BREAKING: Nets’ Guard Kyrie Irving To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

BREAKING: Nets’ Guard Kyrie Irving To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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by | Feb 21, 2020 | Featured, NBA

It has been unanimously reported that Brooklyn Nets star Point Guard Kyrie Irving will have to wait out the 2019-20 offseason alongside new teammate Kevin Durant, for the former Cavaliers and Celtics standout will be sidelined for the rest of the season after deciding to undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery that’ll likely keep him out of all basketball activities for the rest of the season. This news comes less than a year removed from him signing a four-year, $136.5 million contract with Brooklyn.

Irving, 27, is no stranger to the parks of missed time in a Nets uniform. What legacy started out as a minuscule shoulder “impingement” has kept the former All-Star MVP and one-time champ out of commission for over 26 games, and this procedure will keep him on the shelf for an undisclosed amount of time.

“That’s about all I can tell you,” Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson exclaimed. “His shoulder continues to bother him. That’s about the extent of it now.”

Though not a result of one particular play, but rather Irving’s shoulder muscle accumulating more damage over time probably caused the superstar guard to seek second and third opinions on his ailment, as Atkinson explains.

“The shoulder is a tough thing,” Atkinson said. “I just don’t think it was an on and off thing where it’s bothering you. Some days you feel good, some days you don’t feel good. But I think it got to the point it was, ‘Hey, let’s see another specialist.”

Upon recency, however, this Nets team has managed to scrape out a 4-1 record in the games that Irving has been out of since February 1, and as a whole have gone 17-16 in the games that Irving didn’t suit up for. And the ironic fact? Brooklyn’s record with Irving on the court peaked at a mediocre 8-12.

Picking up a majority of the two-time All-NBA member’s slack has been the consistently hot performance of both guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris Levert, who were handed the responsibility of compensating the Nets with Irving’s scoring output of 27.4 points per game off 47 percent shooting. A tall task, indeed, but nothing the homegrown talents in Levert and free-agent Dinwiddie acquired back in 2017 haven’t handled yet.

As a backcourt duo, they’ve averaged a little over 36 points in the 28 games they’ve played together, and with some venerable contributions from a litany of other guards in Atkinson’s rotation like Garrett Temple (10.2 ppg., 32.6 3PT%), they’ve fared to the best of their ability, clawing away some key wins over top-tier teams in the Sixers and Celtics without Irving on the active roster this year.

And yes, the Nets are a playoff-bound team if they can keep things together when crossing the proverbial finish line of the 82-game marathon that is the regular season. And the silver lining, though it’s effect temporary, justifying considering how hard Brooklyn plays on defense and how aggressive they can be on offense without their lone all-star on the floor.

But looking past that, the way that this roster is pieced together right now can all but heighten the mood for Nets fans who are now acquiesced into undertaking the grand scheme of things in Brooklyn as Gospel, simply because it’s unclear whether both Irving and Durant’s extended absence from their lingering injuries could provide further doubt for future seasons as the Eastern Conference, and the rest of the league for that matter, grows stronger as the years go by.

Feb 21, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 18

SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 18

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by | Feb 18, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Week 18 rankings are here, and even though it will be a delayed week with all basketball activity resuming on the very dawn of this upcoming Thursday, it is finally that time of the year where the dead sprint for the last remaining playoff spots starts up. It’s hard to believe that there are literally under 29 games left for all 30 teams to compile their 2019 campaigns, so for the teams that are on the bubble of achieving that sixth, seventh or eighth seed, there is little to no margin for error, for it could be detrimental and destructive to the build-up that got teams like Memphis, Oklahoma City, Indiana, and Brooklyn in this position.

Since the remaining residue of All-Star Weekend is to last until later this week, the two best teams in the NBA were led by the team captains of last night’s surprisingly intense All-Star Game, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Los Angeles’ LeBron James. the Lakers and Bucks are more than likely secure enough to hang onto their spots atop the league’s food chain, but as for the rest of the 28 others, teams like the Heat, Clippers, Celtics, and Nuggets will certainly ascertain themselves into the final say of who gets into the top four spots in their respective conferences.

