According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Miami Heat have completely moved on the idea of trading for Chris Paul.
There was a time that Chris Paul to Miami seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Apparently, that time has come and gone.
The fact that Oklahoma City and the Heat couldn’t come to an agreement over the summer should have been the first clue that Paul was likely to stay in OKC throughout the duration of the 2019-20 season.
The idea that Paul would get off to a good start, while teams that would need the services of a veteran point guard to position themselves for a playoff push, would struggle, was simply that – an idea.
Paul hasn’t gotten off to a bad start. He’s averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. More than that, he’s providing leadership and mentorship to a young Thunder squad that’s surprisingly still in contention for a spot in the West.
The fatal flaw in the plan, however, was anticipating that Miami (or other potential trade partners) would struggle through the first two months of the season.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, that hasn’t been the case, especially with regards to the Heat. So much so, that according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Miami’s interest in bringing in CP3 “is extinct”.
The Heat inquired about a trade for a relic point guard in Chris Paul but weren’t able to come to an agreement with the Thunder this offseason (or with the Rockets when a three-way deal was discussed before the Paul-for–Russell Westbrook agreement). At this point, Miami’s interest in Paul is extinct, according to league sources. Miami is more likely to chase someone like Jrue Holiday, multiple front office executives believe. Holiday was recently made available by the Pelicans, according to The New York Times’Marc Stein.
It’s not just the Miami Heat that aren’t willing to take on Paul. The market for a 34-year-old point guard with a huge contract is slim at best.
At this point, it’s more likely that Paul will stay with the Thunder through the end of the season, at which point he could either decide to stay or, the more likely scenario, is one in which both sides could come to an agreement on a buyout and allow Paul to pursue other avenues.
Previewing Friday’s New York Knicks at Miami Heat sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The New York Knicks (7-21) square off against the Miami Heat (20-8) at AmericanAirlines Arena at 8 p.m. ET Friday. We analyze the Knicks-Heat 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.
Knicks at Heat: Key injuries
Knicks
PF Julius Randle (leg) questionable
PG Frank Ntilikina (illness) questionable
SG Alonzo Trier (concussion) questionable
SG Wayne Ellington (Achilles) out
SG Reggie Bullock (neck) out
Heat
PF James Johnson (personal) questionable
PG Goran Dragic (groin) questionable
SF Justise Winslow (back) out
SG Dion Waiters (suspension) out
PG UdonisHaslem (illness) out
Knicks at Heat: 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 9:40 a.m. ET.
We are PASS on the Heat (-556) on the moneyline even though it’s a relatively sure bet, as it’s too expensive to take the Heat for the outright win. The Heat have been lights out at home with an 11-1 overall record and the Knicks are atrocious on the road with a 3-11 record. Also, Miami is 14-2 against teams with a record below .500 and the Knicks are 2-12 versus teams above .500. Betting $55.60 to win a measly $10 is just terrible value.
Let’s PASS on the line of 10.5 as well because there are compelling arguments for taking either side against the spread. The Heat have won and covered their last three games against the Knicks, plus they are 7-1 ATS in games where they are favored by 7.5 or more points. The Knicks are 3-1 ATS when getting 10-12 points, 8-6 ATS on the road. They have been playing better than expectations recently, covering the spread in their last four games.
The UNDER 214.5 (-115) is the sharp play because of the two squads’ pace of play—the Knicks are ranked 28th in pace, while the Heat are 20th. Don’t be scared off by the Heats’ 16-11-1 Over/Under record. Trust me, BetMGM factored in the Heats’ O/U record when making their total and still have extra vig on the Under. Having to pay a little extra to get the Under actually makes me more confident in the wager.
Furthermore, Miami’s defense will bottle up a generally futile Knicks offense. The Heat rank 10th in opponent points per game and field-goal percentage, and 2nd in opponent three-point percentage. While the Knicks are ranked last in points per game and field-goal percentage, and 22nd in three-point percentage.
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NBA legend Dwyane Wade on Rockets star James Harden: “It’s undeniable that he’s one of the greatest to ever touch the basketball.”
