Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The night they went off: The career highs in scoring of NBA stars
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Previewing Sunday’s San Antonio Spurs at Cleveland Cavaliers sports betting odds, picks and best bets
The Cleveland Cavaliers (18-45) wrap up a five-game homestand Sunday after a win over the Denver Nuggets in their last game. They host the San Antonio Spurs (26-35), who are wrapping up a three-game road trip. Tip-off is Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena.
We analyze the Spurs-Cavs 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.
Spurs
Cavs
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Sunday at 2:20 p.m. ET.
Spurs 115, Cavs 112
San Antonio is favored Sunday at -189. They have struggled on the road this season, going 11-21. They are 4-3 when favored at home. Cleveland is 10-25. Cleveland is 9-19 as home underdogs.
San Antonio is without Aldridge, but don’t bet on the Cavs to win. Take the Spurs at -189.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on San Antonio returns a profit of $5.29.
The Spurs are favored on the road at -4.5 (-115). San Antonio has struggled on the road straight up, but against the spread they are 15-16. The Cavs are 13-20-2 ATS at home. The Spurs have failed to cover the spread in their last six games and 10 of their last 12 overall.
Take the Cavs to cover the +4.5 (-106).
The total is set at 224.5 points. The Spurs and Cavs both have had three of their last four games go Over. Cleveland is 20-15 O/U at home. The Spurs are 19-11-1 O/U on the road. Expect a lot of points and a close game. Take the OVER (-106).
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The lack of cap space will likely result in a smaller percentage of players with player options opting out of their deals.
In the 2019 offseason, half the league had significant cap space, with most teams having maximum space available. The abundance of cap room convinced 11 of 18 players with player options to opt out and test the market. With more than $600 million available to be spent, no player who opted out of their deals got left behind. 2020 pales in comparison, projecting with just over $200 million in cap space to offer with a whopping 29 players with pending player options who will need to make decisions by June 30.
It is really hard to envision most of these players earning a pay raise or even equal to what they currently earn if they become free agents this summer. Most teams operating over the cap will be spending their money working around the margins, and cap space teams could do the same or take in bad contracts with draft picks attached. The lack of cap room will likely result in a smaller percentage of players with player options hitting the market.
GOOD CASES FOR OPTING OUT
Anthony Davis ($28.8 million) is going to decline his 2020-21 player option for sure. He formally declined the Lakers’ maximum extension offer, but that is because he would have left a lot of money on the table doing so. Barring an unexpected change in circumstances, expect Davis to re-sign with the Lakers for maximum dollars on either a one or two-year deal with a player option at the end. This process allows him to maximize his earnings over the next seven years.
Gordon Hayward ($34.19 million) has a very interesting case for opting out because he seems to have finally come back to form since breaking his leg in 2017. His efficiency and most of his numbers (except scoring) are higher than his 2016-17 numbers despite having a lower usage. He had a strong case for making the All-Star game this year if not for missing 13 games with a broken hand.
The Celtics rely on Hayward as part of their wing-centric lineup but they may have suitors to fend off. Charlotte, who previously signed him to an offer sheet in 2014, is projected with $26.7 million in cap space. Miami, who is projected with $26.5 million in cap space, also pursued Hayward in 2017, although indications are that they want to keep the keg dry for 2021. Other teams with at least that much cap space include Atlanta, Detroit, and New York. It seems unlikely that Hayward would want to leave Boston, and none of these teams other than New York can offer Hayward a true maximum contract (projected $40.3 million starting salary). If Hayward opts out, expect him to re-sign with the Celtics on a long-term deal. He is still getting minor injuries every now and then, so it would be wise to get the security given his history.
Jerami Grant ($9.4 million) is very likely, if not a lock, to secure a significant raise if he opts out. His skillset has a place on any modern NBA team and a player such as him could be one of the most sought after this offseason. Denver will not be able to replace him easily with the lack of players like him on the market, nor with just the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (NT-MLE). They’re already invested in him having traded a first-round pick for him and don’t exactly have an up and coming young power forward to take his place. Grant having full Bird rights with a team who can’t easily replace him and multiple suitors in free agency should lead to a lucrative long-term contract.
