The Spurs have gone 8-5 without Devin Vassell. Is Vassell’s absence the main reason for their recent (relative) struggles, or are there other important factors that have been overlooked?

Marilyn Dubinski: I wouldn’t say he is THE reason, but it was certainly a contributing factor.  A big problem for a while was all three guards (De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper) were all in a shooting slump at the same time, and they were missing that relief valve that they could pass out to, either to shoot a three or create his own shot. Vassell is one of a few players on the team who can do both, so hopefully his return will help unclog the offense when it gets bogged down, leading to more consistency.   

Mark Barrington: It’s definitely a factor, but there’s more going on. They miss having shot creators in the starting lineup, which results in a lot of Castle drives into a crowd at the basket. Steph is improving a bit on passing the ball out of a crowd, but he still ends up swallowed up at the hoop more often than he should be. I think the biggest factor is probably fatigue, which could also partially be due to Devin’s absence, but mostly because they haven’t had more than one day between games in January, except for two occasions near the beginning of the month and a few at the end.

Devon Birdsong: I think Vassell’s absence has simply brought focus to how thin the shooting on the roster is. In my opinion, their non-shooting guards become a much bigger issue with someone like Vassell out. I think it would be the same issue if Champagnie or Barnes were out for an extended stretch. I’m pretty confident that at least one of Castle and Harper will improve in that arena, but it has placed a lot of focus on the shooting that the Spurs need at other positions on the roster. Power-forward most of all. I think the addition of those two young guards may actually have been the kiss of death for poor Jeremy Sochan. The Spurs could have adjusted to his lack of shooting if those two could both shoot reliably from long-distance, but with all three of them in the fold, one is going to get left out, and by default, that’s probably Sochan. It’s not a commentary on his potential as much as it is an argument that the other two just have more potential than he does. Really tough break. 

Jesus Gomez: Several players having a slump at the same time played a part in some of the losses. The grueling schedule was also a factor, and the Spurs dropped games to the Rockets, Thunder, and Timberwolves in that stretch, all great teams. But Vassell has definitely been missed. He’s one of the few guys on the team whose shot defenses respect, so even when he doesn’t get touches, he’s helping on offense. Plus, he looked friskier on defense before his injury. The Spurs need all the shooting they can get, and every team can use a wing who can defend and create in a pinch. While he might not always do all that consistently, Vassell has a skill set that not many others on the roster have. 

The Spurs’ four regular starters with Champagnie in Vassell’s place have outscored opponents by a preposterous 21.6 points per 100 possessions, more than doubling the numbers of the four other starters plus Vassell. Should the Spurs consider bringing Vassell off the bench?

Dubinski: I don’t think the sample size of Vassell plus the other four main starters is large enough to take too seriously, considering the amount of time Wemby has missed or come off the bench.  I also don’t think we can sit here and claim Julian Champagnie is THAT much better of a defender than Vassell to the point that it’s worth benching him. None of this is to say Vassell has to start or Champagnie has to return to the bench, but I’m not ready to take this stat too seriously until we see more of the team completely healthy.  

Barrington: That’s a no from me. I definitely think they can bring Champagnie off the bench and find him minutes by staggering the minutes of the other starters. I’m a big fan of Harrison Barnes, but he would probably benefit from playing fewer minutes early in the game and saving his energy for crunch time, which would free up more Sam Penny* minutes. I don’t think it’s that significant who is in the starting lineup, so long as Julian plays 25 minutes or more, which is about how much the starters play. Keldon Johnson has been playing as many minutes as the starters, and I think that Julian has earned a similar spot in the rotation.

 * I watch the games with closed captioning turned on, and that’s how his name is spelled in the closed captions.

Birdsong: Taking into consideration his current slump, I think it’s actually Barnes who should probably go to the benchfor now. Champagnie’s been playing great defense, and he’s also been going off with regularity, and Vassell’s defense and shooting have also been important in that lineup. Both of them on the court would make up for any loss of Barnes. Realistically, though, Vassell is probably coming off the bench as the Spurs ease him in, because that’s just how they do things. I’d really like to see them stagger Castle more, so that you can get the occasional Fox-Vassell-Champagnie-Barnes-Wemby lineup, because I think that could be lethal, but I’ll be happy just to have another shooter back in the game. 

Gomez: Lineup numbers are tricky because the Spurs tend to play a lot of different units even when healthy and a lot more when not, so groups rarely get enough minutes to allow for definitive conclusions. I do think there’s something to the starters plus Champagnie, though. It adds more size, and Champagnie is a low-usage player who doesn’t need the ball, which fits the rest of the unit. Vassell off the bench could get opportunities to create while also bringing a steadying perimeter presence next to the Harper-Castle duo. But there’s just not enough evidence to suggest he should come off the bench permanently. We’ll know more as the games go by.  

