SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets

SR – NBA Prime Time Preview: Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets

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by | Jan 30, 2020 | Featured, NBA

NBA basketball finds its way back to a Barclays Center that’s sorely missed it, with the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Pistons on a night not meant to show any dry eyes.

ESPN is back to covering Basketball to the best of its ability in what’s been a somber week in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s passing. Yet, as the NBA legend would’ve wanted, the work must be done and the comfortability must be sacrificed in order to find the greater good, so we as journalists have to get the ball rolling again in documenting this great game, fans still have to fill the seats of all 30 NBA stadiums, and grieve in the most helpful way – around like-minded fans of the game who only want to heal by watching four quarters of the game that Kobe Bean Bryant made them fall head over heels with.

So, for tonight’s game, Kyrie Irving is confirmed to suit up tonight against a 17-31 Pistons team, after his Nets lost to the Knicks on what felt like the most emotional day in the history of the entire Association. He made the decision just 20 minutes ago, to be precise, and though it will be hard, it’s difficult to think that the former All-Star and one-time champ tonight won’t play without having his mentor and good friend on his mind.

As it goes for basketball, the Nets are healthy and the Pistons are banged up since Derrick Rose and Matt Snell are questionable to play in Wednesday night’s matchup. But the Nets need this one, badly. They’re only three games ahead of the Bulls in holding on to the eighth spot in the East, so they have to string together some wins.

It’s the third game in a seven-game stretch against sub-.500 teams and the Nets barely beat the Pistons in an overtime win last time on Saturday, then lost to the Knicks Sunday. After Wednesday, it’s the Bulls, Wizards, Suns and Warriors.

Meanwhile, the Pistons aren’t all that good either. They’re a whole 14 games under .500, they’ve lost three straight and have dropped nine of the last 14 overall. Duane Casey’s team isn’t doing all that hot, but behind the play of the returning Reggie Jackson (12.4 ppg. off 42.3 percent shooting) there is some hope of an offensive spark being lit in the Pistons’ backcourt.

Tonight’s game, again, will be broadcasted on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Jan 30, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 15

SR – NBA Power Rankings: Week 15

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by | Jan 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

We start this week’s power rankings on a rather somber note, as the collective NBA family mourns the sudden and shocking loss of the legendary Kobe Bryant. A league impacted by his legacy, life and motivations will continue to move on in spite of the tragedy that has befallen its players and fans. Across the league on Sunday afternoon upon hearing of the former Laker great’s passing, voluminous 24-second shot clock violations, and 8-second inbound violations, kicked off every single game played yesterday afternoon, as a tribute to the 5-time champ and 18-time All-Star that graced the floor with both numbers 24 and 8.

We here at SneakerReporter are with the Bryant family, as the Black Mamba will never be forgotten.

Let’s just get into this week’s power rankings.

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1. Milwaukee Bucks (40-6, Last Week’s Ranking: 1)

One of Kobe’s most respected protege’s and confidants, Giannis Antetokounmpo took to the challenge that a certain Kobe Bryant gave to him back in the summer of 2017, summarized in three simple but larger than life letters in one tweet – win the MVP. It’s been pretty evident that Antetokounmpo took Bryant’s call to action to heart. As the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, he has been the spark of hope for Bucks fans all season to get back into the NBA Finals picture for the first time since 1974. They have the best chance to do so, still with the league’s best record and having suffered only one loss since December 14th. And yes, they still lead the NBA in team average scoring margin and defensive rating.

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2. Los Angeles Clippers (33-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 3)

The Clippers bump up a spot in this week’s updated rankings, thanks to a really convincing week (or month, for that matter) that saw the Clips win nine of their last 11 games. It’s been a controversial, headline filling kind of year for the Clippers, awash with speculation over who is resting during their strategized load management plans in preparation for the playoffs come April. Their goal of getting to the conference finals is an arduous path, but this is why this roster is built the way it is, for those kind of series down the road.

It was a tough day for Doc Rivers and his Clippers team, evident in his inability to hold back the tears in his pre-game presser before facing off against the Magic. Rivers, a former 2-time NBA Finals opponent of the legendary former guard when he was the head coach of the Boston Celtics, had his words conveyed in such a relatable manner by his All-Star forward Leonard in a post-game interview.

