SLAM 251 featuring Naz Reid is available now.

The name of the reigning Sixth Man of the Year represents more than just a name at this point. Naz Reid has become a greeting between Minnesota Timberwolves fans outside of home games. It’s turned into a consistent stream of car horns outside of Parkway Pizza in Northeast Minneapolis with the now famous “Honk If You Love Naz Reid” sign sitting right outside. It’s transformed the seats of the Target Center into a beach day with Naz Reid towels in late March. It’s seen hundreds of yard signs plastered with his face strewn about lawns across the greater Minneapolis area.

It’s the name of a Jeopardy contestant’s cat. It’s even become the first tattoo for everyone from 18-year-olds kids to 82-year-old grandmothers. Naz Reid has got a hold on the Timberwolves fan base and the greater NBA community. There’s no explanation, no broader details. This is the epitome of if you know, you know. And trust us, after this past season, everyone and their momma, and their mommas, knows about the rise of Naz Reid.

But at first, Naz didn’t think the ink was real.

After the Timberwolves took down the Denver Nuggets by 26 points in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals—featuring 14 points, 5 boards, 4 blocks and 4 threes from the man himself—two lifelong Wolves fans and artists at Beloved Studios in Roseville, MN, set the stage for the community’s latest outpouring of admiration.

At 12:29 a.m. on May 7th, tattoo artist JC Stroebel tweeted out, “Will tattoo ‘Naz Reid’ on anyone for $20. I’m dead serious.”

Hundreds of requests followed.

“It was crazy. I think the 82-year-old lady was the first person that I saw, and then the list just goes on, I think 200-plus,” Naz tells SLAM. “It was up to the point where I was at the barbershop one day and two kids came in [and] my name was their first tattoo. So, that was crazy to experience. Definitely super exciting. It’s something you obviously dream about as a kid, to have that type of fan base and that excitement around your name is huge.”

From the back of the tricep to the lower thigh just above the kneecap, that excitement is on permanent display in Times New Roman font. The feeling has been surreal, in Naz’s words.

His name has become celebrated among a small market fan base longing for a return to prominence. Yes, the Timberwolves have a bonafide superstar in Anthony Edwards, alongside All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert manning the paint. But it’s the 6-9 versatile New Jersey native with the bag of a guard that has completely won over the hearts and minds of Timberwolves fans. And it’s the reason he’s on this very cover.

Naz Reid is the unsung hero of Minnesota. His quiet confidence is on full display as soon as he walks into the gym we’ve rented out in Las Vegas for his first SLAM cover shoot. Summer League games are taking place just a few miles away, but Naz is suited in his midnight blue and white Timberwolves threads with contrasting “Reverse Grinch” Kobe 6s on his feet as we snap away flicks. He’s paying no mind to the record-setting 116-degree heat that awaits just outside. 

Reid is only the third-ever undrafted player to win the Sixth Man of the Year award—joining John Starks and Darrell Armstrong—and the first Timberwolves player to take home the honor. His 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 41 percent shooting from three weren’t just a bump across the board from years’ past. The 2023-24 season served as his arrival as a full-fledged force in the L.

“This is the craziest I’ve ever seen it, especially this past season with how far we made it in the Western Conference Finals,” Naz says of the culture in Minnesota. “It’s been crazy. We have posters everywhere, chalk on the ground everywhere. It’s super exciting. Definitely something that we’re looking forward to for years to come.”

If you were to truly dive into why the Timberwolves fan base has such a deep-rooted love affair with the stoic 25-year-old, the overwhelming answer would probably be the relatability of his journey. And definitely the way he moves with the rock.

It’s the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs and the Wolves are cruising with a 17-point lead over the Phoenix Suns. With 9:53 left in the fourth quarter, Naz snags a loose ball and sets out in transition. A duo of rapid in-and-out dribbles follow, keeping Eric Gordon from planting his back foot confidently. As Naz finishes the second move with the ball, he whips it wide over his right shoulder, high above Gordon’s head, into a fluid pro hop. Time stops for a moment, as he cradles it in his chest and Bradley Beal enters the scene to contest. Except this is Big Jelly we’re talking about. With ease and a calming finesse, Naz pulls his momentum to the left side of the basket and lays the ball onto the glass and through the net with a clean right-handed reverse.

These routine displays of basketball artistry have sent home crowds into a frenzy, but for those in Asbury Park, NJ, they’re reminiscent of the days Naz was cooking at Roselle Catholic and dropping highlight after highlight as an official member of the Jelly Fam.

“That’s just my go-to. I’ve been doing that for a long time, long time,” Naz says of his transition excellence. “I think Jersey guys are just shiftier than a lot of other people. We just come with a different type of swag and game to any move that we put into play. That’s just kind of how we roll. You think about all the guards that have been in the NBA or near the NBA. You’ve got Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Briscoe, Kyle Anderson; you’ve got a lot of guys who are shifty and move with a different type of swag. I think it’s just kind of how we roll and where we come from.”

Looking back on the days when high school phenoms were stitching a new era into the cultural fabric of hoops, Naz now appreciates the impact being surrounded by guys like Jahvon Quinerly, Atiba Taylor and Luther Muhammad had on his game. “Everything has definitely translated and taken off to what it was back then to where it is now,” Reid says.

Twenty-seven points, 6 rebounds and 7 threes against Dallas in mid-December. A 31-piece and 11 boards while shooting 75 percent from the field in an early April dub vs. the Lakers. Twenty-three points on 78 percent shooting from three in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

From Roselle Catholic to Minneapolis, Naz has blended a guard-like fluidity and pace with the size and skills of a stretch big. He punishes smaller mismatches in the low post with surgical footwork and hook shots while dusting slower opponents at the elbow. He cashes in corner threes before his defender even realizes he left the paint. And he thrives, absolutely thrives, in any position head coach Chris Finch puts him in.

“We’ve had lineups this past year where I was the 3. We’ve had big lineups, so that’s something that I’ve been working on and continuing to work on,” Naz says. “Time will tell, but I can probably transition to a 3, 4 or 5 in this League. So, I’m just going to keep working on it and keep expanding my role.”

In that role as first off the pine, Naz recorded the most consistent season of his career in ’23-24. Fourteen 20-plus point performances in the regular season behind a career-high shooting from deep. And his defensive instincts began to shine. With No. 11 on the floor, the Timberwolves recorded a League-best 107.9 defensive rating. The infamous Game 2 that spawned a litany of tattoos saw Naz enact a defensive masterclass. In the first half alone, he stuffed Jamal Murray twice, then rejected Nikola Jokic on a pair of shots.

Ahead of the ’23-24 season, Naz signed a three-year, $42 million extension with the Timberwolves. The deal was five years of tumultuous work in the making.

His illustrious rise from Jersey to LSU wasn’t met with the same amount of enthusiasm you might have expected when he set his sights on the NBA. After a lone season in Baton Rouge, the 6-9 forward went undrafted in 2019.

His 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds during that season were enough to receive SEC All-Freshman team honors, but the League wasn’t biting. Concerns around his draft workouts and size were highlighted.

“It just made me more hungry. It kind of rose, kind of changed to where I was the hunted, now I’m hunting at that point,” Naz tells SLAM. “In high school, I was a top recruit, five-star, McDonald’s All American, things like that, to where now I had to grind to be in a position where I had to compete against others who were at high levels, who were drafted and things of that nature. So [I was] putting myself in that perspective of just hunting.”

Over the past five seasons, Naz has hunted for more minutes, more shots, more defensive assignments and more responsibility. In every role he’s found himself in, he’s progressed. Dialing into the specifics matters—who he works out with, his daily routines, even what time he goes to sleep at night—all of his habits are predisposed to how things carry over into the next season. Consistency in his role, in his growth, “that’s just the key to the sauce, to be honest.”

As a result, the fame, the outpouring of love and the appreciation he’s received have reached yet another peak. From influencing an entire generation with how they lay the ball up as a 17-year-old to the cult following of his name in the League, Naz has been dealing with the many waves of notoriety for years.

“I treat it as second hand and whatever comes with me putting the work that I put in, I’m excited to have,” Naz says. “Obviously, I’m truly humbled to have all that. I think as anyone should at the professional level, take that along with the bumps and bruises. Just keep being you and playing your game.”

Standing in front of a blue seamless backdrop that lets the aurora green piping of his shorts pop, Naz holds the infamous “Naz Reid” towel outstretched across his back. That March 22 evening was his favorite from this past season. As 18,000 faithful unfurled the towels throughout the arena, Naz dropped 18 points en route to a 13-point win over the Cavaliers. “That moment was a moment where I had to really take it in,” he says. “I haven’t really explained how much I appreciated that moment and how much that really made me feel as far as excited and wanted and loved.”

So we asked him to expand on that appreciation, to speak directly to the fans. From Naz to the Timberwolves fan base, NAZ REID the cat and those who hold his name in ink, this is his message:

“I appreciate every single one of you guys. You guys have seen me come in and work since day one, since the two-way signing to where I am now to this point,” Naz says. “I think everybody knows how much work and dedication I put in and [the] aspirations that I put in to get to where I am now. It’s not going to stop now. This is only the beginning.”

Portraits by Erik Isakson. Action photos via Getty Images.

The post Naz Reid Explains His Cult Following, Winning Sixth Man of the Year and Building a Newfound Culture in Minnesota appeared first on SLAM.

An oatmeal, dairy-free Greek yogurt with frozen fruit, unsweetened almond milk and agave nectar smoothie has already been consumed. Numerous t-shirt and short combinations, along with shower shoes, socks and enormous size 15 low top LeBron’s have been neatly stuffed into his official 2024 Final Four backpack. Ambling, but not with a residual slumber as Lil Wayne’s high pitched helium balloon voice swims through his headphones, he folds his immense 6-foot-10 frame into the passenger seat of the waiting gray Toyota Highlander with red leather interior. 

The day’s work beckons. 

At 7 AM, he begins the first of his scheduled workouts, this one at the OverDrive Elite facility in New Canaan, pushing himself through strength and conditioning drills that stress speed, lateral movement and the loosening of the hips along with lateral, forward and vertical explosion. 

Within minutes he’s drenched in sweat. Throughout the day he consumes copious amounts of water.

Two hours later he’s devouring a savory egg white breakfast bowl with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and rye toast, between gulps of coconut water as the Highlander eats up the road and the scenery transitions from the bucolic pleasantry of Connecticut to the suffocating congestion of lower Manhattan.

Burns was the third ranked prep prospect coming out of his home state of South Carolina, behind Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, the top two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. 

A bright student, he earned enough credits to graduate after his junior year at York Preparatory Academy and accepted a scholarship offer from Tennessee, where he redshirted.  

After transferring to Winthrop, he tore through the Big South and was named the conference Player of the Year as a junior in ‘21-’22.

“We were looking to get older and I knew he would be a great addition to our program,” says Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts. “I like underdogs, kids that have innate leadership skills and unique personalities.”

“DJ comes from a great family,” Keatts continued. “He wasn’t as valued as much as he should have been. What he does can’t be replicated. And his vision is extraordinary. I really liked the kid and his game was completely different from anyone I’ve ever coached.”

That March Madness success had long been marinating, going back to when his parents watched in wonder as their two-year old son danced and glided around a roller skating rink with his much older cousins. 

“DJ was a very active child who was always physically advanced for his age,” says his mother Takela Burns, a longtime educator and assistant middle school Principal in South Carolina. “He was this hyper ball of energy and inquisitive. If he wasn’t running around these country acres somewhere, he was talking me and my husband’s ear off.”

One of the things he internalized was the family tradition of sharing and giving. His grandmother was a foster parent that also adopted kids from challenging circumstances and with various disabilities. His parents took in a number of children from unstable homes, some of whom lived in the Burns household for years. 

Takela, who played ball in high school, was DJ’s first basketball tutor at the age of six. His father took over the coaching responsibilities when his son began playing rec ball at eight.

That unselfishness, vision and passing acumen on the court that had television announcers like Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas, Ian Eagle and Grant Hill gushing during the NCAA Tournament—pronounced spontaneous combustions of “His footwork’s incredible!”and “Is there anything he can’t do out there?”—were present from Day One.

“Little DJ was such a happy kid who’d give you the shirt off his back,” says his father, Dwight Sr., a South Carolina probation and parole agent who can be seen on fall Saturday afternoons sprinting beside Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney during halftime and post-game jogs to and from the locker room. 

“DJ loved being in the gym. He played guard, center, forward and was very skilled at a young age,” Dwight Sr. continued. “He had a soft lefty shooting touch and a sweet handle. The thing he loved most was passing. He’d celebrate more when his teammates scored than when he did. The only thing he cared about was winning.”

When the coaches would assemble to pick their squads, 8-year-old DJ served as his father’s de facto scout and general manager. “He’d be like, ‘Daddy, pick him!’ and he’d be pointing to a kid that wasn’t very good but was hungry, willing to hustle, unselfish and a good person,” he adds. “I’d ask him about a kid that was scoring a lot during tryouts and he’d be like, ‘Nah, we don’t want him. He’s selfish, doesn’t pass and travels all the time.’ I always listened to him and our teams always won.”

—

At 10:45am, Burns saunters onto the basketball court inside the high-end waterfront condominium One Manhattan Square building located on 225 Cherry Street. The wide grin splashed across his robust face immediately brightens the sleepy atmosphere. 

He stretches while listening to the playlist he’s cultivated that now fills the gym, with his favorite artists Lil Wayne, G Herbo and Lil Tony in heavy rotation.

“Lil Wayne is obviously the GOAT!” he playfully shouts to no one in particular before starting his workout under the direction and watchful eye of his trainer Nate Brown, who has previously worked with Malik Monk, Derrick White, Brandon Ingram, Tobias Harris and Jamal Murray, among others, during their pre-draft preparations. 

For the next 90 minutes, he pushes through a high-tempo, dizzying array of full court dribbling drills while handling two balls simultaneously. He then transitions to shooting every conceivable shot off pick and rolls, pick and pops and screen and catches. 

The angles while smooching the rock all over the backboard are reminiscent of a pool shark’s english. 

“This summer, our objectives were to sharpen up an overall skill set that he could showcase in an NBA setting,” says Brown. “We elaborated more on stretching the floor because in the pro game, you have to be able to knock down that deep ball.”

Back in the Highlander, he relaxes while heading towards Greenwich Village for a well-deserved lunch break. Stalled in traffic near Union Square as food options are being discussed, the conversation shifts to what his favorite movie is. 

Burns excitedly scoots forward in his seat and straightens up. Through a thin smile, the words burst gently out of his mouth.

“Yo, fo’real, I love Paid in Full with Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris and Cam’ron,” says Burns. “The dialogue, the cinematography, the music, the Harlem scene in the ‘80s, the wardrobe, the acting, the slang, the story arc, the message and the fact that it’s based on a true story? Maaaaan, I love how all of that comes together. That’s my favorite movie of all-time!”

The driver, stuck at a red light, turns with a mischievous smile to meet Burns’ steady gaze. “Oh, word?” he says to his oversized passenger. “Cool. Change of plans, we’re going to Harlem right now then.”

As the vehicle idles in midtown traffic on the sun-splashed, pleasant spring afternoon, Burns glances out the window at the teeming sidewalk while his ears are assaulted by honking horns. 

“Why is there so much traffic at lunchtime? Why is everyone honking their horns? Why is everyone so angry looking and walking so fast? Man, all of these folks just need a massage,” he says while shaking his head.

As the street arteries become uncongested and the glass skyscrapers of multinational corporations give way to the opulent billion dollar apartment buildings inhabited by wealthy celebrities and business tycoons, Burns notes to himself, “Oh, this is where the rich folks live. I need to come back here sometime and do some shopping.”

When they pass 96th street and creep a little further uptown, as the previous decadence gives way to the Spanish Harlem version of Park Avenue, with its sagging, depressing, brown brick housing project facades, Burns is amazed at the dichotomy. 

He’s told that this neighborhood forged Alpo, the real-life teenage drug lord that inspired Cam’Ron’s character, Rico, in his favorite movie. “This is amazing,” he says softly. “To experience this neighborhood and these streets, to see these people and the real culture behind Paid in Full. Maaaaaan, this is awesome.”

While exiting the Slutty Vegan takeout restaurant on West 135th Street with his order of a plant-based burger and fries topped with vegan beef and cheese, jalapenos, onions, lettuce and diced tomatoes, along with a large raspberry lemonade, he looks up and down the wide bustling thoroughfare and says, again to no one in particular, “Maaaaaan, I love Harlem! There’s so much Black history here.”

His meal is consumed while double-parked with the windows down. As the laughter and rhythms of the street pour in, the crew heads back toward the FDR Drive en route to lower Manhattan.

 As the banter turns toward his musical tastes, he casually mentions that he plays the piano, standup bass, tuba and the saxophone.

—

Burns sneaks in a quick cat nap before arriving at the Basketball City complex at Pier 36, 299 South Street. 

He walks gingerly into the mammoth complex, where all seven regulation courts are empty. The silence is soon replaced by his curated playlist once again when he pairs his iPhone with a nearby speaker device. Armed with the knowledge of his proficiency as an instrumentalist, as he works out with another of his trainers, Mike Collins, it’s now evident that he moves and plays to an inner biological symphony. 

There are elements of Jazz, Hip Hop, Trap, New Jack Swing, smooth R&B, Rock and Roll, buck nasty Funk and a taste of heavy metal in his gait and body language during the hour-and-a half workout that stresses the long ball off the dribble and the catch-and-shoot from the corners, wings and straight away.

“We started working together after the Final Four run, and I was pleasantly surprised by his humility, hunger, and ability to work at a high level with an attention to detail,” said Collins. “DJ enjoys the hard work. I know he’s tired and sore by the time he gets to me, but he has never complained. Not once.”

“People see how big he is, but they don’t understand how quick he is in tight spaces. He has a nice, smooth release and he’s banging in 200 to 300 long-range jumpers a day during our sessions alone, making over a thousand a week. He’s going to show folks some things they never saw from him in college.”

At 5:00 PM, Burns is back in Stamford at the Haute Healing Oasis Whole Body Wellness Center for an hour and a half of massages and non-steam infrared sauna treatments that soothe his joints, ligaments and muscles. 

After a short rest, he’s back at the Overdrive Elite facility from 8 to 9 o’clock for rigorous stretching exercises and medicine ball work to reduce his upper body excess and strengthen his core. 

From there, he’s off to grab a small dinner portion of baked fish and vegetables before being dropped back off at the Marriott, where a comfortable bed and a good night’s sleep await.

The next morning, around 5:15 AM, he’s up and eager to do it all over again. It’s a routine that he’s been following for six days a week over the last month.

—

Burns, who received his Bachelor’s Degree from Winthrop in Sociology and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Psychology at N.C. State, has yet to fully reflect on his spectacular nine-game postseason run. 

His mind will invariably wander toward the 24-point, 11-rebound, four-assist gem against Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, where he converted an absurd 75 percent of his shot attempts. 

And then there’s the monstrous performance against Duke in the Elite Eight, scoring 29 points, snagging four rebounds and dishing out three assists in the 76-64 victory that propelled the Wolfpack into the Final Four. 

He quickly turned the page to address the next challenge, proving those who relegated him to an afterthought as the NBA Draft approaches wrong.

At the pro day organized by 4Life Sports Management, the agency that reps him, at the Lakers training facility in El Segundo on May 21st, NBA reps in attendance were shocked at his body transformation. The buzz at the combine centered on his surprisingly accurate three-point shot and the fact that he’d shed approximately 50 pounds after his Final Four appearance. He has since been invited in for private workouts with the Cavaliers, Nets, Bucks and Rockets, with others calling to express interest. 

When Burns recently returned home for a brief visit, he even kept it real while trying on an expensive Gucci shirt that he purchased during the NCAA Tournament.

“When it first arrived, I couldn’t fit into it. Maaaan, those buttons were screaming at me” says Burns. “When I got back from New York, that beautiful butter soft thing fit me perfectly.”

In essence, that’s all he’s searching for moving forward, the perfect fit. “I just need one general manager, one organization, one coaching staff to believe in me and take a chance on me,” says Burns. “It won’t bother me if I don’t get drafted. When I get to Vegas for summer league, they’re gonna see what I can do. And the one team that gives me a shot will not regret it. I’ve been a winner every step of the way. I see no reason for that to change now.”

Photos via Getty Images. Exclusive photos by Kim Toledo and Brandon Christopher Hyman.

The post The Behind The Scenes Story of How DJ Burns Transformed His Body Heading Into the NBA Draft appeared first on SLAM.

During the 50 years since hip-hop was born, there have been more kicks in the game than a baby in a mother’s stomach. Take a brief look at the sneakers that have impacted the soundtrack to our lives.

1970s: PUMA Suede 

The Suede formed its first relationship with hip-hop as a breakdancing sneaker. Breakdancing was created when DJ Kool Herc—widely considered the creator of hip-hop—elongated his instrumentals allowing for people to dance longer. Breakdancing, and the PUMA Suede, took over the Bronx scene. The 1984 movie Beat Street featured the B-Boy groups Rock Steady Crew and the New York City Breakers, where they could be seen breakdancing in the beloved silhouette. The film gave the PUMA Suede a global audience that forever associated the shoe with hip-hop culture.

1980s: Nike Cortez 

N.W.A. was one of the most internationally known rap groups of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Despite their rather short stint, the group wore some extremely memorable footwear, most notably the Nike Cortez, which was and still is a West Coast staple. The members of N.W.A., in particular Eazy-E, were often spotted wearing the timeless silhouette since the release of their debut album N.W.A. and the Posse. The Cortez was one of the first Nike models produced and served as the foundation for many of their subsequent styles. 

Air Jordan I 

LL Cool J has his own extensive sneaker history to coincide with his nearly 30-year rap career. From Jordans to Reeboks to Filas, he rocked a ton. LL graced the back of his debut album Radio in the original Jordan I ’85 “Bred.” 

1990s: Fila 

Tupac Shakur provided Fila with a timeless sneaker moment when he wore the Fila Grant Hill 2 on the inner album sleeve of his critically acclaimed album All Eyez on Me. Seated next to his Jaguar XK and between the picturesque California palm trees, Pac sported the same Hill 2s that Grant was rocking on his way to four consecutive All-Star appearances. 

According to Grant himself, he gave Pac the very pair seen in the picture and was shocked to see that he actually wore them. 

Wu-Tang Clan 

One shoe that is synonymous with the Wu-Tang Clan is the Clarks Wallabee. Originally released in 1967, the Wallabee has been a staple in the hip-hop scene since the ’80s but did not hit the peak of its notoriety until it was co-signed by the Staten Island group. Another shoe that created instant bedlam was the “Wu-Tang” Nike Dunk Hi, released in 1999. The Wu-Tang symbol on the lateral ankle made the Dunks a collector’s item with a resale value in the many thousands.

NAS

As one of the most notorious New York rappers to ever do it, Nas had a responsibility to come correct with the best kicks at all times and was often seen in the Nike Air Force 1, a New York staple. In his song “Halftime” from his 1994 debut album Illmatic, Nas raps “And I’m a Nike head/I wear chains that excite the feds.”

2000s: Nike Air Force 1 

While the ’90s were dominated by Jordans and Nike Air Maxes, the Air Force 1 had a serious resurgence within the hip-hop community during the ’00s. Nelly is widely regarded as the king of the Air Force 1, largely due to his hit (yeah, you guessed it) “Air Force Ones.” Jay-Z was granted two pairs of Air Force 1s, one for his record label, Roc-A-Fella, and the other for the release of The Black Album. The rap group Terror Squad was also gifted with an Air Force 1 that was made exclusively for the boys from the Bronx.

Bape 

Synonymous with the early 2000s, The Bapesta was the first shoe created by Japanese designer Nigo and his brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape for short). Bapes were one of the hottest and most worn brands among rappers due to many of them having a personal relationship with Nigo. Pharrell Williams, a close friend of the designer, received three colorways of his own Bape Roadsta while Kanye West received a Bapesta inspired by his album The College Dropout. Soulja Boy dropped a song, “Bapes,” about his love of the sneaker. 

Reebok: G-Unit and S. Carter 

During the early 2000s, Reebok reclaimed the hip-hop scene with some memorable projects, partnering with rappers to release the S. Carter and G-Unit G-6 in 2003. They also collaborated with Pharrell Williams in 2004 to launch a skateboarding sneaker, The Reebok Flavour, under his line ICECREAM, a subsidiary of his brand Billionaire Boys Club. 

2010s: Travis Scott 

If you use resale value and the media frenzy surrounding sneakers as a measurement of success, then Travis Scott has likely had the most successful collaborative sneaker releases ever. Nearly every Travis Scott Jordan has sold out in mere seconds and has an outrageous resale value that has only continued to ascend. His Air Jordan Is in particular, both lows and highs, have been among the most popular sneakers of the last 20 years and worn by almost every athlete and celebrity imaginable. Nike granted Travis unprecedented freedoms like manipulating the Nike Swoosh and inserting pockets into sock liners. 

Drake

Starting in 2015, Drake and his brand OVO partnered with Jordan and released white and black pairs of Air Jordan Xs, XIIs and VIIIs. Most recently, OVO and Jordan produced an Air Jordan IV outfitted in the Toronto Raptors team colors. There are countless OVO PEs and samples, like the OVO Air Jordan XI with snakeskin replacing the patent leather and the “Charles Oakley” Air Jordan VIII that Jordan used to conjure a buzz around the released pairs. Drake also had two pairs of Air Jordan VIIIs made dedicated to Kentucky’s basketball coach John Calipari.

