Carmelo Anthony is indeed back in the NBA, as he found himself in the starting five for the Portland Trail Blazers in their game against the Pelicans tonight in the New Orleans.
Many wondered if the future Hall of Famer would ever appear in an NBA again. But then he agreed to a non-guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers last week and here we are.
Life comes at you fast.
It didn’t take Melo, who hadn’t appeared in a game since 376 days ago with the Rockets, long to show he can still shoot the basketball. After missing his first shot, he found himself wide open behind the 3-point line and drained the triple:
Will this help the Trail Blazers get over their rough start to the season? Who knows, but it is fun to see Melo back doing his thing.
He finished with 10 points in 24 minutes of the Trail Blazers’ loss to the Pelicans.
Other NBA players were happy to see him back:
So damn Happy for my brother @carmeloanthony!!!! Just saw him warming up for the game on the TV and it made me smiled. Back at it Champ! Good luck 🙏🏾💪🏾👑 #007
The Brooklyn Nets are 1-1 without Kyrie Irving, Wednesday the team will be without the point guard again when it plays the Hornets.
The Brooklyn Nets are 1-1 without Kyrie Irving, Wednesday the team will be without the point guard again when it plays the Charlotte Hornets (6-8).
Irving was initially listed as questionable ahead of the Nets (5-8) game versus the Nuggets on Nov. 15 because of right shoulder impingement. The 27-year-old played through the pain in Denver but did not take the court for the team’s next game Saturday versus the Bulls. The Nets still managed to pick up and eight-point win in Chicago without Irving, but did not fair as well versus the Pacers Monday and fell 115-86.
Spencer Dinwiddie is starting at point guard with Irving out. Dinwiddie scored 24 points in Saturday’s win on 5-for-11 shooting (0-for-4 from three). He added 28 points in Monday’s loss with 9-for-21 shooting (4-for-8 from three).
With that being said, the new Dallas Mavericks City jerseys for this season absolutely take the cake. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything this bad before.
The font looks like it was pulled out of some kid’s 5th grade coloring book. Also, fam, since when was this much lime green acceptable in literally any walk of life? Look at these.
Inspired by Art + Basketball, the 2019-2020 City Edition Jersey is OUT. #MAVSCITY.
Poor Kristaps Porzingis. For him to have to stand in front of that backdrop and strike a “how do you do, fellow kids?” pose like that is a Latvian tragedy. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, do not make Luka Doncic wear this.
Here’s a closer look.
here's two promotional shots of the new mavericks city jersey from a new press release: pic.twitter.com/9UjCkJ1S99
The jerseys will debut on November 26 when Dallas plays the Clippers. Apparently, the team’s theme for the jerseys is art and basketball which, uh, sure this is art.
Twitter roast sessions are normally unwarranted and unnecessary. But in this case? Twitter was absolutely correct and fans didn’t hold back at all.
At the end of the day, these are bad. But they’re only just jerseys and these are only just jokes. The Mavericks are still good and Luka Doncic is still spectacular, so you have a lot to look forward to this season Mavs fans.
Just know that whatever lies ahead also comes with seeing these jerseys 22 times throughout this year.
It’s the 15th anniversary of the Pacers and Pistons fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
On November 19th, 2004, a fight erupted in the final minute of a lopsided Pacers-Pistons game, and escalated into one of the ugliest scenes in modern NBA history.
Ben Wallace took issue with a foul from Ron Artest, now Metta World Peace, and responded with a hard shove to Artest’s chest. Moments later, just as the teams seemed to be separating, a fan launched a cup of beer toward the group of players, which hit Artest in the chest. Artest then jumped into the stands and attacked a fan, and other Pacers jumped over seats to back him up. In all, the resulting suspensions cost the involved players a total of 146 games, led by Artest, who was suspended for the remainder of the season.
15 years later, Reggie Miller – who did not play for the Pacers that night but earned a 1-game suspension for entering the stands – recapped the chaos during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. Miller said that the Pacers weren’t concerned for their safety leaving the arena that night, but there was talk of “assassins” when Indiana returned later in the season. That game was delayed after multiple bomb threats were called into the Palace.
