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[theblackarticle]

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[beyond4lines]

NBA Trade Deadline for Each Team

I’m going to dive in what the team needs and what possible trades can happen at trade deadline on February 7.

Eastern Conference

1.       Raptors

Trade assets: Norman Powell, CJ Miles, Delon Wright

Needs: Wings that can shoot/spread the floor, Playmakers

Trade for Raptors:

·         Norman Powell for TJ Warren 

·         Norman Powell and CJ Miles for Kent Bazemore

 2.       Bucks

Trade assets: George Hill, Jason Smith

Needs: shooters, a big that can rebound

Trade for Bucks:

·         George Hill for Wesley Matthews

·         Something involving Hill and Terrence Ross

·         Hill for Enes Kanter

·         Jason Smith for Ed Davis

 3.       Pacers

Trade assets: Kyle O’quinn *Myles Turner, TJ Leaf, Ike Anigbogu, Darren Collison, Cory Joseph

Needs: Stretch 4 if decide to trade Myles Turner, a playmaker with Olidipo out for the season.

Trade for Pacers:

·         Myles Turner and Davon Reed for Nemanja Bjelica

·         B.Bogdanovic and Doug Mcdermont for Kent Bazemore

 4.       76’ers

Trade assets: Markelle Fultz *Ben Simmons

Needs: Shooters

Trade for 76ers

·         Wilson Chandler for TJ Warren

·         Markelle Fultz for Courtney Lee and future 1st

·         Markelle Fultz for Terrence Ross

·         Wilson Chandler for Trevor Ariza

·         Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, Wilson Chandler, and 2021 Miami (via PHX) 1ST rounder for Anthony Davis

 5.    Celtics

Trade assets: Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier

Needs: Knock down shooter, slashers that can get to the free - throw line and bigs that can rebound.

Trade for Celtics

·         G. Yabusele and Jabari Bird for Ed Davis

·         Terry Rozier for Jerian Grant and future 1st or a 2nd round pick

·         Terry Rozier for Luke Kennard or Reggie Bullock

 6.       Nets

Trade assets: Allen Crabbe, Demarre Carroll, Rondae Hollis Jefferson

Needs: Dump Cap for summer

Trade for Nets

·         Allen Crabbe for Iman Shumpert

 7.       Heat

Trade assets: Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington

Needs: Dump Cap

    Trade for Heat

·         Finding trade partners are hard considering how many bad contracts they have.

 8.       Hornets

Trade assets: Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, *Kemba Walker, Frank Kaminsky

Needs: Players that can support Kemba IE floor spacing and another playmaker.

 Trades for Hornets

1.       Nicolas Batum to the Cavs for Jr Smith in a 4 team trade between Cavs, Suns, and Kings.

·         Dragen Bender from Suns to Hornets

·         Rodney Hood to Suns

·         David Nwaba to Kings

2.       Marvin Williams for Tim Hardaway Jr.

 9.       Pistons

Trade Assets: Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, Jon Leuer

Needs: 3 and D wings, figure out if the Griffin/Drummond pair is working

     Trades for Pistons

·         Luke Kennard or Reggie Bullock for Terry Rozier

·         Langston Galloway for Wayne Ellington

 10.   Magic

Trade assets: Evan Fournier, Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, John Simmons*Jonathan Issac, *Aaron Gordon

Needs: Letting go of some assets and bad contracts, a point guard and choose between Gordon and Issac because Issac is more of a 4 than a 3.

Trades for Magic

·         Jonathon Simmons and first rounder for Dennis Smith Jr.

·         Jonathan Isaac and first rounder for Dennis Smith Jr.

·         Nikola Vucevic for Marcin Gortat and future 1st round pick from the Clippers

 11.   Wizards

Trade Assets: Otto Porter, Bradley Beal, Trevor Ariza

Needs: 3 and d wings, floor spacing, playmakers, and figuring out their future with Wall out for the foreseeable future.  

Trades for the Wizards

·         Trevor Ariza for Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson and a future 2nd rounder

 12.   Hawks

Trade Assets: Kent Bazemore, Jeremy Lin, Dewayne Dedmon, Taurean Prince

Needs:  get rid of assets like Bazemore,Lin and Dedmon, maybe Prince as some feel Prince might have hit his ceiling and will demand more money the Hawks are willing to pay in the future. In return get guys that can service young core.

    Trades for Hawks

·         Kent Bazemore for Norman Powell and CJ Miles

·         Prince for Denzel Valentine and a 2nd rounder 

·         Jeremy Lin for Solomon Hill and a 1st rounder

 13.   Knicks

Trade assets: Enes Kanter, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, Frank Ntilikina, *Kristaps Porzingis

Needs: Create Cap for  summer, and get a point guard for the future.

Trades for Knicks

·         Tim Hardaway Jr. for Marvin Williams

·         Enes Kanter for George Hill

·         Courtney Lee for Markelle Fultz

·         Enes Kanter for Zach Randolph

·         Enes Kanter or Tim Hardaway Jr., Kristaps Porzingis and 2019 1st rounder for Anthony Davis

 14.   Bulls

Trade assets: Jabri Parker, Cristiano Felicio, Robin Lopez

Needs: 3 and D wings, playmakers, getting off Jabari Parker contract

Trades for Bulls

·         Robin Lopez for Brandon Knight

·         Jabari Parker for Zach Randolph

·         Jabari Parker for Wesley Matthews

·         Denzel Valentine for Prince

 15.   Cavs

Trade assets: Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, JR Smith

Needs: get rid of overpaid players

 Trades for Cavs

·         JR Smith for Brandon Knight

·         Tristan Thompson for Evan Turner

·         Tristan Thompson for Jonas Valanciunas

 West Conference

1.       Nuggets

Trade assets: Mason Plumlee, Will Barton, Trey Lyles

Needs: Floor spacing, more depth

Trades for Nuggets

·         J. Hernangomez and Torrey Craig for Jonathon Simmons “Magic”

·         Trey Lyes, J. Hernangomez, Torrey Craig for Courtney Lee “Knicks”

·         Trey Lyles for Luke Kennard “Pistons”

 2.       Warriors

Trade assets: None

Needs: NONE they are the Warriors they have 5 all-stars yeah FIVE!