An entire issue dedicated to sneakers. Get your copy of KICKS 26.

Photos via Getty Images.

Graphic designed by Damon Bomar II. Follow him on Instagram, @itsdamegotvisuals and for design work, @damonbomarmedia

The post Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop with the Kicks That Have Impacted the Rap Game appeared first on SLAM.

As the name indicates, it’s the fourth version of New Balance’s flagship performance basketball silhouette. The NB design team turned up the volume with this one. The v4 is the first time that they’ve combined their high-quality cushioning technologies. FuelCell and Fresh Foam dance around each other, weaving and mixing on the v4. Things are gonna get all kinds of plush when the pair drops later this year. 

Time to get scientific. It’s the only way to correctly articulate the incoming elegance. Please peep the elevated diction in honor of the opulence. This is decadent expressionism. 

KICKS 26 featuring Jamal Murray is out now. Shop now.

Starting with FuelCell, New Balance took foam cushioning and hit that sucka with nitrogen. By infusing it with an element straight from the periodic table, some serious softness gets unlocked. The FuelCell cushioning that’s packed with nitrogen was seen on the v3, but it wasn’t joined by Fresh Foam. Now it is. Fresh Foam was made by 3D motion capture study. The engineers who worked on it collected data from pressure mapping and force application and then used that data to get the ideal comfort. 

When the dust settled on the v4’s final form, the FuelCell showed up in the lateral forefoot
and the medial heel. Fresh Foam popped out in the medial forefoot and the lateral heel. The v4’s outsole shows how the setups unite. It’s impressive engineering to get different compounds to interact with each other. FuelCell’s job is to provide dynamic responsiveness. Fresh Foam’s objective is comfort. Breathable mesh then covers the v4’s upper. There are also mid-foot webbings for lockdown and a big external heel counter. 

“Smooth,” Murray says about the v4. “It’s light. Comfy.”

He’s been a member of the New Balance squad for nearly three years now. As one of their most important athletes, the brand relies on his input to drive the TWO WXY franchise’s direction. 

“Just comfort, first and foremost,” he says on what he asked New Balance to deliver in the v4. 

“And I like colors. I like being able to separate the colors. I just want to be able to have more play in what it’s going to look like on the court. Even the black and white, something so simple as black and white, kinda reminds me of the old T-Macs in a way. Just kinda brings back memories. And I see the potential in what we can do this season.”

Speaking of what he and New Balance can do this season, he offers a slight preview of the v4 PEs he’ll be rocking in 2023-24. 

“You’ll definitely see the flooded out again, for sure,” he answers. That’s a reference to his preference for sneakers made up of mostly one hue, so much so that it floods the entire sneaker. “That’s my favorite. I like to have a sleek look, clean look, nothing too fussy. But I think with this, the way they designed it, I can still be creative.

“This doesn’t look blocky,” he goes on about the sneaker. “And I can obviously play with the colors and put it to my liking. As long as it doesn’t look too fussy. I can still look clean. I can either go with the flood look or I can mix it up.”

Murray says that footwear played a big role in his creativity as a kid. 

“That was the first thing I was able to create,” he says. “I did a lot of drawing growing up. My dad did a lot of drawing and sketching. He did t-shirts and hoodies and all that. And I feel like shoes were my first way to, you know, put what I had in my mind onto the court.”

Though NB doesn’t offer much on Murray’s v4 PEs, reps confirm that allusions will be made to Murray’s heritage, his love of the UFC and even his appreciation for red and white wines. 

These days, Murray says that music has become his creative outlet. He likes to read lyrics as artists like Lil Wayne, Eminem or J. Cole are mid-flow. With all the traveling he does and the time he spends getting mentally prepped for high-octane physical performance, he’s constantly listening to music, so much so that it’s helped him off the court. 

“Actually, music helped me speak a little bit better,” Murray says. “Getting in front of big crowds, I used to get really nervous. I still do to a point, but it used to be bad back then. And being able to read lyrics at a faster pace helped me articulate what I’m trying to get across better.”

It’s only been about two years since reading the lyrics has made him feel more comfortable with speaking in public. He’s pretty comfortable right now at our shoot. He’s gravitated to the white/black/red v4s since he came on set. In between rapping along to every line of these Cole songs, he’s been coming up with ideas. He’s thrown up a few peace signs. He’s pointed to his ring finger. He’s done his own styling and picked out what he feels most comfortable in, namely the dark green hoodie he’s wearing on this cover. 

Always a floor general.

Just less than a month has gone by since the championship-clinching win on June 12. 

Murray’s story is well known by now. He tore the ACL in his left knee on April 12, 2021, and still managed to climb all the way up the mountain to win the title. 

What’s less known is the man who lived the story. Murray has a tendency to stay quiet and not open all the way up. It’s not out of difficulty. He’s not a disrespectful human. In fact, it’s because he doesn’t think people will understand. He lives his life in the details. This is somebody who understands the feeling of individual muscles.

He pays attention to the heel movements of his opponents. He’s extremely attentive, but he operates in a world where speed and ease are the social currency. His true love of the game definitely takes more than 15 seconds to explain and that’s just about the attention span for most of the basketball-viewing public. That’s part of the game’s beauty. It can be fast food, or it can be a five-course meal that lasts four hours. Murray likes the latter. It just takes him a while to show it. 

Go back and watch his postgame press conference after the Nuggets won it all. He had been at the podium for about two and a half minutes when he started to break down the way his shot was feeling. Headed into a very technical territory of jump shooting, he stopped himself. “Forget—whatever,” he said on stage. He cut himself off. He stopped himself again during our interview. He was asked about an infamous staircase. It’s a staircase he’s mentioned in interview after interview and would prove to be a barometer for his rehab. 

“Obviously when I first got hurt, I couldn’t even bend my legs,” he says. “So going up the stairs, that’s why it sticks in my head so long. And with the injury and the knee, when you’re going down the stairs, you feel the tendon working. So when I was healthy enough to go down and up stairs, I could feel the wiggle on the way up and down. I could feel [that] I couldn’t bend as much. So that was stuck in my mind. Like, I gotta lift more, I gotta go deeper in my lifts when I’m doing single leg. I gotta do a heavier weight, I gotta ice more. I’m too sore today. That was my tell of how my body was feeling and where I was at.”

He almost didn’t allow himself to speak at a granular level about the sensation of one tendon in his left knee. But the granular level is the very best level. 

After that, it was only about the details. Jamal Murray, NBA champion, New Balance athlete, pride of Kitchener, Ontario, broke down his approach to watching film and shooting the basketball at a very, very, very granular level. Here’s some real insight into the mind of a title-winning point guard: 

“I go home and I watch so much film. I’ll be at dinner, throwing on my highlights. I’ll be watching some other guys. Talking about movements in basketball, and feel, and rhythm, and that hop that you’re talking about. Trae Young does the hop, too. Every time I do the hop, I’m probably rejecting. Every time he does it, he’s looking to reject or he’s looking to pull up. It’s a deceptive thing. You create an off-beat step to get your opponent going one way. You’re trying to make your defender think that you don’t see what’s there. Even if he’s sending me that way, I’ll just turn my body more and hesitate so that as he steps, I haven’t gone anywhere. Now I can reject or I can play off it. [Nikola Jokic] flips the screen, pull-up three. It’s all a read, and the reads are so minute, so detailed, a lot of people don’t know what I’m talking about. 

“So when I watch a highlight, right? Say I reject a screen and I shoot a pull-up three. An easy example. I’ll watch my shot, my steps. I’ll watch especially the timing. A lot of times, especially in transition, I’ll throw the ball to Jok and you don’t even see that we made eye contact. But I remember, OK, he looked at me then. His defender wasn’t looking. That pass is there. Or, The help defense didn’t see that so I know that’s there. When I shoot that pull-up three, as soon as the defender goes like that, that’s when I go. It’s hard for them to look back and see that. I’ll look at all that. Then when I get to the shot, I’ll look at how I went to my shot. Did I go left-right? Did I go right-left? Did I hop? Did I lean too forward? Did I jump too high? Did I not jump at all? Did I take too long? Did I arc it too much? Did I not hold my follow-through? Did I lean to the left because I was going to the left? Did I lean to the right? Did I over-lean? Did I over-kick? And they’re all makeable shots so when I dissect myself, I’m not—I could always do something better. But if I’m going to take that shot again, there are things I can fix to make it. So then I watch reactions. I’ll watch the fun stuff. I’ll watch the coach. How’d he react to a bad shot I made? Who stood up on my team to celebrate the three? Stuff like that.”

This section has not been for the casuals. This section has been for the ’heads. It’s been for the basketball-playing, mechanic-loving, film-obsessed nerds. Just a little bit of revenge for all of us. 

An orange couch has been sitting in the corner of the studio. Murray moves from the first photo setup over to the couch and quickly says these flicks are his favorite of the day. Looking over at the monitor, his face instantly shifts from mean mug to smile when he sees himself propped up with the v4 colorways all around. 

Click, snap, lightbulbs go off. 

The photos taken, the interview done, the real love for the game showcased, Jamal Murray takes off the yet-to-be-released New Balance TWO WXY v4 and exits the photo studio we’ve rented in Denver. 

Portraits by Marcus Stevens.

The post Jamal Murray Debuts the New Balance TWO WXY v4 and Shares the Secrets to His Jumpshot appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a simple but important designation that has become a rallying cry of sorts for fans who’ve waited nearly half a century to be taken seriously on the game’s biggest stage. Because despite the lazy misnomer that Denver is some barren mountain town only capable of football obsession, hoops culture in this part of the country has been thriving. And now, for the very first time, that basketball city is home to the best basketball team in the world.

It has taken exactly 47 years, 29 trips to the playoffs and one exceptionally talented man from Serbia to fully exorcise the NBA demons that have haunted this land for decades. That’s not even taking into consideration the extra nine campaigns that Denver spent in the ABA prior, each also ending in postseason heartbreak. But that was then.

This is now; a now where the Denver Nuggets really are world champions and a fan base can finally break free from playoff purgatory. It’s a beautiful outcome for a dream that has been brewing for years, with a team culture all their own. Equipped with a starting unit all age 30 or under and all returning next season, it might actually be the beginning of a whole new future for both the franchise and city, too.

Having grown up in Denver myself, it’s also something I’ve thought about for well over two decades. What if they actually won it?

So, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope snatched that final rebound in the waning moments of Game 5 against Miami, and confetti rained down from the Ball Arena heavens above, it made me reflect on the road the Nuggets took to get there. On how far the city has come in reclaiming its passion for the sport. And on how powerful the connection to both a team and a hometown can be for so many.

Let’s take it back. I didn’t inherit this path—I chose it. As the son of a Midwestern salesman and realtor, my family moved around a lot before settling down in the surprisingly vast metropolitan sprawl of Denver, CO. After living in basketball-obsessed cities like Chicago and Dayton, OH, I touched down in Denver in 1998. The Nuggets had won just 11 games all season and couldn’t fill their arena. It wasn’t exactly electric, but it was the beginning. The Nuggets have held a piece of my heart since, but it took a minute to capture everyone else’s.

The thing about Denver is that despite its mid-market classification, it’s still a city with teams in all four major professional sports—three of which have been crowned champions since 2015. If we’re talking about the last decade, the Mile High City has as good a case as any for the distinction of Title Town. So, fighting for relevancy and attention doesn’t always come easy, even locally.

One thing that is sure to bind the masses, though, is an underdog. And what’s great about an underdog story is that it can assume many forms. It can be about a city that feels overlooked and miscast as some small David out west. It can be about a franchise that was close to glory before, but never able to summit the mountain until now.

It can be about Jamal Murray, a flamethrower from Kitchener, Ontario, returning stronger after a devastating knee injury to light up the 2023 Playoffs. Or Nikola Jokic, a back-to-back MVP from Sombor, Serbia, who has defied both logic and expectation at every turn since he was drafted 41st overall. Similar can be said about players up and down this roster, from Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr to Bruce Brown and rookie Christian Braun. Each carries a chip on their respective shoulders—both individually and together as one.

This town has always embraced that underdog mentality, and its basketball team has embodied that to its core.

Head coach Michael Malone knew that when he first came to Denver in 2015. So did the front office when it went to work rebuilding a team in that image.

Think what you want about his delivery methods, but there’s nothing vague about both Malone’s personality or the culture he’s worked to instill. He’s direct, often bluntly so, passionate and intensely steadfast about what the mission at hand is—driving home the narrative, round after round, that Denver was disrespected and overlooked. Whether you agree or not, that locker room believed it in its bones. Underdog fuel.

Hell, Malone popped off one of the greatest championship parade performances of all time at the podium, and I’m confident it was only partially due to the cinnamon whiskey coursing through his veins. Still, all that fire(ball) and fierceness only goes so far unless your players are buying into the message. Thankfully for Denver, if playing the role of challenger is the script bonding its players together, selflessness is the super glue keeping anything from falling apart.

“When we win a championship, it’s 17 players strong,” said Malone in front of an estimated 750,000 Nuggets faithful at the championship parade, screaming until his voice was gone. “It’s the coaching staff, it’s the front office, it’s the ownership, but more importantly, it’s all of you [the fans].”

He paused slightly before extending out the mission.

“Y’all wanna do it again? Let’s do this. Dynasty. Dynasty. Dynasty. I love y’all.”

You could almost feel him working through next season’s narrative in real time. Surely no one believes they can repeat again next year, right??? Underdog fuel.

These Nuggets have embraced the journey. They play for each other and often talk about how, to win for the next man, you’ve gotta sacrifice your own ego at the door. Every player, every coach, every fan. That’s the only way you can break a curse that’s lasted 47 years—and how you run through Minnesota, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Miami to do it. You’ve got to earn it.

I’ve never been to a championship parade before, so I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.

I definitely didn’t expect that upwards of 750,000 people would come out to celebrate on a Thursday morning. But they did—littered in championship swag, Mile High jerseys and about a thousand shirts featuring Murray and Jokic photoshopped onto the Step Brothers movie poster.

It also became clear that not only had the city’s passion and mentality rubbed off on the team, but the fans had taken a page straight from the Nuggets handbook.

What’s immediately evident when you watch Denver play is that they all seem to genuinely like each other. In every interview and at every opportunity, each player on the team comes back to this central point: they root for the guy next to them. And granted, every fan who found themselves at the parade was there to celebrate a literal world championship, but for at least a few hours it did feel like everyone in the city genuinely liked each other, too. Not one of them can drop a 30-point triple-double in the Finals, so maybe that’s where the similarities end, but it was admittedly cool to see.

For a guy who has largely watched this current team blossom and grow from a thousand miles away in California, it was a bit surreal to see how many, and how much, other people truly cared.

It meant something to these fans, and it means something to this city. That something is different for everyone, including Jokic, who also provided the most notable on-stage appearance of parade day.

When it was finally his turn at the microphone, he stood there for a minute and waited, smiling and taking in the overwhelming chants of “M-V-P” below, with his entire team hyping up the crowd from behind. That moment of crowd swell felt like an avalanche of joy and relief. Like a great communal weight had finally been lifted.

Being a fan of anything is a journey, and it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. A connection to home, a love for the game, a family bond, a piece of a community. For 47 years, this community has seen the ups and downs of where that journey can take you. From the lottery to the bubble to the Finals. The painful lows only made the epic ascent mean that much more.  You’ve got to earn it.

Yet, and rightfully so, none of that seemed to matter much as Joker finally quieted the crowd back down to reality. In the end, maybe we don’t need to overcomplicate it, but rather just enjoy the view. Especially when you’re looking at it from an all-new elevation.

“I f—ing want to stay on parade,” said Joker smiling to the crowd. “This is amazing. We are all going to remember this our whole lives.

“We love you Denver, this one is for you.”

Amen, brother. It’s finally a parade inside my basketball city, yeah.

SLAM 245 featuring Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets is available now.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Denver Nuggets’ Rise to Becoming NBA Champions Marks a New Beginning for the City appeared first on SLAM.

Since his college days, the superstar has always been a force to be reconciled with, and now, Murray has made sure everyone knows that. In honor of his, and the Nugget’s victorious season, here’s a look back at Murray’s ascension over the years—from his SLAM 230 cover story to his days at Kentucky and more.

2016: FEATURE IN SLAM 199

Back in 2016, a 19-year-old Jamal Murray was finishing up his first, and only, season of college basketball at the University of Kentucky. In SLAM 199, Murray opened up about his decision to enter the NBA Draft, dealing with expectations and more.

You can read this story and more in our SLAM Digital Archives, which has every copy of SLAM, ever.

2020: JAMAL MURRAY COVERS SLAM 230

In 2020, Murray was gearing up for what would be a breakout run in the bubble. Murray was averaging a then-career high 18.5 points per game during the 2019-2020 season.

For the cover of SLAM 230, we talked to Murray about how he expresses himself through basketball and how he’s inspired by martial arts legend Bruce Lee, practices mindfulness and more.

Celebrate ‘Mal’s championship status with this exclusive SLAM 230 Cover Tee.

The post Here’s a Look Back on Jamal Murray’s Ascension Over the Years — SLAM 230 Cover and More 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.

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

James Harden is Reportedly “Seriously Considering” Returning to Houston:

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, Harden is reportedly considering a reunion with the Rockets if he doesn’t re-sign with Philadelphia as a free agent in July.

However, after the Sixers’ win over the Knicks on Christmas Day, Harden addressed the media and let them know how he really feels about being in Philly.

“I’m here, we’re playing very well, and I don’t know where that report came from,” Harden said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. “But I’m excited to be here, and we’re playing well. We’re continuing to get better.”

Meanwhile, Harden caught everyone’s attention with this colorful holiday fit. Hide y’all presents.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LeagueFits (@leaguefits)

Joel Embiid and Harden Combine to Score 64 Points against the Knicks:

The Beard (29 points and 13 dimes) and Joel Embiid (35 points) put up a combined 64 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists to help the 76ers extend their win streak to eight games with a 119-112 dub over the Knicks on Sunday.

The Sixers outscored the Knicks 24-9 to open the fourth and turned a one-point deficit into a 116-102 lead late in the fourth quarter.

“It was one of those games where you’ve just got to stick around,” Harden said per ESPN. “Like, stick around, stick around, and then fourth quarter, you give yourself a chance.

64 PTS | 12 REB | 14 AST @JHarden13 & @JoelEmbiid‘s combined Christmas Day stat line. vote both for NBA All-Star: https://t.co/kNf5hhEIQx.

presented by @palottery pic.twitter.com/Lu2cQROE6c

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 25, 2022

Jayson Tatum Torches the Bucks For 41 Points while Jaylen Brown Takes Over:

Jayson Tatum posted 41 points, including a ferocious first-half yam over Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaylen Brown scored 29 points to help Boston (24-10) reclaim the top record in the League with a 139-118 win over the Bucks (22-11).

Boston grabbed a 100-86 lead after Tatum scored 20 points in the third quarter, and Brown brought the Celtics home with 13 points in the final frame; he also refused to back down after posting a screen that sent the Greek Freak to the ground. Brown and Antetokounmpo had a back-and-forth, but y’all know it’s only basketball. The players don’t take it seriously, and neither should basketball fans.

Boston gave Milwaukee their first three-game losing streak, while the Celtics have now won back-to-back contests after losing five out of six recent games.

HE CAUGHT ONE @jaytatum0 hammered it home in tonight’s @JetBlue Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZU6oCbvRB0

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 26, 2022

Jordan Poole Put Up a Dominate 32 Points to Lead Golden State Past Memphis:

Jordan Poole did what he had to do to play Grinch and ruin the Grizzlies’ Christmas after he dropped a team-high 32 points to lead the Warriors past Memphis on Sunday. Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks) and Klay Thompson (24 points on 8-25 shooting) also put up some solid performances. They played up the burgeoning rivalry they have with Memphis with some sublime shi*t talking toward Dillon Brooks as well.

“He knows that he can’t get a second one. He’s still a young player,” head coach Steve Kerr said per ESPN. “Jordan was fantastic tonight, and we needed his offensive firepower.”

Dray Jordan

» https://t.co/ocDF2EGGU9 pic.twitter.com/HL0YggMOBa

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Nikola Jokic Drops a Christmas Day Triple-Double Against the Suns:

Nikola Jokic (41 points, 15 boards, and 15 dimes) dropped his 83rd career triple-double and led the Nuggets to a 128-125 win over the Phoenix Suns. The two-time MVP recorded a 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist performance a week ago. It was the fourth 40-point, 15-rebound, 15-assist game in League history. Oscar Robertson (1961, 1962) accomplished it twice, and James Harden did it in 2016.

“Sick,” Aaron Gordon said of Jokic’s outing, per ESPN. “Those are video game numbers.”

Another MVP performance

41/15/15. Triple-Double 8⃣3⃣ pic.twitter.com/W5PNYlDFar

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

Jamal Murray (26 points, five rebounds, and five assists) forced overtime with a game-tying dunk, and Aaron Gordon put the exclamation point on the win with a poster over Landry Shamet.

“Yeah,” Gordon said. “Because of the time and score.”

Nuggets Nation BROUGHT THE ENERGY tonight. For that, we leave you with this

Goodnight, Wuggets Wation pic.twitter.com/WOYUm1twk7

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) December 26, 2022

The post NBA Weekend Recap: Elite Christmas Day Matchups and James Harden Addresses Reports of His Return to Houston appeared first on SLAM.

All-Star guards Jamal Murray and Damian Lillard had quite the duel as the game came down to the wire, as they both scored 14 points each in the 4th.

It looked like Dame Time in Portland was coming down the stretch, with Lillard dropping 40 points on shooting 12-22 from the field (54.5 percent). Lillard hit a clutch three-pointer from the top right corner to put the Blazers up 120-118 with just 8.8 seconds remaining on the shot clock.

However, Murray seemed to have other plans.

As the Nuggets inbounded the ball on their side of the court, Murray used his crafty handling abilities to make enough space in the left corner to get a long-distance shot off over Blazers forward and former teammate Jerami Grant.

As time winded down 3, 2, 1 — Murray delivered a cold-blooded dagger that sealed the Nuggets’ victory over the Trailblazers 121-120.

“I’ve come a long way,” Murray said, per The Athletic.

Postgame, Murray spoke to AltitudeTV about his game-winning shot;

“We just wanted to get the ball in going to Jokic, he fumbled it kinda on the sideline, and he just gave it back. I realized we had a lot of time, so I didn’t have to rush my shot, got to my spot, and made it.”

Murray finished the game with 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Just another regular day in the office for the SLAM 230 cover athlete. Murray and the Nuggets look to build on the momentum from Thursday’s win as they return home to Denver to take on the Utah Jazz tomorrow.

The post Jamal Murray Spoils Dame Time With a Clutch Game-Winner Over Portland appeared first on SLAM.

Chet Holmgren working on his shot pic.twitter.com/6b86KxecvK

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) December 2, 2022

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft suffered the injury at a Jamal Crawsford Crawsover Pro-Am game in August that had to be stopped due to unsafe court conditions. Holmgren played on the same day where LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero, and Tari Eason played at the Crawsford League.

Chet Holmgren back in his hometown pic.twitter.com/oKNvrhYWHO

— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) December 4, 2022

The Thunder said Holmgren remains on track to return next season. Recovery from a Lisfranc ligament tear typically takes from nine to 12 months. The former Gonzaga Bulldog averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game during his three-game appearence at the Las Vegas Summer League.

The post Chet Holmgren Had a Secondary Operation to ‘Remove Hardware’ From Lisfranc Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Murray had a quiet eight points in the first-half of action but erupted for 16 points over the final 24 minutes. Murray ended up finishing with 24 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 33 minutes of action.

Love seeing Jamal attack like this. Returning to form. (via @nuggets) pic.twitter.com/qMSw2t0qIx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 4, 2022

Murray was a human highlight reel last night, making all the plays and shots we had gotten accustomed to seeing him hit before he tore his ACL. At one point, he had hit a tough three-pointer and then turned around and pointed at a fan. Murray couldn’t recall who said what, but postgame, he simply said;

“I blacked out; I kind of get like that.”

TOUGH bucket by Jamal pic.twitter.com/OzqSF7kFYB

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 4, 2022

Postgame, Murray was interviewed by AltitudeTV, where he was asked what was going well for him in the fourth, to which Murray answered,

“Just made some shots, wanted to win the game, we needed a spark, and I just decided to make some shots and give us that edge.

"I just didn't want to lose the game, honestly."

Jamal's on last night's game and his performance pic.twitter.com/GkwChdCmFo

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 4, 2022

The Nuggets ended up winning the game 122-110 and improved to a 5-3 record to kick off the new season. Things can only go up from here for fans in the Mile High state as Murray and the Nuggets look to start a winning streak going versus the San Antonio Spurs Saturday.

The post Jamal Murray ‘Blacked Out’ During Explosive Second-Half Surge appeared first on SLAM.

Los Angeles Clippers have been considering the possibility of bringing Kawhi Leonard off the bench to start the season in order to manage his minutes, league sources tell @YahooSports.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 20, 2022

The temporary experiment could start as soon as Thursday when the Clippers start the season against their hallway rival Lakers. Before training camp, Clippers president Lawrence Frank said that the Clippers planned on taking a cautious approach while Leonard returned from a torn ACL he suffered during the 2021 playoffs.

Leonard has gone through a load management program since he suffered a quadriceps injury that robbed him of most of the 2017-2018 season.

Coming to NBA arenas this fall, the return of the League’s most terrifying two-way players.