“Knowing (Kobe) personally, I know he’d want me to come out here & ball & still just be great… Everybody’s sad. No words can explain the impact he had on the sport…It’s just sad.”

The tandem of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard haven’t played a lot of games together but though that has been the case all year, the Clippers still rank No. 6 in the whole league in defensive rating.

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3. Los Angeles Lakers (36-10, Last Week’s Ranking: 2)

Well, this section of the weekly rankings isn’t going to be easy to write. After the team plane landed back in Los Angeles, the news resounded through team infrastructure that their mentor and regular visitor to the team facility had passed. As it went for basketball specifically, the Lakers had a surprisingly average week, going 2-2 on the road as they suffered a 32-point shellacking by the Boston Celtics and a 17-point beatdown handed to them by Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.

So, as recent events suggest, it’ll be really difficult for the Lakers to muster up the confidence amidst their grief going into their 3rd duel against the Clippers this week, as it is easily going to be the most emotional game of the season. It’ll be the first time the Lakers return to the court since the end of their road trip and the Blazers, Kings, and Spurs appear next up on this tough stretch of games for the Lakers.

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4. Utah Jazz (32-13, Last Week’s Ranking: 4)

The Jazz are streaking and are trending up in this week’s rankings, winning 19 of their past 21 games while Donovan Mitchell averaged 24.3 ppg. through his last three contests. While Mitchell’s numbers increased, Mike Conley’s health continues to get better and Quin Snyder is becoming a lot more comfortable weaving Conley back into his regular shift of minutes, averaging 7.8 points on 46.7% shooting in 17.8 minutes in the four games since he has returned.

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5. Toronto Raptors (32-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 8)

That’s now seven straight for the 100 percent healthy Toronto Raptors squad, but the more startling surprise has been the outstanding defense Pascal Siakam and his Raptors have played over the past two weeks, now second in the NBA in team defensive rating with only 104.5 points allowed per 100 possessions. Combining the wins earlier in the season prior to his injury and the wins after his return, the Raps are 26-9 and together have a win rate that’s only lower than the Lakers and Bucks for the best in the league.

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6. Denver Nuggets (32-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 5)

Denver has quietly strung together one of the most impressive stretches of the season, going three for four on the week with signature wins coming against the Pelicans and Rockets, who didn’t have James Harden Sunday afternoon. Nikola Jokic has been up to his usual 19.7 points per game but it’s really been the play of Michael Porter Jr. that is quickly gaining traction with head coach Mike Malone as he cycles pieces in lieu of the upcoming playoffs just three months from now. They have Memphis, Utah, Milwaukee, and Detroit up next, so the young rookie will have more chances to impress.

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7. Miami Heat (31-14, Last Week’s Ranking: 6)

The Heat got a jolt of energy shot into their arm in a resurgent return to the hardwood by Dion Waiters during Miami’s second home loss of the season against the Clippers, and though it has been a weird season for Waiters, whose been subjected to team suspensions, medical incidents, and other issues, he is still a talented player who can help a good team become even better, now at the third seed in the Eastern standings.

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8. Boston Celtics (30-15, Last Week’s Ranking: 9)

The Celtics ended their week on a sour note, officially being the first mantle on the wall of Zion Williamson’s career-wide hunting list in the Pelicans’ snapping of their losing streak. It was still a really successful week overall, highlighted by their best game of the season, a 32-point smackdown on the visiting Lakers. Additionally, they outscored all of their opponents (Lakers, Grizzlies, Magic) by a combined 67 points.

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9. Philadelphia 76ers (30-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 11)

Philly pops back up into this week’s top 10, thanks to a revealing win over the Lakers in the Wells Fargo Center. It is shown that Philly knows how to turn the switch on against the league’s top teams, and especially at home now that they possess the league’s 2nd best home record behind the Miami Heat, but what’s to be understood about those wins is that the Sixers didn’t just skate by in those wins; they won by a combined 29 points.