Evan Fournier ($17.2 million) could also see a nice raise or at least an incremental one. There should be suitors for him despite the dry market. His playmaking and scoring ability gives him a rotation spot on just about every team with or without cap space. He should be considered an extension candidate ahead of free agency as he currently can extend with the Magic for up to a maximum of $92.2 million between 2020-21 and 2023-24. If he opts out and is not offered long-term security, he could probably still earn more than $17.2 million on a one-year deal. Whether he opts out or not, he’s in an excellent position heading into the offseason because of his options.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($8.5 million) and Avery Bradley ($5 million) are having resurgences under Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. Assuming the Lakers re-sign Davis, they will be over the cap and replacing them will be difficult if they leave. Caldwell-Pope finally has full Bird rights with the Lakers, so unless they can replace him with just the NT-MLE, he has a lot of leverage to secure a higher salary, although for now they’re likely only offering a one-year deal in preparation for 2021. Bradley could get a very small raise for up to his non-Bird amount ($5.7 million) or can get more via the NT-MLE. Whether their success is just a product of Vogel’s system or not, many over-the-cap teams with the NT-MLE could be preparing offers in hopes of stealing them from the Lakers.
COMPLICATED CASES FOR OPTING OUT, SHOULD CONSIDER AN EXTENSION IF ELIGIBLE
Mike Conley ($34.5 million) is in his age-32 season and may have started to show signs of a decline, although his February numbers are much closer to his career norms. Even if he plays at a level closer to that in Memphis, it makes very little sense for him to opt out because most of the 2020 cap space teams already have a starting point guard. Miami could make sense, but they’d likely only offer a one-year deal. The maximum amount he is eligible to extend for is $174.8 million over four years, but realistically he is looking at at least half that total. Utah is heavily invested in Conley after trading two first-round picks for him, but whether or not he fits in with them is still a work in progress. Conley will most likely opt in, but his long-term future in Utah is in question.
Andre Drummond ($28.6 million) is soon facing a very harsh and frustrating reality. In the past few offseasons, centers have been getting smaller and smaller guaranteed deals. In 2018, a considerably low cap-space offseason, we saw non-stretch centers Clint Capela and Jusuf Nurkic earn $16 million and $12 million annually, respectively. Charlotte and New York are the only two teams with significant cap space who make some sense for Drummond, but it’s hard to see either team shelling most of their cap space just to him. If Drummond were to opt-out and test the market, he might end up getting offered similar figures as Capela and Nurkic did. That is a steep paycut overnight, and because he was traded in February he is not extension eligible for the rest of the season. If he were to opt-out, it probably won’t be without assurances of a lucrative deal via a cap space team or a sign-and-trade. Otherwise, expect him to opt-in.
DeMar DeRozan’s ($27.7 million) next contract should be a lucrative one, but it is difficult envisioning a 2020 cap space team that makes sense for him. He could be a sign-and-trade candidate if he opts out and if there is a return that interests San Antonio. He has discussed an extension with the Spurs, but according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, they are far apart on an agreement. If he’s hoping for the maximum $149.1 million he is eligible for, he may not even get that from a team he’s potentially traded to. He has options, but unless he signs a lucrative extension, his best option is to opt-in and test the market in 2021.
INDIFFERENT BUT SHOULD AT LEAST RECOUP DECLINED MONEY
Enes Kanter, Robin Lopez, and JaMychal Green ($5 million) signed for the $4.8 million room mid-level exception (R-MLE). That became the price tag for other backup big men such as Richaun Holmes, Frank Kaminsky, and Mike Scott. JaVale McGee ($4.2 million) is also earning a similar amount. Most likely that $5 million range will remain the price for backup big men, so if any of these players opt-out, they should have the R-MLE amount to fall back on.