Kawhi and PG cover SLAM 240. https://t.co/aTFojIRsVL pic.twitter.com/NnTVfLdhve

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 17, 2022

The last time Kawhi Leonard came off the bench, he was 21-years-old playing his second season in the NBA. Leonard was playing his first game after missing nearly a month of action due to quadriceps tendinitis. Leonard completed a rehab assignment with the Austin Toros, San Antonio’s G League affiliate. The two-time DPOY ended up starting the other 57 games he appeared in that season.

The post REPORT: Clippers ‘Considering’ Bringing Kawhi Leonard Off the Bench to Start the Year appeared first on SLAM.

Porter Jr. has had a tough stretch of NBA seasons so far, as yet another lower-back injury caused Porter to miss out on yet another season of action. After just signing a five-year $207 million extension with the Nuggets the previous year, many had begun to question if Porter could stay healthy.

Coach Michael Malone recently commented on Porter and said his main hope is that the Missouri product “stays healthy and gets through the season.

“The one priority for Michael is to hope that he stays healthy and gets through the season,” Malone said. “If he does that offensively, we know how gifted he is. The guy can score from all over the place. He is such a threat and weapon on the offensive end of the floor.”

In Porter’s recent preseason outing versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, Porter seemed to be clicking offensively, dropping 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the field in just 14 minutes of action. When MPJ was questioned about where he feels physically, he said he feels “really good right now.”

“I feel really good right now. I feel just as good as I have since I’ve been in the League. Still a lot of things I want to improve on, get better on, but I feel like, for now, it’s going to be steps up. Keep going up, keep going up until I keep reaching those goals, helping my team win, things like that. I kind of figured out the back thing, Lord willing. I think I kind of figured that out. So, now I can just keep growing and growing. I spent a lot of my offseason just getting back on the floor. So now, to be back where I’m on the court, I just feel like I can grow from here.”

MPJ was also asked if his confidence was back.

“It doesn’t leave me. My confidence in my game doesn’t leave me. But confidence in movement, I’m still working through all that. But I’m good. I feel really good. My balance is getting there. It’s coming along. That’s the last thing, the last pop, the last bit of explosiveness is kind of what you wait on the most. But it is getting there, for sure. Every week, every month, it’s getting better and better.”

Seeing Porter back on the basketball court after dealing with such severe and nagging injuries is genuinely remarkable. Heading into this new NBA season, Porter will also be joined by another sensational talent in Jamal Murray, who the Nuggets missed last season due to injury. With those two back, the Denver Nuggets have a huge opportunity to make a deep playoff run and possibly even win the championship.

With the Nugget’s season set to tip off tonight against the Utah Jazz, their journey begins to see if they can achieve those goals.

The post Michael Porter Jr. Opens Up About His Confidence Within His Body and Game appeared first on SLAM.

Ben Simmons might’ve played for a different team, the Philadelphia Sixers, the last time he suited up in a game 470 days prior, but after a season-long trade request and subsequent back injury, Simmons is back for the Brooklyn Nets. He faced off against his former squad in the first preseason game, scoring six points, grabbed four boards, dishing out five dimes and a steal in 19 minutes. 

“I’m grateful just to be able to step on that floor,” Simmons said, per ESPN. “Step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.”

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Out on the west coast, Kawhi Leonard made his well-awaited return after suffering a torn ACL during the 2021 NBA playoffs against the Utah Jazz. The two-time Finals MVP picked up right where he left off, scoring 11 points and collecting four rebounds with two steals against the Portland Trailblazers in only 16 minutes.

“It was great,” Leonard said. “Just being able to put all that hard work that I did throughout the, 14, 16 months, just able to put it to test and playing against NBA talent, it was good.”

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And then there’s SLAM 230 cover star Jamal Murray, who has been missing from action since he tore his ACL during the 2021 regular season. He gave optimists a lot of reasons to feel vindicated for their faith that he would return better than ever in his first game back, finishing with 10 points on 4-7 from the field in only 15 minutes. 

We’ve said it before, but let it be known now that’s he back: it’s Jamal Murray’s time.

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A post shared by Denver Nuggets (@nuggets)

With the NBA regular season right around the corner, these three superstars are joining (or re-joining) teams with championship aspirations and contention expectations. It’s been too many days too long and the game is better with them on the court. 

The post Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard Make Their NBA Return appeared first on SLAM.

His imminent return alongside Jamal Murray and back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic has made the Nuggets a threat to win the 2023 NBA Championship. However, Nuggets Coach Mike Malone still thinks Porter Jr. has room to improve. 

“I think if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse,” Malone said. “I really feel that way. You never say the same, any of us. So for Michael, yes, he’s dealt with the injuries but understanding that for him, it’s a discipline within his offensive spacing. Get to the corner. Getting to the corner is not stopping above the break. He’s not a good; he’s a great corner three-point shooter. Well, have the discipline to get there every time.” 

Porter has averaged 14.1 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game over his four-year career. In his most productive season as a professional, the 2020-2021 campaign, Porter Jr averaged 19 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game on 54.2 percent shooting from the field and 44.5 percent shooting from the three-point line. 

Malone says the former lottery pick must also work on his off-ball awareness.

“Moving without the ball and spacing off the ball. He has the tendency, sometimes, to gravitate to the ball. Trust me, man, the ball is gonna find you. That’s the way we play.” 

Despite playing in 125 of 309 possible regular season games in his four-year career, MPJ earned a five-year contract extension last summer. The Nuggets will look for him to take another jump after he competed in only nine games last season before being sidelined by injury. 

The post Coach Mike Malone Hoping to See More ‘Discipline’ From Michael Porter Jr. appeared first on SLAM.

Exams show Chet Holmgren has potential torn ligaments in his foot, sources said. A timetable is being determined based on further evaluations. https://t.co/vig5zWOSzz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 24, 2022

According to Charania, exams showed that Holmgren “potentially” tore some ligaments in his foot. The Oklahoma City Thunder will set a timetable after determining the extent of the No. 2 overall picks injuries. The former Gonzaga standout reportedly suffered the injury while playing at a Jamal Crawford CrawsOver Pro-Am game that featured LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero, and Tari Eason.

Holmgren averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game during the three games he played at the Las Veagas Summer League.

The post REPORT: Chet Holmgren Suffered Potential Torn Ligaments in His Foot appeared first on SLAM.

Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels had 52 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists against Bachero and Holmgren at The Crawsover in Seattle. The Seattle native and University of Washington alum returned home to put it down for his city in an impressive performance.

In a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today, Crawford was asked which player at the most recent Crawsover events (which also featured Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and John Collins on Sunday) stood out to him the most. His response? Jaden McDaniels.

“The one I think is least talked about is Jaden McDaniels,” Crawford said. “His offense is so good, but right now, he’s in a role where he’s playing defense to stay on the court. But once his offense is unlocked, you’re looking at somebody who’s so fluid, 6’9, can handle the ball, make plays, very smooth when he plays, doesn’t disrupt the offense with how he plays.”

He’s someone who, I think, is the one that doesn’t get talked about enough,” Crawford said. “But he’s gonna be a great, great player for years to come.”

We’ve always known he’s had the hops, but McDaniels showed off an improved jump shot and handle at The Crawsover, making him a must-watch player heading into his third NBA season.

The 21-year-old averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the field last season. McDaniels only shot 31.7 percent from three-point range in the regular season but saw that number jump to 50.0 percent in Minnesota’s hard-fought playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

If McDaniels could find some consistency with his jump shot, he could be set for a breakout season with the Timberwolves. With a young core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, along with the blockbuster acquisition of Rudy Gobert, McDaniels and the T-Wolves will have to prove last season’s playoff appearance was the first of many to come in Minnesota.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Jamal Crawford Believes Jaden McDaniels Will Be a ‘Great Player For Years to Come’ appeared first on SLAM.

Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has agreed to a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, the richest deal in NBA history, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Fifth season (2027-28) will be a player option at $60M.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022

The back-to-back MVP and the Nuggets agreed to a five-year $264 million supermax contract extension. The Joker reportedly also has a player option worth $60 million for the 2027-28 season. The 27-year-old center has led the Nuggets to the playoffs each of the last four seasons, including a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2020.

This last season, Jokic led the Nuggets to a 48-34 record and a sixth-place finish in the Western Conference playoffs while Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. missed most if not all of the season due to respective knee and back injuries. The Joker averaged 26.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game on 57.5 percent shooting from the field. Jokic also led the League in player efficiency for the second year in a row.

“I would like it, of course, but it’s not something that I’m deciding,” Jokic said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic when asked about winning another MVP. “I think of course if it’s offered—if (the) offer is on the table—of course, I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization and really like the people who work here.”

Amick reported that Denver was expected to offer Jokic a five-year, $254 million extension that would make him the highest-paid player in the game. Assuming Murray comes back near his top form, Porter Jr. is healthy, and Jokic continues to play at a high level, the Nuggets could be a significant playoff threat next season.

The post Nikola Jokic Signs Richest Contract in NBA History appeared first on SLAM.

Leading up to tonight’s festivities, we’re taking a look at the cant-miss prospects you should have on your radar. Let’s get it.

Bennedict Mathurin

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Bennedict Mathurin leads the next generation of Canadian hoopers.

A true shot-maker with the ability to score in the catch-and-shoot or off the dribble, Mathurin should be able to provide instant offense for a team at the next level. He scored 17.7 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field, and 36.9 percent shooting from three and displayed the capability to take a game over at Arizona (look no further than his career-high 30 points against TCU in the second round of the NCCA Tournament).

In addition to his shooting prowess, Mathurin has a powerful first step when attacking the rim and has shown the physicality to destroy rims.

His efficiency as a long-range shooter is something teams across the League love. During his freshman season, Mathurin hit 41.8 percent of his three-point attempts as a spot-up shooter. When asked to do more during his sophomore campaign, Mathurin improved his accuracy despite jumping up to 6.1 shots per game (while also managing ball-handling and playmaking duties).

Mathurin also has an excellent in-between game and is reliable at the free-throw line, 78.9 percent as a sophomore. His maturation from a spot-up shooter to a dynamic three-level scorer makes him one of the most dangerous prospects in the draft. He’s also a willing rebounder with good size and strength, pulling down 5.6 boards per game last season.

The 2021-22 PAC-12 Player of the Year and consensus second-team All-American has earned comparisons to the likes of Jamal Crawford and Victor Oladipo with his length and ability to score off the dribble and in catch and shoot sets.

A product of the NBA Academy Latin America, Mathurin’s refined offensive game makes him a flat-out baller and a player who should be a productive scorer for years to come.

Keegan Murray

Improvement was the key to Keegan Murray’s college career at Iowa. Nearly every major statistical category of Murray’s game improved from year one to year two. His rebounding improved by over 3.5 boards per game; he transformed into a knockdown outside shooter, dished one more assist per game, and saw improved steal and block numbers. The result of this? A projected top-five pick with the tools to be a two-way star.

At 6’8, Murray’s a versatile defender with the length and mobility to guard nearly every position on the court. He averaged two blocks and a steal per game last season and used his leaping ability to contest shots at the rim. The Iowa native isn’t afraid to mix it up with big men on the boards, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

On offense, Murray is a scorer who can be productive without the ball in his hands. Between timely cuts to the basket and a robust pick-and-pop game, Murray knows how to contribute without demanding isolation or ball-dominant sets effectively. He’s comfortable in the post and is productive in the paint because of his superb shot selection (a career 54.3 percent from the field).

Murray didn’t shy away from the pressure of being a number one option for the Hawkeyes, recording 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three last season.

After averaging just 7.2 points per game as a freshman, Murray was a consensus first-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten Tournament MVP as a sophomore. He was also the winner of the Karl Malone Award, given annually to the nation’s top power forward.

Murray could be considered a strong wing player or even a small-ball center in the League. His versatility presents mismatch nightmares for opposing teams. The ability to serve as a solid defensive presence while scoring from all three levels on offense is a rare trait. A late bloomer who was unranked in high school, Murray’s enormous improvements and potential as a do-it-all contributor on both sides of the floor make him one of the most intriguing prospects of the 2022 draft class.

Dyson Daniels

An Australian guard with elite defense and passing? We know what you’re thinking. No, Dyson Daniels is not a Ben Simmons replica, but he certainly shares a similar skill set as the 2016 No. 1 overall pick.

Daniels is a crafty playmaker and high-IQ defender who played in the NBL1 and NBA Global Academy in Australia before joining the G League Ignite in 2021. In the G League, he displayed his skill as a reliable ball-handler and master in the pick-and-roll with the ability to hit the open man or make defenders pay with his patented floater, a move that’s become a go-to option for the 19-year-old.

Daniels averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game when matching up against NBA-caliber talent last season. The 2018 FIBA Oceania U15 Gold Medalist emerged as a two-way threat with his 6-10 wingspan and solid frame. Excellent court vision and ability to be a disruptor on defense allowed Daniels to set himself apart from the rest as this year’s top G-League prospect.

Speaking of defense, Daniels recorded 1.9 steals in 2021-22 while showcasing the ability to lock up both traditional guards and larger wing players. His high basketball IQ serves him well on this end, as he knows when to switch and send help, but his one-on-one defense is what could make him a bag in the League. He sticks to his matchup, and because of his active hands and ability to slide his feet, he can be trusted on an island to put the clamps on.

The Australian only averaged 2.1 fouls per game last season, so he knows how to play defense without fouling. Daniels is also the first to dive on a loose ball and set the tone of the game, an invaluable asset not always shown on the stat sheet. Because of that mindset, Daniels contributed in ways you don’t see in the box score with his instincts, feel for the game, and hustle.

On offense, Daniels will have to boost his three-point shot (he shot 25.5 from three last season) to become an all-around threat, but he has the potential to turn into a spot-up shooter with his already much-improved jumper. He could potentially contribute immediately as a perimeter defender and facilitator as the two-way prospect teams desire in a top pick.

Ochai Agbaji

No prospect has improved over his four years in college more than Ochai Agbaji. He went from bench piece to regular starter to star player and has progressed at every point to find himself as a potentially coveted piece for an NBA team. 

It starts with his physical tools: Agbaji possesses a 6’10 wingspan and a 6’6 frame, making him an ideal wing defender for today’s NBA. Agbaji’s advanced defensive metrics suggest he is a wildly optimistic defender, something many NBA teams will find valuable. In his four years at Kansas, Agbaji hasn’t had a defensive plus/minus of less than 2.2. His vertical was measured at 39 inches at the combine, which will also serve him well in cutting situations and rebounding. 

Agbaji’s three-point shot has also steadily improved over his time in college, as he shot over 40% this past year, delivering several clutch moments throughout the college year. His most important moment was shooting 6/7 from three in the Final Four matchups against Villanova. He also went 7/12 from the field against Texas Tech at home and was a key performer in the Big 12 tournament championship going 3/6 from downtown, finishing with 16 points and seven boards.

When asked about staying for a fourth year in college, Agbaji opened up about his thought process.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta stay patient; sometimes it’s not going to be there right away, the first two years or first three years. But if you stay the course, things will come to fruition,” Agbaji said.

It seems as if staying one more year at Kansas helped his draft stock after testing the waters last year, which resulted in a consensus All-American year with a Big 12 & National championship at a blue blood program under an all-time great coach in Bill Self. The stars have aligned for him as the ideal “Three and D” prototype that teams demand after four years of steady improvement and being a late bloomer, which has been for the better.

Shaedon Sharpe:

Shaedon Sharpe technically hasn’t played since his senior year of high school, where he was the number one ranked player in the 2022 class until he reclassified to the 2021 class. Sharpe sat out the entire 2021-2022 college season, choosing to develop on-campus without playing a game; however, that hasn’t seemed to hurt his draft stock in any capacity. 

“My thought process as an athlete, as a basketball player, was really just getting better,” Sharpe said per Sporting News. “So I was just in the gym every day, working out. Really for me, whatever happened, I’d be ready for it.

“Like I said before, everything happens for a reason. So I really don’t regret [not] playing,” Sharpe said. “I mean, I’m working with NBA teams now. So I guess I did something right.”

According to Eric Bossi, the National Basketball Director of 247sports, “Sharpe is an explosive athlete with a nose for the rim.” Bossi also said Sharpe had developed his handle “tremendously,” which has allowed him to become a creative scorer and playmaker.

According to Bossi, Sharpe also has an “electric first step and his ability to get downhill, into the lane, and then finish around the rim.” Bossi also likes Sharpe’s length and ability to move well laterally and believes he “has all of the tools to develop into a player who is just as disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as he is on offense.”

Like Agbaji, his physical tools allow him to be a coveted prototype NBA wing that plays defense and can score at all three levels. His explosive athleticism will keep him a step ahead of everyone else in the League, much of that credit going to his above-average first step. If he can just control the ball-handling a little bit more and prove to be healthy, he could be THE steal of the draft.

The post 2022 NBA Draft Preview: Can’t-Miss Prospects appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

6-3 AND BELOW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-4 TO 6-8 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6-9 AND UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Count Coach Doc Rivers amongst the masses, the 76ers coach advocated for his MVP candidate Joel Embiid to be the winner of the prestigious award.

“I don’t know if I could’ve done more than he did this year, play without the second-best player all year. Listen, his resume was great. I’m not taking anything away from Jokic either because he’s a hell of a player. I do think this whole analytic-drive society world is out of control at times with some of the measures that they use. Like, watch the dang game and decide is what I’ve always said.”

“But at the end of the day, if Joel had won, which I thought he should have, there would have been criticism that way if Giannis (Antetokounmpo) had won. Only one guy could win, unfortunately.”

Doc Rivers on the MVP race: “I do think this whole analytic-driven society, world is out of control at times with some of the measures that they use. Like, watch the dang game and decide is what I’ve always said.”

Full quote below. pic.twitter.com/3gWVQBvmAA

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) May 10, 2022

The case for Jokic is that he put together a historically great season this season without Jamal Murray (torn ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (lower back) by his side for most if not all of the regular season. Jokic finished the 2021-22 campaign, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game on 58.3 percent shooting from the field. He also led the League in PER (32.8), win shares (15.2), box plus/mins (13.7), and value over replacement player (9.8).

The Joker also became the first player in NBA history to hit 2,000 points, 1,000 boards, and 500 dimes in a single season.

For Embiid, he led the Sixers (51-31) to a tie with the Bucks and Celtics for second best in the Eastern Conference while becoming the first center since Shaquille O’Neal to lead the League in scoring with 30.6 points per game. Embiid also finished fifth in rebounds (11.7) and played in a career-high 68 games this year. All without his All-Star partner in crime Ben Simmons.

Embiid has finished as the runner-up twice in a year now, both times to Jokic, who completed both seasons with historical numbers. Jokic becomes the first player since Russell Westbrook to win MVP with the sixth-best record in their conference. Brodie won the MVP after becoming the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson.

The post Doc Rivers on Joel Embiid’s MVP Snub: ‘Only One Guy Could Win, Unfortunately’ appeared first on SLAM.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2022

The League will make a formal announcement sometime this week, according to Woj. The Joker became the 14th player in League history to win back-to-back MVPs and the first since Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in ’19 and ’20. Stephen Curry went back-to-back in ’15 and ’16.

Jokic put together a historically great season this season without Jamal Murray (torn ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. (lower back) by his side for most if not all of the regular season. Jokic finished the 2021-22 campaign, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game on 58.3 percent shooting from the field. He also led the League in PER (32.8), win shares (15.2), box plus/mins (13.7), and value over replacement player (9.8).

The Joker also became the first player in NBA history to hit 2,000 points, 1,000 boards, and 500 dimes in a single season.

Denver posted a 48-34 record for the year, good for sixth in the Western Conference, with Jokic guiding the Nuggets’ sixth-ranked offense in the League.

The other finalists for the MVP were Giannis Antentokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

The post REPORT: Nikola Jokic Wins Second Straight MVP appeared first on SLAM.

And to Nuggets Nation,

The best is yet to come. pic.twitter.com/OAxTbwtK3V

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 28, 2022

During his postgame press conference with assembled media, Nikola Jokic implied he would sign what will reportedly be the largest supermax extension in NBA history after finishing the season with a historic individual season that could help him win his second consecutive MVP award. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, the contract will be worth $254 million over five years.

Footwork clinic pic.twitter.com/GOZP0mT0DX

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 28, 2022

“I would like it, of course,” Jokic said per ESPN. “But it’s not something that I’m deciding. I think if [the] offer is on the table, of course, I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who work here. I’m in [a] really good relationship with everybody from [the] owner to equipment manager.”

pic.twitter.com/6GodKkOoON

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 28, 2022

The reigning defending MVP became the first player in League history to register 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season. Jokic also became the first to average at least 25 points, 13 rebounds, and seven dimes in a season and the first to lead his teams in all traditional stats, including field goal percentage, since steals and blocks became an official stat in 1973-74, according to ESPN.

“I mean, I never dream about it,” Jokic said of possibly becoming a back-to-back MVP. “It’s something that if it happened, it’s a great thing, of course. It’s something that probably legacy; my name is always going to be there.”

“But if I don’t get it, I’m not going to die. … It would be nice, but if it happens, happens.”

The post Nikola Jokic on Signing Supermax Extension: ‘I’m Going to Accept It’ appeared first on SLAM.

While there’s been optimism all season that Denver could get one or both of these guys back for the playoffs, those hopes are starting to fade. 

As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, Murray and Porter Jr. will both miss the final game of the regular season and are “unlikely” to return during the postseason. 

Despite being without these two key pieces for nearly the entire season, the Nuggets have played very well. Entering the final day of the regular season, they’re tied for the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 48-33. 

Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has once again been spectacular this season, carrying Denver throughout the season as they played shorthanded.

Anytime Jokic is on the floor, Denver has a chance to win. As such, the Nuggets are a team nobody should want to play in the first round of the playoffs. 

The post Denver Nuggets Could Be Without Two Key Pieces In Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

NBA HISTORY

(Stat via @NBABlackburn) pic.twitter.com/hXmrp1wgKs

— x – Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 8, 2022

Joker was serenaded with “M-V-P” chants after scoring a fourth-quarter bucket to become the first player in NBA history to accumulate 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a single season. Jokic also became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to register at last 35 points and 12 rebounds in five straight games.

We liking the headband ? The Joker always has something up this sleeve.

(via @nuggets) pic.twitter.com/Ukl8VQbqae

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 8, 2022

The only other player who’s come close to accomplishing the same combination of stats was Wilt Chamberlain during the 1967-1968 campaign when he led the League in assists but came up eight points short of 2k. However, Wilt the Stilt won his third straight MVP that season. It remains to be seen if Jokic will. He’s in a tight race for the award with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

“I mean, it’s cool,” Jokic said per NBA.com. “I like it. Hopefully, I can do it a couple of more times.”

To top off all the good news, the Nuggets (48-33) clinched their fourth straight playoff appearance after beating the Grizzlies, 122-109, led by Jokic’s 35 points, 16 rebounds, and six assist double-double performance. If they beat the Lakers on Sunday and the Jazz suffers two more losses against the Suns and Trail Blazers, the Nuggets can win the Northwest Division, their third divisional title since 2019.

Jokic has averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 boards, and 7.8 dimes per game this season while leading the Nuggets to a sixth-place finish in the always-packed Western Conference without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. by his side. When it comes to winning a second straight MVP award, Jokic says, ‘if that’s enough, it’s enough. If not, you cannot control that.”

Coach Michael Malone wasn’t so subtle with his compliments on the Nuggets’ franchise cornerstone.

“The MVP isn’t even a competition,” Malone said. “There’s other great players. I’m not saying they’re not great players. But what Nikola Jokic has done this year — with this team — everything we’ve had to go through is just incredible. He was good last year, and he’s even better this year.”

The Nuggets can still win the Northwest Division with a victory Sunday night against the Lakers and two losses by the Utah Jazz (48-32), who finish up against Phoenix (63-17) and Portland (27-53).

The post Nikola Jokic First to Hit 2k Points, 1K Rebounds, and 500 Assists appeared first on SLAM.

With that in mind, there’s optimism that Murray has the change to get back on the court this season as he recovers from an ACL injury. Over the past several weeks, he has made strides towards getting back on the floor, increasing the amount of work he’s been able to do on the court in practice and training. 

However, Murray’s official return to action might still take more time. 

As first reported by Mike Singer of The Denver Post, Nuggets coach Michael Malone mentioned over the weekend that Murray is “not close” to returning to the lineup. 

Denver is set to make the playoffs and could use Murray if the team wants to make a splash. One of the best players on the team, he’s an elite creator and scorer. 

The now 25-year-old was great last season, when he averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per contest. Murray also converted on 40.8% of his 6.6 attempts from deep through 48 games last season. 

If he’s able to come back this season, Denver will be dangerous in the playoffs. If not, the Nuggets might struggle to compete with other teams that have fully healthy rosters. 

The post Nuggets Coach Michael Malone Says Jamal Murray Is ‘Not Close’ To Returning appeared first on SLAM.

Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported that it’s a toss-up on when we will see Murray back on the court this season. His time with Grand Rapids Gold will only consist of 5-on-5 action in practice and not full gameplay.

Jamal Murray averaged 21.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 48 games in 2020-21. With the Nuggets (41-28) currently sitting sixth in the Western Conference the return of the Blue Arrow would make the Nuggets a serious post-season contender.

We linked up with Jamal Murray to talk about creativity, music, mindfulness and Bruce Lee. Read his SLAM 230 cover story: https://t.co/m8J6UEeQKf pic.twitter.com/H1D6JswiAd

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 23, 2020

The post REPORT: Nuggets Assign Jamal Murray to the NBA G League appeared first on SLAM.