In their win over the Lakers, Ben Simmons was literally all over the court in what looked like an All-NBA performance on both ends of the court, while rookie Matisse Thybulle continues to earn more minutes, as his mere presence allows the sixers to possess an averaged 95.7 defensive rating when he’s on the floor. Also, keep in mind their most recent home victory against the Lakers this past Saturday night was accomplished without Joel Embiid.

Maybe last Saturday night was the spark this Philly team needs to become that team that many predicted to take over the East once they are solidified in the playoff picture.

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10. Indiana Pacers (30-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 12)

Don’t look now, but this Pacers team is quietly racking up wins behind the play of T.J. Warren and went 3-2 on their Western voyage, while also getting healthy in time to go on an even bigger return when Victor Oladipo comes back on Wednesday. They’ll have a relatively easy stretch of games to do so, with the Knicks and Bulls being the only teams on the weekly schedule.

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11. Houston Rockets (28-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 7)

James Harden was unable to perform in Sunday’s win over the Nuggets and prior to that game, Harden was in the worst slump of his career, still shooting an average of 22 percent from deep in the past eight games. Moreover, his overall field goal percentage was at 34.8 percent over that same stretch, and now fans understand how hard it was for Wilt Chamberlain to average 40 points in a season, now that Harden’s season average of 38.5 points has dipped to a 36.1 average since the Rockets blowout loss handed to them by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 9.

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12. Dallas Mavericks (28-17, Last Week’s Ranking: 10)

It feels like just moments ago Luka Doncic stood on the corner of the Staples Center court, just to hear some “fan” deliver some international trash talk in Doncic’s native Slovenian tongue. Well, that fan just so happened to be Kobe Bryant. The exchanged laughs between the Lakers legend and the future Mavericks legend who looks to follow in Bryant’s footsteps, now charioting the league’s most efficient offense. The Mavericks have the Thunder, Suns, Rockets and Hawks in an extended week, and look to stay into the Western top-5 picture, though banged up at the Center spot with the looming absence of Dwight Powell, who is to miss the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles.

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13. Oklahoma City Thunder (28-19, Last Week’s Ranking: 14)

So, let’s start out with some confirmations: this Thunder team is a well-put together basketball team that can win a good amount of games, and it’s looking like they’re going to end up in the playoffs after all. So much for a tanking season. The Thunder are 22-8 over the course of the past 30 games, and they’re getting the job done on the road too with their nine wins out of 10 games away from Chesapeake Energy Arena. Also, the need to ship Chris Paul or any of their pieces won’t do any justice for a team that’s guard trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder and CP3 has a net rating of plus-29.3 in 311 minutes.

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14. Memphis Grizzlies (22-24, Last Week’s Ranking: 13)

The Mamba Mentality is that old adage that’ll stick in the minds of players throughout the league, and throughout the minds of inquisitive young minds like that of Ja Morant’s who is upholding his legacy with some “coming through in the clutch” numbers that equal the likes of Kobe’s clutch gene. Out of nowhere, Morant has compiled 7.9 points per fourth quarter, only falling behind James Harden, Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo this year. He has scored in the double digits late in the fourth quarter for a total of 13 times, supplanting his already favored chances of winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

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15. San Antonio Spurs (20-25, Last Week’s Ranking: 16)

San Antonio got off to a hot start last week but finished on a rather mediocre note, losing their last two games and overall winning three of their last five games. Derrick White has been a cause of success for a team that’s only five games out of a .500 record, for he has averaged 15 points and 5.6 assists off the Spurs’ bench in the span of five straight games. In what was arguably his best game of the season, White scored 25 points off the bench in a win over the Phoenix Suns.

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16. Orlando Magic (21-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 15)

The Magic are quite literally maintaining a respectable 21-26 record, only being just a couple of games away from having an above .500 record, but their problem of not being able to beat good teams with .500 and above records is alarming, and quite possibly the reason they’re where they are right now. And this week, they have Miami back to back but the Heat have been one of the five good teams that this Magic squad has beaten so far.

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17. Brooklyn Nets (19-26, Last Week’s Ranking: 18)

Brooklyn is only four games ahead of ninth place Chicago in the Eastern standings, but will enter a rather easy week with dates with the Pistons, Bulls and Wizards. The challenge will be to just get some wins after going 3-13 since Dec. 26 and though this is a soft spot on the schedule, Brooklyn needs some momentum if they don’t want the Bulls on their back heading into the All-Star break.

