With my spies telling me that Utah in particular is keeping a very interested eye on Luka Doncic’s situation, even the Nets’ kitchen-sink offer for Doncic — the four firsts from Phoenix and one from Philly, plus whatever matching salary not named Bridges is needed to make the deal work — likely falls massively short.
Source: John Hollinger, Alex Schiffer, Alex Schiffer and John Hollinger @ The Athletic
NBA Central: “If I’m Kawhi Leonard, I would really consider retirement.” – Paul Pierce (Via @shobasketball ) pic.twitter.com/mUjJhTAslp
Source: Twitter @TheNBACentral
Clutch Points: Marcus Smart wins the 2022-23 NBA Hustle Award 💪 It’s the second straight time Smart has won the award and the third time in 5 seasons. pic.twitter.com/b5Ewu97BPs
Source: Twitter @ClutchPointsApp
Tim MacMahon: I hate speculating about somebody else’s sources but I can tell you the Grizzlies did not want the messaging out there of basically “Dillon Brooks is the scapegoat, we’re dumping Dillon Brooks and everything’s gonna be fine.”
Source: YouTube
Stephen Jackson, who praised Brooks during Memphis’ series against L.A., said the team “demeaned” his character based on their quick and aggressive hook on the 27-year-old. He also feels James’ impact in the league had something to do with the decision. “For me, I think it’s bulls–t,” Jackson said on the “Paper Route” podcast via I AM ATHLETE. “I guess if you offend LeBron, everybody gets mad. I guess when you compete against LeBron, everybody gets mad. Yeah, he got a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, he might say some things. Читать дальше...
“James, I don’t even know where to start,” Embiid said when asked about his co-star. “Since he’s been here — he won’t tell me that — but I think he kind of made his goal for me to be MVP. He has given up a lot. Obviously, I’ve always said it, he’s the best playmaker I’ve ever played with and he’s the best playmaker probably in the NBA. He’s been helping me as far as getting me easy opportunities, whether it’s to score or just be a better basketball player.”
Source: Sam DiGiovanni @ Clutch Points
“It’s still tough to lock in every single time. It’s still tough to smile every single time,” Kuminga said. “But knowing where I’ve come from, seeing how many things that I’ve actually been through that a lot of people don’t know that got me to this point… I feel like throughout my career, throughout my life, I’ve never been given anything. I’ve seen so many people just get handed stuff. That’s never happened to me.
Source: C.J. Holmes @ San Francisco Chronicle
Kyle Neubeck: Embiid was asked about the idea of coming back tonight vs. returning in Game 3, said he doesn’t think it matters either way. “With what I have, I’m supposed to be out 4-6 weeks…got this out of the way, disappointed by the loss, but that’s a step toward getting back to myself”
Source: Twitter @KyleNeubeck
Tim Bontemps: Joel Embiid on his health moving forward and if he’s concerned about his knee swelling up after playing tonight: “I think I’ll be fine. I’ve played through a lot. … We’ve got a big chance, and we’ve got to take advantage of it.”
Source: Twitter @TimBontemps
The Volume: “I played like sh*t. I am disgusted with myself right now.” Draymond Green takes responsibility for his performance against the Lakers
Source: Twitter @TheVolumeSports
The Philadelphia 76ers (1-1) play against the Boston Celtics (1-1) at TD Garden
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The Celtics’ offense now relies heavily on what Mazzulla calls “randomness.” As Smart described the system, the team has “a couple plays” with all sorts of reads off those actions. Everything only works if the players operate on the same page. “Literally,” Smart said, “the majority of the offense is random.”
Source: Jay King @ The Athletic
Duane Rankin: Monty Williams is “optimistic” Chris Paul will return as #Suns play Game 3 Friday down 2-0 to #Nuggets. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/PaBFmZ8xUR
Source: Twitter @DuaneRankin
