Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris will be a free agent this offseason and due to his three-point shooting, he could be up for a major paycheck.
Brooklyn Nets wing Joe Harris will be a free agent this offseason and due to his three-point shooting, he could be up for a major paycheck.
Harris, 28, is averaging 14.9 points per game with 2.8 three-pointers while shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc. He has impressed for the Nets in the minutes without Kyrie Irving since the point guard has missed time due to injury, averaging 17.9 points per 36 minutes.
That suggests that with increased playing time and touches, he has been able to produce well for his team. This has led ESPN’s Zach Lowe to note that Harris, who currently makes $8 million annually, could make somewhere in the $16 million range per season on his new contract (via The Lowe Post):
“The phrase ‘at least double his money’ has been thrown around by league insiders … [He] is good. He is a good, all-around player. He is tough. He plays defense.”
Harris has been one of the most prolific, productive shooters on spot-up attempts as well on handoffs and when coming off screens.
According to Cleaning the Glass, he has ranked in the 90th percentile or better on three-pointers in each of the past three seasons. There have been few players in the league who have been as impressive as a shooter, where every team in the NBA is looking to improve.
With such a valuable commodity as a skilled marksman, there is a bright future ahead for the starting wing.
Previewing Thursday’s Brooklyn Nets at San Antonio Spurs sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Brooklyn Nets (15-12) and San Antonio Spurs (10-16) will lock horns at AT&T Center at 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday. We analyze the Nets-Spurs odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.
Nets at Spurs: Key injuries
Nets: SG David Nwaba (ankle) is on the injury report, but he is expected to play. PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and SG Caris LeVert (thumb) are out at least another week, while PF Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is out Thursday.
Nets at Spurs: 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 7:45 a.m. ET.
The NETS (+125) are underdogs, but they’re a great value on the road as they have a winning record against a struggling Spurs (-149) side which finds itself six games below .500.
The NETS(+2.5, -106) look to keep the Spurs (-2.5, -115) down. San Antonio covered last time out, and it hasn’t covered in back-to-back games at any point this season. Brooklyn enters 7-2 ATS in the past nine games overall while going 8-2 ATS in the past 10 against teams with a losing straight-up record.
San Antonio heads in 5-17 ATS in the past 22 games at home, and 7-19 ATS in the past 26 at home as a favorite.
UNDER 218.5 (-106) is where it’s at, cashing in five of the past six games overall for the Nets and five of the past seven road outings. For the Spurs, the Under is 11-5 in their past 16 games against teams with a winning overall mark.
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In attempting to snap their 12-game losing streak on Tuesday, the Pelicans were involved in a controversial end-of-regulation sequence against the Brooklyn Nets.
The New Orleans Pelicans nearly snapped their 12-game losing streak on Tuesday before falling in overtime to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-101. However, the game could have ended in regulation if not for an egregious error from the referees.
Late in regulation, the game clock and shot clock were separated by only a few seconds. Spencer Dinwiddie hoisted a long three-pointer that only hit the backboard as the shot clock expired. Amid confusion on the court, Lonzo Ball corralled the rebound and threw an outlet pass to Josh Hart whose shot did not beat the buzzer.
However, upon replay, it was clear that the ball had not touched the rim and the Pelicans, who had a timeout, should have had possession of the ball at midcourt with a handful of seconds remaining and a chance to win the game.
The refs ruled the ball hit the rim, there was no shot clock violation and that the play wasn’t reviewable. After the game, Alvin Gentry pointed out that he and his staff argued their point with the officials to no avail.
Gentry: "I asked them (the refs) to review it 3 times and they said that it clearly hit the rim."
On Wednesday, the Last 2 Minute report confirmed what everyone else knew, calling the missed call an incorrect non-call with the following explanation:
Dinwiddie’s (BKN) shot attempt does not make contact with the rim, and a 24 second violation should have been called.
For a team mired in a now 13-game losing streak following the loss, it’s a particularly frustrating and stinging loss following a night when the team actually executed down the stretch.