“When we played them again and had to come to the Palace, that’s when the issues of safety [arose], because people were calling in bomb threats. There were supposed to be hitmen and assassins, it was, like, crazy. We had to stay on the bus – I’m not kidding you – two hours, we couldn’t even go into the Palace the next time we came to play the Pistons because there were so many bomb scares. The police presence was unbelievable.”
The Clippers are nowhere near their peak right now.
The Clippers are scary. But it’s not because of what they’ve done to this point. It’s all about what they’re going to do.
Don’t get it twisted — they still look solid right now. At 9-5 as the West’s fourth seed. That isn’t the exact spot you’d expect a team with championship expectations to be in a few weeks into the season, but it’s a fine spot.
Yet, there’s not a single soul around that is actually worried about them and for good reason. They’re not even close to hitting their stride yet. We won’t see that until later this year.
The team the Clippers have trotted out on the court over the first few weeks of the season is not the team we’re going to see when the postseason rolls around. It’s not even the team that they’re going to roll out come January. They’ll get a lot better a lot sooner than you think.
The Clippers haven’t put the pieces together yet
They just got Paul George back and he looks like an MVP candidate through three games. He’s averaging 29.3 points per game and is, somehow, in the 50-50-95 club with his shooting splits. That includes his Staples Center debut with 37 points against the Hawks.
To call his first three games a hot start would be disrespectful to how other-worldly he’s actually been.
Kawhi Leonard is, well….Kawhi Leonard. He has to get healthy but he’s a top 3-or-so player when he is. He’s added new skills to his cyborg programming and is playing a lot of point this season. He isn’t shooting that well yet, but he’s still averaging a career high 26.8 points per game.
Here’s the kicker: Those two have yet to play a SINGLE minute together this season. Since George returned, Leonard has been out with a knee contusion. Before Leonard’s knee became a problem, George was recovering from shoulder surgery.
It’s like they’re playing phone tag but with injuries.
The Clippers haven’t really suffered from their star’s absence
They were already a deep team last season with an offense that centered around the pick and roll magic between Lou Williams and Monztrezl Harrell — literally two of the three best bench players in the NBA.
They added two superstars to the equation this season and have constantly had one on the court. The results have been fairly fruitful. Though they’re fourth in the West, their 6.1 net rating is the 6th best in the league and the 2nd best in the West behind only the Lakers.
Net rating is typically a good indicator for which teams around the leagues are most dominant in their wins and the Clippers’ is only going to get better. George and Leonard are two of the best two-way players in the league right now — especially on the perimeter. Their 103.6 defensive rating, specifically, is going to shrink.
Things should start to look normal for the Clippers soon. Leonard was expected back on Monday, but postponed his return because of his knee soreness. Still, he’ll be back before long.
It’ll take a second for the team to gel once they do get their two stars back on the court together, but once things click the rest of the NBA is going to be on notice.
Previewing Tuesday’s Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8) play the second half of a back-to-back in Los Angeles Tuesday when they face the Western Conference-leading LA Lakers (11-2) at Staples Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Thunder-Lakers 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.
Thunder at Lakers: Key injuries
Thunder
SG Hamidou Diallo (knee) day-to-day
SG Andre Roberson (knee) out
Lakers
SG Avery Bradley (leg) out
C DeMarcus Cousins (knee) out
Thunder at Lakers: 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 1:50 p.m. ET.
The Thunder come off of Monday’s 90-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers as whopping +425 underdogs. The Lakers will win this game as the superior team in all areas of the floor, but the -589 odds are far too chalky with a $10 bet returning a profit of just $1.70. It’s not worth even the incredibly low risk.
The Lakers have won four straight games and are 7-1 at home for the season. Additionally, they last played Sunday in a 122-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The have the skill, home and rest advantage over a Thunder squad now 0-5 on the road following Monday’s loss.
The LAKERS (-10.5, -115) are 9-4 overall against the spread and 6-2 at home ATS. The Thunder are 8-5 overall and 3-2 on the road after covering Monday against the Clippers.
Los Angeles outscores its opponents 110.8-100.6 points per game with OKC losing by an average score of 105.8-105.6. The Thunder have played two back-to-backs so far this season and lost the second half each time.
Take the home side ATS with the same $10 bet returning a profit of $8.70 should the Lakers win by a minimum of 11 points.