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18. Phoenix Suns (19-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 17)

Devin Booker has been the source of offense for a team that’s fading fast, and it’s more of a reason that he’s earned a spot on this year’s Western All Star roster. His 31.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 9.0 made free throws per game in January have been inspirational for a team that’s losing its grip on postseason aspirations made back in November.

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19. Portland Trail Blazers (20-27, Last Week’s Ranking: 20)

Damian Lillard does not want this season to end at all and is surely playing like it, literally putting up Kobe-like numbers in the past week with his 61 points against the Warriors, and then followed that up with a 47-point outing and a 50 piece just nights later. Dame’s motor always finds a way to ramp up at this point of the year, especially now that the Blazers are practically within arms reach of grabbing the eighth seed in the playoffs. Getting CJ McCollum back in time from his ankle sprain for this early playoff push is gonna help as well.

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20. New Orleans Pelicans (18-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 19)

Are the Pelicans 1-2 since the debut of Zion Williamson? Sure. Are the Pelicans playoff-ready? No. But what is known is that Zion is already living up to his sky-high expectations in his first three games while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Guys are literally bouncing off of him when he goes up for a rebound, slashes in the paint or finishing those crazy lobs inside the restricted zone, and he’s put the ball in the rim 18 of 23 times with four dunks in the past three games.

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21. Chicago Bulls (18-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 21)

Zach LaVine has been on a pretty strong run, adding some final touches on the resume to secure his spot on the Eastern Conference All Star roster, averaging an out-of-this-world 30 points a game in the month of January while putting up (and knocking down) 3.1 three-pointers per game. His week was capped off by an epic 44-point performance against the Cavaliers, and that was the third time he scored 40 + points in a game this month.

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22. Detroit Pistons (17-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 22)

The Pistons have lost five of the past eight games and with an abysmal win percentage, Center Andre Drummond is salvaging whatever is left of this season, and quite possibly what is left in his final months as a Piston, by setting some historic marks on the glass, now grabbing more career rebounds at the age of 26 than the great Wilt Chamberlain with his 8,104th board. A major accomplishment like that cannot go unnoticed.

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23. Sacramento Kings (16-29, Last Week’s Ranking: 24)

After Buddy Hield was inexplicably benched in Luke Walton’s favor of having Bogdan Bogdanovic start over him, Hield would go on to drop 21 points and five threes off the bench in a losing streak-ending win over the Chicago Bulls this past Friday. In his replacement, Bogdanovic scored 12 points in 26 minutes.

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24. Washington Wizards (15-30, Last Week’s Ranking: 26)

In an emotional tribute to his mentor and friend Kobe, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks just stomped all over the Wizards in a 152-133 road loss as Trae Young ended up dropping 45 points on the worst defensive team in the NBA. To this day, the Wizards have held only three opponents to under 100 points in a game this year and with two high-scoring teams in the Bucks and Nets popping up on the schedule, those numbers are probably going to get even worse.

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25. Charlotte Hornets (15-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 25)

The Hornets stand still on this weekly list, and for good reason. That’s eight straight losses for the Hornets, signified by a loss in Paris to the Milwaukee Bucks. On the plus side, Malik Monk led the team in scoring with 31 points against a superb defensive team, while also drawing enough fouls to go 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

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26. Minnesota Timberwolves (15-31, Last Week’s Ranking: 23)

Speaking of losing skids, that’s now nine-straight losses for the bad luck Timberwolves who can’t seem to get out of their way. You’d think that a dually-gifted All-NBA center like Karl Anthony Towns would be able to complete the effort on both sides of the floor, but the main cause for the T’Wolves’ collapse has been their defense, and Towns is the most to blame. Since Dec. 1, the Wolves have an atrocious defensive rating of 123.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (top-3 worst ratings in the league) with Towns on the floor, but that improves to 104.5 when he rests.

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27. New York Knicks (13-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 29)

So the Knicks pulled off a big feat this past week: they won two games in one week. They went 2-2 on the week, winning against the Cavaliers earlier, losing against the visiting Lakers and Raptors, and beating the Nets on Sunday. And in beating Brooklyn on Sunday, the two teams finish the year tied in wins as their seasonal series concluded.