Carter Bryant has been showing some signs of progress recently. Should the Spurs play him more minutes even with Vassell back, or should they continue to bring him along slowly in the small bench role he currently plays? 

Dubinski: He’s just now starting to look comfortable as an NBA player, but I was surprised it took them as long as it did to send him to the G League for some development, and then it was just for one game.  That being said, if he truly is turning a corner, there’s no reason to halt his progress.  What they’re doing now is fine, with about 10 min per game, but I also wouldn’t hesitate to pull him if he’s having an off night.

Barrington: I’m a big fan of Carter Bryant. I think they should play him until he gets tired every single game that remains in the regular season. You can see already how much he’s improved in limited minutes, and I think he’s going to be a really good player. The way you find out about that is by playing him. Of course, Coach Mitch needs to hold him accountable and pull him from the game for instruction when he makes mistakes, which could be quite often, but he’s growing by leaps and bounds, and I just want to watch him play. Even when he messes up, it’s fun to watch. When playoff time rolls around, the coaching staff could limit his minutes, but it all depends on how much he develops in the remaining half of the season. He has very little experience playing basketball at a high level, and he’s probably a year or two away from being anywhere near his potential, but he’s going to get there quicker if he can gain experience on the court.

Birdsong: The basketball IQ on that kid is high, which is hardly a surprise based on what the Spurs draft for, and I think he’s starting to acclimate quickly after adjusting to the speed and spacing of the pros, but I don’t think forcing more minutes is in the cards. He’s averaging 13 minutes over the last 5 games, and I think that’s the right amount, considering Harper is averaging 21 minutes. It looks like he’s soaking up some of the minutes that Olynyk and Sochan would be getting, and that’s the right call if you’re not going to play them, unless more size is needed. Barring an injury, I say let him get used to playing in those spurts. If Barnes or Champagnie goes down, though, I think he’s the one who should see the uptick in minutes (unless Sochan’s going to get some run). 

Gomez: I’ll admit Bryant has been better, but he’s gone from eliciting “why is Carter Bryant playing?” responses to being semi-competent in low minutes. It’s not meant to be too strong a criticism of him, since he’s extremely young and raw, with limited experience playing high-level basketball, as Mark pointed out. It was overly optimistic to expect him to be good as a rookie. The other problem is that even if the coaching staff wanted to expand his role, it would be tough to do so because the Spurs have a solid nine-man rotation when everyone is healthy. So who gets fewer minutes? There might be some spare if they bring Vassell along slowly, but I don’t see how they can give Bryant more playing time without making themselves worse.  

The Minnesota Timberwolves are still searching for the consistency of true contenders, and they’ll try to rebound tonight against the Golden State Warriors in a matchup rescheduled after yesterday's tragic events in Minneapolis.

Minnesota enters on a four-game losing streak, but my Warriors vs Timberwolves predictions signal a change of fortunes for the hosts against a Golden State team that could be without Steph Curry.

Read on for my NBA picks ahead of this January 25 contest.

Warriors vs Timberwolves prediction

Warriors vs Timberwolves best bet: Timberwolves -5.5 (-110)

Every time the Minnesota Timberwolves seem to be gathering momentum to take a crack at the Top 4 in the West, they seem to hit a rough patch.

But some uneven results this month can’t mask the talent on this roster, which is why I’m trusting Anthony Edwards & Co. to respond tonight.

Minnesota is 15-7 at home this season — in contrast to the Golden State Warriors' ugly 8-14 mark on the road — and has covered in the past five meetings between these teams. That dominance largely stems from a playoff series in May, but the T-Wolves also landed a 127-120 victory at Chase Center in December.

This line has climbed overnight, and it surely hints that Curry will sit out today with knee soreness before these teams collide again tomorrow night.

The Warriors’ injury report also features Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Jonatha Kuminga, and the visitors have lost back-to-back games since losing Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL.

Warriors vs Timberwolves same-game parlay

Julius Randle feasted against the Warriors in last year’s playoff series, averaging 25.2 ppg on 53% shooting. He was a difference-maker in Minnesota’s win over Golden State earlier this season, scoring 27 points.

I like this points prop Over, with Randle coming off a 30-point night on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

Whether Curry plays or not, the Warriors are going to lean on Brandin Podziemski as they try to fill the Butler void. He’s nailed this Over in three of his last four outings, and he dished 10 dimes in Dallas earlier this week.

Warriors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Timberwolves -7
• Julius Randle Over 22.5 points
• Brandin Podziemski Over 9.5 rebounds+assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Block party

Look for Jaden McDaniels to bring the heat defensively tonight, and he’s recorded a block in each of his last six games.

With the length to bother smaller guards, he’s averaging 1.2 blocks per game in January, and he should be a threat in this category against the Golden State backcourt.

