport, at least as an investment for billionaires.

The NBA franchise that saw its proportionate value grow the most over the course of the past year is the Toronto Raptors, who’ve added a projected 25% to their overall value and now sit comfortably at $2.1B.

Even the Memphis Grizzlies, the least valuable franchise pegged at $1.3B, saw an increase of 8%.

All told, NBA franchises have grown in value 576% since 2010. That’s far beyond similar metrics for other professional sports leagues in North America. Major League Baseball saw 362% over that same span and the NFL 279%.

The game changed completely in 2014 when Steve Ballmer paid an unprecedented $2B for Donald Sterling’s Clippers and now a staggering 11 franchises are worth at least that amount. Five teams are worth north of $3B (the aforementioned teams in the $4B club plus the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics).

One franchise that saw relatively stagnant growth according to Forbes’ projections is the Dallas Mavericks but that pattern may not hold given the impact that Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis could have on the market. The Mavs, worth $2.4B, grew in value by just 7% versus 2019.

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The Raptors’ win streak seemed to be in jeopardy after they entered the half trailing 63-48, but a second half charge secured a franchise-record 12th straight win for Toronto. The win put the Raptors one game ahead of where they were through 51 games a season ago.

Pascal Siakam had 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, Kyle Lowry had 32 points and 10 assists and Serge Ibaka scored 30. Ibaka’s clutch 3 sealed the win.

Nuggets 98 (36-16), Jazz 95 (32-18)

The Jazz looked ready to cruise to victory, but they were only able to muster up five points in the final six minutes of the third quarter as the short-handed Nuggets clawed their way back in to the game.

Nikola Jokic put the team on his back, racking up 30 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals. The Nuggets were only able to dress seven players due to injuries and a pending trade.

Heat 111 (34-16), Clippers 128 (36-15)

The Clippers’ stars carried them to victory as Kawhi Leonard recorded a +24 plus-minus in 31 minutes and Paul George notched a +22 in 26 minutes. The Clippers hit 24 threes — a franchise-record.

Landry Shamet and George each scored 23 points to lead the Clippers and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 25 off the bench for Miami.

Suns 108 (20-31), Pistons 116 (19-34)

The Suns’ young core of Devin Booker (22 points, 7 assists), Kelly Oubre Jr. (30 points) and DeAdnre Ayton (26 points, 12 rebounds) showed up, but 21 team turnovers plagued Phoenix.

Despite allowing the Suns to shoot 54.5 percent from the field, the Pistons were able to take care of business thanks to 31 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals from Andre Drummond. The Pistons also had 14 offensive rebounds as a unit.

Magic 100 (22-29), Celtics 116 (35-15)

Jayson Tatum did a little bit of everything as he picked up 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks to accompany his 33 points on the stat sheet.

Warriors 88 (12-40), Nets 129 (23-27)

D’Angelo Russell (17 points) received a warm welcome in his return to Brooklyn, but his new squad suffered the largest loss in Barclays Center history as six Nets players scored at least 10 points. Caris LeVert’s 23 points and 8 assists led the way for Brooklyn.

Hawks 127 (14-38), Timberwolves 120 (15-35)

The Timberwolves dropped their 13th straight game as Vince Carter hit a game-clinching 3 for the Hawks on the 22nd anniversary of his NBA debut.

Trae Young had 38 points and 11 dimes for Atlanta.

Cavaliers 103 (13-39), Thunder 109 (31-20)

The Cavaliers had a well-balanced offensive attack with seven players scoring double-digit points (Kevin Love’s 20 and Collin Sexton’s 23 led the way), but they couldn’t stop Oklahoma City’s bench.

Dennis Schroder was a team-best +13 as he scored 30 points and dished out 6 dimes off the pine. No Thunder bench player had a negative plus-minus.

Grizzlies 121 (26-25), Mavericks 107 (31-20)

Memphis’ offense was nearly flawless, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep while turning the ball over just 10 times.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (19 points, 4 threes), Ja Morant (21 points on 10-for-12 shooting), Brandon Clarke (18 points on 7-for-10 shooting) and Tyus Jones (19 points on 8-for-8 shooting) pushed the Grizzlies’ scoring effort.

Kristaps Porzingis had 32 points, 11 rebuonds, 2 steals and a block in just 29 minutes for Dallas.

The post Post Up: Raptors Win Franchise-Record 12th Straight after 19-Point Comeback appeared first on SLAM.

Markelle Fultz registered a double-double of 12 points and a career-high 14 assists to beat the Hornets on the road. Teammate Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Knicks 139 (15-36), Cavaliers 134 (13-38)

Amid swirling trade rumors, New York came out with a win. Marcus Morris Sr. led the team with 26 points. Kevin Love put up 33 points in 41 minutes.

Mavericks 112 (31-19), Pacers 103 (31-19)

It was a battle of the big men as Kristaps Porzingis (38 points, 12 rebounds) and Domantas Sabonis (26 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists) dueled in Indiana. Dallas grew its lead in the second half to secure the victory.

Warriors 125 (12-39), Wizards 117 (17-32)

Golden State enjoyed double-digit scoring from six players, led by Alec Burks’ 30 points. Bradley Beal impressed with 43 points, but fell short of the win.

Celtics 123 (34-15), Hawks 115 (13-38)

Boston featured three 20+ scorers against Atlanta: Jayson Tatum (28 points), Gordon Hayward (24 points) and Jaylen Brown (21 points). Trae Young dropped 34 points and 7 assists for the Hawks.

Suns 97 (20-30), Nets 119 (22-27)

Brooklyn took control after the first quarter, growing their lead to as large as 26. The Nets shot 48% from the field and 44% from deep to sink the Suns. Caris LeVert led Brooklyn with 29 points.

76ers 106 (31-20), Heat 137 (34-15)

Jimmy Butler feasted against his former team. He scored 38 points in the first three quarters, sitting for the entire fourth as the Heat cruised to a win. Goran Dragic also contributed 24 points for Miami.

Pistons 82 (18-34), Grizzlies 96 (25-25)

Jonas Valanciunas set the tempo for Memphis, leading the team with 26 points and 17 rebounds in the home win. Andre Drummond registered a double-double of 25 points and 18 rebounds for Detroit.

Timberwolves 109 (15-34), Kings 113 (19-31)

The losing woes continue for Minnesota, who just dropped their 12th straight game. De’Aaron Fox (31 points) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (23 points) gave Sacramento the scoring edge.

Spurs 105 (22-27), Clippers 108 (35-15)

The Clippers used a late run to retake the lead and beat San Antonio. Paul George (19 points) hit the dagger to put the game out of reach.

The post Post Up: Jimmy Butler Drops 38 Points in Win vs. 76ers appeared first on SLAM.

In this post, just one of a series of 30, we’ll break down the reports that have started to trickle out about Wolves players that may or may not be on the move. While there’s no guarantee when it comes to a league as wild as the modern NBA, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on each squad’s roster as the deadline draws near.

