Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday afternoon.
I want New Yorkers to imagine a brighter future for the Knicks. Imagine: Madison Square Garden has a superstar player coached by a rising star.
Throw away reason! Wouldn’t it be sick if Donovan Mitchell was on the way? For a second, it doesn’t matter if New York’s front office doesn’t have the right trade assets to get a deal done. Mitchell is clearly frustrated after blowing another 25-point lead on Tuesday evening. Maybe it’s time to start a new chapter. Maybe that will happen in New York.
Meanwhile, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to keep his job next season.
But what if he doesn’t? What if ownership decides to take the ultimate gamble and hire the darling of March Madness, Saint Peter’s Shaheen Holloway? He represented New York well during the tournament. He is a New York guy and everyone thinks he coached his you-know-what off during his miraculous run to the Elite Eight.
As far as we know, Mitchell hasn’t demanded a trade, and Holloway probably has a few more years of continued success before he is ready to make it work in the NBA. But for the sake of our fantasy, well, maybe we can at least plant the idea in your head and let it marinate for a bit.
The Tip-Off
Highlighting some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
If you had to put your money down on two players to win the MVP award, you would probably pick reigning winner Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia big Joel Embiid.
However, our own Mike Sykes wants to make sure that you don’t forget about Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Already a two-time regular season MVP, the Bucks superstar also took home his first NBA Finals MVP last season.
Milwaukee faced off against Philadelphia on Tuesday, and Sykes has the details of how it went down:
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 40 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal. He also shot 66% from the field. There have only been three games like this in NBA history and that was one of them. The only other two players do to this are David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. That’s it.
Okay, my goodness. Say it with me now: Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!
One to Watch
(All odds via Tipico)
Celtics (-5.5, -210) vs. Heat (+170), O/U 213.5, 7:30 PM ET
While it was a bummer for the Celtics to lose Robert Williams for an extended period due to an injury, Boston is still riding an insane heater.
Meanwhile, however, Miami has the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are only one game back of the Heat in the standings, but hey, it feels as if anything can happen whenever Miami steps on the floor. So when two of the most exciting teams in the conference face-off and first place is on the line, you should definitely tune in.
One twist: Do teams want to have first place in the East if the Nets could await in the eighth seed after the play-in tournament? Would it be better to potentially face off against the Bulls, Raptors, or Cavs? Hmmmmmm!
Who’s in and out?
— Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. (thigh) is questionable against the Spurs.
— Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford are all “probable” against the Heat.
— Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley (ankle) is not available against the Mavericks.
— Warriors’ Andre Iguodala had only played twice since Jan. 16 but returned to action on Monday. He is listed as probable (back) against the Suns.
Shootaround
— Former NBA All-Star Charles Oakley told us he is a better chef than he is a basketball player
— Our own Andy Nesbitt is excited to stop talking about the lowly Lakers.
— Charles Curtis shared a list of the best dad jokes Giannis Antetokounmpo has told.
— Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor released his updated power rankings, and the Celtics cracked the top 5.
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