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1. Milwaukee Bucks (46-8, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

At this point in the season, it’s up to head coach Mike Budelholzer if he wants his Bucks to challenge for that on-pace-for-70-wins mark or have them rest in time for the playoffs with their 6 1/2 game lead over 2nd-place Toronto. And as mentioned in a previous power ranking article, it took the last team to win over 70 games (the 2016 Warriors that went 73-9) 58 games to clinch a playoff spot. These Bucks, however, already clinched a playoff spot in 49 games, and are still unlikely but somehow on track to achieve that coveted 74-8 with the exceptionally put-together team GM Jon Horst was instrumental in crafting.

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2. Los Angeles Lakers (41-12, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

The Lakers enter the second half of the season with a four-game lead over the climbing 2nd-place Nuggets. Landing the top seed would be extremely valuable for LeBron James and the Lakers, who will be able to rest their key pieces in time for the grueling schedule of the postseason. And, It is also within the realm of possibility that a certain DeMarcus Cousins could be healthy in time for the playoffs, as his ACL rehabilitation is nearly complete. But a persistent problem for the Lakers is that if the Clippers just so happen to land the fourth seed, the Conference finals that many predicted in May could come a little earlier in the conference semifinals.

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3. Toronto Raptors (40-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

Toronto’s dreams of entering the All-Star Break with a 16-game winning streak was ultimately crushed by the Brooklyn Nets, but to the chagrin of Raptors skeptics, this team is getting healthy at the right time, and are currently second in the East and are only three games out of having the second-best record in the NBA behind the 41-win Lakers. and the craziest stat of all: Their .727 win percentage and plus-6.3 scoring margin this year are better last season’s championship-caliber Raptors. (.707 win percentage, plus-5.8 scoring margin) from last season. So yes, no Kawhi, no problem.

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4. Boston Celtics (38-16, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The third-best team in the East was fortunate to pass on two Celtics into Sunday’s All-Star Game as both Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker contributed a total of 29 points to Sunday’s festivities. On the floor together, it’s imperative that both All-Stars, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and others work out any kinks and tighten up any insufficiencies in their last 28 games. Playoff positioning is imperative for everybody, and especially a Celtics team that is still the third-best defensive team in basketball.

Barring a losing streak — their longest is three games — the Celtics, who currently own the No. 3 seed in the East, will likely have home-court advantage throughout the first round. Boston has the capability to take over the Raptors in the East, and it’s probably a priority for them since they’re only 2½ games back of the 2nd-seed Raptors, and there is a distinct advantage to being the No. 2 seed rather than No. 4 as a date with the Bucks in the conference semis is less likely favored by them.

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5. Denver Nuggets (38-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Just like everyone else in the tedious West, eventual duels with the Lakers, Clippers or Rockets seems practically unavoidable, so for the last six weeks of the season, Mike Malone will be tasked at finding the top-tier of talent on his squad to compile what will look like a playoff-ready rotation. And seeing as how Denver is still the second-best team in the West with arguably one of the more solid and deep rosters in the entire league, that decision may be made sooner rather than later.

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6. Los Angeles Clippers (37-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

So, here are some positives and negatives: the Clippers are plus-9.6 points per 100 possessions when both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard share the court. But they rarely get a chance to do so, playing a combined 572 minutes in the Clippers’ 2,655 minutes this year. One of them cannot stay healthy, and it doesn’t help that Paul George re-aggravated his left hamstring last Thursday in LA’s 2OT loss to the Celtics, further keeping him out of future contests after the All-Star Break ends. For their next six weeks of regular-season competition, it’s of utmost importance that they remain healthy as possible with their chemistry intact, or it could spell trouble come postseason time if things unravel as we enter April.

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7. Utah Jazz (36-18, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

Now a full game out of 3rd in the West, the Jazz are still a top-10 defensive team in the league and are still getting their bearings with one another, as Mike Conley’s assimilation into Quin Snyder’s guard rotation is paying off handily. 20.3 points, 5 rebounds and 4.8 assists were averaged by the former Memphis Grizzlies guard in his return earlier this month.

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8. Miami Heat (35-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

Dwyane Wade’s jersey retirement is taking place this Saturday, as Mickey Arison, Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the Heat organization will celebrate the Heat’s greatest player in franchise history. Not bad for a way to kick off the second half of the season for Miami, who start the next six weeks of play against two beatable opponents in Atlanta and Cleveland in this short week. Additionally, the new acquisition of Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder should be helpful in their pursuit of the East’s No. 2 seed.

