Category: Sports News

As the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches, it’s time for the Dallas Mavericks to reevaluate their path forward in building around Cooper Flagg. Dallas is at a crossroads, left with limited assets and aging, injury-prone sidekicks following Hurricane Nico. Following Anthony Davis’ hand injury and Kyrie Irving potentially nearing a return to play, the Mavericks brass need to shift their priorities to put their young and budding superstar in Flagg in a position to succeed. Success is fragile, and we have all seen how quickly it can be thrown away. It’s key that the Mavericks finally build around their young star the right way. They only have one opportunity to build around Flagg, and here are some key points Patrick Dumont and company need to consider in doing so.

Get serious about your General Manager search

Following Nico Harrison’s dismissal, the Mavericks have opted to run their front office by committee, naming Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers. According to The Athletic, the pairing will remain in that position until springtime. This will allow the Mavericks to have access to potential candidates who are currently employed. Dallas clearly prefers having a candidate with prior front office experience after Harrison tore apart the franchise. Harrison took over the reins when the Detroit Pistons hired Dennis Lindsey, previously an advisor to Harrison. Many attribute the success that resulted in the Mavericks 2024 Finals Run to the brains of Dennis Lindsey, and Dallas will have the opportunity to poach him or another executive in the offseason.

When the Adelson family bought the Mavericks, we were told they were the type of people willing to spend money on the team. While we are yet to see that come to fruition, they need to heavily pursue a competent executive to pick up the pieces of Hurricane Nico. Dumont has seemingly committed to getting the Mavericks on the right track to build around Flagg, but deciding who is responsible for getting the job done can be the difference between contention and mediocrity.

A Davis/Flagg/Irving core is nothing more than a concept that will never work

The concept of a Davis/Flagg/Irving core is nothing more than an “on paper” idea that will never pan out. Davis has a history of getting injured about every five games he plays in Dallas. He’s played 20 total games this year, and history is not in his favor for staying on the floor. Add that to Irving’s situation; he’s nearing 33 years old, returning from a year-long absence due to an ACL tear. When he comes back, there is no guarantee that he will be the same player he was last season before the injury. According to reports, Dumont wants to see the trio of Flagg/Irving/Davis play together before making any “premature” decisions on Dallas’ future. This is a losing bet that only hurts Flagg’s growth as a player and the Mavericks ability to build a competent roster around him.

At this point, Davis will at least remain a Maverick through the offseason. It is hard to imagine that there will be a list of teams lining up out the door to acquire his services because of his contract and inability to stay on the floor for more than five games at a time. If the Hawks or Raptors are willing to rekindle trade discussions, Dallas needs to move past the concept of the trio and shift its priorities to building around Flagg’s future.

Recuperate lost assets

The Mavericks flushed all of their future draft assets down the drain after spending the last seven seasons building a competitive team around Luka Doncic. Following the 2026 Draft, they don’t own another pick of their own until 2031. They need to be in the market for dealing guys like Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson, who have both driven interest among the league, for first-round picks, and not settle for a deal with a second, or two, thrown in. Dallas would be mistaken to not at least try to call up teams like the Thunder, Spurs, and Hornets to see if there is any interest in sending Dallas one of their picks back. The CBA emphasizes building through the draft, and we have seen how that can lead to success in Oklahoma City. Dallas struggled to draft players to fit around Doncic, and they have to get it right this go-around with Flagg.

Flagg has continued to show over the course of the season that he is a budding superstar, and his 49-point performance Thursday night against the Hornets was another reminder that the sky is his limit. Dallas needs to reprioritize their future to build a competitive team around Flagg, and if the time to realign its focus wasn’t yesterday, it’s now.

Prior to the season, we expected the Milwaukee Bucks to make the playoffs and maybe even win a round, while the Boston Celtics were anticipating a gap year following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury—our friends over at Celtics Blog even said as much. How wrong we were. After another loss to the Washington Generals Wizards, the Bucks are now 12th in the East at 18-28, while the Celtics are sitting pretty at 30-18, tied with the New York Knicks for second place. Trending in opposite directions—but the Bucks holding a 1-0 season lead—the sides take to TD Garden this afternoon for the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic, which recognises the start of Black History Month and honours the legacy of NBA Pioneers Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton, and Earl Lloyd, the league’s first Black players.

Where We’re At

As you are well aware, the Bucks are the talk of the NBA for all the wrong reasons, with trade rumours galore dominating conversation. On the court, the Bucks continue to free fall, losing four in a row and eight of their last 10. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Myles Turner is in the midst of his best stretch as a Buck (more on that below), Bobby Portis has found a new wrinkle with his passing, and Pete Nance is making a case that he’s more than just a two-way player. And, at this point, it seems losing games isn’t so bad after all, with 85% of fans agreeing that the Bucks should try and get a high draft pick.

