Category: NBA

Jrue Holiday had a funny reaction to Zion Williamson’s threes: ‘You’ve been practicing’

Ha!

Jrue Holiday is just like every other NBA fan watching Zion Williamson bury threes in his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The point guard was wowed by Williamson’s range, telling the media after the Pels’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs that he thought, “Okay, cool,” after the rookie’s first three.

After the second?

“Alright boy, you’ve been practicing.”

Everyone laughed and rightfully so. But Holiday made a good point, that we’ve been seeing this kind of absurdity since Williamson was in high school. He also said that the way Williamson played “is something he can do every day.”

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Podcast: Breaking down Zion Williamson’s much-anticipated NBA debut

Alex Kennedy and Cody Taylor discuss Zion Williamson’s NBA debut, the hype surrounding the game, his incredible 17-point explosion and more.

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On this episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Alex Kennedy is joined by Cody Taylor, who’s the managing editor of USA TODAY’s Rookie Wire. They discuss Zion Williamson’s NBA debut, the hype surrounding this game, that incredible 17-point explosion in the fourth quarter and where Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans go from here, Ja Morant’s excellent start to his NBA career and much more.

Announcers around the world had incredible calls for Zion Williamson’s red-hot streak in his return

“ZIIIIIOOOOOOOOONNNN!!”

How did you react to watching Zion Williamson put on a stunning fourth-quarter show in his NBA debut for the New Orleans Pelicans?

If it was just one prolonged “ZIIIIIIIIIIOOONNNNNNNNNN!!!!!” that seems about right.

Thanks to the NBA, we actually have that answer from around the world. The league posted some of the international calls of Williamson nailing his fourth three-pointer on the night (anybody still doubting his shooting ability?) in the middle of that scorching-hot run that eventually ended with him getting benched as he works his way back from knee surgery.

And, as expected, they are awesome. There’s even one with a “ZIIIIOOOONNN!!!”

The call from the United States was pretty good, too:

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Alvin Gentry and the Pelicans made the right move to take out Zion Williamson despite his unreal debut

It had to happen.

It’s incredible that we will look back at Zion Williamson’s absolutely incredible debut — 17 straight points in the fourth quarter, 22 total, four threes, seven rebounds, all in just 18 minutes — and remember that the New Orleans Pelicans actually lost.

They might have taken down the San Antonio Spurs if head coach Alvin Gentry hadn’t taken Williamson out after one of the most unreal runs in any NBA debut. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t up to the rookie sensation.

“I ain’t the brightest coach in the world,” he told the media after the loss, “but I wouldn’t have taken him in those situations unless I was told to.”

Gentry added it was up to “the medical people.” And that’s that!

From a fan’s perspective, it’s lame, with Williamson living up to the prodigious hype and then some, and the Pels having the chance to make a run at the eighth seed in the West. Gentry’s name was still trending Thursday morning on Twitter with so many angry fans wondering why he took the forward out.

It was tough for Williamson, too:

I don’t need to be a doctor to say Williamson’s knee has to be handled with the most care. Even though everyone piled on ESPN’s Mark Jackson for talking about Williamson’s weight, we have to remember that Williamson is a physical marvel, one who blew through a shoe in college while pivoting. If the load on his knees is a concern to begin with, then it should to take a while for him to ramp up to full speed after months off post-surgery.

As we saw, the future SO bright. Scarily so. Williamson could do it all on Wednesday night — inside, outside, ferociously grabbing rebounds for unstoppable put-backs, dishing out of double-teams. They need to handle him with the utmost care for now, particularly when he might still be in the middle of adjusting his kinetic chain, to figure out how to be the most efficient with that explosive body of his.

So lay off of Gentry, lay off of the medical staff who forced Williamson to the bench. It’s one game in what could be an unbelievable career.

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The HoopsHype Daily: Zion is here, and he’s making the Pelicans a must-watch team for the rest of the year

THE DEBUT: Zion Williamson looked like he was set to have a pretty forgettable debut, looking mostly tentative and passive instead of aggressive and assertive in the opening three quarters of his first career game. Then came the fourth, when Zion …

THE DEBUT: Zion Williamson looked like he was set to have a pretty forgettable debut, looking mostly tentative and passive instead of aggressive and assertive in the opening three quarters of his first career game. Then came the fourth, when Zion reminded everyone why he was last summer’s No. 1 overall pick by putting on an absolute show. Williamson scored 17 straight points midway through the fourth quarter, bringing the Pelicans all the way back from a big hole to briefly take the lead against San Antonio before Alvin Gentry was forced to pull him for the final 5:23 of the game.

The final result of the contest didn’t really matter (the Pelicans lost); what’s going to be remembered most about last night will be that it was the first time Zion took over a game and had basketball fans everywhere, from inside the Smoothie King Center to watching along on their televisions and laptops all over the world, truly captivated. The most fun part of all that? Zion’s going to do it again, possibly as soon as in his next game.