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9. Houston Rockets (34-20, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

So here’s where the newly-integrated small ball game plan reaches a head. The usage rate of 6’5 center P.J. Tucker is high, considering that he (34.9 mpg.) and James Harden (37.1 mpg.) have logged the most minutes of anyone on the roster. That’s dangerously problematic for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it’s yet to be seen if they are to have enough in the tank for the playoffs in April. With the fifth seed in the West, only 3 1/2 games in front of the OKC Thunder, playoff positioning starts to become a thing of importance now, and this resurgent Thunder team is beginning to step foot on their trail.

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10. Philadelphia 76ers (34-21, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

For the last 14 home games in Philadelphia on their schedule, the Sixers have a good chance to finish the season with only two losses inside the Wells Fargo Center, now 25-2 at home. But there’s still a considerable concern for a team that has the worst road record of any team over .500 this year. 9-19 is an ugly blemish on a team that is perceived as nearly unbeatable on home soil but lottery pick-esque away from it. And to add to the polarization to make matters worse, Philly has to travel to Milwaukee again this Saturday night and then head west to play both the Lakers and Clippers in the Staples Center. We’re now talking about Philly now completely falling out of the fifth spot in the East and to get out of this road rut, they’ll have to configure some way to replicate their efforts from their Dec. 12 win over Boston — the last team over .500 they beat on the road all season.

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11. Oklahoma City Thunder (33-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

OKC is juggling with the sixth seed in the Western standings and is in the midst of a dead heat with the equally 33-22 Dallas Mavericks, who are getting healthy at the most opportune time. Seeding is debatable for this Thunder team, but what isn’t anymore are their heightened chances to get to the dance in April. This team, supposedly on schedule to coast this year on the path to acquiring more draft capital and free agents onto their roster, is now on the cusp of making it to the playoffs, entering the All-Star break with the league’s highest winning streak at eight games.

This week, two tough games both at home against San Antonio and Denver await the Thunder, and with six weeks to go, more experience for the young pieces in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hamidou Diallo await in this already miraculous year.

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12. Dallas Mavericks (33-22, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Keep in mind: this is still the first season that Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are teammates, and they’ve only played together in 10 of their last 31 games. So for what it’s worth, they’ve done a pretty spectacular job in maintaining their Mavs’ spot within the pack of the Western marathon. These next couple of weeks will likely determine if the two are really prepared for a postseason berth and if the supporting cast around them is prepared as well. They entered the break on a high note, beating the Kings in a dominant showing by both Doncic and Porzingis and have both struggling teams in Atlanta and Orlando in this short week.

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13. Indiana Pacers (32-23, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Pacers’ six-game winning streak was luckily abrupted with an upset win over the Pacers before the All-Star break happened this past week, but that doesn’t admonish the fact that this team is still in the early stage of easing Victor Oladipo back into Nate McMillan’s guard rotation, and is having quite the difficulty in doing so. But when they’re healthy, they have the potential to flip the East on its head and play any of the top 3 seeds in the conference tightly, regardless of who they may see in the first round of the playoffs.

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14. Memphis Grizzlies (28-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

The Grizzlies have the capability to secure the eighth seed, and now with a comfortable four-game lead in the West over Portland, but here’s the catch: Memphis has the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA with a combined opponents’ winning percentage of .554. That’s not easy, but that’s still more opportunities for Memphis’ development of their youthful core of Brandon Clarke and Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant. And for the first time in what feels like five years, meaningful basketball is to be played in the last three months of the regular season in the Grindhouse.

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15. Brooklyn Nets (25-28, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

Are these Nets better off without Kyrie Irving? Let the tabloids speculate and post whatever they may, but the fact of the matter is that the Nets, during the stretches that Kyrie Irving was inactive, have exceeded win limitations all year, and they did it again going 4-1 without Irving in the past couple of weeks. Their 101-91 win on Toronto was huge and with the developing game of Caris Levert playing such an integral part in the Nets’ boosted win percentage, Irving’s return to a lineup that has proven they can perform well without him certainly helps, considering that Brooklyn will enter the final 29 games with 16 of them on the road, including three separate road trips of four games.

