NBA fans are mad ESPN ranked Lonzo Ball ahead of DeMar DeRozan, other stars

ESPN’s released the first half of its top 100 NBA player rankings and fans were upset about Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan’s rankings.

On Tuesday morning, ESPN released the first half of its annual Top 100 NBA player rankings. As always seems to be the case, the rankings caused much discourse. This year, much of the debate surrounded Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan came in at 82nd in the rankings, a drastic drop from being ranked inside the top 50 at No. 46 last year. Last season in San Antonio, DeRozan averaged 22.1 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds on 53.1% shooting in 68 games.

Meanwhile, Ball jumped from his No. 68 ranking last season to No. 54 this season after his first year in New Orleans. Much of the reasoning for his jump came from a 45-game stretch from December through March in which he averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and shot 39.2% from three-point range.

Ball’s jump paired with DeRozan’s drop led to much debate on Twitter from NBA fans.

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DeMar DeRozan on Lakers trade rumors: ‘You always want to be wanted’

DeMar DeRozan talked about the honor of being connected to the Lakers in rumors due to how great of a team they are.

The Los Angeles Lakers are connected in trade rumors with several interesting players, particularly in the backcourt, as they look to reload their roster following a grueling run to the franchise’s 17th NBA championship. We do know that LeBron James and Anthony Davis can lead a team to a championship, but against a revamped West featuring a rested Golden State Warriors, adding talent is paramount. DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs is a name that has been connected to the Lakers and the Los Angeles native was recently on Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast, talked about appreciating being wanted and how great it would be to play for the home team.

DeRozan has been very good for the Spurs the last few seasons, even if he didn’t earn an All-Star nod after making it four times as a member of the Toronto Raptors. He’s had his two highest assist totals in his two seasons in San Antonio and also had the best true shooting percentage of his career last season with the Spurs.

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DeMar DeRozan connected to Los Angeles Lakers in potential Kuzma, Green deal

The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in bringing home the L.A. native and former USC standout, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to upgrade their roster and with a season ahead of them that will start only 71 days after they won a championship, they will likely need players who can do even more heavy lifting on the offensive end than they had this past season. With LeBron James very vocally not excited about the quick turnaround and the understandable fatigue at age 36, adding more offensive punch makes sense. It’s with this in mind that we present the latest trade rumor regarding the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan.

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Lakers have shown interest in the four-time All-Star in a deal that would send Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma to the Spurs. Green, of course, won a championship with the Spurs and Kuzma made a fan out of Gregg Popovich at USA Basketball prior to suffering an ankle injury that bled into the past season.

Last season with the Spurs, DeRozan played 68 games, averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and 5.6 assists, the second-highest mark of his career behind his first season in San Antonio in 2018-19. DeRozan also had a career-best true shooting percentage of 60.3% last season, so while he hasn’t been named an All-Star in San Antonio, there’s a very real case that he’s gotten better both as a scorer and a passer, two things the Lakers can really improve on as a group, outside of LeBron and AD.

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DeMar DeRozan said LeBron James reminded a Raptors player what play they were running in 2016

This is so wild.

LeBron James is one of the most cerebral minds we’ve ever seen in the game of basketball.

He can recall very specific and intricate moments of games down to the second. He’ll routinely recall plays that won and lost his team games in postgame press conferences and he’ll accurately describe them down to the most specific detail.

So it’s absolutely no surprise that he’d know his opponent’s playbook in and out in a playoff series. But what is surprising is that James could tell a player what play they were running when they were about to run it and what that player was supposed to do.

That’s apparently what happened in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors, according to DeMar DeRozan.

DeRozan jumped on JJ Reddick’s podcast “The Old Man and the Three” and was explaining just how great James was. This was the moment that came to mind.

Warning: There is some NSFW language included in the following video

“I remember it was a play we were trying to run and one of our teammates forgot the play. And Bron told him the play. Like, it was some crazy s***. It was some crazy stuff. We’re calling a play, he was like ‘What?’ and Bron told him what our play was. That just shows you how locked in that dude be when it comes to winning time.”

Man. How are you supposed to beat that? That’s all-time great stuff. But nothing less should be expected from an all-time great.

LeBron is just that good.

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Not just Kawhi: Raptors have won more games than anybody else in the last five seasons

The Toronto Raptors are more than just their single year with Kawhi Leonard. The statistics over the last five seasons back that up.

The 2018-19 Toronto Raptors team was seen as the unit that finally got that franchise over the hump, turning them from perennial playoff fodder into a champion, mostly thanks to the exploits of one Kawhi Leonard.

And once Leonard departed last summer for the Los Angeles Clippers, many believed the team would take a step back again, likely no longer in the sphere of contenders.