Players Unlikely To Be Traded

• Karl-Anthony Towns
• Jarrett Culver

This is a team that could look drastically different at the beginning of the 2020-21 season; it’s just a matter of whether Minnesota makes moves prior to the deadline or this summer. The franchise had hopes of making the postseason, though it would be a wild upset if that happens now after a half-season of injuries and disappointment. Despite all the Karl-Anthony Towns trade speculation, the team isn’t moving its franchise cornerstone over the next week. It would be nearly as surprising if the Wolves deal Jarrett Culver, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Robert Covington

The Wolves are shopping Covington and several teams are interested. The Sixers have eyes for their former wing and the Mavs have been linked to him. He’s on a team-friendly contract that will pay him $11.3M this season, $12.1M next, and $13.0M in 2021-22. Contenders with higher payrolls would love to have someone who can contribute at this price tag.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being the No. 1 pick back in 2014. However, he’s having a bit of a resurgence this season, scoring 22.9 points while sporting a career-high 16.9 player efficiency rating. He’s making $27.5M this season and he’s owed over $94M in the ensuing three years. That deal has never looked as attractive as it does this season. 

Trades Are Possible

• Allen Crabbe
• Gorgui Dieng
• Jake Layman
• Josh Okogie
• Noah Vonleh
• Shabazz Napier
• Jordan Bell
• Keita Bates-Diop
• Jaylen Nowell
• Naz Reid

Allen Crabbe recently came over in the Jeff Teague trade. While it’s unlikely that the team deals him, if the Wolves do, they’ll face restrictions: Crabbe can’t be combined with other players on the team in a deal. Gorgui Dieng is available. He’s got one more year on his contract after this season. Jake Laymen signed with the team over the summer. He has appeared in just 14 games for the club. Josh Okogie has seen action in 46 games for Minnesota. He’s under team control through the 2021-22 campaign. Noah Vonleh joined the team during the offseason on a one year, $2.0M deal. He’s sporting a career-high 15.6 player efficiency rating. Shabazz Napier joined Minnesota via a trade with the Warriors (he was dealt to Golden State in the Kevin Durant sign-and-trade over the summer). Jordan Bell inked a one-year deal with the Wolves back in July and he hasn’t really had too much of an impact for the team other than having his shirt untucked during a December game which cost them the win. Keita Bates-Diop has appeared in 35 games for Minnesota. His contract for next season is non-guaranteed. Jaylen Nowell has seen action in just seven games for the club. The 2019 No. 43 overall pick spent much of his rookie season in the G League. Undrafted rookie Naz Reid has received some opportunity for the club, though he has some work to do on his game. The center is making just 39.6% of 91 attempts from the field.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Minnesota Timberwolves appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers were fully healthy for the first time in a while, and they made quick work of the struggling Wolves. Kawhi Leonard was his usual brutally efficient self, scoring 31 points in only 24 minutes of action. Paul George also enjoyed a complete game, pouring in 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals on 9-18 shooting.

Leading the bench, once again, were Lou Will (17 points) and Montrezl Harrell (16 points).

Karl Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds, but nobody else on the team could muster a quality performance.

Heat 102 (33-15), Magic 89 (21-28)

Miami keeps plugging alone, and this time it was rookie Tyler Herro draining six 3-pointers off the bench, while Myers Leonard notched 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jimmy Butler led the way with 24 points.

Knicks 92 (14-36), Pacers 85 (31-18)

Good for the Knicks.

beating a respectable Pacers team while on the road deserves praise, even if Indiana is adjusting to their star player Victor Oladipo coming back. Marcus Morris Sr. led the way with 28 points and 6 rebounds, while Julius Randle contributed a beefy double-double of 16 points and 19 boards.

Warriors 131 (11-39), Cavaliers 112 (13-37)

Remember when this was a finals matchup for four straight years?

In the present day, we were treated to a strong D’Angelo Russell game, as he scored 19 points, grabbed 7 boards and dished 8 assists. Draymond Green also had a whopping 16 assists.

For the Cavs, Colin Sexton had a respectable 23 points and 3 steals.

Wizards 113 (17-31), Nets 107 (21-27)

Bradley Beal is aware he was not voted to the All-Star team.

So what does he do tonight? Well, go off for 34 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks, of course.

The Nets lost again, and while Spencer Dinwiddie was a bright spot once again off the bench, Kyrie Irving exited the game late with a sprained knee and will undergo an MRI on Sunday, according to Woj. Let’s hope everything is ok.

Mavericks 123 (30-19), Hawks 100 (13-37)

No Luka Doncic and no Kristaps Porzingis?

Didn’t matter, as the Mavericks, behind 27 points and 8 assists from Jalen Brunson, took care of the Hawks.

John Collins (26 points, 11 boards), got his numbers, but Trae Young struggled before exiting with an ankle injury. At least we were treated to this high-arching beauty:

Celtics 116 (33-15), 76ers 95 (31-19)

Even without star guard Kemba Walker, the Celtics got a statement win over their rival 76ers. Jaylen Brown stepped up to the plate, with 32 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals, as well as a beautiful handles display.

The 76ers had one of their puzzling night where they simply do not play to their full potential. Joel Embiid shot a surprising 1-11, Al Horford shot 4-11 and Tobias Harris shot 4-12.

Spurs 114 (22-26), Hornets 90 (16-33)

DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and added 6 assists as the Spurs inch another game closer to the 8th seed in the West.

For Charlotte, Miles Bridges had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, but 90 points as a team isn’t going to cut it.

Lakers 129 (37-11), Kings 111 (18-31)

At this point, it would have been understandable if the Lakers followed up last night’s close and emotional loss with another one, as they are still grieving as a collective unit. But they came out strong, scoring 81 points in the first half alone.

LeBron had a triple-double, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, as well as this gorgeous pass to Avery Bradley:

Portland 124 (23-27), Utah 107 (32-17)

Damian Lillard is simply not of this world right now.

Even before tonight, Lillard’s last five scoring outputs were as followed: 61, 47, 50, 36 and 48 points.

Tonight, he added to his growing legend by dropping 51 points and 12 assists to lay waste to the Jazz.

The post Post Up: Lakers Defeat Kings Following Emotional Friday Night appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs, hard up for frontcourt depth following Dwight Powell’s season-ending Achilles injury, were said to be acquiring Justin Patton from the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier today with the intention of waiving him and creating a roster spot.

Those moves, the trade and release, will have to be completed before the Mavs can take on Cauley-Stein.

In exchange for Cauley-Stein, the Mavs are sending the Warriors a 2020 second-round pick initially belonging to Utah.

The move gives Dallas a formidable five to start alongside Kristaps Porzingis who has played almost exclusively on the perimeter this season and at 26 years old Cauley-Stein could potentially stick with the franchise beyond this season.

Cauley-Stein has a player option for 2020-21 that he may not be inclined to expect given that it’s worth just $2.3M. The big man has averaged 7.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 41 contests with the Warriors this season, a slight regression from his previous two seasons with the Sacramento Kings.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Mavs are able to accommodate Cauley-Stein’s contract by utilizing a trade exception initially acquired in their Harrison Barnes trade last season. They wouldn’t have been able to on-board him otherwise since his deal is worth slightly more than the veteran’s minimum.