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28. Cleveland Cavaliers (12-34, Last Week’s Ranking: 27)

The Cavaliers have now lost seven straight games, and that’s just the fourth time marking the fourth they have lost five or more games in a row. It’s expected with such a young roster that’s using this season to develop their talent, but their defense has been atrocious and is largely to blame for the skid. Their 114.1 defensive rating is the second-worst rating in the league, only in front of the Wizards.

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29. Golden State Warriors (10-37, Last Week’s Ranking: 28)

The Warriors were dealt a serious blow to their frontcourt in losing Willie Cauley-Stein to a trade with the Mavericks and in his place, Steve Kerr will start Marquese Chriss, who is now the new starter after recently being released to make cap room to sign Damion Lee off of a two-way contract. Chriss has averaged  7.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game for the Warriors this year.

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30. Atlanta Hawks (12-35, Last Week’s Ranking: 30)

Trae Young is the Hawks’ first Eastern Conference All-Star selection since Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver in 2015, and the first starter since center Dikembe Mutombo in 1998. Young’s been a fan favorite in his short time as an NBA starter, as he led all East guards (and really, almost everyone in the fan voting aspect) with over 2.8 million fan votes.

Jan 28, 2020 No Comments
OKC Thunder Lose Emotional Game Against The Dallas Mavericks (107-97)

OKC Thunder Lose Emotional Game Against The Dallas Mavericks (107-97)

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by | Jan 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The NBA world was stunned yesterday after the passing of Kobe Bryant. All of the basketball world was affected by the loss of one of the greatest to ever play the game. Kobe Bryant meant a lot to so many players in the NBA and it showed with the outpouring of love all over social media. A lot of those players wear his sneakers, mimic his moves, and play with the Mamba Mentality he showed on a daily basis. Two of those players that really idolized Kobe Bryant in their work ethic and basketball attire on the court were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Luka Doncic. Both players wanted to play tonight and put on a show for Kobe Bryant who’s watching from heaven. The game started with a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant followed by the OKC fans chanting “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe”. Both teams paying homage to Kobe Bryant with the 8-second violation followed by the 24-second shot clock violation. Once that happened the game got underway and that’s when the Dallas Mavericks were able to push the tempo right away.

 

 

 

It was tough to see because the Thunder usually dominate the paint and tonight OKC/DAL both only had 36 points in the interior. The Mavericks were able to contain the Thunder bigs Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel as they combined for 18 points. The Mavericks made it an added effort to contain the paint and they wanted to force the Thunder to score outside the paint. Without Chris Paul, in the lineup, OKC needed Shai and Dennis to show up on the night. Both combined for 37 points as they played extended roles with the basketball in their hands. Shai was missing a lot of shots that he can usually hit and wasn’t getting the calls he normally gets on a nightly basis. The whole Thunder team didn’t play as motivated as they usually do and it’s tough to do so after a tribute to one of your favorite players. The Thunder would get closer and closer in the game but every time the Mavs would make a run. The Thunder had no answer for Luka Doncic who wanted to play well in homage to Kobe Bryant. Luka who’s a Jordan Brand ambassador played the game in the Nike Kobe 5 “Chaos” to show love to all the victims from the crash. Luka was able to finish the game with 29 points and he was able to hit some unbelievable stepback jumpers on the night. The Thunder put multiple defenders on Luka but there wasn’t much that they could do. Once Luka gets hot it’s going to be a long night as that usually opens up the passing game for him as well. When Luka started getting it going he had the Thunder players on their heals as they didn’t know if he was attacking or dishing to get others involved. OKC was short-handed but this was still a big win for the Mavs moving forward. The Thunder and Mavericks meet one more time and OKC will be looking for a different outcome.

 

Jan 28, 2020 No Comments
Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 14 of NBA Season

Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 14 of NBA Season

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by | Jan 27, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

The NBA and sports world as a whole got hit with a bombshell on Sunday. One of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball, Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. To add even more grievance to this tragedy, Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was among the individuals that perished in the wreck. A total of nine people were killed in the helicopter crash, including Gianna’s AAU basketball teammate and the parents of that girl too. The entire NBA community mourned Kobe’s loss with a heavy heart on Sunday.

