NBA’s Blog

Coronavirus is Effecting the entire NBA.

In an effort to guard against the spread of coronavirus, the NBA has reportedly discussed moving some games to different arenas or cities. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the idea was brought up ahead of a conference call involving Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday. If a team plays in a city that has been hit by coronavirus, it is reportedly a possibility that their home games could be played at the away team’s arena or a neutral site in a city that hasn’t yet suffered a coronavirus outbreak. The NBA has already taken one step to keep coronavirus in check by preventing media members from entering locker rooms on a temporary basis. Aside from moving games to other locations, Wojnarowski noted that the NBA has discussed playing games without fans or even suspending game operations for an undetermined amount of time, although the likelihood of the latter won’t be known until there is a better understanding of how widespread and dangerous coronavirus could become. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was initially resistant to the idea of playing without fans present, telling reporters Saturday: “Nah that’s impossible. I ain’t playing. If I ain’t got the fans in the crowd, that’s what I play for. I play for my teammates, I play for the fans. That’s what it’s all about. If I show up to an arena, and there ain’t no fans there? I ain’t playing. So, they could do what they want to do.”Following Wednesday’s conference call, which will reportedly include at least one ownership representative from every NBA team, two calls are planned for Thursday, which will include team presidents and general managers.

Top 2 NBA Teams

Coming in at number 1 is the Los Angeles Lakers. Recent play isn’t the only thing that matters around here, but there’s no denying the top spot to a team that just cut down two of the league’s top title threats in the same week. The Lakers put the clamps on Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Friday, resurrecting memories of Milwaukee’s scoring struggles in last year’s postseason against the Raptors. Then, in a hotly contested game on Sunday, LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped the Lakers become the first team to beat the fully healthy Clippers this season. The focused Lakers took down elite competition with defense and star-driven scoring, getting terrific chip-in efforts. James, in particular, set the tone for his team by taking on the challenge of guarding Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard more often than he normally would in the regular season. He and the Lakers clearly viewed tilts against Milwaukee and the other L.A. outfit as message-sending opportunities. Message received: The Lakers are the best team

Number 2 on the list is the Los Angeles Clippers. The more looks we get at the full-strength Clippers, the harder it is to find any weaknesses. Capable of creating massive lineups with switchable wings and the 6’9″ Paul George at shooting guard or shifting into like-sized small-ball units, the Clips can transform like few other teams. Add to that a second unit, a motivated Reggie Jackson (whose ball-handling frees up Lou Williams to get buckets) and a bench good enough to compete with plenty of opposing starters, and there’s just no letup in this group. L.A. hammered the small-ball Rockets on Thursday to hit 10-0 with its full rotation, but it wasn’t up to the challenge presented by the focused Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, falling 112-103 to end a six-game winning streak. A win over the Lakers might even have earned the Clippers the top spot this week. Still, with the Bucks looking vulnerable for the first time all year and with convincing wins over the Nuggets, Sixers, Thunder and Rockets in the last two weeks, the Clips’ recent resume is excellent.

What the 2worst NBA teams should do.

For one, they’re stocked just about everywhere else. They have high fliers, and the trio of Clint Capela (still injured), Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins satisfies their needs, even if the latter’s future is officially in question following the signing of Capela. Mostly, though, Atlanta just desperately needs a ball-handler, besides Trae Young. Forget without him. The Hawks can barely even function offensively with their All-Star sophomore running the show. They’re putting up 111.1 points per 100 possessions when he’s on floor, a mark good enough for the 53rd percentile.That offensive rating drops to 98.3 (2nd) whenever Young is on the bench. Roster construction is part of the problem. Atlanta needs more established offensive talent in general. But the minutes without Young have to get better either way. It almost doesn’t matter who the Hawks target. They have a clear path to almost $50 million cap space. They can prioritize signing or trading for another point guard who’s capable of playing in stride with Young (Fred VanVleet), or they’re free to chase a shot-creating guard like Bogdan Bogdanovic (restricted) or Gordon Hayward (player option).

Top 2 most disrespected NBA Stars.

Number 1 one the list is Devin Booker. Through Devin Booker’s first four NBA seasons, his contributions were both eye-opening and but never enough. He has scored a total of 5,820 points which is the 81st-most in league history for a player’s first four seasons. His success was drowned in a pool of Phoenix Suns losses. Respect is almost impossible to receive under those circumstances. He could pop off for a huge game and it wont even matter. He has nine 40-point games from 2015-16 to 2018-19, he is tied with LeBron James for the 13th-most. At just 23 years old, Booker is one of only eight players who are averaging at least 26 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds per game. He’s a legitimate star, even if the basketball world has been slow to recognize him as one. This season has been different—for Booker and the Suns. His true shooting percentage, win shares and defensive box plus/minus have all hit career highs, and Phoenix has already matched its best win total with Devin Booker. Still, Booker didn’t snag his first All-Star invite until the league needed a last-minute injury replacement for Damian Lillard this season.