Austin Rivers ($2.4 million), Willie Cauley-Stein ($2.3 million), Wesley Matthews ($2.7 million), Mike Muscala ($2.3 million), and James Ennis ($2.1 million) all signed for the veteran minimum or slightly above it. It is tough to gauge whether they’ve done enough this season to garner a raise, but at the very least they should have a minimum offer available next season. If any of these players opt out, it could be for a change of scenery.
BAD CASE FOR OPTING OUT
Otto Porter ($28.5 million) had an unbelievable stretch during the 2018-19 season that made opting out in 2020 a reasonable possibility. However, injuries have severely limited him over the past two years, making him very unlikely to hit free agency. Rodney Hood ($6 million) was making a strong case too, but his Achilles injury will certainly have him opting in.
Tim Hardaway Jr. ($19 million) and Kelly Olynyk ($13.2 million) have been productive role players and are likely looking at paycuts down the line. Meanwhile, Jabari Parker ($6.5 million) and Stanley Johnson ($3.8 million), have not been as productive and are probably leaving money on the table if they opt out. All these players might as well opt in and try to boost their stock for 2021.
Nicolas Batum ($27.1 million), James Johnson ($16.1 million), and Tony Snell ($12.2 million), the last of the remaining ‘sour sixteens’ (or ‘seventeens’ in Snell’s case), can thank the cap spike of 2016 for their fortune. No cap smoothing led to a surplus in cap space, and one of the unintended consequences was allocating large portions of it to non-qualified players. Expect these players to opt in.
Despite only earning minimum salaries, there is no guarantee that Rajon Rondo ($2.6 million) and Mario Hezonja ($2 million) would be signed next season. They should only opt out if they have assurances of a minimum deal from at least one team.
Oklahoma City is 1-2 against the Spurs after falling 114-106 on Feb. 11. Sunday is the final regular-season meeting between the two teams.
DeMar DeRozan wasn’t in the lineup the last time that the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the San Antonio Spurs.
He will be on Sunday.
DeRozan is the Spurs’ top scorer, averaging 22.9 points per game and shooting 53.2% from the field.
Even without DeRozan, San Antonio dispatched the Thunder 114-106 on Feb. 11 thanks in part to a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double from LaMarcus Aldridge and 25 points from Dejounte Murray.
Aldridge is only averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 rebounds on the season, but his stats are way up against OKC, averaging 28.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in three games this year.
Nerlens Noel said that his defensive gameplan against Aldridge on Sunday is “just to bother him”.
Meanwhile, the Thunder come into Sunday having won 11 of their last 14. One of their three losses, however, was to the Spurs.
In that game, Chris Paul scored a game-high 31 points, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (17), Danilo Gallinari (15), and Dennis Schroder (14) were all in double-figures.
Billy Donovan talked after Oklahoma City’s win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday about his three guards being able to coexist and thrive within the offense, saying “it wouldn’t have worked if those guys didn’t have the attitude, mentality they had towards it.”
“I talked to them before the season ever started. I told them there was going to have to be a level of sacrifice. That they all couldn’t have the ball in their hands, that they were going to have to play off each other. I think they were all really on board trying it, and they knew they weren’t going to have their hands on it the whole time.”
Billy Donovan on the Thunder’s killer three-guard lineup, said he talked to Paul, Schroder and SGA in preseason about how hard it could be to defend. “It wouldn’t have worked if those guys didn’t have the attitude, mentality they had towards it.” pic.twitter.com/4VdykJSjjI
— Erik Horne (@ErikHorneOK) February 22, 2020
It may be only two of the guards that are able to go Sunday against the Spurs.
Dennis Schroder tweaked his ankle in the third quarter of Friday night’s win, although he did return and logged 29 minutes of game time.
Donovan said on Saturday that Schroder was able to participate in a light practice, but that he would know more about Schroder’s status on Sunday.
San Antonio snapped a five-game skid with the win over OKC. The Thunder have now lost two in a row, ending their four-game homestand 2-2.
