The latest edition of "Shaqtin a Fool" is ready to air, and it stars Kemba Walker.
Thursday night's matchup between the Heat and Hornets ended with a Charlotte victory, but not before some Swaggy P-level high jinks from Walker. The Hornets point guard was so absolutely sure his shot was going in, he turned away and hit 'em with the shoulders.
But then the darndest thing happened. The shot rimmed out.
Keep doing you, Kemba.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are defying the naysayers who hint the two can't play alongside one another.
Love had 30 points and 15 rebounds, and Irving contributed 32 points, 12 assists and five rebounds in the Cavaliers' 124-118 victory over the Celtics on Thursday. It was the first time the pair had scored 30 points in the same game as teammates.
Not to be outdone, LeBron James finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double by pouring in 23 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Despite the enthralling performances by Cleveland's "Big Three," Boston nearly pulled off an epic comeback. The Celtics trailed by 18 points entering the fourth quarter, but they cut the deficit to a point four times in the final two minutes.
Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 31 points on just 13 shot attempts. He also had nine assists and two steals. Avery Bradley added 23 points.
This game could have been a preview of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics, however, will need to get more out of Al Horford — six points Thursday night — if they are going to reach that point.
The Jazz trio of Gordon Hayward, George Hill and Rodney Hood combined for 61 points in their team's 100-83 victory over the 76ers. Hill, who had not played since Nov. 29 because of a toe injury, led the way with 21 points in his return.
Hayward and Hood scored 20 points apiece. Utah remains one of the sleeper teams in the Western Conference despite getting crushed by the Warriors last week.
Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook had no assists and six turnovers before being ejected from OKC's 114-80 loss to Memphis. He became the only player over the last 25 years (regular season) to be ejected while finishing with no assists and more than five turnovers. He finished the game with 21 points in 23 minutes.
Pay attention to the dismount; Marvin Williams goes for style:
Throw it down, Marvin! #BuzzCity #NBAVine https://t.co/tTRkW78XsH
— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2016
Williams scored 13 points for the Hornets in their 91-82 win over the Heat. Teammate Nicolas Batum had 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Before Thunder guard Russell Westbrook could even dish out an assist, the MVP candidate was tossed from Thursday's game against the Grizzlies after complaining to the officials about a shot clock reset issue.
With Memphis' JaMychal Green at the free-throw line, Westbrook can be heard ripping an official before receiving back to back technical fouls resulting in an ejection. He yells, "that's bulls—, that's crazy" while pointing at another official on his way out.
Westbrook continued to argue about the shot clock resetting on a previous Grizzlies’ possession. during the free throw attempts one official T'd him up then signaled all the players to clear out so Gasol could shoot the technical free throw. Westbrook continued to argue and did not clear out and then got his second T.
Watch it here:
It was a frustrating night all around for Westbrook, who was tossed with 6:41 to go in the third. He finished with with 21 points, five rebounds and six turnovers on 6-of-19 shooting from the field.
Dwyane Wade was forced from the Bulls' game Wednesday because of a migraine that affected his vision.
The All-Star guard left in the fourth quarter of an eventual 101-99 victory over the Nets, the second time in less than a week that he's been affected by a migraine.
"I had a headache before the game," Wade told reporters afterward. "I took a fall in the second half. I didn't hit my head, but I guess the way my body jerked and reacted, it kind of triggered my headache back. I lost a little vision in [my] eye. So I came out on the court, couldn't see the rim. My wife was talking, I couldn't see her. So I decided to come out and come in the back and put ice on my neck and take some medicine, get my neck massaged because it's muscular when it happens like that."
Wade, who scored 16 points in 23 minutes before exiting, missed last Friday morning's shootaround because of a migraine but was able to play against the Hornets that night.
Though each individual's migraines are unique, and each migraine for that individual can be different, many often share some characteristics: vision disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise, throbbing or pulsing pain, nausea and, afterward, weakness, dizziness and/or change in mood.
"There's different levels of migraines," Wade said Wednesday night. "I'm not out of the clear, so tonight could be a tough night for me. Hopefully it's not, but it's different levels. I could explain it all day, but just know it's not a good thing. It affects more than just your head. It affects your body, it affects your energy, it affects your eyes. It affects your attitude, of course. So there's a lot of different levels of migraines. It's unfortunate."
Wade did say there might've been a chance he could've re-entered the game if Jimmy Butler hadn't knocked a buzzer-beating winning shot: "My eyes did start feeling a little better. I can see you right now, so I'm OK, but I'm not totally out of it. I can still feel a little bit in there. But you never know. We didn't have to get to that point because No. 21 [Butler] bailed us out."
Former NBA coach George Karl has been scrutinized lately for comments he made in his upcoming book "Furious George" and he seems perplexed by it.
