In this week’s 2019 NBA Mock Draft, we break down the big Duke-North Carolina game and discuss how teams with multiple picks can capitalize. As always, projected standings are based upon FiveThirtyEight’s CARM-Elo rankings. This version of the mock uses projections as of Feb. 24, with the Suns and Knicks starting to separate themselves for
Month: February 2019
In recent campaigns, the importance of a good, reliable bench unit has soared out the window as the rise in superteams grew larger. This is not to say that the Golden State Warriors regret not having a consistent Sixth Man of the Year contender in their second unit because, well, their back-to-back championships speak for
4:58 PM ET Kings rookie Marvin Bagley III is expected to miss up to two weeks after an MRI exam on his injured left knee Thursday revealed a sprain. Sacramento says its fourth leading scorer and the No. 2 overall pick out of Duke will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. That means Bagley
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Brook Lopez is a player who has always been put in boxes
8:51 AM ET The race for consensus No. 1 overall NBA draft prospect Zion Williamson is on. But this tankathon will be different from that of past seasons. This is the first year under the lottery reform rules passed in September 2017 — more of an incremental step to deter blatant tanking than a complete
In recent campaigns, the importance of a good, reliable bench unit has soared out the window as the rise in superteams grew larger. This is not to say that the Golden State Warriors regret not having a consistent Sixth Man of the Year contender in their second unit because, well, their back-to-back championships speak for
12:22 AM ET Sacramento Kings rookie Marvin Bagley III suffered a left knee sprain during Wednesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and will not return. Bagley will have an MRI on the knee Thursday, the team said. Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick out of Duke, was hurt when he ran into a pick
The Anthony Davis saga drags on and every night the Pelicans have to decide between sitting him and taking a $100,000 fine from the NBA, or playing him and risking an injury that craters his trade value. With implications for competitiveness, playoff standings and the in-game experience, what do the Pelicans owe to their fans
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Early on, it seemed like the latest episode of Adrian Wojnarowski’s podcast,
Welcome to The Whiteboard, your daily source for the previous day’s best NBA content from around the internet, plus an original column. Catch The Whiteboard here on The Step Back, and subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Atlanta Hawks have some promising young talent on the roster right
2:36 PM ET LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis will play limited minutes and likely will be held out in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. New Orleans Pelicans‘ head coach Alvin Gentry said the plan remains to utilize Davis around “20-to-23” minutes and that he will likely not see action
Zion, Zion, Zion. With a splash of Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett mixed in for good measure, this college basketball season has been all about Duke’s Zion Williamson. The flash card-worthy facts are astonishing — 18 years-old, 6-foot-7, 285 pounds — but his highlight reel moves, both offensively and defensively, have everybody drooling. And although
1:20 AM ET TORONTO — After the Celtics suffered their worst loss of the season, a 118-95 drubbing at the hands of the conference rival Raptors, Boston starting shooting guard Marcus Smart said the team “is just not together,” in contrast to the Celtics’ squads in recent seasons that exceeded expectations. “What are the main
Through nine games with the New York Knicks following an uninspired, if not altogether disappointing, season and change with the Dallas Mavericks, plenty of people think Dennis Smith Jr. is roughly what they expected from him coming out of North Carolina State, but on a grander stage — an explosive, borderline-reckless athlete with as much
For the past few years, the death of rivalries has been an endlessly recycled talking point. The idea is that NBA players are too friendly and it’s diluted the league’s competitive spirit. It’s also absurd. NBA rivalries are as intense as they’ve ever been and this week at The Step Back, we’re celebrating the rivalries
Joe Ingles is not the Utah Jazz’s best player on either end of the floor. Rudy Gobert, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has that end covered. Donovan Mitchell, who nearly won Rookie of the Year, is the team’s offensive engine. Ingles is not the team’s best perimeter defender, nor its best rebounder and