Make that back-to-back losses for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After winning four in a row, OKC has dropped their last two to split their four-game homestand 2-2, ending it with a 114-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Chris Paul scored a game-high 31 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Dennis Schroader, and Steven Adams were all in double-digits. Adams scored 10 points and led the team with 10 rebounds as he posted a double-double.
Schroder’s struggles against the Spurs continued on Tuesday night.
Coming into the game, Schroder was averaging just 15 points while shooting 40% from the floor in OKC’s two previous games against San Antonio this season. On Tuesday, Schroder was held to just 14 points, hitting on just 5 of his 13 shots in 32 minutes of game time.
Billy Donovan said after the game that he thought his team played well defensively in the first half, but they struggled all night long on offense.
“I thought offensively it was a hard night for us. We just never got going like we had been. We’d been so good offensively for a number of games now and this was probably one of those games, offensively, that wasn’t as good.”
Coach Donovan meets with the media following the 114-106 loss to the Spurs. #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/sKmtTnMCGd
— FOX Sports Oklahoma (@FOXSportsOK) February 12, 2020
Donovan also added that he thought Oklahoma City had plenty of opportunities at the rim, but that the Thunder “just didn’t finish well enough”.
LaMarcus Aldridge and Dejounte Murray led the Spurs with 25 points apiece. DeMar DeRozan was out again with back spasms.
The Thunder fall to 32-22 overall and 17-12 at home. They’ll head on the road for a single game at New Orleans on Thursday prior to the All-Star break.
OKC will see San Antonio soon. The two teams will play again on Sunday, Feb. 23 inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Oklahoma City is looking to bounce back from a close loss to the Celtics on Sunday while San Antonio comes in on a five-game losing streak.
Both Oklahoma City and the San Antonio Spurs will be in need of a win when they square off inside Chesapeake Energy Arena on Tuesday night.
The Thunder are coming off a 112-111 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon, another game in which they were competitive right up until the very end.
Dennis Schroder was one of four players in double-digits on Sunday afternoon, scoring 22 points on 8-of-21 shooting. His shooting percentage in the loss to the Celts was unusually low. Schroder is shooting a career-best 47.4% from the floor this season, although he has struggled against the Spurs this season.
In two games against San Antonio, Schroder is averaging just 15 points per game, more than four below his season-average, hitting just 40% of his shots from the field.
The Spurs, meanwhile, come into Tuesday in the midst of a five-game skid and are just 8-19 away from home. That record doesn’t bode well for a team that is going 25 days without a home game.
DeMar DeRozan, who was a late scratch for Monday’s game against the Nuggets, is doubtful Tuesday against the Thunder according to Spurs digital journalist JeffGSpursZone.
Spurs IR v OKC: DeRozan doubtful ( back spasms) #nba #ThunderUp #GoSpursGo
— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) February 11, 2020
Oklahoma City will be without Darius Bazley, who injured his right knee late in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss. Bazley will be out for four-to-six weeks.
It won’t be long before yet another matchup between these two. They play twice in 12 days, their next game coming on Sunday, Feb. 23 in Oklahoma City.
LeBron James hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter alone as the Los Angeles Lakers zoomed past the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers continued to ride the wave of momentum after Saturday’s win as they demolished the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night behind a hot-shooting night from their leader and star, LeBron James, in a 129-102 win.
James had a game-high 36 points on 12-20 shooting, including 6 for 9 from the 3-point line to go with nine assists and seven rebounds. James did most of his work from the 3-point line early in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers pull away in the win.
James hit five 3-pointers in a span of 3:30 to begin the fourth quarter for the Lakers, helping push themselves far away from the Spurs in the game. James even hit a 3-pointer on three straight possessions to accumulate nine points in 52 seconds. San Antonio had done a solid job of staying within a run’s distance but LeBron’s five 3-pointers were too much for the Spurs to overcome.
After his fifth 3-pointer, the Lakers bench mobbed LeBron. Altogether the Lakers shot 59% from the field and 42.3% from the 3-point line.