“The backlash was interesting," Karl said Thursday on "Mike & Mike."
When asked whether he was surprised by the reactions, he said, "yeah."
In the soon-to-be-released book, he had strong words for former Nuggets players Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith. Martin went on a Twitter rant after the release of excerpts from the book and was most upset with Karl bringing up the fact he and Anthony didn't grow up with fathers (Anthony's dad died of cancer when he was 2).
I didn't have a father going up. We all know that. What's George Karl excuse for being a terrible person
— Kenyon Martin Sr. (@KenyonMartinSr) December 22, 2016
“I said it poorly, and I’m sorry that I said it poorly, and I’m sorry for the reaction," Karl said about the father excerpt. "I know Kenyon; the one thing I love about Kenyon Martin is that he’s a good father.
“Sometimes I think when you take excerpts out of the book, it becomes not exactly what I said.”
Even though he seems to know Martin was upset, Karl said he hasn't been paying close attention to all the negative feedback.
“I haven’t studied all of the criticism; I’ve been on kind of a Christmas tour with my family. I’m just trying to stay joyous in the season," he said.
When asked whether he wanted to speak to any of the players to clear up anything, he said, "I’m not forcing the issue right now." Although he did say if a player reached out to him and wanted to have dinner, he'd accept.
Thunder star point guard Russell Westbrook didn't get to finish his team's 114-80 loss to the Grizzlies on Thursday after picking up two technical fouls in succession in the third quarter and earning an ejection.
Westbrook said after the game he is fed up with what he sees as harsh treatment by NBA referees.
"Honestly, I don't know, man. Honestly, it's crazy to be ejected like that, especially when I didn't do nothing," Westbrook said, via ESPN.com. "It's just crazy, man. Especially for me, because I feel like I don't get the benefit of the doubt most of the time, especially throughout the game with refs.
"I get so many techs just for talking. I can't even say nothing when I'm getting hammered every time I go to the basket throughout the games and previous games. Not tonight, but every night. I just don't get reffed the same way as other people, and I don't appreciate it."
Westbrook became the only player in the past 25 years (regular season) to be ejected while finishing with no assists and more than five turnovers (six). He finished the game with 21 points in 23 minutes.
Westbrook's beef with officials Thursday started when he felt there was an incorrect reset of the shot clock on what he thought was an air ball. As JaMychal Green was shooting free throws, Westbrook swore and berated the officials over the missed call. Official Brian Forte gave Westbrook the second technical for his outburst.
Referee Jason Phillips said after the game the reset was not reviewable. He also shed more light on why Westbrook was ejected.
"We explained to him — Brian Forte explained to him: 'We're good, we've got to let it go, we can't go review it anyway, but I hear what you're saying. We've got to move on,'" Phillips said. "He continues to complain about it, so then he is issued the first technical foul.
"After being issued the first technical foul, he continues to complain about the ball not hitting the rim and then even proceeds to use some profanity during the conversation also. So at that point he's issued the second technical foul, which results in an automatic ejection."
Westbrook may feel hard-done by, but he needs to take responsibility for his actions when it's clear he was in the wrong.
A small plane carrying six people from Cleveland to Columbus after the Cavaliers' NBA game Thursday night disappeared after takeoff from an airport near Lake Erie, NBC News reported .
According to the report, air traffic control officials lost contact with the Cessna Citation 525 after its departure at 10:57 p.m. ET from Burke Lakefront Airport. The plane was carrying people who attended the Cavs game.
A spokesman for the airport told NBC News that the airplane, with three adults and three children aboard, was bound for Ohio State University, where the airplane is hangared. The passengers, however, do not have any affiliation with the university, a Coast Guard official told The Associated Press .
The Coast Guard search overnight, focusing on an area about two miles offshore in Lake Erie, was hampered by 15-foot waves, but daylight and calmer waters made for better search conditions Friday morning, a Coast Guard captain told reporters, adding that officials "believe it's [members of] two families [on board], but we're still confirming."
The names of the six were not immediately made public.
NBC News reported shortly after noon ET Friday that no debris had been found, and no emergency beacon had been detected.
Yomiuri Giants lefty Tetsuya Utsumi had surgery to remove a mediastinal tumor between his lungs, the Central League team said Monday.
The tumor was discovered during a routine postseason physical. Utsumi, 34, is expected to be discharged from hospital within the year and could begin working out in January sometime, the Giants said.
General manager Tatsuyoshi Tsutsumi said the tumor is not serious.
“It’s not a huge ordeal,” Tsutsumi said. “He won’t be able to pitch right away. The expectation is that he can resume throwing in January.”
Utsumi made 18 starts this past season, going 9-6 with a 3.94 ERA. He took a 50 percent pay cut last month when he renewed his contract, signing for ¥200 million.