Trades for GSW

·         None

 3.       Thunder

Trade Assets: Patrick Patterson, Alex Abrines

Needs: defensive wing depth, big depth

   Trades for OKC

·         Patrick Patterson to Kings and Alex Abrines to Magic for Terrence Ross “Magic” and Scal Labissiere “Kings”

·         Alex Abrines for Wayne Ellington

 4.       Trailblazers

Trade assets: *CJ McCullum, Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard

Needs: Length and 3 and D guys

Trades for Trailblazers

·         Jake Layman and Nik Stauskas and a 1st rounder for Taurean Prince

·         Myers Leonard for Courtney Lee

 5.       Clippers

Trade assets: Gallinari , Avery Bradely, Marcin Gortat

Needs: free up cap space

Trades for Clippers

1.       Marcin Gortat and a 1st rounder for Nikola Vucevic

2.       4 team trade involving Clippers, T’Wolves Cavs and Kings

·         Clippers receive Iman Shumpert, Jayred Bayless, and Rodney Hood

·         T’Wolves receive Avery Bradley and Milos Teodosic

·         Cavs receive Mbah a Moute

·         Kings receive Gorgui Dieng

 6.       Spurs

Trade assets:  Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay

Needs: 3 and D wing

Trades for Spurs

·         Rudy Gay for Courtney Lee

 7.       Lakers

Trade assets: anyone but Lebron

Needs: shooters, a star

Trades for Lakers

·         Lance Stephenson for Wayne Ellington

 8.       Rockets

Trade assets: Brandon Knight, Marquess Chriss

Needs: rebounding, and shooting

 Trades for Rockets

·         Brandon Knight for JR Smith

·         Brandon Knight and Marquess Chriss and future 1st and 2nd  for Enes Kanter

·         Brandon Knight for Robin Lopez

 9.       Jazz

Trade assets: Derrick Favors, Dante Exum, Jae Crowder

Needs: Playmaker/Scorer to relieve Donovan Mitchell

Trades for Jazz

·         Dante Exum, Jae Crowder, Ekpe Udoh for Jabari Parker

·         Derrick Favors for Jabari Parker 

 10.   Kings

Trade assets: Zach Randolph, Iman Shumpert

Needs: floor spacing,  2 way big

Trades for Kings

1.       Zach Randolph for Enes Kanter 

2.       Nemanja Bjelica for Myles Turner and Davon Reed

 11.   T’Wolves

Trade assets: Jeff Teague, Gorgui Dieng, Taj Gibson

Needs: playmaker, perimeter scoring

Trades for T’Wolves

1.       Refer to the 4 team Avery Bradley deal I made for the Clippers

2.       Jeryd Bayless for Cory Joseph “Pacers”

3.       Jeryd Bayless in a 4 team trade for Dennis Smith Jr.

·         Minnesota receive Dennis Smith Jr.

·         Mavs receive Brandon Knight and Jeryd Bayless

·         Rockets receive Wesley Matthews and Pat Connaughton

·         Bucks receive Carmelo Anthony

4.       Taj Gibson in a 3 team trade for Markelle Fultz and Kosta Koufos

·         T’Wolves receive Markelle Fultz and Kosta Koufos

·         76ERS receive Anthony Toliver and a Future 1ST rounder

·         Kings receive Taj Gibson

 12.   Mavs

Trade assets: Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews, *Dennis Smith Jr.

Needs: perimeter defense, rebounding off bench, perimeter shooting depth.

Trades for Mavs

·         Wesley Matthews for Courtney Lee and Noah Vonleh

 13.   Pelicans

Trade assets: Jrue Holiday, *Anthony Davis, Solomon Hill, E’twaun Moore

Needs: Defense, Perimeter scoring, rebounding

Trades for Pelicans

·         Solomon Hill and Tim Frazier for Kent Bazemore

 14.   Grizzlies

Trade assets: *Mike Conley (has an early contract termination on final year of contract “2020-2021”) Marc Gasol, Chandler Parsons

Needs: get younger, get supporting pieces for Jaren Jackson , Kyle Anderson, and Dillon Brooks.

Trades for Grizzlies

1.       Marc Gasol for Allen Crabbe, T. Graham and future 1st ronder

2.       Mike Conley to the Suns in a 4 team trade involving the Grizzlies, Suns, Pelicans, and Kings

·         Grizzlies receive Solomon Hill, Josh Jackson,Skal Labissiere, and Frank Jackson

·         Suns receive Mike Conley and Time Frazier

·         Pelicans receive Zach Randolph

·         Kings receive Ryan Anderson

 15.   Suns

Trade assets: TJ Warren *Josh Jackson, *Kelly Oubre, *Mikal Bridges

Needs: point guard, bench depth

Trades for Suns

·         Kelly Oubre for Dennis Smith Jr. and  Bucks 1st rounder

·         Mikal Bridges for Dennis Smith Jr and  Bucks 1st rounder

·         Josh Jackson for Frank Ntilikina

[junker-town]

Where the NBA’s top free agents should go this offseason

Fred VanVleet, Montrezl Harrell, and Danilo Gallinari are three of the top NBA free agents in 2020.

This is who the Knicks, Pistons, Celtics, Heat, and Suns should sign.

Whether the 2019-20 NBA season is over or not, free agency will eventually begin. Teams will add and lose players from their current rosters. The business of basketball will go on.

Unfortunately, this year’s cycle won’t pick up where the last one left off; none of the league’s most significant needle-movers (except Anthony Davis, who has it pretty good in LA) will be unrestricted and it’s unlikely the favorite to win it all in 2021 will be decided by a free agent signing. However, that doesn’t mean the pool is entirely dry: a few quality players will make this year’s process as relevant as it always is fun. And even though cap space is a premium held mostly by a few teams that are not positioned to contend, the NBA’s dire economic climate promises to fluster a system that may be less predictable than it would’ve been.

Ownership groups flush with cash two months ago might be a bit more frugal today. We don’t know their spending limitations, nor can we foresee which players who’ve yet to compete in the playoffs will elevate/puncture their stock. Taking all that into account, here are five serviceable free agents matched up with with five different teams that would appreciate everything they have to offer.

Fred VanVleet - New York Knicks

The most likely scenario for New York’s offseason unfolds as so: They foolishly squander more assets than they should in a trade for Chris Paul, then immediately watch the soon-to-be 35-year-old shrivel away from the top of his positional standing, as an $85 million anvil dangles overhead for the next two years.

This would not be ideal. In truth the best route might be a patient one. Add future assets, slow-roll a legitimate rebuild and wait to strike when the time is right, i.e. once their reputation starts to pivot towards normalcy. But, assuming new Knicks president Leon Rose won’t be able to help himself, throwing a bag of cash at Fred VanVleet wouldn’t be the most reckless deviation from that plan.

VanVleet is 26. He oozes confidence, has a ring to back it up, and will be the most coveted point guard in this free agent class. VanVleet won’t turn the Knicks around because he is not Zeus. But this could be the type of signing that catalyzes the dawn of progress for an organization that could do so, so, so much worse. The Knicks can’t stop tripping over their own feet. VanVleet will, at the very least, tie their shoes.

Paul Millsap - Phoenix Suns

I tied Millsap to the Suns a few months back in this story about how Phoenix could be on the same rebuilding track that Denver was on before they signed the four-time all-star back in 2017. Millsap just turned 35, and obviously isn’t the same player now that he was back then. But his savvy defensive intangibles, offensive selflessness, and general veteran guile would be embraced by a Suns organization that desperately needs those qualities before it can leap to a higher level. Even though his timeline doesn’t match up with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, slotting him in as Phoenix’s starting power forward next year could do wonders for that team’s long-term mindset.

Montrezl Harrell - Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are about to embark on a serious rebuild, but, if possible, they would also like to be somewhat competitive as they carry it out. That’s not easy.