As far as where the supersized wing’s debut ranks among other super-hyped debuts, Zion’s 22-point, 7-rebound, 3-assist, 4-triple performance falls short of LeBron James’ 25/9/4 stat line in his first game, as well as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 29/12/6 debut, but those guys weren’t forced into action halfway through their rookie seasons due to injury, so Williamson deserves the benefit of the doubt a bit here.

For more on Zion’s thrilling debut, click here for the latest HoopsHype podcast, where our own Alex Kennedy and Cody Taylor break down the performance.

LATEST TRADE SCUTTLE: A slew of fresh trade rumors inundated the internet yesterday.

The Sixers are focused Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Wolves forward Robert Covington as potential trade targets. However, a report out of Sacramento says that the Kings are planning to hold onto Bogdanovic this season and will attempt to negotiate a long-term deal with him this summer.

Teams continue to show interest in Alec Burks, who’s having a very solid season for the Warriors.

Although they’ll be without Dwight Powell for the rest of the season and need another big man, the Mavericks still aren’t interested in Detroit All-Star Andre Drummond. Dallas, instead, could look towards Marcus Morris or Tristan Thompson to fill the gap.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: We researched which teams have the strongest home-court advantages; Denver and Utah came out on top, which is probably due to the high altitudes of those cities.

MVP RANKINGS: Our MVP rankings series continues with Giannis Antetokounmpo holding steady at No. 1 and Kawhi Leonard creeping towards the top half of the list.

BIG MAN HUNTING: With Dwight Powell out for the season, the Mavs are going to need another big man. Enter Joakim Noah, who is reportedly drawing interest from Dallas. Noah last played in the NBA for the Grizzlies in 2018-19, where he averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds in under 17 minutes per game.

LET HIM FLY: Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr. is joining Dwight Howard in the 2020 dunk contest. It won’t be his first appearance in the All-Star contest, but with more experience under his belt, Jones could put on a show.

A RETURN NEAR? Jusuf Nurkic participated in a full practice yesterday for the Blazers, indicating the talented big man could be nearing a possible return. With Portland chasing the West’s final playoff spot, getting Nurkic back could prove massive.

NFL TO NBA: Arizona legend and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is buying a minority stake in the Phoenix Suns, making him the second active NFL player to be a part-owner of an NBA team, joining Aaron Rodgers on the list.

COUNT THE MONEY: When asked if he would be willing to waive the final year of his country, which will pay him $44.2 million in 2021-22, in order to facilitate a trade to a contender, Chris Paul replied, “no chance.” Smart man.

DIFFERENT MENTALITY: Dwyane Wade says you need to be wired differently to truly thrive as a member of the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler agrees, telling ESPN he’s loving life in South Florida, particularly the fact that he can keep things real with members of the organization without anyone taking things personally.

NO PROBLEM: Lou Williams knows Los Angeles will always be a Lakers town, and he and his Clippers teammates are perfectly fine with that. They like being the underdogs.

EURO-BOUND: The second-toughest basketball competition in the world is the Euroleague, and for the first time in his career, Amare Stoudemire will experience that first-hand. He signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

INSIDE-OUT: Goran Dragic used to be known as a streaky outside shooter who would punish opponents with hard drives to the basket. Now that’s entering his mid-30s, however, he’s adjusted his game to become more of a three-point marksmen, and the results have paid off wonderfully for both he and his team.

SALARY QUIZ: WHO’S THIS NBA PLAYER? 🤔

Click here for the answer.

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Hall of Fame high school basketball coach Morgan Wootten dies at age 88

Morgan Wootten became the first person who exclusively coached high school basketball to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2000. The legendary DeMatha High School coach died Tuesday at the age of 88, according to the school.

Morgan Wootten became the first person who exclusively coached high school basketball to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2000. The legendary DeMatha High School coach died Tuesday at the age of 88, according to the school.

Wootten coached from 1956-2002 at the high school in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. He turned down opportunities to coach at Duke, Virginia, NC State and Wake Forest universities to continue leading the high school program.

Wootten’s coaching techniques made his program one of the first high school teams to begin taking on powerhouses outside of the state. He employed full-court pressure defenses in a way that led to the offensive foul.

In 1984, DeMatha finished 29-2 and USA Today named Wootten its Coach of the Year and the team national champions.

But in 1985, Wootten’s team took down Power Memorial Academy of New York, ending a 71-game win streak and limiting and stand-out center who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabar.

Wootten coached 13 players at DeMatha who went on to have NBA careers.

Zion Williamson went off in his NBA debut and showed everyone that yes, he’s gonna be great

Zion Williamson scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter.