Take the OVER 210.5 (-106). The low projection reflects the tired Thunder and their low 90-88 score against the Clippers Monday night, but the Lakers will approach 120 on their own and easily put this one over the number.
LA is just 6-7 against the Over/Under on the year and falls an average of six points shy of the projection, but it hit 120 points in three of its last four games. OKC is now 5-8 against projections while falling an average of seven points short. It put up 119 points in two of its last four outings.
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Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives their Top 10 candidates for this season’s Most Valuable Player award. Check out this week’s rankings.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Siakam is making the Raptors look smart for giving him that four-year, $130 million extension. This is Siakam’s first appearance in our Top 10, but he’s been playing well all season. Even if he doesn’t receive significant MVP love this year because there are so many great candidates, it’s possible that he could become the first player in NBA history to win the Most Improved Player award twice. One could make the argument that his growth over the last year (+8.8 ppg, +1.7 rpg, +1.1 apg) is just as impressive as his sophomore-to-junior leap (+9.6 ppg, +2.4 rpg, +1.1 apg). Regardless of whether he wins MIP for a second-straight year, he’s made huge strides this season. Becoming a team’s No. 1 option and a 25-point-per-game scorer is extremely hard, but Siakam has made it look easy. The 25-year-old has essentially filled the Kawhi Leonard role in this offense and it’s been amazing to watch his development in recent years. He has the Raptors sitting at 9-4, which is the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Leonard dropped down our list over the last week because he’s missed three-straight games due to a left-knee contusion that he suffered in the Clippers’ loss to the Houston Rockets last Wednesday. Leonard has been terrific on both ends of the floor when he’s suited up, but he’s now missed five of a possible 14 games this season. As we wrote in this space last week, voters tend to reward players who haven’t missed significant time when considering Most Valuable Player. The last 15 MVP winners have missed an average of 3.93 games in the season in which they won the award (with no individual missing more than 10 games). The Clippers are likely going to be cautious with Leonard moving forward to ensure that he’ll be at 100 percent for their playoff run (like the Toronto Raptors’ approach that worked so well last year). Also, when two MVP candidates have teamed up in the past (like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry on the Golden State Warriors), voters weren’t sure what to do and they basically canceled each other out. It’s possible that could happen with Leonard and 2018-19 MVP finalist Paul George, who returned recently.
The big news in the NBA over the last week was the Trail Blazers’ decision to sign free agent Carmelo Anthony. After sustaining numerous injuries and getting off to a slow start (5-9, which is the third-worst record in the Western Conference), Portland is hoping that Anthony can help revitalize this team. Last time Anthony was in the NBA, he averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 threes while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range in 10 games with the Houston Rockets. It remains to be seen how much this addition will impact Lillard and CJ McCollum, who are Portland’s top options on offense. Lillard is averaging career-highs across the board, but he’s received little help from his supporting cast, which is why the Blazers are struggling so much.
Not only has Towns been filling the stat sheet, he’s been extraordinarily efficient in the process. He’s shooting 51.2 percent from the field on 17.9 field goal attempts and he’s making 43.5 percent of his threes on 9.0 attempts. Only James Harden (4.9) is making more threes per game than Towns (3.9), and the big man’s three-point percentage is 6.5 percentage points higher than Harden’s. Also, Towns currently ranks fourth in Box Plus/Minus (+10.1), fourth in PER (30.4) and fifth in Value Over Replacement Player (1.2). With Towns making his presence felt all over the court and Andrew Wiggins playing the best basketball of his career, the Timberwolves are now 8-6 and holding the Western Conference’s eighth seed, putting them just 3.5 games back from the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
It didn’t take long for Davis and LeBron James long to develop chemistry, as they’ve been a terrific one-two punch for the Lakers thus far. As our Bryan Kalbroskynoted, James is passing the ball to Davis 25.2 times per 36 minutes, which is more than he dished to any other past teammate, including Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Chris Bosh and Kevin Love. It’s clear that James trusts his big man and if they’re playing this well with very little time spent getting acclimated to each other (and their many new teammates), it’ll be interesting to see how well they’ll be playing together toward the end of the season when they’ve learned each other’s tendencies more. Davis is leading the NBA in blocks per game and he’s swatted 24 shots in his last seven games.
