Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons Out Indefinitely

Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons Out Indefinitely

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by | Aug 9, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers announced this afternoon via ESPN that he will be leaving the NBA bubble to undergo surgery on his left knee. Simmons suffered a partial dislocation to his left knee cap against the Washington Wizards earlier this week. The purpose of the surgery is to remove a loose body in the left knee as a result of the dislocation. The 76ers have not yet ruled Simmons out for the season but according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there is still a chance he could return later if the 76ers were to make a deep playoff run.

 

 

Simmons injured his knee in the late 3rd quarter in the game against the Wizards. The play seemed pretty routine as Simmons secured the rebound dribbled it down the left side of the floor before making an entry past to Al Horford on the left block. The play ended in an offensive foul called against Al Horford but Simmons started to head back on defense with a limp before eventually stopping completely. He flexed the left leg a few times before knowing he could no longer continue to play and checked out of the game.

 

 

This was a very tough injury for Simmons. He had battled with back problems during the regular season before the NBA’s hiatus and used the past few months to really get back to full health. He suffered from nerve impingement in his lower back and when he went out with this injury in late February the Sixer’s only concerns were to get him back healthy for playoffs. The time off before the NBA’s return in Orlando was actually beneficial for Simmons as it gave him time to heal and gave the Sixers time to refocus.

 

 

The Sixers were 11-25 on the road this year, an NBA worst. Simmons’ injury was just one of the few problems they faced back earlier this year. The Sixers needed to make changes somewhere if they were going to get anywhere in the playoffs this year and it just didn’t seem to be clicking for this very talented squad.

Heading into the NBA bubble the Sixers emerged as an Eastern Conference dark horse. They were finally healthy, found some shooters to help the lineup offensively, and they didn’t have to play any more road games (all games played at Disney). All these things sounded good on paper, much like they did for this Sixers team before the 2019-20 season where many chose this team to make it back to the Eastern Conference finals. The problem however has been Philidepia’s inability to execute, too similar to players, and inability to close out games down the stretch.

The Sixers started off 2-1 with Simmons starting in the bubble but were still showing flashes of a team that had addressed some of their problems from before the season’s hiatus. However now without Simmons for most likely the rest of the season this team will really need to find all-star level production from somewhere on their roster. They faired well in their first game without Simmons last night getting a win againt the Orlando Magic after finally pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 108-101 victory.

 

 

The notable performance in this game was Alec Burks who put up 22 points 4 reb and 2 assists. Burks is a very capable scorer and although in a different way than Ben Simmons it would be huge for this team if he could consistently produce around 20 points a game for this team just to take the offensive pressure off of Joel Embiid. Regardless the loss of Simmons will pose its greatest problems for this team come playoffs and with 4 games left until they start the Sixers will have to prepare for playoffs without their All-Star.

 

Aug 9, 2020 No Comments
NBA Awards Finalists Announced: Giannis, LeBron, Ja Morant, Anthony Davis Up For Hardware

NBA Awards Finalists Announced: Giannis, LeBron, Ja Morant, Anthony Davis Up For Hardware

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by | Aug 8, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The NBA announced the finalists for its six individual awards on Saturday including MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year Saturday afternoon.

Each award has six finalists. Voting for the awards was conducted prior to the start of bubble play, meaning only games played before the league’s COVID-19 hiatus on March 11 were considered.

The award nominees are as follows:

Kia NBA Most Valuable Player

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (29.7 ppg., 13.7 rpg., 5.8 apg., 1 bpg.)
• James Harden, Houston Rockets (34.3 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 7.5 apg., 1.8 spg.)
• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (25.3 ppg., 8 rpg., 10.3 apg.)

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year

• Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (17.8 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 7.1 apg.)
• Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat (15.2 ppg., 2.7 rpg., 3.3 apg.)
• Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (22.4 ppg., 6.2 apg., 2.1 apg.)