The Pelicans nearly snapped their 12-game losing streak on Tuesday before falling at home in overtime to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-101.
The Pelicans nearly snapped their 12-game losing streak on Tuesday before falling at home in overtime to the Brooklyn Nets, 108-101.
The Good: End of regulation execution
For maybe the first time this season and certainly the first time during the current losing skid, the Pelicans executed down the stretch of regulation. Down 89-83 with little over two minutes left, Jrue Holiday hit a layup, Lonzo Ball knocked down an open three-pointer, Brandon Ingram converted a gorgeous move at the rim and Holiday capped it off with an and-one dunk over Jarrett Allen.
In a span of 1:08, the Pelicans went on an 11-2 run to take a 93-91 run with 56.5 seconds left. Unfortunately, the game didn’t end there but it was a rare bright spot on a night and streak full of dark moments.
The Bad: The blown call at the end of regulation
There are a lot of reasons the Pelicans lost on Tuesday. They shot 34.3 percent from the field, 27.5 percent from beyond the arc and could not stop the Nets in overtime.
But missed calls don’t come more egregious than the one the referees had to end regulation. After Josh Hart forced a wild stepback three-pointer from Spencer Dindwiddie, the shot did not hit rim as the shot clock expired. The result should have been Pelicans ball with a timeout and roughly two seconds remaining.
The refs, though, did not call a shot clock violation and Hart’s half-court heave did not beat the buzzer. Even worse, the refs did not review the missed call and did not seem to even acknowledge that a controversial play just happened.
For a team trying to break out of a slump, moments like that sting all the worse.
The Ball: Clutch three on rough night
Ball was no exception to the Pelicans’ rough shooting on the night, finishing 4-of-13 overall and 1-of-5 from three for 10 points. His one three-pointer, though, was his last one coming in that late fourth-quarter run. He also had an overtime bucket with the game still in balance, finishing at the rim on a fastbreak over a defender.
The New Orleans Pelicans will look to break their 12-game losing streak on Tuesday as they host the Kyrie Irving-less Brooklyn Nets.
Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets
When: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 8:00 p.m ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans
The Pelicans and Nets meet for the second time this season and present two teams with similar circumstances and different paths.
Both sides have been hurt by injuries this season, though Brooklyn’s injuries have been a higher quality than New Orleans’ quantity of injuries. While Kevin Durant will be out for the season, Kyrie Irving has missed 15 games and counting with a shoulder injury.
In his absence, the Nets have stayed afloat, sitting at 14-12 on the season and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Compared to the Pelicans, who have missed Zion Williamson since the end of preseason, Brooklyn serves as an alternate timeline for how the Pelicans’ season may have went in a different year.
In Irving’s absence, Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up, averaging 21 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field with 6.2 assists.
The Nets have been almost exactly average this season, sitting at 16th in offensive rating at 108.2 and 15th in defensive rating at 108.2 for a 0.0 net rating, which is unsurprisingly 15th in the league. In Irving’s absence, the Nets have a net rating of 2.0 over the last 15 games, ranking them 13th.
In the previous meeting this season, Irving dropped 39 points in a 135-125 win over New Orleans. Without Derrick Favors, the Pelicans were led on the night offensively by Brandon Ingram’s 40 points. Lonzo Ball chipped in 15 points.
The Sixers will likely have Joel Embiid back Wednesday to help anchor their defense against the Miami Heat.
The Philadelphia 76ers will likely have their defensive anchor back to help protect the paint Wednesday.
According to Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin, two-time All-Star Joel Embiid is expected to be available for the Sixers’ home game against the Miami Heat. Embiid missed the Sixers’ game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday because of an upper respiratory illness.
The Sixers will need Embiid to compete against Bam Adebayo, an up-and-coming big. Adebayo has shown he can be one of the most versatile big men in the league. A Most Improved Player candidate, Adebayo has averaged career-highs in points (15.2), rebounds (10.7) and assists (4.6) this season. Adebayo also has posted two triple-doubles.
