Bol Bol has developed into a star for the Orlando Magic, representing the eight Oregon Ducks in the NBA quite well so far this year.
The Oregon Ducks have consistently churned out NBA talent during the Dana Altman era, and so far this season eight alumni have suited up at the game’s highest level.
The biggest storyline among Oregon alumni has been the emergence of center Bol Bol. After getting traded twice last season (and having one trade voided) Bol has found a home in Orlando.
Playing alongside superstar rookie Paolo Banchero, Bol has begun to show the tantalizing promise that made him such an intriguing prospect. He’s blocking shots, shooting threes, taking guys off the dribble, and making a strong impact on both ends of the floor so far this year.
Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Chris Duarte, and Payton Pritchard are all settling into key roles similar to previous seasons – although an injury to Duarte has slowed his progress in year two.
Here is a look at how every Oregon alumni is performing through the first six weeks of NBA action:
The Oregon Ducks have multiple players in the NBA and WNBA represented in NBA 2K23, which launched on Friday. Here is how they are rated.
The ever popular NBA 2K video game series came out with the latest version, NBA 2K23, on Friday.
As with the Madden series on the NFL side, the release of a new video game makes the rounds on social media every single year as fans, media members, and even players themselves discuss their overall ratings and the ratings of each team.
For Oregon fans, it’s a great chance to see how former players are assessed as NBA talent, with about six weeks until the actual NBA season is set to begin.
This year’s game also features WNBA talent as well, giving fans a chance to play with Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally, and Ruthy Hebard as well as Oregon’s many NBA players.
Here is a look at how each Oregon alumni in the NBA and WNBA is rated on NBA 2K launch day. These ratings get updated as the season goes on, so strong (or weak) performances will see the ratings updated accordingly.
“When they first come up to me and talk to me, they never talk to me about my son’s basketball ability. They do that second.”
Gary Payton II received a standing ovation when he checked into Game 2 of the NBA Finals with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter. It was his first game action in over a month since he fractured his elbow in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Of the thousands of Golden State Warriors faithful in attendance at the sold out Chase Center, however, none was happier to see Payton back on the court than his Hall of Fame dad – who even wore GPII on his shirt. While some have just recently learned of Payton’s journey from going undrafted to becoming a key contributor on a potential title team, Gary Payton, Sr. saw a person he’s proud to call his son. And not for what he does between those four lines.
“The Glove” joined For The Win prior to Game 2 to talk about his son’s work in the community, the untimely injury before the Finals and his own work with Hennessy to help small businesses power through challenges from the pandemic.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Payton suffered a fractured elbow just 4 weeks ago.
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 afternoon.
What’s up y’all. It’s Prince here for Layup Lines, and it’s only right on the evening of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, we talk about the game a little. Specifically, I want to talk about Gary Payton II, who is reportedly on track to suit up and be available for the Warriors.
This development isn’t necessarily the biggest news in the grand scheme of things, but it’s not nothing…especially for Payton.
If you know about his journey from an undrafted player who bounced around four teams in five years, including a few G Leauge trips, to someone who finally found a home and role on the Warriors, you felt for him when he fractured his elbow in the Western Conference Semifinals.
That the play he was injured on bordered on being dirty made it all the more tough to see. It totally could’ve been avoided had Dillon Brooks just pulled up instead of whatever it was he was trying to do.
Either way, four weeks later and Payton is back. And he can actually help!
Payton is one of the Warriors’ best defenders. If they need an extra body to throw at guys like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Derrick White, etc, he can help. It’s unclear how much he’ll actually play, but even if it’s just a few minutes the entire series, it’s cool to see someone be able to see this journey through to potentially playing in the NBA Finals.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
I’ve heard a lot of things about Michael Jordan. Some people think he’s the greatest player of all time, some people think he’s somewhere right under No. 1.
But something I’ve never heard about MJ is that the GOAT changed the game of basketball for the worse…that is until Thursday. That’s exactly the take Stephen A. Smith decided to role will with on First Take, and Kevin Durant wasn’t ready to let it fly. He instead pointed the finger to the debate shows Smith has helped popularize. Our guy Blake Schuster has more on their back and forth.
“If you want to argue shows like Undisputed,First Take and the like are all harmless fun, I hear ya. These are the debates happening in group chats, bars and everywhere basketball is played. The appeal is there. But the shine certainly wears off when the conversation always returns to the sillier fringes of “who ruined basketball”.
It’s the start of the NBA Finals, after all, surely there are better topics to debate.”
Celtics (+135) vs. Warriors (-3.5, -170), O/U 213.5, 9 PM ET
Listen, man. The Celtics are really good and I respect how they’ve gone about their business to reach this point. But this whole NBA Finals business is new to everyone on that roster. I’m expecting a Warriors team that’s undefeated at home this postseason and has a lot more experience on this stage to be more prepared. They’ll cover this number without a problem, and I also like the under between two good defensive teams.
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Former Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks – but not center Chris Boucher – is among Canada’s 14 core players ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games
14 Canadian basketball players – ranging from NBA stars to NCAA and international performers – committed to representing Canada over the next three years as the country ramps up for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
One former Oregon Ducks star – Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks – is among the commitments for the Canadians. At this time he will not be joined by fellow countrymen and Oregon alumni Chris Boucher.
Many felt Boucher’s size and outside shooting would be a huge boost for the Canadian squad, but Boucher’s upcoming free agency likely caused him to forego the events happening this summer, lest he risk injuring himself and jeopardizing his NBA future.