Kyrie Irving who? When news broke over the summer that Irving (and Al Horford) planned to leave Boston via free agency, it seemed like the Celtics were going to take a significant step back. It would’ve been understandable if they shifted their focus to developing Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Co. Instead, the Celtics found a terrific replacement for Irving in Kemba Walker. The 29-year-old is posting impressive numbers and he has Boston sitting at No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-2 record (which is also tied for the best record in the entire NBA). It seems that Walker brings production similar to that of Irving without the behind-the-scenes drama and chemistry issues that hurt the Celtics last year. If Boston can keep this up and sit atop the East, Walker would get some MVP consideration (and deservedly so) and Brad Stevens would likely get some Coach of the Year love. And as Walker gets more comfortable with his new team, his play should only improve. With that said, there seems to be a significant gap between the Top-4 players on this list and everyone else.
Doncic is used to having unprecedented success for someone his age. Remember, he won the Euroleague MVP award at 19 years old prior to entering the NBA. Now, as a 20-year-old sophomore in the Association, his numbers aren’t too far off from what Russell Westbrook averaged back in 2016-17 when he won MVP (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals). While posting triple-doubles no longer seems to draw the same jaw-dropping reaction since Westbrook normalized it, it’s unheard of for a 20-year-old to be having this kind of success. He had an MVP performance on Monday night, dropping 42 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds and 5 threes in a win over the San Antonio Spurs. Only two players in NBA history have posted a 40-point triple-double at age-20: Doncic and LeBron James. The sophomore is having a special campaign, his Mavericks are fifth in the West at 8-5 and he deserves to be high on this list as long as he keeps this up.
If the season ended today, Harden’s 39.2 scoring average would be the highest since Wilt Chamberlain posted 44.8 points per game in the 1962-63 season. In fact, Harden is on pace to join Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to average 39 or more points in a season. (Michael Jordan came close in 1986-87, but he finished the campaign averaging 37.1 points). Harden’s shooting percentages aren’t pretty – 42.5 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from deep – but when Houston is winning and he’s averaging nearly 40 points and eight assists per game, it feels like nitpicking to complain about his efficiency. Also, it’s worth noting that his True Shooting Percentage (.618) is actually up from last season. The Rockets have won eight-straight games and are 11-3, which is the second-best record in the Western Conference (and the third-best record in the NBA). If Harden continues at this pace, this season will go down as one of the most impressive offensive displays in league history.
At this point, James has the “best player on the best team” argument going for him. He’s filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis and it’s translating into wins for the Lakers, who are an NBA-best 11-2 (with a league-best +10.2 average point differential) thus far. Can the Lakers sustain this level of play? That remains to be seen, but James will have a strong case as long as they do. If James were to win his fifth MVP award this season, he’d become the second-oldest MVP in NBA history behind only Karl Malone (who was named Most Valuable Player in his age-35 season). Malone was 35 years and 284 days old at the end of the 1998-99 regular season. James is also in his age-35 season, but he would only be 35 years and 107 days old at the end of this regular season. Whether he ultimately wins the honor or not, nobody can deny how impressive it is for James to be producing like this at 35 years old.
Antetokounmpo is having another incredible season and while it may not feel like past years because his cheat-code dominance is no longer fresh and surprising, at the end of the day, he’s the reigning MVP and he has somehow managed to improve his stats across the board. He’s averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, three-point percentage, Player Efficiency Rating, Box Plus/Minus, Defensive Rating and the list goes on and on. The advance stats love him too, as he leads all NBA players in Box Plus/Minus, Value Over Replacement Player and PER. He’s led the Bucks to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 10-3 (with an East-best +9.5 average point differential). He has the numbers, record and signature performances to potentially win back-to-back MVP awards. Also, he’s doing this without another star on his team, unlike LeBron James (who has Anthony Davis) and James Harden (who has Russell Westbrook). It remains to be seen if voters will take that into consideration, as they have in the past.
Carmelo Anthony — the newest member of the Portland Trail Blazers, which became official on Tuesday — has worn the same two numbers for his NBA career: Nos. 15 (in Denver) and 7 (with the Knicks, Thunder and Rockets).
So when it came time to pick a jersey number in Portland, he ended up with … 00.
