Steve Nash on Kevin Durant playing 40+ minutes: "I don't know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more."
Steve Nash says he's "proud" of Cam Thomas for making a huge adjustment from being a leading off-the-dribble scorer in college/high-school to a role-playing contributor for the Nets.
Steve Nash on Kyrie Irving: "No update. We stay in touch but no update."
Over the first two months of last season, Luka Doncic was: 178-for-224 (80%) from the free-throw line.
Thus far this season, Doncic is: 58-for-89 (65%) from the free-throw line
His on/off numbers are also shocking
Yes, Luka Doncic's on/off splits this season are stunning.
The Mavs have been outscored by 110 points with Doncic on the floor this season.
The only player in the NBA on a winning team with a worse plus/minus is Kemba Walker (-122)
This is by far one of the craziest +/- I've seen. Lowe mentioned it in his most recent podcast talking about the Lakers. Bradley has looked really washed out there, but I didn't know it was this bad. I expect him to be waived around trade deadline. (It's around 1.00:00 mark)
He also talked about how the LeBron-Ad-Russ three-man lineup numbers look promising for the Lakers. (Around 43:00 mark)
In 116 minutes, with the Big 3 and no center on the floor, the Lakers are +16, 113 points per 100 and 107.7 points allowed.
Not earth-shattering, but encouraging. I think this 3-man lineup has a lot of room for improvement if they keep playing together. I'm wondering how the team will look like 10 games later.
Welcome to Week 12 of the official /r/nfl Power Rankings! Where everything is made up and the records don't matter. As it currently stands, very little about this season makes sense. Maybe the itis was a key factor in some of the play this weekend. Who knows? Use this thread to rationally talk with us about this irrational season. Everyone's here!
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cardinals | -- | 9-2 | Did you know the Cardinals are 6-0 in away games? Or that they are 4-0 in divisional games? How about the fact that James Conner is currently 2nd in rushing touchdowns behind only Jonathan Taylor? Have you heard that the top receiver in yards on the team is Christian Kirk, and he’s ranked 31st overall, even though the Cardinals are a top offense? Well now you know! It will be an interesting back half of the season for this team, with games left vs. the Rams, Cowboys and Colts, while also having games left against the Bears, Seahawks, and Lions. | |
| 2. | Packers | +1 | 9-3 | This has to be the first week in quite a while without suffering a major injury. OL looked relatively OK against what should be a good Rams DL, which is a good sign. Davante Adams is still really good. The defense played super well despite a couple big plays, can't be mad about Stafford letting it loose every now and then. Good win against a good team. | |
| 3. | Buccaneers | -1 | 8-3 | Sure, Vita Vea may have lost a front tooth, but the Bucs picked up their 8th win of the season, snapping a three game win streak for the Colts. Leonard Fournette rumbled for 131 yards from scrimmage and 4 TD's, while the defense managed 3 sacks and 5 takeaways. The penalty problems remain, however. The Bucs have had 75 penalties against them this season, which puts them right in line with the Texans, Jets, and Jaguars. Next up, the Buccaneers will face the 5-6 Atlanta Falcons, a team that once blew a 25 point lead to Tom Brady in Super Bowl LI. | |
| 4. | Patriots | +3 | 8-4 | Can’t get ahead of ourselves after beating up the depleted titans, though the clutch defensive performance and solid work by Mac Jones have the hot hot Pats are still rolling. The whole season we have been looking towards the games with with bills and now it’s time, the pats are heading to Buffalo with the second seed, their fate in their own hands (or possibly Nick Folk’s foot | |
| 5. | Chiefs | +3 | 7-4 | The bye week was well timed for the Chiefs. The team had nagging injuries at key spots like right tackle and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes needed a bye week to self scout on offense to get continue to improve it. With a 1 game lead on everyone in the AFC West and a bout with Denver coming up, it is go time for the Chiefs. | |
| 6. | Bills | +4 | 7-4 | The Bills needed a bounce back game, and that’s mostly what they got, as they handily beat the Trevor Siemian-led shell of what was once the New Orleans Saints. However, just as Thanksgiveth, Thankstaketh away. Buffalo lost Tre’Davious White, arguably the second most important player on the team, for the remainder of the season. The Bills have no choice but to move forward, as the season now winds into it’s toughest stretch. First, it’s a Monday Night dogfight with the New England Patriots, a team on a massive upswing over the past several weeks. This is likely the most important game of the year for Buffalo. A win here gives them a pretty solid grip on the AFC East, ensuring they’ll finish with the division record tiebreaker over the Patriots. | |
| 7. | Ravens | +3 | 8-3 | Lamar threw 4 interceptions against the Browns and won, thanks to an insane effort by Patrick Queen, Tyus Bowser, and Odafe Oweh in the absence of Calais Campbell. Browns were held to 40 yards on 17 carries, forcing Baker to throw balls into the waiting stone hands of his receivers (or otherwise being way off). Anyway, now the Browns have 2 weeks to prepare after four Lamar picks. Meanwhile, the Ravens move onto Pittsburgh, where Lamar has a 1-1 record as starter and has thrown... 3 TDs to 5 Ints. Oh no. Enjoy that 1-seed while it lasts, because this team has like a PD of +23. | |
| 8. | Cowboys | -4 | 7-4 | Today's rant: no one turns on a national broadcast of a sporting event to watch the officials, so why do they make themselves part of the show? There is no reason that we should know the name Hochuli, or Angel Hernandez, or Tim Peel. When the officials stop being an arbiter of the game and become part of the spectacle, , something is wrong. When teams are adjusting the way they play because on official is going to apply the rules differently than the rest, something is wrong. When watching a prime time sporting event makes me wish I had joined my grandfather on an African safari, something is wrong. | |
| 9. | Rams | -3 | 7-4 | Morale is at a season-low following this three-game skid. There’s a LOT of blame to go around, more than a blurb can accommodate—but the #1 thing that must be stopped immediately is continually handing the out free points. Stafford has a pick six in three straight games and the Packers started three drives inside the Rams’ 30 yard line this game. Asides from that, it’s minor stuff like McVay’s game mismanagement/lack of adjustments/ego, Raheem Morris neutering the top defense in the league, and special teams being an actual joke. The talent is here, execution is not. | |
| 10. | Titans | -5 | 8-4 | The team the Titans put on the field in week 12 was not remotely close to the healthy team that was envisioned for the 2021 season. With short term IR considered, the 8-4 Titans have now used 86 players through the 2021 season, breaking the record for players used in a season passing the 2019 Dolphins (5-11) and the 2020 49ers (6-10). The Titans finally get their much needed bye in week 13. | |
| 11. | Bengals | +2 | 7-4 | The Bengals are quietly 7th in the NFL in points scored and 6th in points allowed, giving them the 5th best point differential in the NFL. After a brief mid-season slump against the Jets and Browns the Bengals have rebounded nicely beating AFC wild-card contenders in back-to-back weeks. If they can pull off the trifecta and beat the Chargers this week, the playoffs will start to look more like a reality. | |
| 12. | Colts | -1 | 6-6 | The Colts led the defending Super Bowl champions 24-10 at halftime, only to get outscored 24-7 over the remaining two quarters. Turnovers killed them. A fumble, a strip sack, an interception, a muffed punt. For an offense known to be reliable with the football, it was just an uncharacteristic day all around. The defense didn't do much better. While some bad pass interference calls certainly made their job harder, they just gave up big play after big play. The media will blame the loss on Reich for his gameplan of constantly passing the ball, but to be fair that strategy was consistently successful in the first half as the Buccaneers were more focused on shutting down Jonathan Taylor. The team was extremely close to getting a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half before the strip sack, so it's not like it wasn't working. The Colts just made too many mistakes. They can beat anybody in the league, but unfortunately on Sunday they decided to beat themselves. | |
| 13. | Chargers | -1 | 6-5 | After an exciting SNF contest last week where the Chargers came out victorious, this week's game was...not that. Denver held all of the control on defense, shutting the run game down entirely and preventing the passing attack from doing any real damage. Turnovers also played a factor, and Pat Surtain II sends his regards. The AFC West is entirely wide open, and the Chargers are beginning to Charger. Next week's game at Cincinnati carries some significant playoff implications. | |
| 14. | 49ers | +3 | 6-5 | Eli Mitchell continues his strong rookie campaign, totalling 133 rushing yards this week at a 4.9 ypc rate. The 49ers dominated the time of possession again en route to a 6-5 record and the 5 seed. After 3 consecutive wins they head to Seattle to face a reeling Seahawks team coming off their 3rd loss in a row. | |
| 15. | Raiders | +4 | 6-5 | The Raiders offense was finally able to get things going again this week and it lead to a close win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The refs were awful for both teams, throwing a combined 28 flags and each team being penalized for over 100 yards. The Raiders were able to abuse the refs insatiable desire to throw flags by targeting a CB with an equal desire to hug, hook arms with, or run into whatever receiver he was covering. The Raiders are in a three way tie for 2nd place in the division now and one game out of a playoff spot. A win this week would go a long way towards helping them stay in the race. | |
| 16. | Browns | -1 | 6-6 | It might be time to press the panic button. The Browns forced four turnovers but couldn't do anything with them. Baker is clearly hurt, the offense was in shambles, and the once amazing ground game was held to a whopping 40 yards. The Browns will head into a BYE week and revaluate things before facing the Ravens again at home. | |
| 17. | Vikings | -3 | 5-6 | The Vikings now have a losing record despite being the only team in the NFL to put up a seven-point lead in every game so far this season. Whether it's crucial late-game fumbles, missed field goals, coverage busts or the quarterback lining up behind the guard on a crucial fourth down, this team keeps finding new ways to implode in the most hilariously embarrassing fashion possible. | |
| 18. | Broncos | +3 | 6-5 | The Broncos, thanks to one of their most impressive games in recent memory, have played themselves back into contention in the congested AFC West. Steady Teddy did his thing again — leg injury be damned — as Vic Fangio and the defense turned Justin Herbert into Just some Sherbet. The biggest game in half a decade awaits the Broncos on Sunday Night, with all the nation watching them. | |
| 19. | Steelers | -3 | 5-5-1 | Ever take a shower and someone in the house is fucking with the water and you go from freezing cold to scalding hot? Well, the Steelers are flushing their shit season down the toilet. Enjoy your hot and cold shower, Steelers fans. Will you get burned again next time? Frozen out? Or actually have a normal time? Who knows with this team! | |
| 20. | Saints | -2 | 5-6 | This week the Saints answered the question "If a team had a starting lineup of Trevor Siemian, Tony Jones and Tre'Quan Smith for a whole season could they secure a top 3 pick?" Expectations weren't high as the wounded Saints limped into a Thanksgiving game and it was clear from the outset they weren't up to the task. | |
| 21. | Washington FT | +2 | 5-6 | Washington Football Team, despite everything, despite losing 4 in a row and dropping to 2-6 is currently sitting in the 7th seed of the NFC playoff picture and have a chance to get back to .500 next week against The Raiders. | |
| 22. | Dolphins | +3 | 5-7 | 🐧🐧 For most football players, being told that you waddle would be a negative, but there's a whole flock of penguins waddling around down in Miami every time Jaylen Waddle makes a big play. 🐧🐧 Meanwhile, another Jaelen seems set to live up to his name as he's starting a campaign to screw every QB he comes across into the ground, putting up 5 sacks in the last 4 games and helping the Dolphins provide a pass rush that was woefully lacking early in the season. | |
| 23. | Eagles | -3 | 5-7 | The over/under on Sunday was 40 points which is laughable in hindsight after witnessing the pathetic product both teams spewed out onto the field at the Meadowlands. Both Jalen Hurts and Jalen Reagor could have served the Eagles better by opting not to get onto the team bus and simply staying in New Jersey to sell knockoff handbags outside a QuickChek. | |
| 24. | Panthers | -3 | 5-7 | Yesterday was the first Panthers game I've missed live since the Monday night game in 2014 where we were shellacked by the Mark Sanchez-led Eagles. The result was pretty much the same, except substitute the Eagles for the Dolphins. There's not really much left to say at this point about this team. Our offense is inept, our defense is trying to hold together but it's quickly falling apart, and our special teams might be the worst in the NFL. At least we're living rent free in the Cardinals heads for some reason. | |
| 25. | Falcons | +1 | 5-6 | Atlanta is back in the playoff hunt with the strongest showing a team could ever ask for: a win against Jacksonville. A win that wouldn't have been without CP84. Even Arthur Smith's phenomenal coaching (probably) won't be enough to save the dome in week 13 against Brady and AB. | |
| 26. | Giants | +2 | 4-7 | In a battle between one of the most mobile quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen, and Jalen Hurts, it was Danny Dimes who came away with zero turnovers in this low-scoring slugfest. While a win is a win, especially against Philly, it's never encouraging to see your team go +4 in turnover differential and win by just 6 points (scoring only 13 total). The first taste of Freddie Kitchens' playcalling looked better than Jason Garrett's already, a bar so low it's practically on the ground, but he and this offense will need to show more if the Giants are to come away from Miami with a win. The defense isn't always going to be able to bail out the offense like it did on Sunday. | |
| 27. | Bears | -- | 4-7 | Don't look now, but the Bears are officially "in the hunt." No, seriously, don't look. Especially at the offense. You'll be much happier that way. | |
| 28. | Seahawks | -4 | 3-8 | Imagine.. you haven't eaten in 3 days. But you're about to be at Taco Bell! Hooray! Oh no, they're all out of crunchwraps! Don't worry, that new cantina crispy melt taco looks pretty awesome. Oh, guess they aren't producing those anymore. Bummer. Well, you can't go wrong with the classic cheesy gordita crunch. All. Gone. Perhaps just a Baja Blast freeze? No can do. Chef Russ forgot how to PROPERLY UTILIZE the BIGGEST STRONGEST FASTEST WIDE REC- oops, meant to say the machine is broken. So you ask to speak to the manager (Pete Carroll) and he tells you "everybody just needs to step up." You are confused but just ask for some Doritos™ locos tacos so you can get the hell out of there with some food...... finally! And then you get home and realize frycook Russ spit all over that little taco's hopes and dreams. This is the Seahawks season. It's time to make like post-taco bell and BLOW IT UP FOLKS. | |
| 29. | Jets | +2 | 3-8 | The Jets won an ugly game on the road as underdogs with a rookie QB returning from injury -- and winning ugly is a valuable skill to learn when you have a first year head coach trying to build credibility and establish a winning culture. Some fans complain about meaningless wins hurting draft stock, but draft position is likely overvalued relative to the importance of the youngest team in the league getting some wins under their belt. The Jets have a long way to go to establish a winning culture, but the days of rooting for losses should be behind us. Besides, the Jets still own the 4th pick and 5th picks in the draft. All luv. | |
| 30. | Jaguars | -- | 2-9 | Abhorrent; Appaling; Awful; Disgusting; Dreadful; Ghastly; Gruesome; Heinous; Hideous; Horrendous; Horrid; Horrible; Shameful; Terrible; But worst of all: Predictable. | |
| 31. | Texans | -2 | 2-9 | There is so much dysfunction in the Texans organization, that it's often hard to find a group of people that are actually doing their job well. The HC blames players for losses while benching key players for unexplained "disciplinary and standards" reasons. The failson owner continues to trust in his Rasputin-analogue VP of Football Operations. And all the while the stands get emptier and emptier, and fans get less and less invested. Everyone can understand a rebuild, but there's no building going on with the Texans. | |
| 32. | Lions | -- | 0-10-1 | On Thanksgiving, the Lions were thankful to have Goff back (21/25 171yds 2 TD's). Goff was still the checkdown king, but had long throws for TD's to Reynolds and Hockenson. If the connection with Reynolds continues to develop, he should be the de facto WR1 for the Lions and change this passing attack substantially. The budget defense the Lions rolls out every week is still playing out of their minds, dragging every team to play some very ugly and winnable football. Since the defense is keeping the Lions in games, MCDC just needs to fix the growing pains with offensive play calling. Important note: Swift went down hard on his shoulder and left mid game, he isn't shut down for the season but most likely will be out next week. With few winnable games coming up, the decision on whether or not to shut him down will be a huge factor in the Lions getting a W. |
Nikola Vučević on watching Lonzo and LaMelo Ball match up tonight: "I hope one day my sons get to do that."
Who won the matchup between Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball tonight?
Nikola Vucevic: "We won the game. That's all that matters, right?"
Paying homage to his Grandmother’s advice to him at an early age, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. announced today an initial $150,000 personal commitment to his ‘Much Required’ fundraising campaign to support organizations that align with the fourth-year player’s passion for supporting local youth.
“This all started with my Grandmother, Eva Carmichael, who constantly reminds me, to whom much is given, much is required, and I’ve taken that to heart. It’s how I want to live my life and honor how my Grandmother lives hers,” said Jackson Jr.
Since arriving in Memphis, Jackson Jr. has spent time finding meaningful ways to support local youth and provide them with technology and safe places to learn, play and create. In addition, he remains committed to advocating for fairness and equal access for girls and women in the pursuit of sport.
In honor of Giving Tuesday, Jackson Jr. is launching his first social media fundraising campaign to support young Memphians on the rise in the following organizations, each of which will receive a donation from Jackson Jr.’s ‘Much Required’ campaign this year:
Arts Memphis – Arts Memphis plays a critical role in helping the arts sector navigate pandemic impacts by providing financial support and serving as a convener and connector. They are a resource as arts organizations and artists work to survive, create new business models, plan for re-opening, and develop new opportunities for virtual and in-person arts experiences.
Girls Inc. – Girls Incorporated of Memphis inspires all girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold. Girls Inc. of Memphis meets girls where they are in a pro-girl environment that unleashes her strengths and talents. From age 6 – 18, Girls Inc. provide interactive, intentional programming with a mentoring relationship that not only equips girls for life, but provides them with a family of support.
Memphis Slim House - Slim House aims to be a gathering place that attracts, supports, and retains all who are, or aspire to be, involved in the music industry within the Memphis area. Professional members receive use of the facility for rehearsal space, recording demos and events at free or reduced rates. There is also education on every aspect of the music industry, computer work stations and access to experienced industry professionals for consultation and guidance. Slim House offers a one stop for composing and connecting with industry professionals to offering a dependable home base for rehearsals and hosting listening parties.
Vance Avenue Youth Development Center - Vance Avenue Youth and Development Center (VAYDC) was established to enhance the learning potential of youth in the Memphis community and its surrounding areas. The children and youth that attend VAYDC are usually from poverty-stricken communities.
Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis – For nearly 25 years, The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) has played a major role as a backbone organization aligning people, resources, and coordinating community-based services through the two-generation approach to reduce poverty. WFGM is an organization of women helping women break the cycle of poverty through philanthropy, leadership and collaboration.
Jackson Jr.’s ‘Much Required’ fundraising campaign is being facilitated through the Memphis Grizzlies Community Assistance Fund and the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.
Draymond Green hosted J.J. Redick on “The Draymond Green Show” podcast, and Redick posed the question of whether they should do a Manningcast-type show on the NBA together.
The “Manningcast” is the critically acclaimed “Monday Night Football” simulcast on ESPN 2 hosted by brothers and legendary ex-NFL QBs Peyton and Eli Manning.
Green, who appeared on “Manningcast” two weeks ago, talked about how he has been watching it more than the normal broadcast.
“I think you’re onto something J.J.,” Green said. “I would love to sit there, talk sports with you, talk that actual game with you. I think we have two totally different perspectives. I’m more of a playmaker — doing all the dirty work. You’re more coming off lighting everyone else. I would be honored to sit in a room with a GOAT like yourself and talk basketball.”
The NBA has actually already launched a Manningcast-like broadcast, with Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson, but it seems likely that many different versions will be tried out across the various league partners.
JV is leading the league in 3pt% with a whopping 51.7%. Rounding out the top 10 we have:
| Team | Wapo | SN | Y! | B/R | CBS | USA | NFL | ESPN | Avg | SD | 538 | CGPR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 5 | 3 | |
| 2 | Green Bay | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Tampa Bay | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 2 | 4 | |
| 4 | New England | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 4 | 2 | |
| 5 | Kansas City | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 3 | 1 | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 6.9 | 2.9 | 7 | 7 | |
| 7 | Buffalo | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 6 | 13 | |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 7 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 13 | 12 | |
| 9 | Tennessee | 8 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 9.0 | 2.1 | 12 | 10 | |
| 10 | Dallas | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9.5 | 1.9 | 11 | 6 | |
| 11 | LA Rams | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9.6 | 1.9 | 10 | 14 | |
| 12 | San Francisco | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11.9 | 1.1 | 9 | 8 | |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 16 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13.9 | 2.6 | 8 | 11 | |
| 14 | Las Vegas | 10 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14.3 | 2.4 | 25 | 16 | |
| 15 | LA Chargers | 19 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15.8 | 2.2 | 16 | 9 | |
| 16 | Denver | 14 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 16.6 | 2.6 | 20 | 23 | |
| 17 | Minnesota | 18 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 16.9 | 2.2 | 18 | 15 | |
| 18 | Cleveland | 17 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17.1 | 1.5 | 19 | 19 | |
| 19 | Pittsburgh | 23 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 18.6 | 2.6 | 24 | 24 | |
| 20 | Miami | 15 | 26 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 20.1 | 3.5 | 17 | 20 | |
| 21 | Washington | 20 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 20.9 | 1.6 | 14 | 17 | |
| 22 | Philadelphia | 25 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22.0 | 1.5 | 21 | 18 | |
| 23 | New Orleans | 26 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 22.8 | 2.0 | 15 | 21 | |
| 24 | Atlanta | 22 | 21 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 25 | 24.9 | 2.3 | 28 | 29 | |
| 25 | Carolina | 27 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 24.9 | 1.4 | 23 | 26 | |
| 26 | NY Giants | 21 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 25.0 | 2.3 | 26 | 22 | |
| 27 | Seattle | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 26.5 | 1.4 | 22 | 25 | |
| 28 | Chicago | 24 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27.0 | 1.7 | 27 | 27 | |
| 29 | NY Jets | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28.9 | 0.4 | 29 | 28 | |
| 30 | Houston | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30.4 | 0.5 | 30 | 30 | |
| 31 | Jacksonville | 31 | 31 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30.9 | 0.6 | 31 | 31 | |
| 32 | Detroit | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31.8 | 0.7 | 32 | 32 |
[Reddit] ( )
What Makes Grayson Allen Different
Shooting comes at a premium price in the NBA, yet the Bucks have Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and Donte DiVincenzo on the payroll for less combined money ($14.1 million) than what Joe Harris ($17.4 million) and Duncan Robinson ($15.6 million) make individually for this season.
Allen in particular has been excellent in his first season in Milwaukee after being acquired for pennies from Memphis this summer. With DiVincenzo still recovering from ankle surgery, Allen is taking full advantage of opportunities, and it’d be a surprise if he loses his spot in the starting five when DiVincenzo returns.
Through 21 games, Allen is making 42.4 percent of his 7.5 attempts per game from 3. But unlike shooting specialists such as Robinson and Harris, the Bucks don’t have Allen fly around screens or sprint through handoffs then stop on a dime to launch 3-pointers. Instead, he gets open with subtle repositioning on the court to create massive passing windows. Or, he’ll set on-ball screens for Giannis Antetokounmpo and pop to a vacant space on the floor.
Allen does more than shoot spot-up 3s, though. In a pinch, Allen can handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and either pull up off the dribble from 3 or deliver a crisp pocket pass to a rolling Giannis. As the clock winds down, he can make a play if needed:
Things are coming full circle for Allen. He hit 3s, drove to the rim, and made hustle plays in his breakout game for Duke in the 2015 national title game against the Badgers and became a villain in Wisconsin. Now those same skills are why Bucks fans love him.
26/30 rankers reporting this week. /R/NBA's Power Rankings are published every two weeks which is a bit different from most rankings. Other than that we rank the teams the same way as our competition. If write ups are left blank the team rep decided not to submit. We encourage any user to fill in the blanks in the comment section.
| # | Team | Δ | Record | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warriors | -- | 18-2 | Warriors have beat more teams at .500 or more than they have below .500: BKN, CHI, LAC, POR, CHA, ATL, MIN, CLE, PHI and LAL. Curry is in MVP form. Over the past two weeks Wiggins has put up 21/4 on 63 TS%. Poole looks to be out of his slump. Looney has looked sneaky good and Draymond might be DPOY front runner. The bench productivity has been passed around offensively speaking. Leading scorers by game off the bench: Kuminga (7) @ BKN, Bjelica (14) @ CLE, Bjelica (14) @ DET, OPJ (15) vs TOR, JTA (13) vs PHI, JTA (8) vs POR, OPJ (18) @ LAC. This mini series against the Suns should be fun. |
| 2 | Suns | +1 | 17-3 | This sub loves piling on the Lakers, but why is no one talking about the defending Western Conference Champion Suns being 1-3? I didn’t realize until now that the Suns are currently 1-3. why is no-one talking about this? They lost to a mediocre Kings team a couple days ago and nearly lost by 30 pts to the Trailblazers with a struggling Damian Lillard. And from what I know they’re just about fully healthy. For anyone actively watching the Suns this season, what’s the main reason for the early season struggles? You would think they’d have a bunch of momentum to start the season after their amazing Finals run. |
| 3 | Nets | -1 | 14-6 | By all accounts, the Nets have played pretty average basketball. The eye test alone has showed that Harden is a very inconsistent scorer and our role players outside of Mills and Aldridge can give us 0 points on any given night. However, through all this, they sit at 14-6 and atop the Eastern conference. They are starting to beat up on bad teams rather than keeping it close, an issue that has plagued us since last year, but they are also now losing with regularity to elite teams. Last year, the Nets were among the best against top teams but it hasn't come together with the extended absences of Joe Harris, Claxton, Bruce Brown, and of course... Kyrie Irving. They will need James Harden to step his scoring up and finish better at the rim, he is having his worst finishing season of his career due to his lack of burst to the rim - hopefully he can continue to condition himself back to his normal self. |
| 4 | Bucks | +10 | 13-8 | On a 7-0 run since our last rankings, the Bucks have been on a tear despite still not being totally healthy. Giannis is putting himself back in the MVP convo, while Pat, Bobby, and Grayson continue to outplay their contracts and fill their roles perfectly, and Bud continues to tweak the offensive and defensive schemes for the better. The biggest news out of the Cream City has been the signing of 4-Time All-Star Center DeMarcus Cousins. Despite Cousins' decline, this excites Bucks fans as Brook Lopez is still out indefinitely with a back injury, which has forced Giannis to practically become a full-time center. While Giannis' increased in-game experience at the 5 may be a blessing in disguise, as it will help him in small-ball closing lineups (he's improved his C play a lot already this season), bringing in a big body to soak up some of the minutes (and punishment) at the 5 has been seen as a necessity by many fans if Brook won't be back soon, which seems to be the case. If Cousins can show off some of his offensive skill and move his feet just well enough to play drop-scheme-defense, this could prove to be a big signing for the reigning champs. |
| 5 | Jazz | +1 | 13-7 | Poor late game execution has prevented the Jazz from currently being on a 7 game win streak as the team has recently lost games up 4 with 0:30 remaining and up 4 with 0:40 remaining. The team has seemingly failed to play string together three consecutive games of their best basketball but have done enough to enter this weeks power rankings with the 4th best WL record in the NBA and the best overall ORTG too. There isn’t a whole lot else to talk about the Jazz who are effectively meeting expectations with their standing in the league, no career best years for their players and no dramatic storylines. |
| 6 | Heat | +2 | 13-7 | After the hot start to the season, the Heat have cooled off a little but they're still doing a good job of not losing by huge margins. Not much to celebrate at the moment except Herro's continued excellence in consistency and Duncan Robinson being on a scoring streak of 10+ points a night (only 3 games atm). It feels weird to focus only on these two but everyone else has been as expected for the most part. Our bench will be an issue if Herro cools down or if something happens injury-wise so it'd be nice if there were a way to address that before it becomes an issue. Whether that's by players like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent improving in consistency and performance or by trading down the line for the necessary reinforcements. It's a shame Markieff Morris is still out with injury because he'd be helpful, but outside of that everything is smooth sailing so far. |
| 7 | Bulls | -- | 13-8 | And breathe. The Bulls came out of a long stretch without Nikola Vucevic still in Real Contender positioning. While fatigue did catch up to us leading to two baffling losses to the Pacers and Rockets, the Bulls keep proving themselves to be legit even in defeat. DeMar and Zach are an elite scoring duo. Lonzo and Caruso have not slowed down on D. The bench is full of distinct plug-and-play specialists. Barring a sudden McCaskey-esque meltdown in leadership, put down Chicago for a playoff spot this year. |
| 8 | Wizards | -3 | 13-7 | The past two weeks have been out of a scene of a horror movie – kind of. The Washington Wizards have been the person that is getting chased down, their leg gets slashed, you think its over. But then they get back up and run for a bit. Somehow, they’re not dead yet. Bradley Beal has returned to his old form – which has been both great and bad. Wes Unseld Jr has relied on his franchise guy much more in recent weeks – which has been great in victories and concerning when they aren’t able to pull it together. Their search for consistency around the perimeter remains their biggest concern – with Davis Bertans having worse three-point attempts than a student driver. But their ability to not succumb to a three-game losing streak speaks to just how their talent can fix their woes. Daniel Gafford remains of the best rim protectors that the NBA media doesn’t like to talk about, Montrezl Harrel continues to be excellent, and the rest of the off-season additions are continuing to be steals. In a season where any win sort of feels like icing on the top of the cake given their amazing start, it is still a good time to be a Wizards fan. |
| 9 | Hornets | +7 | 13-9 | The Hornets continue to win games with electric offense. As of Nov 29, the Hornets are the highest scoring offense in the NBA. You have to say Coach James Borrego has gotten the most out of this group of players, and give tons of credit to the player development staff he’s put together. If this team wants to graduate from fringe playoff team to contender, though, it’s going to have to be done with defense. Getting this team to defend at a high level consistently will be the true test of this coaching staff. We have the athletes to do it, we just have to put it all together over the next few months. It’s the most exciting Hornets team that most Hornets fans have ever seen. |
| 10 | Clippers | -1 | 11-9 | I'm not sure you could ask more of Paul George, who's averaging 25-7-5. The trouble now is the inconsistency in the other players. Any night, 5+ players could score over 20, but some nights none of them do, and shots struggle to fall. On the bright side, with 3 center and a bunch of big men, the clippers are well positioned against a lot of teams for once. |
| 11 | Hawks | +11 | 11-10 | The Hawks had the second longest winning streak in the NBA before laying a dud against the Knicks in what could turn out to be a very costly game. Bogdon Bogdonvic sprained his ankle and will be out at least two weeks and Cam Reddish injured his wrist and could be out for an extended period as well. What was previously maybe the deepest wing rotation in the league is now down to just Kevin Huerter and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot for the time being. On the bright side of the injury front, Clint Capela finally looks like himself again, averaging 15 points and 15 rebounds over the Hawks last 8 games. Unfortunately, he can't single-handedly turn the Hawks defense around. Over the Hawks 7 game win streak they were winning by an average of over 17 points per game, but that's only because they currently have the 3rd best offense in the NBA. If they want to keep winning, they need to start playing some defense. |
| 12 | Mavericks | -1 | 10-8 | The Mavs played 3 games without Luka against the Clippers and Suns, but they never truly felt overmatched in those games until the 4th quarters. The Mavs' need for a rim-pressuring ball handler continues to grow in these losses, especially with the loss of Jalen Brunson to a foot injury. Porzingis continues to play well, being very good on offense and average on defense, which is a major improvement from the Porzingis we saw last year. As the team continues to click, and Bullock hopefully normalizes his numbers, the Mavs will become more dangerous |
| 13 | Knicks | +2 | 11-9 | Fact of the matter is that we seem to be playing to the competition's level. We step up against good teams and step down against bad teams. Tgats the sign of a squad whose discipline/talent ratio is unsteady and unbalanced. A lot of our big men and guards have been injured recently, which has finally given the young fellas room to breathe and play. Grimes has been solid, Obi and IQ speak for themselves. Jericho Sims has been really good as a stop-gap measure. However. The underlying issues are still there. Kemba Walker no longer has the knack to be relied upon game in game out. Randle has to re-learn to play selflessly. Mitchell Robinson has to be more disciplined on defense. We'll get there. Fuck the Hawks. |
| 14 | 76ers | -4 | 10-10 | |
| 15 | TWolves | +11 | 10-10 | Wolves are back. Winners of 6 of their last 7 and making waves off the back of the defense. An aggressive style currently leading the league in forced turnovers. With that and their offense rounding out with their shooters coming around the team looks primed for at least a play in berth. |
| 16 | Celtics | +2 | 11-10 | December will be a do or die month for the Celtics. Their schedule for December has them going up against the 76ers, Bucks, Clippers, and Suns each twice, as well as matchups against the Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, Blazers, Cavs, and Timberwolves. Come January 1st, the Celtics could very well be closer to the top of the lottery than they are a playoff spot in the East. I say that, and they'll probably end up going above .500 for the month somehow and come out looking strong and ready to make a push into the new year and towards the All-Star break. This team is weird. At this point, nothing would surprise me. |
| 17 | Trail Blazers | +3 | 10-10 | If only the Blazers could play all their games at home! 20 games into the season, they are 9-1 at home and 1-9 on the road. It's hard to explain the difference, and part of me thinks it's due to random chance more than anything. The Blazers are just incredibly inconsistent right now; and if I'm being cynical, I might say it has more to do with the innate roster construction more than some mental block on the road. On the plus side, Lillard has definitely improved, though even that praise isn't emphatic. He still doesn't look like he did last year. |
| 18 | Nuggets | -14 | 9-10 | |
| 19 | Lakers | -6 | 11-11 | The Lakers are a mess.The first quarter of the season has been as horrible as one could have imagined for the Lakers, they are a below .500 team and are looking nothing like playoff contenders, let alone title contenders. They have a record of 2-5 against teams above. 500.The injuries are no longer an excuse as they almost have their entire roster back healthy with the exception of Ariza and Nunn, the team has struggled since the preseason and its beginning to look like this might be the identity of this team. Frank Vogel is definitely on the hot seat with his questionable rotations, and lack of offensive schemes but there seems to much more issues with this team than just that. The team needs to do some soul-searching and put together a string of wins, if not, the roster is surely going to see some significant changes. |
| 20 | Cavaliers | -8 | 10-10 | We’re 1-5 since the last rankings, but it’s as good as a 1-5 streak can look, with competitive losses against PHX, GSW, BKN(x2), and BOS, all with an injured Evan Mobley. This team is winning the games they’re supposed to, and keeping up with strong teams while the offense continues to adjust to the loss of Collin Sexton. With everyone else healthy again, continue to expect good defense and tight matchups from the Cavs, so long as Darius Garland continues to perform at a high level (22 PPG/ 6.6 APG) since the Sexton injury. |
| 21 | Grizzlies | -2 | 10-10 | This is just a good and honest .500 basketball team. I'm not sure what else to say. Ja's injury scarred us all, and while it appers he'll be back in a few weeks the team will have to step up in a big way. Luckily for us we literally can't go a game below .500. It's like the full moon for a saiyan, Dillon Brooks turns into the Maple Mamba, Jaren remembers he's a big dude and attacks the basket. We shoot damn near 50% from 3 and find comfort in a win to bring us back to .500. At some point the team will have to look at the coaching staff to figure out why we can't get over this hump. But for now, we'll take ownership of being a good and honest .500 basketball team. |
| 22 | Pacers | -1 | 9-13 | Indiana has yet to find any real consistency in the early stages of this year. After blowing out the Bulls, they turn around and blow multiple double digit leads against the Lakers. Blow out the Raptors, turn around and barely show up against Milwaukee. It's clear there is talent and potential on this team, but until the Pacers can actually start stacking wins, there isn't a ton to be excited about. Indiana will now face 8 teams in a row that are currently in playoff positions. |
| 23 | Raptors | -6 | 9-12 | Raptors struggled heavily throughout the west coast road trip, going just 2-5 since the last power rankings. Injuries to key players such as OG, Birch, and now Gary Trent Jr., have forced us to rely on bench players that have failed to step up to the plate. Overall our bench scores the 3rd lowest points per game of any team this year, which is abysmal in a year where they’re needed more than usual. Even our starters aren’t performing to the level required - while siakam hasn’t necessarily been bad, he’s scoring under 18 points per game, and has had games in which he’s struggled heavily on the defensive end. Although the defensive struggles are certainly a major team issue at the moment, not simply a result of siakam. Overall I’d like to see this team execute their defensive scheme better, or evaluate if this defensive scheme is appropriate for the personnel. With our “long boi” lineups, switching and throwing doubles, on paper, should be the right scheme, but perhaps we need to rely more on man to man defence. |
| 24 | Spurs | +1 | 5-13 | Although the Spurs have played several games competitively in the last few weeks, the cracks are beginning to show as well as several of the team's losses have shifted from close losses to proper blowouts. Vassell and Murray continue to be consistent bright spots while Poeltl hasn't missed a beat since returning from his bout with COVID. Keldon also has his fair share of solid-to-great games, including this insane dunk over Grant Williams in a W against the Celtics last week. The Spurs draw the Wizards, @Blazers, @Warriors, @Suns, Knicks, Nuggets, Nuggets and Pelicans over the next two weeks--another tough slice of the schedule for us but hopefully we can make our way out with 3-4 wins. |
| 25 | Kings | -2 | 8-13 | Things are slowly looking up for the kangz. Luke Walton was sacked, Marvin Bagley came back, and we beat the lakers in triple overtime! Metu proved to be a revalation, but unfortunately it looks like he will be benched in the near future under alvin gentry. As soon as our shooting splits return to normal (43% from the field and 30% from 3 point land over the last two weeks) we will be back!. :copium |
| 26 | Thunder | -2 | 6-13 | Over the past two weeks, Oklahoma City has hit tanking Nirvana:a stretch of games in which we've performed admirably against good teams but ended up with a streak of L's anyway. That streak will be "tested" against Houston tonight, however. One cause for concern in OKC this season has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's sharp decrease in shooting percentages, both from 3 and overall. We can hope this decrease is a result of being forced to take more bad shots than ever before due to the team being bad, but it is worth tracking regardless. |
| 27 | Pelicans | +2 | 5-17 | And even, and even if we win, if we win, HAH! Even if we win! Even if we play so far over our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days. Even if God in Heaven above comes down and points his hand at our side of the field. Even if every BI, JV and Herb held hands together and prayed for us to win, it just wouldn't matter, because all the really good looking Lowry's would still go out with the guys from the Heat because they've got all the culture! It just doesn't matter if we win or we lose. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! (P.S: Graham wants our name back Utah, y'all don't play Jazz) |
| 28 | Pistons | -1 | 4-16 | The most notable part of the last couple weeks was Stewart getting bloodied by the elbow of LBJ. We are the worst shooting team in the league overall and from deep. Not one of our young guys (Stew, Killian, Bey, Cade) are meeting or exceeding expectations. We seem to put together 2 1/2 to 3 good quarters, but then shit the bed with a horrendous quarter. Hard to know if it's purely a talent deficit or coaching, but my money's on both. |
| 29 | Rockets | +1 | 3-16 | In the past couple games, we have a 100% win rate (and that's without John "#1 Option" Wall), which by my calculations puts us on track for a 66 win season. The timing of these two wins couldn't have been better for Silas, who was under heavy fire in the media last week. That being said, many still question if he is the right guy to capture the potential of Sengun and Green. |
| 30 | Magic | -2 | 4-17 | The refs don't give the Magic any respect and the guys are starting to grow increasingly frustrated. Cole is hurt, Ross is hurt, Bamba is hurt and the bench is atrocious. It'll probably get better when Isaac and Fultz get back and we're not playing third stringers but how much longer that's gonna be no one knows. The schedule is pretty tough through the new year so maybe they'll be back once it lightens up a bit. |
Lions Record: 0-2-1
Rams Record: 0-3
Eric Bledsoe entered the NBA one year after Curry and has chased the Warriors' superstar plenty of times in his career. In the Warriors' 105-90 win Sunday over Bledsoe and the Los Angeles Clippers, the veteran guard was reminded just how frustrating it is trying to contain Curry.
"It's horrible because sometimes you think you got him covered," Bledsoe said to reporters. "They'll get ball movement for a wide-open layup and turn it down just to look for him for a 3. By the time you turn your head, you think they're gonna lay the ball up and he's on the other side of the court shooting a 3.
"It's tough, he draws so much attention."
Kemba Walker is out of the Knicks rotation “as of right now,” Tom Thibodeau says. He says he will tighten the rotation moving forward. “It would be tough to play three small guards together,” Thibodeau says. Says he has great respect for Walker and all he’s accomplished.
Alec Burks will start at point guard tomorrow against the Nets, Tom Thibodeau says.
With last nights 33 pt game, is exactly at 27.0 ppg in his career.
26 days after he fell below the mark
In his 3 games back from the suspension, he's averaging 34 pt/ 5.6 reb/8.6 ast
It's Monday. Your team won, yay!! Oh, they lost? That's terrible. You know what would help? Pictures with humorous words added!
We know you have a meme you are dying to show off, put in this thread.
As always, be civil and report anything that breaks the rules.
The last WR to catch a TD for the Gmen was Dante Pettis against the Panthers on Oct 24th. He is one of 4 WRs to catch a TD pass this season. Sterling Shepard, John Ross and Darius Slayton are the others, each of whom have 1 TD catch this season.
NYG has only scored 2 offensive TDs the past 2 weeks, yes 2 total TDs, catches by the LT Andrew Thomas and the 4th string TE Chris Myarick.
A win against Philly should have me pumped up right now but tbh I just feel dejected. Freddie Kitchens is hardly an upgrade, this franchise needs ANOTHER complete overhaul
Game notes gem: Stephen Curry is two 3-pointers shy of 100 for the season. If Curry makes two 3-pointers against the Clippers, he will break his own NBA record for the fewest games needed to reach 100 3-pointers in a season.
Today is game 20, btw. Curry sits at 98 threes ahead of tip off.
Only 44 threes until Steph Curry passes Ray Allen:
Ray Allen: 2973
Steph Curry: 2930
Ty Lue on his friendship with Steve Kerr: "I like Steve Kerr. He's always checking up on me... I don't cheer for too many guys, but I cheer for Steve... He's a genuine good person."
Ty Lue says playing physical defense against Steph Curry is easier said than done.
Moments after winning their 16th straight game, the Phoenix Suns could be heard clapping and shouting in celebration of their latest victory on their way into the visitor's locker room at Barclays Center.
"We run New York!" one member of the Suns team could be heard shouting in the hallway.
The Suns (17-3) completed a road sweep of the New York teams on back-to-back nights and moved within one win of matching their franchise's longest winning streak with a 113-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The win came one night after the Suns beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Now Phoenix will try to match the franchise's record 17-game winning streak, set in 2006-07, when it hosts Golden State on Tuesday. The Warriors (17-2) currently own the best record in the league.
"I am looking forward to it," said Suns guard Devin Booker, who scored 30 points. "Obviously [it is] not a make-it-or-break-it game, not a playoff game. But we know it will be a high-energy game. Two best records in the NBA. It is going to be a high-intensity, fun game."
It's early, but the Suns look like a team that has figured out how to take the next step after making it to the NBA Finals last postseason.
"It would be nice," Suns point guard Chris Paul said of matching the franchise's longest winning streak on Tuesday. "Obviously everybody knows the ultimate goal is to win a championship, but if you don't enjoy the small victories throughout the regular season, then what are you doing? We are having fun. ... We are going to keep taking it one game at a time and enjoy the moments."
Embiid's free throw numbers generate a lot of controversy, with some arguing that they're entirely a reflection of his skill at bamboozling defenders, while others feel it's the product of a superstar getting enormous benefit of the doubt from the officials. Despite the NBA instituting new rules that don't reward players for creating contact with defenders, Embiid's free throw rate is statistically identical to last season. As crafty as Embiid is, yesterday's game is an example of how it's VERY hard to argue that the way he's officiated is consistent with the rest of the league.
To start, here is an official video from the NBA Officials twitter showing the new rules. They clarify in clip 2 that pump-faking a defender and leaning your shoulder into them IS NOT a defensive foul in the 2021-2022 season.
With that said, here are clips of the very iffy calls in Embiid's favor yesterday, leading to 10 of his 21 free throws (plus a couple bonus FTs on floor fouls for teammates):
Embiid pump fakes McDaniels into the air and leans his shoulder into him. 2 FTs
Naz Reid goes vertical away from Embiid, Embiid contorts himself into Reid. 2 FTs
Reid gets his hand on the ball, Embiid flares his arms out as Reid and Prince strip the ball. 2 FTs
Embiid wrap his arm around Reid's torso and bends over. Non-shooting foul
This is an ENORMOUS amount of swing off of iffy calls, even for Embiid, but even after the rule changes (which really couldn't be any more specific about how these SHOULDN'T BE FOULS), he's consistently generating a few free throws a game off of these. Maybe you guys disagree and these really are fouls (although can't really disagree with the travels), but for me this is difficult to watch and just feels unfair for teams who don't have a superstar that gets this level of benefit of the doubt from referees.
The trips to Chicago still remain special for Jimmy Butler because they mean a chance to spend time at one of his homes.
But they also stand as a reminder of something said, and then something otherwise done.
It was during his NBA emergence with the Chicago Bulls in 2013 when, in an interview with Chicago Splash, Butler was asked, to fill in the blank of, “The one thing I’d never wear ...”
His answer? “A Miami Heat jersey.”
Now, eight years removed from the comment, and having helped lead the Heat to the 2020 NBA Finals, Butler smiles about it all.
“I knew I was going to end up here way back then,” Butler said of the Heat to the South Florida Sun Sentinel ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Bulls at the United Center.
“So I said it then just so I could make the tabloids think I could predict the future.”
With the Bulls’ coaching staff completely overhauled and the roster rebuilt since his Chicago departure in the 2017 offseason, there is nothing like the antipathy still held toward the Timberwolves.
The Bulls, in fact, wound up with comparable quality in acquiring Zach LaVine from Minnesota in exchange for Butler, in the deal that also sent the draft rights of Justin Patton to Minnesota, with the Kris Dunn and draft rights of Lauri Markkanen going to Chicago.
“I’ve got so much love for Chicago,” Butler said with another Cheshire grin. “That’s where I first learned to hate the Miami Heat. And then when I left, I learned to love the Miami Heat, and the way that they do things.”
Essentially, learning to hate the Heat taught him to love his current employer.
| Kickoff | Away | Home | Gamethread | Post Game Thread | ||||
| 1:00 PM | TB | 0 | at | 0 | IND | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | NYJ | 0 | at | 0 | HOU | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | PHI | 0 | at | 0 | NYG | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | CAR | 0 | at | 0 | MIA | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | TEN | 0 | at | 0 | NE | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | PIT | 0 | at | 0 | CIN | Q1 | Link | |
| 1:00 PM | ATL | 0 | at | 0 | JAX | Q1 | Link | |
| 4:05 PM | LAC | 0 | at | 0 | DEN | Not started | ||
| 4:25 PM | LA | 0 | at | 0 | GB | Not started | ||
| 4:25 PM | MIN | 0 | at | 0 | SF | Not started | ||
| 8:20 PM | CLE | 0 | at | 0 | BAL | Not started |
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Asked DeMar DeRozan if he can put into words his bond with Kyle Lowry. He said he couldn't. Then he did, eloquently: “If my mom had another son, it'd be Kyle. If his mom had another son, it'd be me. That's as simple as I can put it. That's how close we are. That's what it is to me.”
Indeed, DeRozan and Lowry forged a fraternal connection during their six shared seasons in Toronto, which featured four All-Star appearances apiece, 297 regular-season wins, and that franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals berth.
The trade that sent DeRozan to the Spurs as part of the package for Kawhi Leonard made them adversaries on the court, but never disturbed their bond off of it. Lowry says he and DeRozan still talk every day. The love between them was apparent before Saturday’s face-off at the United Center, where the two shared an embrace and several laughs while teammates took pregame warmups around them.
“He’s in a great place. He’s leading these young guys how to win and close out games,” Lowry said of DeRozan, “and he’s showing the world that he’s still really, really talented at basketball.
“As a friend I’m always happy to see his success, but I’m always even happier when we beat him.”
That Lowry did on Saturday. The two meet on the court again Dec. 11 in Miami, but best believe they’ll be in contact sooner than that.
2 HoF Players, a very good starting LB in Bruce Irvin, an Above average CB, making a trade for the key RB, all in one draft. Graded a F which has to be one of the funniest Draft Day r/agedlikemilk moments.
One of the best part:
Pete Carroll is proving why he didn’t make it in the NFL the first time. Not only was Bruce Irvin a reach at No. 15, the Seahawks proved they were oblivious to their madness by celebrating their selection.
As if the day wasn’t bad enough, Seattle selecting Russell Wilson, a QB that doesn’t fit their offense at all, was by far the worst move of the draft. With the two worst moves of the draft, Seattle is the only team that received an F on draft day.
Barkley mentioned how lovely the view was at the par-3 18th finisher, and Mickelson asked if that was because you could see the casinоs in the background.
“Listen, everybody knows I like to gamble,” Barkley said. “I wanna be dead broke when I keel over, Phil. I don’t want to leave all that money for my free-loading family. I’ve been taking care of them my whole life. I wanna be dead broke at my last breath.”
He was kidding. We think.
Phil Mickelson asked Barkley if he reads putts better or worse after a few visits to the beverage cart.
“I need that lube. I need that liquid lube. It's all in your joints, Phil.” Barkley said. “I have a couple cigars and have me a couple alcoholic beverages. Listen, you can’t play gоlf and not drink. It’s the only sport they let you drink while you are playing it. There’s a reason why: it’s the most unbeatable game in the world.”
Lmfaooo he never misses.
Here's the most alarming part about the Lakers' 10-11 start: they've had the softest schedule defensively and yet they rank 20th on that end of the floor. After tomorrow, they'll have played HOU 2x, OKC 2x and DET 2x. Only team in NBA who will have played the worst 3 offenses 2x.
The good news for the Lakers fans is that Anthony Davis has the solution to the Lakers' problems. You see, all they have to do is go on a 10-game winning streak. Via ESPN:
"You know, 10-11, I mean, we could go on a 10-game winning streak, 12-game winning streak, now the narrative is different," Davis said. "You know, 10-game winning streak, we're 20-11. Now we'll shut everybody up. But it's on us. We're going to have to do it. It's not just going to be easy."
Finally it comes to light that AD is the real bubble boy
https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1464657680178421760?s=20
Anthony Davis this season:
16.7% on threes — worst in NBA history by any player with 2+ attempts per game and 20+ games played.
38.3% on midrange — worst in the NBA by any player with 100+ attempts.
33.1% on jumpshots — worst in the NBA by any player with 150+ attempts.
Considering how bad Garrett is and was at both jobs, shouldn’t Romo be considered for the HOF? I can’t think of a QB who had worse coaching throughout an entire NFL career.
My coworkers are split between Favre and Elway with a few saying Vick…so who is it?
The Warriors are 11-1 at home, the only loss coming against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first of eight consecutive games at Chase. In the 10 home games since, they have gone on a rampage of destruction, winning every game by double digits – with an average victory margin of 20 points.
“We have a really good team. That’s the main thing,” Kerr said. “If you’re good and you can defend like we are defending, then you will win a lot of home games.
“I love the way we have established that early on the season. Our fans feel it. We can hear our fans every night. We hear the noise, energy and excitement. We’re building something with our fan base this year that’s really special.”
Where the growth is most evident is in the seats within the band of rows just above court level, which lead directly to lavishly furnished suites – “courtside lounges” – beneath. In each of the first two seasons at Chase, most fans would be visible until halftime, when they headed for the lounges and stayed out of sight for the duration of the game. The result was a sparsely populated sections five rows off the floor.
In the last couple games, though, most of those seats were refilled after the halftime with fans who were as engaged as those sitting near the top of the lower bowl and throughout the nether reaches of the place.
“It’s different given that we are in a different building than we were a few years ago when we were on top of the league,” Kerr said. “This feels fresh and new and after the last couple of years, we’ve earned this and our fans have earned this too.” https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/warriors-starting-make-chase-center-imposing-oracle-arena
Rudy Gobert: “We’re letting a lot of games get away that we should win. At the end of the season, we’re going to feel stupid.”
Rudy: “We’re not playing like a team that wants to compete for a championship. … Even the young teams are playing better than us in the clutch.”
Rudy: “I don’t know how many years we’re gonna keep losing in the playoffs and not learning from it. I might be 30. I might be 40. We need to put our egos aside and learn.”
Rudy: “When we’re moving the ball and finding the open man, it’s simple. It’s a blessing to have so many great shooters and guys who can get to the rim. … It’s fun when we do that. No matter who scores, it’s fun when we win. And when we don’t, we make it hard on ourselves.”
Donovan Mitchell: “You can’t put this on Quin or the assistants. This is on us. We’ve just got to f***in’ play better.”
Two quick ones from @ESPNStatsInfo:
Utah was a 14-point favоrite tonight at Caesars Spоrtsbook making this the largest upset in the NBA this year.
Pelicans had lost 22 straight when they trailed with a minute to play in the 4th quarter/overtime prior to tonight.
mine would be the 2018 Saints, the 2019 49ers, or the 2020 Chiefs
Gregg Popovich praised Enеs Kantеr for speaking up about human rights abusеs around the world.
“I am glad that Enеs speaks up when he feels like it. I think it’s great. No reason not to.”
Pop on importance of speaking out:
"We live in a world now where people are just willing to make stuff up and lie, promote cоnspiracy theоries, all these sorts of things – and a lot of people are buying it. So pointing things out, calling it out when you need to is, important."
Yes, on November 27, 2011, The San Diego Chargers ran in to the unstoppable juggernaut that was the 2011 Tim Tebow Denver Broncos. The Broncs defeated the Chargers 16-13 in overtime to win their fifth straight game with Tebow at the helm, raising their record from a dead-duck 1-5 to a lively 6-5 in the process. Tebow drove the Broncos 68 yards to a game-tying FG with less than two minutes to go in regulation, and then to to the game-winner in OT.
Tebow threw for just 143 yards on 18 attempts in the win, but did so reasonably efficiently, posting a 95.4 PR, besting Philip Rivers, an actual passing QB, who had to chuck it 18 more times than Tebow did to generate just 45 more passing yards.
Tebow actually ran the ball more than he threw it. Running the read-option, Tebow rushed 22 times for 67 yards. According to the statisticians, this was the most official rushing attempts by a QB in the Super Bowl era, heck, the most since at least 1950, when teams may have still been running the Single-Wing, or something.
Anyway, just a friendly reminder of the heady days of "Tebowmania". I'm still not sure what the difference between Tebow and Taysom Hill is, they look like the same player to me. But Hill is making $40 million or something in the NFL.
If the Minnesota Timberwolves win tonight in Charlotte, it will be the Wolves sixth win in a row.
The last time the Wolves won six in a row Anthony Edwards was two years old (April 2004).
Chris Finch said they’ll re-evaluate Patrick Beverley (left adductor strain) in about two weeks. So he’ll be out at least until then.
Isaiah Stewart has six or seven stitches across his eye. Dwane Casey: "I told him they were beauty marks."
Pistons coach Dwane Casey said Isaiah Stewart, who returns today from a two-game suspension from the incident w LeBron, was remorseful and what happened was in no way a reflection of who he is.
Why did the NBA fine VanVleet $15k for the big balls celebration but not Lebron?
Go watch old tape of games prior to the rule change. Shit just feels way more fluid and fast now. One of the things that the NBA has done super well to improve the product imo
I was on the Nuggets sub the other day and was surprised to see a lot of animosity towards Bol Bol.
Miss me with the Simmons/Kyrie/Westbrook hate. Who’s your team’s fan unfavorite?
Howard has a theory. His omission from the team released in October — which players, media, coaches and executives voted on and aimed to name the 75 best players since the league’s inception in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America — is more personal than hoops-inspired.
“I can’t go back and do anything right now,” Howard said in a recent conversation with The Athletic. “But at the time, I was kinda bitter to hear that I wasn’t on that list.”
But Howard is on ours. He clocks in at No. 56 on The Athletic’s Top 75.
He calls his exclusion from the league’s list “very disrespectful” and comes armed with reasons why.
“You hear people say, ‘He was only dominant for a couple of years.’ I didn’t know eight years of being an All-Star, being dominant for eight years, was a couple of years,” he said. “I didn’t know winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards in a row, and it should’ve been four, is something that is considered not good.
“There’s guys who don’t have those many accolades. I’m the (youngest) player that’s (reached) 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 all the way up to 9,000 rebounds. That doesn’t add up. So, where is the miscommunication? Where is the lie with my stats?”
Howard reportedly stated a preferеnce to go to the Nеts. The Magic dеalt him to the Lakers, who were putting together a supеr team with Kobе Bryant, Stеve Nash and Pau Gasol.
“My intention when I first left Orlando was not to go to L.A., and the Magic knew that, but despite my wishes to go somewhere else, they sent me to L.A., which was one of the places at that time that I did not want to go. I felt like it would have made people feel as though I was trying to follow in somebody else’s footsteps,” Howard said, a reference to Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal, to whom a young Howard drew comparisons.
Howard uses a 32-point, 30-rebound game he had during his one season in Charlotte, only the second 30-30 game in the NBA since 1982, to push against the critics.
“Their take even on the 30-30 game was, ‘Well, he could’ve been doing that every night if he just took the game seriously,’” he said. “It’s like, it doesn’t make any sense. I did something that hasn’t been done — once in 35 years by Kevin Love.”