Warriors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Timberwolves -7
• Julius Randle Over 22.5 points
• Brandin Podziemski Over 9.5 rebounds+assists
• Jaden McDaniels Over 0.5 blocks

Warriors vs Timberwolves odds

• Spread: Warriors +5.5 | Timberwolves -5.5
• Moneyline: Warriors +180 | Timberwolves -220
• Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5

Warriors vs Timberwolves betting trend to know

The Over is 7-3 in Golden State’s last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Timberwolves.

How to watch Warriors vs Timberwolves

Warriors vs Timberwolves latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The Knicks played a home game on the road.

Make that make sense, Philadelphians.

Here’s your crew dropping some gems after yesterday’s affair.

Mike Brown

On parity across the NBA:

“In the NBA anything can happen. It doesn’t surprise me at all because teams are a lot more even in today’s NBA than back in the day. Teams are really good, players have gotten better, coaches have gotten better, so you have to be ready to play every single time you step on the floor.”

On OG Anunoby’s defensive impact on Saturday:

“OG obviously changed the game defensively. His quick decisions with the basketball, it was beautiful to watch. Defensively, guard Paul George, guard their power forward and then guard Joel Embiid. He was phenomenal defensively.”

On Anunoby guarding Embiid late:

“We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG. OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. So, we were able to do it.”

On the Knicks response to Towns’ never-ending foul trouble:

“We gotta just have other guys step up. We can’t control the fouls called, so if somebody is in foul trouble, hopefully the next guy can step up and play the right way to help us get a win.”

On the late-game challenge:

“I didn’t even see the play. I didn’t even hear our challenge guy say yes or no. I just know the whole bench was yelling at me to challenge. So I was ready to MF everybody if we didn’t win it.”

On Ariel Hukporti’s readiness:

“Ariel, he has been back and forth with the G-League team. He has been practicing, playing games, coming here, he kept himself ready. We throw him out there in a crucial time and he was phenomenal for us in those minutes.”

Mitchell Robinson

On the second-half defensive turnaround against the 76ers:

“We locked in defensively. We came back into halftime to see what we were lacking, especially myself. Defensively in the first half, I ain’t do too great. But definitely in the second half came with more energy.”

On battling Joel Embiid:

“Playing against him is always gonna be a little fight. That’s our nature, it is what it is. He’s an All-Star player so you’ve gotta come out there and fight and make some adjustments yourself.”

Jalen Brunson

On adjusting after Towns fouled out:

“Obviously, we want him in the game, but it’s a next man up mentality. We gotta find a way to go out there and execute our gameplan, play with pace, play good defense, play physical and get back to what we do.”

On the chaotic finish:

“Just pure chaos, but we found a way to win. That’s the best way I can describe it.”

On winning the late-game challenge after replay proved him right:

“Very. It’s very satisfying. If I’m animated like that, I’m pretty sure I’m right.”

Josh Hart

On closing out a tough win vs. Philly:

“When you’re a team that’s struggling to put together wins, you got to do the little things. Good attention to detail, good focus, good energy, and get all those 50-50 balls.”

On the Knicks’ late-game execution:

“We played well, but our execution the last couple minutes… I don’t know if we deserved to win the game. I don’t know if they deserved to win either. It was just a toss-up.”

On staying level-headed after back-to-back wins:

“Yeah, it is good, but also it’s January. You can’t get too high or too low. Three games ago we were turning into a lottery team, now people say we’re battling the East. We’re just trying to stay level headed.”

Landry Shamet

On the bench production and its variability:

“Some nights that bench scoring is going to have a huge onus on it. Other nights our first five have it going. That’s the beauty of our team. We’ve got to be adaptable and find ways to win.”

Guerschon Yabusele

On trade uncertainty ahead of the deadline:

“It’s nothing that I can control. Just try to be smart, preparing, as ready as I can. I’ve never gotten traded before or been in a situation like this. I just work hard and try to stay prepared.”

On unmet expectations this season:

“It’s definitely not what I was expecting coming into the season. I thought it would be a little more different. Obviously, my role is different from last year or from the Olympics.”

The Miami Heat will wrap up a five-game road trip when they face the Phoenix Suns, who are back home for the first time in two weeks.

Phoenix will be without its leading scorer, Devin Booker, and my Heat vs Suns predictions call for a big offensive performance from Dillon Brooks.

Here are my free NBA picks for this inter-conference matchup from Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, January 25.

Heat vs Suns prediction

Heat vs Suns best bet: Dillon Brooks Over 22.5 points (-125)

Devin Booker left Friday’s loss to the Hawks on crutches, and Jalen Green left early with a hamstring injury. Someone’s got to pick up the slack on offense, and Dillon Brooks is in a prime spot to get buckets at home.

Booker has been ruled out, and Jalen Green is questionable, which means Brooks should be in line for a big bump in offensive responsibilities against the Miami Heat tonight.