Boston, on the other hand, continues its Cinderella season. Winners of three of their last five, the Celtics have defied the odds this season and are a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference, even if there are some cracks in the armour. Jaylen Brown continues to lead the Celtics and was recently named All-Star starter for his efforts—the first time in his career he’s received that honour. Payton Pritchard has also been in red-hot form, putting up 21.2 PPG and 4.4 APG (shooting .545/.500/.714) over his last five. But that should come as no surprise for someone who’s the most efficient isolation scorer in the league. Yet, it’s his ability to score and create without turning the ball over that’s most impressive. On the season, Pritchard has an absurd 248 assists to just 52 turnovers, crediting his offensive mastery to his roots as a quarterback. Needless to say, the Bucks could learn a few things.

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Giannis (calf), Taurean Prince (neck), and Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) all remain out, while Gary Harris is listed as probable (hamstring soreness).

For the Celtics, it’s a clean bill of health besides Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and the G-Leaguers, with Amari Williams listed as questionable.

Player To Watch

Over the past three games, Myles Turner has had his season-high in points (31, vs. Philadelphia), rebounds (14, vs. Washington), and blocks (6, vs. Denver and Washington). In this stretch, he’s averaging 23.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 4.7 BPG, while shooting .568/.389/.923—the sort of output we dreamed he would offer when signed in the offseason and nearly twice as good as he’s been for the year. Digging deeper, though, there’s not as much change as there appears. Turner’s rebound percentage in this stretch (10.5%) is much the same as it has been for the season (9.4%), and his usage (21.5%) is only marginally increased from the 18.1% he’s had as a Buck (albeit much closer to the 20.7-23.4% he had with the Pacers over the last three years). What has changed, however, is his block percentage, going from 5.6% on the season to an otherworldly (and completely unsustainable) 12.1%. Moreover, his true shooting percentage has spiked from just 59% on the season to 69% over the last three. In large part, this can be attributed to Turner’s improved finishing inside, where he’s shot 88% from within five feet (compared to just 64% on the year). Not only has he been converting more from this range lately, he’s also attempting more (5.7 attempts per game, up from a measly 2.1). So, has Turner turned the corner and finally found his interior groove with the Bucks, is it that he’s getting more opportunities without Giannis dominating the interior, is Doc Rivers finally utilising him beyond floor spacer, or is this just a flash-in-the-pan hot stretch? Considering he put up just four points and three rebounds against the Celtics in their only other meeting this year, this afternoon’s game should provide at least some answers to these questions.

How To Watch

ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin at 2:30 p.m. CST.

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The NBA trade deadline is coming up on February 5th (at 3:00 PM EST) and we’ve been speculating about trade options all season. Brad Stevens and the Celtics front office did a great job reducing payroll this past offseason, and somehow the team has hardly missed a step. In fact, several new and young players have stepped right up into bigger roles. To the point where Joe Mazzulla is being discussed for Coach of the Year (which he won’t care about) and Brad Stevens has a case for Executive of the Year.

But have they done enough for this year? Most have pointed to the lack of depth at the center position, but Neemias Queta has established himself as at least a solid starter and Luka Garza has looked more and more comfortable in his role off the bench. Perhaps rotating in cheaper center options is a way to navigate the Apron era.

What they have is working right now, and making a trade would likely take some piece away from that mix. So perhaps they shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. As it is, they could have the best mid-season addition in the league if and when Jayson Tatum returns to the lineup.

Or perhaps you feel like the team owes it to Tatum and Jaylen Brown (who has been carrying this team on his shoulders all year) to give them the best shot at winning a title this year.

So if we fast forward to beyond the trade deadline and the Celtics have made no moves, how would you feel about that decision? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and join in the conversation!

After his 49 point outburst against Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets, Cooper Flagg followed up with another gem against the Houston Rockets, finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. He’s really taken his game to another level and it’s hard at times to remember that he’s still a teenager.

Who does this? He’s in pretty elite company.

What’s really interesting in these highlights is that he’s frequently going right at future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, and there’s not much Durant can do to stop him. You can see his frustration here as Flagg repeatedly abuses him. In fact, after one Flagg basket, Durant slaps the ball hard enough that it pops up and hits the backboard. We saw a similarly helpless reaction the other night from Joel Embiid as he threw his hands up, realizing there was simply nothing he could do to stop him.

What’s really interesting about Flagg’s development is this: remember at the beginning of the season when coach Jason Kidd said he wanted to stress Flagg by playing him at the point? At the time, Flagg struggled a bit and a lot of people thought he was overrated, but Kidd was playing a longer game.