Kobe not only revolutionized the game of basketball but also impacted the way sneakers were worn on the court. His long-standing partnership with Nike was/is immensely successful. Many players currently in the league grew up watching Bryant don the Swoosh. Countless NBA athletes grabbed a sharpie and wrote messages on their sneakers for their Sunday night games paying tribute to the fallen superstar. “Mamba 4 life”…..”There will never be another”…..”Mamba mentality”…..”8 + 24 Forever”…..”Legacies live forever” are just some of the messages NBA players used to show their love for Kobe. Our Top 15 Kicks this week features more Kobe signatures than ever before, with over half of our list containing Nike Kobe models. Rest In Peace Kobe Bryant, you will surely be missed.

 

 

15. Jordan XXXIV P.E. – Mike Conley – Utah Jazz

 

     

 

 

14. AND1 Attack 2.0 “Bel-Air” P.E. – Montrezl Harrell – Los Angeles Clippers

 

     

 

 

13. Nike Lebron VI “Big Apple” – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

12. Nike Kobe 9 EM Low “Silk” – Lonzo Ball – New Orleans Pelicans

 

     

 

 

11. Nike Kyrie 4 “Yellow Lobster” (Concepts) – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

10. Nike Lebron XVII P.E. – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

           

 

 

9. Nike Kobe 7 P.E. – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 6 “Concord” – Derrick Jones Jr. – Miami Heat

 

     

 

 

7. Nike Kobe 4 Protro P.E. – Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers

 

     

 

 

6. Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “University Red” – Lonzo Ball – New Orleans Pelicans

 

           

 

 

5. Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Miami Vice” Custom – Derrick Jones Jr. – Miami Heat

 

     

 

 

4. Nike Kyrie 6 P.E. – Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets

 

     

 

 

3. Nike Kobe 6 “Barcelona” – Trey Lyles – San Antonio Spurs

 

     

 

 

2. Nike Lebron XVII P.E. (Kobe Bryant Tribute) – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

 

                 

 

 

1. Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Big Stage 1/2” – DeMar DeRozan – San Antonio Spurs

 

           

Jan 27, 2020 No Comments
SR- NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers

SR- NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers

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by | Jan 26, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The West’s very best Los Angeles Lakers attempt to finish off their road trip stong as they travel to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second Saturday primetime game of the season, live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Sixers’ tough stretch is approaching expeditiously, starting out with the “King”-led Lakers, who appear much different than their 2018 version. They’ll have to deal with stopping not only James but arguably the best teammate he’s ever had in Anthony Davis. This perfectly-healthy team treads into Philly going 2-1 on the week, with the lone loss coming by way of a Celtics 32-point beatdown on MLK Day.

Barely escaping the resurgent Knicks with an eight-point win in MSG, and a consecutive blowout of the Brooklyn Nets and James former teammate Kyrie Irving that saw James drop another triple-double as if it was part of the schedule, they walk into Philly with their 36-9 record while looking to be one step closer to being one of the only teams that’ll touch 40 wins at this point in the season.

For Philadelphia, it’s been a tale of complete opposites, as they’ve seemed to choke on their aspirations of winning the East a little too much, incongruent from the predictions of all media experts at season’s beginning. Ranked as the sixth seed in the East, they’re rolling into this one as a team that’s really just trying to survive the rest of the season while undermanned, since Josh Richardson is unable to go tonight due to a lingering hamstring problem.

They’re still waiting for Joel Embiid to at least return to full, 5v5 practice from his ligament damage in his hand that’s kept him out for the last two weeks, but as it seems, the Sixers are still maintaining that confidence in Ben Simmons, who has been the central force of all things offensively. Though Toronto found a way to slow him down a bit in their 2nd loss inside the Scotiabank Arena just last week, other pieces like Tobias Harris and Al Horford need to step up if they’re to make this one look competitive.