Brooks has averaged 23.9 points per game at home, and he finished with 25 points against Miami in his first matchup of the season.

The scrappy wing has scored at least 22 points in 17 games, including 11 of 15 at home. Miami has allowed the seventh-most points per game, setting up Brooks to hit the Over.

Heat vs Suns same-game parlay

Bam Adebayo has averaged 37.5 PRA across his last seven games, hitting the Over four times. Kel'el Ware is sidelined again, and Bam is set up for another bump in production. He also went for 42 PRA when he faced the Suns on January 13.

The Phoenix Suns have home-court advantage, but without Devin Booker and potentially Jalen Green, the Suns may struggle to keep up with Miami's high-scoring offense. The Heat are 26-20 against the spread overall and 13-11 on the road.

Heat vs Suns SGP

• Dillon Brooks Over 22.5 points
• Bam Adebayo Over 32.5 points+rebounds+assists
• Heat +4

Our "from downtown" SGP: Gettin Wiggy with it

Andrew Wiggins is averaging 15.9 points this season, and he's scored 14+ in 27 of 42 games overall. He's hit the Over on this modest scoring line in six straight, and I expect him to keep that streak going on the road.

Heat vs Suns SGP

• Dillon Brooks Over 22.5 points
• Bam Adebayo Over 32.5 points+rebounds+assists
• Heat +4
• Andrew Wiggins Over 13.5 points

Heat vs Suns odds

• Spread: Heat +4 | Suns -4
• Moneyline: Heat +135 | Suns -160
• Over/Under: Over 229 | Under 229

Heat vs Suns betting trend to know

The Miami Heat have covered the first-quarter spread in 33 of their last 45 away games (+20.45 Units / 40% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Suns.

How to watch Heat vs Suns

Heat vs Suns latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

Two injury-plagued teams meet at FedExForum this afternoon when the Denver Nuggets take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

With Ja Morant sidelined through at least the All-Star Break, my Nuggets vs Grizzlies predictions expect a strong performance from Cam Spencer as a facilitator.

Here are my free NBA picks for this Western Conference matchup on Sunday, January 25.

Nuggets vs Grizzlies prediction

Nuggets vs Grizzlies best bet: Cam Spencer Over 8.5 assists (-112)

Cam Spencer continues to excel as a facilitator, and he'll have plenty of runway to operate as the Memphis Grizzlies' primary playmaker against the Denver Nuggets. 

Spencer has averaged 7.2 assists per game in 27.9 minutes of action with Ja Morant sidelined, compared to just 3.7 assists in 19.4 minutes with Morant in the lineup.

In 11 starts, Spencer has averaged 9.5 dimes, going for at least eight assists nine times and at least nine assists seven times. Denver is middle-of-the-pack in assists allowed, and the team will be without multiple starters and key defenders.

Nuggets vs Grizzlies same-game parlay

Jock Landale should see plenty of run with both Zach Edey and Santi Aldama sidelined against the Nuggets. Over his last nine games, Landale has averaged 22.9 points+rebounds, hitting the Over on this combo line seven times.

Both teams are dealing with multiple key injuries, but the Nuggets have stayed competitive, while the Grizzlies have not. Over the last 10 games, Denver is 7-3 straight up and 6-4 against the spread, while Memphis is 3-7 and 3-6-1 respectively. 

Nuggets vs Grizzlies SGP

• Cam Spencer Over 8.5 assists
• Jock Landale Over 21.5 points+rebounds
• Nuggets +3.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Picking Pickett 

Jalen Pickett has started nine straight games, averaging 9.3 points across 30.7 minutes. He's scored 11+ in four of his last nine overall, including two of his last four on the road.

Nuggets vs Grizzlies SGP

• Cam Spencer Over 8.5 assists
• Jock Landale Over 21.5 points+rebounds
• Nuggets +3.5
• Jalen Pickett Over 10.5 points

Nuggets vs Grizzlies odds

• Spread: Nuggets +3.5 | Grizzlies -3.5
• Moneyline: Nuggets +130 | Grizzlies -155
• Over/Under: Over 225 | Under 225

Nuggets vs Grizzlies betting trend to know

The Memphis Grizzlies have only hit the moneyline in 16 of their last 40 games at home (-18.75 Units / -29% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Grizzlies.

How to watch Nuggets vs Grizzlies

Nuggets vs Grizzlies latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

The weather outside might be frightful, but the NBA has a delightful eight-game Sunday slate to enjoy.

My three NBA player props and NBA picks should keep you interested all day long, with plays including Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Jalen Duren	To record a double-double	<<-115>>
Anthony Edwards	Over 3.5 threes	<<-115>>
Kawhi Leonard	Over 2.5 thres	<<+105>>

Prop #1: Jalen Duren to record a double-double

-115 at bet365

Jalen Duren is a walking double-double, currently averaging 17.8 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. He's cleared 10+ points in every game this month with two double-doubles in his previous six games.