Flagg learned and he now he’s playing the entire court. He has point guard skills and he can defend inside. He can shoot, drive, handle, and the last weak point in his game is his three point shooting, which he’ll improve dramatically by next season.

Book it.

When Dallas gets Kyrie Irving back, they’ll effectively have a second point guard. And two shooting guards. And two small forwards, and two power forwards and a guy who can help out at center too.

And all those guys are named Cooper Flagg.

And he’s just 19, still a skinny teenager.

Imagine where he’ll be when he adds power to his game.

Actually, while it may seem to soon to ask this question, what the hey: who would you rather build around? Luka Donca or Flagg?

We’re big fans of Luka here but his conditioning has always been an issue and despite his surreal brilliance, Doncic is slow.

You can build around a slow player – Boston built perhaps the best team of all time, the 1986 Celtics, around Larry Bird – but everyone else has to adapt to how that one guy plays.

Doncic also rarely exerts himself on defense, and that’s not an issue with Flagg at all.

Statistically, you’d have to take Doncic. He’s averaging 33.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists. That’s spectacular.

But a guy to build an entire team around? Flagg probably has more upside in that sense if only because of his two-way value and his versatility.

Actually, you can ask the same question about Knueppel and you could make a reasonable argument for building around him over Doncic. Why?

Because Knueppel has dramatically changed his team’s personality. Not too long ago, everyone wanted to make trades to improve the Hornets. Get rid of LaMelo! Brandon Miller has reached his ceiling! Trade some of the other bums!

Now, Charlotte seems like a team with a brilliant future and, like Dallas with Flagg, a lot of that is down to Knueppel. Both of these guys have completely changed their teams and people are going to want to play with them because they have an old-school approach and don’t care about anything more than winning.

As great as he is, we’re not sure you can say the same thing about Doncic.

Temperatures in Toronto are below 20 degrees (-7 for those North of the border) but the forecast inside Scotiabank Arena is much warmer when the Toronto Raptors host the Utah Jazz Sunday.

Homegrown star R.J. Barrett is projected to be a source of heat for Toronto, and my Jazz vs. Raptors predictions call for Barrett to burn Utah on the scoreboard.

Here are my best NBA picks for February 1.

Jazz vs Raptors prediction

Jazz vs Raptors best bet: R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points (-110)

RJ Barrett missed the middle of January with an ankle injury, and the Toronto Raptors had him on a strict minutes restriction since coming back on January 23. 

His floor time topped out at 24 minutes before logging his usual workload with 31 minutes in the loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. He finished with 16 points on 6 of 14 shooting (0-for-5 from 3-point range), but a return home will help him find his form.

Barrett has been a much better shooter inside Scotiabank Arena and gets an advantageous matchup against the Utah Jazz tonight. The Jazz play one of the fastest tempos in the NBA, but also get burned on the fastbreak and allow easy looks at the rim. 

Utah ranks 30th in fastbreak points allowed and 19th in points in the paint allowed, while also giving up a league-high 28.6 points on transition attacks. Toronto thrives on transition (fourth most ppp), and Barrett leads that charge in fast-break buckets and PITP.

Sunday’s player models all sit north of 18 points for Barrett with a ceiling of 20.7. My number comes out to 19.3, which should have the Over 17.5 points priced around -135.

Jazz vs Raptors same-game parlay

The Raptors are playing with urgency after two straight losses. Our projections call for a 14-point win tonight.

Barrett has been battling on the board — even with his minutes restriction — snatching six or more rebounds in five of his last seven games.

Jazz vs Raptors SGP

• Toronto Raptors -11.5
• R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points
• R.J. Barrett Over 5.5 rebounds

Our "from downtown" SGP: Bring Home The Canadian Bacon

Toronto welcomes the Jazz’s up-tempo style, as the Raps are 5-2 O/U in non-conference home games.

Jazz vs Raptors SGP

• Toronto Raptors -11.5
• Total Over 233.5
• R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points
• R.J. Barrett Over 5.5 rebounds

Jazz vs Raptors odds

• Spread: Jazz +11.5 (-115) | Raptors -11.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Jazz +400 | Raptors -600
• Over/Under: Over 233.5 (-115) | Under 233.5 (-105)

Jazz vs Raptors betting trend to know

The Jazz are 11-5 O/U vs. Eastern Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Raptors.

How to watch Jazz vs Raptors

Jazz vs Raptors latest injuries

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

Two teams currently residing inside the West’s play-in picture collide tonight, when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Phoenix Suns.

With both sides ranked inside the Top 9 in scoring defense, the books might have gone a little conservative, which is why my Clippers vs. Suns predictions and NBA picks are targeting the Over.