For a team that many speculated would be locks in the NBA Finals picture, this Sixers team has been overwhelmingly disappointing now 3 quarters in the season, but all is not lost. If Philly can get out the gates hot, and Ben Simmons can break down the middle of the Lakers’ injury-impacted frontcourt, that usually causes the shift in energy for his supporting cast as Horford, Harris, and others find a way to knock down their shots. Expect pieces like Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Kormaz to make their imprint on the matchup early and often, as the two rotational pieces have been the biggest surprise in Philly’s season thus far.

And again, for the second week in a row, Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy will be there to pitch their commentary and usual takes for another Saturday Primetime battle, live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Jan 26, 2020 No Comments
OKC Thunder’s Season High 140 Points More Than Enough To Handle The Hawks (140-111)

OKC Thunder’s Season High 140 Points More Than Enough To Handle The Hawks (140-111)

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by | Jan 25, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The hometown kid Trae Young was back in town fresh off the announcement that he will be starting in the All-Star Game. It was pretty much a storybook moment as he was able to share the announcement with family and friends in Norman, OK. Trae didn’t play the last game but fought through his injury to make sure he was able to play against his hometown OKC Thunder. The game didn’t start the way that Trae Young wanted as Lugentz Dort was able to defend him well. Billy Donovan put Dort on Trae Young early to try to get Trae off his game with the bigger defender. The Thunder defense was doing a great job on Trae Young and the defense set the tone in this game. Oklahoma City’s one of the best teams in the league when it comes to scoring off turnovers. The Thunder make other teams pay and it uses happens in the paint. Tonight the Thunder punished the Hawks in the paint as they scored 62 points and dominated in the pick & roll. When the Thunder gets the pick & roll it opens up for an easy alley-oop opportunity like they did tonight with Nerlens Noel. This OKC team was extremely balanced tonight as they had 7 players in double figures and they made the Hawks pay from downtown. On the night the Thunder shot for 56% from the 3 point line and at one point they hit 4 of them in a row. When the Thunder plays with this type of confidence and chemistry they’re a very scary team to go against. Chris Paul only played 28 minutes on the night as the Thunder were in command all night long. In those 28 minutes, CP3 finished with 18 points and 5 assists. It’s clear that Chris Paul’s leadership has been on full display and the players respect him because of the way they communicate on the court. When a player makes a mistake or a misread CP3 helps them with adjustments. The Thunder has young talent and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken full advantage of the spotlight. Some of the layups that Shai has been able to make and the angles he makes them at are impressive. On the night the Hawks didn’t know what to do with Shai when he went to the basket and played aggressively. On the night he finished with 24 points and he was able to get into the teeth of the defense anytime he wanted too. The other players that made a huge impact on the game were Dennis Schröder and Danilo Gallinari who finished with a combined 36 points on the night. Both Dennis and Danilo have an offensive game and they both were mismatches all night for the Hawks who couldn’t contain anything the Thunder did tonight. The Thunder were able to beat them up inside and outside while executing the gameplan to hold Trae Young in check if possible. Tonight was a complete effort from the Thunder as they were able to make things happen in all phases of the game as a unit.

 

 

The Hawks weren’t able to get anything going in that second half against the OKC Thunder. Atlanta does have some bright spots in their franchise as their 3 young studs stepped up tonight. On the game, John Collins had a game-high 28 points as he was punishing the rim and showed some range hitting 3’s. Another player that was able to shine tonight for the Hawks who has a bright future was Cam Reddish who finished with 20 points off the bench. Cam Reddish has shown some signs of playing like a true force and if he can continue to get his jumper at a consistent level this Hawks team can be special. Trae Young was able to get his game going in that second half as he was able to show why he’s an All-Star starter in Chicago this year. Trae was able to score 26 points on the night and he was doing what he always does. Trae was hitting his shots inside and outside but the Thunder were willing to live with it because of the difference in the score. The Thunder had a gameplan and that was to limit Trae and make the others step up and in the beginning, it looked like it wasn’t working until they pulled away. The future is bright in Atlanta and you can tell that this team is another All-Star away from really making some noise in the East.

 

 

The Thunder will be playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow on the second end of the back to back. If the Thunder can continue to shoot at this rate they should be able to continue that climb in the playoff race.

Jan 25, 2020 No Comments