No. 15 is unavailable because it belonged to Larry Steele, the guard whose number is in the Moda Center because it’s been retired.
But there’s a more complicated story with No. 7.
That was the number that belonged to Brandon Roy, the guard who looked like a bona fide superstar in the making with the Blazers until injuries completely derailed his career and forced him into early retirement.
Since then, no one has worn No. 7 even though it’s not retired:
My biggest question about this move is if they'll let Melo wear No. 7. No one has worn it since the end of the Brandon Roy era. Mo Williams had to change it after immense fan backlash at his introductory presser in 2013. Skal Labissiere was told last year it wasn't available.
That’s right — Mo Williams went with 25 instead of the initial 7, although he claimed it wasn’t because of the backlash that came with the choice. And that’s an interesting report about Skal Labissiere.
It appears that’s the reason:
Carmelo Anthony will wear No. 00 for POR because No. 7 is being held in honor of Brandon Roy; No. 15 (his Denver/Syracuse #) is retired for Larry Steele & No. 22 (Oak Hill #) is retired for HOFer Clyde Drexler. Wish he'd gone with 25, to bring them all together. Stay Mel00
Previewing Tuesday’s Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Golden State Warriors (2-12) visit the Memphis Grizzlies (5-8) Tuesday at FedEx Forum for an 8 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Warriors-Grizzlies 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.
Warriors at Grizzlies: Key injuries
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry (hand) out
PF Alen Smailagic (ankle) questionable
SG Jacob Evans (hip) out
SG D’Angelo Russell (thumb sprain) out
Grizzlies
SG Grayson Allen (ankle) out
Warriors at Grizzlies: 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 9:20 a.m. ET.
The -278 line for the home GRIZZLIES is very low but they are 3-5 at home facing a Warriors team just 1-6 on the road. Golden State continues to manage to lose late in games.
The Warriors allow 119 points per game and can barely muster 110 points per night on offense.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the GRIZZLIES to win outright returns a profit of $3.60. It’s chalky, but Golden State has a low probability of winning Tuesday night.
The GRIZZLIES(-6.5,-115) is the play here. A Grizzlies cover (win by seven or more points) returns a profit of $8.70.
The Grizzlies are 5-8 against the spread overall while staying right around the spread (-0.2 points per game below projections). Golden State is 1-6 ATS on the road while falling further short of projections at minus-3.5 points per game.
The UNDER 222.5 (-106) is where we lean Tuesday. Memphis does not quite have the offense to score 120 points if Golden State struggles to get too much above 100.
At these odds, a $10 bet still returns a profit of $9.43.
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Previewing Tuesday’s Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.
The Portland Trail Blazers (5-9) and New Orleans Pelicans (4-9) get together at the Smoothie King Center at 8 p.m. ET in the Crescent City. We analyze the Trail Blazers-Pelicans 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.
Trail Blazers at Pelicans: Key injuries
Trail Blazers: PF Pau Gasol (foot) is out indefinitely.
Pelicans: PG Frank Jackson (neck), SF Brandon Ingram (knee) and PG Lonzo Ball (groin) are listed as questionable, while C Jahlil Okafor (ankle) is considered doubtful. SG Josh Hart (knee) and PF Derrick Favors (back) have also been ruled out.
Trail Blazers at Pelicans: 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 10:50 a.m. ET.
The TRAIL BLAZERS (-154) were embarrassed against the Houston Rockets Monday night by a 132-108 score, but they’ll have a much better time of it against the struggling and banged-up Pelicans (+145).
New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered on a Portland win profits $0.65 if the Blazers prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $6.50, $20 to win $13, $15.38 to win $10).
Roll with the TRAIL BLAZERS (-3.5, –105), despite the fact they’re 1-4 against the spread in the past five road games and 2-7 ATS in the past nine in the second end of a back-to-back. They have reinforcements, as veteran Carmelo Anthony joins the squad.
The trends point to picking the Pelicans (+3.5, -106), but they’re just too banged up. They could be playing with a short bench, and that’s never a good thing.
The UNDER 230.5 (+105) is worth a look. Portland might have tired legs after just playing the night before in Houston, while New Orleans has some injury woes and they’ll be stretched thin, too. So their offense won’t exactly be on point, either. I love the Under in this one among all plays.
Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