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16. Portland Trail Blazers (25-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

Either this season is cursed, or the Basketball Gods must not be a fan of Dame D.O.L.L.A’s music. Every peak the climbing Blazers happen to reach, going on multiple winning streaks with Damian Lillard turning on the burners in the months of January and February and them finally seeing some improvement in getting their guys healthy just reached another drop and valley due to Damian Lillard suffering an untimely groin injury right before the All-Star break in a loss to the Pelicans.

He’ll be out for a week or so, which isn’t too injurious but they’re four games back of the final playoff spot. Time is running out and it’s felt like its been “four/five games out” for the whole season, so can things turn around?

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17. New Orleans Pelicans (23-32, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

Just imagine if Zion Williamson was healthy enough to play for the entire season and until this point. My, oh my, how things would have tectonically shifted in the West, and that doesn’t just apply to the ROY contest. Zion has electrified and has taken the league by storm, to put it briefly. He’s off to a historically good start to his career while averaging 22.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks per contest. Though it’s unlikely that this young team, now 13 games out of the playoff seeding, has any chance of making it to the April tournament, the rest of the season is a means of development and chemistry building for the likes of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes, and Williamson.

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18. San Antonio Spurs (23-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

It’s still startling to keep a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs since I’ve been born this low on the list every week, but let’s face it: these Spurs just don’t have what it takes to keep the streak alive. For the first time since 1997, the San Antonio Spurs have yet to tread out of the dangerous territory that involves missing out on a postseason berth and don’t look as if they’re to improve that mark anytime soon with six weeks to go. A road trip out West to Utah and OKC is certainly a challenge for this Spurs team that is coming off this All-Star break only winning three of their last eight.

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 19. Orlando Magic (24-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

In an ironic twist, the Orlando Magic are in a tug o’ war to keep their playoff spot as the eighth seed but are hugging it tightly with a slim, 3-game lead over the ninth seed Washington Wizards. Furthermore, they’re two games away from obtaining the seventh seed and will fight until April to keep their positioning and secure their second straight playoff visit. But, a singular truth remains: they can’t beat good teams. Out of 29 contests, they’ve only won 5 games against teams scheduled to make the playoffs all season. But for a plus, they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NBA, and that could help them reach over the seasonal finish line with their postseason berth intact.

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20. Phoenix Suns (22-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

Phoenix hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010, when Steve Nash was their starting point guard. And in 2020, it looks as if there will be more of the same, regardless of first-time All-Star Devin Booker giving his all to get the Suns in a respectful spot to challenge for the eighth seed. Phoenix is now 6 1/2 games out of catching up to Memphis, and after opening this year with promise and playoff potential, are probably looking at the Draft Lottery for more answers on how to get into the top eight seeds in future seasons.

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21. Washington Wizards (20-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Wizards aren’t as far away from challenging for the eighth seed as you might think. Sure, Scotty Brooks could take the time of the next six weeks to provide more confidence to the Wiz’s young pieces, thus waving the white flag to their playoff hopes and especially since John Wall is to return next year. But, Rui Hachimura is playing well, Bradley Beal can play like one of the best shooting guards in basketball, Davis Bertans is still shooting at a proficient 42 percent clip from deep, and this Wizards team is still one of the most efficient offenses in the league. So yes, there’s a chance.

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22. Sacramento Kings (21-33, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

This season is already a lost cause, but hey, at least Buddy Hield was able to win the Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend. The health of this Kings team has been a sore spot all season, and losing De’Aaron Fox again for an extended time because of an ankle tightness issue that finds a way to bother Fox when he sits for an extended period of time.

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23. Chicago Bulls (19-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

After a fun weekend of basketball festivities in the United Center and beyond, it’s time to snap back into the reality that the Bulls are more than likely going to struggle in attracting Zach Lavine to stick around for the Bulls’ plan of getting additional and better talent around their franchise cornerpiece. He’s still averaging 25.3 points per contest and was definitely in the conversation of being an All-Star, but his Bulls keep losing, now stuck at the 10th spot in the East.

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24. Detroit Pistons (19-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

Detroit is now free of Andre Drummond’s contract, while they acquired some second-round picks in the process of letting their franchise’s 2nd all-time rebounder go to the Cavaliers. Which, in a sense, makes the rest of the season a tryout for the non-household names on the Pistons roster.