Only a few teams have more cap space than they will, and with Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard both in need of a ferocious pick-and-roll partner, Montrezl Harrell is the crisp fit that might allow them to have their cake and eat it too. He’s easy to root for and exceptional at what he does. Harrell also isn’t good enough to lead Detroit from the lottery to the middle class, where they’d inevitably rot in perpetual mediocrity.

Regardless of how their season ends, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to keep the 26-year-old around. He amplifies their rugged identity and is jelly to Lou Williams’ peanut butter. But the Pistons can offer more minutes as a full-time starter, along with more money than the Clippers would be willing to pay.

Blake Griffin and Christian Wood complicate the idea of bringing another expensive big man into the fold. But Wood’s caphold is low enough to appease any cap-related concern, and as it relates to any positional overlap, his outside shot and defensive versatility should let both thrive at the same time without stepping on each other’s toes.

Griffin, who has a $39 million player option in 2022 that he’ll almost definitely pick up, is a bit more complicated. His long-term health is a question mark, and investing serious money in him, Wood, and Harrell over the next two seasons might not be the wisest move in a league that minimizes the center position. Nobody would blink if the Pistons let as much of their cap space roll over another year. But unless they bottom out by dealing off some other pieces (like Rose and/or Kennard), adding Harrell wouldn’t be the dumbest signing. At the very least, he’d make watching that team 30 percent less painful than it’d otherwise be.

Danilo Gallinari - Miami Heat

The Heat almost acquired Gallo before the deadline but weren’t interested in locking themselves into a long-term extension that would hinder their ability to pursue other max stars (i.e. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, etc.) in 2021. But the Heat now have a bunch of cap space and more leverage in any negotiation with Gallo, assuming there aren’t any other serious suitors on a long-term deal. Both sides could agree to a front-loaded short-term pact and then go from there. It’s too dramatic to say they need each other, but this one makes a lot of sense.

Tristan Thompson - Boston Celtics

Few teams were willing to make a significant financial commitment at the center position before the league’s most essential revenue stream was suspended. No group of players will feel the plummeting salary cap more than them. Near the top of that list is Thompson, who may need to sign a cheap one-year deal with a contending team—like the Boston Celtics, that can actually use him in meaningful playoff moments next season—then re-enter free agency in 2021. Derrick Favors, Hassan Whiteside, and a couple other bigs may find themselves in a similar situation, assuming they test the market.

The Celtics are happy with Daniel Theis, have Robert Williams waiting in the wings, who knows what Enes Kanter will do with his $5 million player option, and Grant Williams is shaping up to be an essential small-ball five. That’s not a bad big man rotation next year, but Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo aren’t going anywhere. Boston may want to stock up with as many large bodies as it can, especially if the financial commitment isn’t much of a commitment.

[changechest3-blog]

Bulls outlast Knicks 116-115 in Double OT Thriller

The Bulls wins these season, with a third Monday 116-115 in double overtime against the New York Knicks, have been revolutionary. And not only because each has been against a team from one of the original 13 colonies. Those wins have been radical because they have required a special breakthrough, and the Bulls have gotten it each time from Zach LaVine, who Monday scored a career high 41 points and the winning free throw with two tenths of a second left.

“At the end of the day, I am going to do what I do to help us get a win,” said LaVine. “I’ve worked hard to get to the next level.”

It’s becoming a special place as LaVine scored all the Bulls points in the second overtime, overcoming a pair of Knicks leads with bursts to the basket that eventually made the difference.

“I am going to attack,” said LaVine, who had three driving scores with his explosive first step and a pair of free throws to hold off Knicks rallies in the second extra session. LaVine also scored the Bulls last 11 points in regulation with a triumvirate of three-point baskets and had the score to tie the game at 108 in the first overtime. That one did come after LaVine dribbled out of bounds among his eight turnovers.

“I had some costly turnovers I have to clean up,” LaVine acknowledged. “But at the end of the day I did what I had to do.”

With so many regulars injured, LaVine is basically the last hope before defeat.

LaVine played 49 minutes against the Knicks with 11 of 14 from the free throw line highlighting his new career high game. In the Bulls three wins, LaVine is averaging 33.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and four assists with an average of 10 made free throws in each victory.

“I was just doing what I had to do to get us a lead,” LaVine said about that decisive second overtime. “Get to the cup, get to the free throw line, and I feel I did that. Then I knew I either was going to lay it in with time on the clock (or get fouled). I knew there was (time) on the clock; the ball was out of my hands.”

LaVine had to make just one free throw for victory with .02 left. He made the first and intentionally missed the second, which ended the game since .03 automatically runs off the clock on a rebound. In a similar situation last month in a win over Charlotte, LaVine accidentally made a second free throw with .05 left when he tried to miss. In that game, LaVine stole a Charlotte inbounds pass with seven seconds left in a tie game that led to LaVine’s winning free throws going to that orange circular cup.

And as a result, the Bulls again could raise their cups in a toast to success.

“Our guys needed to get a close one,” said Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg. “We needed our guys to get a little confidence. We had a lot of miscues (19 turnovers and three for stepping out of bounds within a few minutes), but we needed a big stop and we got it (at the end of regulation and the first overtime). The guys hung tough and they stuck together. We found a way to get the win.”

The Bulls improved to 3-8, the same record as the Knicks. The Bulls also got 17 points off the bench in 20 minutes from Antonio Blakeney, 15 points from Jabari Parker and 11 points and 13 rebounds from Wendell Carter Jr. before he fouled out late in regulation. The Knicks were carried by their reserves with 66 points, including 23 points and 24 rebounds from Enes Kanter. That enabled the Knicks to crush the Bulls on the boards 62-48 and 21-11 on the offensive boards. But led by LaVine, the Bulls had 64 inside points. Despite the offensive rebounding dominance, the rebuilding Knicks had just 11 second chance points.

That was helped by a late, emergency appearance from Robin Lopez, who played the overtimes after Carter fouled out in place of Cristiano Felicio and had a pair of vital blocks and ferocity at the basket.

“I give Robin Lopez a lot of credit for being ready when we needed him,” said Hoiberg.

Neither team was truly ready for this game, which became entertaining, if not exactly artistic and captivating. The Bulls led 24-21 after the first quarter when Blakeney got hot to close the quarter. Though the middle part was weighted down by a sequence of eight shared possessions which produced two Bulls shots blocked and one Knicks shot blocked, a lob out of bounds and two other turnovers. The game overall featured 20 lead changes and 15 ties, but felt the weight of the injury absences. Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine were out for the Bulls. Leading Knicks scorer Tim Hardaway Jr. was out and top rookie Kevin Knox played only briefly in a recovery from an ankle sprain. Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis is still recovering from an Achilles injury.

And so former Bull Noah Vonleh was in the starting lineup for the Knicks along with two second round picks and undrafted Allonzo Trier. Trier had 21 points and was the Knicks main go to guy for the late shots.

The game skittered back and forth in the second quarter with a 47-47 tie at halftime. LaVine also was the prime ball handler for many possessions, though some of his turnovers were when teammates failed to look for the ball or veered away to the safety of spectator status.