6:18 PM ET The NBA has rescinded the technical foul called on Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins for tossing Jeremy Lamb‘s shoe off the floor in Monday night’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, according to a league source. The league has been cautious about objects flying into the stands, but upon further review, the
For the last eight weeks, four of Basketball Insiders’ experts have offered up their views on the 2018 NBA Draft, here is their Final Consensus, with notebooks to follow: Version: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 Benny’s Notebook: It’s finally here — whew. This is our last set
11:23 AM ET Former NBA player Mike Bibby is under police investigation after being accused of sexual abuse and harassment from a teacher at the high school where he works as a coach, according to The Arizona Republic. The Paradise Valley Unified School District confirmed to The Republic that Phoenix police are investigating the allegations
Monday’s DraftKings slate: 7 p.m. ET: Golden State at Charlotte, Portland at Cleveland, Indiana at Detroit7:30 p.m ET: San Antonio at Brooklyn, Phoenix at Miami8 p.m. ET: Milwaukee at Chicago, Atlanta at Houston, LA Lakers at Memphis, Sacramento at Minnesota, Philadelphia at New Orleans10:30 p.m. ET: Dallas at LA Clippers My favorite plays of the
2:53 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Dirk Nowitzki had no idea why LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers called a timeout with 9.4 seconds remaining and his team leading by nine points Monday night. Rivers’ reasoning became clear seconds later when he walked to the scorer’s table, picked up the public address announcer’s microphone and gave
Zion, Zion, Zion. With a splash of Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett mixed in for good measure, this college basketball season has been all about Duke’s Zion Williamson. The flash card-worthy facts are astonishing — 18 years-old, 6-foot-7, 285 pounds — but his highlight reel moves, both offensively and defensively, have everybody drooling. And although
It’s extremely difficult to make an All-Star team in the NBA. Only 24 guys make it a year, not counting injury replacements. It’s even tougher to make the team in the Western Conference, which is far superior to its Eastern counterpart and boasts more of the league’s best players. And it’s even more difficult to
7:21 PM ET Malika AndrewsESPN CHICAGO — Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in the United Center. Ersan Ilyasova will start in Antetokounmpo’s place. Antetokounmpo has had lingering right knee soreness over the past few games. Before the game, coach Mike Budenholzer said he is optimistic the knee soreness is
Monday’s FanDuel slate: 7 p.m. ET: Golden State at Charlotte, Portland at Cleveland, Indiana at Detroit7:30 p.m ET: San Antonio at Brooklyn, Phoenix at Miami8 p.m. ET: Milwaukee at Chicago, Atlanta at Houston, LA Lakers at Memphis, Sacramento at Minnesota, Philadelphia at New Orleans10:30 p.m. ET: Dallas at LA Clippers My favorite plays of the
After bruising and scoring through Kevin Knox‘s clutches, Jusuf Nurkic was anchored at the free-throw line, chasing a retrograde 3-point play. Moments later, he twirled the ball between his bear paw hands, dribbled twice and capped a 68-second stretch featuring six points, two rebounds and one block. But first, a young fan, clad in a
8:15 AM ET Will the final stretch of the season belong to the Milwaukee Bucks? Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. are the hottest team in the NBA right now, taking over for a slumping Golden State Warriors squad atop our rankings. Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz, Tim MacMahon and Andre’ Snellings, The
Joe Harris’ fortunes and those of the Brooklyn Nets appear to be traveling on the same trajectory. Harris’ personality and approach embody the softer side of the Brooklyn Nets’ team persona: he is loyal, hardworking and humble. And while Jared Dudley and DeMarre Carroll provide veteran leadership and Spencer Dinwiddie and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson offer personality,
10:23 PM ET NEW YORK — The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs at home Sunday night to avoid the wrong kind of NBA history. The Knicks’ 130-118 victory snapped an 18-game home losing streak. Had New York lost Sunday, the club would have tied the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks for the longest home
The Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving questions a call during action against at Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. The Magic won, 105-103. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) NHL Trade Rumors: FanSided’s updated trade bait board by Simon Vacca This is what perfection looks like by
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