By unloading Cauley-Stein, the Warriors are able to inch further below the hard cap while freeing up a roster spot. Given that the team has long been interested in converting Ky Bowman’s deal to a standard pact, this would allow them the funds and roster space to do so.

The Warriors had been content with 14 players because they didn’t have the financial flexibility to easily accommodate a 15th player. With Cauley-Stein headed to Dallas and no incoming salary coming back, they could even add that 15th. Marquese Chriss is the other Warriors player on a two-way contract.

The post Mavs To Acquire Willie Cauley-Stein In Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs are also considering several other options from the G League and overseas but have been in touch with Noah specifically. The team does have concerns about the 34-year-old’s health but he proved during a brief stint with the Memphis Grizzlies last year that he’s still capable of providing quality minutes.

Noah worked out with several contenders prior to the regular season, including the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, but didn’t end up signing a deal.

If the Mavericks do decide to pursue the former Chicago Bulls star, they could utilize him in the middle similarly to how they played Powell alongside star forward Kristaps Porzingis.

The Mavs aren’t at risk of dipping into luxury tax territory but if they wanted to bring Noah aboard they’d need to free up a roster spot. With only Powell and Ryan Broekhoff sidelined, it’s unclear how they would make a case for a temporary hardship exception, which requires four players out for a significant amount of time.

The club could get down to 14 players by buying out veterans Courtney Lee or J.J. Barea but the latter has been a Mavs mainstay for much of the past decade and the former could be an important trade chip ahead of the deadline.

The team could also consider parting ways with sophomore forward and pending restricted free agent Ryan Broekhoff as he recovers from a leg fracture.

The Mavs, of course, could also free up a roster slot in a trade or ultimately just decide to stay pat and hope to fill Powell’s contributions from within their current roster.

The post Shorthanded Mavs Have Contacted Joakim Noah appeared first on SLAM.

A non-contact Achilles injury sustained in the first quarter of the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers could sideline Dwight Powell for the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports.

The team seeks to confirm the severity of Powell’s Achilles injury in an MRI on Wednesday but the initial prognosis is grim. Powell set out to drive from the top of the key when he suffered the injury on his right leg. A replay of the big man’s calf reacting to the Achilles injury made its rounds shortly thereafter.

The 28-year-old Powell has been a tremendous rotation piece for a Mavs team that continues to raise its ceiling in the NBA playoff picture, he’s an athletic, powerful center that complements stretch four Kristaps Porzingis in the team’s starting lineup.

Powell has averaged 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game this season and will be missed if the MRI confirms what the franchise is bracing for.

“It’s a somber night with Dwight’s situation,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told MacMahon and the rest of the media. “He’s going to have an MRI tomorrow. Right Achilles injury feared to be severe, but we won’t know for sure until the diagnostic tests are done. It’s a real tough one“.

The post Dwight Powell Feared Out For Season With Achilles Injury appeared first on SLAM.

In this post, just one of a series of 30, we’ll break down the reports that have started to trickle out about Mavs players that may or may not be on the move. While there’s no guarantee when it comes to a league as wild as the modern NBA, it doesn’t hurt to brush up on each squad’s roster as the deadline draws near.

Players Unlikely To Be Traded

• Kristaps Porzingis
• Luka Doncic

A pair of trades gave the Mavericks their building blocks of the future. The team dealt away a future first-round pick in order to move up in the 2018 draft and select Luka Doncic. Then, prior to last season’s trade deadline, Dallas traded future draft picks to obtain Kristaps Porzingis from New York. It’s unlikely the team makes as big of a splash at this year’s deadline and it’s even more unlikely that it deals away either franchise player.

Biggest Name Available On Market

• Tim Hardaway Jr.

A move to the starting lineup back in November was the catalyst to Tim Hardaway Jr.’s revived season. In 24 starts this year, the wing is averaging 16.0 points per game while making 42.7% of his shots from downtown. 

He’s making $20M this season as a result of the contract the Knicks gave him back in 2017 and the 15% trade kicker that came with it. The uncertainty that comes with THJ could play a factor in teams taking on his deal. He has a player option worth $19M next season and there’s no word on whether he plans to pick it up.

Logical Trade Pieces

• Courtney Lee

Courtney Lee is making $12.8M in the final year of his contract. He came over in the Porzingis deal, though no one really expected him to be a member of the squad long-term. The 34-year-old has played sparingly for the Mavs, appearing in just 10 games this season. His mid-sized salary along with the fact that he doesn’t have a role on the team, makes him a major candidate to be moved. 

Trades Are Possible

• Dwight Powell
• Delon Wright
• Maxi Kleber
• Seth Curry
• Dorian Finney-Smith
• Justin Jackson
• J.J. Barea
• Isaiah Roby
• Jalen Brunson
• Ryan Broekhoff

Dwight Powell inked an extension with the Mavs this past offseason on a deal that will keep him under team control through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another one of his signature under-the-radar, yet efficient campaigns, as he’s currently sixth in the league in true shooting percentage. Delon Wright is having a nice first season in Dallas. He’s seeing 20.8 minutes per game, helping the Mavericks to have one of the better benches in the league. Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith each became trade eligible on January 15, as the team re-signed both players this offseason using some version of Bird rights. Seth Curry’s $32M contract runs through the 2022-23 season. He’s having another fine season from behind the arc. Justin Jackson came to the Mavs in the Harrison Barnes deal last year and in his first full season with the club, he’s seeing just under 16 minutes per game. Long-time Maverick J.J. Barea has the right to veto any trade, as he re-signed on a one-year deal with the club. 2019 second-round pick Isaiah Roby hasn’t yet appeared in an NBA game. The forward is mostly gaining experience with the Texas Legends of the G League. former second-round pick Jalen Brunson has two more years left on his deal, though his contract in 2021-22 is non-guaranteed. Ryan Broekhoff saw action in 10 games for the Mavs before breaking his fibula. There is no timetable for his return.

The post 2020 NBA Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

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.

The post Post Up: Kristaps Porzingis Dominates 76ers in Convincing Victory appeared first on SLAM.

A standout game from Collin Sexton (23 points on 10-14 shooting) helped Cleveland secure the home win. Terry Rozier’s 35 points for Charlotte came up just short.

Raptors 112 (19-8), Pistons 99 (11-17)

Toronto enjoyed impressive scoring nights from their trio of Pascal Siakam (26 points), Serge Ibaka (25 points) and Kyle Lowry (20 points). Andre Drummond put up 22 points and 18 rebounds in the loss.

Bulls 110 (11-19), Wizards 109 (8-18)

Bradley Beal’s go-ahead jumper with 0.5 seconds left looked like the nail in the coffin. Then Zach LaVine hit two free throws and the Bulls prevailed in overtime. Lauri Markkanen led Chicago with 31 points and 9 rebounds.

Heat 108 (20-8), 76ers 104 (20-9)

The Heat are no joke. Rookie Kendrick Nunn led the team with 26 points in 41 minutes, while Bam Adebayo added 23 points to the winning effort. Joel Embiid contributed a double-double of 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Pelicans 107 (7-22), Timberwolves 99 (10-16)

Brandon Ingram continues to impress in a breakout year. The forward finished with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points for the Wolves.