Zion Williamson made his NBA regular-season debut Wednesday night as the Pelicans faced the Spurs in New Orleans.

Early on he got off to a slow start, ESPN’s Mark Jackson questioned his weight issues, and his short spurts of playing time never really let him get into any type of rhythm.

And then, wow, the fourth quarter happened and we were all reminded that yes, Zion is going to be a great NBA player.

Zion scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter in all different ways. He hit four 3-pointers (for those questioning his range), he had a sweet alley-oop layup, and had the Smoothie King Center absolutely rocking in New Orleans.

He then came out with five minutes to go and the Pelicans lost the game, but this was a win for their future.

Zion finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes.

Here’s some highlights of his scoring spree:

He already has more career 3-pointers than another first-round pick:

Fans chanted MVP! MVP! at Zion:

And his parents loved it:

That was fun.

NBA fans crushed ESPN’s Mark Jackson for immediately questioning Zion Williamson’s weight

It didn’t take long for Mark Jackson to question Zion’s weight.

Zion Williams finally made his NBA regular-season debut on Wednesday night and it didn’t take long for ESPN’s Mark Jackson to question the size of Williamson’s body.

In fact, it happened under four minutes into the game.

Williamson has been out all season with a right knee injury. He started against the San Antonio Spurs in his debut and is expected to play short bursts of time as he works his way into the lineup.

He was subbed out before the 4-mintue mark and Jackson, who is easily one of the most dreadful announcers calling NBA games these days, questioned his weight and said he needed to drop some pounds. ESPN even showed a wild graphic about Zion’s weight:

Jackson also said he’d take Ja Morant over Williamson in the draft if they could re-do it all over again.

This was after just 4 MINUTES OF PLAYING TIME FOR ZION.

Fans rightly ripped Jackson, as well as Jeff Van Gundy, who added to the miserableness of this broadcast:

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Indiana Pacers at Phoenix Suns odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Indiana Pacers at Phoenix Suns sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Indiana Pacers (28-16) make their only trip of the season to Arizona Wednesday as they take on the Phoenix Suns (18-25). Tip-off is at 9:05 p.m. ET at Talking Stick Resort Arena. We analyze the Pacers-Suns odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Pacers at Suns: Key injuries

Pacers

  • G Aaron Holiday (thumb) questionable
  • G Victor Oladipo (knee) out

Suns

  • C Aron Baynes (hip) out
  • F Cam Johnson (quad) doubtful
  • F Frank Kaminsky (knee) out

Pacers at Suns: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Suns 112, Pacers 108

Moneyline (ML)

The SUNS (+100) have been frustrating. They have won seven of their last 12 games but seem to lose the games they should and win the ones they shouldn’t. They are coming off a two-point loss against the San Antonio Spurs Monday in which they were behind almost the entire game and rallied to nearly win.

The Pacers (-121) have won five of their last six and six of their last eight. Indiana is an even 11-11 on the road but 10-5 after a loss. They are coming off a 118-88 loss to the Utah Jazz Monday. They are 7-5 when favored on the road. The Suns are only 1-6 at home when they are underdogs but are an even 12-12 after a loss this season. Most of those losses came during an eight-game losing streak.

That said, expect the Suns to show up, F Deandre Ayton is playing very well and SG Devin Booker has been one of the league’s most efficient players this season.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Suns returns a profit of $10 with a win.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Pacers are favored at -2.5 (+105) on the road. They are 8-7 this season against the spread after a loss and 6-6 as a road favorite. The Suns are 13-10-1 ATS after a loss and 4-3 ATS as a home dog. They play many close games.

Take the Suns to cover at +2.5 (-125).

Over/Under (O/U)

The total is set at 219.5 points. Suns games have hit the Over in three of their last four games. The Pacers have split the O/U 3-3 in their last six. Their games have gone Under in seven of their 12 games as road favorites. Suns games have gone Over in five of seven games as home dogs.

This will be close but they will just barely hit the OVER (-125).

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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NBA All-Star Weekend: Derrick Jones Jr. is returning to the Dunk Contest

Oh, we’re in for a treat.

This year’s dunk contest has a chance to be a really good one.

Obviously, we’re missing some pretty key names in the contest. We don’t have the exact names we want in there this year. It doesn’t look like Zion Williamson will participate and Ja Morant has already told us that he’s out of the running. But what we’ve got so far is pretty good.

Count Derrick Jones Jr. in as one of the participants, according to a report from The Athletic. He’ll join Dwight Howard as one of the two participants who have announced they’ll be participating in this year’s contest so far.

While Jones isn’t a big name as far as star power, he more than holds his own as a dunker.

He participated in the 2017 Dunk Contest that Glenn Robinson, III won. Yeah, Jones took an L. But looking back, I have no idea how he lost. Just take a look at these.

If his 2020 showing is anything like 2017, we’re in for a show.

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