Joel Embiid returned to practice today, they expect him to be available tomorrow against the Heat. He missed Sunday’s loss to the Nets with an illness. #Sixers
Embiid is the best player on the Sixers, and the team especially needs him on defense. He has a team-leading defensive rating. Embiid helps the Sixers defend the paint well. During the Sixers’ loss against the Nets, Philly gave up 64 points in the paint. That’s the most they’ve given up all season, per NBA.com.
The Heat excel at moving the ball and making defenses rotate, so the Sixers, one of the best defensive teams in the league, will have a tough task. Miami ranks ninth in assists per game, and they shoot the ball well, ranking third in 3-point percentage.
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA Draft will look like.
After over a month of the college basketball season, we are starting to get a better picture of what the 2020 NBA draft will look like.
For example, Georgia Bulldogs freshman Anthony Edwards is beginning to separate himself as a near-consensus No. 1 overall pick. On the other side of the coin, though, several of the projected top selections (LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Cole Anthony and RJ Hampton) will miss extended time due to either injury or suspension.
In order to get a better read of the bigger picture, we collected opinions from the top experts and analysts that cover the draft. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic as well as USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.
Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry, Xavier Tillman in top-45 of The Athletic's NBA Draft Big Board https://t.co/LFrVsMcvZD
One of the most interesting takeaways is that the Michigan State Spartans have three players (Cassius Winston, Aaron Henry and Xavier Tillman) all trending up.
After making the Final Four in last year’s March Madness, the program was expected to take another leap forward for their 2019-20 campaign.
Despite three losses in their first 10 games, the Spartans still rank No. 15 overall this season. This can be attributed to the fact Michigan State currently has the third-best offense in college basketball, per KenPom.com.
They also have three of the most improved players since our last aggregate mock draft. The full list, and more on each of the MSU players moving up draft boards, is included below.
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 17 spots in our rankings.
Despite already being 21 years old, the 6-foot-1 guard currently has a first-round grade from ESPN as well as Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports.
Winston has been one of the best distributors since he began at MSU. 67.1 percent of all field goals for the Spartans have been assisted, which is the sixth-most among all teams so far this season. His career assist rate (44.1 percent) ranks No. 1 overall among all college players who have played at least 50 games since 2009-10, via Sports-Reference.
With 7 assists today vs Rutgers, Cassius Winston now has the 2nd-most career assists (770) in Big Ten History, passing Illinois’ Bruce Douglas.
Winston is now just 46 assists behind Mateen Cleaves for the conference career record (816). pic.twitter.com/BLzMQGjpzx
During his freshman season, he had the second-best assist rate (46.7 percent) in the NCAA. Then as a sophomore, his assist rate (43.5 percent) trailed only Trae Young for the best in college basketball. Last season, his assist mark (44.8 percent) ranked third-best and behind only Ja Morant among all who played for teams that made the tournament.
But he has also shown strength as one of the more accurate shooters in the NCAA.
Winston was 75-for-151 (49.7 percent) from beyond the arc in 2017-18. That helped him join the exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Even as a sophomore then, the guard was one of the few to have a membership with at least two three-point attempts per game.
There is some enough NBA readiness to show he can contribute right away for a winning team.
Aaron Henry, Wing
AMD Rank: 33
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 26 spots in our rankings.
Henry was of the players who helped himself the most during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Then a freshman, he put up 20 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists during a victory over LSU.
While he has not yet taken the leap some expected as a sophomore, draft experts still have confidence in him as a prospect. His highest ranking right now comes from Jonathan Wasserman, who has him at No. 28 overall (via Bleacher Report):
“The eye test on Henry looks more convincing than the numbers. He isn’t a high-level creator, which limits him in Michigan State’s offense. But the 6’6″ guard is hitting open shots, capitalizing on driving lanes and making impact defensive plays. This late, teams will overlook Henry’s production for his fit.”
Perhaps the best news for the wing is that there is room for improvement. However, there have also been moments that show what Henry is capable of accomplishing at the next level.