“I feel like I made some good passes,” said LaVine. “I’m trying to create open shots for the guys.”

Parker had a nice scoring run in the third quarter as the Bulls took a 78-72 lead going into the fourth quarter. Chandler Hutchison continued to show flashes with this long armed drives to the basket and eight points, though Hoiberg elected to close with Parker and Justin Holiday. Holiday shot just two of 10, but he came away with a vital loose ball to send the game into a second overtime.

The game was tied at 93 with four minutes left when LaVine made back to back pull up three pointers and an even longer three for a 102-97 Bulls lead with two minutes remaining.

Trier then scored five straight with a three around a pair of LaVine misses to tie the game at 102 with 49 seconds left in regulation. Then came the first of many wild scrambles between these two teams unpracticed in success. LaVine drove and spun, but lost the ball. It bounced to Holiday. He threw to Cameron Payne, who began dribbling endlessly, a habit that’s been too frequent with this Bulls group. Payne had eight points and two assists in 40 minutes. Finally his drive was blocked out of bounds by Vonleh. With five seconds on the shot clock, LaVine missed a baseline jumper that went off Payne. The Knicks had a last chance with 25.9 seconds. Trier drove and missed a baseline jumper and Mario Hezonja missed the follow just short.

The first overtime appeared to be assembled by Rube Goldberg with LaVine and Hezonja exchanging air balled threes and then Parker and LaVine stepping out of bounds for turnovers on consecutive possessions sandwiching a Vonleh turnover. It was still tied at 106. LaVine matched a New York score with a baseline fade with 1:13 to tie at 108 and neither team scored again. Though there were chances.

First LaVine stripped Vonleh for a turnover and then missed a three. The long rebound went to Payne with 33 seconds left. He then rushed a three pointer that went well long to the Knicks for a last shot.

Again the last shot went to undrafted Trier, who beat Holiday right. But Lopez came darting across the lane to block the shot with 4.1 seconds left. Holiday stole the inbounds pass switching to his bright orange head band. LaVine then had a last shot and stepped out of bounds turning around for the three. The Knicks didn’t have a timeout and had to go full court. Kanter’s three went long.

It felt like half a league as these somewhat noble 10 rode into the valley of misses in the second overtime. Trier gave the Knicks a 111-108 lead with a three. LaVine seemed to have had enough. After all, the Bulls were staying overnight before leaving for New Orleans. LaVine put his head down so the Bulls finally could hold their heads high. His back to back driving scores gave the Bulls a 112-111 lead. Trier scored again on a drive to give the Knicks a one-point lead with two minutes left. LaVine evened it with one of two free throws. LaVine then rebounded a Kanter miss and drove full court, crossed over and laid the ball in on the left side of the basket for a 115-113 Bulls lead with 43.5 seconds left. Trier missed a rushed runner that went to Kanter. LaVine stripped it away again and it was recovered by Holiday. But LaVine missed a baseline jumper as the Bulls could not run out the clock. The Knicks got the miss and Emmanuel Mudiay running full court blew by Payne and Holiday for the basket to tie with 2.7 seconds left in the second overtime.

Madison Square Garden long has been known as the mecca of basketball. Players cherish big games in New York with the theater lights type setting for the court. It’s the game’s greatest spotlight. There was Michael Jordan’s famous double nickel 55 points in his 1995 comeback. Kobe had a 61, Curry a 54, LeBron a 52. And don’t forget Wilt’s 73 in 1962, which he pretty much scored everywhere.

“You get up for these types of games,” said LaVine. “It’s the mecca. You hear about everybody throughout history, the greats always having great games here. They get up for it; you can feel the energy.”

So LaVine waiting to spring from the left elbow with his fifth game this season already surpassing 30 points got an inbounds pass from Parker with 2.7 seconds left. Trier was trying to defend LaVine. Lopez screened Trier and LaVine got the ball above the three-point circle on top. The Knicks brought a double team with Damyean Dotson. But LaVine blew by him also down the left side. Mudiay came over late, grabbing LaVine’s arm with .02 left. The official under the basket immediately called the foul, but there was, of course, a review. LaVine went to the free throw line and swished the first for point No. 41. LaVine finally revealed a bright smile. As soon as the ball caromed off the backboard on the second free throw the game was over.

“I was up for this game,” said LaVine. “We were ready and earned this win.”

Because Zach LaVine did just about everything he could to produce some of his own history.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/gameday/bulls-outlast-knicks-116-115-double-ot-thriller

[clavehell6-blog]

Lakers' Skeleton Crew Stymied by Knicks

In the morning, the Lakers announced that LeBron James would miss another week with a strained groin. At night, they yielded another fourth-quarter lead without their superstar.

The Lakers entered the final frame up by six, but ended up falling to New York, 119-112, losing for the fourth time in five games without James.

While LeBron’s otherworldly talents are surely missed, coach Luke Walton felt the team most lacked his leadership.

“The challenge is when we hit dry spells and other teams get hot,” Walton said. “That’s when it starts getting quiet, and that’s when we need [leadership] the most.”

It was a sluggish start for a Lakers squad that was also missing second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma, along with Rajon Rondo. The Knicks jumped out to a 17-point lead in the opening quarter, despite losing 14 of their previous 15 contests.

But the Lakers (21-18) recovered well, outscoring New York by 20 points in the second and third periods, largely behind some hot shooting from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (19 points, four 3-pointers) and a dozen third-quarter points from JaVale McGee (18 points, nine rebounds).

Still, the Knicks (10-29) hung around and ended up trading blows down the stretch. McGee hit a layup to give the Lakers a one-point lead with four minutes left, but that was L.A.’s last gasp.

New York responded by ending the game on an 11-3 run, including two big buckets from Enes Kanter, who had 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

The Lakers shot just 29.6 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, but their defense was even more of a concern. Thanks to a plague of fouls, the Knicks hit 16 fourth-quarter free throws, while the Lakers made just one.

That foul shot disparity (34-15 on the night) messed with the Lakers’ pace and offensive identity. One of the league’s best transition teams was outscored on fast-breaks, 38-20.

“We’re the best when we get on the break,” Lonzo Ball said. “Getting on fast-breaks, you don’t do that when you let a team shoot 20 free throws in one quarter. Our half-court offense definitely needs improvement, but to combat that we need to get on fast-breaks.”

Lonzo showed off some electric shooting, hitting five 3-pointers on only seven tries, reaching 17 points. But he and the rest of the young core took their lumps as well.

Ball committed six turnovers. Brandon Ingram had 21 points and nine rebounds, but shot just 8-of-21 and had five giveaways of his own. Josh Hart was cold all night, going 2-of-11 and 1-of-9 on 3-pointers.

And while the Lakers’ defense clamped down on the Knicks — holding them to 37.9 percent shooting overall and 29.7 percent beyond the arc — they withered from disadvantages in free throws and turnovers (16-6).

