10:37 AM ET Suspended Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters is in Syracuse to “try to find solutions” by talking with Jim Boeheim, his college coach. Waiters was suspended without pay for 10 games earlier this month for conduct detrimental to the team after an incident on the team charter. It is his second suspension of
*Small sample size That’s always the disclaimer we media folk have to include when we take offer opinions or analysis early on in the season. The reason is justifiable. A lot can change between now and when the season comes down the homestretch that we can’t say that the success or lack thereof surrounding either
2:28 AM ET LOS ANGELES — As much as the on-court product this season has been can’t miss fodder for Los Angeles Lakers fans hungry for a winner, it was a courtside fan rooting on the Lakers’ 122-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday that stole the show. The fan just so happened to
Karl-Anthony Towns is having an incredible year but it’s time to let go of the unicorn talk. His excellence is built of simpler stuff. For as many points as he scores, Karl-Anthony Towns’ offensive game is remarkably utilitarian. Flat-footed jumper. A reasonable array of flips and hooks. A dunk if space allows. It’s all angles
7:29 PM ET Associated Press AUBURN, Ala. — Former Auburn and NBA player Marquis Daniels was injured in an automobile accident. An Auburn basketball spokesman says Daniels was in the accident Saturday night in Auburn and was transported to a Birmingham hospital for treatment. The spokesman didn’t disclose any further details on Daniels’ injuries. Daniels
The NBA season is still very young, but some disappointing starts are just that – disappointing. Meaning that they can exist on their own without knowing the end result. Certain players and teams around the league surprised us with their unexpectedly strong play, and others have left us scratching our heads and wondering what’s went
11:21 PM ET Associated Press SAN ANTONIO — CJ McCollum scored 32 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-116 on Saturday night to spoil Tim Duncan’s first shot at coaching following Gregg Popovich’s ejection. LaMarcus Aldridge had 30 points and 13 rebounds but the Spurs lost their fifth straight and
Paul George is back! But what exactly did he return from? On the LA Clippers’ star’s return from shoulder surgery. LA Clippers star Paul George made his triumphant return Thursday night, putting up 33 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and a plus/minus of plus-7 in a mere 24 minutes of action. The Clippers ultimately lost
3:20 AM ET LOS ANGELES — Paul George drove to the rim, was shoved from behind and still found a way to score with the foul. “I’m back!” George screamed before completing the three-point play in the third quarter Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Many came to Staples Center hoping to see Kawhi Leonard
The NBA season is still very young, but some disappointing starts are just that – disappointing. Meaning that they can exist on their own without knowing the end result. Certain players and teams around the league surprised us with their unexpectedly strong play, and others have left us scratching our heads and wondering what’s went
2:48 PM ET Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell is out at least two weeks with a sprained right thumb. The Warriors announced that an MRI performed on Russell’s right thumb after Friday night’s loss to the Boston Celtics game confirmed the sprain. He will not travel with the Warriors on their upcoming four-game road
The Timberwolves are off to a surprising 7-4 start and the evolution of Andrew Wiggins and the team’s previously stagnant offense has been striking. After a relatively quiet offseason, not much was expected of the Timberwolves in a Western Conference crowded with hungry contenders looking to take advantage of the Warriors’ injuries. But a 7-4
1:14 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors shooting guard D’Angelo Russell sprained his right thumb during the third quarter of Friday night’s 105-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and didn’t return. X-rays on Russell’s thumb were negative. He was expected to have an MRI on the thumb after the game, and an update
*Small sample size That’s always the disclaimer we media folk have to include when we take offer opinions or analysis early on in the season. The reason is justifiable. A lot can change between now and when the season comes down the homestretch that we can’t say that the success or lack thereof surrounding either
3:51 AM ET LOS ANGELES — LeBron James destroyed Nemanja Bjelica with a dunk in the first half Friday. Obliterated him. Might have well have turned Bjelica’s No. 88 uniform on its side and sent him off to infinity, and beyond. It was a career highlight-reel worthy throwdown for James on the same day he
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 08: Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors during the game at Target Center on November 8, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms
From Dwight Howard to Kyle Kuzma to Alex Caruso, the Los Angeles Lakers’ non-star players have cemented them as a top title contender. The Lakers look more like a LeBron James team now than they ever did during the 2018-19 season. Adding a second star in Anthony Davis was one thing, but general manager Rob
6:45 PM ET Carmelo Anthony isn’t expected to make his Portland Trail Blazers debut until Tuesday’s game at New Orleans at the earliest, league sources tell ESPN. Anthony, 35, has to complete a physical with the Blazers before the one-year, non-guaranteed contract is finalized — and that could some as soon as Saturday, league sources
After rolling the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to the tune of a 108-87 final score, it wasn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers who received praise. Instead, local and national pundits destroyed the defeated franchise that got blown out on its home floor by a “hapless” rebuilding team. Of course, when you play in such
7:18 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS — Paul George finished with 33 points and nine rebounds in his first game of the 2019-20 NBA season — his first in an LA Clippers uniform. A pretty good start to the season, right? “I thought I was terrible,” George said following a 132-127 loss to the
After months of speculation about whether Carmelo Anthony would get a chance to prove himself one last time, we now know the Portland Trail Blazers have signed him to a non-guaranteed contract. One of the biggest stars in basketball is returning to the NBA. Carmelo Anthony was once one of the best scorers in the
2:17 AM ET NEW ORLEANS — Cold outside air poured through the loading dock a couple hundred feet from tunnels leading out to the floor, coating the lower bowl at Smoothie King Center on Thursday with a chilled draft. For the first time this season, Paul George took the court for a pregame warmup and
After rolling the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to the tune of a 108-87 final score, it wasn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers who received praise. Instead, local and national pundits destroyed the defeated franchise that got blown out on its home floor by a “hapless” rebuilding team. Of course, when you play in such
7:18 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN NEW ORLEANS – Paul George will officially make his Los Angeles Clippers’ debut Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Coach Doc Rivers confirmed pregame that George, who has missed the team’s first 11 games as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery, will suit up and play. “He’s had two practices
Another draft season is upon us, and that means it is time to unveil the Step Back’s starting point for ranking 2020 NBA Draft prospects. The 2019-20 NBA season kicked off a few weeks ago, and the college basketball season is upon us. That means that prospect evaluation for the 2020 NBA Draft is finally
The injuries are beginning to mount and NBA teams up and down the standings are looking for fill-in production. Who is being asked to step up? If there is anything that has defined the early portion of the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s injuries. We began the year knowing Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson would likely
12:51 AM ET HOUSTON — Notorious pest Patrick Beverley‘s reputation as an elite defender isn’t accurate, according to Russell Westbrook, who cited James Harden‘s 47-point performance in the Houston Rockets‘ 102-93 win Wednesday over the LA Clippers as proof. “Pat Bev trick y’all, man, like he playing defense,” Westbrook said. “He don’t guard nobody, man.
After rolling the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to the tune of a 108-87 final score, it wasn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers who received praise. Instead, local and national pundits destroyed the defeated franchise that got blown out on its home floor by a “hapless” rebuilding team. Of course, when you play in such
1:50 AM ET LeBron James likes to pass the ball. Legend has it he developed his appreciation for the pass as a 9-year-old playing for the Summit Lake Hornets in a rec basketball league in Akron, Ohio. He fed a diminutive teammate named Sonny Spoon by rolling the rock his way. It was the only
The Portland Trail Blazers are off to a slow start this season, but Damian Lillard is doing all he can to turn around the team’s fortunes. The Portland Trail Blazers ended a four-game losing streak last Sunday night, with a 124-113 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. Damian Lillard again led the way, with 30