NAGOYA – The Chunichi Dragons have acquired lefty Elvis Araujo and right-hander Jorge Rondon, sources said Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Araujo, who pitched in 72 games over the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, was recently released by the Miami Marlins.
The 28-year-old Rondon has pitched in 13 big league games for four different teams. Both he and Araujo are Venezuelans.
The Dragons, who finished last this past season for the first time since 1997, also intend to bring back lefty Jordan Norberto, who went 6-6 with a 4.24 ERA in his first Japanese season.
HIROSHIMA – Masato Akamatsu, a speedy reserve outfielder for the Hiroshima Carp, revealed Wednesday that he has stomach cancer.
“It’s not life threatening, but I have to have surgery,” said the 34-year-old, who will have an operation early next month. “I want to recuperate quickly and get back to where I was.”
The cancer was discovered on Dec. 15, when he was having a personal checkup with his first stomach examination using an endoscope. Akamatsu had not been suffering from any symptoms.
In August 2010, the spindly outfielder became known around the world for his “Spiderman catch” when a video of him scaling Mazda Stadium’s center-field wall to rob then-Yokohama BayStars slugger Shuichi Murata of a home run went viral.
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS – John Barfield, a left-hander from Arkansas who pitched three seasons for the Texas Rangers beginning in 1989, died in a shooting in Little Rock, police and family members said. He was 52.
Police said Barfield was fatally shot on Christmas Eve after an altercation with an acquaintance in downtown Little Rock. William Goodman, 59, of Pine Bluff is being held in the Pulaski County jail on preliminary charges of first-degree murder in connection with Barfield’s death, which has been classified as a homicide. Court records do not list an attorney for Goodman.
Barfield was a native of Pine Bluff and led his high school team to a state championship, then played at a community college in Missouri and at Oklahoma City University. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Rangers in 1986.
CHICAGO – Everything changed for the Chicago Cubs on a rainy November night. A century-plus worth of heartache washed away by a wave of pure joy.
There were hugs, cheers and tears — and bottles and bottles of booze, sprayed everywhere from Cleveland to the shadow of Wrigley Field.
Lovable losers, no more. The story of so many lifetimes is The Associated Press’ Sports Story of the Year.
“The burden has been lifted,” manager Joe Maddon said.
The Cubs’ first World Series title since 1908 is the runaway winner for top sports story of 2016, collecting 48 of 59 first-place votes and 549 points in balloting by AP members and editors. The death of Muhammad Ali after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease was second with 427 points, and LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the franchise’s first NBA title took third with 425 points.
In a year that seemed to be more about what we lost (Ali, Arnold Palmer, Gordie Howe, Pat Summitt, Jose Fernandez and the plane crash that killed most of the Brazilian club soccer team Chapecoense) than the winners on the field, the Cubs provided a feel-good moment that warmed at least the north side of Chicago well into the city’s notoriously brutal winter. They drew huge ratings throughout the playoffs, with much of the country tuning in to see if it finally was the year.
It was.
“I think a lot of casual fans were initially drawn to the Cubs in the postseason because of the 108-year drought and the curse narrative,” president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. “But when they tuned in, they saw a talented team full of young, exciting players who are also team-first, high-character people.”
As baseball stories go, the 2016 Cubs had it all. One last stand for David Ross, a retiring catcher who became a key figure in Chicago’s clubhouse. Loads of bright young stars, with Kris Bryant turning in an MVP performance. An eccentric personality in Maddon, who cemented his status as one of the game’s best managers.
There was history, for the franchise and its front office, with Epstein helping end two of baseball’s biggest droughts. See Boston Red Sox, 2004.
That would have been enough to make it one of the top sports stories of any year, but an epic finish only added to the luster of the franchise’s third championship. The Cubs dropped three of the first four games in the World Series against the Indians, and then rallied to force Game 7 in Cleveland.
After Chicago blew a 6-3 lead in the finale, outfielder Jason Heyward got his teammates together during a short rain delay before the top of the 10th. The Cubs caught their breath, and then finished off the famed Billy Goat Curse with an 8-7 victory that will live on in the bars of Wrigleyville for many years to come.
“The players-only meeting during the rain delay was emblematic of this team,” Epstein said. “Instead of lamenting the blown lead or pointing fingers, the players rallied around one another and picked each other up.”
Ali was mourned all over the world after his death in June at age 74. President Barack Obama called his wife, Lonnie, to express his condolences, and a public memorial in the boxer’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, drew an eclectic mix of celebrities, athletes and politicians.
“He was a tremendous bolt of lightning, created by Mother Nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty,” comedian Billy Crystal said.