Notes Michael Beasley (six points) played for the first time since missing 13 games due to the passing of his mother. … The Lakers (43.9 percent) outshot their opponent in a loss for the second straight game. … New York’s Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a game-high 22 points. … Lance Stephenson had eight points and a game-leading seven assists. … Caldwell-Pope replaced Kuzma in the starting lineup.

Source: https://www.nba.com/lakers/news/190104-lakers-skeleton-crew-stymied-knicks

[jodyedgarus]

It’s Time To Talk About Russell Westbrook

There was a moment in the fourth quarter Sunday night, just before the Thunder officially found their backs against the playoff wall, where Russell Westbrook had a decision to make. He had Blazers center Enes Kanter defending him in a 1-on-1 scenario in the corner, backpedaling — an instruction that was reportedly being shouted at him by members of the Portland bench,1 who wanted Westbrook to be goaded into taking the low-percentage shot attempt from 3-point range.

Westbrook, as he often does, took the defense’s bait and missed the shot, one of his 16 that misfired Sunday. Oklahoma City lost and is now down 3-1 to Portland in a series the Thunder were heavily favored to win, mainly because of their regular-season sweep of Portland and the absence of Blazers star Jusuf Nurkic.2 If they are unable to pull off the series comeback, it will be the third consecutive first-round elimination for Westbrook and his club. And when the dust settles, it will be more than fair to question how big a role Westbrook’s struggles are to blame for that.

There are a handful of relatively clear reasons why Portland is winning, of course. Enes Kanter has been solid and has surprisingly replaced a great deal of Nurkic’s production, even on the defensive end at times. Damian Lillard has perhaps been the MVP of the playoffs thus far, while teammate CJ McCollum has been locked in since returning from his late-season knee injury. And most obvious: Portland has three different players — Lillard, McCollum and Al-Farouq Aminu — shooting 40 percent or better from three, while the Thunder have none.

But it’s hard to explain OKC’s failures here without mentioning Westbrook, who shot 5-for-21 in Game 4, including an 0-for-7 showing in the second half — the worst half of his playoff career. All told, he’s averaging 21, eight rebounds and almost 10 assists per game against Portland, but is doing so with terrible efficiency, connecting on just 36 percent of his shots, 30 percent of his threes. It’s made for a pretty ghastly looking shot chart.

Fellow star Paul George deserves blame, too. We wrote earlier in the season that George had finally begun to take control of the team from an offensive standpoint. George’s percentages are only slightly better than Westbrook’s, and his dropoff in production — because of his injured shoulder or otherwise — has a lot to do with the Thunder struggling to get out of the first round.

Yet there are key differences between the players. First, George is balancing his shooting woes some by aggressively going to the basket, attempting more than 10 free throws a game — almost twice as many as Westbrook. This postseason is on pace to be the third-straight for the Thunder (all since the departure of Kevin Durant) in which Westbrook shoots worse than 40 percent, an obstacle for OKC to overcome given how big a part of the offense he accounts for. The distinction of George recognizing his shortcomings and adjusting seems particularly significant here, though. Westbrook’s gunslinging mentality — and insistence on trying unsuccessful jumper after unsuccessful jumper — often kills any sort of offensive rhythm the Thunder manage to muster.

And in continuing to take them, he makes life far easier on opponents. Since his MVP season in 2016-17, in which he shot slightly worse than league average from behind the arc, Westbrook has not only shot worse than 30 percent from deep in consecutive seasons, but has also done so while taking almost five attempts per game. That’s largely the problem here. Teams are often unable to stop Westbrook once he gets to the rim, where he shot a career-best 65 percent this season. So why is he so hellbent on settling for wide-open jumpers, with which he was the least efficient player in basketball all season?3

To be clear, no one is questioning Westbrook’s talent. His end-of-season performance against the Lakers, in which he scored 20 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and dished out 20 assists, was one of the more underrated and remarkable feats the league has seen in some time. And it largely happened because Westbrook willed it to happen, saying after the game that it was an effort to honor slain rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle.

But that’s seemingly the question at play: If Westbrook can simply snap his fingers and put his imprint on the game the way he wants to at times, why does he opt to settle for the sorts of shot attempts that he rarely gets to fall? His lack of consistency — which seems bizarre to knock after seeing him average a triple-double for the third straight year — becomes amplified in a postseason setting, where transition possessions are limited, each shot is meaningful, and every loss feels close to fatal.

The biggest question that lies ahead, assuming OKC doesn’t complete a 3-1 comeback, is what all does Thunder general manager Sam Presti needs to do to retool this club around Westbrook and George (both at the front end of of big-money, long-term contracts) to break through this first-round wall? Some may suggest ousting coach Billy Donovan, who’s now completing his fourth year. And even beyond Westbrook, the team’s perimeter shooting is highly problematic, something that’s been the case for a while now.

We know from past instances that Presti won’t be shy about shaking things up. But if the Thunder are going to find themselves back in the Western Conference Finals anytime soon, they’re almost certainly going to need a more consistent version of Westbrook to get there.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/its-time-to-talk-about-russell-westbrook/

[junker-town]

The Celtics are shaking off last season’s hangover

Kemba and the Celtics are crafting an identity.

The Celtics don’t have Kyrie Irving or Al Horford anymore. A new but familiar identity is already starting to form.

It took the Celtics about a week to shake off last season’s hangover. Four games doesn’t tell us a whole lot, but in each of Boston’s outings the team has gotten a little bit better and more comfortable with itself. With that, an identity is being crafted as the kind of pain-in-the-ass opponent that’s going to win a lot more games than it should simply by playing harder than their opponent.

If that sounds familiar, it should. It was the same identity the Celtics created for themselves during the Isaiah Thomas era, except with Kemba Walker in place of IT. Like Thomas, Kemba plays with an edge that’s both obvious and pure. You don’t have to guess what Walker’s thinking on the floor because he’ll let you know.

If that sounds like a backhanded comment about Kyrie Irving, keep in mind that everything about this team is going to be seen as a backhanded comment about Kyrie Irving. It’s inevitable and mildly annoying for everyone involved, but there’s never really any closure in the NBA. The only thing both sides can do is be true to themselves and see where it falls.

Another major difference is that instead of role players like Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder on the wing, the C’s have a trio of creative scorers in Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum. That’s a whole lot of offense to feed, and it’s still a little unclear whether all four of those perimeter players are a great fit.

Our Mike Prada went into great detail on this dynamic, and there’s not much more to say beyond noting that Hayward has looked light years better than the shell of himself that he was last season. Having a playmaker like Hayward can help keep the balance aligned in a positive direction while Brown and Tatum continue to discover and hone their games.

That’s the hope anyway, because the real difference between the IT team that won 55 games and reached the Eastern Conference finals and this one is there’s no Al Horford, or even an Amir Johnson at center. It’s not entirely clear how the Celtics intend to deal with their big man rotation beyond throwing a bunch of bodies at the problem and seeing what sticks.

Enes Kanter started the opener and was not surprisingly overmatched against Joel Embiid. Kanter is good at several things — offensive rebounding, getting buckets — but he’s not stopping JoJo or any other elite big man.