As noted by Sportsnet writer Blake Murphy, additional events in 2023 will almost certainly include more Canadian players, and perhaps Boucher will be among them at that time.
For now, Brooks will be joined by a handful of NBA stars, including RJ Barrett, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynyk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, and Dwight Powell, as well as Purdue’s Zach Edey and former Gonzaga point guard Kevin Pangos.
Canada Basketball announces a 14-player core for this summer:
Nickeil Alexander-Walker RJ Barrett Khem Birch Oshae Brissett Dillon Brooks Luguentz Dort Zach Edey Melvin Ejim Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Cory Joseph Jamal Murray Kelly Olynyk Kevin Pangos Dwight Powell
Dillon Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies lost a tight game to the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals 98-101, and now trail 3-1 in the series.
Without Ja Morant, Memphis needed Brooks to step up, but unfortunately for them, he had a rough shooting night. The 26-year old shot 5-19 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc, finishing with 12 points in 39 minutes.
NBA Twitter wasn’t happy with Brooks’ performance, especially in crunch time.
Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to Dillon Brooks’ rough night in Game 4 vs. the Warriors.
Dillon Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies lost a tight game to the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals 98-101, and now trail 3-1 in the series.
Without Ja Morant, Memphis needed Brooks to step up, but unfortunately for them, he had a rough shooting night. The 26-year old shot 5-19 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc, finishing with 12 points in 39 minutes.
NBA Twitter wasn’t happy with Brooks’ performance, especially in crunch time.
Former Duck Dillon Brooks says he didn’t mean to hurt Gary Payton II on the foul that broke the former Beaver’s elbow.
The NBA playoffs can get a bit intense at times and that was put at the forefront the past week when former Duck and current Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks fouled former Beaver current Golden State guard Gary Payton II in Game 2 of their series.
Payton received a broken elbow on the play and Brooks received a one-game suspension.
“It’s in the past,” Brooks said after the Grizzlies’ shootaround before Game 4. “I didn’t mean for it to hurt somebody. If I were to take it back in a moment, I would. But it’s in the past.”
With the Portland TrailBlazers out of the post-season, a lot of NBA fans in the state have paid close attention to this particular series which featured two recent college basketball greats in Oregon.
Now it features just one.
On the play in question, Payton was going for a lay-in and Brooks, who was trailing the play, swiped at the ball. But instead, he swiped Payton’s head, which sent him into the basket standard. The fall to the floor was what broke Payton’s elbow.
Dillon Brooks was ejected for this flagrant 2 on Gary Payton.
“I was trying to make a play on the ball. And he was running full speed, I jumped and he adjusted,” Brooks said as he was describing the play to reporters.
Immediately after the incident, Brooks did go to see if Payton was all right.
The two teams meet for Game 4 tonight with the Warriors up 2-1 in the series. It will also be the first time Brooks plays since the flagrant foul and he will surely get a massive negative reception in front of the Warriors fans. But as Oregon fans well know, Brooks thrives on the adversity of playing on the road and usually performs at his best in situations such as these.
Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks has been suspended for Game 3 against the Warriors for his flagrant foul two that injured Gary Payton II.
With nine minutes remaining in the first quarter of Game 2, Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks was ejected from the contest after being assessed a flagrant two for a hard foul on Gary Payton II.
Following the foul, Payton II also left the game to the locker room to be evaluated for an injury. After the Grizzlies’ win in Game 2, Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced Payton II suffered a fractured left elbow from the Brooks foul in the first quarter.
Along with missing most of Game 2, Brooks’ foul will cost him Game 3 on Saturday as well. On Thursday, the NBA suspended Brooks for Game 3 for “having made unnecessary and excessive contact” against Payton II in Game 2.
Through two games, there’s been a player automatically ejected in each contest after receiving a flagrant two foul. Draymond Green was ejected in Game 1 after fouling Brandon Clarke in the second quarter of the contest. Both Green and Brooks will carry two flagrant points for the rest of the postseason. Four flagrant points will trigger an automatic suspension.
In Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals against the Warriors, Brooks tallied eight points on 3-of-13 shooting from the floor with three assists, two rebounds and a steal in 30 minutes.
Game 3 of the second-round postseason series is set to take place on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PT at San Francisco’s Chase Center. With tensions between both teams high, expect the arena to be rocking.
Dillon Brooks has been suspended following the flagrant 2 foul that left Gary Payton II with a fractured elbow.
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No matter what level they play is on, Ducks and Beavers don’t seem to be able to get along.
That idea was cemented earlier this week when former Oregon legend Dillon Brooks was ejected from the Memphis Grizzlies playoff game against the Golden State Warriors after a hard foul led to former Oregon State Beaver great Gary Payton II breaking his elbow.
Brooks’ foul drew a lot of ire from NBA Twitter, and it has now left him with a one-game suspension that will be served on Friday night as the Grizzlies and Warriors get set to play Game 3 back in the Bay Area.
The NBA is suspending Memphis’ Dillon Brooks for Game 3 vs. Golden State on Saturday, sources tell ESPN.
After Brooks’ foul, some claimed it was dirty and deserved a multi-game suspension. Others waved it off as a hard foul that was worthy of a flagrant 2 ejection, but nothing more.
In the end, Brooks will have to sit for a pivotal third game of the series, with things knotted up at 1-1. As one of the more important players in the starting lineup for the Grizzlies, his absence with surely be felt.
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