In the historical pantheon of elite NBA shooting guards, three-time champion and 13-time All-Star Dwyane Wade is generally considered in the top tier — somewhere just beneath Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Based on a new interview, it sounds as if Wade is ready to welcome Houston Rockets superstar James Harden into that legendary tier of certain Hall of Famers and all-time greats.
In an episode of the “All The Smoke” podcast released Thursday, Wade was asked what three players he thinks will carry the league into its next generation once the run of Wade’s former teammate LeBron James — who turns 35 years old later this month — comes to a close.
In response to that query by former NBA player Matt Barnes, Wade named Harden, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, and Golden State’s Steph Curry.
You think about what James Harden has become, it’s undeniable. It’s undeniable that he’s one of the greatest to ever touch the basketball.
From a scoring standpoint, he makes it look easy. … He’s able to score this basketball in ways that we’ve just never seen. That’s why he’s getting hate, because we’ve never seen it like this before. He’s got to take that Allen Iverson hate, because he was one of the first ones to do it the way he’s doing it.
Keep going, bro, do it your way.
D-Wade says James Harden is “one of the greatest to ever touch the basketball”
It’s not the first time that Wade has gone out of his way to compliment Harden. In November 2019, Wade — who retired last spring after 16 NBA seasons, most with the Miami Heat — said on Twitter that he wanted to see Harden average 40 points per game for the season.
[lawrence-related id=18091]
Harden currently leads the NBA with an average of 38.9 points per game, which over a full season would be the highest of any player in the last 56 years. The 2018 MVP also averages 7.4 assists and 6.0 rebounds.
The complete podcast with Wade, Barnes, and former NBA forward Stephen Jackson can be listened to below. The conversation regarding Harden, Durant, and Curry occurs in the final five minutes.
The Heat are already good, but they could be elite in the East.
Just over a month ago, I wrote about how the Miami Heat have a bright future, with a group of young studs and a some veterans led by Jimmy Butler. At the time, they had just blown out the Houston Rockets, and it felt like the team was an upstart that wasn’t quite full-blown contender yet.
Fast-forward to now, a night after a grind-out 108-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, and it’s certain: this isn’t just about the future for the Heat. This is about the present.
This is a team versatile and well-coached enough to play zone against the Sixers, a move that stunned Joel Embiid and forced his teammates to hit from deep (they only hit 30.8 percent of their threes and 42.2 percent overall.). Brett Brown said (via The Sun-Sentinel) that it felt “like (the zone) put us on our heels.”
Heat zone was the obvious hot topic last night.
Brent Brownz, OUTCOACHED and unable to ADJUST, sat helplessly as the Sixers bricked an array of (wide open) 3s in the second 👇 pic.twitter.com/wDXuaNI4IV
The Heat have been able to figure out how to beat contenders like the Sixers, Raptors, Bucks, Rockets, and they nearly defeated the Lakers earlier this month. It’s clear they’re already The Team No One Wants to Face in the postseason.
But to take the next step forward, it’s becoming clear they need to make a trade this year. When Jrue Holiday’s name came up — Chris Paul’s had been thrown around by NBA Twitter before that — I immediately thought of the Heat.
They could use a true point guard and a game-changer who also happens to be an elite defender. Pat Riley doesn’t even need to fully break up a core of tough young surprises — maybe he trades one of them (Justise Winslow?) and a few of the expiring deals he has in Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard. Dion Waiters — suspended again by the team — has a contract that expires in 2020-21. As long as they keep together Butler, surprise find Kendrick Nunn, rookie Tyler Herro, Swiss Army knife center Bam Adebayo and sharp-shooting Duncan Robinson, the trade market is their oyster.
Reporter to Jimmy Butler: "What do you say when they say you need a team of two to three stars and this team has just one star?"
Jimmy: "This is a team of one star? Who is that? Bam [Adebayo]?
Suddenly, the already-dangerous Heat become contenders who could run with the Bucks and the Celtics. They don’t need to wait until the summer, which is convenient because the free-agent group shaping up isn’t the most impressive.