According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Michael Porter Jr. will head to the Nuggets G-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, to practice and scrimmage sometime this week.

Singer also reported that Porter recently underwent his first 1-on-1 contact drills since his initial injury.

Porter has been out for the Nuggets for most of the season since undergoing what was initially thought to be season-ending back surgery in November of 2021.

However, more recent reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated that Porter and fellow superstar teammate Jamal Murray could both return to play for the Nuggets before the start of the playoffs, with Porter potentially coming back as early as mid-March.

Murray has been out since April of 2021 after suffering a torn ACL in a game against the Golden State Warriors.

Porter struggled to start the season before being removed from the team due to injury, averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game on 35.9% shooting and 20.8% shooting from three in the nine games he played in Denver this year. Those numbers are well below those he put up last season when he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on 54.2% shooting and 44.5% shooting from distance.

Despite the absence of two of the Nuggets’ best players, Denver has had a strong season sitting sixth in the Western Conference with a record of 36-25.

The post REPORT: Micheal Porter Jr. to Scrimmage With Nuggets G-League Team appeared first on SLAM.

Per Amick, Porter is set to return by mid to late March. The Missouri product was thought to be done for the season after undergoing his third back surgery in November.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is progressing to be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, freeing a path for him to return to the lineup sometime in March, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Story: https://t.co/kGgAmFvgZs

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 27, 2022

The 25-year-old guard has been out since April 2021, when he tore the ACL in his left knee. At the time, Murray averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game on career-best 40.8 percent shooting from distance. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, the target for Murray is sometime in March as well.

Denver could potentially get back both Porter and Jamal Murray in the next month. They have the potential to be an extremely dangerous team come playoff time if they can get healthy. In a very brief sample last year, those two, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon were dominant together https://t.co/h2vNimwKEV

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 27, 2022

Denver has seemingly been optimistic about Murray and Porter coming back since early February when team president Tim Connely told Denver sports radio that both franchise cornerstones could return “in the not too distant future.”

On Wednesday, the Nuggets (36-25) will play the Trail Blazers (25-36). The return of Porter in the coming weeks could provide a big boost for a Nuggets team that’s struggled with injury but stayed afloat because of another MVP-quality season from reigning MVP Nikola Jukic.

The post REPORT: Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. On Track to Return By Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

Bones Hyland tweeted that at 10:38 am on July 29, 2021—the day of the NBA Draft. It sums up who he is—and what he brings to the table—pretty perfectly. Later that evening, the Denver Nuggets selected Hyland with the 26^th overall pick. The 6-3 guard, originally from Wilmington, Delaware (just the third player from the state ever to be drafted in the first round), had dominated the previous season at Virginia Commonwealth University, averaging 19.5 points and leading the Atlantic 10 Conference in three-pointers made (69). He was considered one of the most talented perimeter shooters in the 2021 Class, capable of pulling up from anywhere and knocking down tough, contested looks. With his elite quickness and crafty handles, Bones also showed an ability to get to the rim. If it wasn’t obvious from the tweet above, he plays with a lot of energy, passion and confidence—on both ends of the floor. He added 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game last year for the Rams.

Still, it was Hyland’s potential to deliver “instant offense” at the NBA level—to be a flamethrower, electrifying sixth-man type—that stood out to most scouts. Here are some of the players he was compared to heading into the ’21 Draft: Immanuel Quickley, Jordan Clarkson, Devonte Graham, Jamal Crawford and Ben Gordon.

Those comparisons should give you a good sense for Hyland’s game, and they have proved apt during his rookie campaign so far. The 21-year-old has been a much-needed scoring spark for the Nuggets, especially with primary weapons Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray sidelined. In just 18 minutes per game, Bones is averaging 8.7 points and shooting 36 percent from three. He hasn’t been shy or hesitant at all, ranking 12^th in the entire NBA at one point in three-point attempts per 100 possessions (min. 25 games played) with 13.3. Among rooks, he is fourth in total three-pointers made (80), trailing just Cade Cunningham (89), Chris Duarte (87) and Jalen Green (83). Worth noting: Hyland has played 500 fewer minutes than all three of those lottery picks.

In other words, Hyland is doing exactly what the Nuggets want him to do: providing a lift on offense and being aggressive from the moment he steps on the floor. He also brings an intensity, flair and competitiveness that can be contagious. Stuff like this tends to inspire the whole team: 

Bones has been improving steadily throughout his first year, developing more chemistry with former MVP Nikola Jokic and earning more trust from the coaching staff. Before the All-Star break, he had five-game stretch in which he averaged 12.4 points, including a 22-point outing in a 132-115 win over the Knicks.

As expected, there have been several nights when Bones has caught fire and quickly lit up opposing defenses. He dropped 24 points in 26 minutes—shooting 8/11 from the field and 4/5 from three—against the Hawks in December. A month later, facing the Lakers at Staples Center, he went off for a career-high 27 points and 10 assists, knocking down 6/10 from deep. Watch how fearlessly he attacks in the highlight video below, whether he’s unleashing a stepback, coming off a ball screen or launching from way behind the arc. 

Hyland replaced the injured Davion Mitchell in last Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge and showed why he belonged. He was, unsurprisingly, a source of instant offense, notching 10 points and hitting a pair of threes. Hall of Famer Gary Payton—his team’s coach—was apparently telling him, “They can’t guard you, go get a bucket every time.”

“Man, this is just the beginning for me,” Bones said afterwards. “Just to see everything and knowing what I can be in this league—[with] what I provide, what I can bring, I know I’m going to be an All-Star in this league. So seeing this stuff firsthand, it’s big for me. I’m soaking all of this in.”

The post SLAM x Panini Rookie Spotlight: Bones Hyland appeared first on SLAM.

Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland has been selected as an injury replacement for the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 17, 2022

Mitchell has ruled out the game due to right-hand soreness, which caused him to miss last night’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls in a 125-118 loss.

Hyland becomes the second-consecutive Nuggets player to be named to the Rising Stars after Michael Porter Jr. and Facundo Campazzo’s appearance last year in Atlanta. Appearing in 46 games in three starts, the 21-year-old from VCU is averaging 8.8 points, 2.7 boards, and 2.0 assists on 18 minutes per game. Over his last 10, he’s upped his averages to 10.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The 26th overall pick in 2021 ranks third amongst rookies in free-throw percentage (88.5), third in total threes (79), and 13th in points per game. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 15, Bones dropped a career-high 27 points, 10 rebounds, and two dimes while shooting 6-for-10 from distance, becoming just the third Nuggets player ever to post 27+ points and 6+ threes off of the bench, joining Wilson Chandler and Will Barton.

Hyland joins head coach Gary Payton’s team alongside LaMelo Ball, Scottie Barnes, Ayo Dosunmu, Chris Duarte, Scoot Henderson, and Jaden McDaniels in this year’s new format, featuring four teams of seven players.

The 2022 Clorox Rising Stars team rosters pic.twitter.com/d8d4jjpQ9s

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 4, 2022

The 2022 Rising Stars game will kick off All-Star weekend on Friday night.

The post Bones Hyland Replaces Injured Davion Mitchell in Rising Stars Game appeared first on SLAM.

Some good news coming from #Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, on @AltitudeSR, on the status of both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., saying he thinks they will physically cleared to return “hopefully in the not too distant future.”

— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) February 11, 2022

When Murray makes his way back to the court, it’ll be the first time he’s played for the Nuggets since tearing his ACL last April. Porter hasn’t played since undergoing surgery on his lower back in November.

Murray averaged 21.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game before getting injured. Porter played nine games before going under the knife and averaged 9.9 points, 6.6 boards, and 1.9 dimes per game.

The Nuggets are 30-24 under the MVP-led play of Nikola Jokic, sitting at sixth place in the always competitive Western Conference.

The post Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Close to Return appeared first on SLAM.

Welcome to the life of a ballplayer from Montreal. Or at least, the old life of a baller from Montreal. When Anthony was en route to winning a ring 10 years ago, there were just a handful of players from the entire country of Canada in the League, and they were basically a novelty. And French-speaking Canadians from Quebec’s largest city? With all due respect to Bill Wennington, they were a pure anomaly. Today, the country that sends the most players to the NBA other than America is Canada—a story you’ve probably read before—with more and more coming out of Montreal, which is a story you probably didn’t even realize was happening.

“There was no dream of making the NBA when I was younger,” recalls the 39-year-old Anthony, who eventually played college ball in Montreal (Dawson College), JUCO in Florida (Pensacola JC) and DI in Nevada (UNLV) before making the L as an undrafted free agent in 2007. “I  loved it, I watched it, had favorite players like Jordan and the Bulls, and Shaq as a big I looked up to, but I never saw myself as having an opportunity to play in the NBA. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”

As Anthony took baby steps to the NBA, he would encounter various forms of incredulity from his teammates. In college, “It was, They have basketball players in Canada? What? They didn’t even know there were Black people in Montreal,” Anthony remembers. When he got to the NBA, “There weren’t a lot of Canadians. Just Steve [Nash], Jamaal [Magloire] and Sam [Dalembert, a rare Montrealer]. When people found out I was from there, they were surprised. I realized what a big deal it was when there were a lot of articles and people talking about it back home, like, People like us don’t make it to this level!”

While Anthony grinded his way through a 10-year NBA career, Toronto-area players like Anthony Bennett, Andrew Wiggins and Jamal Murray made Canadians a regular presence in the Draft lottery and the L at large. Hoops slowly took hold in Montreal and its broader province of Quebec as well, with first- and second-generation immigrants from French-speaking nations across Africa and the Caribbean helping to hasten the region’s interest in sports beyond Canada’s national sport of hockey.

As The Globe and Mail pointed out in an article last May, the presence of Montreal products Khem Birch, Chris Boucher, Luguentz Dort and Karim Mané in the NBA “reflects the sport’s rapid growth in Quebec, where soccer and basketball have begun to chip away at hockey’s supremacy. The week of May 10 was a symbolic watershed: That Monday, for the first time in team history, the Montreal Canadiens had no Quebec players in their lineup. The following night, the Toronto Raptors had two.”

According to a 2019 article in the Quebec newspaper le Soleil that cites data provided by Basketball Québec, from 2013-2019, the number of people participating in the sport within the province jumped from about 38,000 to about 52,000.

Boucher’s manager, Ibrahim Appiah, grew up in Montreal and made the jump to DI High Point University in North Carolina in 2007. Since completing his playing career, he’s become a coach and advisor to players throughout Quebec. Appiah was part of a group that discovered Boucher, a completely unheralded kid who had moved to Montreal from St. Lucia and was as raw as he was athletic. 

“Around here, it’s almost taboo to say you think someone could make it to the pros,” says Appiah. “But I thought Chris could. And really, if anyone could, it would be him. We saw what he could do and kept comparing him to Anthony Davis.”

Boucher has not reached AD status but now, in his fifth NBA season, the 28-year-old is a legit rotation player, coming off a season in which he averaged 24 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game for the Raps. Dort, meanwhile, is in his third season in the NBA and is now a full-on starter for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the only team he’s played with.

After their youth careers in Montreal both Boucher and Dort did brief stints at Pac-12 schools (Oregon and Arizona State, respectively) before reaching the L as undrafted free agents. Their Instagram feeds overflow with love for their home city and shoutouts to the various camps and youth programs they both support in Canada.

Alex Victor, another big influence on the Montreal hoops scene (please see the story on his Institut de Sport Dynastie), loves what he’s seeing from Montrealers in the L right now, and is even more excited for a prospect who’s right around the corner. “Check out Ben [Bennedict] Mathurin,” Victor says of the 6-6 wing who’s about to kick off a super sophomore season at the University of Arizona. “He is projected to be the first player from Montreal to be a lottery pick.”

Such an achievement will represent a logical step in this evolution, Anthony says. “Montreal has always had ballplayers, even if we didn’t get the recognition we deserve. The type of players who have made it have been underdogs, guys who came in and had to really work and grind their way through. But now they’re developing on offense…and people are taking notice.” 

Ben Osborne is a former SLAM Ed. and is now Head of Content for Just Women’s Sports.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Montreal Has Emerged as a Major Hub For NBA Talent Out of Canada appeared first on SLAM.

The 26-year-old center being so overlooked has riled up Nuggets Coach Michael Malone. During his postgame press conference with media following the Nuggets’ 87-85 to the Clippers, the veteran coach didn’t hold back on the perceived Jokic slander.

“I think he is one of the more disrespected reigning MVPs that I can think of in terms of the attention,” Malone said per ESPN.

“But if you open up the dictionary, look up the word consistency, there’s going to be a picture of Nikola there. That’s going back to the bubble, that’s going back to a 72-game season last year, and this year we knew Jamal [Murray] was going to be out for an extended period. When you add a Michael Porter, when you add a P.J. Dozier to that [injured] list, it even becomes more incredible what he’s doing.”

As of Wednesday, Jokic is putting up 25.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. As far as analytics goes, Jokic holds a 112.4 offensive rating, 103.6 defensive rating and leads the League in player impact estimate. The Joker is also in the top 5 for usage, assist percentage, defensive rebound percentage, and rebound percentage.

Compared to last season when Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists on 56.6% shooting, Jokic holds even more responsibility with Murray, Porter, and Dozier out with injuries. Like no other time during his Nuggets tenure, how Jokic goes is how the Nugget will go. The Nuggets are currently sixth in the West with a 20-19 record.

A big reason Jokic hasn’t been in the MVP conversation with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Nuggets’ record. The last MVP to win without having a top-three record was 2017 MVP, Russell Westbrook. The former Thunder guard won it after averaging a triple-double, the first since Oscar Robertson did it during the 1961-1962 season but didn’t win the MVP after guiding the Cincinnati Royals to a 43-37 record.

“I mean, Nikola Jokic is not sexy,” Malone said. “He’s just not. There is nothing about Nikola — his wife might disagree. But if you are a true student of the game, a coach, someone that loves the game being played the right way, then you appreciate him at the level that he should be appreciated at.

— But if you appreciate passing, IQ, reading the game, just what he does every night from a scoring, rebounding, playmaking standpoint, and finally, I am starting to hear that he is getting a little more credit as a defender, and it is well deserved.”

The post Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic: ‘One of the More Disrespected Reigning MVPs That I Can Think Of’ appeared first on SLAM.

Denver’s Bol Bol trade with Detroit has been voided, sources tell ESPN. The Pistons didn’t pass Bol on his physical with team.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 13, 2022

The Nuggets-Pistons trade is off due to Bol Bol failing the Pistons physical according to multiple reports. Had Bol been successfully moved, it would have given the seven-footer a chance to get on the court and fill the Pistons’ need for size and length while they wait for the return of Kelly Olynyk, who is still out indefinitely after suffering a sprained left knee sprain in November.

The transaction was originally reported on Monday.

The Detroit Pistons are finalizing a deal to acquire l Denver Nuggets’ F Bol Bol for Rodney McGruder and a future second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 9, 2022

At one time, Bol Bol, who is the son of the late NBA player Manute Bol, was the 44th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Nuggets and filled with potential and a game full of intrigue. Despite being a fan favorite, he has not cracked the rotation for any consistent minutes. This season, Bol appeared in only 15 games with averages of only 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds.

Bol’s most significant contributions were in the G-League with the Windy City Bulls, where he averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks last season.

With Bol becoming a restricted free agent this summer and with the recent signing of DeMarcus Cousins, the team decided to invest in McGruder, who provides some extra depth in the backcourt to buy more time until Jamal Murray returns from a torn ACL. McGruder is averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds this season.

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Sources: Nuggets guard Austin Rivers has entered health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games, including tonight’s game vs. Orlando. Another loss to the Denver lineup, now without Rivers, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 1, 2021

Rivers initially signed with the organization back in April to bolster the teams’ back-court depth. He re-signed with the Nuggets in September, agreeing to a one-year $2.4 million deal. The Nuggets, meanwhile, haven’t seen typical production from Rivers as of late, with the 29-year-old playing a limited bench role, averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game while shooting 34.6 percent from the field.

Rivers absence is the latest health and safety protocol domino to fall, with LeBron James entering protocols yesterday before the Los Angeles Lakers matchup with the Sacramento Kings and League insider Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that Bones Hyland will join Rivers in health and safety protocols.

The removal of Rivers from the lineup for the foreseeable future only intensifies the Nuggets’ lack of bodies with P.J. Dozier suffering a torn ACL, Jamal Murray continuing to rehab his torn left ACL, and losing Michael Porter Jr. to a back surgery indefinitely.

The post REPORT: Austin Rivers Sidelined After Entering Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Nuggets F Michael Porter Jr., will undergo a surgical procedure on his lower back and miss an indefinite period, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN. Bartelstein says Porter’s expected to make a full recovery; timetable on return will come after surgery.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 29, 2021

According to his agent, Mark Bartelstein, the operation will happen Wednesday, and Porter is expected to make a full recovery. League insider Shams Charania has reported that his sources said that Porter would be out for the remainder of the season. The Nuggets are reportedly taking a “big picture approach to his health” as his five-year extension begins next season.

Sources: Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to back surgery. Tough blow, but with Porter’s five-year extension kicking in next season, he and the Nuggets take big-picture approach to his health.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 29, 2021

Porter will be undergoing third back surgery since 2017 when he experienced a microdiscectomy procedure of the L3 and L4 spinal disks during his freshman season at Missouri. His second came during his rookie season in 2018 when he had a “breakthrough surgery” to help alleviate his back issues.

The Nuggets are currently 9-10 and have been dealing with an injury bug with Nikola Jokic dealing with a wrist injury, Jamal Murray still rehabbing from his knee injury, and P.J. Dozier out for the season with a torn ACL.

Losers in their last six outings, the Nuggets look to right the ship Monday against the Miami Heat (13-7).

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Denver Nuggets guard P.J. Dozier is feared to have suffered an ACL tear to his left knee, sources tell ESPN. More evaluation needs to be done today, but initial imaging late Tuesday in Portland suggested a possible end to his season.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 24, 2021

Dozier only played four minutes before getting his legs tangled up with Cody Zeller’s while attempting a layup in the first quarter. He finished the night with two points and two rebounds.

another Nuggets injury, Dozier just tore his ACL pic.twitter.com/bfkwMM4Xkz

— Ted Buddy (@TedBuddy8) November 24, 2021

This injury couldn’t come at a worse time for the Denver Nuggets, a team without Jamal Murray, who hasn’t suited up this season dealing with his own knee issues. Michael Porter Jr.’s back injury suffered a few weeks ago is still a significant topic of concern. Their reigning MVP center, Nikola Jokic, has not played in the Nuggets’ last three games with a wrist injury with no set timetable on his return to the lineup. 

P.J. Dozier averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds through the first 18 games of the 2021-22 season.

The post REPORT: Denver Nuggets To Lose P.J. Dozier With ACL Tear in Left Knee appeared first on SLAM.

Porter Jr. has been out since November 6 when he seemed to injure his back on a botched layup attempt against the Rockets. The incident looked to have worsened a back injury that Porter Jr. has been dealing with all season. An injury that looks like it played a role in his unexpected struggles scoring just 9.9 points and grabbing 6.6 boards per game on 21 percent shooting from deep.

“He’s 23 years old,” teammate Austin Rivers told the Denver Post recently. “He’s gotta take care of himself and get himself right physically, and that way mentally he can come to the court playing the way that we know he can play. He’s playing hurt this whole season. It’s hard to do that. Hopefully, he comes back soon because he’s a huge part of our team.”

Porter Jr. has had a long history of back injuries, going under the knife twice for back surgeries. The first time happened during his one-and-done season at Missouri that kept him out for nearly four months. The second came during his rookie season, a surgery that forced Porter to miss his entire rookie season.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone told the Denver Post Sunday after a loss to the Suns that Porter is away from the team and in Florida; League sources told the Post he was seeking more opinions on how to treat his injury aside from the reported daily treatment Porter receives to strengthen his back.

The Nuggets signed Porter to a five-year max contract in late September. At least $145 million in the max extension is guaranteed.

The Nuggets are also awaiting the return of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic from a sprained wrist, Jamal Murray from a torn ACL, and Zeke Nnaji from a sprained ankle. The next time Denver plays is Tuesday against the Trail Blazers on TNT at 10 PM.

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“It’s an ongoing thing, trying to figure out what’s going on…” Malone said according to ClutchPoints. “I’d still say that Michael’s out for the foreseeable future. We’re trying to take it one day at a time with him and see what the best way to approach getting him back healthy is.”

“There’s no doubt, regardless of his mood, we all have to support Michael, just like we support Jamal [Murray],” Malone told CBSSports. “And again, Michael could be back in a week, it could be more than that. So when I say, ‘foreseeable future,’ I’m not really sure what that means, I just know that he’s not playing tonight.”

“This is a process where we’re being very cautious, talking to doctors, getting imaging all that kind of stuff,”

Porter Jr. injured his lower back on a play during the team’s win over the Houston Rockets missing a layup. A short time later he left the game and never returned.  

Michael Porter Jr. really missed this layup pic.twitter.com/kFlZ2zvUau

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 6, 2021

Michael Porter Jr. has had a tough start to his 2021-2022 campaign, averaging just 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds on 35.9 percent shooting from the field and just 20.8 percent from three-point range. Despite that, the Nuggets (9-5) have won five straight games in a recent homestand before losing to the Mavericks (9-4), 111-101, Monday.

The high-level play of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic has bought them time to figure out the severity of their young forward’s injury and the timeframe of his return but they will need a healthy Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray to be a true threat out of the Western Conference.

The post Head Coach Michael Malone on Michael Porter Jr.: ‘We’re Trying To Figure Out What’s Going On’ appeared first on SLAM.

Per Wojnarowski, Porter’s deal is worth $172 million and must make an All-NBA team in order to reach the designated max criteria.

Last season, MPJ had a breakout season for the Nuggets after averaging 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5 percent from deep in 61 games played. He got the chance to take on more responsibility with point guard Jamal Murray suffering a significant injury following the trade deadline and responded by averaging 23.9 points per game in April (21.0 points per game in May) .

It’s been well-documented that the Nuggets took a risk drafting Porter with 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

However, although he missed a significant amount of time due to his back injury, sitting out of what would have been his original rookie season, he’s routinely flashed the shooting potential that made him such an enticing prospect prior to his indoctrination into the NBA.

Now, he’s a major factor in Denver’s championship aspirations, and his extension serves to highlight his importance. Furthermore, with this agreement, the Nuggets now have their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Porter all locked up long-term.

The post Michael Porter Jr. Agrees to 5-Year, $207 Million Max Extension with Nuggets appeared first on SLAM.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Denver Nuggets’ associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has emerged as the likely candidate to fill the role, with Unseld gaining steam in Washington’s coaching race over the past week.

Unseld — and his family — have deep roots in Washington. His father, Wes Unseld Sr., was an electrifying player for the Washington Bullets, his storied career eventually culminating in a Hall of Fame nomination and his number 41 being retired by the organization. The younger Unseld spent 15 years working for the Wizards organization, starting as a scout in 1997 and eventually became an assistant coach with Washington in 2005, where he would remain until the 2011-12 season.

From there, Unseld Jr. then spent one season as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors and three seasons with the Orlando Magic before landing a role as the associate head coach of the Nuggets.

Unseld Jr. is known for his defensive acumen — especially with his work in helping turn the Nuggets (with players like Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. who are known more for their propensity to score rather than defend) into a serviceable defensive team.

Per The Athletic’s Charania and Fred Katz, one person who worked closely with Unseld said, “You got guys like [Jokic], Jamal Murry, Michael Porter Jr., where their strength is not defense. … The fact that he makes them even average defenders in this league is an impressive feat.”

With the Wizards, Unseld will inherit a veteran, albeit disjointed team in the Wizards; one coming off a 34-38 season that ended in a first-round playoff exit to the Philadelphia 76ers. The franchise has not finished inside the top-10 in points allowed since 2015, and their veteran stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook have not figured out yet how to operate as a cohesive unit.

Unseld has the ability to rejuvenate this team and turn them into a defensive-minded squad. Nonetheless, their success will still largely revolve around the play and drive of their star backcourt.

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The Phoenix Suns are heading to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years after their 125-118 win over the Denver Nuggets; completing the series sweep.

The maturity and veteran leadership of Paul combined with Booker’s elite shooting arsenal have coalesced into a unique and more than effective backcourt for the Suns in their seventh straight playoff win, a franchise record.

“A couple years ago they were writing me off. This ain’t about me. It’s about us,” Paul said.

Billed as the ‘Point God,’ CP3 shut the door on father time as he became the oldest NBA player to ever record 25+ points and 10+ assists in a playoff series. The 36-year-old also dished out 41 assists in the series, while only turning the ball over 5 times.

You in deep trouble when CP3 starts laughing like this. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/E471BvCjnc

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 14, 2021

Paul dragged defender after defender off a ball screen to his sweet spot – the right elbow – putting up a high-arching middy while fading to the baseline. The shoulder injury he suffered in the first round seems to have subsided as Paul shot 22-for-34 from the midrange during the series.

The barrage of mid-range jumpers allowed Paul explode for 37 points, 7 assists and 2 steals while shooting 14-for-19 in the Suns 125-118 win. Booker poured in 34 points and 11 boards.

After knocking out the defending champions (the Los Angeles Lakers) in the first round, the Suns dismantled a hampered Nuggets squad that lost reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in the third quarter to a Flagrant 2.

Jokic becomes the first MVP to be swept in a playoff series since Magic Johnson in 1989.