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25. Charlotte Hornets (18-36, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

Despite their chances of getting to the postseason now at zero, the remaining 28 games for Charlotte still have meaning. The Hornets have 10 players under the age of 25 to evaluate through the end of the season, inlcluding Malik Monk, Caleb Martin, and Devonte Graham can look at the next 28 games as a reason for motivation to improve their games even more, starting with the Bulls and Nets on their schedule in this short week.

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26. New York Knicks (17-38, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

Interim Head Coach Mike Miller has gotten this talent-deficient Knicks team to a solid 13-20 record in the short time that he’s been appointed as the lead playcaller for the Knicks’ organization. And in that short time, he’s made it known that the development of his young guys in Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina and the importance of emphasizing that experience is the best teacher has rallied this Knicks team around him to play hard every single night. So, for the rest of the year, just like all growing teams near the bottom of the league, development is key to the organization’s growth into a contender someday.

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27. Minnesota Timberwolves (16-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

The Timberwolves will spend the rest of this season seeing what they have with their new core of Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, and what they can do in the season’s final three months. The two best buds, both members from the 2015 NBA Draft, are very young, as Towns is 24 and Russell is 23. The deal for Russell and Towns’ conjoining is for at least the next three seasons, and for a young roster that’s likely to have another lottery pick added to it in the upcoming draft, the rest of this season is all about evaluation of the pieces, how they play with one another, and the future.

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28. Atlanta Hawks (15-41, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

DeWayne Dedmon’s reunion with the Hawks isn’t necessarily coordinated with the league’s love affair with small ball, as the Atlanta Hawks also got Clint Capela from Houston in a trade in the sense that size will hopefully create more floor space for Trae Young and a growing roster.

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29. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-40, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

A bunch of news coming out of Cleveland in the past two weeks: They acquired Andre Drummond via a trade, John Beilein is thinking of stepping down from head coaching responsibilities, the model of regression for both Collin Sexton and rookie Darius Garland is an unavoidable red flag, and they currently own the worst record in the East. If there’s any consolation, the Cavaliers are primed to get a decent pick via the draft lottery.

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30. Golden State Warriors (12-43, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

It might not make much sense for Stephen Curry to play upon his March 1 approval date to return, but it could possibly be a prelude to next year’s healthier Warriors that, with Klay Thompson and a high draft pick, should get the Dubs back into the position to win back the West. Plus, who wouldn’t enjoy watching the former two-time league MVP hoist up 30-foot shots at the enjoyment of league supporters everywhere, regardless if it results in the Warriors winning?

Feb 18, 2020 No Comments
NBA All Star Weekend 2020: Official SR Previews, Predictions

NBA All Star Weekend 2020: Official SR Previews, Predictions

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by | Feb 15, 2020 | Featured, NBA

How’s this for a Valentine’s Day and weekend gift?

Every year, millions upon millions gather around their television screens (or if you’re actually in the host city, witness the events live in person) and watch the star-studded action and pageantry of All-Star Weekend on practically every channel though of that regularly broadcasts NBA basketball during the season. This year, the annual festival that celebrates everything about this fantastic game takes place in the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois, simply known as the city that a certain “GOAT” by the name of Michael Jordan built and called home for nearly two decades.

This marks the consecutive year the NBA collectively decided to visit two Jordan-related stomping grounds, per All-Star weekend’s events taking place in the Queen City Charlotte, North Carolina, where Jordan owns the city’s franchise known as the Charlotte Hornets. This year, the United Center plays part in the tradition that’s captivated league supporters for nearly 7 decades, with this installment being the 69th All-Star game played in the NBA’s decorated history.

And from the celebrities trying their best to display basketball skills during the usual comedy fest that’s the Celebrity All-Star Game, the rookies and sophomores that electrify all fans across the league squaring off in the Rising Stars Challenge, the iconic showcase of the league’s most gifted athletes and scorers on All-Star Saturday Night, to Sunday’s game of tribute that just means a little more, due to the untimely passing of soon-to-be-first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, we’ll have all the previews and predictions for every event, right here.

So let’s get into what should be the exciting conclusion of the season’s already epic first half.