LA goes nuts after LeBron James sinks his 5th (!) 4th quarter three pointer in just about 3:30 of action in the 4th pic.twitter.com/4zVUYEg22n
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) February 5, 2020
Anthony Davis had 18 points while Kyle Kuzma had a nice night with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
DeMar DeRozan had a nice night for the Spurs in his hometown of Los Angeles with 28 points but he didn’t have enough help for San Antonio to withstand LeBron’s incredible 3-point barrage.
Up next for the Lakers is the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6 and a game on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets.
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Highlighting Monday’s best NBA player props with odds, analysis and picks.
The NBA’s post-Super Bowl Monday 10-game slate eases our disappointment of no more football. Aside from the games and totals themselves, bettors can find a ton of profitable NBA player props in tonight’s action.
Below are some NBA player props you should check out.
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last Monday updated at 3:30 p.m. ET.
DeMar DeRozan was born and raised in Los Angeles, so you know the recent passing of Kobe Bryant is on the front of his mind when his San Antonio Spurs visit the Clippers. BetMGM’s 24.5 point projection of DeRozan is puzzling because Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are listed as active but I think it’s explained with the motivational factor. DeRozan has played well recently, averaging 32.7 points per game over his last three and has really impressed in recent visits to Los Angeles. He has scored 25+ points in every game at Staples Center since joining the San Antonio Spurs. Plus DeRozan has performed better than his averages against Leonard in their 13 head-to-head meetings:
[protected-iframe id=”f1f323744fa60a1ad95837e3cfb8dca3-159279292-75965725″ info=”https://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=bbr&url=%2Fplay-index%2Fh2h_finder.cgi%3Frequest%3D1%26player_id1_hint%3DDeMar%2BDeRozan%26player_id1_select%3DDeMar%2BDeRozan%26player_id1%3Dderozde01%26player_id2_select%3DKawhi%2BLeonard%26player_id2%3Dleonaka01%26idx%3Dplayers&div=div_stats” ]
As you see, his per-game total of 21.3 on .500 field-goal percentage is better than his career average of 20 points per game on .457 FG%. Let’s lean into BetMGM’s bloated projection and BET DeROZAN OVER 24.5 (-112).
Place a legal sports bet on these NBA prop bets or other games at BetMGM.
Bradley Beal should be motivated by his All-Star snub and continue his current hot streak in Washington when his Wizards host the Golden State Warriors. He’s has scored 34+ points in each of his last six games and has 16 games above 31 points. Also, the Warriors give up the second-most points per game to shooting guards in the NBA (behind the Wizards, actually). This helps our case for Beal’s Over because both backcourts are primed to go back and forth tonight.
Also, I love the idea of getting reduced vig to BET BEAL OVER 30.5 (-106) points scored.
Check out social media and/or the U.S. tabloids and you’ll see Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons hanging with beau Kendall Jenner at last night’s Super Bowl LIV. Can he get up the next day against a quality defensive opponent in Miami? There’s a chance the Miami nightlife could slow him down as much as the Heat themselves.
Miami allows the second-fewest points per game and the third-fewest fantasy points per game to point guards. Also, in Simmons’ career in Miami, he’s never scored more than his BetMGM projected total of 17.5 and has only eclipsed that total in three of 10 overall games against Miami. Furthermore, an opposing starting point guard hasn’t scored more than 16 in any of the last 10 games against the Heat.
BET UNDER SIMMONS 17.5 (-134).
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With the recent decade now suddenly in the rearview mirror, we looked at the top player who defined the 2010s for each team in the NBA.
With the recent decade now suddenly in the rearview mirror, we looked at the top player who defined the 2010s for each team in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks were defined by their depth under former head coach Mike Budenholzer. It is what helped their entire starting lineup earn Eastern Conference Co-Players of the Month back in January 2015. But the best player during this era was Al Horford. The big man averaged 15.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game from the 2010-11 season until he left the team during the 2016 offseason.
Even though he won the 2008 NBA championship and the Finals MVP in 2008, Paul Pierce went on to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team three more times this decade. Before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2013, he was averaging 18.9 points and 5.6 rebounds with 4.1 assists this decade. Pierce even had a chance to officially retire with the organization on a one-day contract in July 2017.