Number 2 on the list is Nikola Jokic. Last year during the playoffs Fox Sports 1’s Nick Wright went to Twitter and fires off the shots of criticism at both the Nuggets and their leader, Nikola Jokic: “The Nuggets are exactly what so many of us said they were: A pretend contender with a pretend superstar.” Jokic left him no other choice, averaging 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 14 playoff games. Jokic’s stat line also featured a stellar .506/.393/.846 shooting slash.He did what a superstar should, because that’s what he is—even if casual fans haven’t all awakened to that fact. Jokic may not always score like a superstar and he might be overmatched athletically in a 40-and-over rec league, but his offensive arsenal—a soft shooting touch from every level and maybe the best vision ever for a 7-footer—is overwhelming. The Nuggets are within arm’s reach of a .700 winning percentage (something they’ve never posted since coming over from the ABA in 1976-77), and Jokic is at the center of that success.

The Top 3 NBA Prospects.

Starting at number 3 is Killian Hayes. His very much improved scoring skills continue to calm the worries about his lack of explosiveness. He’s shooting 49.2 percent from the floor, converting his drives and floaters while making enough jumpers. His footwork for creating separation off the dribble, whether it’s into runners, pull-ups or step-backs, has quickly become advanced. Hayes’ decision-making with the ball still needs some improvements, but his passing and vision are very strong, especially when he’s operating out of pick-and-rolls. Wherever he goes next year his coach will wind up valuing his ability to make plays happen rather than his scoring early in his career. He whips crosscourt one-handers to shooters and delicate passes and lobs to bigs in the paint. The athletic limits and low-volume three-pointers (30 makes, 31 games) are the setbacks that make scouts question his NBA upside. But for a 6’5″, 18-year-old point guard, there is a lot to bet on with Hayes, between his playmaking, efficient finishing, budding perimeter game, 88.6 free-throw percentage. You’re only getting a preview of him right now, he is only 18 years old.

Number 2 on the list is Deni Avdija’s. He’s 16-of-33 from three over his last eight games, which include a pair of 20-plus-point outbursts in the Israel BSL, where he’s showing flashes of the shot-creation and scoring that led to MVP honors in the 2019 U20 European Championships. With fewer opportunities in Euroleague, he’s been, shooting 47.4 percent and scoring within the offense on pull-ups, transition, cuts and putbacks. He’s the draft’s most complete player. Lots of critics point to his 52.2 free-throw percentage as a scary indicator for his shooting development. And it’s understood, since an inconsistent jumper has been on the scouting report for years, and unpredictable shooting would make it tough for Avdija to match top-three value. I think poor free throws as more of a correctable weakness than a sign, just based on his form. The 6’8″ forward with ball-handling skills, passing instincts, speciality shot-making ability and defensive range should also show that his jumper will become a strength.

And finally the number 1 prospect in the NBA draft. Since moving up in draft stock in November before he shut it down in the NBL, LaMelo Ball remains atop the board entering March. With Ball, there is a greater sense of certainty—plus a path to stardom because of his 6’7″ size and undeniable ball-handling and passing skills. Even if his shot never develops the way most are hoping, but most likely will because he is already a better shooter than most NBA players. Ball can still make the game much easier for his teammates. But taking him No. 1 means buying that his scoring package will improve.

Front Runners for NBAs MVP, MIP, and Rookie of the year.

For now Ja Morant is most likely to win rookie of the year, he is the rookie leading a playoff team. And while Memphis’ offensive rating improves with him off the floor, make no mistake, he is the heart and soul of their offense. He has given the Memphis Grizzlies an offensive identity with his blend of speed handles, playmaking and disregard for defenders at the rim. Few players have given more assists, and he’s an off-the-dribble escape artist. Morant can be big headed and sloppy, but he plays with such confidence and efficiency in a way no rookie has before him. Oscar Robertson and Trae Young are the only other first-year players to average at least 20 points and eight assists, and Morant’s true shooting percentage is higher than both of theirs. Brandon Ingram feels like the better will-win choice, only because his only competition wasn’t as obvious. Miami removed Adebayo’s biggest obstacle from the equation: playing time. Ingram, on the other hand, joined a new team after missing the end of last year with a blood clot in his right arm. Switching teams hasn’t hurt him either. On the contrary, it’s helped him. The New Orleans Pelicans have afforded him offensive real-estate which he never truly enjoyed with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s almost glorified every aspect of his play. He’s got a stronger mid-range, his shooting a personal-best at the rim, upped his career free-throw accuracy by 20 percentage points and boosted his career outside shot by more than seven points. Finally who is in the lead for MVP. People trying to turn the MVP discussion into a two-player race between Antetokounmpo and LeBron James need to chill. But this is still a runaway decision. Combine Antetokounmpo’s offensive stats—he’s hitting 62.5 percent of his two-pointers—with his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, and no one measures up to his individual value. Antetokounmpo still has Lebron beat. Anyone hating on him for averaging fewer than 31 minutes per game or for the Milwaukee Bucks’ need to check the facts, Antetokoumpo has a strong supporting team around him. Especially when he raises their standing to dominant title favorite.

Toronto Raptors crazy win streak.