Cavs star James called Ali “the first icon,” and announced in November that he planned to donate $2.5 million to support a museum exhibit honoring the former heavyweight champion. He also is producing a documentary on Ali for HBO.
It was quite a year for James, who powered Cleveland to its own comeback from a 3-1 deficit against Golden State for the city’s first major professional sports championship since 1964. He tried to cheer the Indians to a second title for Cleveland, but they fell just short.
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows acquired right-hander Ross Ohlendorf on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, the Central League club announced Tuesday.
The 34-year-old, who pitched in 64 games for the Cincinnati Reds this season, relies on a good fastball and sinker and has a high strikeout rate.
Ohlendorf is scheduled to join his new team in mid-February, after his wife gives birth. He is expected to replace Kyle Davies, whose departure was announced also Tuesday after going 4-5 this year, in Yakult’s starting rotation.
“He is a full-time major leaguer,” Masayuki Okumura, the Swallows’ international scouting director, said of Ohlendorf, who has a 30-41 record with a 4.82 ERA in 209 games. “Our target was to add a power pitcher in the rotation.”
NEW YORK – Former major leaguer Takashi Saito has been appointed club adviser for the San Diego Padres and will take on the new role starting Jan. 1, baseball sources said Tuesday.
The 46-year-old had been working as an intern at the National League club’s front office after ending his 24-year career, seven years of which were spent in the majors, last season.
In his new post, he will work with the general manager and gather information on Asia, including Japan and Australia, while advising on the team’s organizational structure.
Saito, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 from the Yokohama BayStars, pitched for five major league teams before returning to Japan with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles before the 2013 season, getting a combined 112 wins and 139 saves over his career in Japan and the major leagues.
LOS ANGELES – Third baseman Justin Turner and the Los Angeles Dodgers have finalized their $64 million, four-year contract.
Turner gets a $4 million signing bonus, payable Dec. 31, under the agreement completed Friday, and salaries of $12 million next year, $11 million in 2018, $18 million in 2019 and $19 million in 2020.
He would get a $1 million assignment bonus each time he is traded.
“JT has been, and will continue to be, a vital part of the Dodgers on the field, in the clubhouse and in the community,” said Andrew Friedman, Los Angeles’ president of baseball operations, in a statement. “His talent, work ethic, leadership and instincts for the game embodies a lot of what we look for in a Dodger player.”
Los Angeles also has a pending $80 million, five-year agreement with closer Kenley Jansen. The deals raise the Dodgers’ projected luxury tax payroll to $230 million next year, in line for a tax of about $19 million.
The 32-year-old Turner spent two seasons with Baltimore and four with the New York Mets, then became a free agent when the Mets failed to offer a 2014 contract. A Southern California native who attended Cal State Fullerton, he signed a $1 million, one-year deal with the Dodgers, hit .340 in 109 games, and took over as the starting third baseman.
Turner hit .275 with 27 homers and 90 RBIs this year, batted .400 with five RBIs in the Division Series against Washington, then .200 with three RBIs in the League Championship Series loss to the Chicago Cubs. He failed to accept the Dodgers’ $17.2 million qualifying offer.
“Playing in Los Angeles has been special for me, and I want to continue to represent and give back to this community,” Turner said in a statement.
At the winter meetings, the Dodgers announced a $48 million, three-year contract with left-hander Rich Hill, acquired from Oakland at the trade deadline Aug. 1.
NEW YORK – Fans in London could get a taste of one of MLB’s fiercest rivalries if suggestions of a Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees series in London pan out, U.S. media reported Friday.
The Boston Herald first reported the possibility, and Yankees president Randy Levine confirmed to MLB.com that there have been discussions on possible 2018 games between the American League East rivals in London.
“The Yankees have been at the forefront of suggesting that we bring the great game of baseball to London,” Levine told MLB.com.
“There have been some meaningful attempts to do so. . .”
One of the most prolific hitters among foreign players in Japan, and a most fan- and media-friendly personality, returned to the country earlier this month to say “konnichi wa” and offer batting instruction to Japanese youngsters.
He’s Alonzo Powell, a former Chunichi Dragons outfielder who found success playing in Japan more than 20 years ago after a brief major league career with the Montreal Expos and Seattle Mariners.
Powell, now 52 and a full-time batting coach with the American League Houston Astros, was back in Japan for a series of clinics, teaching kids the secrets of hitting. He was in Okayama and Akita Dec. 6-11, and we caught up with him by phone to get his thoughts about being back in the country, his memories of his time here in the 1990s and his current job in Texas.
Powell was 28 when he reported to Nagoya midway through the 1992 season, and it appeared at first then-Chunichi manager Morimichi Takagi did not know quite what to do with the newcomer. He would __play ‘Zo, as Powell likes to be called, one day but bench him the next.