And it doesn’t necessarily have to be Holiday, although the fit is kind of perfect there. It could be Kevin Love or Danilo Gallinari, who would stretch the floor nicely. If Riley doesn’t want to pay top dollar, he could acquire Marcus Morris from the Knicks.
The point here is the Heat should shove their chips in now, when the East is more open than it would appear.
Previewing Wednesday’s Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Miami Heat (19-8) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (20-8) Wednesday at Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is set for shortly after 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Heat-76ers 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.
Heat at 76ers: Key injuries
Heat
PG Goran Dragic (groin) out
SF James Johnson (personal) out
SG Dion Waiters (suspension) out
G Justise Winslow (back) out
Heat at 76ers: 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 9:20 a.m. ET.
The 76ers (-333) are heavy favorites at home against an undermanned Heat side. Both teams are coming off losses, with the Heat falling 118-111 at the Memphis Grizzlies Monday and the Sixers being upset 109-89 by the Brooklyn Nets Sunday.
Philly is the only team in the NBA left undefeated on home court at 14-0. Miami is just 8-7 on the road. The Sixers would be the pick, but it’s just too much chalk to have to swallow with a $10 bet returning a profit of $3 with the outright win.
Take the HEAT (+7.5, -115) when being spotted 7 points. Miami is 17-9 against the spread overall and 7-7 on the road. Philly is 12-13 ATS overall and 7-5 at home. The Sixers played within a margin of 7 points in each of their last four victories. Just eight of their 20 wins on the year were by 8 or more points.
The Heat have hit the over in 15 of 27 games played while topping the projected totals by an average of 2.5 points per game. The Sixers are 12-15-1 against the Over/Under and fall an average of 1.8 points below the projections.
Take the OVER 209.5 (-120) with the 76ers set to fill the stat sheet against the shorthanded Heat. Miami has allowed at least 113 points in each of its last four outings.
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HoopsHype breaks down the latest Jrue Holiday trade rumors and examines potential destinations for the one-time All-Star.
The New Orleans Pelicans came into the season with high expectations after drafting Zion Williamson first overall last summer, and following that up with a series of savvy, team-friendly signings.
Things haven’t gone according to plan for New Orleans, however, as Williamson got injured just before the start of the regular season and Derrick Favors, one of those aforementioned savvy signings, had injuries and personal issues that have caused him to miss a lot of the campaign. As such, an already lacking frontcourt became rail thin, and the Pelicans haven’t been able to recover.
Now, according to the New Yorl Times’ Marc Stein, New Orleans appears ready to start making moves. Stein reported on Tuesday that although Williamson, Brandon Ingram and JJ Redick are untouchable (Redick less so than the two super prospects), Jrue Holiday, who the Pelicans previously refused to even hear offers for in previous seasons, can now be had for the right price.
This is major news, as Holiday is the type of plug-and-play star who could fit on any playoff contender and immediately make them better.
Below, we break down four potential trade destinations for the 29-year-old floor general.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
MIAMI HEAT
The Miami Heat have surprised the basketball collective this season after jumping out to a 19-8 record through 27 games, including noteworthy wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks.
Nevertheless, for Miami to reach legit contender status, they’re going to need to find Jimmy Butler some help, as the four-time All-Star’s workload has been getting a little too heavy in recent weeks.
One such player who could provide the Heat with a major boost would be Holiday.
Holiday’s blend of defense and scoring would mesh wonderfully within Miami’s vaunted culture, and his ability to break down defenses would give the Heat a much-needed second scoring option. His three-point shooting (33.8 percent this season) isn’t great, but considering the Heat are the league’s No. 3 team in three-point accuracy anyway at 38.2 percent, that deficiency could be masked pretty easily.
To make a deal happen, Miami could offer New Orleans a deal centered around Tyler Herro, a neutral contract like that of Kelly Olynyk and Justise Winslow (the Pelicans could use the frontcourt help anyway) and bad salaries like James Johnson or Dion Waiters. Losing Herro would hurt, but at least Miami would be getting rid of a bad contract in the process. Meanwhile, New Orleans would be getting what looks like one of the most promising players in the 2019 draft class.