Before they were the franchise that managed to sign both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the same offseason, the Nets were long led by Brook Lopez. He was a member of the team both in New Jersey and in their move to the new home in Brooklyn back in 2012, which was his first and only career All-Star appearance. During his tenure with the team this decade, the big man put up 19.7 points and 6.6 rebounds as well as 1.7 blocks per game.
During a tough decade for the Hornets, the one thing that kept them alive and interesting was star point guard Kemba Walker. He was a part of the team as a member of the Bobcats and then when they rebranded as the Hornets. Walker was a two-time All-Star as well as a two-time recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. The guard averaged 19.9 points, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the team during the decade before he joined the Celtics.
When former No. 1 overall pick Derrick Rose won MVP in 2011 at 22 years old, fans in Chicago fairly assumed they would have a new defining talent for their city. Unfortunately, serious injuries made the point guard become a less impactful player than projected. However, the blow was softened a bit with the sudden emergence of a late first-round pick in Jimmy Butler. The wing won the league’s Most Improved Player in 2015. He was a difference-maker on both sides of the ball, averaging 15.6 points and 1.5 steals per game with the Bulls.
Considering that Cleveland’s hometown hero LeBron James notably left the Cavaliers as a free agent in 2010, few would have expected him to still be the Player of the Decade for this franchise. After such an ugly exit memorialized forever with a public shaming by team owner Dan Gilbert, though, James is a player who more than made up for the first early goodbye when he actually returned in 2014. All that he had to do was win the city’s first championship in any sport since 1948. In the process, he averaged an absurd 26.1 points per game with 7.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists for the Cavs in the 2010s.
Even though he was drafted in 1998, the undisputed most important in the career of Dirk Nowitzki happened in 2011 when he won a title and NBA Finals MVP. While his best playing days may have been before this decade, he still managed to be a perennial All-Star. The face of the franchise, he also won the league’s award for Teammate of the Year in 2017. His presence was felt, too, during his final season in the league as he helped ease the transition into the new era led by fellow European star Luka Doncic.
The Denver Nuggets may have hit the lottery when they selected Serbian big man Nikola Jokic with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. Jokic is a talent like no other in the league and has become one of the more versatile players in recent memory. He has averaged 16.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Nuggets and the most exciting part is that he may still plenty of room to improve. At just 24 years old, the center could also be the best player of the decade in the 2020s for the Nuggets as well.
Despite not coming into the league until 2013, Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond has the second-most rebounds in the NBA since 2010-11. He has led the NBA in rebounds three times, twice earning All-Star considerations. Drummond has been consistent in his role and despite the team not being much of a contender, he has made his presence felt day in and day out.
The things that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was able to accomplish during the 2010s were almost laughable. He was a back-to-back NBA MVP who won the championship three times. Curry led the Warriors to an unbelievable 73-9 regular season while topping the league in scoring and in steals in 2016 as well. He also connected on 3.8 three-pointers per game, which is 0.9 more than the next-best player during the decade. Curry has clearly redefined the way the game is played and is a generational talent unlike any we have ever seen step foot on a basketball court.
There has been no trade recently that changed the league quite like the one that sent the 2012 Sixth Man of the Year winner James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets. He has been an All-Star every year for Houston and led the league in assists 2017. The guard then led the league in scoring in 2018 as the NBA MVP and then again in 2019. Harden has put up an absurd 29.6 points with 6.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists for the Rockets. In an age of analytics, he has been the darling for general manager Daryl Morey.
Former Indiana Pacers wing Paul George was a four-time All-Star with the franchise, winning NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2013. The two-way star also received All-Defensive team honors three times while with the team. He averaged 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game for Indiana during his team with the Pacers. One of the other best factors about George is that his trade allowed Indiana’s front office to acquire two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo and potential first-time All-Star big man Domantis Sabonis.