The Nuggets sorely missed their star point guard Jamal Murray as the rest of the team grappled with making up his production on the scoreboard. However, by the end of what turned out to be a hard-fought contest, Will Barton scored 25 points, while Michael Porter Jr., added 20, Monte Morris dropped in 19 and Facu Campazzo added 14 points off of the bench.

It just wasn’t enough.

This is for YOU, Phoenix!#RallyTheValley pic.twitter.com/SpQBZqXjeW

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) June 14, 2021

The Suns will get more than a weeks worth of rest and hold home court advantage for the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, where they will face either the Los Angeles Clippers or the Utah Jazz.

The post Chris Paul, Devin Booker Dismantle Nuggets in Series Sweep appeared first on SLAM.

Fine, let’s put it this way: This version of Denver Nuggets do-all frontman Nikola Jokic is playing like the best basketball player in the world right now.

 The skills, stats and eyeballs all pass the same test; at 6-11 and 26 years old, Jokic has become the most uniquely skilled player in the Association today. Because despite his fun-loving Joker persona and unheralded path to the NBA via the 41st pick in the 2014 Draft out of Sombor, Serbia, Jokic is both the League’s frontrunner for MVP (as of this writing, which we now know he’s taken the crown) and perhaps its most unsolvable matchup equation.

If he does take home the MVP crown, he’ll be the lowest-drafted player in NBA history to claim the honors, and the first in Nuggets team history. Still, how the Joker ascended from quiet second-round pick into one of the most unguardable players on Earth, and fearless leader of those Nuggets, well, that’s another thing.

 “He’s an algorithm,” Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly tells us. “The game’s going at half speed for him…he’s impossible to guard.”    

 Jokic is a problem, alright, one that 29 other teams are routinely left scratching their collective heads on just how exactly it is you stop this guy.

 That’s because while Nikola has been busy dissecting the game at half speed for the better part of six seasons, the rest of the League is still trying to adjust to his pace. Which, as is well-documented by now, is not exactly in the express lane. For an era built on extreme athleticism and fast-twitch quickness, it seems only fitting that one of its most statistically efficient players approaches the game from a far different vantage point. In fact, as this mag went to print, Jokic was working with the fifth highest total box plus/minus score for a season of all time. The only guys ahead of him? Stephen Curry (’16), Michael Jordan (’88, ’91) and LeBron James (’09); not exactly the easiest group to crack.

 “I think just because you are slow, it’s going to give you more options,” Jokic told Dwyane Wade and the NBA on TNT in-studio crew after a win against Portland in February. “The game is so fast, but when you slow it down, then you kind of slow everybody down and that’s not their rhythm. If you can just freeze them, then they’re playing in my rhythm.”

 Brilliant. It’s also clear just how easy the game is for Joker right now—and even easier to take for granted just how often and successfully he makes the right play, every play. And because he processes the game on a near molecular level, opposing defenses have found there aren’t a whole lot of ways to limit him. Leave him open on the perimeter or uncovered on the roll? He’ll bury the jumper (good for 42 percent from deep through 57 games). Press up or double? He can see over the defense and pick you apart with passing. Let him get down on the block 1-on-1? It’s a wrap.

 “I think people overlook the way he’s dominating the game so easily, night to night. I just don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does and the way he plays, the way he sees the game,” Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray told reporters in February. “He’s never trying to force it, always trying to make the right play and keep everybody happy. It’s a lot of fun.” 

 “I just think it looks like that,” laughs Jokic, as to why it seems like he’s never forcing game action. “Sometimes I just maybe know what’s going to happen. Maybe know where [defenders are] coming from, like if they’re going to double me. Sometimes I just go aggressive and force it. Maybe it doesn’t look like I’m forcing it, but I’m forcing it. To me, it’s just playing basketball.”

That’s actually a good way of putting it, because in a season largely shaped by injuries, infrequent rest and strict safety protocols League-wide, Jokic hasn’t missed a game. He’s also doing so while playing the third highest total minutes in the NBA. Hell, despite a shortened offseason made even shorter after Denver’s postseason run to the Western Conference Finals in the Orlando bubble last fall—done while overcoming two 3-1 series deficits in the process—that’s just about all Jokic has done, just play basketball.

 But to say that Jokic is the probable MVP mainly due to injuries of other superstar players does a disservice to just how good he’s been.

 He’s had a 50-ball this season. An 18-assist game. Fifteen triple-doubles, and career highs across the board with 26.2 points, 10.9 boards, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals a game—all as both Denver’s center and its main ballhandler, through which almost everything on offense flows. In fact, the Nuggets local broadcast crew threw up an in-game graphic that showed how Nikola led Denver in nearly every conceivable stat worth recording. According to Jokic, both he and the Nuggets play at their best when they’re having fun, and that’s exactly what they’ve done with him at the helm. When the ball is popping, cutters are moving and Jokic is dealing, everyone in Denver eats on game day.

 “He has to have fun,” Connelly says. “He’s going to play with intensity, but [we tell him to] take chances, do funky things. Don’t play in a box. Have a bad turnover here or there; he’s an artist, man. He’s like a jazz player, he’s not playing classical music. [Coach Michael Malone] and his staff have done a great job. We want him to be this guy.”

 Ahh, but therein lies the conundrum of the modern pro athlete and marketer; Joker is not loud about his prowess. He’s not on social media or proclaiming he’s the rightful MVP from a media scrum. “I’ve been an underdog my whole life, to be honest,” he says, after dropping 17, 10 and 11 in a win over Miami. “I’m kind of used to it; it’s a normal position for me.”

 “I think he got [to Denver] wide-eyed; he wasn’t some Serbian wunderkind, he wasn’t a prodigy,” Connelly adds. “So, he had pretty modest expectations. I remember the first year we met after the season, Yo, what do you think? He’s like, I can’t believe how well I played, I’m shocked I can play at this level. So, I think [he’s got] that kind of modesty mixed with an unbelievably fierce competitive freak between the lines.”

 Jokic is an anomaly; a basketball savant who regularly turns garbage into gold. It’s where the true genius of his game lies, in the little details that would otherwise pass by most players and fans. His use of leverage, touch and timing is on another planet, and his game oozes with creativity. Plays normally destined for turnovers actually become opportunities for him to attack. Take what was supposed to be a simple give-and-go between Jokic and guard PJ Dozier against the Detroit Pistons in early April. As Dozier looked to dump it down to Jokic with a blind wrap around pass on the baseline, the ball was tipped, sending it flying in the opposite direction. In the span of a nanosecond, Jokic water polo-flipped it to himself and into the basket, never needing to properly gather the ball with two hands. It was the stuff of basement mini hoop lore, and yet, just another footnote in Nikola’s night.

And before you fall prey to old and tired narratives of defense and athleticism, watch the man play this season. Yes, Jokic is not an elite shot blocker or making a push for the All-Defensive team, but he’s not exactly getting roasted on that end either. As of this writing, the Joker was top 10 in both rebounds per game and total steals, thanks to his long arms and extremely active hands. He’s also ranked fifth in the NBA in total defensive plus/minus on the season, pairing nicely with his ranking of first League-wide in offensive plus/minus. The Nuggets have partnered him with two hyper-athletic big wings in Michael Porter Jr and Aaron Gordon, filling in the front court around him with size to allow Joker more freedom outside of the paint. Malone no longer needs to hide Jokic on defense because he’s actually been pretty good on defense.

He’s also got 36 dunks and counting through 57 games, up from 26 in the prior two seasons combined. I know this because the Nuggets broadcast team keeps a very loud running counter every time he throws one down, followed promptly by screams to “put him in the Dunk Contest!” When asked about leveling up his aerial game and the potential of challenging Gordon, a three-time Dunk Contest veteran, he gave a very Joker-esque response.

“I don’t know, it just seems like I’m dunking more—well, I am dunking more, that’s a fact. I’m just trying to be aggressive,” says Jokic. He pauses and laughs sarcastically, “…and yeah, I think I’m a much better dunker than Aaron Gordon.”

Jokes aside, it’s no secret that Denver asks a lot of their point-center. They count on him to control the pace and flow of an entire game from the tip to its final shot. That formula will surely be tested to its limits this postseason, where Denver will now be without the aforementioned Murray, who’s recovering from a season-ending ACL tear suffered in early April. And in the Western Conference, that will be no small feat; good teams will most certainly get bounced in the first round. Joker will be sure to stay focused.

“To be honest, I think my life is not really creative,” he laughs. “All my creativity goes to basketball.”

 Compared to the majority of the League, that creative process can appear slow. Yet, few can overwhelm an opponent, or a stat sheet, quite as quickly as Nikola.

 Relentlessly imaginative, effortlessly composed and entirely clutch, this is the Nikola Jokic experience in 2021. And in the end, what it all adds up to this season is actually quite clear—that despite both the injury woes and stellar play of his fellow All-Stars across the League, in the opinion of this writer, Jokic is very much the deserving MVP.

 Guess some algorithms are easy to solve after all.

—

Get your copy of SLAM 232, available now.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Can’t You See? Nikola Jokic is the 2021 NBA MVP Because of His Vision appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

DEN wins series 4-2

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

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

No. 2 Suns 113, No. 7 Lakers 100

PHX wins series 4-2

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

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

The post Post Up: Lakers, Trail Blazers Eliminated appeared first on SLAM.

While already considered the heavy favorite to win the award this season, if the accolade factored in playoff appearances, the Joker would be running away with the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

Jokić has placed the Nuggets back in control of their first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers, where they lead 2-1 after a 120-115 win in Game 3 that saw the Serbian sensation post 36 points, 11 boards and 5 assists.

Just as an uncharacteristically aggressive Jokic impressed in the regular season, the franchise center take yet another statistical leap in the postseason, averaging 36.0 points per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from 3-point range and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

He’s the first player to record 30 points while shooting at least 50 percent in each of his first three games of a postseason since Hall of Fame shooting guard Michael Jordan in 1992, per ESPN Stats & Info. Jokic is the fourth player in franchise history to score at least 30 points in the team’s first three playoff games, joining Alex English, Carmelo Anthony and Jamal Murray, according to The Athletic.

Who else but the MVP to close it out

pic.twitter.com/Ct72uBhkkI

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) May 28, 2021

While the 2021 NBA MVP Award shouldn’t factor in Jokić’s superb first round, considering that it’s a regular season award, his postseason showing has only underscored his worthiness.

The MVP of the 2020-21 season won’t be announced until later in the playoffs but, in the meantime, expect Jokic and the Nuggets to look to push the series to 3-1 on Saturday when they face off against the Blazers in Portland.

The post Nikola Jokic is Putting the Spotlight on his MVP Status in the Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

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

No. 3 Bucks 113, No. 6 Heat 84

MIL leads series 3-0

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

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

No. 2 Suns 95, No. 7 Lakers 109

LAL leads series 2-1

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

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

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

DEN leads series 2-1

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

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

The post Post Up: A Change of Scenery appeared first on SLAM.

After teammate Jamal Murray suffered an unfortunate season-ending injury back in April, Porter—outspoken, confident and arguably the team’s most naturally gifted talent—knew he needed to step up. He was expected to.

And, as we’ve seen over the past few months, when the moment has called upon MPJ to help lead his team, he’s answered right back.

“At first, I was playing more off-ball. Playing off of Jamal and [Nikola] Jokic on the weak side, getting wide-open threes and driving closeouts,” Porter tells SLAM. “But when Jamal went down, more was expected of me and my role expanded.”

Was it difficult, I wondered, for Porter to compensate for Murray’s absence when given more opportunities within the offense?

“To be honest,” Porter says, “it wasn’t difficult because it’s something I’ve done my whole life.”

That being said, despite his confident nature weathering stormy stretches over the past two seasons, it does appear that Malone’s holistic and structuralist philosophies have rubbed off of Porter.

“It’s about roles,” Porter would insist when asked about a heftier workload being placed on his shoulders. “I’m still playing plenty off-ball.”

However, while his role as a secondary scorer or rebounder may be the first thought many have when assessing Porter’s performance as of late, it appears that it’s actually the intangibles that have been at the forefront of Porter’s mind during Murray’s absence.

“When Jamal went down, my mentality had to switch to more of a leadership role. Being a consistent leader with my energy and my consistency.”

In that aspect, Porter has learned plenty from Jokic. While some may scoff at the notion of the understated Jokic being a leader, Porter has developed plenty of respect for the face of the Nuggets, paying close to attention to how the MVP candidate improves every day.

“First off, Joker’s not even from here. So he’s not going to be the most vocal. But you don’t have to preach and tell people what to do to be a leader; you can lead by example.”

Jokic’s leadership, “his consistency [and] how he takes care of his body,” haven’t just rubbed off on Porter though. They’ve become formulas for him to be just as successful as the Serbian center, both individually and for the Nuggets.

In a similar vain, Porter can also reflect on conversations he’s had with veteran guard Austin Rivers, invaluable lessons from a player who went from a lottery pick to almost out of the league in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

Rivers, who signed a rest-of-the-season contract with Denver on April 30, is a player Porter has long been fond of.

“He has one of the best high school mixtapes ever,” Porter exclaims. “But even though you want to be this—you want to be an All-Star—it’s about what’s best for the team.

“It’s about roles,” Porter says.

While Jokic and Rivers have all played the part of the veteran mentor, Porter really has to look no further than close friend Aaron Gordon for an example of why roles may be the most important factor in a players success.

Gordon, whom Porter calls “one of the coolest people that he’s met in the NBA” because of how well they click off the court and their similar interests, was acquired by the Nuggets back in March while they looked to shore up their frontcourt defense.

The former fourth overall pick had been miscast in a two-way role in Orlando that did a disservice to his elite athleticism and defensive versatility. Finally, after seven-plus seasons with the Magic, the 25-year-old requested a trade that eventually led him to Denver.

No longer tasked with being a go-to scorer, Gordon hasn’t looked back, reveling in his role as a defensive specialist while the Nuggets have looked the part of a legitimate championship-contender ever since.

The same level of peace appears to be on the horizon for Porter, whose desire to develop to be a complete player doesn’t have to come with the same level of burden that was cast upon Gordon.

All because Porter has bought into a role and because his organization understands the importance of them.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who has had somewhat of a contentious relationship with Porter at times, has probably been the largest catalyst for MPJ’s shift in mindset though.

Discussing his coach’s approach and the growth in their relationship following a record-setting victory over the Toronto Raptors on April 30, Porter candidly notes how “growing up you play for certain coaches that literally let you do whatever and you develop bad habits.

“I was lucky enough to have some coaches that didn’t do that. They knew my potential, so they were super hard on me. Coach Malone is no different.”

A five-star recruit who played under former NBA star Brandon Roy at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Porter is still only a few years removed from leading his teams to state championships (2016, 2017), being named the McDonald’s All-American MVP (2017), or being named as the National High School Player of the Year (2017).

In fact, considering that his rookie season in the NBA is the only time in his basketball career that Porter wasn’t looked at as a go-to player, it shouldn’t be surprising that he needed time to adjust to a tertiary role.

A role that he excelled in but one that truly has expanded over the past couple of months.

The numbers themselves only tell part of the story, with Porter averaging 23.5 points per game on a blistering hot .560 percent shooting from the field and .489 percent from 3-point range since April 14.

A three-level scorer who can make tough shots look like run-of-the-mill acrobatics, Porter operates as pressure relief valve for Jokic and the Nuggets, especially when he’s dotting i’s from behind the 3-point line.

Blessed with as pure a shooting stroke as you’ll find, Porter’s 6-10 frame and shooting touch have all but prevented Denver from missing a beat, with the Nuggets going 13-5 (in the regular season) following Murray’s injury.

Still, for a player who once made headlines by suggesting that he—then a rookie—needed more touches for his team to play up to its potential, Porter’s elevated mindset can only be attributed to the leadership found in the Mile High.

Not that Porter wasn’t on the money when he advocated for greater ball-movement and a few more touches during the 2020 NBA Playoffs. His soundbite simply led many to wonder—and not quietly—whether MPJ was a team player.

Yet here Porter is, reveling in the fact that he’s part of a system rather than the face of it. In a year’s time, that type of evolution isn’t unprecedented, but it’s certainly fascinating. The evolution has even been televised.

With the Nuggets set to embark on their most promising postseason journey since 2009, facing the Portland Trail Blazers (and former franchise cornerstone Carmelo Anthony) in the first round will be a test that determines the true identity of the Nuggets.

Regardless of their showing in these following weeks, Porter’s transformation into a sagacious sharpshooter appears to have the same level of solidity as Jokic’s standing as an elite player.

The show has already started, but the best has yet to come.

—

Photos via Getty Images.

The post It’s Showtime: The Evolution of Michael Porter Jr. 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.

However, since he went down with the ACL injury that would keep him out for the remainder of the year, thee Nuggets are 9-1, and have jumped to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. 

Battling through adversity, Denver’s MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic has stepped up in a huge way. Additionally, Michael Porter Jr. has emerged as the second-best player for the Nuggets in Murray’s absence. In the ten games since his injury, Porter Jr. has averaged 25.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest on .513 from deep. 

Although they’re without their superstar point guard heading into the playoffs, the Denver Nuggets look like they’ll still have the talent to make a deep playoff run. 

The post Nuggets Continue To Have Success After Jamal Murray’s Season-Ending Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Currently 42-21, the Nuggets have won eight of their last nine contests, all of which came after Murray tore his left ACL in mid-April.

While the production of Jokic and Porter has allowed Denver to dominate, it’s been the performances of their recent signings that’s prevented the injuries of players like Murray, Will Barton and Monte Morris from being bigger obstacles to their success.

This includes veteran guard Austin Rivers, who the Nuggets signed to a 10-day contract shortly after Murray’s diagnosis.

Rivers, 28-years-old, has averaged 5.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 24.2 minutes per game while playing for Denver.

Most notably, Rivers has been playing strong defense, holding opponents to .313 percent shooting from 3-point range (per NBA’s Advanced Stats) while with the Nuggets have allowed opponents to shoot .361 percent from 3-point range throughout the season.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver is now planning to sign Rivers for the remainder of the season.

The Nuggets are the sixth franchise that Rivers has played for and, while he has appeared to enjoy his time in the Mile High, minutes would be scarce for the heady guard with a fully healthy roster.

That being said, with Denver set to embark on yet another trek through the Western Conference Playoffs, having Rivers on board can only help the Nuggets reach their ultimate goal.

The post Nuggets Plan to Sign Austin Rivers for Remainder of 2020-21 Season appeared first on SLAM.

According to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, Barton is expected to miss a “handful” of games with a right hamstring strain. While there’s no timetable for his return, Nuggets Head Coach Mike Malone said that Barton felt something pop in his hamstring. 

Luckily for the Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. has picked up the slack offensively where Denver has lost scoring due to injury recently. He’s averaging 23.1 points per game in the month of April. 

While it’s unclear when Barton will return, the Nuggets will need him back as soon as possible. In 56 games this season, he’s been a primary starter, averaging 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. 

The post Nuggets’ Will Barton Out Indefinitely After Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

Rivers had been connected to the Nuggets for weeks, with Denver looking to add a shooting guard even before star guard Jamal Murray went out with a torn ACL. In fact, on April 14, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that the Nuggets were in advanced talks to sign the 28-year-old.

Rivers, whose physical similarities to Murray at 6’4″ and 200 pounds are as striking as his determination to create separation off-the-dribble, has a career scoring average of 9.1 points per game.

However, Denver would likely want to see if Rivers can return to his 2017-18 form, when he averaged a career-high 15.1 points per game for the Los Angeles Clippers while starting in 59 contests.

In addition, with a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, Rivers is a high IQ basketball player who knows how to find his teammates.

With the Nuggets playing six games within next 10 days, both sides will have ample opportunity to assess the fit. Nonetheless, with the 2021 NBA Playoffs starting in May, time is of the essence for a team considered to be a championship-contender just a week ago.

The post Nuggets Sign Veteran Guard Austin Rivers to 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

Although Murray will miss the remainder of the season, Michael Porter Jr. still has the same goals in mind. When speaking to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, he emphasized that winning an NBA title is still his main focus.

The goal’s the same. That’s a championship.”

Even without Murray, the Nuggets will still be a solid team the remainder of this season and into the playoffs. Especially with the performance he had in the playoffs last season, it will take a team effort to fill his void.

While their ceiling was lowered following this devastating injury, Denver still needs to look forward. The Nuggets still remain one of the most talented young teams in the NBA, especially after acquiring Aaron Gordon at the trade deadline.

With 17 games remaining for the Denver Nuggets this season, they currently hold the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 35-20.

The post Michael Porter Jr.: ‘The Goal’s the Same. That’s A Championship’ appeared first on SLAM.

After his superstar player, Luka Doncic expressed his disagreement with the idea, saying that he didn’t understand the current concept of a play-in tournament, Cuban shared his concerns and a possible solution to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“The worst part of this approach is that it doubles the stress of the compressed schedule. Rather than playing for a playoff spot and being able to rest players as the standings become clearer, teams have to approach every game as a playoff game to either get into or stay in the top 6 since the consequences, as Luka said, are enormous. So players are playing more games and more minutes in fewer days.”

The NBA has been dealing with the after-effects of this year’s schedule by way on numerous injuries to high-profile players.

Superstars from around the League such as LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Kevin Durant have had extended absences this season. The most recent incident was Jamal Murray going down with a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee just a few days ago.

Ultimately, while Cuban understands why the League made their decision, he believes the best path forward is to re-tool the play-in format:

“I get why the NBA is doing it,” Cuban added. “But if we are going to be creative because of COVID, we should go straight up 1-20 and let the bottom 4 play in. This is the year particularly to do it since the 10 games cut [from the normal 82-game schedule] were in conference.”

Dallas is currently ranked seventh in the Western Conference standings and would have to participate in the play-in tournament barring they don’t move up past the Portland Trail Blazers.

The NBA play-in tournament will run from May 18-21. The playoffs will start on May 22. 

The post Mavs Owner Mark Cuban Advocates for Change in Play-In Tournament Format appeared first on SLAM.

Murray, a fifth-year guard who has become one of the league’s most popular players due to his scoring abilities, sustained the injury on Monday night while driving to the rim late in a contest against the 10th-seed Golden State Warriors.

The Ontario native’s knee would buckle as he crumpled, yelling and in obvious pain.

Murray has been having a career season, averaging 21.2 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting .477 percent from the field and .408 percent from 3-point range. An exciting shot-creator, Murray’s injury is both a blow to both the NBA as a whole and the Nuggets, who had emerged as one of the truly elite teams in the West following their trade deadline acquisition of forward Aaron Gordon.

Now, the Nuggets’ must find a way to manage without Murray for what will likely be months, considering the time it typically takes to recover from a torn ACL.

Denver is currently 34-20, 4th in the Western Conference Standings.

The post Nuggets Star Jamal Murray Tears Left ACL, Out Indefinitely appeared first on SLAM.

Gordon, 25-years-old, is averaging 13.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.8 blocks per game this season while shooting a career-high .368 percent from 3-point range. The fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, his current contract is set to expire after the 2021-22 season.

Denver has interest in Orlando forward Aaron Gordon ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources told The Denver Post, and the Nuggets need to assess on-court fit and whether he’s a player capable of vaulting them past some of the other Western Conference powers.

Singer adds that the Nuggets completing a trade for Gordon is unlikely given that the deadline is just around the corner. That being said, teams looking to add Gordon are expected to surrender at least young one player and a draft pick.

If it was March Madness, the Nuggets would have been one of the Cinderella teams of the 2020 NBA Playoffs with their historical comeback performances against the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in consecutive rounds.

This season, the Nuggets’ have achieved national relevance only to get off to a slow start that highlighted their offseason loss of forward Jerami Grant while putting their burgeoning Big Three of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. in the spotlight.

Now 24-16, tied for the fifth-best record in the Western Conference, Denver has caught it’s stride in recent weeks thanks to the improved play of Murray and Porter. Adding Gordon, who could replicate Grant’s 2019-20 role as a tertiary scorer and versatile defender, may be what puts the Nuggets over the top during the second half of 2020-21.

The post Aaron Gordon on Nuggets’ Radar Ahead of Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

There is, however, another star two-guard who had caught the Nuggets’ eye.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Nuggets had seriously considered bringing The Beard to Denver for him to play alongside early-season MVP candidate Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets may be kicking themselves for not pouncing on that move, as rising star Jamal Murray has been inconsistent while battling through injuries this season and the promising Michael Porter Jr.’s playstyle often leads to frustration from his coaches and teammates. Sitting at 15-11, Denver is currently just seventh in the Western Conference standings.

As the Nets are just 17-12 themselves (though third in the Eastern Conference standings), it remains to be seen if Denver was better off not making a move for Harden.

Nonetheless, while his foul-baiting isn’t aesthetically pleasing to many fans, the Nuggets would have been hard-pressed to find another trade target as talented, decorated and available as the 2018 NBA MVP.

Harden is averaging 23.9 points. 11.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game this season.

The post Nuggets Had Considered Trading for James Harden appeared first on SLAM.

What does a Canadian basketball player look like?

Ten years ago, the answer to that question would’ve probably involved picturing Steve Nash who, in some ways, affirmed some of our stereotypes. I can still see rookie Nash skating around a hockey rink holding a stick and wearing his full Suns uniform.

Yep. That happened.