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NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, 7:00 P.M. ET, ESPN

This is usually the Kickstarter to the weekend every season and it never finds a way to disappoint, one way or another. And every year, some of the world’s most influential artists, actors, sometimes politicians, and former NBA and WNBA athletes take to the court in a shortened, four-quarter battle to determine supremacy among the best hooping celebrities in pop culture. Tonight’s game in the Wintrust Arena, the stadium where the WNBA affiliate Chicago Sky play, 2019 Celebrity All-Star MVP and “famous” Instagram star Famous Los makes his return to the game where he gives just about everyone buckets.

Along with him on Team Michael Wilbon (both teams are coached by an ESPN personality, by the way as the Pardon the Interruption host is going against First Take Co-host and ESPN legend Stephen A. Smith) are other names like rapper and Team Captain Common, recording artist Jidenna, Jon Batiste from “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”, and Latin recording artist Bad Bunny. On Team Stephen A., 1/3 of the Migos group Quavo returns to the Celebrity game, along with Team Captain Chance the Rapper, 2k Sports Marketing director Ronnie 2k, Social Media comedian “Spice” Adams (the “Uh-Ha-Ha” guy), and Las Vegas Aces forward A’Ja Wilson.

2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Ruffles Prediction: Team Wilbon – 75, Team Stephen A. – 60

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NBA Rising Stars Challenge: 9 P.M. ET, TNT

Tipping off as soon as the Celebrity game is over, it’ll be time for the young, inquisitive and impressionable rookies and second-year players that have made a name for themselves in their short careers, and for the fourth time, it’ll be the case of American-born players going toe-to-toe with young players from around the world. This year’s Rising Stars Challenge is sure to pack a star-filled punch, as you’ll have an MVP candidate Luka Doncic, the darling of the Dallas Mavericks’ plan to win their second title in franchise history at some point, going against the guy who he was drafted a couple of picks earlier in the 2018 NBA Draft Trae Young.

And, for the first time since their days playing on the same AAU basketball teams in South Carolina, the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in June’s NBA Draft in Zion Williamson and Ja Morant team up to battle the likes of intercontinental figures like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s MVP Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Zion’s old Duke teammate and best friend RJ Barrett.

The second event of the night is usually filled with deep threes, crazy lobs, fastbreak slams, and nasty crossovers, so get ready for this year’s edition of the clash of rookies and sophomores that is sure to be complete with some back and forth battles, nasty crossovers, deep threes, and high-flying dunks.

2020 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Presented By Mountain Dew Prediction: Team World – 170, Team USA – 167

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Taco Bell NBA Skills Challenge, Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 P.M. ET, TNT

Defending champion Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics will be joined by former champions Patrick Beverley of the LA Clippers and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets in displaying their vast array of talents in the 2020 Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the United Center in Chicago. This year’s improved lineup includes five players out of the eight-player field that are All-Star selections, and Tatum, being one of the All-Stars, is joined by the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton, the Indiana Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis, and the Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam.

Chicago native and former Bulls standout guard Derrick Rose was scheduled to compete in this event, but due to injury, he’ll be replaced by second-year guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is making his second All-Star weekend appearance. The competition, which involves players shooting, dribbling, passing and (maybe) dunking in a fast-paced race to determine who is the most skilled player out of this lineup

2020 NBA Skills Challenge Presented By Taco Bell Prediction: Jayson Tatum repeats.

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NBA Three-Point Contest: Saturday, Feb. 15, 9 P.M. ET, TNT

This year’s TNT-hosted three-point shootout will feature the returning, defending champion, Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris as he looks to keep his belt against an even more stacked array of contenders as his opposition.

Participants include:

  • Davis Bertans, Washington
  •  Devin Booker, Phoenix
  • Devonte’ Graham, Charlotte
  • Joe Harris, Brooklyn
  • Buddy Hield, Sacramento
  • Zach LaVine, Chicago
  • Duncan Robinson, Miami
  • Trae Young, Atlanta

Per NBA.com – “The 2020 MTN DEW 3-Point Contest features a new look with the addition of two shots in the “MTN DEW Zone” – two locations positioned equidistant between the traditional racks at the top of the 3-point arc and the adjacent “wing” rack.  Each of the two ball pedestals in the MTN DEW Zone is located 6 feet behind the 3-point line and holds one special green ball, the “3-Ball.”  Shots made with the green ball are worth three points.”

So that’s interesting. Whoever has the hot hand, as the case for every year, will make the definitive say on who will walk away with that big gold ball trophy at the event’s end.