Kanter been out of the lineup ever since with knee contusion and Daniel Theis has done a solid enough job filling the middle. Theis is no Horford, obviously, and the C’s defense has been shaky in a very limited sample size with him on the court.

Then there’s Robert Williams, the erstwhile Time Lord, whose bouncy presence and thunderous shot-blocking give the Celtics an athletic component that’s been absent ever since Kevin Garnett shouted his last epitaph. To be absolutely clear, Robert Williams should in no other way ever be compared to KG, but it’s fun to dream big dreams and there is no bigger basketball fantasy than finding a pot of big man gold late in the first round.

To cover for their lack of size, and a massive rebounding disadvantage, the Celtics have had to rely an awful lot on creating turnovers to end possessions. That’s a tough way to live but it fits their personnel, and the scrappy persona that have been the hallmarks of better Brad Stevens’ teams.

Consider the smallball lineups featuring Grant Williams. The rookie from Tennessee has already displayed a nose for the ball and an understanding of the game that is beyond most first-year players. Basketball connoisseurs already love the kid, and if he can figure out a way to be effective on offense he’ll have a 10-year career. Williams is the kind of player who has flourished under Stevens in the past, and it seems fairly clear that this team fits his coaching methods better than last season.

(There it is again, another backhanded comment that’s not really about Kyrie Irving.)

Still, that lack of size and defensive acumen on the back line would appear to limit their ceiling. The Sixers are a nightmare matchup, and the Raps and Bucks both dominated portions of their games. And yet, no one expected the Celtics to contend for a championship this season. The only thing people wanted was a team that showed up, played hard, and reached its potential. It’s been a week, but the early signs are positive.

After getting blown out by the 76ers on opening night, the Celtics rebounded in their home opener with a winning effort against the defending champion Raptors in which they shook off a poor shooting night thanks to an aggressive defense that forced 23 turnovers. Eventually the shots started to fall, as they will when mean and regression do the mambo.

Defending champion Raptors is going to be a weird thing to say all season because Kawhi Leonard is in Los Angeles, but that’s still Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam on the other side. At the very least, the remaining Raps have played far more high-level basketball together than these Celtics have, which made Boston’s fourth quarter execution all the more impressive.

The C’s followed that with a 23-point win in New York on a back-to-back. Beating the Knicks may not qualify as a signature win, until you remember that last year’s C’s made a habit of dropping perfectly winnable games under similar situations.

Then came Wednesday in a matchup with the Bucks, the team that took four straight off them in last year’s playoff series in what amounted to a mercy killing. The C’s were without Brown and Kanter, and sure enough the Bucks built a 16-point lead by halftime.

The Garden was dead and the thought running through everyone’s minds was that there will simply be teams the Celtics can’t handle. The C’s came alive, as they had many times in the not-so-distant past, thanks to a 3-point barrage and the kind of gritty defense epitomized by the invaluable Marcus Smart.

Tasked with guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Smart pulled out all the stops limiting the reigning Most Valuable Player to just one field goal in 17 possessions and forcing three turnovers. On one particularly memorable possession, Smart managed to slam into Giannis while making it appear that Antetokounmpo was the one pulling him to the ground and calling for the foul before the two even hit the floor. The man is an artist.

Smart got the call, the C’s got the win, and just like that they have been reborn.

[winterolympicssports2018-blog]

Cleveland Cavaliers relish win No. 50, Central Division crown -- 'It's very special'

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Cleveland Cavaliers relish win No. 50, Central Division crown -- 'It's very special'

NEW YORK — LeBron James‘ teams had won 50 or more games 10 other times in his 15-year career before the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the Central Division title with a 123-109 win over the Knicks on Monday, giving the Cavs a 50-31 record with one game left to play.

However, there’s a case to be made that none of those seasons was quite as trying on James as what Cleveland went through in 2017-18, which led the Cavs superstar to savor the 50-win mark, if only for a moment, after putting up 26 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds against New York.

“I mean, listen, throughout a long season, if you’re able to accomplish feats no matter what’s going on, you should always try to appreciate it, try to take time,” James said. “I’ve been one, I’ve kind of like been a hypocrite [with] that because I’m always moving and trying to figure how we can be better the next day or whatever the case [might] be. So, it’s always hard for me to be like, ‘OK, another division crown,’ even after all that’s gone on with our team and our ballclub this year. But it’s a pretty cool thing.”

Which games matter the most on Tuesday for postseason spots and seeding? And what are the likely playoff matchups? We break it down using ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

LeBron James may have gotten the last laugh in a feud with Knicks center Enes Kanter, as the Cavs star wore shoes that read “I’m King” for his final trip to MSG of the season.

Veteran center Kendrick Perkins, who played part of this season with the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate, will sign with Cleveland on Wednesday, the final day of the regular season.

2 Related

The Cavs’ struggles this season are well chronicled, starting with trading away franchise stalwart Kyrie Irving in the offseason for an injured Isaiah Thomas; to Thomas, as well as Jae Crowder, struggling to fit in; to persistent injuries suffered by just about everybody on the roster not named James, including major injuries to Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson; to dealing away six players at the trade deadline and incorporating four new ones; to JR Smith being suspended for throwing a bowl of soup at an assistant coach; to Kyle Korver mourning the loss of his younger brother; to head coach Tyronn Lue needing to take a leave of absence to address serious chest pains and other ailments.

Other teams could have folded. Or certainly not rallied to win enough games to take the division title and host a first-round playoff series.

“It’s very special,” Lue said. “I think any time you can win your division and have home court in the first round, I think it’s a good accomplishment, especially with everything we’ve been through this year. The guys just stuck with it, and now we’re in position where we can tie our win total from last year.”

Indeed, the Cavs went 51-31 last season with Irving in the fold. Last season, James sat eight games, and Cleveland went 0-8 when he rested. This season, for the first time in his career, James will play all 82 games when he suits up against the Knicks on Wednesday in the season finale.

“I’m healthy,” James said, “so I’m playing.”

Lue credited James — who came into Monday averaging a triple-double in his previous 28 games by putting up 30.3 points on 54.5 percent shooting, 10.1 rebounds and 10.2 assists — for keeping the Cavs on track.

“LeBron has led this charge and playing 81 out of 81 games,” Lue said. “It’s very easy for a guy to sit down when you’re going through the stuff we went through all season. I think he did a great job just leading by example, playing every game even though we were going through a tough stretch and tough stretches. I think he did a really good job of setting the tone for everyone. That’s what we need from him. To win 50 games after we — I guess, for 35-40 games we had probably four or five different starting point guards and guys being out, six of our rotational guys being out. Him stepping up and playing the way he’s played has been tremendous.”

James was asked whether he ever doubted the Cavs, who have now won 11 of their past 13 games, would get their stuff together before it was too late.

“I’m not much of a doubt guy,” James said. “But I just, you guys, listen, you’ve been with us all year. Just the ins and outs, the revolving door of guys in and guys out, either from switching teams or from injuries. Coaches being out. Players been injured. We had six guys leave before the trade deadline, which is something you don’t want to be a part of if you don’t have to, because you want to kind of build stuff. So, it’s just been a challenge. And we’re trying to figure out the best way we can.”