Before there was Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the Clippers, there was Lob City. None of the success happening for the franchise now would be possible if it weren’t for Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The tide was turning when Griffin was drafted in 2009 and won Rookie of the Year in 2011. But it was solidified when they traded for CP3 in December 2011. Paul averaged an impressive 18.8 points and 9.8 assists with 2.2 steals per game when he was a member of the Clippers. He made the All-Star team five times in Los Angeles and twice led the NBA in assists during that time.
Unlike with Nowitzki, the peak accomplishments for Kobe Bryant occurred before 2010. But even during this decade, he added another NBA title to his arsenal and an All-Star appearance each year before retiring in 2016. Bryant averaged 24.2 points per game for the Lakers starting in 2010-11, which was above average for someone who was his age. Of course, there was little more memorable than Bryant scoring 60 points in his final professional game.
Former Memphis Grizzlies big man Marc Gasol averaged 15.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists during his time with the Grizzlies this decade. He made three All-Star appearances while a member of the franchise, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. The center was a fixture for Memphis, making the playoffs six times with the Grizzlies. Gasol, a World Cup winner with Spain, eventually won his first NBA title in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors after a midseason trade.
While it was obvious that James was the best player on the team, none of The Big 3 era Miami Heat would have been possible if it were not for Dwyane Wade. He was the instrumental player recruiting both James and Chris Bosh to Miami and even gave up more money in the process to allow it to happen. Wade also sacrificed his role as the key star to make room for more touches to both James and Bosh. This led to two more NBA Finals wins for Wade and All-Star appearances between 2010 and 2016. He was also able to come back to the Heat and retire with the franchise.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the most dominant basketball players in recent memory. He has averaged 19.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game since entering the league. After winning the NBA MVP in 2019, he has followed up with an equally impressive season so far this year. His play has been so sharp that one of the league’s most pressing questions, even now a year and a half away from his eligibility, is what will he decide to do as an upcoming free agent.
After trading away Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2014 offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to bounce back in some ways by grabbing No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns. He has played the part of one of the elite big men in the NBA, averaging 22.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game since entering the pros. Towns has also made 39.6 percent of his three-point attempts, showing his versatility as an offensive force.
His exit may have left a sour taste in the mouth of the New Orleans Pelicans, but Anthony Davis was absolutely stellar during his time with the team. He averaged 23.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and also led the league in blocks three times. Davis was a six-time All-Star for the Pelicans and while he now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, his return will leave New Orleans in a fine place for the upcoming decade. Not only did the front office get an unreal surplus of draft picks in the deal but Brandon Ingram is playing like a potential superstar.
It was a relatively underwhelming decade for the New York Knicks under team owner James Dolan. The front office mortgaged quite a bit of their future to secure Carmelo Anthony via trade in 2011 despite knowing that the star would become a free agent that offseason. As such, the team was a bit of a one-man show under his leadership. He averaged 24.7 points as well as 7.0 rebounds per game on the Knicks, eventually leaving in 2017.
The Oklahoma City Thunder somehow drafted three MVP winners who all hit their primes during the 2010s. While none of them is still with the team, the one who made the biggest splash was Kevin Durant. The former No. 2 overall pick put up 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while also shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range. Even though point guard Russell Westbrook was the player who had the longest tenure with the team, it was obvious that Oklahoma City was the most successful version of itself with Durant on the roster.
Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic might be the most underrated NBA player of the decade. He made just one All-Star appearance, finally earning the love last season. While he originally started his career in Philadelphia, he has found a niche in Orlando. The former No. 16 overall pick has averaged 16.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game for the Magic.
His career may have started off defined by injury but since he has become a healthier player, there have been few with a higher ceiling than Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. The big man has scored 24.2 points and pulled down 11.6 rebounds per game. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team his first year in the league back in 2017. He has made the All-Star team, All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive Second Team in both years since.
The Phoenix Suns have not had a decade many fans will want to look back on with fond memories. But the one takeaway is that there is at least some hope for the future due to the scoring punch of Devin Booker. He has been able to put up 21.7 points and 4.5 assists per game since he entered the NBA just two days before his 19th birthday. Booker put up 70 points back in March 2017 and at just 20 years old, he was the youngest player to put up 60 points in an NBA game. Back in March 2019, Booker had three games in a row where he scored at least 48 points.