2020 MTN Dew Three-Point Contest Prediction: Devin Booker wins after replacing Damian Lillard.

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2020 AT&T NBA Slam Dunk Contest: 10 P.M. ET, TNT

Returning Slam Dunk Champion and rim-rocking legend Dwight Howard makes his highly-anticipated return to the Slam Dunk Contest and will look for his 2nd Slam title against a competitive and uber-athletic field composed of Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton, and returning dunker Aaron Gordon from Orlando. This is Howard’s first time since 2009 that he decided to participate in the high-flying affair, and speaking of returns, Aaron Gordon is hoping that a “third time’s the charm” stroke of luck is on his way in the third dunk contest of his career.

Also, Derrick Jones Jr. makes his second appearance in a dunk contest, as he was unsuccessful in prying away a slam dunk title from the hands of the equally impressive Donovan Mitchell who won in 2017. Jones Jr., who turns 23 on the same day as AT&T Slam Dunk,  is looking for retribution against a packed field. Pat Connaughton, the surprise selection of this year’s contest, is seeking to become the first-ever Milwaukee player to win Slam Dunk.

Another cool fact: AT&T Slam Dunk takes in place Chicago for the first time since 1988 when the Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan beat the Atlanta Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins to win his second consecutive Slam Dunk title in what many believe to be the greatest slam dunk contest in NBA history.

2020 AT&T NBA Slam Dunk Competition Prediction: Aaron Gordon wins his first Slam Dunk title.

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69th NBA All-Star Game, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, 8 P.M. ET, TNT

It’s Team Giannis vs. Team LeBron in a star-studded battle to the finish, as both leading vote-getter in the West LeBron James leads a team against leading vote-getter in the East Giannis Antetokounmpo. Two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference – selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel were previously drafted by James and Antetokounmpo just two weeks ago to start in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, taking place in the United Center at 8 P.M. ET.

Along with James in the frontcourt, the Western Conference starting five features James teammate in Lakers’ Anthony Davis at Center, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić at point guard, the Houston Rockets’ James Harden at the two-guard spot, and their current rival in LA Clippers’ forward Kawhi Leonard. For the Eastern selections, Antetokounmpo is joined in the frontcourt by Sixers big man Joel Embiid as well as the Toronto Raptors’ forward Pascal Siakam. For their guards, the East will roll out the Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young.

As for the Western reserves, Damian Lillard is replaced (due to a groin injury) by First-time All-Star Devin Booker. For the rest of the reserves,  Houston’s Russell Westbrook, Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, Utah’s Rudy Gobert, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, OKC’s Chris Paul and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram receive the honors. In the East, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Philly’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, and Miami’s Bam Adebayo were picked to play in Sunday’s game.

The two teams are as follows:

Team LeBron Starters: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, James Harden

Reserves: Ben Simmons, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Domantas Sabonis, Devin Booker

Team Giannis Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, Kemba Walker, Trae Young

Reserves: Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert, Kyle Lowry, Brandon Ingram, Donovan Mitchell

Both teams will suit up to play for a selected charity of both James and Antetokounmpo’s choice. Team LeBron will play for a charity called Chicago Scholars, a nonprofit leadership development organization that “empowers academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders.”

For Team Giannis will play for After School Matters, a nonprofit organization that “provides life-changing after-school and summer program opportunities to nearly 19,000 Chicago teenagers each year.”

What’s interesting is that this year, each team will try to win each quarter as the leader in points after a quarter ends will earn money for their charity. This year’s game is going to offer some significance, as the weekend-long tribute to Kobe Bryant will play a big part in determining the outcome of the game. There will be an untimed fourth quarter that will be ended by one team reaching a target score of 24 (as a tribute to one of Bryant’s numbers that were retired in 2018).

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will lead Team LeBron as he is the coach of the West’s best team, and Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse will guide Team Giannis in the 69th edition of the NBA All-Star Game.

69th NBA All-Star Game Prediction: Team LeBron – 180, Team Giannis – 169   

Feb 15, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Clippers at Boston Celtics

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Clippers at Boston Celtics

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by | Feb 14, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Coming off of a blown comeback attempt and loss on the road to the undersized Houston Rockets, the 37-16 Celtics want to end their first half of the season on a strong note, but will have to do so with some adversity on their shoulders in tonight’s interconference matchup. The 37-17 Clippers take a trip to the wintry Northeast to take on another iteration of the hospital Celtics while looking to also end their first half of the season strong as both teams are playing their final game before this weekend’s star-studded shenanigans in Chicago.