Clippers vs Suns prediction

Clippers vs Suns best bet: Over 214 (-110)

The Phoenix Suns are trying to put the finishing touches on a five-game homestand with a fourth straight win, doing so without star Devin Booker, who will be out again on Sunday,

The Los Angeles Clippers hope to wrap their three-game road trip on a positive note, after getting crushed 122-109 in Denver. Unfortunately, they were the opponent that had to take on Nikola Jokic’s return.

Still, that’s just the fourth loss in the last 20 games for L.A., who have climbed into 10th in the West, still a distant seven games back of the seventh-seeded Suns.

Phoenix has owned this head-to-head, ripping off wins in seven of the last eight, but with Booker out and L.A. looking to bounce back, it’s hard to pick them to win outright. Instead, I’m going to target the Over, which sits at a very gettable 214. 

While the Under has cashed in each of the last two meetings, L.A. and Phoenix have combined to score 215+ points in eight straight head-to-head matchups.

Clippers vs Suns same-game parlay

Dillon Brooks is coming off a 27-point effort in the win against Cleveland, and he’s scored 26+ points in each of the last four games, all without Booker. I think Brooks falls Under the total as he’ll have his hands full guarding Kawhi and James Harden.

Speaking of Harden, he’s a big-time dealer against the Suns. In eight career games against Phoenix while a member of the Clippers, Harden has recorded 10+ assists in six of them.

Clippers vs Suns SGP

• Over 214
• Dillon Brooks Under 23.5 points
• James Harden Over 8.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Gillespie makes it rain!

Kawhi Leonard averaged 27.5 points in January, though he's scored 21 points in back-to-back games, his lowest outputs all month. I’ll take the Over simply because of his scoring prowess against the Suns: he’s scored 24+ points five times in the last eight meetings.

Collin Gillespie has been lighting it up from downtown, going a combined 9-for-17 in wins against the Cavs and Pistons, topping Sunday’s 3.5-make line on both occasions. He’s hit 4+ triples in three of six games but missed topping the total by a single make in each of those other three games.

Clippers vs Suns SGP

• Over 214
• Dillon Brooks Under 23.5 points
• James Harden Over 8.5 assists
• Kawhi Leonard Over 23.5 points
• Collin Gillespie Over 3.5 threes

Clippers vs Suns odds

• Spread: Clippers -1.5 (-115) | Suns +1.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: Clippers -125 | Suns +105
• Over/Under: Over 214.5 (-110) | Under 214.5 (-110)

Clippers vs Suns betting trend to know

The Suns have won 11 straight home games against teams with a losing record. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Suns.

How to watch Clippers vs Suns

Clippers vs Suns latest injuries

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

Sunday’s slate features a full lineup of NBA player props, highlighted by a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference as the Denver Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Here are my favorite NBA picks for February 1, led by Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Julian Champagnie.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Nikola Jokic	Over 25.5 points	<<-105>>
Luka Doncic	To record a double-double	<<-105>>
Julian Champagnie	Over 9.5 points	<<-112>>

Prop #1: Nikola Jokic Over 25.5 points

-105 at bet365

Nikola Jokic returned to the Denver Nuggets lineup on Friday after missing a month with a knee injury, and he didn’t miss a beat. "The Joker" dropped 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting nearly 73% from the field in just 25 minutes of action.

Jokic’s points O/U is set at 25.5 tonight, likely assuming the three-time MVP will play limited minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, that didn’t stop him from piling up points against the Clippers, one of the toughest defensive teams in the league.

Denver's superstar center is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, and he has surpassed 25.5 points in four of his last five outings. Jokic's only miss came on December 29, when he exited early due to injury.

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC

Prop #2: Luka Doncic to record a double-double

-105 at bet365

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had the best start to the season, but that’s no fault of Luka Doncic. 

L.A.'s point guard has carried the team, racking up 24 double-doubles this season — fifth-most in the NBA. Doncic comes in fresh off a triple-double on Friday and has posted a double-double in five of his last six games. 

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks rank eighth in the NBA in field goal attempts per game, meaning more opportunities for Doncic to crash the boards.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC

Prop #3: Julian Champagnie Over 9.5 points

-112 at bet365

The San Antonio Spurs have risen towards the top of the Western Conference this season not just because of Victor Wembanyama, but also due to their offensive depth.

Julian Champagnie has emerged as one of those key offensive contributors for the Spurs, and he’s only gotten better as the season has worn on.

The forward is averaging 11.5 ppg this season, hitting 10+ points in 12 of his last 14 contests.

This line is low for Champagnie tonight, especially against an Orlando Magic team that has allowed 120+ points in each of its last two games.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: FDSN Southwest, FDSN Florida

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