As it turns out, that couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Raptors finished the odd 2019-20 campaign with an outstanding 53-19 record and a 73.6 percent win rate, No. 2 in the East record-wise and No. 4 league-wide in net rating (plus-6.1). That win percentage is actually the best in their franchise’s history, even better than in their championship-winning 2018-19 when they finished the year with a 58-24 record and a 70.7 percent win rate.

In hindsight, we probably should have seen this coming from Toronto, as it’s not like they were only good that one year Leonard was on the team. In fact, the Raptors have such a rich recent history that looking back over the past five seasons, they’ve won more games than any other team in the league.

Toronto’s 276 wins over the last five seasons ranks No. 1 in the NBA, just ahead of the Golden State Warriors’ 270 victories and a good distance ahead of the third-place Houston Rockets (258), fourth-place San Antonio Spurs (255) and fifth-place Boston Celtics (253).

Overall, it’s been an extremely impressive run for Toronto recently, and this year, they have the chance to prove that they don’t need a Leonard-level talent to extend their winning to the playoffs, too.

Guys like Kyle LowryPascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have the chance to really cement their names in the history books with a good showing over the coming weeks.

Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs Live Stream, NBA Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

The Houston Rockets will meet the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday afternoon as they chase he No. 8 seen in the West, stream the game!

The Houston Rockets have been one of the best teams in the bubble since the restart and today they will meet the San Antonio Spurs, who are still fighting their way into the play-in tournament for the No. 8 seed.

The Rockets will be without James Harden as he gets a rest day before the start of the playoffs. The Spurs have everything to play for in this game and have come into the bubble with an invigorated team that is looking to advance to the play-in game.

Here is everything you need to know to follow the NBA action tonight including prediction, odds, and tune-in information!

Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs

  • When: Tuesday, Aug 11
  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBA TV, AT&T SNSW
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: The Rockets have been playing quick and their new definition of small ball is hard to contend with. The Spurs have to win to have a chance to grab the No. 8 seed, you have to take the Spurs in this one. Spurs (-5)

NBA Remaining schedule

Aug. 11

Brooklyn Nets vs. Orlando Magic, 1 p.m.
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2 p.m.
Phoenix Suns vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 4:30 p.m.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 5 p.m.
Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings, 9 p.m. (TNT)
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards, 9 p.m.

Aug. 12

Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets, 4 p.m.
Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Aug. 13

Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics 12 p.m.
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers 1:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies 4 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns 4 p.m. (TNT)
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz 6:30 p.m. (TNT)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets 9 p.m. (TNT)
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic 9 p.m.

Aug. 14

Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors 1:30 p.m.
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers 4 p.m. (ESPN)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Houston Rockets 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Schedule or West play-in series

• Aug. 15, No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed (2:30 p.m. on ABC)
• Aug. 16, No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed *if necessary*, 4:30 p.m., ESPN

NBA Odds and Betting Lines

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Sixers vs. Spurs preview: how to watch as Sixers look to bounce back

The Philadelphia 76ers look to bounce back when they take on the San Antonio Spurs inside the bubble.

The Philadelphia 76ers continue their 2019-20 season restart inside the bubble in Orlando as they take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. They began their restart schedule with a bad loss to the Indiana Pacers where their defense absolutely failed them and they will be looking to bounce back and get on track.

The Spurs are fighting for their playoff lives as they are just two games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8 seed in the West. Normally, San Antonio has a playoff spot wrapped up by now, but with injuries ravaging the roster, they are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

With that said, let’s get into the preview to this one:

How to watch Sixers vs. Spurs

  • Date: Monday, August 3
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: VISA Athletic Center Orlando, FL
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injuries

  • Sixers: OUT: Mike Scott (right knee soreness) DOUBTFUL: Glenn Robinson III (left hip pointer)
  • Spurs: NOT YET SUBMITTED

Storylines

Sixers need to be tougher

One of the biggest criticisms that came out from the loss to Indiana was the lack of toughness from Philadelphia. They did not make an adjustment to defend T.J. Warren and they then allowed an undermanned Pacers team drop 46 points in the fourth quarter. Coach Brett Brown was appalled at his team’s effort and it was something that cannot be accepted.

“For me, you look at the defensive intensity coming out in the third period. I liked what I saw,” said coach Brett Brown. “I liked watching Ben Simmons sit in a stance and get stuck into T.J. Warren at times. I liked watching J-Rich (Josh Richardson) stalk the Holiday brothers around. Then you fast forward and you say ‘A 46 point closeout period?’ That’s not acceptable. You’re not going to do anything of value unless you fix that so that’s where my head is at.