This season, for example, the sophomore has been one of the most effective shooters off the catch. He is averaging 1.78 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts in a set offense, per Synergy Sports, which ranks in the 98th percentile.
Henry is also shooting 72.7 percent at the rim, which is an especially solid rate for a wing. Overall, he looks like someone capable of being a 3-and-D player in an NBA rotation.
Xavier Tillman, Big
AMD Rank: 50
Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Since our last AMD, this has moved up 13 spots in our rankings.
Michigan State has always been a team that plays better with Tillman on the court. Last season, for example, the big actually had the third-best box plus-minus in the NCAA — trailing only Zion Williamson and Brandon Clarke.
Jeremy Woo recently helped contextualize what professional teams may like about the 6-foot-8 junior (via SI.com):
“Tillman specializes in doing the dirty work and has been a largely unheralded yet invaluable piece of the Spartans’ success dating back to last season. He’s not particularly tall for a center but has a chance to be a quality rotational big in the pros with what he adds defensively and on the glass. Tillman has worked on extending his shooting range, and if he ends up being able to shoot the three, he’ll have a fairly strong window of opportunity as a role player. A lot of the things he does as a screener and defender don’t show up in the box score, and while he’ll never be more than a fourth or fifth offensive option, he might be able to thrive in that capacity.”
His best trait so far this season has been his ability to cut to the basket. He is shooting 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) on these attempts, per Synergy.
But he has also added value on the offensive glass and as a rim protector for Michigan State. His willingness and ability to make the most of time on the floor makes him a draftable professional prospect.
Previewing Tuesday’s Brooklyn Nets at New Orleans Pelicans sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Brooklyn Nets (14-12) and New Orleans Pelicans (6-21) square off at the Smoothie King Center at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. We analyze the Nets-Pelicans odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM.
Nets at Pelicans: Key injuries
Nets: PF Nicolas Claxton (hamstring) is out. PG Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and SG Caris LeVert (thumb) are out at least another week.
Pelicans: SG J.J. Redick (groin) is not expected to play, while PF Zion Williamson (knee) remains out for at least another week or two.
Nets 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 10:30 a.m. ET.
The NETS (-139) are coming off an impressive 20-point victory against the Philadelphia 76ers their last time out. They’re worth a look on the road against the skidding Pelicans (+115).
The NETS(-1.5, -115) carry at 6-2 ATS mark into action across the past eight games overall, and they’re 7-2 ATS in the past nine against teams with a losing overall record. The Pelicans (+1.5, -106) are 1-10-1 ATS across the past 12 games overall, and they’re 0-5 in the past five at SKC.
Take the UNDER 230.5 (-115), as the Under has connected in four of the past five for the Nets, while going 5-2 in their past seven as a favorite. The Under is 6-2 in the past eight for the Pellies, too.
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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Joel Embiid’s offensive numbers are down, but he has still been one of the Sixers’ best defenders.
As the Philadelphia 76ers go on the road to Brooklyn, two-time All-Star Joel Embiid will likely be unavailable to play.
Embiid is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets because of an upper respiratory illness, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Tip off is set for 6 p.m. EST.
In three of the past four games, Embiid has scored at least 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. This season, Embiid has played in 22 games, averaging 22.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He is also averaging a career-low 3.3 turnovers per game.
Though his offensive numbers are down from last season, Embiid still holds great importance on the Sixers. He’s the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, and he ranks seventh in the NBA for rebounds per game.
Joel Embiid – upper respiratory illness – is doubtful for tonight’s game #Sixers
As one of the best defensive big men in the league, Embiid has the best defensive rating on the Sixers (95.6), per NBA.com. When he is off the floor, the Sixers have a defensive rating of 107.4.
The Sixers could use Embiid for this particular matchup against the Nets. Jarrett Allen is one of the best big men in the league when it comes to rebounding and protecting the rim. Allen is averaging a career-high 10.5 rebounds, and he’s posting 1.3 blocks a game.
