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Showing posts from July, 2022

2022 NBA Summer League: Trail Blazers beat Knicks in championship game; Trendon Watford named MVP

  On the final day of Summer League in Las Vegas, the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers faced off in the championship game in front of a crowded Thomas & Mack Center. Both teams entered the title game with a 3-1 record, but it was the Trail Blazers who came out on top, beating the Knicks 85-77. This was the second time the Blazers won a Summer League championship, the last one being in 2018.  Blazers forward Trendon Watford was named MVP for the championship game after finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Brandon Williams led Portland in scoring, finishing with 22 points and five assists, while Jabari Walker tacked on 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. The Knicks were led by Quentin Grimes, who put up 19 points, with Miles McBride adding on 17 points and six rebounds. Here are three takeaways from the Summer League championship game.  1. Watford takes over in the fourth The Trail Blazers ended the third quarter with a ...
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Brian Windhorst Drops Bombshell On The Kevin Durant Trade Saga: "I Believe That The Nets Sending Out The Vibe That They Could Bring Durant Back Is A Negotiating Position."

  We are well over a week into NBA free agency now, and Kevin Durant has yet to find a new home. Since making his trade request earlier this summer, signings and trades have slowed to a stop as the entire league waits for the Nets to make their next move. At this point, however, the Nets are sending some hints that Durant might end up sticking around this season, which makes sense considering they have the most leverage in this situation. But according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, that messaging by Brooklyn might just be a negotiating tactic. "The Nets are going to work with him on it. I think as we talk now about the concept he could come back to the Nets, we need to remember that. So if you walk into our boss's office today and said 'I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to resign' he would try to talk you out of it. He does not want you to go. He has you under contract, he's expecting you to host 'Get Up' this fall for the NFL season. You would not expect ...
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Kevin Durant trade rumors: Warriors stars discussing possibility of reunion, but deal is unlikely, per report

  This summer's NBA offseason has been all about trades, and we've already seen a number of blockbusters over the past few days. The biggest deals are yet to come, however, as the futures of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving's with the Brooklyn Nets hang in the balance.  As one of the best players in the league, and with four years left on his contract, Durant is expected to fetch one of the biggest trade returns in league history. The problem is that making such a trade is not easy. Only a few teams have the requisite talent and draft capital to make a deal, and do so without gutting their roster.  Ironically, one of them is the Golden State Warriors. Durant making a return to the Bay Area after his dramatic departure a few years ago would be quite a story, and even him and his former teammates haven't been able to avoid discussing the possibility. However, such an outcome is "highly unlikely," according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.  The Warriors supers...
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Kyrie Irving trade rumors: Lakers, Nets actively discussing deal involving Russell Westbrook, per report

  The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are making progress on a trade that would swap Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook, according to Chris Haynes. Other pieces would have to be involved, but there is "palpable optimism" that the two sides can figure out a deal this summer.  Irving recently opted into the final year of his deal worth $36.4 million but is expected to be traded after his star teammate Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Nets. "If Kevin Durant is on the first train out, Kyrie Irving will be on the caboose as far as the Nets are concerned," Brian Windhorst reported earlier this week.  Coming off a season in which he played just 29 games because he refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and given his previous injury history -- Irving hasn't played 70 games in a season since 2017 when he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers -- the market for the mercurial guard is understandably not as robust as the one for Durant.  The Lakers, though, ha...
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Kyrie Irving Posts Cryptic Tweet Suggesting He Wants To Leave Brooklyn Nets

  Kyrie Irving is one of the best point guards in the league, and there's no doubt that he is an extremely talented ballhandler with the ability to score on all three levels. However, many have criticized him this year for his unreliability, and there was a lot of drama for the Brooklyn Nets due to Kyrie Irving being a part-time playe Despite his talent, it is quite possible that Kyrie Irving will end up leaving the Brooklyn Nets. It was recently reported that the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers are discussing a trade regarding the point guar "Lakers are currently negotiating a trade for Kyrie Irving involving 'Russell Westbrook, a first-round pick and a pick swap with maybe another player involved, maybe Joe Harris. Recently, Kyrie Irving posted a tweet that could be interpreted as him being ready to leave the Brooklyn Nets. The Tweet featured a bird flying out of a cage, and the symbolism there is very obviou It remains to be seen where Kyrie Irving will end up....
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Bill Russell Once Explained Why He Didn't Bother With Celtics Fans: "When I Was A Star, The Fans Called Us The 'Boston Globetrotters' Because The Celtics Had Black Players."

  While the NBA is a beacon for freedom and tolerance in America, things didn't start off that way. In a place like Boston, during the 50s and 60s, racial tension was a pretty serious problem, and superstar big man Bill Russell had to deal with it on a game-to-game basis. Today, it can be hard for us to imagine just how difficult being a black basketball player really was back then. Fortunately, we have some clips: "The number one paper was the Boston Herald and they didn't like the idea of an NBA team having black players. Out there, the star was Bob Cousy. No matter what I did, Cousy was the star. I remember I had a game where I had 25 points, 25 rebounds, 10 blocks, and the Boston Herald said I was lucky to play with Cousy." Unfortunately, the media didn't give Russell his respect back then. Despite being the best player on the court, and on his team, Cousy and others always got the spotlight. Even the fans weren't very accepting of Bill: "I didn't...
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From Deep: At long last, Nikola Jokic's Nuggets can envision getting to the top of the mountain

  Jamal Murray tore his ACL on April 12, 2021. Leading up to that night, he'd been playing at an All-NBA level for two months: In a 25-game stretch, Murray averaged 24.1 points on .509/.459/.935 shooting splits, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He was even more efficient than he was in the bubble playoffs, and his defense had improved, too. Murray only got to play with Aaron Gordon, the Denver Nuggets' big trade-deadline addition, for five games. They won them all except the one in which Murray got injured. In 110 minutes, their new starting five scored slightly more efficiently than any iteration of the Kevin Durant-era death lineup in Golden State and defended like a top-five team. Two Nikola Jokic MVP awards later, Murray is back. So is Michael Porter Jr., who signed a five-year extension about a year ago and needed back surgery nine games into the 2020-21 season. The Nuggets remember how easily everything slid into place with Gordon in the mix. Newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pop...
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Sixers' James Harden backs teammate Joel Embiid for MVP: 'He deserves it, man'

  James Harden has been a member of the Philadelphia 76ers for less than two months, but that's been more than enough time for him to appreciate the brilliance of Joel Embiid. The duo is expected to help the Sixers compete for a championship, but Harden believes another trophy should be on its way to Philly this year.  In an interview with Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Harden backed Embiid for MVP, saying "he deserves it, man." "I've only been here for a few weeks, but I already see his mindset," Harden said. "He wants to win. Some guys just want numbers, but he has both. He has the mentality of winning, and he scores the ball at a high level. I think he's prepared himself, especially coming off last year, for this year to be one of his best years." This has indeed been one of Embiid's best years. He's averaging a career-high 29.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 blocks while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 35.8 percent f...
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