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (97.2 individual defensive rating, Milwaukee Bucks are 1st in NBA in total defensive rating at 102.1)
• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (26.4 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 3.2 apg., 1.4 spg., 2.3 bpg., 105.7 individual defensive rating, L.A. Lakers are 3rd in NBA in total defensive rating at 105.3)
• Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz (15.1 ppg., 13.6 rpg., 1.5 apg., 0.8 spg., 1.5 bpg., 106.6 individual defensive rating, Utah Jazz are 10th in NBA in total defensive ranking at 108.9)

Kia NBA Sixth Man Award

• Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers (18.6 ppg., 7.1 apg., 1.7 apg., 1.1 bpg.)
• Dennis Schröder, Oklahoma City Thunder (18.9 ppg., 3.7 rpg, 4 apg.)
• Lou Williams, LA Clippers (18.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 5.7 apg.)

Kia NBA Most Improved Player

• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat (16.1 ppg., 10.4 rpg., 5.1 apg.)
• Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks (29 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 8.8 apg.)
• Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans (23.9 ppg., 6.1 rpg., 4.2 apg.)

NBA Coach of the Year

• Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee Bucks
• Billy Donovan, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors

Voting was based on games played from the start of the regular season through March 11.

TNT will announce the award winners during its coverage of the season restart.

Aug 8, 2020 No Comments
The Memphis Grizzlies Were Able To Grind Out A Win Against OKC (121-92)

The Memphis Grizzlies Were Able To Grind Out A Win Against OKC (121-92)

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by | Aug 8, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Thunder came into this game against Memphis feeling good after the win against LA. Steven Adams and Mike Muscala were out tonight for this one with injuries that hurt OKC inside. Oklahoma City came out hitting almost everything as they knocked down seven 3 pointers in that first quarter. At one point in the game in the first half, OKC had been up by 18 points. One of the players that really stood out for the Thunder tonight was Luguentz Dort who was one of the leading scorers with 16 points. Lu was able to hit some big 3 pointers and showed a lot of confidence on both ends of the floor against the Grizzlies. OKC had to play some different lineups tonight but the energy wasn’t the same in that 2nd quarter. Shai struggled a little bit today but he’s been trying to carry the load for the absence of Schröder. People need to understand that Shai is a 2nd-year player and there’s still going to be ups and downs. Shai finished the game with 10 points. Look for Shai to bounce back because he’s stated numerous times he wants to be one of the greats. Chris Paul finished with 17 points and wasn’t really able to get things going in that 2nd half. One thing about CP3 is the fact he will always bounce back and he’s a true leader with professionalism. OKC didn’t play their best game today but they’re missing some key pieces that help them play at an elite level.

 

 

It seemed as if everything was going to go the Thunders way until the 2nd quarter. The Memphis Grizzlies came out in the second quarter and were able to hit the 3 balls consistently. One player that really took advantage of the minutes given to him in that 2nd quarter was Anthony Tolliver. He came in and made some energy plays and he was also able to hit some big shots. Memphis came out with a lot of energy overall as a team and they were able to out-hustle and outplay OKC as they fought back. It showed a lot of growth for the Memphis Grizzlies the fact that they trailed by 18 points and came back without Ja Morant. Morant was on the bench during the comeback and was able to come back in the game with Memphis up by 1 point. Morant was able to get a lot of help from Dillion Brooks who was able to get to the lane with ease and hit some tough shots. Brooks finished with 22 points on the night for Memphis and was taking it personally on the court tonight. The Grizzlies had a huge advantage on the rebounds as it was 36-58 and Jonas Valančiūnas helped in that department.  Valančiūnas finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds against OKC as the Thunder didn’t have Adams. Jonas was able to bully in the paint and got a lot of 2nd chance points. Ja Morant finished with 19 points and 9 assists on the night as he proved he’s definitely the ROTY in the NBA. Ja was able to create for others and he was able to create offense for himself as well. Once Ja gets you on your heels with the dribble you’re at his mercy and he has a quick step. The Thunder did a great job defending as they forced Memphis into a lot of turnovers they just didn’t capitalize on them how they usually do.

 

 

The OKC Thunder will be playing against the Washington Wizards next on Sunday at 11:30 am.

Aug 8, 2020 No Comments
Chris Paul’s 21 Point Performance Propels OKC To Victory Over The Lakers (105-86)

Chris Paul’s 21 Point Performance Propels OKC To Victory Over The Lakers (105-86)

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by | Aug 6, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Thunder were coming off their first loss of the season against Denver. It didn’t help that the next opponent would be the number one team in the Western Conference LA Lakers. This Thunder team has made believers out of everyone all season long and in Orlando, they’ve proved everyone wrong. The Thunder played against the Lakers tonight without Dennis Schröder, Mike Muscala, and Terrence Ferguson in the lineup. Chris Paul came to the rescue in this one as he set the tone from the tipoff against the Lakers. One thing about Chris Paul’s game that stands out is the fact he can get his teammates involved while getting his game going too.

 

Tonight CP3 showed that he can do anything on the court and it didn’t matter if you had a big defender on him or a smaller defender. The way that Chris’ able to crossover players and still get to his sweet mid-range spot on a nightly basis is amazing. Paul has had an amazing year and a lot of that has gone to his new diet coming into the season. This Thunder team will go as far as CP3 brings them and he showed that OKC can hang with the best teams in the league. Chris Paul finished the game with 21 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds on the night against LA. The Lakers gave Chris Paul a couple of looks on the defensive end but they weren’t enough to slow him down.

 

 

Chris Paul’s leadership has been on full display and it’s been rubbing off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the right way. Shai had a quiet game tonight with 13 points but still was able to get people involved. One thing about Shai is the fact that he can affect the stat sheet without having the big numbers pop out. With Chris playing the point guard it’s been giving Shai multiple chances to defend players at different positions. Shai wants to be great and has shown that he’s willing to put the time in to make that possible.

 

Danilo Gallinari had a nice game as well for the Thunder as he was able to pour in 19 points in only 25 minutes. Gallinari has been a great help to the team especially with the absence of Dennis Schröder. The Thunder has a mismatch at the PF position usually when Gallinari is on the floor because he can score from outside to inside on any possession. When Gallinari is hitting his 3 pointers which he did tonight against the Lakers it makes this team tough to beat. The Lakers had Kuzma and Davis on him the majority of the night and he was still able to find a crease in the defense to make his offense stand out.

 

The Thunder had a minor scare when Steven Adams got tangled up and fell awkwardly but he was able to come back in the game and make his presence felt. Steven Adams was the best big on the floor tonight and was able to get his jump hook going as he finished with 18 points. This Thunder team has shown a lot of heart and they’ve proven a lot of people wrong this year. If the Thunder can continue to play with this flow of the offense and take the defensive end as serious as they have all season they are destined for greatness.

 

The Lakers were a bit banged up tonight but that’s no excuse for the OKC eruption that came their way. When LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in the lineup no matter who you’re playing against you have a chance to win. The Thunder got Anthony Davis in some early foul trouble that had the Lakers leaning on the bench and LeBron a lot. OKC was able to force the referees into making some calls tonight that helped them by their aggressiveness. On the night LeBron finished with quiet 19 points and 11 rebounds against OKC.

 

Once Davis got in foul trouble you can tell that LeBron was going to have to try to pick up the load but with multiple defenders on him, it wore him down a little. Anthony Davis only had 9 points after he erupted for 42 points the other night and that was because OKC got him in foul trouble from the tip. The second player from the Lakers that was able to put in some work tonight and help out was Dion Waiters. On the night Waiters had 14 points and was able to get it going but it was already too late as OKC pulled away.

 

 

Up next the OKC Thunder will take on the Memphis Grizzlies who are currently in 8th place on Friday at 3 pm.

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Joe Murphy / National Basketball Association / Getty

Aug 6, 2020 No Comments
TJ Warren Can’t Be Stopped In The NBA Bubble Restart

TJ Warren Can’t Be Stopped In The NBA Bubble Restart

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by | Aug 5, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

We have seen some high-quality basketball out of the NBA’s restart, games have been extremely competitive and relatively high scoring making them very exciting to watch.

There have been some pretty impressive individual offensive performances in these first 3 games in Orlando, but none better than a man by the name of Tony Warren Jr. of the Indiana Pacers. TJ Warren leads the bubble in scoring with 119 points in 3 games (39.7 PPG). He’s shooting 65.3 FG% and 60.9 3P%, while also having a bubble-best +59 +/-.

Warren has undoubtedly been the best player for the Pacers in the return. He has led every game in points and helped Indiana improve to 3-0 in the bubble. Warren’s offensive surge is much needed for this team who is without their only All-Star in Domantas Sabonis. They were going to need someone to really step up and take more of an offensive responsibility and it turns out TJ is that player for them. The consistency in how Warren is scoring the ball is what stands out the most. Warren had definitely shown flashes in his ability this season prior, but he’s not just showing flashes, he’s putting on demonstrations.

 

 

 

 

 

Warren scored 32 Points on Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic with 21 coming in the first half while Shooting %100 from the field…yeah he didn’t miss a shot. He was 3-3 from 3 in the first half Tuesday night against the Magic, ultimately leading them to the 120-109 Victory for the Pacers.

Warren has led the Pacers to become one of the hottest teams in the Orlando bubble and now is being held to the standard of some former all-time great Pacers. After he erupted for 53 points in his career-high on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, Warren now holds a Pacers scoring record. Think about how impressive this is for a moment after considering this is a franchise that had Reggie Miller, who is a top 5 three-point shooter of all time. As mentioned, Warren has tallied 119 points in those three games, tying the team record for most points in that span. This record is shared with another all-time great Pacer in Jermaine O’Neal.

 

 

At 6’8 Warren has displayed he can score the ball on all three levels. He has done a tremendous job of getting to the spots he wants on the floor to score. He’s really been able to score in whatever way he’s wanted in this three-game stretch. everything seems to be clicking offensively and it that means, even more, when you’re as versatile of a player as Warren is. Because he shoots the ball so well and has been shooting even better in Orlando, he is able to get a lot of his points simply in the flow of the Pacer offense. The rhythm he gets in just in there offense has really seemed to open up his game and you have to Give Pacer Head Coach Nate McMillian credit for this as he has put TJ Warren in situations within the offense to make high percentage plays offensively. He’s been in the pick and roll, isolated on the wing, posted on the block, and has even set an occasional pick and pop screens but defenses have not had an answer for Warren.

 

 

There is no telling how long TJ Warren will be able to keep playing at the level he is at. With the condensed bubble schedule I certainly hope we see it for at least the rest fo the Indiana Pacers season as I’m sure they do too but there is really no telling. Some of Warren’s bubble emergence has had a little “Linsanity” vibe to but that would really discredit his play from this past year which was very notable. He averaged 19.7 points per game this year before the bubble and as crazy as it is for him to scored 53 points in an NBA game its never been that he hasn’t been capable. Warren has really taken advantage of the absences of Sabonis. As long as he is out, The Pacers to keep going to him to find their offense.

“The ball is finding him and he’s knocking down a high percentage of his shots,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. “(He’s) just really efficient.”

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1291050339853053954?s=20

 

 

Aug 5, 2020 No Comments
BREAKING: Grizzlies Forward Jaren Jackson Suffers Torn Meniscus, Will Miss Rest Of Season

BREAKING: Grizzlies Forward Jaren Jackson Suffers Torn Meniscus, Will Miss Rest Of Season

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by | Aug 5, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The worst has been realized for the Memphis Grizzlies: their second in command alongside rookie Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s season will have his season put on halt.

Confirmed by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Jackson will miss the rest of the season, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Jackson was said to experience some discomfort after an “unstable landing after making contact with an opposing player while contesting a shot,” as the second-year power forward tore his meniscus in his left knee.

During Memphis’ loss to New Orleans, Jackson dropped 22 points while shooting 7-17 from the field. He also added two rebounds to the stat sheet.

The young, spry second-year man out of Michigan State is expected to make a full recovery, but this comes at an inopportune time for the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies who will be without their second-highest scorer, who averaged 17.4 ppg. while also grabbing 4.6 rebounds per game for the Grizzlies.

This is another monkey wrench thrown into Memphis’ clear-cut plans that involved making the postseason for the first time since 2017. Add this to the obstacles facing Memphis in this abridged season, along with an increasingly difficult schedule for their next six games, and a loosening grip on the eighth seed with consecutive losses by way of Utah and New Orleans.

Now with Jackson’s presence missed on both ends of the floor, that smooth sailing that Grizzlies fans may have thought it’d be in their avoidance of a play-in tournament with the four additional squads trying to compete for a playoff spot may not be so smooth after all.

Aug 5, 2020 No Comments