As a player, Nash was tough, not too flashy and quick to pass before taking a shot. For a while he was our point of reference (in terms of both his appearance and playing style) for Canadian ballers, and this was difficult to shift. Oh, there was Bill Wennington too, and I also heard a rumor about Rick Fox…

What does a Canadian basketball player look like? When SLAM 189 came out in the summer of 2015, Andrew Wiggins had already begun breaking the image we had lodged in our fickle minds. Remarkably, Wiggins was only the second Canadian to be picked No. 1 in the draft and was already doing significantly better than his predecessor (respectfully), by taking home Rookie of the Year honors. This would not be an award earned through assists and long-range jumpers alone (although there were plenty of those). Wiggins was swatting shots, catching lobs, posting up and hammering it down on defenses regularly. Don’t let the haters fool you, Andrew Wiggins has game.

At only 25, Wiggins is just getting started. While he may not be the superstar that some expected (yet), his numbers are solid and he continues to improve steadily. Perhaps bigger than that, though, he has paved the way for a new wave of Canadian basketball players to make their mark in the League. So much so that when we realize the likes of RJ Barrett and Jamal Murray hail from The Great White North, hopefully we aren’t surprised anymore.

What does a Canadian basketball player look like?

The type of dude who might just drop 50 on you.

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 189 Featuring Andrew Wiggins From July of 2015 appeared first on SLAM.

“I ain’t gon’ say no names but there was some people on the other team, I’m like ‘hold on, he don’t normally play like that.’ Like ‘he acting different in the bubble.'”

“I don’t know if it was ’cause there wasn’t no fans there,” Tatum mused, “or just the environment kind of let you play a little more freely.”

It’s undeniable that there were a few players — Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell — whose play in the bubble was at a level above their regular performances.

Warren, who has a career average of 15.5 points per game, averaged 31.0 points per game in the 2019-20 seeding games.

Murray, who has a career average of 15.7 points per game, averaged 26.5 points per game in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

Mitchell, who has a career average of 22.7 points per game, averaged 36.5 points per game in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

Quite frankly, Tatum doesn’t have to say any names; there are a plethora of fans who know which players had performances that were drastically different than the ones they had grown accustomed to.

The post Jayson Tatum Skeptical Of Players Who Overachieved In Bubble appeared first on SLAM.

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

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

Team-by-Team Breakdown

2020-21’s Early Risers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How It Works

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Porter Jr. has proven he is capable of being a star in this league at some point with his ability to score from any level. Nikola Jokic has continued his excellence, as we all expected. However, Jamal Murray hasn’t been able to get things going offensively, especially in comparison to how he played in the Orlando bubble.

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

Michael Porter Jr.	19.5p, 6.8r, 1.8a
Nikola Jokic	24.5p, 11.5r, 13.5a
Monte Morris	12.8p, 2.0r, 3.3a
PJ Dozier	6.3p, 4.0r, 1.0a
Isaiah Hartenstein	5.0p, 3.8r, 0.5a
Gary Harris	9.3p, 1.8r, 1.5a
Vlatko Cancar	0.0p, 0.0r, 0.0a
Paul Millsap	12.0p, 3.8r, 1.5a
Jamal Murray	17.7p, 4.7r, 2.0a
Will Barton	12.3p, 3.8r, 2.0a
Bol Bol	0.0p, 0.3r, 0.0a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Denver Nuggets appeared first on SLAM.

Murray starts to sing when it’s time to raise up. The hop into his shot is consistently on-beat and it comes with perfectly squared shoulders like he’s leading an orchestra. The shoulders give way to a dipped-in-honey follow through that he leaves up even after the nylon dances to his music. His whole game is a concert in which his mind and body take turns leading the jam session.

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It’s regular to hear him play different songs. Sometimes he’s calm, providing the backing track for his teammates. That’s when he moves in chords, within structures that keep the timely groove. Sometimes he’s aggressive, living in the solo section of the song, crashing through with long-distance shots that squeal like a bent guitar string and dribble combos that happen so quickly they look like furious scales up and down a keyboard. Sometimes he trades off. He’ll start a song in the background and then take over at the end with his own version of a G#7 note (Hiiiii, Mariah Carey).

His music, of course, swelled to a deafening crescendo during the Orlando bubble. The volume was all the way up to 11 and every single chord or note he played was pitch perfect. His mechanics were all so finely tuned that he created the highlight reel equivalent of a no-skip album. The most incredible part is that he went prime Nas/Drake/J. Cole when it mattered most. He shined brightest when the lights were blinding—in the clutch.

3-1.

Twice.

Twice.

Now that everybody’s listening, it’s an ideal moment in the Ballad of Jamal Murray to remind the world that this is nothing new. Just because it was loud in the bubble doesn’t mean it hasn’t been happening for years and years.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve changed,” Murray calmly tells SLAM. “Nah. I’ve adjusted a little bit, coming from Canada as well, different country, being alone. I just let basketball express myself. Not many people know me or talk to me or I give them the time of day to have a full conversation but when you see me on the court, that’s my way of being myself and just expressing myself and showing what I’ve been practicing and doing for the past 23 years. I’ve been playing since I was a little baby. This is what I want to do. When I’m playing well, that makes me happiest the most.”

The Kitchener, Ontario, native isn’t just another kid coming from Canada. He’s the kid coming from Canada. He could’ve been out to a prestigious American prep school when he was dominating high school ball up north and finished in front of more mixtape videographers. But he made a choice that no one else before him had been brave enough to try and he decided to stay home. And in doing so he was the final piece in opening Canada’s doors to the world of college and pro scouts.

Maybe that’s why his performances in the bubble were so unbelievable to so many. There aren’t many American hoop fans watching Canadian high school basketball.

But that’s not a good enough excuse because that was over five years ago. There was definitely enough time to catch up on a high-volume shotmaker that played collegiately at the University of Kentucky and made it a habit to put up 20-spots while with Big Blue Nation. No? Too many one-and-dones over there to remember?

He had to have been on the national radar when the Nuggets grabbed him with the seventh overall pick in 2016. Or when he took home that season’s first Rookie of the Month trophy in November. Or when he won the MVP of the 2017 Rising Stars Game with nine three-pointers and 36 points. Or even when he made the All-Rookie second team that year. There was that time that he gave Kyrie Irving and the Celtics a 48-point performance in 2018. Devin Booker and the Suns couldn’t stop him from getting 46 a few weeks later. The 2018-19 playoff numbers don’t lie either. Averages of 21 points on 42 percent shooting in 14 contests as a 22 year old should’ve gotten him the proper amount of buzz.

Guess those mountains out in Denver are too high for the national media.

He went supernova in the 2020 playoffs, a thundering roar that people in Denver, Canada and everywhere in between heard. Checks out that’s when everyone would check him out. The 26 points per game on 50 percent shooting is already nasty. But his six games of at least 30 points, with four of those reaching at least 40 and then two of those reaching 50, shouldn’t be all that surprising to those who have been paying attention. His trajectory has always been trending towards ascension.

Murray’s a 6-4 guard that can post, drive to the rim, hit pull-ups off the bounce, laser catch-and-shoot threes and nail free throws with his eyes closed. That last part isn’t hyperbole. YouTube it. He can go from throwing the ball off the backboard to himself to carving up defenses with the pick-and-roll to surveying the floor like prime Steve Nash with that famous wheel dribble. He’s got the handle to create his own shot and the IQ to lead a Nuggets offense that is symphonic in nature. His competitiveness, by far the most fun part about him, borders on threatening. He will rip out the figurative heart of whoever’s standing on the other side. He’s a throwback to all those who had the fearless takeover trait of the no-friends 1990s NBA. He cherishes competition.

Murray uses the word “express” when asked about the game. Life is creativity to him. That’s why it looks like there’s music in him when he’s on the floor.

“I think anything that you try to practice or perfect is just art in general,” Murray says. “When you watch people dance, any type of performance—when you watch them sing—there’s an art to it, there’s a passion that comes with it as well. When I’m fighting, I’m doing kung fu, a fadeaway is like a kick. My shot’s like an arrow. The way I go into a punch is the way I drive. It’s the same kind of mentality in terms of what I’m trying to do on the court. I just always think that everything I do, if I’m running track, football, if there’s any type of competition, I’m always trying to be the best at it, I’m always trying to do my best. There’s no in-between with me. When I watch some highlights and I see myself do a fadeaway, it’s the same form as a kick in kung fu, especially when I jump high. I don’t know,” he laughs. “I have a different brain. I be thinking different.”

Murray says “different” here like it’s a bad thing. But his version of “different” is reflected only in the fact that the things that make him different are the same things that so many people don’t understand about him.

He’s practiced mindfulness and meditation since he was very young, under the guidance of his father, Roger. His pops has studied Bruce Lee for decades and he started showing Jamal the icon’s movies at a very young age. It’s scary how quickly Jamal identified one of Lee’s quotes during our interview. His examining of Lee is how Murray is able to connect the form of his fadeaway to the form of his kick. And Murray’s always been down to expand his mind and his spirit. It’s been that way forever.

“Just repetition, just over and over and him not getting tired of me getting tired of hearing him,” Murray says of the early days of his mindfulness practices. “Greatness doesn’t come easy. It takes being uncomfortable more than you think. And doubting if you’re going the right way. And [my dad] just wanted me to listen. I think that was the biggest thing. He said, ‘Give me your ears and if you listen to what I’m saying, it’ll help and you can actually see what I’m trying to say. As you get older you’ll understand and have a broader perspective of things that are happening and then you start to see the results and then you try to learn as quickly as you can.’ I just try to keep that understanding of my game and how I can score and what’s worked best for me. I just try to build on that. I just try to keep building every single day.”

The next building block for Murray is a contract with New Balance. He famously rocked a custom colorway of Adidas Pro Model 2Gs with Breonna Taylor’s and George Floyd’s portraits all throughout the playoffs. But, as he says, he’s looking to be different.

“I just wanted to do something different,” he says. “I’ve always been a pioneer in that kind of sense. Staying in Canada, sliding in the draft to Denver, coming off the bench and then starting, being into kung fu and all that kind of stuff and now in signing with New Balance. I feel like we’re both similar in that way. We both have creative ideas. We want to see them come to life. 

“As Bruce Lee, as he said, he said kung fu is a way of expressing himself and shoes, for me, is one way I can go either express myself or show what’s important to me or what’s valued to me,” Murray continues. “I’m really excited to get to work with some of these guys and designers on clothes, and shoes, and collaborations that we can come up with. Like I said, bring all these ideas to life. Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Just creating stuff. I’m going to have all different types of colors. You know me, I like to wear the shoes that stand out the most and I also like to be simpler sometimes and just have clean white. Really excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun, like I said, just going through, talking about stuff we like, stuff we don’t like, what we want to see, what we don’t want to see and be able to move on in the future.” 

He predictably stays quiet about the possibility of a signature silhouette.

All he offers is, “We’ll see, fam. We’ll see.” A big smile follows that limited response.

But no matter what New Balance silhouette he’s hooping in, it’s crystal clear that it’ll be part of indelible images in the future while Murray looks to climb throughout the playoffs again. Another deep run is expected so it’s a good time to take one more look back at his remarkable work in the bubble.

“Passion,” he says, is the singular word that comes to mind when he thinks about that chapter in his life.

“Just being in the bubble, being on lockdown, not being able to have any distractions and just focusing on game-to-game and with everything going on, I just felt like I didn’t have to think or do anything but play basketball,” he continues. “And that was where I thrived in. It’s just trying to carry that same energy, that same mindset and doing the same thing here in Denver or wherever we are on the road. But we were there for so long and it was like, ‘Ok, I’m here for basketball. I might as well just give it my all every single night.’”

That’s how he’s approached his whole career so far. It’s just that you finally started watching. He’s increased his points and assists averages in all four seasons he’s played in. He’s gotten to the Western Conference Finals when nobody thought he or the Nuggets could. You honestly should’ve seen this coming.

Jamal Murray hasn’t changed.

“Just playing my game, just part of the free-flowing spirit that I am,” he says. “Different pace, different tempo. I like to find different rhythm.”

Hear that music?

—

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The rest of the issue features profiles on Luka Doncic, Te’a Cooper, Trey Burke and more, an NBA preview you won’t see anywhere else and much more. Pick up your copy of SLAM 230 right now.

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The rest of our new issue features profiles on Jamal Murray, Te’a Cooper, Trey Burke and more, an NBA preview you won’t see anywhere else and much more. Pick up your copy of SLAM 230 right now. 

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

Biggest Questions

• Can Michael Porter Jr. be a legit number three option? He’s shown flashes of absolutle greatness early in his career. If he is able to take another step towards being a consistent offensive threat, Denver’s offense will be dangerous.
• Will the Nuggets be able to roll out lineups playing big? The Lakers had a ton of success in the playoffs with their size against Denver. Can the Nuggets match their size going forward?

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Denver Nuggets: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

To get past the Lakers and other contenders who improved this offseason, the Nuggets had to make a few moves of their own to stay in the race. Between the draft and free agency, the Nuggets have some fresh faces to fill the voids of some of the players they lost.

Nuggets Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• RJ Hampton: When it comes to athletic guards, Hampton is among the best in the 2020 draft class. Spending a year overseas playing professionally rather than taking the traditional college route, many thought he had the talent to go in the lottery. Denver was able to pick him up late in the first round,which is yet another great pick from their front office.
• Markus Howard: Howard went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, but he still was one of Denver’s top acquisitions, especially when it comes to how they got him. The fact that they were able to sign Howard without using any draft capital is incredible. He was the NCAA’s leading scorer last season, producing 27.8 points per game while also shooting .412 from deep. Although he wasn’t drafted, we could look back on this offseason and consider Howard the Nuggets’ best acquisiton.

Nuggets Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• Jerami Grant: Grant played just one season in Denver before having the ability to walk in free agency. After a breakout season, he earned a major payday, worth $60 million over three-years. When it was all said and done, Denver was able to facilitate a sign-and-trade for Grant to create a TPE, rather than him just walking outright as a free agent.
• Torrey Craig: Denver loves to play long, athletic guards. Craig fit this mold perfectly, which is why he flurished in the system. Throughout his three years in Denver, Craig rotated between starting and coming off the bench, meaning the Nuggets lost a key piece.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Denver Nuggets: Offseason Summary 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Per The Athletic’s Zach Harper, the 28-year-old Frenchman is looking to join a team like the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Clippers next season.

Fournier exercised his $17 million option for the 2020-21 season on Monday but could come to terms on a long-term extension with his new team if traded.

The common thread among the Nuggets, Suns and Clippers is their potential to make deep playoff runs and need for a scoring wing.

Without Phoenix trading for All-Star point guard Chris Paul, they may not have found themselves on the list, particularly with the presence of Devin Booker on the wing.

That said, Fournier — as Orlando’s only consistent perimeter player — may be looking for a partner that takes some of the pressure off of him. When looking at the Clippers having both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the wings and Nuggets having Jamal Murray in their backcourt, that seems even more more believable.

The team that drafted Fournier — Denver, back in 2012 — could be the most interesting potential destination for him out of any of the three mentioned as possibilities.

The post Report: Evan Fournier Hoping for Trade appeared first on SLAM.

The rest of the inside of 229 has stories about three-time title winner Danny Green, WNBA standout rookie Chennedy Carter and the promising DJ Wagner (shout out to his pops!) We’ve also got nearly crispy 50 photos detailing both the bubble and the wubble and a pullout poster with Jamal Murray on one side and the Lakers on the other.

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That’s Breanna Stewart’s story so far. She’s an unrelenting winner and, as the MVP of the 2020 WNBA Finals, she stars on the cover of SLAM 229.

Her journey, along with the rest of the Seattle Storm, to the 2020 title is chronicled in 229. The rest of the inside of 229 has stories about three-time title winner Danny Green, WNBA standout rookie Chennedy Carter and the promising DJ Wagner (shout out to his pops!) We’ve also got nearly crispy 50 photos detailing both the bubble and the wubble and a pullout poster with Jamal Murray on one side and the Lakers on the other.

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Grab your copy now at SLAMGOODS.

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Yet, it’s rarely discussed that as impressive as the feat was, barely surviving the first two rounds is evidence of how much further away the Nuggets are from reaching the NBA Finals rather than how close they are. Yes, Denver was missing at least one starter throughout the entirety of the postseason but the Nuggets clearly need more talent on both ends of the floor.

There’s going to be a quick turnaround for Denver this offseason but their additions in free agency and the 2020 NBA Draft could be pivotal to the team’s immediate and foreseeable future.

Related: Full Denver Nuggets 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Nuggets Draft Needs

Though there were a couple of veterans on the roster last season, the Nuggets are — for all intents and purposes — a young team. As a result, adding another young piece could extend or help maintain their championship window, allowing them to mimic franchises like the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs.

That said, Denver’s lack of experience was problematic in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, with key players lacking necessary awareness and the team lacking players who were battle-tested.

It begs the question: do the Nuggets really need to add a rookie to their roster this offseason?

If Denver does try to draft a player that can provide immediate help rather than trading the pick or using it on a draft-and-stash product, there are a couple of interesting options for them in the back half of the first round. With the questions surrounding the free agencies of Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap, taking a power forward is the most practical option.

As the Nuggets were a middling team in terms of 3-point percentage last season, they could also look to add perimeter shooting.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

Team-by-Team NBA Draft Guides

More: SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Preview

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With just one year left on his deal worth roughly $1.7 million that is non-guaranteed until the start of free agency, it’s time for both him and the Nuggets to start thinking about the future and a contract extension. Morris recently spoke to Mike Singer of The Denver Post about his future with the team, where he expressed interest in an extension that would keep him in Denver.

“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone, I would love to get an extension here. I love Denver. I love everything from the organization to the coaches all the way down to equipment, to everyone. Me, personally, hopefully, if it goes that way. I would love to be in Denver for however long.”

It would make sense for both sides to start working on a deal. Morris is still just 25 years old and has the ability to play either guard position as a playmaker. Even though they are solid at guard with players like Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton, quality depth is always something that contending teams need.

Morris has established a key role on this Nuggets team and has the opportunity to continue to grow. After his performance in the recent postseason, the former second-round draft pick is due for an extension.

The post Monte Morris on Future With Nuggets: ‘I Would Love To Get An Extension Here’ appeared first on SLAM.

This says a lot, especially coming from a guy like Murray who is an excellent defender. In an interview with Ashley Nevel earlier this week, Murray explained why Curry is the toughest guy to guard in the league. 

“Steph is really hard to guard. One, because of his shot, but two because you don’t know what he’s gonna do. You don’t know if he’s just gonna pull it, you don’t know if he’s just gonna end up going by you, if he’s gonna cross you over six times and then shoot and look away. You have absolutely no clue what he’s gonna do. I’d have to go with him.”

Steph Curry might be the best three-point shooter in NBA history, but as Murray mentioned, he can beat you at all three levels. Whether it’s from beyond the arc, in the mid-range, or with a crafty finish around the rim, he’s dangerous from everywhere on the floor. 

It makes complete sense that Murray would say Curry is the toughest cover in the NBA. Over the course of his career, Curry has averaged 23.5 points per game on .435 from deep.

There’s no question that next season he will remind us all just how good he is as he looks to lead the Warriors to yet another NBA championship. 

The post Jamal Murray on Steph: ‘You Have Absolutely No Clue What He’s Gonna Do’ appeared first on SLAM.

In the past 10 NBA drafts, UK has had more players selected than any other school (38), the most first-round selections (29), the most lottery picks (21) and the most No. 1 overall selections (3). When the 2019-20 season started, once again, they also had the most active players on NBA rosters with 29.

Then came the 2020 playoffs and the Kentucky effect really started to show. Former Wildcats scored 2,249 points in the playoffs which was 1,458 more than the next-closest school (Marquette). In fact, Anthony Davis scored the most points by a Kentucky player in NBA Playoffs history.

For the fifth time in NBA history, four players from the same college played in the same NBA Finals while UK also became the first school with four former players to post 30 or more points in the Conference Finals with Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and Tyler Herro.

Murray became first player since Michael Jordan in the 1993 to have three consecutive 40-point games while Herro was the youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points in a game off the bench. Davis shot 50-40-90 in the NBA Finals and was only the fifth player to ever do so. Rajon Rondo became the oldest former Wildcat to win an NBA Championship at age 34. His 105 assists off the bench were good for the most ever by a reserve player and helped him climb to sixth on the NBA’s all-time assists list in the playoffs.

When it comes to colleges that produce top-level talent, look no further than the University of Kentucky. For the last decade and especially in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, their former players have rose to the occasion and broken countless records.

The post Kentucky’s Unprecedented Impact on the NBA 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
• Bi-Annual Exception – $3,623,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Will Jerami Grant opt out? Grant has gone back and forth since the season went on hiatus. Initially, it looked like Grant would take the security of opting in for $9.3M for 2021. After a terrific run during the restart, it now looks like Grant will opt out and test the market.
• Is Torrey Craig still part of the plans? The qualifying offer to keep Craig is a fairly small $2.5M. That’s probably still a palatable number for Denver if Craig simply signs it.

Projected Team Salary

$189,219,386

The swing point for the Nuggets is Jerami Grant. Even if Grant opts out, Denver will be over the cap. They’ll keep his free agent rights, as Grant is too important to let him walk away cleanly. Because of that, the Nuggets project to keep free agent rights for everyone else. Denver will also keep all of their non-guaranteed players, as each has value for the team. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$80,079,386 (29^th out of 30). $25,827,221 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Denver Nuggets: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s dive into this upcoming Western Conference Finals matchup. You can also check out our Eastern Conference Finals Preview.

Regular Season Series

The Lakers dominated the regular season series against the Nuggets, winning three of their four matchups. Two of these wins came prior to the NBA hiatus and the most recent was in the bubble seeding games just a few weeks ago.

Although he wasn’t playing at the level he currently is in the playoffs, Jamal Murray was Denver’s best player in these four games, averaging 18.5 points. For the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis averaged 58.0 points as a duo in the regular season series. In the Western Conference Finals, this won’t matter all that much, as the Nuggets look like a completely different team than in the regular season.

The Path Here

The Los Angeles Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference. However, after entering the bubble, their offense struggled tremendously in their eight seeding games. Coming into the playoffs, their first round matchup was against a very hot Portland Trail Blazers team, although they had no problem winning that opening series in five games. In the second round, the story wasn’t much different. They beat a high-powered offensive team in the Houston Rockets in five games as well.

The Lakers offense has gradually gotten better as the playoffs have gone on, and their stars have been as great as expected. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, through their two playoff series thus far, have combined for an average of 54.2 points, 21.2 rebounds and 12.9 assists per game, while both shot over .370 from beyond the arc. With that in mind, their supporting cast hasn’t stepped up as much as they will need to going forward to continue to advance in the playoffs.

The Nuggets are the first team in NBA history to come back twice in the same playoff run from a 3-1 deficit. In fact, they are 6-0 in elimination games in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. They defeated the Utah Jazz in seven games in their first-round series behind an explosion of offense from Jamal Murray. In the second round, they shocked the LA Clippers in seven games, who were a title favorite.

The story for the Nuggets through two rounds has been Jamal Murray. After averaging 18.5 points per game in the regular season, he’s averaged 26.1 points per contest in the playoffs. This included two 50-point performances and a 42-point game. To complement him, NBA All-Star Nikola Jokic has also averaged 26.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Rookie Michael Porter Jr. has been a spark on offense for Denver as well, producing 11.8 points per contest on the wing.

What to Watch For

The Lakers are likely the best of the four teams remaining in the playoffs. However, this Nuggets team can clearly not be counted out. Regardless of what happened in the regular season between these teams, much has changed for both squads.

The Lakers have struggled from deep in the playoffs, at .359 which is sixth lowest of the 16 playoff teams to this point. The Nuggets, on the flip side, are the best remaining three-point shooting team. Denver plays quite a few long, switchy wings that are able to shoot the ball. They’ve got eight players who shoot .300 or better from beyond the arc.

The rebounding battle will be something to watch in this series. Los Angeles has been the second-best rebounding team in the playoffs, while Denver has struggled on the glass. Michael Porter Jr. has shown flashes of being an elite rebounder, which will be something he will need to focus on if the Nuggets want to have success against the Lakers.

Los Angeles led all playoff teams in assists per game, which is interesting considering their lack of production outside of James and Davis. Outside of those two, no other player has produced more than 12.0 points per game. The Nuggets are in the same situation, getting a large portion of their offense from their top two players in Murray and Jokic. Just like the Lakers, they don’t have a third player who has averaged 12.0 or more points per game in the playoffs.

Just like in the Eastern Conference Finals, this is a matchup where it will come down to the role players. We know what we will get out of the two stars on each team, but what will the remainder of each team bring? Michael Porter Jr. or Kyle Kuzma stepping up would be a huge advantage to their respective team as a third option.

The post 2020 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference Finals Preview appeared first on SLAM.

“We kept going to [Nikola Jokic] and [Jamal Murray]. I think they’re two amazing players, so you can never get mad at that,” Porter Jr said. “But I just think to beat that team, we got to get more players involved. We got to move the ball a little bit better. We can’t be predictable against that team.”

The 22-year-old rookie scored 15 points on 5-6 shooting in the first half of Game 4, but went only 0-2 in the second half.

When asked about his scoreless second half, Porter Jr said the coaching staff didn’t run any plays for him. “I didn’t touch the ball,” he said. “[The Clippers] didn’t do anything differently (defending me).”

The Nuggets face elimination in Game 5 on Friday.

The post Michael Porter Jr: Nuggets Must ‘Get More Players Involved’ To Beat Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down Wednesday’s matchups below.