These two teams, separated by a lone loss, are both the third seed in their conferences, respectively. And while just in time for the break, Jaylen Brown’s healing of his calf will keep him out of this game, and while Boston will be without his usual 20.2 ppg. off 40.2 percent shooting, it’ll be up to Brad Stevens again to concoct some combination of Gordon Hayward and Grant Williams to substitute his efforts on both the offensive and defensive side of the game. For the rest of that vaunted frontcourt that’s caused troubles in the process of ripping through whatever defensive coverages they see, Jayson Tatum, the first-time All-Star, is looking to bounce back from his subpar shooting night against Houston on Tuesday.

And what better way to improve that characteristic of consistency than to go toe-to-toe with the Clippers’ coveted 2x Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and a competitive foe in Paul George, who’s always found a way to go back and forth with Tatum in the All-Star’s short three-year career.

Thursday’s contest concludes the season series between the teams after the Celtics fell to the Clippers 107-104 in an entertaining game that ended in overtime in the Staples Center on Nov. 20, and Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30 points in that game while Lou Williams turned on a second gear for L.A. to score 27 points off the bench.

Going into that Houston game earlier this week, Tatum had a streak of nine straight games scoring 20 or more points that was finally snapped with him being held to 15 on 5-of-15 shooting and with a surprise return of Marcus Morris Sr. to the Boston parquet, as he was picked up before last Thursday’s trade deadline in a deal with the Knicks, scoring the ball with a shrunken floor could be a difficult task. But, as the third-best defensive team in the league, it will be interesting to see if Boston can uphold the fort against three of the league’s most frightening scorers in Williams, George, Landry Shamet, and Lou Williams off the bench.

Tip-off for the last televised TNT basketball event until All-Star Weekend is at 8:00 p.m ET.

Feb 14, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets

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by | Feb 13, 2020 | Featured, NBA

What treat could possibly be better than one of the last two games on prime time television being a battle for supremacy in the West? The 40-12 Lakers and 38-16 Nuggets will gift NBA fans that very privilege, as the last game on the schedule before the All-Star break for both the Lakers and Nuggets takes place at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Nuggets frontcourt, mainly led by the (debatable) best center in the NBA Nikola Jokic, will have to make way against the intimidating and physically imposing Lakers frontcourt, composed of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Throughout this season’s first half, very few, if any teams, have found the blueprint to topple the duo, and as they continue to beat their opponents with the best record in the West, they’ve looked more and more like the clear favorites to run away with the conference crown.

And it’s safe to say that, along with the rest of the NBA for that matter, these past two-to-three weeks have been pretty hard, since LeBron and his Laker teammates are still mourning the loss of their dear friend, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. James has played hard in his old Team USA teammate’s honor, averaging a little under 24 points per contest while leading the league in assists where some prognosticate that James has been coasting in the waning moments of his most recent games. Davis, on the other hand, has been the lifeblood of this Lakers offense as a near walking double-double with his averaged 24.6 points per game and 8.6 rebounds in the five games they’ve played in the month of February.

But hold on. These Nuggets are nothing to fuss at. Jokic and Jamal Murray have been cooking the competition and it’s looking like Mike Malone’s squad has finally corrected those early-season idiosyncrasies that resulted in losses to begin the year. Specifically, both Jokic and Murray have looked like their counterparts just a season ago during Denver’s four-game winning streak. While Jokic has averaged 25.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in his last four, Murray has averaged a head-turning 28.3 points and 5.3 assists himself, shooting 48.4 percent from deep.

Obviously, as we’ve come to know for years, playing inside the Pepsi Center is a clear advantage. Just playing any sport in a city/state that’s 5,280 feet above sea level is impairing enough to make any opponent’s game regress at the moment, but a Nuggets win in front of all of their loyal supporters is a huge accolade and confidence booster for a team that could very well be in the conference finals picture, and if it were to come against the team that leads the conference in wins? That’s even more incentive for Jokic and crew to give their all to get their 39th win of the year.

Feb 13, 2020 No Comments