The Toronto Raptors are the hottest team in the NBA right now. The defending NBA champions have not lost a game since Jan. 12, when they fell by one point to the San Antonio Spurs. Their 15-game winning streak is currently the longest in the association, not in the league despite losing NBA Finals’ MVP Kawhi Leonard and defensive stalwart Danny Green, the Raptors are still very much in the running for a back-to-back trip to the NBA Finals. Their average margin of victory during the streak is 10.6 points. They won one game by 29, and another by 27. Two wins came by a single point, but those were the only ones decided by a single possession. Four of the six Toronto players averaging double digits in points have missed at least one game during the streak. Norman Powell has sat the last five with a broken hand, while Fred VanVleet has missed two games during the streak and Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka one each. The Raptors are less than halfway to the 33 consecutive games the Lakers won during the 1971-72 season. Only the Toronto Raptors could be both the defending NBA champions and the most overlooked team in the league mere months later. After losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency, talking heads expected the Raptors to fall apartand make their way to their rightful spot in the lottery.

Dead Superstars Wife files lawsuit.

Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, filed a lawsuit Monday against the company that owned the helicopter that crashed last month, causing the death of her husband, 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the seven other people. Mrs. Bryant claims in the lawsuit that the pilot failed to abort the flight even though he knew of cloudy conditions. The suit also says Zobayan flew the helicopter into conditions in which he couldn’t visibly navigate using visual references, forcing him to use instrument flight rules (IFR), and failed to avoid or keep a safe distance between the aircraft and obstacles in the flight path. Zobayan was previously disciplined in 2015 for violating federal flight rules and received counseling. He was also flying for Island Express Helicopters at the time. The lawsuit also claims the helicopter was not safe, although it doesn’t say what was unsafe. It could be the basis for the claim is that the helicopter was not certified to fly in bad weather. The lawsuit does not list an amount of damages sought, but Vanessa is asking for punitive damages, claiming the pilot and Island Express were reckless, and the damages could be untold millions. The suit seeks damages for loss of love, affection, care, society, service, comfort, support, right to support, companionship, solace or moral support and expectations of future support and counseling. The suit also seeks money for loss of financial support and for burial and funeral expenses. Island Express, which has reportedly experienced three other helicopter crashes since 1985, temporarily suspended operations in the week following the latest crash.

Best 2 teams in the West face off!

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Last night the #1 ranked Los Angeles Lakers faced off again #2 ranked Denver Nuggets. LeBron James wasn’t about to just cruise into the All-Star break fat and happy, and neither was Anthony Davis. James scored 32 points and picked up a triple double with 12 rebound and 14 assists. Anthony Davis added 33 points with 10 rebounds, including two big three-pointers in overtime. While Nuggets guard Jamal Murray led Denver with 32 points as well.The Lakers took an early lead over the Nuggets before Denver started fighting back and took the lead from the Lakers. The Lakers trailed by 13 in the second quarter after Nuggets Monte Morris hit a 3 pointer. They struggled to contain the All-Star center Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets bench, during that time in the second quarter the Nuggets bench had outscored the Lakers bench 20-10. The Lakers’ first lead since early in the first quarter came when James hit a jumper to make the score 53-51. The Lakers held a six-point lead at halftime and that only increased as the third quarter got underway. Then Denver showed why they are one of the NBA’s top teams, fighting back to tie the score at 66 when Jokic hit a three-pointer. Then late in the fourth quarter Davis blocked Jokic from behind, then got Jokic to foul him as he grabbed the ball. Davis’ free throws tied the score at 103. The Lakers had a four point lead with 1:14 left in the game, but Denver rallied back to send it to ot. The two teams were pretty evenly matched up through out most of overtime until the lakers took a 119 to 116 point lead then the Nuggets started struggling to score. Finally, Jokic tried to pass the ball to a teammate outside the three-point arc and Caldwell-Pope grabbed the ball and sealed the win for the Lakers.

Is the Rockets small ball Lineup lethal?

The Houston Rockets surprised many by trading Clint Capela in a four-team deal that landed Robert Covington. Spacing is vital in this offense, especially with James Harden and Russell Westbrook looking for open lanes to the bas. The Rockets have had a lot of success without Capela on the court this year, going 10-1 when he was out with an injury. In last Tuesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. The team went with an extremely small lineup with 6’6″ Danuel House Jr. and 6’5″ P.J. Tucker being the biggest players in the starting. In last nights game against the Jazz, the tallest player on the court for the Rockets was Robert Covington at 6’7”. It might seem like it should be easy to guard them, but since the Rockets have so many players that can shoot threes, it’s harder for teams to guard the small ball lineup. This is because the other team plays with a “big man” or center/ forward, so naturally they’re slower than a guard and can’t shoot the ball as well. It is like playing a 5 on 4 if teams play against the Rockets with a center. The Rockets are also very good at spacing the floor. Their two elite playmakers are James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Since Houston has built their team around a small ball lineup, they have two all stars that have the ability to make shoots behind the arc and drive to the basket 3 other players on the court that can play good team defense and knockdown threes when they need to. Houston’s elite playmakers are surrounded with all of the necessary role players so their team can make it to the championship.