No. 2 Toronto Raptors 125 at No. 3 Boston Celtics 122 (2OT)

Series tied 3-3

It took nearly 54 minutes of play for Kyle Lowry to push the Raptors across the finish line in the second overtime of tonight’s Game 6, but he did it nonetheless. He got help from Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell, who contributed 21 and 23 points respectively but Pascal Siakiam struggled once again. Shooting just .263 from the floor, Siakam scored 12 points in 54 minutes of play. Kemba Walker struggled for Boston, producing only five points in a game where they needed him most. On the bright side, Marcus Smart notched a triple-double while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 60 points and 30 rebounds.

No. 2 LA Clippers 96 at No. 3 Denver Nuggets 85

LAC Leads Series 3-1

The Clippers jumped out to an early lead in Game 4 and held a 14-point lead after the first quarter. Denver did their best to chip away at the lead throughout the game but never really got within striking distance in this one. The Clips led for every minute of this game and were up by as many as 19 points. Kawhi Leonard led them in points (30), rebounds (11) and assists (9) as he nearly achieved a triple-double. Outside of him, nobody else scored more than 12 points for the Clippers in this low scoring affair. Of Denver’s 85 points, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Michael Porter Jr. scored 69, as the rest of the roster really struggled offensively.

• Sep. 7: Post Up: Clippers Dominate Late to Take Series Lead
• Sep. 6: Post Up: Khris Middleton Takes the Wheel
• Sep. 5: Post Up: Nuggets Cruise to Tie
• Sep. 4: Post Up: Rockets Over Power In Second Round Debut
• Sep. 2: Post Up: The Close-Out Closeout
• Sep. 1: Post Up: Nuggets Grind Through Game 7
• Aug. 31: Post Up: The Jimmy Butler Effect
• Aug. 29: Post Up: A Guard Duel For The History Books
• 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: Raptors Force Game 7 in 2OT Thriller 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.

Nuggets NBA 2K21 Ratings

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

The post Denver Nuggets: NBA 2K21 Ratings appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down Monday’s Labor Day action here:

No. 3 Boston Celtics 111 at No. 2 Toronto Raptors 89

BOS leads series 3-2

The Celtics had dropped two straight games to the Raptors before today’s game as they looked to bounce back and regain the series lead. They did just that, coming out of the gates hot. The Celtics took an early lead and never looked back. Up 14 points after the first quarter, the Raptors never got back within striking distance, finding themselves down 27 points at halftime and as many as 30 in the contest. Despite having a major advantage at the center position, Toronto was outrebounded 41 to 26 on the defensive glass. In a game where they struggled offensively, the Raptors had zero 20-point scorers today, while the Celtics received 66 points from Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker alone. Pascal Siakam once again struggled against the scrappy Celtics defense, producing only ten points on nine shots.

No. 2 LA Clippers 113 at No. 3 Denver Nuggets 107

LAC leads series 2-1

After a poor performance from Kawhi Leonard in a Game 2 loss, the Clippers bounced back strong tonight in Game 3. Leonard and his superstar teammate Paul George combined for 55 points on 37 shots to claim the series lead against the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic looked excellent for Denver, nearly tallying a triple-double behind his 32 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Even that stat line wasn’t enough to power past the Clips, with Jamal Murray struggling from the floor, scoring just 14 points on .294 from the field. The Nuggets did have control of the game early, taking as much as a 12 point lead. However, as great teams do, LA outscored Denver 29 to 19 in the fourth quarter to ultimately win tonight’s matchup.

• Sep. 6: Post Up: Khris Middleton Takes the Wheel
• Sep. 5: Post Up: Nuggets Cruise to Tie
• Sep. 4: Post Up: Rockets Over Power In Second Round Debut
• Sep. 2: Post Up: The Close-Out Closeout
• Sep. 1: Post Up: Nuggets Grind Through Game 7
• Aug. 31: Post Up: The Jimmy Butler Effect
• Aug. 29: Post Up: A Guard Duel For The History Books
• 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: Clippers Dominate Late to Take Series Lead appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down Saturday’s games here:

No. 2 Raptors 100 at No. 3 Celtics 93

Series tied 2-2

Fuelled by OG Anunoby’s miracle Game 3 winner, the Raptors looked renewed in their Saturday night bid against the Celtics. The Raps took advantage of Boston’s inability to connect from deep to build out a third quarter lead and not look back. The C’s starters shot 5-for-29 from beyond the arc while Toronto managed to hit 17 triples despite a sub-.400 mark from the field. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 24 while Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry each had 23.

No. 3 Nuggets 110 at No. 2 Clippers 101

Series tied 1-1

The Nuggets absolutely obliterated the favored Clippers in the first quarter of their Game 2 matchup Saturday, ending the quarter with a 19-point lead. While Los Angeles would slowly claw back at the deficit to the point where they trailed by only five, Denver managed to hold on. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic looked customarily brilliant, the former with 27 points, the latter with 26 and 18 rebounds. The Clips’ dynamic duo was considerably less impressive. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard combined to shoot just 11-for-36 from the field.

• Sep. 4: Post Up: Rockets Overpower In Round 2 Debut
• Sep. 2: Post Up: The Close-Out Closeout
• Sep. 1: Post Up: Nuggets Grind Through Game 7
• Aug. 31: Post Up: The Jimmy Butler Effect
• Aug. 29: Post Up: A Guard Duel For The History Books
• 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: Nuggets Cruise to Tie appeared first on SLAM.

This brings us to the second round, where every single game will feature a handful of NBA superstars. Only four teams remain out West with hopes of getting one step closer to the 2020 NBA Finals.

Let’s dive into both of these upcoming matchups in the Western Conference. If you want, you can check out our Eastern Conference Round 2 Preview, too.

No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers (52-19)
No. 4 Houston Rockets (44-28)

The Lakers really haven’t looked like what we expected them to in the playoffs. After finishing the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference, they looked rough on offense in the seeding games and then most of their first-round series despite beating the Portland Trail Blazers in five games.

If this continues, the Rockets will be in a good situation. As a team that shoots threes unlike any team we have ever seen, Houston scores the ball at a high level. If the Lakers come out flat offensively, it will be hard to keep up with the scoring of the Rockets.

Against the Trail Blazers in the first round, LeBron James made everything happen for the team offensively, averaging a triple-double. His 27.4 points, 10.2 assists, and 10.2 rebounds per game while shooting .600 from the floor and .464 from deep has made him one of the most efficient players in the playoffs. Anthony Davis added another 29.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest in the first round, but outside of that the Lakers really struggled to score.

As good as James Harden’s numbers look, he had games in the first round that were slow on that end of the floor, especially Game 7 in which he finished with only 17 points. Russell Westbrook certainly had his own flaws in the three games against the Thunder in Round 1 but he should be able to turn things around as he shakes off rust and continues to recover from his quadriceps injury.

Defensively, the small ball Rockets will be facing an entirely different situation with the Lakers than they did the Thunder. LeBron James is obviously a mismatch nightmare but another player who has a great chance to shine in this series is Anthony Davis. Houston did a pretty good job of managing Steven Adams in their first-round series but Davis is at another level. With his ability to space the floor as well as score in the mid-range and the paint, the Rockets will have to limit his production to be successful.

One thing to watch for is how the Lakers come out early in Game 1 after being off for nearly a full week. At what point does being away from playing NBA minutes hurt them? Sure, having everyone healthy and fresh is great but as a collective unit this team hasn’t been great in the playoffs. Of any team that might have needed a longer first-round series to work out their issues, it’s the Lakers. It will be interesting to see how they come out against a Rockets team that had only one day of rest between their first two series.

This series probably comes down to the guys who aren’t superstars. We know James, Davis, Harden and Westbrook will be excellent. What will swing the series is how the supporting cast of each team comes to play.

No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers (49-23)
No. 3 Denver Nuggets (46-27)

The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks in six games in their first-round series. Although that sounds great, for the most part it wasn’t pretty. The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, stormed back from down 3-1 to the Utah Jazz and won the series in Game 7.

For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard really has been the only consistent piece on offense. Paul George, who the the team will rely heavily on throughout the playoffs, played extremely poor the majority of their opening series. While this was manageable for a first-round series against the Mavericks, he will need to rise to the occasion against the Nuggets. Additionally, Lou Williams was streaky and had some less than impressive games, as well as Montrezl Harrell who seemed to take a while to get back into the swing of things after being away from the bubble.

The Nuggets, who have looked great as of late, have a blooming superstar in Jamal Murray. He poured in 221 points in their opening series while shooting .533 from deep. Denver also got solid play from Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. and Jerami Grant. As a team, they shot .421 from beyond the arc, second best of any playoff team. Their offense seemed to only run through Murray and Jokic for the most part but it was certainly clicking.

The Nuggets and Clippers matched up three times in the regular season, with the Clippers winning the season series 2-1. After coming back in their opening playoff matchup, the Nuggets have won three straight games. While this means they are hot and have momentum, it’s also fair to say that fatigue may be an issue. They will only get one day off between Game 7 of their opening series and Game 1 of their upcoming series. On the flip side, the Clippers finished their series earlier and have had a handful of days to rest, recover and get prepared.

The defense of the Clippers is one of the best in the league. They are well equipped to guard guys like Murray and Porter Jr. with the duo of excellent perimeter defenders on the roster in George and Leonard. Denver on the other hand posted the third-worst first round defensive rating of any playoff team. With the amount of offensive weapons the Clippers can throw at you, Denver will need to tighten up that defense if they want to make this a series. The Clippers are the better team in this series but will need to play their brand of basketball to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The post 2020 NBA Playoffs: Western Conference, Round 2 appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down Tuesday’s matchups below.

No. 3 Celtics 102 at No. 1 Raptors 99

BOS leads series 2-0

The Celtics looked every bit as solid in Game 2 as they did in their second-round opener over the weekend and ended up taking a serious two-game lead on the reigning champions. Toronto showed resilience in the third quarter but couldn’t defend a lead in the fourth thanks to the balanced attack of Boston’s deep core. Marcus Smart came up big for the C’s for a consecutive game, knocking down six triples. He’s now shot 11 of 20 over the course of the last two games. The Raptors, in contrast, struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just .275 from deep in 40 attempts. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet combined to shoot 4-of-16 from beyond the arc.

No. 3 Nuggets 80 at No. 6 Jazz 78

DEN wins series 4-3

Mike Conley was mere inches from securing a permanent spot in promotional playoff commercial history but his desperate three-point heave at the buzzer of Game 7 rimmed out. A triple would have given Utah the walk-off series victory over Denver but instead the Nuggets held on, restoring a sense of balance to the Western Conference playoff picture. Both teams looked mortal in the series finale, as evidenced by their combined 158 point total, and series stars Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray were similarly limited. Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic was anything but, on the other hand, and dropped 30 points and 14 rebounds. It’s a good thing, too, as Denver’s fate in the postseason will help determine Jokic’s place among the league’s upper echelon.

• Aug. 31: Post Up: The Jimmy Butler Effect
• Aug: 30: Post Up: A Guard Duel For The History Books
• 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: Nuggets Grind Through Game 7 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo via Getty.

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

Nikola Jokic saw his scoring output drop to 14.2 points per game (down from 20.8) and Michael Porter Jr. started to look mortal after some particularly intriguing prior performances in the campaign.

Gary Harris is the lone Nugget that saw a meaningful increase in his production and the club will welcome any and all additional contributions from their impressively deep core. Harris put up 13.0 points per game in March and can be a valuable perimeter threat on a team loaded with unconventional assets.

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.

DEN

Gary Harris
Jerami Grant	–
Paul Millsap	–
Jamal Murray	–
Torrey Craig	–
Mason Plumlee
Will Barton
Vlatko Cancar
Monte Morris
Nikola Jokic
Michael Porter Jr.
Troy Daniels
Noah Vonleh
PJ Dozier

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check (Hiatus): Denver Nuggets appeared first on SLAM.

“I remember my mom always used to tell me, Son, learn how to cook. I’m not going to be there [to do it] for you for the rest of your life,” says Celtics big man Enes Kanter.

Life for an NBA player can obviously be hectic. The travel is strenuous and exhausting. Meals are often had on-the-go, in hotel rooms, on planes or at arenas. Time is tight and convenience is everything. Learning how to cook just isn’t at the top of the priorities list.

But then, in mid-March, everything changed. As the coronavirus spread rapidly around the world and players began testing positive, the NBA shut down.

Time stood still. Four months passed slowly.

Now, with the League restarting in Orlando, fans and media alike have been refreshing their brains on where we left things off in the 2019-20 season and making their predictions for the future.

But before we get to that and attention turns back to whatever happens inside the Disney World bubble, there’s another question worth asking: What have players been up to? For many, this is the longest they’ve gone without competitive basketball since early childhood. How did they fill that void?

Well, Kanter finally got the chance to make his mom proud. His first cracks at cooking admittedly ended with him hunched over a bowl of cereal. But he persisted, determined to master the art while he was stuck at home.

“I started making steaks, chicken wings, cookies, all that stuff—I was really trying to perfect my cuisines,” he tells SLAM. “I improved so much. Now if you put me in a kitchen and give me a recipe, I can cook it easy.”

Cooking was a pursuit that many, in and out of the NBA, turned to while in isolation. Same with reading and binge-watching TV shows. Kanter has been enjoying an inspirational book recommended by Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, Leaders Eat Last. Jaylen Brown, another member of the Cs, studied French in his free time. Teammate Jayson Tatum took up golf, training with respected instructors and providing his followers with updates via Snapchat.

Music was another outlet for players. Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Patty Mills practiced the guitar, while Jamal Murray picked up piano (Kanter tried to as well, only to find that his fingers were too big and he kept hitting the wrong keys). Rappers like Damian Lillard, Lou Williams and Lonzo Ball were in the studio working on projects.

Denver guard Troy Daniels got really into photography. He bought a Canon 6D Mark II camera a couple of years ago, but until March, it had mainly just been collecting dust on a shelf somewhere in his house.

“I picked the camera back up and was literally on YouTube and online every day trying to figure out the settings, shooting in manual and stuff like that,” he says. “It got kind of nerve-wracking because there was so much stuff to learn. It’s not just picking up a camera and pressing a button, and I think a lot of people don’t understand that.”

Daniels eventually upgraded to a Sony A7RIV with all of the top lenses and would take landscape photos or capture content for his girlfriend’s social media page. He grew to love the craft, improving dramatically over the four months.

Making videos was also a popular quarantine activity. Numerous players, from Serge Ibaka to Tacko Fall to Wendell Carter Jr to Matisse Thybulle, experimented with TikTok. Thybulle developed such a talent for it that he’s been vlogging his daily experiences in Orlando. LeBron posted a video of the entire James gang doing a coordinated TikTok dance. Nuggets forward Paul Millsap performed magic tricks on his account and Trae Young dropped some creative clips that went viral.

“I don’t know what it was that made me really want to get on TikTok,” Trae told SLAM in late-May. “My little brother was on it and he was at the house messing around, doing all these different dances. I just asked my little brother how to make one and we made a couple and I did a few on my own at my house. It’s been something to do. It’s definitely a good platform right now that we can all just have some fun on.”

The platform that took center stage amid the hiatus, however, was Twitch. Gaming was already a popular hobby around the NBA and the stay-at-home orders only provided more of an opportunity for guys to dive in. There was a 2K tournament aired on ESPN and SLAM hosted routine Call of Duty competitions.

“In terms of the guys who consistently make content in the gaming world, I’d say the most invested are Meyers Leonard, Josh Hart, JaVale McGee, De’Aaron Fox, Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell,” says pro gamer and director of eSports at SLAM, Duane Jackson. “Those guys have been putting in the work and really care about getting better.”

“I originally suffered an ankle injury and then quarantine started, so I’ve probably played Call of Duty 4-6 hours per day depending on rehab, spending time with my wife and working on other off-court endeavors,” Leonard says.

“I’m very competitive on the court, so when I’m not getting that fix from basketball, I get it from COD,” adds Hart.

The hours logged aren’t purely for entertainment—players recognize the value of streaming in terms of enhancing their brands, as well as how much the eSports industry is growing overall.

“I don’t really try to do everything—in terms of who I am as a brand—but the one thing that has always come back to me that I’ve enjoyed and wanted to find out more about is gaming,” said Ben Simmons during an interview for the first ever digital SLAM cover prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“You got to think about it going back to last summer—Josh Hart was doing this on a daily basis and getting extreme backlash for it,” Jackson says. “People were saying he doesn’t care and he should stick to basketball; but at the end of the day, he was just expressing himself. Now it’s cool to express yourself and it’s huge for a player’s brand. You get to know the players on a personal level when they stream. It just shows that you can grow a brand in different ways beyond basketball, and it’s a good start to a life after basketball as an entrepreneur. Some people start investing in fast food chains and stores. These guys are investing in gaming.”

In general, athletes used the break to focus on their off-court business interests and how to continue cultivating their brands. Rookie Ja Morant debuted a new “JA 12” personal logo when he arrived in Orlando. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also introduced his own logo and finalized a multi-year endorsement deal with Converse Hoops.

“I just think where I’m at right now in my career—wanting to get out there a little bit more and express myself a little bit more on and off the court—and the things they do with their brand and the vision they have, it was perfect timing,” Shai says about the partnership.

“I think personal branding is everything,” says Knicks forward Bobby Portis, who spent the break building up his UNDERDOG brand. “It’s like being an entrepreneur. You have to go out there and grind and get it on your own.”

Of course, the quarantine was also just a great opportunity for players to relax and spend quality time with friends and family. March through June is usually a grueling period for them, as teams battle for seeding and then the playoffs begin. That means a lot of road trips and FaceTimes and quick catch-ups. It was important, especially during such a difficult phase, to be around loved ones.

Many had to assume teaching duties for their kids after schools were closed. Others gravitated toward board games or other ways to channel their competitiveness among relatives. Clippers guard Patrick Beverley brought his trademark trash-talking to Monopoly. Portis, who returned to his hometown in Arkansas, became infatuated with dominoes. He used to watch Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade play on the Bulls team plane back in 2015 but never thought he’d get into it. Then the pandemic happened.

“Now I find myself having a slight addiction to it,” he tells SLAM. “I actually play it every day around 8 or 9 pm. I’ll bring them out and whoever’s nearest to me will just come play me. I knew how to play [before quarantine] but I actually started learning the ways to lock people out and this and that. Now I’m real serious with it.”

There was a time for leisure, but there was also a time for action. Following the tragic murder of George Floyd, several NBA players became leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement and dedicated themselves to addressing racial issues in America. Lillard attended a powerful demonstration in Portland; Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon joined a peaceful protest in Atlanta; the Wizards marched alongside the Mystics in Washington; SoCal natives Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan spoke out against police brutality at a rally in Compton. The list goes on and on.

“That four-month period was really important for myself because of my education, not just about the issues going on in my [home] country of Turkey, but issues going on all over the world, including America,” says Kanter, who drove from Chicago to Boston to protest alongside Marcus Smart. “I think the number one thing people need to do is just listen and educate themselves before saying anything about any kinds of issues. For me, it was very important to just sit back and see what some of the leaders are doing, like LeBron James or Jaylen Brown or Malcolm Brogdon.”

“For all of us, George Floyd’s killing was the last straw,” says Thabo Sefolosha, himself a victim of police violence outside a New York City nightclub in 2015. “It struck something deep inside the humanity of all who saw the video. Enough is enough.”

In early July, 22 teams made their way to Florida for the restart of the season. The NBA was officially back, but things would not be returning to normal.

Social activism has continued inside the bubble, as players have printed powerful messages on their jerseys (“Say Her Name,” “Equality,” “Justice,” “Black Lives Matter,” and more) and are using the heightened media attention to educate fans about the problems that plague our country and demand justice. On opening night, all members of the Jazz, Pelicans, Lakers and Clippers took a knee for the national anthem.

And all of those hobbies aren’t vanishing either. Tatum has already hit the links on the Disney campus. Dame D.O.L.L.A. and Lou Will put together mini recording studios in their hotel rooms, and Meyers Leonard and Josh Hart have constructed elaborate gaming set-ups in theirs. Daniels brought his camera down and hopes to be able to shoot games when the Nuggets aren’t playing.

As for Kanter, the cooking will have to wait until the season ends, but he has every intention of staying with it.

“I feel like once you start cooking, you appreciate food more,” he says. “I appreciate it more because I know the hard work behind it. I think once the bubble’s over, I’m going to keep trying to get better.”

—

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

Photos via Enes Kanter, Troy Daniels and Getty Images.

The post A Look Back at What NBA Players Did During the Shutdown appeared first on SLAM.

Each member of the SLAM Fam was assigned a team to pick for. Below are the results + explanations.

Special Offer: Click Here To Get 15% Off NBA Store With Code NBASLAM15

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1. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Anthony Edwards (6-5 Guard, Georgia)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 40% shooting from the field

First things first: The Golden State Warriors are not about to draft a third Splash Brother. Anthony Edwards may not be a great three-point shooter, but that’s arguably the only thing he doesn’t already do at an elite level. As he showed pretty much every night during an SEC Freshman of the Year campaign at Georgia—and as comparisons to Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo, and even Dwyane Wade make clear—the 6-5, 225-pound combo guard has all the tools necessary to be a difference maker in the NBA. With Steph and Klay both in their 30s and coming off major injuries, the Dubs need to be thinking about the backcourt of the future. Edwards could be their next All-Star SG. — Ryan Jones

2. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: LaMelo Ball (6-8 Guard, Illawarra Hawks of the NBL)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals, shooting 38% from the field

I’m gonna ignore that this pick adds a third point guard to a young team and just roll with the kid that I think is an incredible talent that any team would be lucky to have. Last we saw of LaMelo, he was a 6-7 point guard who can shoot from deep, put the ball on the floor and make the smart pass. Now I hear he’s sprouted to 6-8, grown into his lanky frame and become a more confident playmaker. That’s tough to pass on, regardless when the pick is being made. I realize this would create a logjam at the PG spot—LaMelo, Collin Sexton and Darius Garland seem unlikely to successfully share the ball—but it gives Cleveland a hell of a group of young players to develop and/or trade for other guys as the next season nears (or in the distant future). — Adam Figman

3. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: James Wiseman (7-1 Center, Memphis)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS (three games): 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, shooting 77% from the field

Karl-Anthony Towns’ capacity to match imposing physical size with guard-like quickness has proven to be the quality that separates him from many of the League’s bigs. James Wiseman has a skill-set, frame and athletic ability that almost mirrors that of Towns. Wiseman, who left Memphis after just three games, has consistent 20-point, 10-rebound potential written all over him. Pairing a forceful yet talented big man duo with D’Angelo Russell could be the right way to finally bring the Wolves back to the hunt. — Max Resetar

4. ATLANTA HAWKS: Obi Toppin (6-9 Forward, Dayton)

CLASS: Sophomore (22 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, shooting 63% from the field and 39% from three

The 6-9 redshirt sophomore became a SportsCenter regular thanks to his high-flying finishes, but overall was a super-efficient scorer despite a high usage. Prior to the NCAA suspending all remaining games, the Brooklyn native had positioned Dayton as a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Flyers held a 29-2 record—easily the best season in school history.  He was already named National POY by USA Today, CBS Sports, NBC Sports and The Athletic, and is widely considered the front-runner for the prestigious Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year award. Additionally, Toppin was the only unanimous selection for the AP All-America teams. While the Hawks already have John Collins and Clint Capella in the paint, Toppin’s resume is worthy of serious consideration. — Franklyn Calle

5. DETROIT PISTONS: Deni Avdija (6-9 Forward, Maccabi Tel Aviv)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 7.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field (19.8 mpg)

Four of the highest ceiling prospects have already come off the board, but the Detroit Pistons can still pocket a valuable building block with this No. 5 pick as they turn to the future. Despite the fact that they already have ambiguously tantalizing combo forward Sekou Doumbouya and breakout stretch Christian Wood, the Pistons should take a long look at 19-year-old utility forward Deni Avdija. Avdija has impressed as a transition quarterback in the Israeli Premier League and looks comfortable enough handling the ball and pulling up from beyond the arc to project as an intriguing offensive option at the next level. Defensively, his length and discipline should help him at least make an impact, but if he’s going to see time at the three, or even at the four, in today’s small ball era, he’ll need to show that he can match NBA speed and athleticism.  — Austin Kent

6. NEW YORK KNICKS: Cole Anthony (6-3 Guard, North Carolina)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, shooting 38% from the field and 35% from three

This just makes sense for so many reasons. 1) The Knicks continue to search for a consistent playmaker at the point guard position. Cole uses his explosive athleticism to get to the paint and put constant pressure on the defense. Which brings us to 2) The Knicks offense currently ranks 29th in the NBA and they desperately covet scoring. Cole averaged just under 20 points per game for the Tar Heels and, while a solid facilitator, is more aggressive than passive. Right now, the Garden needs that. And, of course, there’s 3) Cole grew up in New York City and his father, Greg Anthony, was a PG for the Knicks from 1991-95, when the team was making deep playoff runs. As long as Cole takes care of the ball and RJ Barrett improves his perimeter shooting, the two could form the backcourt that turns things around for a franchise that hasn’t finished over .500 since 2012-13. — Alex Squadron

7. CHICAGO BULLS: Tyrese Haliburton (6-5 Guard, Iowa State)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals, shooting 50% from the field and 42% from three

The underachieving Bulls showed that they need help in several areas—shooting and defense in particular. Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton excels in those domains, and then some. Haliburton, who just turned 20, averaged 15.2 points (on 50/42/82 shooting splits), 6.5 dimes, 5.9 boards and 2.5 steals this season. A pass-first playmaker, he would fit perfectly alongside scorers Coby White and Zach LaVine. Standing 6-5 with a crazy wingspan, Haliburton could easily guard positions 1-3, giving Chicago more switch-ability on the perimeter. And not to be overlooked, Haliburton brings great character to a team—lauded by Iowa State coach Steve Prohm for his “winning demeanor.” — Ryne Nelson

8. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: RJ Hampton (6-5 Guard, New Zealand Breakers of the NBL)

AGE: 19 years old

2019-20 STATS: 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, shooting 40% from the field

RJ Hampton, a 6-5, 185-pound point guard would be a nice, perhaps long-term fit for the Charlotte Hornets. The 19-year-old, who skipped college and took his talents to Australia, would have an uphill battle for minutes in a backcourt featuring Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier. Hampton is an elite ball-handler—able to break down defenses with dribble penetration—and has plenty of athletic ability. Unlike most of his peers in the 2020 NBA Draft, RJ had a taste of the fierce competition that awaits him in the League. His New Zealand Breakers faced both the OKC Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in a pair of exhibition games last October, and though his jumper struggled, Hampton knows he’s well on his way: “I’m having a lot of fun.” — Marcel Mutoni

9. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: Onyeka Okongwu (6-9 Forward, USC)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.2 steals, shooting 62% from the field

If you’d heard of Onyeka Okongwu before 2018, it was probably as a footnote in a story about his world-famous high school teammates. Okongwu played at Chino Hills with the Ball brothers, where he spent his early years in anonymity before LaMelo left California for Lithuania. Thrust into a leading role, Big O led Chino to a state title, and added a 35-point, 14-rebound, five-block performance against Zion Williamson at the 2018 Hoophall Classic along the way. In one season at USC, the crazy athletic 6-9 big showed enough potential to warrant top-5 pick consideration. Okongwu’s NBA comparisons range everywhere from Montrezl Harrell to Bam Adebayo—at minimum, he’s a versatile defender who can step in right away and protect the rim for a Washington team sorely lacking in that area. Projecting him alongside a healthy Wall, Beal, Hachimura and (maybe) Bertans in 2020-21 would certainly have Wizards fans eyeing a return to the postseason. — Abe Schwadron

10. PHOENIX SUNS: Nico Mannion (6-3 Guard, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.0 points, 5.3 assists, 1.2 steals, shooting 39% from the field

Nico Mannion is one of the smoothest and most skilled point guards in this year’s draft. His father, Pace Mannion, played in the NBA and finished his career in Italy, where Nico was born. Once they moved back to the states, Nico played in Phoenix at Pinnacle High School and then for the Arizona Wildcats. At 6-3, he has great pace and court vision. He’s smooth off the bounce and can create for himself and his teammates. He’s a shot maker and has all the tools to be an elite guard at the pro level. Phoenix is a good fit for Mannion, as he can learn alongside Rubio in the city where he’s been playing for years. — Bryan LaRussa

11. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: Jaden McDaniels (6-9 Forward, Washington)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 13.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three

I’m well aware of what happened in his lone season at Washington and what scouts and analysts have said regarding a player that they feel teams should take caution with. I know about the benchings at UW, critiques of his decision-making on the court and the other asterisks that might have been attached to his name. But the Spurs’ culture—and everything they stand for—couldn’t be a better place for McDaniels to start his NBA career. There are valuable OGs on that roster—Patty Mills, DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay and LaMarcus Aldridge—and another Washington guy in Dejounte Murray that could take the incoming rook under their wings. And did I mention being in the same vicinity and learning from a HOFer in Tim Duncan? The Spurs have a “we-over-me” ethos and a track record that speaks for itself. San Antonio is a perfect destination for someone with Jaden’s stature and skill set. — Drew Ruiz

12. SACRAMENTO KINGS: Isaac Okoro (6-6 Forward, Auburn)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, shooting 51% from the field

A year ago, you might not have known the name Isaac Okoro. Coming out of McEachern High School in Atlanta, GA, Okoro was a four-star recruit who didn’t have the hype he likely warranted. That changed quickly, though. The 6-6 freshman was surrounded by seniors in the starting lineup at Auburn and still separated himself. With his versatility and explosiveness, Okoro climbed the ranks and shouldn’t fall past this spot in the 2020 Draft. Isaac is a lockdown defender who can score in a variety of ways but doesn’t demand the ball offensively. He’ll have no problem letting guards De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovich (should they all return) run the show, sliding in seamlessly right away and hopefully helping the Kings level up after a disappointing 2019-20 season. — Alex Squadron

13. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Precious Achiuwa (6-9 Forward, Memphis)

CLASS: Freshman (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, shooting 49% from the field

First off, this pick is for Queens, NY, being that I can’t remember the last time the borough had an NBA lottery pick. Coming off an eventful freshman season, Precious Achiuwa averaged 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game before the sports world was put on freeze. Achiuwa should be a major addition to the young highlight reel Pelicans. The 6-9, 225-pound forward has all the tools to make an impact right away. With Lonzo Ball coming off his best NBA season and Zion’s short, but dominant, run, the Pelicans should look to add another forward with their star Brandon Ingram possibly testing the FA market this summer. Regardless, Precious will bring more athleticism and explosiveness to a budding roster. — Nick Torres

14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Devin Vassell (6-6 Guard, Florida State)

CLASS: Sophomore (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three

With the Blazers set to enter the 2020-21 season at nearly full strength after an injury-filled 2019-20 campaign, the team needs reinforcements to shore up its roster and make a run at the Western Conference’s best. A rookie that could step in and provide shooting and defense on the wing would help strengthen the team’s supporting cast around the Lillard-McCollum-Nurkic core. Enter Devin Vassell. The 6-6 guard from Florida State evolved into the team’s leading scorer (12.7 PPG) after averaging under five points in his freshman season. He showed off his range with the Seminoles, shooting at or above 41.5% from deep in each of his two seasons. Vassell also brings value on the defensive end, with averages of 1 block and 1.4 steals per game. The forward is the essential 3-and-D complement that Portland has lacked in recent years. He projects as an instant contributor with the potential to take over the wing from the Blazers’ older forwards. — Isaiah De Los Santos

15. ORLANDO MAGIC: Theo Maledon (6-4 Guard, ASVEL of the EuroLeague)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 7.4 points, 3.1 assists, shooting 46% from the field and 37% from three

There are a lot of good guards on the the board that are excellent talents, but from the standpoint of trying to find a solid backcourt mate for Markelle Fultz, the Magic should consider Theo Maledon. Highlights are obviously skewed, but his decision making as a playmaker seems to be there, both in transition and half-court play. He plays with a patience that is rare to see in an 18-year-old in the EuroLeague. This past season for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, he shot 37% from beyond the arc. If he wants to maintain a spot in the NBA, he’ll need to maintain that shooting percentage as his three point attempts go up. — Arvind Pitchai

16. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (VIA BROOKLYN): Tyrese Maxey (6-3 Guard, Kentucky)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, shooting 43% from the field

Earlier in this mock, the Wolves snagged James Wiseman with the No. 3 pick, pairing him with star Karl-Anthony Towns to give them a massively talented frontcourt for the foreseeable future. With the recently acquired D’Angelo Russell reliably running point, the Wolves still need a wing who can get buckets. Maxey is super shifty and already sports an impressive floater package. He has a strong handle and can effectively slash into the teeth of the defense. He’s also a fantastic on-ball defender. And while his three-point percentages are subpar, his feathery floater touch and excellent free throw percentage (83% on the season) suggest he will be just fine. His 6-3 frame may be on the small side for a SG, but his tremendous strength compensates for the slight height disadvantage. Maxey is young and has tons of room to grow. The Wolves should take a shot on a kid with huge upside who could transform into a perennial 20-point per game scorer. — Isaiah Freedman

17. BOSTON CELTICS (VIA MEMPHIS): Josh Green (6-6 Guard, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three

The Celtics are locked in for the future. They have an All-NBA point guard in Kemba Walker, budding superstars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a lockdown perimeter defender in Marcus Smart, and the perfect complementary pieces to round out the roster. This gives them the flexibility to take the best, most talented player available—Arizona freshman Josh Green. One of the top defenders in the draft, the shooting guard can cover 1-4 with his 6-6, 210-pound frame and 6-10 wingspan. Offensively, he is an elite athlete who can handle the ball and hit open shots, as he knocked down 39.5% of his three-point attempts in the second half of the season. He fits with what the Celtics continue to stockpile—competitive, versatile wings who can cover and play multiple positions. Green is just 19 years old, but can contribute right away as a role player for a Celtics team that has current championship aspirations. — Ben Simon

18. DALLAS MAVERICKS: Isaiah Stewart (6-9 Forward, Washington)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, shooting 57% from the field

Sitting right on the verge of serious contention, the Mavericks will be looking for a player who provides reliable depth and immediate contribution. Washington big man Isaiah Stewart fits that mold. As a freshman, Stewart was a model of consistency for the Huskies. A 250-pound forward with a 7-4 wingspan, Stewart combines impressive athleticism and mobility with a polished finishing ability, making him a perfect fit in a pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic. He shot 77% from the FT line and showed a solid midrange touch. Stewart’s biggest strength, however, is that few, if any players in the draft play with a higher motor. While his back-to-the-basket offensive game may not translate to the next level, his energy and physicality will certainly make him effective as a rim protector and a rebounder on both ends. With Dwight Powell recovering from a ruptured achilles, Stewart can provide immediate depth at the 4 or 5 for a Mavericks team looking to win now. — Sam Squadron

19. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (VIA INDIANA): Vernon Carey Jr. (6-10 Center, Duke)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, shooting 58% from the field

There’s a reason why Vernon Carey Jr. was voted ACC Freshman of the Year in his lone season at Duke. The 6-10 lefty has an efficient offensive game and can score in a multitude of ways. Vernon has a quick first step and is extremely tough to guard within five feet of the basket. He’ll be joining a team already poised to make a deep playoff run, so there will be little to no pressure for the rook to carry a large load. However, if there’s anything we learned from Vernon Carey Jr in college, it’s that he shows up when it matters most. — Theus McBee

20. BROOKLYN NETS (VIA PHILADELPHIA): Saddiq Bey (6-8 Forward, Villanova)

CLASS: Sophomore (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, shooting 48% from the field and 45% from three

Bey is an athletic forward standing at 6-8, 216 pounds that has levels to his game, but the biggest draw is that he’s a knockdown shooter. He shot 45% from beyond the arc in his sophomore year at Villanova, up from 37% in his first year. The Julius Erving award winner could be a perfect fit for the Nets, who are currently the fifth worst three-point shooting squad in the League based on percentage. Brooklyn will be getting back major offensive pieces next year in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but with the contract of Joe Harris in question, Bey could be a strong addition should the Nets need to fill that role. — Camille Buxeda

21. DENVER NUGGETS (VIA HOUSTON): Jalen Smith (6-10 Forward, Maryland)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, shooting 54% from the field and 37% from three

Jalen Smith is a rim-running, athletic big with great hands. He’s also a willing and gifted post player who can step out and shoot the three. The 6-10 power forward has a high motor—Smith can bring chasedown blocks, offensive rebounds, and defensive toughness to the Pepsi Center. For good measure, he’s got the lateral speed and shiftiness necessary to defend at the next level. The Baltimore native is fresh off a stellar sophomore season, in which he led Maryland to a 24-7 record and a Big Ten title. Stix was the best player on a Terps team on pace for a 3-seed and poised for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and Smith would pair well with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in Mike Malone’s system. Paul Millsap, Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant are all free agents this summer. Smith fits Denver’s position need, and he projects to be the kind of player most GMs are looking for in 2020: a stretch-four who defends. — Eli Schwadron

22. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (VIA OKLAHOMA CITY): Aaron Nesmith (6-6 Forward, Vanderbilt)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 23.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, shooting 51% from the field and 52% from three

When JJ Redick fled from the City of Brotherly Love on the first day of free agency last summer, the Sixers’ long-range marksmanship took an immediate hit. Through 65 games, Philadelphia ranked 14th in three-point field goal accuracy (32.6%), down from eighth the season before. The solution? Enter Aaron Nesmith, the best pure shooter in this year’s draft. Vandy’s 6-6 sophomore slinger averaged 23 points and 4.9 rebounds over 14 games while shooting 52% from deep, before a season-ending stress fracture in his right foot. Nesmith was the fifth-leading scorer in the nation and was on pace to have one of the best three-point shooting seasons in college basketball history. Possessing a combination of size, strength, and deadeye shot-making ability, Nesmith’s game is tailor-made for the modern NBA and fills a much-needed void in Philly. — Peter Robert Casey

23. MIAMI HEAT: Killian Hayes (6-5 Guard, ratiopharm Ulm of Basketball Bundesliga)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, 1.5 steals, shooting 46% from the field and 39% from three

Already an Eastern Conference playoff contender, Pat Riley will search for the final pieces of the puzzle starting in the 2020 Draft. As Goran Dragic enters unrestricted free agency, the Heat will likely target youth to take over the reigns. Although he’s only 18, Killian Hayes boasts the experience and toughness it takes to make an impact in the NBA immediately. Originally born in Lakeland, FL, before moving to France due to his father’s pro career, Hayes has used basketball to bridge the gap between both countries. After playing against older opponents his entire childhood in Europe, Hayes turned professional in France at the age of only 16. During his career with Cholet, Killian also represented the French National team. Now a 6-5 PG with a tight handle, sharp vision and the ability to finish at the rim, he holds all the intangibles NBA scouts seek. The Lakeland native took the opposite journey to the League, and the risk may be worth the reward. Once idolizing Dwyane Wade, Hayes now has the chance to honor Flash as he returns to his home state and aims to ignite South Beach once again. — Daren Scarberry

24. UTAH JAZZ: Aleksej Pokusevski (7-0 Forward, Olympiacos B of the Greek A2 Basket League)

AGE: 18 years old

2019-20 STATS: 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 blocks, shooting 49% from the field and 32% from three

It’s time to meet your future favorite player, and he goes by the name of Poku. Joining the storied lineage of Serbians (Vlade, Peja, Nikola) in the NBA, Aleksej Pokusevski is the youngest prospect in this year’s draft, not turning 19 until the day after Christmas. And while his 7-0 frame has caused folks that have never heard of him or seen him play to make assumptions, don’t get it twisted—Poku is a point guard trapped in a center’s body. Just like KD (6-10), Giannis (6-11), Jokić (7-0), and Porzingis (7-3), he’s a vertically inclined man with playmaking ability and perimeter skills. Unfortunately, he’s barely seen any EuroLeague action for Olympiacos since joining the club at the age of 13, but he’s had the privilege of learning from legendary Greek teammates Vassilis Spanoulis and Georgios Printezis, along with former head coach David Blatt. While this season he was assigned to play with the development team, Olympiacos B, his time spent with the Serbian national squad has been fruitful and excited NBA scouts. Last July, he opened the FIBA U18 European Championship with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 assists, and 3 steals in a win against Germany. If Poku somehow slips this far to Utah, a team who flew to Athens to see him play in November, they’re in for a treat. — Aron Phillips

25. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (VIA DENVER): Jahmi’us Ramsey (6-4 Guard, Texas Tech)

CLASS: Freshman (18 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, shooting 44% from the field and 43% from three

Jahmi’us Ramsey, the highest ranked recruit to ever attend Texas Tech, finished off the 2019-20 regular season as Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He’s an explosive combo guard with a great jump shot who can create space, elevate and finish with authority at the rim. Put simply, Ramsey gets buckets. Ramsey would slot right into an Oklahoma City Thunder backcourt that has thrived under the guidance of head coach Billy Donovan and veteran point god Chris Paul. Integrated into a system with a strong track record of player development, Ramsey could carve out a role as a long-term rotation piece in OKC. — Dave Schnur

26. BOSTON CELTICS: Zeke Nnaji (6-11 Forward, Arizona)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, shooting 57% from the field

Two Celtics picks and two Arizona Wildcats. After choosing Josh Green at 17, the Celtics can afford to take a shot on a sleeper. That comes in the form of Zeke Nnaji. I say sleeper, but he was actually much more productive than Green in their one season of college. The Minnesota native averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds (including 3.1 offensive boards, giving him the highest total in the Pac 12), while shooting 57% from the field, second best in the conference. The Celtics’ roster is filled out, but they do have one glaring need: a big man who can run the floor and play above the rim. Nnaji can do just that… and then some. He’s an elite finisher who even showed an ability to knock down jump shots. The building blocks are there for him to be an efficient three-point shooter. Nnaji still has glaring struggles on the defensive end, but with Daniel Theis, Vincent Poirier, and Robert Williams under contract next season (Enes Kanter is under a player option), there’s time for him to develop. It’s a low risk, high reward pick that could hopefully fill one of the Celtics’ few holes. Oh, and if you’re short on a pregame National Anthem performer, Zeke Nnaji can do that too.  — Ben Simon

27. NEW YORK KNICKS (VIA CLIPPERS): Jordan Nwora (6-7 Forward, Louisville)

CLASS: Junior (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, shooting 44% from the field and 40% from three

During the past two seasons, Jordan Nwora established himself as the go-to guy for the Louisville Cardinals and deserves to be taken in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft. At 6-7, he’s extremely versatile and has a well-rounded offensive game. Nwora led the Cards in scoring for the second straight year, averaging 18 points on 44% shooting from the field and 40% from deep. He can spread the floor and create spacing for a Knicks team that ranked dead last in total threes in 2019-20. If the Knicks take Cole Anthony at the No. 6 spot to pair with RJ Barrett, they’re going to be searching for reliable prospects like Nwora—athletic forwards who can run in transition, knock down jumpers consistently and don’t clog the paint. — Alex Squadron

28. TORONTO RAPTORS: Yves Pons (6-6 Guard, Tennessee)

CLASS: Junior (21 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 10.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, shooting 49% from the field and 35% from three

While the SEC’s DPOY doesn’t boast the numbers of other first round picks, he has elite athleticism that allows him to guard positions 1-4. Pons is another skilled defensive player, similar to OG Anunoby, who will help the Raptors in an Eastern Conference that is deep at the G/F position. At 6-6, Pons averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season. He will fit right in to Toronto’s talented bench squad. Although his defensive prowess is what will get him drafted, Pons shot 35% from the three-point line in his last season as a Volunteer. This makes him an intriguing possible deep threat, and given the Raptors’ track record of developing talent (Siakam, VanVleet, Powell), he will have a great opportunity to develop his offensive game further. — Greg Cohen

29. LOS ANGELES LAKERS: Tyrell Terry (6-1 Guard, Stanford)

CLASS: Freshman (19 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals, shooting 44% from the field and 41% from three

LeBron loves a point guard that can shoot, and Terry does just that. He’s a score-first PG who also possesses impressive passing ability. Terry is a three-level scorer and a particularly elite three-point shooter. This past season, he shot 48% on catch and shoot threes and is also capable of knocking down jumpers off the dribble. He has a very good feel for the game, knowing when to pass and when to look for his own offense. Tyrell can operate out of the pick-and-roll and moves very well off the ball, similar to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Overall, he’s a playmaker that will develop into a premier guard in the League. — Christian Quezada

30. BOSTON CELTICS (VIA MILWAUKEE): Tre Jones (6-3 Guard, Duke)

CLASS: Sophomore (20 years old)

2019-20 STATS: 16.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, shooting 42% from the field and 36% from three

The oldest position on the Celtics? Point guard. Although Kemba Walker is still earning All-Star appearances, he is less than a month away from being 30. Brad Wanamaker, despite just two years in the NBA, is already 30. Carsen Edwards provides some youth, but might be better served as an off-ball gunner. The Celtics are young and talented at pretty much every other position (center was solved with our last pick). Increased PG depth could provide a nice cushion. Tre Jones brings just that. But the 6-3, 185-pound guard is more than the prototypical backup point guard. Sure, he has a high floor. That happens when you receive ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Not only can he contribute right away, but he has the chance to grow into a legitimate NBA starter. After shooting just 26% from three during his freshman season, he bumped his average up to 36% this year. He’s a mature, smart guard who can complement the Celtics’ stars by playing defense, facilitating, hitting open threes, and scoring when needed. With Jones and Marcus Smart, they could have one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. He’s already a great backup option right now, but as Walker climbs into his 30s, Jones has a chance to be the Celtics’ point guard of the future. — Ben Simon

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The Chicago Bulls have pegged Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas as the front-runner to lead their front office, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

The organization has brought owner Jerry Reinsdorf into the fold, who K.C. Johnson and Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports note typically gets involved when things are close to being finalized.

The Bulls sought to add a new top authority to replace the long-standing existing regime and didn’t waste time beginning their search. Previous executives John Paxson and Gar Forman could remain with the team in alternative roles.

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports was the first to report that Karnisovas was the front runner in the process but other current and former league executives – like Bryan Colangelo and Danny Ferry – were considered for the job.

Karnisovas would join the Bulls after a successful run with a formidable Nuggets organization and he’s played a role in Denver’s acquisitions of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., all through the draft.

The Nuggets also have one of the league’s most highly touted international scouting departments, thanks in no small part to Karnisovas.

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Both teams fought in regulation and overtime, but it was Atlanta that finally pulled away in the second extra period. Trae Young put up 31 points and 16 assists in the Hawks’ win. On the other side, Terry Rozier notched a career high with 40 points.

Bucks 95 (53-12), Nuggets 109 (43-21)

Denver had control of this game from the first quarter on, easily dispatching a Bucks team that was resting several key starters. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 21 points, followed by Paul Millsap’s 20 points. Kyle Korver posted 23 points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Raptors 101 (46-18), Jazz 92 (41-23)

Despite the Jazz’s fourth-quarter comeback, Toronto locked down to secure the road win. The Raptors featured a three-headed scoring attack of Pascal Siakam (27 points), Serge Ibaka (27 points) and Kyle Lowry (21 points). Joe Ingles paced Utah off the bench with 20 points.

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Jamal Murray hit a fading game-winner to break the tie in the closing seconds and earn Denver a victory. Murray finished with a team-high 18 points, one of seven Nuggets to hit double-digit scoring.

Clippers 120 (43-19), Rockets 105 (39-22)

L.A. dominated this matchup of top Western Conference teams, leading for almost the entire game. Kawhi Leonard dropped a cool 25 points in 28 minutes.

76ers 125 (38-25), Kings 108 (27-35)

Philadelphia received the scoring punch it needed to overcome the Kings from Tobias Harris (28 points) and Shake Milton (20 points). De’Aaron Fox put up 23 points in the loss.

Raptors 121 (44-18), Warriors 113 (14-49)

This game marked a special occasion for Golden State, as they welcomed back Stephen Curry to the lineup after he missed 58 games with a broken hand. Curry didn’t disappoint, scoring 23 points and providing several highlight moments.

Toronto came out victorious, however, as Pascal Siakam’s last bucket helped seal the game and clinch a playoff berth for the Raptors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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It’s truly incredible that Luka Doncic is not even legally allowed to drink yet and he already has 29 30-point performances under his belt. He’s been the engine behind one of the league’s best and most efficient offenses all season.

Luka scored 33 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out 8 assists in the convincing win over the Magic. Maxi Kleber also had himself a career-high 26 points.

Cavaliers 113 (15-40), Wizards 108 (20-34)

In their first game since John Beilein stepped down as head coach, the Cavs grabbed a solid victory against the Wizards. Colin Sexton led the way with 25 points, and Andre Drummond had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Bradley Beal was putting on a show around the rim. He finished with 26 points.

Pacers 106 (33-23), Knicks 98 (17-39)

Behind the steady pair of TJ Warren (27 points, 8 rebounds) and Domantas Sabonis (24 points, 13 rebounds), the Pacers put away the Knicks. While Victor Oladipo continues to find his groove after missing almost a year of basketball, the Pacers can support their star just fine.

Raptors 118 (41-15), Suns 101 (22-34)

All the Raptors do is win, and the most impressive part is most of the time, one of their core players is usually injured. This time it was Marc Gasol and Norman Powell, still nursing injuries after the All-Star break.

But no matter. Pascal Siakam dropped 37 points, 12 boards and 3 blocks, while every other starter scored in double digits to stifle the poor Suns.

Celtics 127 (39-16), Timberwolves 117 (16-38)

Four Celtics went off to defeat the Timberwolves. Jayson Tatum had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Gordon Hayward had 29, Daniel Theis had 25 and 16 boards, and Jaylen Brown had 25 of his own. A true committee approach.

The last time four starters scored at least 25 points each was when Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Channing Frye and Stephon Marbury did it with the Knicks in 2006, Per NBA stats.

Thunder 113 (34-22), Nuggets 101 (38-18)

This was a huge win for OKC. Leading the Nuggets by only a single point heading into the 4th quarter, CP3 took over as they broke it open and won by a solid 12 points.

CP3 had 29, Steven Adams had 19 points and 17 boards, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one assist and one rebound away from a triple double.

Spurs 113 (24-31), Jazz 104 (36-19)

Time is running out for San Antonio to keep their 22-year playoff streak alive, and beating a West heavyweight in Utah is as good a win as they can get.

DeJounte Murray led the way with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals, while Donovan Mitchell treated us to another classic slam.

Lakers 117 (42-12), Grizzlies 105 (28-28)

The Lakers came out of the break strong, defeating a pesky and youthful grizzlies team by 12 points. As usual, LeBron (32 points, 7 assists) and trusty sidekick Anthony Davis (28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks) led the way.

Pelicans 128 (24-32), Trailblazers 115 (25-32)

The Pelicans soundly defeated the Blazers, who were without franchise star Damian Lillard, who is still nursing a groin injury.

Zion Williamson continued his insane start to his career with 25 points, while the rest of the team played a solid floor game to take down the Blazers.

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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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