Smith would like to figure out how to end things in June by hoisting another Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“I’ve won the championship already, and I feel I know how that feels. It’s no knock to the division championship, but we don’t play for those,” he said. “We play for that gold, boss. To the younger guys, congratulations, but we still got work to do.”

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[dribolopdapipol]

NBA ROUNDUP | Blazers use fast start to beat Hawks; Westbrook’s triple-double streak ends

AFP The Portland Trail Blazers continued their quest to secure the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with a 113-97 win over Atlanta, that also snapped a five game losing skid to the Hawks. Portland, who are trying to overtake the Denver Nuggets in the postseason race, led by 23 points just 10 minutes into the game and rolled to victory behind 27 points from Damian Lillard and 22 from fellow guard CJ McCollum. “Well, the understatement is that the first quarter was really an outstanding quarter for us at both ends,” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “Defensively, we were really locked in. It got us off to a great start. After that, the game was kind of methodical, but the first quarter was pretty impressive.” The Trail Blazers, who are 7-2 in March, made 13 of their first 15 from the floor and shot 76 percent in the first quarter to 16 percent for the Hawks while going up 40-18. Ersan Ilyasova tallied 23 points. He started in place of Paul Millsap who experienced left knee tightness warming up and was a late scratch.  The Trail Blazers, who made 13 of their first 15 from the floor, shot 76 percent in the first quarter to 16 percent for the Hawks and led 63-46 at halftime. “It was the first quarter that we couldn’t recover from,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I thought we were poor defensively. I thought we were poor offensively.” Elsewhere, Cody Zeller scored 19 points and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 98-93 win over the Washington Wizards. The Hornets trailed at halftime but built the lead up to as many as nine midway through the fourth quarter and then held for the victory. The Wizards got as close as three in the final 20 seconds, but the Hornets’ Marvin Williams hit four free throws with less than 10 seconds left. John Wall led the Wizards with 19 points and eight assists. “Obviously it wasn’t pretty, but we had a lot better defence, good offence in the fourth quarter and we made the plays when we really needed to,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Good win and it was good to play good in the fourth quarter.” In Denver, James Harden had 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 109-105. Harden has 11 games of 40 or more points and did it on consecutive nights. He also notched his 19th triple-double of the season. Westbrook triple-double streak ends NBA scoring leader Russell Westbrook netted a game-high 28 points but missed out on a fifth consecutive triple-double Saturday in Oklahoma City’s 110-94 home victory over the Sacramento Kings. Westbrook, averaging a league-high 31.7 points a game, also passed off 10 assists but managed only eight rebounds before being removed with 58 seconds remaining and the outcome not in doubt. “We know we have the talent to score the ball inside or outside,” Thunder center Enes Kanter said. “We just need to focus on the defensive end, play with an edge.”  The Thunder’s fifth consecutive victory improved the team’s record to 40-29 to match the Los Angeles Clippers for fifth in the Western Conference. With 13 games remaining in the regular season Westbrook has so far this season managed 34 triple-doubles — double-digit performances in three statistical categories in one game. That leaves Westbrook seven triple-doubles shy of Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 in a single season from the 1961-62 campaign. That season was also the one in which Robertson became the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. Robertson scored 30.8 points, pulling down 12.5 rebounds and passing off 11.4 assists a game for the Cincinnati Royals, who moved to Kansas City in 1972 and again to Sacramento in 1985. Westbrook could become the second NBA player to average a full season triple-double. In addition to his top point total, the 28-year-old American guard is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 10.4 assists a game. http://j.mp/2nF5fX7

[newsrustcom]

Grizzlies, Minus Gasol, Still Manage to Beat Knicks

Photo

Ivan Rabb, left, and Mario Chalmers of the Memphis Grizzlies closed down on the Knicks’ Enes Kanter during Memphis’ win on Wednesday. Credit Brandon Dill/Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies were playing without Marc Gasol, but thanks to a huge effort from Tyreke Evans, who had 23 points, including three free throws in the…

[junker-town]

The Celtics draft class already looks like a steal

The Celtics laid the foundation for their next generation with a great rookie class.

Boston re-made its depth by finding some of the best value picks in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Celtics entered the 2019 NBA Draft on unsteady ground. Boston was coming off a second round playoff exit that capped a disappointing season plagued by inner-team drama. Their best player (Kyrie Irving) and their most important (Al Horford) were headed for unrestricted free agency with whispers both could leave. The franchise held three selections in the middle of the first round, but the conventional wisdom said this was a top-heavy class.

Boston did lose Irving and Horford, later replacing them with Kemba Walker and Enes Kanter in free agency. The Celtics might not be as talented as last season, but it does feel like the organization now has a more stable foundation for the future than it did early in the summer. That’s because Boston crushed the draft.

Here’s a neat list of everything the Celtics did on draft day:

Stood pat with their first pick, No. 14 overall, selecting Indiana one-and-done off-guard Romeo Langford.

Traded its No. 20 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for selections No. 24 and No. 33 after the Sixers had telegraphed their desire to pick Matisse Thybulle (so far, so good).

At No. 22, the Celtics took Tennessee junior forward Grant Williams.

Boston flipped No. 24 and Aron Baynes to the Phoenix Suns for the Bucks’ first round pick in 2020. At No. 33, the Celtics selected Carsen Edwards.

With the No. 51 pick, Boston took LSU point guard Tremont Waters.

Draft nerds knew it was an impressive haul at the time. It looked even better when Boston’s rookies excelled in summer league. A 4-0 preseason run has only further cemented the fact that the Celtics aced the draft.

Boston might not have found a star, but it certainly improved its depth by hitting on multiple contributors that mined some of the best value out of the draft. This is the next generation of Celtics.

Carsen Edwards is instant-offense with deep range

Edwards went absolutely wild in the Celtics’ final preseason game, finishing with 30 points in 20 minutes on the strength of 9-of-15 shooting from three-point range. We don’t use this phrase lightly, but some of Edwards’ makes were downright .... Steph-ian.

It isn’t just accuracy that makes Edwards a special shooter: it’s his volume and the type of attempts he’s taking, too. Many of Edwards’ threes have come off-the-dribble and with deep range. Those are the sort of attempts that are indefensible when he gets hot and can break apart the structure of an opposing defense.

When you combine Edwards’ summer league and preseason stats, he’s 35-for-76 from behind the arc, or 46 percent.

This is nothing new for those who watched Edwards in college at Purdue. Though he struggled with efficiency last season as defenses loaded up to stop him, Edwards went nuclear in the NCAA tournament, dropping 42 points each against Villanova and eventual national champion Virginia.

Edwards fell in the draft because he’s short and not a natural playmaker, but his incredible strength and explosiveness for his size gives him the ability to get off his shot whenever he wants. Being in range from the moment he walks in the gym helps, too.