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Minnesota Timberwolves, 10-15, sit 11th in the West despite Karl-Anthony Towns performing at an MVP level and Andrew Wiggins finally, at least somewhat, starting to live up to his draft status.
The one area Minnesota desperately needs help in is their backcourt, where Jeff Teague is struggling and the young tandem of Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver have been horrific offensively (though decent on defense).
A lot of the rumors surrounding the Timberwolves over the past six months have connected them to Golden State Warriors point guardD’Angelo Russell, but Minnesota would be wise to look at Holiday as a potential target as well. Holiday doesn’t need the ball in his hands a ton to excel, meaning he wouldn’t take too many possessions away from Towns and Wiggins, and his defense on the outside is exactly what the Timberwolves could use to turn things around and make a push for the playoffs.
Minnesota could try and entice New Orleans to make a deal by offering a package including draft capital, either Culver or Okogie, as well as Teague or Gorgui Dieng as salary filler. Teague is an expiring deal, so the Pelicans probably wouldn’t be opposed to using him as a rental, considering he can still produce at a decent level.
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Holiday originally hails from Southern California and he went to school at UCLA, so it’s only natural that one of the Los Angeles teams could be suitors for the one-time All-Star. And considering the frosty relations between New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers, that leaves us with just one option, the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are 20-8 so far this season and sit fifth league-wide in net rating at +6.7, so it’s not like they’ve been disappointing following the additions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, but when looking at what their in-city rivals – the Lakers – are doing, there’s a good shot the Clippers are looking for ways to improve ahead of the trade deadline.
Holiday would make a lot of sense for Los Angeles, as his defensive prowess would give the Clippers three outstanding ball-stoppers in Holiday, George and Leonard, while his scoring would be a huge upgrade over what Patrick Beverley is giving the team on that end of the floor.
Any potential Holiday package will need to include Landry Shamet or L.A.’s 2020 first-round pick (it’s not like the Clippers need those with how stacked their roster is), as well as multiple other pieces (like Moe Harkless and Ivica Zubac) to make the salary swaps work. It would be tricky, and New Orleans would probably need to send a second cheap player like Jahlil Okafor or Kenrich Williams in return, but it wouldn’t be impossible.
Like Miami, the Dallas Mavericks have been a pleasant surprise this season, sitting at 18-8 and third in the West through 26 games. Also like the Heat, however, Dallas likely needs at least one more piece to make a legit run at a title this season.
Holiday, like he would in just about any situation, would make Dallas better, a scary proposition considering the Mavs are third in net rating (+8.6) as is.
His scoring would give Luka Doncic a reliable backcourt partner to share the ball with, his pick-and-roll prowess, developed from his time with Anthony Davis, would fit nicely with Kristaps Porzingis’ pick-and-pop stylings, and his defense would allow Dallas to hide Doncic on opposing teams’ weaker scoring options.
A strong offer the Mavericks could package together for Holiday could include a protected first-rounder and reliable two-way guard Delon Wright, along with Courtney Lee’s expiring contract as salary filler.
If Dallas were to make this deal happen, a starting five featuring Holiday, Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Porzingis and Dwight Powell features star power, scoring, defensive prowess and a good mix of role-playing pieces, and could make the Mavericks a team opponents will want to avoid once the postseason arrives.
You can follow Frank Urbina on Twitter: @FrankUrbina_.
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.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
A 42-point, 11-rebound performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves was enough to vault Kawhi Leonard back into the Top 10 of our MVP rankings for the first time in a few weeks, and served as a reminder of how dominant the 2019 Finals MVP can be when he gets going. This season has been a bit of a slog for Leonard, as his career-low 49.4 effective field goal percentage would attest to, but the Los Angeles Clippers’ load management plan with him resembles that of the Toronto Raptors last year, and should help Leonard look fresh by the time the playoffs roll around. Of course, the Clippers hope their strategy pays off like Toronto’s did in 2018-19.