Today, he meets a Sacramento Kings small-ball group that ranks 29th in the NBA in rebounding. With Sacramento playing a more undersized frontline and struggling with its overall efficiency, Duren’s physical presence on both ends makes him a viable play this afternoon.

• Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN-Detroit, NBCS-California

Prop #2: Anthony Edwards Over 3.5 threes

-115 at bet365

Anthony Edwards is on a tear. He’s averaging 4.0 made threes on 9.4 attempts over his last 10 games. He recently exploded for nine triples and has cleared the 3.5 mark in 60% of his recent outings. 

Facing a Golden State Warriors defense decimated by injuries and missing perimeter stoppers Jimmy Butler and possibly Jonathan Kuminga, Edwards should see high volume, and his elite 40% shooting from downtown makes this prop a high-value play.

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN-North, NBCS-Bay Area

Prop #3: Kawhi Leonard Over 2.5 threes

+105 at bet365

Kawhi Leonard has completely evolved his game this month, leaning heavily into his perimeter shot. He's cleared this 2.5-three line in six consecutive games, averaging a staggering 4.6 makes on nearly 10 attempts per outing during that stretch. 

He’s up against a Brooklyn Nets defense that he just torched for four triples on January 9, and I expect Leonard to see plenty of high-quality looks. With Leonard’s 40 % shooting and increased volume, three makes at plus-money is very realistic.

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN-SoCal, YES

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

After Steven Adams left the game Sunday versus the New Orleans Pelicans with an apparent ankle injury, fans began speculating on the severity. Well, it was confirmed earlier this week that Adams has a grade-three ankle sprain, so fans should not be expecting him back anytime soon, as a grade-three ankle sprain can take up to nine weeks or more. The nine-week timeline would mean that it is possible Houston would not see Adams return until mid to late March, which would be right before the playoffs. It’s even possible he misses the season.

However, one benefit this Rockets team has is its depth, as Houston would be able to deploy numerous other players at center without even considering Alperen Sengun. If Houston wanted to continue to use the double-big lineup, Ime Udoka could utilize Clint Capela. Afterall, Houston did sign Capela as a way to ensure that with or without Steven Adams, the Rockets would be able to play big and dominate the glass. There is a definite drop-off from Capela to Adams, but Capela can still fill his role nicely.

However, Capela is not the only option, as Houston could turn away from the double big lineup and go for a small ball approach. In this case, two players come to mind as options: Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. Every Rockets fan is unfortunately familiar with the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Durant played a lot of small-ball center when Golden State would roll out their death-ball lineup, especially in the 2017-2018 playoffs. Additonally, Jabari Smith Jr. also has experience playing the five, but his overall skills are much more limited, but perhaps he will receive some opportunities to help aid his development.

Additonally Dorian Finney-Smith, Tari Eason, and Jeff Green could also fill in as centers, but due to Finney-Smith and Eason’s potential lack of ability, I doubt that will be explored as often. As for Jeff Green, so far this season, he has not been getting many minutes at all outside of garbage time, and it is clear Capela has likely supplanted him as that reserve center option.

Houston is back in action Monday at home versus the Memphis Grizzlies for Steven Adams and Reed Sheppard bobblehead night. Tip-off is at 7:00. As always, be sure to check back here at The Dream Shake for pre- and post-game coverage of the game.

The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) travel to Milwaukee to play the Bucks (18-26) after losing to Luka Doncic’s Lakers on Saturday. The Mavs had their four-game win streak snapped by the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. After a quick turnaround, they hope to regroup as they enter Sunday’s showdown with the Antetokounmpo-less Bucks, who are coming off a home loss to the Denver Nuggets. Here are three things to think about as Dallas looks to get back on track in Milwaukee.‘

How tired will they be?

The Mavericks did not get to leave Dallas on Saturday night.

Teams always try to travel the night before so players can get some rest and acclimate to the the area they’re playing in. The Mavericks will try to come in hot and eek out a win despite being low on any reasonable amount of energy.

Antetokounmpo Out with Calf Strain

The misery of the Milwaukee Bucks’ season deepened on Friday night after Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game against the Denver Nuggets with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It was later revealed he suffered a right calf strain, the same injury that kept him sidelined three weeks earlier this season. He’ll miss 4-6 weeks this time around.

Despite the disappointing year for Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has played like his MVP self. In 30 games, he’s averaged 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.3 stocks (steals + blocks). He’s the fifth most efficient scorer in the NBA at 64.5% from the floor. In November’s 116-114 win over Dallas, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points on 11/18 from the floor and eight rebounds. No Antetokounmpo leaves a big hole in the middle. If the Mavs want to keep their win streak alive, they’ll have to expose the paint on both ends of the floor and Milwaukee’s lack of a true big man.