Perhaps the best thing about Edwards is that he’s similar enough to Kemba Walker that the Celtics won’t have to change their style of play much when the starters go to the bench. Expect more than a few scoring explosions this season. All hail Beef Bullet.

Grant Williams is a consummate glue guy

If Edwards’ flame-throwing causes a visceral reaction with its sheer audacity, the genius of Grant Williams’ game lies is in its subtlety. Williams might never put up big numbers, but he has a skill set that should have an immediate impact on the Celtics being able to win games.

He already has the look of an ace defender in the near future. Blessed with pristine instincts and lightning-quick reaction time, Williams is going to be great as an off-ball and help defender. He’s both strong enough to handle his business in the paint and absorb contact from offense players going to the rim, yet quick enough to stick with most guards on the perimeter.

Here he is bodying up No. 4 overall pick Darius Garland on a switch:

Grant switch defense on Garland pic.twitter.com/rSE4wWOYsA

— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) October 16, 2019

Williams is also in the process of adjusting his offensive game to fit the modern NBA. In college at Tennessee, Williams was the two-time SEC Player of the Year as a bruising big man who did most of his damage on the block. He was a monster at drawing fouls, once shooting 23-of-23 from the foul line during a 43-point game against Vanderbilt.

Williams is smart enough to know his skill set needed to evolve in the NBA. Now it’s the finer points of his game that speak the loudest: he’s a quick decision-maker, smart passer, and developing shooter. He even hit a three off the dribble this preseason against the Magic.

Expect Williams to play all over the lineup for Boston this season, primarily spending his minutes at the four but also logging time at center. A strong, smart player with a refined feel for the game and a developing skill set is a massive steal at pick No. 22.

Romeo Langford is the type of upside pick Boston loves

Langford can’t catch a break since joining the Celtics. The No. 14 overall pick missed summer league as he recovered from pre-draft thumb surgery, then strained his groin in training camp, then suffered a knee sprain in the preseason.

When Langford finally does take the court, Celtics fans will find the type of high upside prospect Danny Ainge loves to gamble on. Langford was a top-five high school recruit who broke scoring records during an illustrious prep career in Indiana before joining the hometown Hoosiers and turning in a productive-but-underwhelming year. Jaylen Brown and, to an extent, Jayson Tatum followed similar paths. The Celtics will hope Langford’s poor college shooting numbers can be attributed to his decision to play through pain and delay surgery. At his best, Langford is a long, nimble shooting guard with soft touch on floaters around the rim.

Tremont Waters and Tacko Fall could contribute one day, too

Waters was the No. 51 pick in the draft after a stellar two-year career at LSU. Waters is small at 5’10, 175 pounds, but he’s an impressive pull-up shooter and passer who keeps the ball on a string as a point guard. He went off for 24 points and seven assists during Boston’s preseason win vs. the Cavs.

Tacko Fall, the 7’6 center who became a national sensation during March Madness, is on a two-way deal with the Celtics. He’ll start the year with the Maine Red Claws, where he’ll work on putting his 8’2 wingspan to use as a rim protector.

Boston’s rookie class will provide depth now and in the future

Boston didn’t just lose Irving and Horford this offseason, they also lost Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, and Baynes. What the Celtics will be missing in veteran experience, they make up for with moldable young talent that has ability to fit to Brad Stevens’ system.

Edwards and Williams both feel like ready-made contributors off the bench. Williams should get plenty of time in the front court rotation while Edwards spells Walker when he goes to the bench. There will be an opportunity for Langford later in the season too if he can get healthy.

Last season’s Celtics had more on-paper talent, but the team seemed miserable for most of the season and had trouble buying into their roles. Don’t expect the same problem this year with a collection of rookies on the bench just looking for a chance to prove they belong. Boston got some good ones.

[dribolopdapipol]

NBA: Westbrook’s career-high 58 points not enough as OKC falls to Blazers

AFP Russell Westbrook exploded for the highest-scoring game of his career with 58 points but it was not enough to stop the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling to a pulsating defeat against Portland on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers squeezed home with a 126-121 victory in a thrilling battle at the Chesapeake Energy Arena which Westbrook appeared to be attempting to win single-handedly. Ultimately, though, Westbrook’s virtuoso display came up short against the multi-faceted Blazers, who finished with seven players in double figures. Allen Crabbe led the scoring for the visitors with 23 points while Damian Lillard finished with 22 points. C.J. McCollum 21 points. Westbrook meanwhile made 21 of 39 shots but could not add to his remarkable season tally of triple doubles. Tellingly, Westbrook was the only Thunder starting player to make an assist. Only two other Thunder players made double figures — Victor Oladipo with 16 points and Enes Kanter with 11 points — as Oklahoma City slid to its fourth straight defeat. A nail-biting final few minutes saw the Thunder stay in touch without managing to overhaul the Blazers. Westbrook crucially missed three consecutive shots as the Blazers took an 118-116 lead with only 41.9sec on the clock. Jusuf Nurkic increased the lead to four points with a right hook shot but the Thunder immediately made it a 120-119 game when Oladipo made an arcing three-pointer. Two more McCollum free throws put the Blazers three points ahead with 15.1 seconds remaining. A final attempted three-pointer from Westbrook missed the target however and the Blazers sealed the win. http://j.mp/2n4g0BI

[ftmthor]

NBA Free Agency Best Trades, Deals: Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics

This year’s NBA free agency period is setting records- it has been remarkably frenzied so far. Most of the deals were already agreed before the window officially opened on 6 pm ET on Sunday. Now, three days on, there only a few loose ends left to tie.

We can now look back and here are the best three contracts offered so far:

#1. Portland Trail Blazers- Rodney Hood ($11.72 million, 2 years)

Hood is not some extraordinary player, he is just a very reliable one. And every once in a while, he will deliver an extraordinary performance. His game in this postseason has been of a quite high level.

The shocking part of this deal is how cheap it was. The Blazers have landed themselves an absolute steal, perhaps one of the biggest of the summer.

#2 Indiana Pacers- Jeremy Lamb ($31.5 million, 3 years)

While the Nets are the ones creating all the buzz, it is the Indiana Pacers who may have the most improved team in the Eastern Conference this summer.

Adding a player like Lamb, who has length and is capable of guarding multiple position thanks to his athleticism, at just around $11 million a year is ridiculously cheap.

#3 Boston Celtics- Enes Kanter ($9.72 million, 2 years)

Kanter is a very good post scorer. He cannot spread the floor, neither can he defend the pick-and-roll, but he is a good rebounder, and a great free-throw shooter. He provides great productivity from the center, that is undoubted.

And at this low a price, it is hard to say no to a deal as enticing as this one. Given the other, more expensive deals that the Celtics are conducting this summer, it seems that this one has flown under the radar. Nevertheless, it is still quite a steal.

The post NBA Free Agency Best Trades, Deals: Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics appeared first on Hiptoro.

source https://www.hiptoro.com/p/nba-free-agency-best-trades-deals-portland-trail-blazers-indiana-pacers-boston-celtics/ source https://emmaleebruce.tumblr.com/post/186064110585