Thanks to injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the focus for the Brooklyn Nets is next year, but which members of the supporting cast will be able to help a contender at that point? Even considering they knew they would not have Kevin Durant all year, this season has not gone as planned for
Month: February 2020
12:53 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN MILWAUKEE — On the heels of James Harden‘s interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols — in which the Houston Rockets star appeared to take aim at Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s skill set — the reigning league MVP responded with a statement performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. The Milwaukee Bucks‘
Dennis Smith Jr. sits at his locker, checking his phone and listening to music before most games. He’s available to the press in the locker room more than most Knicks, but he’s looked increasingly forlorn. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. “I’m thinking exactly what you’re thinking,” Smith Jr. told Basketball Insiders. “I had
12:25 AM ET MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks staged another in a series of artful basketball exhibitions on Friday night at Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo padded his MVP résumé with skillful efficiency and gaudy athleticism (32 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists in 27 minutes, before taking yet another fourth quarter off in a blowout). Of
The race for Rookie of the Year may already be over, but now Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are fighting for a playoff spot instead. In spite of how phenomenal Zion Williamson has looked in his first 12 games for the New Orleans Pelicans, the race for Rookie of the Year may not be very
9:00 AM ET OKLAHOMA CITY — A couple days into training camp, Chris Paul needed to set the record straight. Again. He had already cleared things up on Twitter, but as he stood in the corner of the Oklahoma City Thunder practice facility and peered across the floor with an eye toward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Paul
Dennis Smith Jr. sits at his locker, checking his phone and listening to music before most games. He’s available to the press in the locker room more than most Knicks, but he’s looked increasingly forlorn. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. “I’m thinking exactly what you’re thinking,” Smith Jr. told Basketball Insiders. “I had
Patrick Williams is only just now getting traction as a first-round NBA Draft prospect, but he’s been playing like one for a while. It has been well established by now that the 2020 NBA Draft appears to be nearly completely devoid of major difference makers. Unlike 2018, which had a bevy of obvious future NBA
9:05 AM ET Let’s move into the weekend with 10 NBA things: 1. Jayson Tatum is here When was the last time this happened — a player in the middle of the season making The Leap, everyone digesting the revelation together and knowing it is real and lasting? Perhaps Kawhi Leonard toward the start of
During the Philadelphia 76ers’ first practice following the All-Star break, Ben Simmons felt some discomfort in his back. The team initially listed him as questionable for their game against the Brooklyn Nets before ruling him out after a pre-game warmup. The official designation at the time was back tightness, a seemingly short-term nuisance. Concerns were
Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons will be out at least two weeks after being diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back. What can we expect from this particular injury? The Philadelphia 76ers will be without All-Star point guard Ben Simmons “for an extended period of time,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, after being diagnosed with a
No playoff team has experienced more turmoil than the Philadelphia 76ers, and Ben Simmons’ back injury begs the question of whether they still belong in the title conversation. The Philadelphia 76ers, once considered a good bet to win the NBA title, are now fighting for the benefit of the doubt. Things haven’t gone particularly smoothly
2:48 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Lakers hardly ever practice, and shootarounds are even rarer for the veteran squad. So getting Markieff Morris, who signed with the team this week after receiving a buyout from the Detroit Pistons, up to speed takes some creativity. “We’ve kind of beefed up our film sessions,”
Just when the Phoenix Suns were finally looking good and healthy, Kelly Oubre Jr. reportedly tore his meniscus. Here’s what it means for him and the Suns. One game into the season, the Phoenix Suns lost Deandre Ayton for 25 games due to a suspension. Not long after that, they dealt with nagging injuries to
8:00 AM ET Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Milwaukee Bucks clinch the earliest NBA playoff berth in 15 seasons on Sunday. Meanwhile, LeBron James has the Los Angeles Lakers at the top of the Western Conference, but is that enough to stop Antetokounmpo from repeating as MVP? Will Zion Williamson make an All-NBA team
For rookies starting their NBA careers in today’s league, their journey is a little bit different than in the past. In prior years, rookies who weren’t in the rotation immediately were often buried on the bench and relegated to garbage time minutes. It could be a frustrating and difficult situation for players used to being
9:22 AM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Some key Kobe Bryant memorabilia, including two of his Los Angeles Lakers uniforms and cement handprints from his induction into the Grauman’s Chinese Theater hall of fame gallery, are going up for sale in April. Julien’s Auctions said Thursday that the items would be up for sale
Coby White has topped 30 points in three straight games, but does it really matter if he continues to come off the bench for the Bulls? The Chicago Bulls lost a close one, 124-122, to the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night. Zach LaVine led the way in the losing effort with 41 points, while rookie
Delving into the vibrant culture of basketball within the five boroughs, the newly-opened City/Game exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York features over a century’s worth of history. Change is the only constant. Unceasing evolution makes New York so much of what it is. Neighborhoods shift. Friends move away. Restaurants and bars
8:19 PM ET ESPN News Services CLEVELAND — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid left Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter and was ruled out with a left shoulder sprain. Embiid appeared to collide with Cavaliers center Ante Zizic while being fouled late in the first quarter. The 7-footer held
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
8:51 AM ET CONFUSION REIGNS AS the Utah Jazz jog back on defense. Mike Conley is scurrying across the floor in search of someone to guard. It is Monday night in Salt Lake City, and the Phoenix Suns are pushing the ball up the floor after a routine defensive rebound early in the fourth quarter.
A high-profile battle on Tuesday night highlighted why Pascal Siakam is still a cut below the reigning MVP and how his limitations could hold the Toronto Raptors back in the playoffs. Pascal Siakam is clearly a triumph for the Toronto Raptors organization. He is both a symptom and a cause of the way they play,
After spending the first few years of his career bouncing around the league, D’Angelo Russell may finally have found a place to flourish with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2020 NBA Trade Deadline was not exactly quiet, though it still felt inconsequential. The majority of the league’s contenders opted to stand pat, and the few that
12:27 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN TORONTO — Tuesday night marked the first time since Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks came back to Scotiabank Arena since losing to the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. And after the Bucks came away with a different result this time, winning 108-97 over the
The regular season is over two-thirds finished, and the playoffs start in 53 days. Unsurprisingly, the front of the Defensive Player of the Year race has remained largely stagnant as 2019-20 enters its final stretch. But there’s ample time for movement among the obvious top-four candidates, with factors like injuries, lineup changes and even overall
4:51 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has a nerve impingement in his lower back and is expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time, league sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Simmons is undergoing treatment and will be reevaluated in two weeks, but there’s little expectation that he will be close to
Reasonable people can disagree about the NBA MVP race and everyone has their own favorite. But who you prefer may say more about you than the player. Last year’s MVP race between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden sparked a thousand online arguments. Fans of the Bucks and Rockets, of course, stanned for their team’s star,
7:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PASCAL SIAKAM RELISHES the work. The process of getting better drives the Toronto Raptors forward in a way that sets him apart. “He was always the first one in the gym,” former teammate DeMar DeRozan said. “He always came back to the gym at night. He worked on everything he
Thanks in part to versatile pick-and-roll defense, rim protecting upside and high-level finishing ability, USC center Onyeka Okongwu looks the part of a top-three prospect Let’s start with a simple premise and progress from there. To be a very good NBA player, you likely need to be a very good college player. Checks out, right?
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