He’d be in right field today but in left field tomorrow, and Powell would often not even know which position he would be playing — or even if he would be in the starting lineup — until after pre-game practice was finished and the game was about to start. It was confusing, but that’s how his time in Japan started.
About his first impression of Japanese baseball, Powell said, “It was overwhelming in the beginning. I had heard about Japanese baseball while in America but did not realize how big it is.” He was referring to the level of play, the fact some games draw 50,000 fans and the nationwide media coverage.
“It was like the major leagues,” he said. Having had his chance in the bigs and now finding himself in Japan, he was determined to make the most of the opportunity in what was likely his last shot at a meaningful career in pro baseball.
“I thought I could be successful, __play well and win with my team,” he said, referring to his joining the Dragons 24 years ago. He batted .308 in 88 games that first season and was invited back for a full year. In 1993, he slammed 27 homers and hit .317 while establishing himself as one of the Central League’s best hitters.
One of his trademarks was, as the legendary former New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel used to say, “hitting it where they ain’t.” Powell would often tap soft rollers that somehow found their way between the infielders for a hit.
A line drive hitter too, he had his share of scorching shots down the lines or in the gaps between the outfielders.
In 1994, Powell won his first batting title with a .324 average. He repeated as the CL leader, posting averages of .355 in 1995 and .340 in 1996, and he matched the Pacific League batting champion who also won three titles in a row those years — a guy by the name of Ichiro Suzuki.
While Ichiro, playing for the Orix BlueWave, went on to win four more silver bats before heading for the major leagues in 2001, Powell’s streak ended in 1997 when the Dragons moved from hitter-friendly Nagoya Stadium to the newly opened Nagoya Dome. His average dropped to .253.
“For some odd reason, it took me a while to adjust to the lighting (in the dome),” he said. “That’s no excuse though. You still have to play, but it was weird.”
Chunichi let him go following that season, and he was picked up by a rival Central League club, the Hanshin Tigers. Playing at Koshien Stadium as his home in 1998, he managed to hit just .255, and his seven-year Japan stint was over.
In 1999, Powell played Triple-A ball in Columbus, Ohio, hoping to get picked up by the parent New York Yankees, but that call never came. Coincidentally, his manager at Columbus was Trey Hillman, who would later pilot the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to a Japan Series title in 2006.
In 2016, Hillman and Powell were together in Houston as the Astros’ bench coach and batting coach, respectively.
Between 2000 and 2005, Powell served as a hitting coach with the Cincinnati Reds and also manager of the Reds Single-A minor league club in Dayton, Ohio. That team’s nickname, curiously, was the Dragons, and Powell says, “It was a marquee franchise in minor league baseball. All the games were sold out.”
Between 2006 and 2015, Powell worked as a batting coach and coordinator at the major and minor level with the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres before landing in Houston.
Looking to 2017 and the Astros, Powell is optimistic, saying, “The future looks bright. We have a great corps of young players, such as (2014 and 2016 American League batting champ) Jose Altuve who already has more hits at 25 than did Pete Rose at that age.” With outfielder Norichika Aoki going to Houston, Powell will have someone with whom to practice his Nihongo.
Powell expects to return to Japan next year for more clinics organized by his friend Takahiro Kondo. Powell says, “It is easy for me to return to Japan, to give something back, and I am so thankful to the fans for the time I played here. It was a wonderful experience that will always have a special place in my heart.”
He also cited his interpreters with the Dragons, Toyoharu Kunimitsu and Toru Ashiki. “I want them to know how much they helped me,” he said.
The Baseball Bullet-In wishes all readers a Merry Christmas and all the best for a Happy New Year.
Contact Wayne Graczyk at: Wayne@JapanBall.com
Putting too much stock in the opening 20 games of an NBA season can be a dangerous game. Teams such as the Celtics are still figuring out how to work their offseason acquisitions into their offense and defense, while the likes of the Timberwolves are still learning the nuances of their new coach and system. A lot could change between now and 2017, let alone when the playoffs begin in April.
Nevertheless, we can start to see some trends emerge within the first month of the season. This time last year, for example, the Rockets were 7-11 with James Harden and Dwight Howard struggling to find a rhythm. It didn’t get much better for them as the season progressed, and they’ve now gone their separate ways. On the other end of the spectrum, the Warriors cruised to a 19-0 start and looked like a team that could legitimately challenge the Bulls for the best regular season record in NBA history. They went on to win 73 games and fell one victory short of back-to-back titles.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most surprising and disappointing developments thus far to get a feel for what is going on in the NBA.
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Before the season began, the pairing of James Harden and Mike D’Antoni looked unstoppable on paper. The only thing holding people back from totally buying in was Harden’s performance last season, when the Rockets fell apart months after he finished second in MVP voting. As a result, few bought the idea of him being a pass-first guard — even though he had all the skills to succeed — in a system that demanded a Steve Nash-like presence.