Grizzlies 122 (10-18), Thunder 126 (13-14)

At one point OKC trailed by 24, but the Thunder came roaring back to get the home win. Dennis Schroder led the way with 31 points and 7 assists. Grizzlies rookie Brandon Clarke paced the team with 27 points.

Magic 104 (12-16), Nuggets 113 (18-8)

Denver was led by its dynamic duo of Jamal Murray (33 points) and Nikola Jokic (18 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds). Nikola Vucevic put up 20 points for the Magic.

Celtics 109 (18-7), Mavericks 103 (18-9)

Boston had the offensive firepower with Kemba Walker (32 points), Jaylen Brown (26 points) and Jayson Tatum (24 points) pouring in buckets. Kristaps Porzingis registered a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

Warriors 112 (5-24), Blazers 122 (12-16)

Portland closed out Golden State thanks to big nights from Damian Lillard (30 points, 13 assists) and Hassan Whiteside (16 points, 23 rebounds). D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points for the Warriors.

The post Post Up: Kendrick Nunn and the Heat Hand 76ers First Home Loss appeared first on SLAM.

Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry led Dallas with 26 points apiece.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in a highly-anticipated matchup.

Per The AP:

“It’s going to be a test for us,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks with 48 points and 14 rebounds. “The Lakers are one of the best teams in the league. We’ve got to play good basketball. We’ve got to move the ball. Obviously as a team, we don’t want to lose two in a row.”

The winning streak was the Bucks’ longest since a franchise-record 20 consecutive victories by the 1970-71 championship team that featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, and Oscar Robertson.

“I’m proud of the way the guys fought to the very last second tonight,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “To find a way to be close in the fourth quarter and have an offensive rebound and give ourselves a chance, I think it’s just a sign of the competitive nature of this group.”

Related Giannis: ‘My Rookie Year We Won 15 Games. Now We Won 15 in a Row’

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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.

The post Post Up: Porzingis, Curry Snap Bucks’ 18-Game Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

“It bothers me,” Young admits, emphasizing that he’s a completely different basketball player from the guy he was traded for on Draft Night in 2018.

The 21-year-old is putting up nightly averages of 28.2 points and 8.3 assists for the 5-16 Atlanta Hawks.

Per ESPN:

“We’re going to be compared throughout our whole careers,” Young says on Doncic. “That’s fine, that’s what it’s going to be — it happened on draft night, and I don’t think it’ll stop until we’re both retired.”

‘Trae Young vs. Luka Doncic’ has become so much of the conversation around your early career. Does it bother you that people can’t seem to separate you two guys because of what happened on draft night?

Trae Young: “Yeah. For me, it bothers me — I just love playing basketball, I know he does. So it bothers me because it’s annoying just getting asked about it all the time. But I know it comes with it. I didn’t ask for it to happen, but it happened. … It’s two totally different situations, two totally different players. He’s playing well, I’m playing well. Just let it be.”

Luka is an MVP candidate right now. Is there a part of you that wants to show that the Hawks made the right decision?

TY: “Obviously there’s a little bit of motivation there — I have a lot of different thoughts and motivations, so that’s a little bit of it. I think both teams did what’s best for them. I think what we have going on: the rebuilding process, getting a lot of young guys and trying to build that way, build this city up, build the culture we have. It’s great, it’s growing. We have a lot of fans here that are supporting us. Obviously in Dallas, they’re more in a win-now situation: going and getting all those free agents, getting Kristaps [Porzingis], Tim [Hardaway Jr.], Seth [Curry], They got a lot of guys that are veterans in this league. Two totally different situations.”

Related SO ICY: Trae Young Is Proving All His Doubters Wrong

The post ‘It Bothers Me’: Trae Young Doesn’t Like Comparisons to Luka Doncic appeared first on SLAM.

Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 20 points in Brooklyn. Bam Adebayo finished with a double-double (17 points, 16 rebounds).

Grizzlies 115 (6-13), Timberwolves 107 (10-9)

With Ja Morant still out, Dillion Brooks filled in the void on offense, leading all scorers with 26 points. Jae Crowder, Jaren Jackson Jr and Tyus Jones had 12 apiece. Grayson Allen had 13 off the bench.

Celtics 113 (14-5), Knicks 104 (4-16)

Jayson Tatum (30 piece) and Jaylen Brown (28 points) combined for 58 points at The Garden. Kemba Walker had 16 points and 10 dimes.

Mavericks 114 (13-6), Lakers 100 (17-3)

With Dirk courtside, the Mavs snapped the Lakers’ 10-game winning streak. Luka Doncic scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half, and Kristaps Porzingis finished with 15 points. Dallas trailed at the half, but went on a 28-5 run in the third quarter.

Don't sleep on Luka's bunnies. (via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/m3pap4wsNg

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 1, 2019

Thunder 107 (8-11), Pelicans 104 (6-14)

Four of five of OKC’s starters scored in double figures with Danilo Gallinari scoring a team-high 23 points. Dennis Schroeder had 17 points off the bench.

Pistons 132 (7-13), Spurs 98 (7-14)

Christian Wood had himself a night, scoring a career-high 28 points in 22 minutes at home. The Pistons had 75 bench points.

Raptors 130 (15-4), Jazz 110 (12-8)

Pascal Siakam put up 35 points in 35 minutes in Toronto on Sunday night. Fred Vanvleet was the team’s second-leading scorer with 21 points to give Toronto a 9-0 record at home.

Magic 100 (8-11), Warriors 96 (4-17)

Evan Fournier finished with 32 points, tying his career-high, in Orlando against the Dubs. Terrence Ross put up 19 points and Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac had 14 apiece.

Clippers (15-6) , Wizards (6-12)

Kawhi Leonard (34 points) and Paul George (31) combined for 65 points in front of their home crowd on Sunday night. Montrezl Harrell finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic & Mavericks Snap Lakers’ 10-Game Winning Streak in LA appeared first on SLAM.

The 20-year-old superstar remains laser-focused on dragging Dallas (11-5) back to the playoffs.

Doncic heard “MVP!” chants from the Houston crowd Sunday after leading the Mavs past the Rockets 137-123 Sunday.

Per ESPN:

“For me, it’s making the playoffs still,” said Doncic, who had 41 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists in the win, more than holding his own in a duel with perennial MVP candidate James Harden (32 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists). “It’s a long season. It’s only been one month. We didn’t make the playoffs yet, so we’ve just got to keep going right now.”

Doncic lightly clapped his hands above his head and gave the fans two thumbs up to show his appreciation before heading into the tunnel, but he kept an even keel, a theme for the Mavericks after they extended their winning streak to five games with a 137-123 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday afternoon.

“We’re not going to get overexcited,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “We know we’re capable. … The team is growing. This is a big win, there’s no question about that. This is a big-time place to play, and you’re playing against great players, and so our guys deserve credit. But, look, this is a process, and it’s day by day, week by week.”

[Doncic] joined LeBron James as the lone players in NBA history to have multiple outings with at least 40 points and 10 assists before their 21st birthday.

“Luka runs the show,” Mavs power forward Kristaps Porzingis said. “We all depend on him most of the game, and he’s playing incredible right now. He’s getting guys open looks. … He’s playing incredible right now. I’m super happy for him.”

Related Luka Doncic: ‘I Knew I Was Going to Be Good, But Not That Good’

The post Luka Doncic: ‘It’s a Long Season. It’s Only Been One Month’ appeared first on SLAM.

With Dirk Nowitzki watching from his courtside perch, Doncic finished with 30 points and 14 assists in the Mavs’ 143-101 laugher against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 20-year-old is putting up historic numbers coming off an NBA Rookie of the Year campaign, and became the first Dallas player to score at least 30 points in three straight games since Nowitzki in 2010.

Per The AP:

“I’m here to make this franchise, make this team a better team,” said [Kristaps] Porzingis, who also had four blocks in his 200th career game. “I’m trying to do my part. I’m sure Luka’s trying to do his part. He’s doing it well.

“As I said before, those are some huge shoes that we have to fill with Dirk ending his career and how high he set the standard for this organization.”

Dallas (10-5) moved five games above .500 for the first time since late in the 2015-16 season, which ended up being Nowitzki’s final trip to the playoffs after leading the franchise to its only championship in 2011.

“They can really shoot,” [Cavs] coach John Beilein said. “The couple of shots that Porzingis made and Luka made, you can’t defend them. They’re stepping back, they’ve got great size and they’re shooting it in from 30 feet. Really a talented team.”

Related Rick Carlisle: Social Media Pressure on ‘Guys Like Luka to Generate Highlights’

The post Luka Doncic: ‘I Knew I Was Going to Be Good, But Not That Good’ appeared first on SLAM.

“I heard it of course. It was pretty loud,” Porzingis told reporters.

Marcus Morris hit a tie-breaking three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining to secure New York’s 106-103 win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Per The AP:

“I get it around this league,” Knicks forward Marcus Morris said, “but it was a different level.”

Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t even hide from the taunts during the national anthem.

“I wouldn’t say it affected me,” Porzingis said. “I heard it of course. It was pretty loud. But I tried to play my game, stay focused and not think too much about what’s going on on the outside.”

Porzingis has declined to talk about what caused the deterioration of his relationship with the team, so he understood why there would be such a harsh reception.

“It’s what they know. It’s what they’ve heard,” he said. “It is what it is. We came here to win a game and we’re frustrated we didn’t get it done.”

Related Kristaps Porzingis Regrets Knicks ‘Never Really Got to Do Something Big’

The post Kristaps Porzingis Shrugs Off Boos from Knicks Fans appeared first on SLAM.

Heat 108 (8-3), Cavaliers 97 (4-7)

How can you not love this Heat team? With a hard-working culture cultivated by coach Erik Spoelstra and enforced by star Jimmy Butler, the Heat have gotten off to an excellent start to the season. Rookie sensation Kendrick Nunn did it again, going for 23 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

The Cavs have performed above expectations thus far this season, and it’s great to see Kevin Love back to his old double-double ways (he dropped 21 points, 10 boards and four steals).

Pelicans 132 (3-8), Clippers 127 (7-5)

Jrue Holiday (36 points, seven assists, six steals) and Derrick Favors (20 points, 20 boards) spoiled Paul George’s first game as a Clipper in a stunning upset.

George stuffed the stat sheet in his debut with 33 points, nine rebounds and four assists with a perfect 10-10 from the free throw stripe in only 24 minutes, but it simply was not enough.

Bucks 124 (8-3), Bulls 115 (4-8)

Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his stellar campaign, taking care of business against the Bulls by scoring 38 points, inhaling 16 rebounds and swiping three steals. The Greek Freak is on another level right now, and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop him.

For the Bulls, rookie Coby White once again showed his high-confidence, shooting 23 times and scoring 26 points off the bench, while Zach LaVine chipped in 25 points, seven assists and three steals.

Knicks 106 (3-9), Mavericks 103 (6-5)

What a thriller! Anytime a star player returns to the city they left, there are usually some fireworks, and this game did not disappoint. We had Frankie Smokes and Luka Doncic fighting for a loose ball, Dwight Powell tipping a shot with 0.1 seconds left on the shot clock, deafening boos and finally, an icy Marcus Morris step-back dagger to seal the Knicks win.

In what is becoming a regular occurance, Luka indeed dropped another triple double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, while Porzingis added 20 points, 11 boards and three blocks.

Behind a balanced Knicks effort led by Morris’ 20 points, The Garden was rocking once again.

Suns 128 (7-4), Hawks 112 (4-7)

The Phoenix Suns, man. They were completely disrespected all preseason, and have been taking care of business so far. Kelly Oubre (a League Fits stud by the way) scored 30 points, while Devin Booker (27 points) and Dario Saric (23 points) followed suit.

It was not one of Trae Young’s more efficient games, but the man still put up 21 points, 13 assists and two steals. A respectable effort amidst defeat.

Nuggets 101 (8-3), Nets 93 (4-7)

In a very rare occurrence this season, not one player in this game scored at least 20 points. And while the aesthetics haven’t been pretty, the Nuggets keep gutting out wins. Nikola Jokic contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, which are modest numbers for the Serbian stud, but hey, whatever it takes.

Expectations were slightly tempered for the Nets because of a certain 6’11 superstar-sized gaping hole in the lineup. A 4-7 start though causes for some mild concern, especially with guard Caris LeVert missing a month of action due to injury. The team lacks shot creation and playmaking outside of Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie, and they just haven’t been able to click as of yet. Definitely a situation to monitor.

The post Post Up: Knicks Beat Mavs in Madison Square Garden Thriller appeared first on SLAM.

Porzingis will play his first game back in New York as an opponent Wednesday night since forcing his way out of town last January.

The 24-year-old has moved past the drama in Gotham, and is now “looking forward to what’s ahead” with the ascendant Dallas Mavericks.

Per The AP:

“I remember when I was there the expectations were always high for us, and it’s a city hungry for success in basketball,” Porzingis said Wednesday. “And for them, for the fans and for the city to be going through this year after year, it’s got to be tough. And so it’s always a lot of pressure and when things are not going right immediately, there needs to be changes, and this year is no different for them again.”

Porzingis was surprisingly traded on Jan. 31 after Knicks management said he told them during a meeting that day that he wanted out. He was sent to the Mavericks in a deal that for now looks worse all the time for New York.

“It’s in the past now and I don’t want to bring it back up,” Porzingis said. “It is what it is. It happened and now I’m in a new place and looking forward to what’s ahead of me.”

He had four coaches in less than four full seasons, a far cry from the stability he has now in Dallas, where Rick Carlisle is in his 12th season.

“It’s obviously a positive here that there’s a coach that’s been here already for many, many years and won here and is well-respected here,” Porzingis said. “It’s tough as a player, of course, but it’s not something I can affect really. So it happened that way in New York and everything is a learning experience, a learning lesson for me.”

Related Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis Threatened to Return to Europe Unless Traded

The post Kristaps Porzingis Regrets Knicks ‘Never Really Got to Do Something Big’ appeared first on SLAM.

After a sluggish start to the season, the Pacers have now won five of their past six games after knocking off the pesky Pistons. One of the keys to their victory? The Pacers bench throttled the Pistons bench, outscoring them 51-28. Domantas Sabonis has become a nearly automatic double-double, as he paced the team with 17 points, 14 boards and six assists on the night.

With Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose and Reggie Jackson all sidelined due to various injuries, Detroit is sorely lacking playmaking options. Third-year guard Luke Kennard has done an admirable job vacuuming up more possessions, and he dropped 29 points, six rebounds and five assists while playing a game-high 41 minutes.

Orlando Magic 118 (3-6), Memphis Grizzlies 86 (2-6)

This was a complete demolition. The Magic were in control all game, and put the nail in the coffin by outscoring the Grizzlies 34-8 in the 4th quarter. It was a beautifully balanced effort, with Nikola Vucevic looking back like his old self with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and two steals. French guard Evan Fournier continued his solid season with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Jonathan Issac has become a fully-fleshed defensive terror. He had 22 points on 9-11 shooting, and now has a whopping 16 blocks in his last four games.

For Memphis, it was simply one of those down games a young, inexperienced team is bound to have throughout the rigors of an 82-game season. Their highest scorer was center Jonas Valinciunas, who put up 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Cleveland Cavaliers 113 (3-5), Washington Wizards 100 (2-6)

Of all the games on tonight, somehow this one ended up on national TV. but surprisingly, it was…kind of good basketball. The Cavaliers brought a balanced approach to D.C., with seven players scoring in double digits and Tristan Thompson leading the way w9ith 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three blocks on 67% shooting

The Wizards may be off to a rough start to the season, but their young frontcourt comprised of Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds on 21-29 shooting. Plus, Rui threw down this filthy dunk:

Sacramento Kings 121 (3-6), Atlanta Hawks 109 (3-5)

Ever since their perplexing and disastrous 0-5 start, the Kings have gone on to with three of their last four games to right the ship. Buddy Hield led the way with 22 points, while Bogdon Bogdanovic had a terrific game off the bench, scoring 20 points along with four rebounds, five assists and converting 83% of his 3-point attempts.

The Hawks continued their downward spiral, and are now 1-4 in their last five games. On the bright side, Trae Young is still making a mockery of the poor fools tasked with guarding him. He dropped a cool 30 points, 12 assists and five steals on 54% from the field.

Toronto Raptors 122 (6-2), New Orleans Pelicans 104 (1-7)

Is it possible to win most Improved Player two years in a row? Because Pascal Siakam is making a hell of a case to go back-to-back with the award after winning it last year. The dude just dropped a career-high 44 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He’s a monster, and he just joined Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and DeMar DeRozan as the only Raptors players with multiple games of 40 points and 10 rebounds.

It’s sad seeing the Pelicans drop to a league-worst 1-7, but there are multiple silver linings. Brandon Ingram has taken the next step from ambiguous young player with potential to a star, super-human Zion Williamson’s debut is just around the corner and even if the losing continues, they are in line to add another quality prospect to their current treasure trove.

But as of now, it’s been rough.

Minnesota Timberwolves 125 (5-3), Golden State Warriors 119 (2-7)

This was a wild game. Andrew Wiggins popped off for 40 points, Karl Towns had a 20-14 double-double and Robert Covington had a quietly excellent night, scoring 17 points, corralling 11 rebounds, snatching five steals and swatting three blocks

A 2-7 record is pretty brutal for the “Dubs”, but it was a blast to see D’Angelo Russell balling again after a week off due to injury. He carried the Warriors, with 52 points, nine rebounds, five assists and seven three-pointers made.

New York Knicks 102 (2-7), Dallas Mavericks 102 (5-3)

In the surprise of the evening, the previously 1-7 Knicks strutted into Dallas and defeated old pal Kristaps Porzingis. Marcus Morris Sr. stepped up big-time with 29 points and nine rebounds, with Julius Randle scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Dallas’s two studs were phenomenal (Luka had a ridiculous 38-14-10 triple-double and Porzingis had 28 points, nine boards and five blocks), but the rest of the Mavericks starters combined for a measly…six points. That just cannot happen.

Denver Nuggets 100 (6-2), Philadelphia 76ers 97 (5-3)

What a fantastic comeback for the Nuggets! Down 19 points in the 4th quarter, they clawed their way back, and then Nikola Jokic went full Joker and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater 3-pointer. Boom. Now that’s a way to end the night.

The 76ers, who started the season 5-0, have now succumbed to three straight losses. To be fair, they were missing Ben Simmons, who orchestrates so many actions for them and serves as a strong first line of defense on the perimeter. Joel Embiid had 19 points, 15 rebounds and one soul-snatching block, but he also coughed up the rock eight times.

Utah Jazz 103 (6-3), Milwaukee Bucks (6-3)

What a thriller. Despite trailing virtually all game, the Bucks tied it up at 100 a piece thanks to excellent efforts from Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 13 rebounds), Khris Middleton (26 points, 11 rebounds) and Eric Bledsoe (22 points, eight rebounds, five assists). It was a valiant comeback effort with the potential to turn into a quality win.

Then, Bojan Bogdanovic happened.

Not only did he win the game with this ice-cold three-pointer, but he also dropped 33 points.

Brooklyn Nets 119 (4-4), Portland Trail-Blazers 112 (3-6)

Apparently, if you scored 50 or more points in the NBA today, your team lost. Despite Damian Lillard’s herculean 60-point effort, his Trail-Blazers dropped to 3-6 in the brutal Western Conference. Get this man some more help.

Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie led the way for the Nets, with 33 and 34 points, respectively.

Los Angeles Lakers 95 (7-1), Miami Heat 80 (6-3)

The Lakers are fun again! They haven’t lost since opening night, the fans are louder than ever and there’s no drama around the team after years of behind-the-scenes tension. Bottom-line: this team is championship-level good, and they’re playing like it.

Anthony Davis stuffed the stat sheet yet again, with 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and three blocks, while LeBron controlled all facets of the game as he had himself a tidy 25 points along with four rebounds and six assists.

The post Post Up: Nikola Jokic, Bojan Bogdanovic Hit Buzzer-Beaters To Seal Victories appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic finished with 29 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds in 34 minutes, leading the visiting Dallas Mavericks past Cleveland 131-111.

“He’s pretty much a magician,” added Love.

Per The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

“I really think he’s the future of this league,” the Cavs’ Kevin Love told cleveland.com after the game. “He’s unbelievable. Last year, I was extremely impressed with his game. He has taken it to a whole new level. In that fourth quarter, we were by our bench and they were shooting and I looked up at the score and saw his stats and I thought, ‘Man, that’s the most quiet 29, 15 and 14 I’ve ever seen in my life.’

“It just goes to show you how impressive he is. Nothing fazes him, nothing speeds him up, his shot has gotten better. He’s pretty much a magician.”

The resilient Cavs trailed by just four points heading into the final quarter. But while Doncic was watching from the sideline, the Mavericks opened on a 14-2 surge, pushing the lead to 15 points. They outscored the Cavs 41-25 in the fourth quarter.

“Just everything,” Love said. “A lack of communication was pretty apparent there in the fourth and that’s why they were able to get up to 41. They were getting to the bucket too easy, low man wasn’t there, second efforts weren’t there, didn’t get the 50/50 balls and they were taking — and making — a lot of 3s. On offense, we got too stagnant. That fourth was definitely an ugly quarter for us. Got out of hand.”

Related Kristaps Porzingis Says He and Luka Doncic ‘Could be a Nightmare’ Together

The post Kevin Love: Luka Doncic the ‘Future of This League’ appeared first on SLAM.

TJ Warren scored a game-high 26 points and Malcolm Brogdon was the Pacers’ second-leading scorer with 22 points. TJ Leaf scored 13 points off the bench.

Heat 129 (5-1), Rockets 100 (3-3)

Duncan Robinson (23 points) and Meyers Leonard (21 points) combined for 44 points at home; Jimmy Butler had 18 points. The Heat never trailed once in the contest and led 46-14 after the first quarter.

Kings 113 (2-5), Knicks 92 (1-6)

All five Kings players scored in double figures with De’Aaron Fox leading all scorers with 24 points.

Lakers 103 (5-1), Spurs (4-2) 96

After Friday’s overtime thriller against Dallas, the Lakers defeated the Spurs to go 2-0 on their three-game road trip. LeBron James finished with his second-consecutive triple-double: 21 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

Anthony Davis put up 25 points and grabbed 11 boards. Dwight Howard had 14 and 13 in 21 minutes off the bench. This is the Lakers’ best start since the 2010-11 season.

Mavericks 131 (3-2), Cavaliers 111 (2-3)

Luka Doncic dominated in The Land – 29 points, 15 dimes and 14 rebounds – on Sunday night. Doncic became the youngest player in NBA history with consecutive 25-point triple-doubles. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and 9 boards.

Clippers 105 (5-2), Jazz 94 (4-3)

After scoring five points in the first half, Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points to finish the night with 30. The Clippers bench outscored Utah’s, 50-19.

The post Post Up: LeBron James Puts Up Triple-Double to Lead Lakers Over Spurs 👑 appeared first on SLAM.

Despite herculean efforts from Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry (a combined 62 points, nine assists, 12 rebounds, 11 3’s and 55% from the field), the Raptors succumbed to their first loss of the season in Beantown.

For the Celtics, who were missing center Enes Kanter to a bruised knee injury, Jayson Tatum (25 points), Jaylen Brown (25 points) and fresh import Kemba Walker (22 points) all had standout performances.

Timberwolves 121 (2-0), Hornets 99 (1-1)

Karl Anthony-Towns had another phenomenal performance, with a beastly 37 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks on 13-18 shooting. The 5th year big man has been virtually – check that – completely unstoppable so far in the early stages of the season.

For the Hornets, reserve guard Devonte’ Graham poured in 24 points, while rookie PJ Washington continued his solid start to the season with a double-double.

Nets 113 (1-1), Knicks 109 (0-2)

In the battle of New York, the Nets barely squeezed by thanks to some late Kyrie Irving clutch heroics. With just over 20 seconds to go and down one point, Kyrie dribbled up to the same exact spot on the court where he drained the Game-clinching shot in game 7 against the Warriors in 2016.

The result was the same.

Splash.

He also got to spend a special moment with his father, Drederick.

Bulls 110 (1-1), Grizzlies 102 (0-2)

After trailing 12 points at halftime, the Bulls roared back behind rising star Zach LaVine‘s 37 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block along with 25 points from rookie Coby White, who has acquitted himself nicely thus far.

This loss drops the youthful Grizzlies to 0-2, but there were some silver-linings in their young players’ performances. Jaren Jackson Jr, who turned only 20-years-old in September, dropped 23 points and 11 rebounds on an efficient 9-17 shooting. Electric rookie Ja Morant led the team with three steals, while fellow rook (and Summer League MVP) Brandon Clarke shot 7-9 and swatted away three shots.

Mavericks 123 (2-0), Pelicans 116 (0-2)

The Mavericks’ new star duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis is clicking into place faster than we could have expected, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the league. Luka dropped a 25-10-10 triple-double like it was nothing, while the Unicorn (wait, aren’t they both unicorns?) scored 24 and swallowed five blocks.

As for the Pelicans, dropping to 0-2 is definitely no way to start the season, but they extracted some positive play from two of their future cornerstones in Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. Ball stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Ingram chipped in 25 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

Ball also tossed this beautiful full-length of the court dime:

Wizards 97 (1-1), Thunder 85 (0-2)

While neither team shot better than 40% from the field or 26% from three, there were some standout performances in the Wizards’ convincing win against Oklahoma City. Center Thomas Bryant, who the Wiz picked off the free agency scrap heap last season, paced the squad with 21 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and three blocks.

For the Thunder, scoring only 85 points is a rough look, but sophomore stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to show he’s a beast, with 28 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks.

The Thunder are primed to have a super team when Shai grows into his prime alongside their other 2026 draft picks.

Nuggets 108 (2-0), Suns 107 (1-1)

The Nuggets gutted out the OT victory thanks to the continued brilliance of Nikola Jokić, who notched a triple-double with 23 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists. Jamal Murray also contributed 27 points.

There are no moral victories in professional basketball, but the Suns should be proud in their first effort without starting center DeAndre Ayton. Devin Booker hit a clutch contested 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, then Ricky Rubio nailed three free throws in a row to force OT.

But it wasn’t enough, especially with Torrey Craig bursting out of nowhere like the Kool-Aid Man rejecting potential game-winning shots.

Also, Jerami Grant destroyed a rim, and that was plenty entertaining.

Blazers 122 (1-1), Kings 112 (0-2)

The result of this matchup was the same as many other past Blazer victories: Dame Lillard was simply too much for the other squad to handle. Dame dropped 35 points on an efficient 12-20 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Kings remained competitive for a majority of the game, but a third quarter in which they were outscored by 10 points in a 10 point loss ultimately did them in. On the bright side, De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield continued to display their dazzling abilities, combining for 49 points.

Lakers 95 (1-1), Jazz 86 (1-1)

After a tough opening loss against the Clippers, The Lakers bounced back in spectacular fashion by trouncing the perennially competent Utah Jazz in a game that never felt very close. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were unstoppable, connecting for multiple alley-oops, swatting shots, euro-stepping all over the poor Jazz and combining for 53 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and five blocks.

The post Post Up: Kyrie Irving Lifts Nets Over Knicks With Clutch Shot appeared first on SLAM.

RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Marcus Morris combined for 72 points in their Knicks debuts, but it wasn’t enough as San Antonio scored 37 in the final period to secure the win.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team-high 22 for the Spurs.

Mavericks 108, Wizards 100

Kristaps Porzingis (23 points) and Luka Doncic (34 points, nine rebounds) showed why they belong in the same conversation as the league’s most elite duos, leading Dallas to a chippy win.

Thunder 95, Jazz 100

Donovan Mitchell had an especially efficient night, scoring 32 points on 14-for-22 shooting and grabbing 12 boards as the Jazz earned the win.

OKC’s newest acquisitions shined as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 26, Chris Paul had 22 and Danilo Gallinari added 21.

Hornets 126, Bulls 125

Lauri Markkanen stole the show with 35 points and 17 boards, but a collective outing the Hornets’ PJ Washington (27 points), Devonte Graham (23) and Dwayne Bacon (22) sent the Bulls home with a loss.

Washington knocked down seven 3’s in his NBA debut.

Pistons 119, Pacers 110

Blake Griffin missed the season-opener due to soreness, but his frontcourt mate Andre Drummond held it down with 32 points, 23 rebounds, three steals and four blocks. The Pistons shot 45.8 percent from deep — Luke Kennard hit six from deep en route to 30 points — to hold off the Pacers.

Cavaliers 85, Magic 94

Neither team was particularly inspiring on offense, but Nikola Vucevic (21 points on 8-for-16 shooting) and Evan Fournier (16 on 7-for-13 shooting) were able to push their squad ahead.

Timberwolves 127, Nets 126

Kyrie Irving had 50 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and zero turnovers in his Nets debut, clocking out with a plus-minus of +18. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Timberwolves’ depth made the most of limited minutes to keep Minnesota ahead when Irving came out of the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 36 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Grizzlies 101, Heat 120

Jimmy Butler didn’t make the game due to personal reasons, but undrafted Kendrick Nunn had no problem filling the void, scoring 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting to secure the W in South Beach.

Celtics 93, 76ers 107

Al Horford (16 points) got the W over his former team as every Philadelphia starter scored at least 15. Ben Simmons’ 24 led the way.

Kings 95, Suns 124

The Suns outscored the Kings 70-36 in the second half as the #ValleyBoyz took over the night — Devin Booker had 22 points and 10 assists, Kelly Oubre had 21 points and nine boards and DeAndre Ayton added 18 points, 11 boards and four blocks.

Nuggets 108, Trail Blazers 100

The Nuggets avenged last year’s playoff series loss to the Trail Blazers as Nikola Jokic stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points and 13 rebounds in just 24 minutes due to foul trouble.

Damian Lillard scored a team-high 32 and Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 19 rebounds in his Portland debut.

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Smith Jr. has been sidelined with a back strain, missing the team’s first two contests but Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports that the third-year guard was healthy enough to practice this week and is now ready to go.

Smith Jr. says that his latest back episode is unrelated to the back strain that held him out of 10 of the team’s final 14 games last season, not long after the team acquired him in the blockbuster trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas.

Injuries, however, won’t be the only thing that Smith Jr. may have to stave off as the regular season approaches. Both Payton and Ntilikina have shown flashes of potential and could command minutes if not a legitimate crack at the first-string.

Payton joins the Knicks as a free agent addition, spending last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 25-year-old’s five-game triple-double stretch last March is just a small sign of what the guard is capable of and the Knicks saw fit to take a two-year, $16 million flyer on him.

Ntilikina, who most recently drew attention with a solid performance at the FIBA World Cup is another option for the franchise. He too, however, will have to get a handle on a lingering health issue before being completely cleared to play basketball.

Knicks coach David Fizdale insists that the team is happy to be cautious with their players during the preseason but confirms that it’s the guard’s groin that is causing discomfort. Ntilikina missed the last six weeks of 2018-19 with a groin injury.

The lack of healthy bodies may add an additional element of confusion to an already complicated log jam at the point guard position but the Knicks will take their time figuring it out.

“I don’t know who has the edge right now,” Fizdale told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “We’ve still got two more games to go.”

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Porzingis says their two-man game “can really mess up team defenses.”

Dallas will load manage the big fella this season, who reports feeling “great physically” after recovering from a torn left ACL suffered on Feb. 6, 2018.

Per The Dallas Morning News:

“I think it’s going to be pretty simple; just the two-man game,” he said. “Whatever it is, pick-and-roll; pick and pop. We’re going to have to read each other. That’s where I think we’re going to have to find out that chemistry, where he knows when I’m going to pop and when I’m going to roll.”

Porzingis noted that he and Doncic used to play EuroLeague games against one another and that they both speak Spanish and have become close off the court, so it’s Porzingis’ belief that their two-man onslaught is a matter of when, not if.

“We can really mess up team defenses like that,” he said. “If they want to switch, he can attack the mismatch; or I can attack the mismatch. I think it could be a nightmare for the teams going forward. We just have to develop that chemistry on the floor.”

Porzingis weighed 223 pounds when the Knicks made him the No. 4 overall pick of the 2015 draft. He bulked up to 235 pounds during his rookie season, but it wasn’t all muscle, nor was it well-distributed on his then-thin frame.

“I didn’t want to put on too much weight for a brand-new knee, so everything had to be calculated,” Porzingis said. “And at the end, we got here, close to the season, at the exact weight we wanted to be at and feel the exact way I wanted to feel. It’s only the beginning. It’s not that I’ve achieved something. I’ve gained a few pounds and feel stronger and so on, but this is nonstop work that we’re going to be putting in.”

Related JJ Barea: Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis Can Be NBA’s Best Duo

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Head coach Rick Carlisle expects the two young stars to “take the reins” in Dallas.

Dallas will be heading into a season without future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki for the first time since 1997.

Per Mavs.com:

“It’s definitely going to have a different feel to it,” coach Rick Carlisle told Mavs.com on Wednesday. “That said, my understanding is the (American Airlines Center) court has a picture of (Nowitzki) on it, which is a great tribute.”

Carlisle spent the last 11 seasons coaching Nowitzki, and the native of Germany led the Mavs to their only NBA title in 2011. But Carlisle believes Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are ready to take the baton from Nowitzki and run with it.

“I think that it’s really important to always remember (Nowitzki’s) massive contributions to this franchise, to a championship, and to the kind of integrity that he brought to the club, both as a player and as someone in the community,” Carlisle said. “It’s a big change without him.

“But Luka and KP have got to take the reins from Dirk and Jason Kidd and Jason Terry and that group of franchise players. I know they’re excited to take on that challenge.”

Related Luka Doncic: ‘We’ll Make the Playoffs. We Must’

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While he’s never played more than a bit role for the franchise, Salah Mejri had become a familiar face for the Dallas Mavericks over the course of the past four seasons. Now, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports that the 33-year-old Tunisian has signed a deal with Liaoning of the CBA.

The 7’2″ center has served as a reserve big man and occasional spot starter for the Mavs and will now suit up with the Flying Leopards as a temporary replacement for Brandon Bass.

While Mejri’s size, age and speed limit him in the modern NBA, he remains an imposing physical force. In the 19 2018-19 contests where he saw at least 10 minutes of action, Mejri averaged 5.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.

Mejri’s CBA signing officially brings to an end the pipe dream of having the 7’7″ Boban Marjanovic share a locker room with the 7’3″ Kristaps Porzingis and 7’2″ Mejri. For now.

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