Sixers encourage Shake Milton

Milton had his first official start as the team’s starting point guard on Saturday and it was not a good one. The young guard out of SMU went scoreless, he only took one shot, and he had three turnovers as he crippled under the pressure that the Pacers sent at him. Tobias Harris wanted to make sure that the young man keeps his head up after the tough game.

“Stay confident,” said Tobias Harris. “We all have confidence in Shake. It’s one game, the first official game really, running the unit. He’s a great player. He’s going to continue to get better game after game, but the biggest thing is to hold his confidence up all the way throughout and I’ll reaffirm on that and keep him right.”

Prediction

Technically, the Sixers were the road team on Saturday despite it, obviously, being a neutral site. So that could explain why Philadelphia lost! They’re listed as the home team on Monday so this could change things! All jokes aside, the Spurs will be missing LaMarcus Aldridge in this game as they will be running DeMar DeRozan at power forward. This is another game that Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Al Horford should dominate down low. The Sixers should be able to use their size and bounce back in this one.

Pick: Sixers because they’re listed as the home team.

Sixers vs. Spurs season series

November 22: 115-104 Sixers

August 3:

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Demar DeRozan scores 27 as NBA returns after 4 month hiatus

The NBA is back, and four USC Trojans are playing for a chance to reach the playoffs and play pro basketball in September.

The NBA is officially back in action, following a four and a half month hiatus thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak in mid-March.

The league is playing an abbreviated eight game regular season finale, featuring 22 teams, and then will head into the playoffs with the usual 16 teams.

Four former USC Trojans are on NBA rosters for the time being: DeMar DeRozan and Chimezie Metu (Spurs) De’Anthony Melton (Grizzlies) and Nikola Vucevic (Magic).

Metu did not play for San Antonio in their first game back, a win over the Sacramento Kings. DeRozan did, however, and he paced the team with 27 points, 10 assists and five rebounds – his seventh double-double of the ‘season’.

Vucevic looked excellent for the Magic in their win over the Nets, dropping 22 points with seven rebounds and five assists.

Lastly, Melton came off the bench for the Grizzlies in their thrilling overtime loss to the Blazers, where he dropped seven points with four rebounds and a pair of assists.

The Spurs, Grizzlies, Blazers and Magic are all teams that are fighting for a spot in the playoffs, and these next seven games will be crucial for each squad if they want to keep playing into September.

Keep checking back for more updates on the Trojans in the NBA and their playoff aspirations.

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San Antonio Spurs NBA Championship odds, picks and best bets

Assessing the betting odds and chances of the San Antonio Spurs winning the Western Conference and the 2019-20 NBA Championship, with picks and best bets.

The San Antonio Spurs were 12th in the Western Conference with a record of 27-36 when the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended. Below, we look at the BetMGM betting odds of the Spurs winning the NBA Championship once play resumes with a 22-team format in Orlando, Fla., later this summer.

San Antonio Spurs season recap

Over the years we’ve come to expect more from coach Gregg Popovich’s group, but it was four games out of a playoff spot when the NBA pause button was pressed, struggling to stay in the postseason picture.

The Spurs were a respectable 16-14 at home, but a dismal 11-22 away from The Alamo. With a minus-1.7 point differential, they’re one of six Western Conference teams invited to the bubble allowing more points than they have scored this season. The Spurs went 4-6 inside the Southwest Division, while going 15-21 against the Western Conference this season.

As if things weren’t bad enough for the Spurs, PF LaMarcus Aldridge will miss the rest of the season. He was injured in a game Feb. 21, played two nights later, but then sat out the next six contests before returning to score 24 points in a Spurs home win against the Dallas Mavericks March 10 – one night before the NBA suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, during the pause, it was decided the 14-year veteran wouldn’t return until next season. He was averaging 18.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game, so his production will certainly be missed for a team which wasn’t that good with him on the floor.

With Aldridge out, the Spurs will rely on SF DeMar DeRozan more than usual – he leads the team in points (22.2 PPG) and assists (5.6 APG).


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San Antonio Spurs NBA Championship odds

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, June 16 at 7:25 a.m. ET.

The Spurs (+50000) are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards for the second-longest odds to hoist the Larry O. Only the Phoenix Suns (+100000) are thought of less by the bookmakers. The loss of Aldridge hurts a team which was already below average, and frankly, San Antonio doesn’t have a chance to win more than a game or two inside the bubble, and that might even be a bit generous. AVOID.

San Antonio Spurs Western Conference odds

The Spurs (+30000) are simply NOT WORTH PLAYING, as the Western Conference is stacked. It’s a three-horse race in the West with the Los Angeles Lakers (+125), Los Angeles Clippers (+175) and Houston Rockets (+700) leading the way. There are a few other mid-level contenders who could make trouble for the big three, but the Spurs don’t even fall into that group.

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