The Bucks’ Offensive Struggles

The Bucks are a .500 team with Antetokounmpo, but are dreadful without him. In the 14 games he’s missed this season, Milwaukee is 3-11. The Bucks are 27th in the NBA in offensive rating this season at 111.9 points per 100 possessions. With Antetokounmpo, they have an offensive rating of 116.3 points, which would be fifth in the NBA. Without him, they sit dead last in the NBA with an offensive rating of 108.0 points, just behind the Brooklyn Nets. Without Antetokounmpo’s gravity, it’s challenging for Milwaukee to find consistent good looks at the basket. 

The next two big men in line for the Bucks are Myles Turner and Bobby Portis, who both spend a lot of time on the perimeter, along with power forward Kyle Kuzma. Without the main cog in the wheel, Milwaukee will try to rely on its shooting to bail them out. They are second in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 39.2%.

Milwaukee has scorers, having seven players who average double digits in points: Antetokounmpo (28.0), Kevin Porter Jr. (16.8), Ryan Rollins (16.1), Bobby Portis (13.1), Kyle Kuzma (12.5), Myles Turner (12.4), and A.J Green (10.5). The Bucks’ second-best scorer in Kevin Porter Jr. is out due to an oblique strain. One silver lining for Milwaukee this season has been the growth of guard Ryan Rollins. The 44th overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Warriors found his way on the Bucks roster last season and has propelled himself to a potential future cornerstone. Expect him to have the ball in his hands a lot.

The Mavericks’ Offense Has Been Rolling

On the Dallas side, they’ve been one of the best paint-scoring teams in this recent stretch of good basketball, getting to the rim at will. The Mavs’ quickness on the perimeter with Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard, and Max Christie has allowed them to have their way against opponents inside. Add in the craftiness and ability to get to their spots of guys like Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg, and defenses have their hands full. Dallas sits at sixth in the NBA in points per game scored in the paint at 53.3. Attacking and finishing against this Bucks defense should be a top priority for the Mavs.

Although the Mavs haven’t been great this season from beyond the arc, they have been better as of late, making double-digit threes in five consecutive games: 10, 13, 15, 18, and 19. Max Christie continues to shoot the lights out as the league’s seventh-best three-point shooter at a scoring 45.7%. Klay Thompson has been on a heater in January as well. In his last five games, he’s 20/42 from distance, 47.6%. Dallas will need to keep knocking down deep shots if it wants to get back in the win column.

How to Watch

Tipoff is 6 PM and you can watch on KFAA-TV, Mavs.com, or NBA League Pass.

I found this on Instagram:

The video is called “Flex Check.”

In it Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Harrison Barnes rate some of their game day outfits they wore on their way to the arena.

Vassell, one of the most stylish members of the Spurs, saw himself in some a hoodie, beanie, andTimberlands heading in from the cold. He appreciated his color combination and gave the outfit an 8.5.

Keldon gave himself a 10 for a combo he got at the Luis Vuitton store. For a baller normally seen in boots and a cowboy hat, he certainly looks dapper and red carpet ready.

Harrison Barnes described his stylish suit as a “clean fit” but gave himself an 8 for passing on a button down shirt for a t-shirt.

Hopefully there will be additional installments with the other members of the Silver & Black. It’d be great to hear what Victor, Stephon, Dylan, and Luke think of their entrances.

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Warriors reportedly among teams interested in Miles Bridges trade with Hornets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors appear to have some interest in a veteran wing.

With approximately two weeks until the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, Golden State is one of the teams expressing interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported, citing league sources, in a story published Friday.

“As for Hornets that might be on the move, veteran forward Miles Bridges is drawing significant interest, league sources told The Athletic,” Amick wrote. “The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are all known to be among the interested parties, though it remains to be seen if any team can compel the Hornets to give Bridges up.

Amick also quoted a league source, who believes Charlotte is seeking at least one, and potentially two, first-round draft picks in a potential deal for Bridges.

In 45 games this season, Bridges is averaging 18.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 44.5-percent shooting from the field and 33.4 percent from 3-point range.

Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 12 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Bridges, 27, has played seven seasons with Charlotte, but missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season and the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season due to a suspension for his role in a 2022 domestic violence case.

Bridges pleaded no contest to a felony charge in Nov. 2022, resulting in three years of probation and no jail time.

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KITZBÜHEL, Austria (AP) — Manuel Feller pleased the home crowd with a surprise win in the World Cup slalom of the classic Hahnenkamm event on Sunday, a day after the Austrian team had a disastrous result in the downhill.

Feller, fourth after the opening leg, kneeled on the snow in the finish area after his run as he watched the final three racers all coming up well short, including first-run leader and world champion Loic Meillard, who finished 0.35 behind in second.