There are few players in NBA history who have embraced their team’s city quite like Trail Blazers star has welcomed Portland into his life. After he was drafted No. 6 overall in 2012, he has turned his the Blazers into one of the most consistent contenders in the league. Lillard, who won Rookie of the Year his first season in the pros, is a four-time All-Star. He was honored with All-NBA 1st Team consideration in 2018 and led Portland to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. He has averaged 23.7 points and 6.4 assists per game for the Trail Blazers during his professional career thus far.
While the Sacramento Kings had a disappointing decade in many ways, their most feared player during the 2010s was undeniably DeMarcus Cousins. He was a force to be reckoned with on the Kings, averaging 21.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2011 and he then took home All-NBA 2nd Team in 2015 and 2016. The big man was also disciplined and suspended a bit too often for comfort during his time on the Kings, eventually leading to an inevitable divorce of the two parties.
When he won NBA Finals MVP in 2014, it was clear that former No. 15 overall pick Kawhi Leonard was a special player in this league. But he was able to take his game to the next level during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, also winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards for his efforts in 2015 and 2016. Leonard, who led the league in steals in 2015, also came into his own on the offensive side of the floor while before his time in San Antonio came to a surprisingly ugly close that kept him sidelined for the majority of 2017-18.
While it was Leonard who was the undisputed best player of the team that won the Toronto Raptors their first NBA championship, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry was the heart and soul of the squad. After the team traded away his longtime teammate DeMar DeRozan during the 2018 offseason, the year was inevitably going to be an emotional rollercoaster for Lowry. But for him to respond by helping Toronto finally carry the Larry O’Brien trophy was an effort that solidified his place as the Player of the Decade for the Raptors.
If general fans valued defense the same way they value offense, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert would be considered one of the Top 10 players in the NBA. After he led the league in blocks back in 2017, the French big went on to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and in 2019. Gobert has actually averaged 2.2 blocks per game since entering the league in 2013. He has also pulled down 10.8 rebounds per game and has connected on 63.4 percent of his total field goal attempts.
Before his recent injury trouble, Washington Wizards point guard John Wall was an electrifying player. He has averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 assists for the Wizards since going No. 1 overall in the 2010 NBA draft. He made the All-Star team from 2014 until 2018, also grabbing All-Defensive 2nd Team honors in 2015 and All-NBA 3rd Team in 2017. Wall has averaged 1.7 steals per game, too, showing he can be a defensive stopper. Now he is on a tough contract, though he initially earned it with his previously fantastic play.
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The Brooklyn Nets can’t overlook Gregg Popovich’s coaching ability — even with this year’s disappointing San Antonio Spurs team.
The San Antonio Spurs are off to a strong start in their candidacy for 2019-20’s most disappointing team.
The Spurs were a playoff team just last season and, as the No. 7 seed, took the Denver Nuggets to game seven in the first round of the playoffs. And they still have the majors pieces from that team: DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Derrick White, Bryn Forbes and Rudy Gay. Plus, San Antonio has Dejounte Murray back from his ACL tear. Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills are still around, too. Jakob Poeltl is a tough interior defender.
Now, this group has knocked off the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers, but they also lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not to mention the Pistons blew them out of Detroit to the tune of 34 points.
The Pistons have beaten Brooklyn, too, but only by four and in the early stages of the season, when the Nets didn’t have an identity. Now Brooklyn does, though. The Spurs, not so much.
But unlike the Cavs, San Antonio has what should be a strong core. The Spurs can absolutely steal a win on Thursday, especially since the game is on their turf.
Also, if the Nets play like they did in New Orleans, they’ll be in trouble.
Though, the fact the Nets were sloppy against the Pelicans could work to their own benefit in San Antonio. Kenny Atkinson wanted to go over the offense before the game, so Brooklyn should be a bit more refined on Thursday.
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