Kemba Walker has arguably been an upgrade over the departed Kyrie Irving for the Boston Celtics, and is well on his way to earning All-Star honors for the fourth year running thanks to his exquisite level of play this year. Walker is shooting a career-high 40.7 percent from three in 2019-20, and is posting career-best marks in multiple advanced metrics, including Box Plus/Minus and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes. Walker has helped push the Celtics to a 17-7 record and the East’s No. 4 seed through 24 games.
Considering the standard the big man set over the past few seasons, Joel Embiid’s play this year has been a bit disappointing… and Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal were sure to let him know that during a segment on TNT last Tuesday. How did Embiid respond? By having his best game of the season on Thursday, against a very good Celtics team, no less, exploding for 38 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on 12-of-21 shooting. Head coach Brett Brown joked after the game that he was considering hiring Barkley and Shaq as motivational coaches. Maybe not the worst idea.
After a hot start from the three-point line this season (39.3 percent from deep over his first 17 games), Pascal Siakam has gone cold over the past eight outings, shooting just 31.1 percent from the outside during that stretch. That cold spell has coincided with the Raptors’ worst stretch of the season, with Toronto going just 4-4 over their last eight, and that’s probably not a coincidence. The Raptors will need Siakam to find his outside stroke again if they want to get back to their elite early-season form.
The league leader in nightly steals, Jimmy Butler’s addition to the Miami Heat has transformed the team from a mediocre mess to the league’s No. 7 squad in net rating. Miami is probably still a piece or two away from being legitimate title contenders, but with Butler as the centerpiece, they’ve become one of the more entertaining, and tough to beat, teams around the Association this year. Butler averaged 23.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists over three games last week.
A frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year who also happens to be averaging over 27 points, Anthony Davis has been an absolute force on both ends of the floor this season. Davis is 18th in nightly steals this year and second in blocks while his 27.4-point-per-game average is good for seventh in the league. For a big man to be able to score down low with such ease, have a respectable jumper, draw a lot of fouls and make them at over an 85 percent rate is legitimately unfair. If the Los Angeles Lakers do win a title this year, Davis could be the difference-maker.
Even with an injury-related two-minute performance on Saturday bringing down his averages, Luka Doncic still ranks third league-wide in nightly points, 18th in rebounds and third in assists, and he’s done it all as a 20-year-old. The timing of Doncic’s injury is particularly brutal because it seemed like the Slovenian prodigy was about to take off, as his final game prior to getting hurt was a 41/12/11 explosion against the Detroit Pistons. If we can take solace in anything, it’s that Doncic should only miss around two weeks of action with the ankle sprain, which is a relief considering how ugly the injury looked.
They say Father Time is undefeated, but LeBron James is doing his best to prove that old saying wrong. Turning 35 years old in a few weeks, James is leading the league in assists while pouring in over 26 points nightly and snatching over seven boards per contest, and making over half of his field-goal attempts. LeBron’s level of play is so ridiculous, it truly makes you wonder how he does it, when he’s one of just three players left from his draft class, and the other two, Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Korver, are clearly on the tail end of their respective careers.
You know James Harden is on another level with his scoring when he can drop 55 points one night, follow that up with 54 points in his next outing, and the NBA world sort of just keeps spinning without talking about it as much as it deserved to be discussed. In total, Harden averaged 43.8 points over four games last week, to go with 8.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 48.2 percent from three. Oh, and he did that while shooting fewer than seven free throws nightly, so, in this case, people can’t complain about the aesthetics of his performances. After a slow start to the year with his three-point shooting, Harden is making over 39 percent of his triples over the last month, an impressive mark considering the difficulty of his usual shot attempt.
Like Happy Gilmore learning how to putt, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s improved three-point stroke this season has somehow made the Greek superstar even more effective, which is scary considering he’s coming off an MVP campaign as is. Antekounmpo has 43 made triples this year. That’s as many as sharpshooting teammate Khris Middleton, and more than noted shooters like Jamal Murray and Seth Curry. Because of his improved shooting, according to Box Plus/Minus and Win Shares Per 48 Minutes, Antetokounmpo has been even better this season than he was last. If he’s able to keep this up, there’s little doubt the 25-year-old will be a frontrunner to take home his second consecutive MVP award at year’s end.
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