Meillard was seeking his first slalom win of the season after two podiums in December, though he did win a giant slalom in France last month.

Germany’s Linus Strasser, who won the race two years ago, was 0.53 behind in third after edging out Lucas Pinheiro Braathen by four-hundredths for a place on the podium.

When his victory was confirmed, Feller got up, held one of his skis in the air and let out a loud scream.

“I can’t describe how much this means to me,” the Austrian said in a tearful course-side interview.

“This year I was close to quit a few times, just no energy anymore for a few races. But all my life, quitting was no option, so I kept on going.”

His victory came a day after Vincent Kriechmayr in 13th was the best Austrian finisher in the storied Hahnenkamm downhill, which marked the worst result for the home team in the history of the race.

Feller was the 2023-24 slalom champion but has been struggling with back pain in recent years. He had not won a race since triumphing in Palisades Tahoe, California, in March 2024, and had not had a podium result in the current campaign.

“It was probably my toughest season, probably one of the toughest parts of my life,” Feller said. “It’s only skiing, but right now, skiing feels pretty good.”

Feller became the first Austrian winner of the Kitzbühel slalom since Marcel Hirscher triumphed nine years ago.

In the first run, World Cup discipline leader Atle Lie McGrath skied out.

“I’m obviously very disappointed and it hurts a lot,” McGrath said. “I was at the start with a good mindset. I really tried to push and stuff like that happens.”

The United States-born Norwegian went top of the standings last week after winning in Wengen, but has now been overtaken by his close friend and former teammate, Pinheiro Braathen, who competes for Brazil.

A night race on Wednesday in Schladming is the final slalom before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business as they defeated the Orlando Magic 119-105 to win their third game in a row.

The stats in the table below are from Cleaning the Glass.

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his 36 points in the second half. Mitchell struggled to get anything going at the start of the game, but turned it around in the second half. Orlando couldn’t keep him from driving inside as he went 9-14 on shots in the paint in the second half.
• Mitchell is now leading the league in second-half scoring with 17.2 points per game on .519/.427/.836 shooting splits. The Cavs have needed their best player to carry their offense to victory many nights. The numbers partially reflect that. However, they also show just how gifted a scorer Mitchell really is. He’s been producing in volume and efficiency when his team has needed him most, regardless of what his clutch numbers say.
• This was the 17th time this season that Mitchell has scored 20 or more points in the second half. The Cavs are 11-6 when he does so and 7-0 when he puts up 24 or more over the final two quarters.
• The Cavs are now 10-1 when Mitchell scores 35 or more points. This team has gone as Mitchell has from a scoring perspective. That trend continued again in Orlando.
• Mitchell hit just two triples en route to his 36-point performance. He’s reached at least 30 points 24 times this season, and he’s registered two or fewer three-point makes in just five of those outings. This was the second time he’s scored 35 or more and had just two outside field goals.
• This was the third time this season Mitchell has contributed at least nine assists. The Cavs have won each time he’s done so. They’re 10-5 when he has seven or more assists in a game.
• The Magic went just 11-40 (27.5%) from three. They’re the second-worst three-point shooting team in the league this season. The Cavs, understandably, played into that. They packed the paint and dared the Magic to shoot. This led to them taking 43% of their shots from beyond the arc (74th percentile). That’s exactly how you want to play the Magic.
• Only 26% of Orlando’s field-goal attempts came at the rim (26th percentile). The best defenses force their opponent to take their shots where they want them to. The Cavs did this as they kept the Magic from getting to the rim. Cleveland executed their defensive game plan perfectly.
• Cleveland outscored Orlando 50-40 in the paint.
• The Cavs connected on 44.1% of their threes (85th percentile). This was the 15th time this season the Cavs hit 40% or more of their triples. They’re 11-4 when they do so.
• Cavaliers outside of Mitchell and Evan Mobley went 12-20 (60%) from beyond the arc. This was a well-rounded performance where each member in the rotation made a positive contribution in the victory.
• Cleveland had five players finish in double figures scoring: Mitchell (36), Jaylon Tyson (17), Mobley (13), Tyrese Proctor (12), and Dean Wade (10).
• This was the eighth time Wade has scored 10 or more points in a game this season. The Cavs are now 6-2 when he does so.
• Twenty-seven of Cleveland’s 43 field goals were assisted. The ball was moving around the court well in Orlando. That doesn’t always show through in the assist numbers, but it did so here.
• Five Cavaliers contributed two or more assists: Mitchell (9), Nae’Qwan Tomlin (4), Tyson (4), Mobley (3), and Lonzo Ball (2).

The Wizards lost again, this time to the Charlotte Hornets. It was their ninth straight defeat, and they’re back in last place.