Through 17 games, those concerns look foolish. Harden is averaging 28.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 7.4 rebounds per game, which are totals only Oscar Robertson can match. Plus, the Rockets have been competitive. They’ve struggled defensively, but they’re one of just four teams averaging over 110 points per 100 possession. It’s helped them keep their heads above water during a road-heavy portion of their schedule, which bodes well for how the rest of their season should play out.
Based on the way D’Antoni has made the game easier for him, there’s no reason to believe Harden can’t sustain these numbers either. It’s almost as if he was destined to play for D’Antoni.
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The good news for the Mavericks is Harrison Barnes has been much better than anyone ever expected. Rick Carlisle has basically turned him into a Dirk Nowitzki clone, and he’s thrived as a small-ball power forward who can knock down midrange jumpers and take bigger defenders off the dribble.
Outside of that, there isn’t much for Mavericks fans to get excited about. Wesley Matthews has been better lately, but he still doesn’t look like the player he was before tearing his Achilles. J.J. Barea, Deron Williams and Nowitzki have each been dealing with injuries and the Mavericks have fallen to last place in the Western Conference with a 3-13 record.
To make matters worse, it doesn’t look like they’ll be turning their attention to next season anytime soon by tanking the rest of the way.
The Mavericks have only missed the playoffs once in the last 16 years. Unless something big changes between now and April, it’ll be twice once this season is over with.
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We should know by now to never underestimate LeBron James. Even though he has a tendency to coast during the regular season, he is casually putting up 23.6 points, 9.7 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in his 14th season in the NBA. Once again, those numbers basically put him in a class of his own.
The scary part: James has never looked this comfortable with his teammates. The roster has been built entirely around his strengths to the point where he can basically pick and choose how the Cavaliers will score against teams on every possession.
Switch a smaller player onto James in the pick-and-roll? Go to the post. Crash down on his drives? Kick it out to one of three (and sometimes four) 3-point shooters standing on the perimeter. Shade too much towards the perimeter out of fear of giving up open 3s? Find a cutter down the lane.
The culmination is a 13-3 record for the Cavaliers, the third-best point differential in the league and a record-breaking number of 3-pointers. While James isn’t the shooter or athlete he once was, other parts of his game are only getting better.
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We know the Jazz have the potential to be one of the best teams in the NBA, but injuries to key players continue to hold them back from reaching their full potential — George Hill, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors have each missed a number of games this season.
Even though they’re much better than their 11-8 record shows, this isn’t the first time injuries have prevented them from establishing themselves as a Western Conference powerhouse.
It’s a similar situation for the Pelicans. Anthony Davis has been healthy for the first time in what feels like forever, but the rest of the roster has been decimated by injury. Jrue Holiday has returned and they’re 6-4 in their last 10 games, so they’re starting to be more competitive. It’s just going to take a lot for them to dig themselves out of their 0-8 start to the season.
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Let’s start with the basics. Even on a minutes restriction, Joel Embiid is averaging 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. According to Basketball Reference, the only players to post those numbers in their rookie season in the last 70 years are David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alonzo Mourning, Ralph Sampson and Patrick Ewing.
Pretty good company for Embiid to be in, right?
Now consider this: Embiid’s averages of 28.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per 36 minutes can only be matched by Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ever. Each of them did it in their late 20s or early 30s except for McAdoo, who accomplished the feat at just 22 years old.
Some of those numbers screams small sample size, but Embiid passes the eye test. He’s comfortably nailing 3-pointers, scoring with his back to the basket, running the floor in a way few 7-footers can and protecting the rim with the best of them. Once the 76ers no longer have to worry about how many minutes he’s playing, he’ll only distance himself further from the rest of this rookie class.
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It’s not all doom and gloom in Washington. John Wall has been fantastic, with averages of 23.1 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Bradley Beal has also played well with 20.9 points per game on 38.2 percent shooting from the perimeter. Together, they’ve helped the Wizards’ starting five of Wall, Beal, Otto Porter Jr., Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat outscore teams by 7.8 points per 100 possessions.
The problem is the bench has been a disaster. They currently rank second-to-last in the NBA in bench scoring and they’re being outscored by a whopping 18.9 points per 100 possessions. It’s why Gortat pulled no punches when he said the Wizards have "one of the worst benches in the league." It doesn’t look like it’ll get much better without a trade, either, because Andrew Nicholson, Jason Smith, Ian Mahinmi and Trey Burke were their big offseason acquisitions.
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Tim Duncan is no longer around and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili aren’t the dynamic scorers they once were, but it doesn’t matter. With a 14-4 record, the Spurs have the third-best record in the NBA and they’re the only team still undefeated on the road (10-0).
Why do we ever doubt them?
It helps that they have Kawhi Leonard, who continues to get better on both ends of the floor. Following a season in which he averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game, he’s bumped his totals to 24.8 points per game this season. His overall shooting numbers have dipped slightly from 50.6 percent to 46.2 percent, but he’s still rubbing shoulders with LeBron James, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis in Player Efficiency Rating. He also has more 30 point games this season alone (five) than he had in his career entering this season (four).
So, if it wasn’t already clear, Leonard is an absolute stud, and the Spurs always find a way to win.
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It’s hard to look at the situation Karl-Anthony Towns is in with the Timberwolves and not wish Kristaps Porzingis had something similar. Following a promising rookie season with averages of 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, Porzingis is averaging 20.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a sophomore. And yet, with Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony on the roster, he often feels like the third option.
Getting the opportunity to compete in the playoffs wouldn’t be a terrible outcome for Porzingis this season, but the ceiling for this Knicks team isn’t very high with the Cavaliers, Raptors and Celtics leading the way in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are in the awkward position of being too good to tank but not good enough to grow into a title contender, which isn’t the best situation for Porzingis to grow into the star he has the potential to be.
Or maybe it is? We’ll soon find out. Either way, it would be nice to see him surrounded by younger talent rather than a group of players who might not have a future in New York.
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It’s too early to call this experiment a success, but the Bulls have surpassed just about everyone’s expectations. They’re 10-6 on the season, which is good enough for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. They’re also one of three teams to have a top 10 defense and offense, which is usually a recipe for long-term success.
Furthermore, Jimmy Butler has emerged as the alpha on a team full of alphas with averages of 25.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, and the likes of Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez are doing just enough to help him on both ends of the floor. As long as they continue to beat teams on the offensive glass and give Butler the green light to do whatever he wants on offense, they’ll find ways to make up for their lack of floor spacing.
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We have no idea how good Aaron Gordon could be, but we at least know what he has the potential to become.
As a freak athlete who can put the ball on the floor, finish around the rim, defend a number of positions and knock down the occasional jump shot, he’s best suited as a power forward in today’s NBA. However, due to the acquisitions the Magic made in the offseason, he’s gone from logging 40 percent of his minutes at small forward to 95 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.
It’s no coincidence Gordon’s shooting numbers have dropped dramatically with him logging more minutes at small forward. Far less of his shots are coming from within three feet of the basket — 26.7 percent compared to 45.6 percent in his first two seasons — and he’s seen a significant jump in attempts from around the 3-point line, where he’s making less than 30 percent of his looks.
Seeing as Gordon is the best prospect on the Magic, it’s a shame he’s not being used in a way that sets him up for long-term success. Hopefully that’ll change soon.
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Out with Kobe Bryant and Byron Scott, in with the fun.
Now that the Lakers can focus on their future, they look like a team that’s building something meaningful. Julius Randle looks like Draymond Green 2.0 — on offense, at least — while D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are finally getting the opportunities they need to find their footing in the NBA.
Brandon Ingram is also showing signs of promise as a do-it-all forward on both ends of the floor. Sprinkle in some good defense from Nick Young and volume scoring from Lou Williams, and the Lakers are actually competitive again.
If they don’t make the playoffs this season, the future is bright for the Lakers. At the very least, we couldn’t have said that confidently at this point of last season.
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The Trail Blazers signed Evan Turner to a $70 million contract in the hope he could become the missing piece off their bench. To this point of the season, he has failed to do that.
His numbers are down from 10.5 points and 4.4 assists per game last season to 8.8 points and 2.6 assists per game this season, and he’s only shooting 40.2 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from the 3-point line.
Most concerning of all: Turner is -174 on the season, the worst plus-minus in the entire NBA.
That’s not to say Turner can’t turn it around eventually. He’s a proven playmaker who can help C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard be even better by giving them more opportunities to play off ball. (In Lillard’s case, he’s one of the league’s more efficient spot-up scorers in the league. He’s also dynamite coming off of screens). For the Blazers to be a threat in the Western Conference, though, he’ll need to find his groove sooner rather than later.
These are perilous times for those in the NBA predictions market. An unpredictable offseason has altered the league’s balance of power, and not with the rise of a new superteam. Instead, with Kevin Durant moving from Oklahoma City to Golden State, we saw a superteam get a little more super while the rest of the NBA (with some exceptions) stayed in neutral.
That could open some questions for the league’s awards voters. Could Steve Kerr possibly be considered for coach of the year when he’s got so much talent on hand? Will the departure of Durant make Russell Westbrook an automatic MVP favorite? How can the impact of Durant and two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry be measured on a team as loaded the Golden State?
Perilous times, indeed. But we waded into it, anyway. Slide right through this list for awards predictions from Sporting News NBA experts Sean Deveney and Adi Joseph.
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LeBron James showing up to your house would be enough for most sports fans, but one lucky family got the NBA star and $1.3 million in cash.
The family won the money on a new game show, The Wall, that the Cavaliers star helped create.
The family had no clue the NBA champ was going to show up and James captured the whole heartwarming surprise on video.
Christmas is the season for giving. Ever seen $1.3 million in cash hand delivered to an amazing family? Merry Christmas everyone! #TheWallonNBC #StriveForGreatness #RWTW
Stephen Curry is noted as perhaps the most famous fan of his hometown NFL team, the Carolina Panthers. But when it comes to sorting baseball allegiances for Charlotte, N.C., natives, there really is no method to the madness.
Ahead of Thursday night's game against the Nets in Brooklyn, the Warriors star was asked about recent comments by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman referring to the rival Red Sox as "the Golden State Warriors of baseball." Curry takes it as a compliment.
"I like that comparison because the Red Sox are my favorite team," he said Wednesday, via the New York Daily News. "They obviously made some splashes during the offseason, and when you play an exciting brand of baseball and you're about winning — because that's what we're about — I like the comparison."
Curry, suddenly thrust into baseball's most impassioned rivalry, was then asked by New York media to explain how his fandom came to be.
"I was a free agent growing up in Charlotte," he said. "My brother (Seth) picked the Yankees, so I picked the Red Sox.
"We got a little inner (sic)-city rivalry, which is good."
All the baseball talk must have put Curry in the mood, as he showed off his windup during a new pregame warmup medley complete with bonus football and volleyball impressions.
Curry was bored with his old pre-game routine so he got a new one.#DubNation pic.twitter.com/iMnZ8LIPG0
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2016
Stick to basketball, Steph.
Helen Brooks, the beloved "oldest fan" of the Warriors better known as "Sweetie," died Thursday. She was 107.
Brooks captured the hearts of the Warriors and their fans with her unwavering — and sometimes brutally honest — support for her favorite NBA team during its back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals. She received television shout outs from coach Steve Kerr and was invited by the team last season to watch a game in a suite at Oracle Arena.
Brooks' daughter, Lily Toney, told the East Bay Times her mother “just literally slept away" Thursday morning at an assisted living center in Northern California.
Toney said Brooks was able to watch the Warriors beat the Jazz on Tuesday night by 30 points.
She last attended a game at Oracle Arena on June 16 — Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cavaliers.
Sweetie's favorite @warriors player was Draymond. President @RickWelts presents autographed picture. Rest In Peace! pic.twitter.com/5obG3yXL6i
— carolyn tyler (@ctylerabc7) December 22, 2016
Kerr paid homage to Brooks before Golden State played the Nets in Brooklyn.
“We lost our oldest fan of the Warriors today. A woman named Sweetie. Her story has been told in the Bay Area a ton of times. She was 107 years old,” he told reporters. “Literally the oldest living Warriors fan. She took great joy in our team over the years and especially when we won the championship a couple years ago. She was really happy. We heard about her passing today and wanted to send along our condolences to her family.”
The Warriors also released an official statement on Brooks' passing.
Sweetie loved her Warriors! She passed away this morning at age 107. She'll root the team on from above. 💛💙🏀 pic.twitter.com/gVVhffmMHV
— carolyn tyler (@ctylerabc7) December 22, 2016
“Her enthusiasm and zest for life and the Warriors were second to none, even as she surpassed the century mark. Sweetie’s presence at Oracle Arena during our championship season was as big of a thrill for us as it was for her.”
Brooks, born in Ennis, Texas, in 1909, is survived by two children, Toney, 77, and son Frank Knight, 82; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Kenyon Martin is snapping back at former coach George Karl.
The longtime NBA coach made some nasty allegations against a few of his former players, including Martin, in his yet-to-be released memoir, "Furious George." Karl claimed Martin's lack of a father figure is why he had a "detrimental" personality.
Martin didn't take too kindly to Martin's written words, and he let Twitter know it Thursday afternoon.
I didn't have a father going up. We all know that. What's George Karl excuse for being a terrible person
— Kenyon Martin Sr. (@KenyonMartinSr) December 22, 2016
George Karl is selfish,unhappy,missable,,cowardly person. No wonder he's be fired every place he has coached
— Kenyon Martin Sr. (@KenyonMartinSr) December 22, 2016
The book he is writing is full of lies and deceit. By far the worst coach that ever played for
— Kenyon Martin Sr. (@KenyonMartinSr) December 22, 2016
Clearly there is no love lost between these two.
Karl also bashed J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony in his book. He said the those players and Martin were like “the spoiled brats you see in junior golf and junior tennis."