The Wizards starting lineup was the youngest in NBA history — Will Riley and Tre Johnson are both 19. Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington are 20. Kyshawn George was the old guy at 22. Yes, they should have started Justin Champagnie (age 24), but I like using the opportunity to get Riley his first NBA start and taking advantage to set the record.

The game was replete with some of the same-old-same-old. They had plenty of defensive breakdowns. They got dominated on the glass. And yet, I saw some things in this one that I think are positive signs for the future.

• Throughout the night, Sarr’s combination of length, agility, and skills were way too much for the Hornets to handle — at least on the offensive end. He was too strong and long for Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges. He was much too quick for Ryan Kalkbrenner. He shot over defenders whether big or small.
• Jamir Watkins was a defensive menace. He tallied five steals and two blocks, including an open-court strip of Collin Sexton (which resulted in a breakaway dunk) and alert plays in passing lanes.
• Repeatedly in my notes are entries about the team’s well-designed offensive system. Some examples:
• At 9:11 of the second quarter, the Wizards ran a high screen action to get an open look out top. If you’ve watched any game this season, you’ve seen this action. In this example, Sarr screen for Johnson, who immediately went into a three-point shot upon receiving the pass from George. He got fouled and ended up at the free throw line. This is an example of Washington’s offensive design — it’s a difficult action to defend and comes with a set of options if the primary action is covered. Brian Keefe’s challenge: getting his exuberant youngsters to consistently execute the system.
• Probably my favorite observation in this one was noticing something new: Tre Johnson producing gravity. In transition during the third quarter, the threat of Johnson at the three-point line drew a hyper-aggressive closeout. He attacked the closeout and drove middle. Charlotte’s defense collapsed on him, he kicked to George, who got a wide open three, which he missed. He drew defensive attention beyond the three-point line throughout the second half, which helped give his teammates more space to operate.
• In the fourth quarter, the Wizards defense was actually good. The results (108 defensive rating) weren’t all-time great, but their communication was excellent, their switches were seamless, and they worked together as a unit to keep Hornets players from driving. They forced Charlotte deeper into the shot clock and forced them to take difficult shots. Charlotte made enough of those shots to secure the win, but the defensive process was mostly what it needed to be.
• Sturdier perimeter defense — meaning preventing or cutting off drives — is important to Washington’s defense. Even in that fourth quarter, Charlotte paint touches led to open threes. They shot just 1-8 from deep in the period.
• Champagnie and Sarr both had terrific fourth quarters.
• I don’t know the numbers, but my eye tells me Sarr is superb when switching onto smaller players on the perimeter. His ability to get low and move was key to Washington’s fourth quarter defense.
• Another great example of Johnson’s gravity came with about 4:10 left in the game. The Wizards set stagger screens to bring Johnson up from the corner. Charlotte covered the initial action well, so Johnson cleared to the weak side, and Carrington dribbled to the right. Sarr immediately re-screened for Johnson to come back to the middle, who caught the pass on the move and drove into the lane. Four (4!) defenders reacted to him. He kicked to Champagnie in the corner, who swung it to Carrington out top for a wide open three.
• One more example of Keefe’s good play design — with 2:30 left in the game, the Wizards ran a devilish baseline out of bounds play. Washington gets a surprisingly high number of layups and dunks on BLOB plays, and this was one of them. In this version, Champagnie ran a fake screen action — it looked to the defense like he was going to set a back screen for a teammate to cut to the basket. At the last second, he slipped the screen and made the cut himself. He came open for a dunk. Superb design.

The Wizards have a long ways to go with players executing the scheme, getting stronger, and getting smarter. They really need George to become a consistently better decision-maker…if he’s going to retain a significant on-ball roll. Still, I think there’s reason to be encouraged. They’re showing improvement and there’s room for plenty more.

Four Factors

Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).

The four factors are measured by:

• eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
• OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
• TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
• FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)

Stats & Metrics

PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).

PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.

POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.

ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is 115.1. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.

USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%.

ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.

+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 114, the league — on average — would produced 22.8 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -2.8.

Players are sorted by total production in the game.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic has had a walkover into the Australian Open quarterfinals after Jakub Mensik withdrew 24 hours ahead of their scheduled fourth-round match with an abdominal injury.

The tournament confirmed Mensik's withdrawal late Sunday. The match had been scheduled for Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.

“After last couple of matches, I started to feel worse, and actually the problem is my abdominal muscle on the left side,” Mensik said in comments published by the tournament. “Like I said, last few matches it got significantly worse, and I think if I would step on the court tomorrow, it would be such a big risk for me for my next weeks, for my next tournaments, and actually for my health.”

No. 16-seeded Mensik beat Ethan Quinn in straight sets on Saturday.

Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open a record 10 times.

The 24-time major winner became the first player to reach 400 wins in Grand Slam singles when he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Saturday night in the third round of the Australian Open.

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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis