Darren Bent believes Kieran Tierney’s time at Arsenal is coming to an end.
Despite a defensive injury crisis, left-back Tierney was an unused substitute for the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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Tierney has been an unused substitute for five straight gamesCredit: Getty
Instead of Tierney, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta handed 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly – a central midfielder by trade – his Champions League debut at left-back.
The decision came as somewhat of a surprise given Arteta spoke glowingly about Tierney and talked up the Scot’s chances of game time during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
“He is ready, he’s training really well and he’s going to have an opportunity for sure,” Arteta said.
“The way the team is looking at the moment, he is going to do that for that reason and because he’s earned it. The way he’s behaved, the way he’s been with us because he’s willing to do it and when.”
Unfortunately for Tierney, Wednesday’s clash marked the fifth straight game he had been an unused substitute.
With an 18-year-old midfielder now ahead of him in the pecking order, former Premier League striker Bent believes the writing is on the wall for Tierney at the Emirates Stadium.
“Do you know what, I almost fear a little bit now for Kieran Tierney,” Bent told talkSPORT Breakfast.
“I really like Kieran Tierney, but unfortunately he can’t stay fit. I think the last time he played a competitive game was in June for Scotland.
“Just being out for that amount of time, I think he’s been sitting on the bench for Arsenal for the last five games. The fact that he’s not played a minute would almost indicate that his time at Arsenal is coming to an end.”
Bent also lavished praise on Lewis-Skelly’s performance and believed the teenager could easily cement himself as Arsenal’s left-back going forward.
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Bent holds high hopes for Lewis-Skelly’s future at ArsenalCredit: Getty
“Myles Lewis-Skelly was brilliant,” Bent said.
“He looked composed, he looked comfortable, he didn’t get overawed by the occasion. He is certainly one for the future.
“I think Mikel Arteta said that, if he keeps applying himself correctly, he might be Arsenal’s first choice left-back. And I can see that happening.”
Tierney has not featured for Arsenal since a 14-minute cameo in the Community Shield last year, as the Gunners beat Manchester City on penalties.
He then sealed a loan move to LaLiga side Real Sociedad and started the first three games he was eligible for.
Tierney went on to make 26 appearances across all competitions for the San Sebastian-based club and started 17 of those.
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Tierney’s season at Real Sociedad was disrupted by injuriesCredit: Getty
However, Tierney could not escape his injury woes as he missed a total of 17 games last season through hamstring and adductor issues.
The defender returned to fitness towards the end of the season in time for Scotland’s Euro 2024 campaign.
But it ended in tears for Tierney as he was stretchered off with a serious hamstring injury during Scotland’s draw with Switzerland.
Although Tierney may not have featured against Monaco, he may soon get his chance as Arsenal face a run of three games in a week.
The Gunners enjoy two consecutive home games as they welcome Everton to the Emirates on Saturday, followed by a Carabao Cup quarter final tie against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
They face Palace again on December 21, this time in the Premier League and at Selhurst Park.
Mohamed Salah rescued Liverpool as the Egypt star’s late equaliser earned a pulsating 2-2 draw against title rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Arne Slot’s side were on the brink of only their second defeat this season until Salah netted with nine minutes left at the Emirates Stadium.
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Liverpool had fallen behind to Bukayo Saka’s early opener and, although Virgil van Dijk equalised, Mikel Merino put Arsenal back in front before half-time.
Salah’s eighth goal in 13 games in all competitions this season was aided by Arsenal’s latest rash of injuries, with defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber both forced off in the second half.
Manchester City were the real winners on Sunday as the draw in north London ensured they finished the weekend on top of the Premier League.
Unbeaten City, who beat Southampton 1-0 on Saturday, are one point ahead of second-placed Liverpool, with third-placed Arsenal sitting five points adrift of top spot.
It was only the second time Liverpool had failed to win since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the close-season, starting his Anfield reign with 12 victories from 13 games in all competitions.
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Even so, Liverpool will be happier with the point after showing impressive resolve to twice come from behind against a fellow title contender.
Arsenal were left to lick their wounds after the defensive injuries that left them fatally exposed.
They were already without Riccardo Calafiori, sidelined by an injury suffered against Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, while William Saliba served a suspension following his dismissal in last weekend’s loss at Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now gone two league games without a win, leaving them with only three victories in their last seven top-flight matches in a major setback to their hopes of a first title since 2004.
– Saka’s perfect start –
Saka, back from two games out with injury, had given Arsenal the perfect start in the ninth minute.
Ben White’s sublime long pass sent Saka surging down the right flank before he deftly cut back into the Liverpool area, leaving Andrew Robertson trailing in his wake as he lashed a fierce close-range strike into the roof of the net.
Merino nearly gifted Liverpool an immediate equaliser when he carelessly let the ball run to Salah, who rifled his shot just wide from the edge of the area.
So often over the last two seasons, Arsenal have been dead ball masters thanks to their set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, but for once they were exposed as Liverpool drew level in the 18th minute.
Luis Diaz beat Kai Havertz to flick on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner and Van Dijk got in front of Thomas Partey as the Dutch defender stooped to head home from close-range.
But Arsenal’s prowess from set-pieces enabled them to regain the lead in the 43rd minute.
Declan Rice’s teasing free-kick arrowed into the Liverpool area and Merino was perfectly placed to thump his header past Caoimhin Kelleher from six yards.
A lengthy VAR check followed to confirm Merino was just onside as the Spain midfielder celebrated his first goal since his close-season arrival from Real Sociedad.
Arsenal keeper David Raya plunged to his right to keep out Alexis Mac Allister’s header on the final seconds of a thrilling first half.
Arteta’s already makeshift defence suffered another blow when Gabriel limped off with a knee injury after a challenge from Darwin Nunez early in the second half.
Without their first choice centre-back, Arsenal adopted a more cautious approach and Raya was booked for time-wasting with over 20 minutes to play.
But the Gunners lost Timber to an injury in the closing stages as their defensive issues reached crisis point and handed Liverpool a lifeline.
With just nine minutes left, Arsenal’s under-manned rearguard was ruthlessly exposed as Alexander-Arnold’s lofted pass sent Nunez clear of teenage substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Nunez slipped in the unmarked Salah and he slotted home as Arsenal slumped to the turf in frustration.
Defending champs fight back to 1-1 draw | 01:11
VAR FURY AS MAN U PLUMMET TO NEW LOWS
Manchester United’s under-fire manager Erik ten Hag said he could only fault his side’s finishing after a damaging 2-1 defeat for the Dutchman at struggling West Ham on Sunday.
United slipped to 14th in the Premier League table after Jarrod Bowen’s controversial stoppage time penalty winner handed the Hammers all three points.
Crysencio Summerville put West Ham in front against the run of play 16 minutes from time before Casemiro equalised.
Ten Hag was furious at the award of the spot-kick after VAR intervened when Matthijs de Ligt clashed with Danny Ings inside the box.
United captain Bruno Fernandes had a red card rescinded after being sent-off in a 3-0 defeat by Tottenham last month and Ten Hag highlighted the inconsistency of when VAR decides to challenge the referee’s on-field decision.
“Before the season they explained the process of VAR – only when (it is) clear and obvious they should interfere,” said Ten Hag.
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“What they didn’t do against Spurs, that was a wrong decision. Now they make a wrong decision interfering and both have big impact on the games. I don’t criticise the personnel, I criticise the process.” However, it was a familiar lack of wastefulness in front of goal that cost United a much-needed victory.
Diogo Dalot missed an open goal, while Alejandro Garnacho and Fernandes were also guilty of missing huge chances in a dominant first-half display.
“We created so many chances, played so good football, especially in the first half. How I want my team to play in and out of possession,” added Ten Hag.
“Six or seven 100 per cent chances we should have scored. That is a point of improvement. But overall I had not so many criticisms of my team, apart from not scoring.” United’s return of eight goals from their first nine games is their worst in the Premier League era.
Ten Hag’s men have won just three of those matches and drawn all three of their opening games in the Europa League to leave their manager clinging on to his job.
But he claimed to have seen positive signs in a 2-1 win over Brentford last weekend and a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce prior to their visit to the London Stadium.
“At this moment the luck is definitely not on our side. Last season was not different and near the end we turned it around,” said Ten Hag.
“We are so determined it will be the same (this season). We have to turn this around and it will turn around if we keep playing like we are now.
“Brentford, Fenerbahce, today, we played really good football.”
Ten Hag doubled down on his feelings of being hard down by at the moment when speaking to the BBC’s Match of the Day.
The Dutchman is firmly pointing the finger at the referees for contributing to their lowly start to the season.
“Three times this season we feel injustice,” he said.
“We have to score, we created so many chances. We should’ve been two or three up. Second half we were forcing it but we allowed them into the game. When you are losing 1-0 you need big personality and character of the team and showed resilience to get back into it. Unfair and unjust the way we conceded the penalty.
“I spoke with them (the referees). But the decision is made. There’s no way back and that’s football. That’s a third time I have felt injustice in the season and it has a big impact on our team and on our scores and where we are in the table. It’s not right.”
The under-fire manager boss is feeling little sympathy from fans and the English press pack, however.
Many believe it is a matter of when, not if, he will be given his marching orders and the UK Telegraph columnist Jim White believes the loss to West Ham is the sort of game that could be Ten Hag’s curtain call.
“When the obituary of Erik ten Hag’s time in charge at Manchester United is written, this match might well serve as exhibit A,” White wrote.
“Quite how his team managed to lose here for the third time is indicative of his time in charge – if never quite in control – at Old Trafford. “For the first half United looked smart, together, organised. They passed quickly and imaginatively, Bruno Fernandes at his quick-witted best. And they carved out chances. Loads of them. The trouble was, they wasted the lot.
“Diogo Dalot was the most culpable, blasting over an empty net after dinking the ball over Lukasz Fabianski’s head. So bad was United’s finishing, it was only the manner of their misses that silenced the growing insurrection in the London Stadium stands: it is hard to be too revolutionary when you are smirking at others’ incompetence in front of goal.
“And woeful as West Ham had been for 45 minutes, there was time for Julen Lopetegui to make adjustments. He duly did. Tightening, sharpening, probably reading the riot act, he managed to make West Ham look competitive again. So, the inevitable happened.”
Manchester United were finally bit in the backside as an alarming trend continued as Arsenal continue to plunder in goals.
Elsewhere, a once-maligned winger is leading Aston Villa’s charge to the Champions League while the fight for survival is all but over for two teams courtesy of the Premier League’s newest manager.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at the weekend that was in the latest edition of Premier League Talking Points!
RED DEVILS ‘FOUND OUT’ AS ALARMING TREND FINALLY BITES
Prior to Manchester United’s clash against Fulham, they’d gone unbeaten in five Premier League matches with four wins in that time.
Those victories had rocketed the Red Devils right back into the conversation for Champions League football and were only five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
But look below the surface and even though United were winning, they had been getting away with defensive murder.
In the first game of the unbeaten run, a 2-2 draw at home against Tottenham, United conceded 16 shots.
United escaped with a 4-3 victory against Wolves despite the latter enjoying 16 shots and followed it up with a 3-0 win over West Ham who had 22 shots.
Despite conceding 23 shots, Erik ten Hag’s side beat Aston Villa 2-1 and allowed Luton to have 22 shots in a 2-1 win for the Red Devils.
Against Fulham, the trend continued as the Cottagers enjoyed 17 shots but they did what the other teams failed to do, as Alex Iwobi’s 97th-minute strike condemned United to a 2-1 defeat.
Manchester United have conceded a staggering amount of shots for a prolonged period of time. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Looking back on United’s run, it’s perhaps a minor miracle they were unbeaten in five despite conceding a minimum of 16 shots in every match.
It’s why former England international Paul Merson believed the run had been “covering over the cracks” as the Fulham defeat finally exposed United’s luck.
“They have all been ‘Pollyfilla’ results in the last five or six weeks,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“They have just been covering over the cracks.
“They scored with the last kick of the game against Wolves. It was snatch and grab at Aston Villa. They weren’t better than Villa that day. They beat West Ham 3-0 but that was never a 3-0 football match.
“They were covering over the cracks and they got found out again today.”
With a trip to cross-town rivals Manchester City up next, Ten Hag and his troops can ill afford to allow so many shots to a team blessed with one of the most formidable attacks in world football.
If they can’t tighten up, it could get very, very ugly.
The Red Devils’ winning streak was snapped by Fulham. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
GUNNER’S NINE-YEAR FIRST UNDERLINES RUTHLESS STREAK
When Arsenal wobbled over the festive period with a draw against Liverpool and subsequent defeats against West Ham and Fulham, it left some thinking the Gunners would slip out of the title race.
Well, six wins in a row was as perfect a response Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could have demanded from his players.
But it’s not just the wins that have been most impressive. It’s how dominant Arsenal have been.
The theme of utterly pulverising their rivals continued for the Gunners as Newcastle became the latest victims of a rampant attacking unit in a 4-1 win for Arteta’s side.
Those four goals took Arsenal’s tally to 25 scored in their last six — an average of 4.2 goals per game — showcasing the team’s ruthless streak intent on burying every chance they get.
Arsenal have been scoring goals for fun lately. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
But it has been matched by a steeliness at the back, with just three goals conceded in those six games.
One figure central to the goalfest has been superstar winger Bukayo Saka.
The England international’s goal against Newcastle meant he’d scored in five consecutive games, the first Arsenal player to do so since Olivier Giroud back in 2015.
To further illustrate the 22-year-old’s remarkable run of form, his seven goals since the turn of the year is the most of anyone in the Premier League.
Up next for the Gunners is a trip to Sheffield United, a team that has conceded an average of three goals per match in their last five games.
With Saka and the rest of Arsenal’s forwards in blistering form, Blades fans would be forgiven if they are accused of taking part in a fire drill before half time at Bramall Lane.
Bukayo Saka has scored in five consecutive games for the Gunners. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
STAR’S STUNNING 12-MONTH TURNAROUND BEHIND DARK HORSE’S CL PUSH
A lot can happen in the space of 12 months.
Just ask Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, who joined the Birmingham-based club for $57 million in 2021.
In January last year, the Jamaican winger was in a flood of tears and had to be picked up off the ground by his teammates after missing an open goal in a 1-1 draw against Wolves at Villa Park.
But in Villa’s 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest, Bailey was one of the home side’s best.
In fact, Bailey has been in superb form for quite some time and was deservedly rewarded with an upgraded contract until 2027.
His performance against Forest underlined yet another reason why he earned a new deal, scoring Villa’s fourth and providing the sweetest of assists for Ollie Watkins to kickstart the goal fest.
Bailey breezed past Forest left back Moussa Niakhate with an intelligent run on the right wing before collecting the ball where he subsequently nutmegged two defenders and squared it across goal for an easy tap-in for Watkins.
Leon Bailey (left) scored and assisted during Villa’s 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
A deeper look at the numbers behind Bailey’s resurgence paints a picture of why he’s become so dangerous.
Per Opta, Bailey has the second-highest expected assists (xA) figure this season with 0.31, behind only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.
That puts Bailey ahead of the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Bruno Fernandes.
Yet what makes it even more remarkable is that group of five players have played a minimum of 1577 minutes this season, with Fernandes even clocking 2160 minutes.
As for Bailey, he’s played only 1169, meaning he is making significant impacts in a shortened period of time.
With the end of the 23/24 Premier League season just months away, Bailey’s brilliance will be pivotal as Villa chases a Champions League spot.
Bailey is in the form of his life at Aston Villa. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Source: AFP
DREADED RETURN NEARS FOR STRUGGLING DUO AS NEW BOSS OFFERS NEEDED BREATH OF FRESH AIR
With every passing game, Burnley and Sheffield United trudge closer and closer to an instant return to the Championship.
Both teams racked up their 19th defeats of the season over the weekend, with a 10-man Burnley going down 3-0 to Crystal Palace while Sheffield United fought amongst themselves in a 1-0 loss to Wolves.
The pair are stuck on 13 points each, eight adrift from safety, as Burnley remain ahead only on goal difference.
It’s hard to see any reality in which one of the two somehow survive and if they do, Vincent Kompany (Burnley) or Chris Wilder (Sheffield United) would be fully deserving of the manager of the year award.
One team who has managed to pull away from the gravitational pull of the relegation fight is Palace, as new boss Oliver Glasner began his Selhurst Park reign in style.
Kitted out in a Canada Goose jacket and a pair of white Nike TN’s, Glasner oversaw a comfortable win in which they restricted Burnley to just two shots the entire game.
Granted, the Eagles took until the 68th minute to break the deadlock — 33 minutes after Burnley were reduced to ten men — but from there the goals flowed.
Of course, there should be cautious optimism at Palace given it was a win over Burnley, the team with the second-highest number of goals conceded.
But, crucially, it is a platform with which Glasner and his new team can build from.
The win pushed Palace up to 13th and onto 28 points, eight points away from the relegation zone.
It certainly seems like the magical 40-point mark for safety won’t be needed this season and with a home double against Luton and Newcastle coming up, Palace might be able to secure survival within the coming games.
Tottenham continued to make things harder for themselves with defensive issues, while a previously-maligned striker is finally showing his worth despite his team’s struggle for consistency.
The title race also took a major twist, but is one of the leading contenders set to fall behind the pace?
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at all of the big moments from the weekend’s Premier League action in the latest edition of Premier League Talking Points!
For the fourth time in their last five games, Tottenham gave themselves a mountain to climb after conceding the first goal.
But, unlike the other three encounters, Ange Postecoglou’s troops simply could not overcome the deficit and escape with at least a point, as Joao Gomes’ 63rd-minute strike helped Wolves seal a 2-1 victory.
The defeat was Tottenham’s first since a 4-2 loss away to Brighton on December 28 and also squeezed them out of the top four after Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Fulham, but it was one that had supposedly been coming.
After all, Postecoglou’s side had failed to keep a clean sheet since a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on December 15.
Even then, a look at the expected goals (xG) from that contest hints Forest were perhaps unlucky not to find the back of the net, accruing an xG of 1.71 to Tottenham’s 1.61, per Understat.
Prior to that, Tottenham’s last clean sheet was on October 23 in a victory over Fulham by the same scoreline.
“If you look at the bigger picture, rather than just this game or even the last three home games, it becomes more worrying for Spurs,” Pitt-Brooke wrote.
“There is a trend that has lasted for longer than the past few weeks. For months, Spurs have looked like a team not performing as well as they could.
Tottenham’s five-game unbeaten run came to an end at the hands of Wolves. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“A team unable to dominate opponents over the whole game, conceding too many chances, often relying on individual quality at both ends of the pitch to get them over the line.”
Granted, there have been mitigating circumstances that can explain Tottenham’s demise at various stages, none more so than a lengthy injury list.
Postecoglou was again unable to start his full strength team against Wolves as Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro, his first choice at left and right back respectively, were unavailable through injury.
But he was able to start his best midfield trio of James Maddison, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr as well as a front three of Heung-Min Son, Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski.
The Aussie boss reiterated he is “not a magician” and most, if not all are aware his project at Tottenham is in its infancy.
However, with no European football or domestic cup competitions to stress over, Postecoglou has the rare chance to focus solely on the Premier League, something a number of Tottenham’s rivals do not.
Tottenham’s next game is against Crystal Palace on March 3, gifting Postecoglou two weeks to get his squad fully fit and concoct a plan that doesn’t leave his team so defensively exposed.
Postecoglou is hoping to guide Tottenham back to the Champions League. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP
21YO ENTERS ELITE GROUP BUT UNITED REMAIN FRAIL
Who would’ve thought that after firing blanks for 14 consecutive Premier League games Rasmus Hojlund would find himself in the company of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Eric Cantona?
Hojlund’s double against Luton Town not only steered Manchester United to victory, but it also meant the Dane had scored in six consecutive league games — something only Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy and Cantona had achieved prior.
Additionally, Hojlund became the youngest in Premier League history to achieve the feat at just 21 years and 14 days, eclipsing Newcastle’s Joe Willock who did it aged 21 years and 272 days.
Hojlund, who moved to Old Trafford from Atalanta in the summer for a staggering £64 million ($AUD123 million), now has seven goals in his last seven league games, a run that has coincided with the Red Devils winning five and drawing six in that same span.
However, a deeper look at United’s performances not just against Luton but across the entire season paints a slightly different, less rosy picture.
Hojlund’s record-breaking scoring run is a welcome distraction from United’s defensive struggles. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Williams gave an alarming comparison: since Jurgen Klopp took over at Liverpool in 2015, they have faced 20 shots twice … throughout his entire tenure.
It points to a rather chaotic team that isn’t quite riding its luck, but is shipping a staggering amount of chances and should be grateful their rivals aren’t able to capitalise on the opportunities.
A similar tale followed against Luton, a team assembled for less than £10 million.
After Hatters skipper Carlton Morris pulled one back for the hosts at Kenilworth Road, it was all Luton.
Remarkably, United held on for the three points, marking a fourth consecutive league win that inches them closer towards the top four.
“United were a mess, leaders such as Casemiro and Maguire giving no direction,” Winter wrote.
“Heaven knows what the watching Harry Styles thought.”
Winter added: “Another win, but hardly convincing.”
Manchester United continue to win, but they aren’t exactly dominating their rivals. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)Source: AFP
DEVASTATING TITLE IMPLICATIONS IN REDS’ CRUEL INJURY CURSE
Last year felt like the closest title run in some time as Arsenal pushed Manchester City all the way before the former simply ran out of gas, physically and mentally.
However, Liverpool have returned to the title race picture after last year’s struggles and are the league leaders with 57 points, two ahead of Arsenal (2nd) and four ahead of City (3rd), albeit with a game in hand.
Liverpool and Arsenal made major statements of intent on the weekend with a 4-1 win over Brentford and a 5-0 victory over Burnley respectively.
As for City, they needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Rodri to rescue a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea.
With 13 games left this season, it’s shaping up to be one wild sprint to the finish.
However, of the three teams, it looks like Liverpool are the weakest of the bunch.
In the win over Brentford, Jurgen Klopp was forced to watch Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones all exit the game early with an injury.
Jones and Nunez were largely precautionary but Jota, who has been a vital component to Liverpool’s attack, appears set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
A day before the trip to Brentford, Klopp revealed superstar goalkeeper Alisson was out with injury and did not specify a return date.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai also missed the Brentford clash with a knee and thigh injury respectively, with Klopp claiming both are likely to return after the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on February 26.
Injuries to several key players would be an awfully cruel reason for Liverpool to fade out of the title race, especially in Klopp’s last season at Anfield.
But if City prove to be an inevitable force and Arsenal continue to score goals for fun — they’ve scored 21 goals in their last five league games for an average of 4.2 goals per game — Liverpool simply might not be able to keep up.
Friday’s February 9 NBA trade deadline (all times AEDT) is fast approaching.
While a few big trade dominoes have already fallen, there’s still several big-name stars that could be on the move and teams looking to shake things up otherwise.
And so we’ve come up with one mock (but realistic) trade for all 30 teams ahead of Friday’s cut off to make roster changes for the second half of the season.
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LeBron stars as Lakers down Knicks | 01:18
To keep things simple, we haven’t included pick protections, swaps or gone in depth with which picks specifically are being moved. However all picks moved are legally owned by that team (in any future draft), and all trades work from a salary cap perspective.
Read on for foxsports.com.au’s mock trade for all 30 NBA teams (*all stats and records accurate at the time of writing on 6th of February).
ATLANTA HAWKS
Hawks receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins
Warriors receive: Clint Capela, AJ Griffin, second-round pick
The shake-up both teams need? The Hawks take a punt on Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins despite Kuminga’s career not yet living up to his Pick 7 draft spot and Wiggins falling away dramatically since Golden State’s 2022 title run. In fact, Wiggins’ four-year, $109 million contract is now basically a negative asset, so Atlanta is almost doing the Warriors a favour by taking him off their books and creating flexibility. Not only would it provide a different dynamic and much needed perimeter defence to to Atlanta’s current mix, but also the ability to commit to a youth movement at some stage — so the Hawks almost hedge their bets here. They also stay the course with Dejounte Murray, despite all signs pointing to a trade, and instead try and retool the roster around him and Trae Young. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, head coach Quin Snyder is pushing the Hawks front office to keep Murray, too. Despite previously being linked to trades, a Clint Capela move hasn’t gained any traction in the lead into this deadline, even though Atlanta has the veteran and Onyeka Okongwu locked in a time share at centre. But with Capela not helping the team win, holding back Okongwu from reaching his potential and being marginalised himself, it makes a lot of sense for Atlanta to trade Capela and adjust other parts of its roster (though his latest injury setback may complicate matters). The Warriors probably push to get a first-round pick instead of a second rounder, but this solves a lot of their problems — both short and long-term.
BOSTON CELTICS
Celtics receive: Alex Caruso, second-round pick
Bulls receive: Prayton Pritchard, Svi Mykhailiuk, two first-round picks
Despite the huge price, a move that would really tip over Boston as the clear championship favourite (if it isn’t already). Though some big man insurance for Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford would also be nice, Pritchard is the only roster spot the Celtics could still use an upgrade. Adding Caruso would add more size and double down on their already elite perimeter defence with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White and create a truly formidable backcourt in the playoffs. Even if he’s only a role player, Caruso wouldn’t come cheap as one of the most courted players in the league, so Boston would need to pay up to secure the defensive stud – even if two first rounders seems like an inordinate price. Plus, the Bulls, despite being potential deadline sellers, could just as easily hold Caruso unless the right deal comes along, so the onus is on other teams to make an offer they can’t refuse.
Golden State power past Grizzlies | 00:42
BROOKLYN NETS
Nets receive: Dejounte Murray
Hawks receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, two first-round picks, second-round pick
With it becoming hard to trust Ben Simmons to stay on the floor and Spencer Dinwiddie being more of a scoring guard, the Nets are clearly crying out for a true playmaker to assist their arsenal of wings. Plus, it doesn’t appear Brooklyn is yet willing to go down the full rebuild route – a direction it could’ve taken after trading away Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. With Murray, on a modest $18 million deal, the Nets get a proper gauge of how good this team can be in the second half of the season before they can always reset over the US summer, if needed. It’s no secret the Hawks have been shopping Murray, their most appealing trade asset, despite handing over three first rounders to acquire him from San Antonio two years ago. Murray’s pairing with Trae Young simply hasn’t worked, with Atlanta sitting a whole five games below .500, as the team now looks to flip him by the deadline. Considering this season is a write off for the Hawks, the obvious move would be to deal him for draft picks — with reports claiming Atlanta wants at least two first rounders back in any deal — and an appealing expiring contract like Dinwiddie’s $20 million deal to open up cap space for next off-season.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS
Hornets receive: Davis Bertans, first-round pick
Thunder receive: PJ Washington
Having already parted ways with Terry Rozier, the aim for the Hornets at the deadline should be selling their veterans – ideally Gordon Hayward and Kyle Lowry – for draft picks or long-term assets otherwise. However getting off Hayward ($31 million) and Lowry’s ($29 million) contracts and getting something in return would be tricky, making them more buyout candidates unless another team gets desperate. It makes Miles Bridges and Washington more likely trade candidates given they have real value. Here, Charlotte takes on Davis Bertans’ $17 million deal, which has reportedly been reworked next season to just over $5 million guaranteed, in exchange for PJ Washington and a first-round pick. Sure, Washington has proven to be a solid piece, but it might be the ideal time to capitalise on is his trade value given he doesn’t appear to be part of the Hornets’ future core. It continues Charlotte’s commitment to a proper rebuild and to its long-term future under new management, where everyone bar LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams should be available for trade.
The number one goal for the Bulls at the deadline should’ve been parting ways with LaVine’s mega contract (in year two of a $215 million, five-season deal). But that’s now highly unlikely given teams wouldn’t be willing to give much up at all to acquire the two-time All-Star. In fact, given LaVine’s injury history, Chicago would probably now need to attach assets to a deal, so it’s probably wiser to wait on that front. And so trading DeRozan becomes the next priority given his impending free agency status and it being unlikely he’s a part of the Bulls’ long-term future. A trade with the Knicks, a reported suitor for DeRozan and in need of additional scoring/playmaking after trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, could be ideal given New York’s wide collection of picks. Plus, Fournier’s $18 million deal is extra valuable as it has a team option for next season, so Chicago could use it as a trade in the off-season if it wanted. Grimes meanwhile comes cheap and fits into the age demographic with the likes of Pat Williams and Coby White.
Reaves takes out Celtics in Lakers win | 01:34
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Cavaliers receive: DeAndre Hunter
Hawks receive: Caris LeVert, two second-round picks
As good an addition as Max Strus has been, the Cavs are reportedly still looking for a 3-and-D players, so moving one of their depth players, like LeVert (who’s expendable after the emergence of Sam Merrill and their most movable salary if they try something bold), for a true upgrade on the wing feels like the most profitable move. It might be tough to convince Atlanta to part ways with former Pick 4 Hunter for any package that doesn’t include a first-round pick, however Cleveland doesn’t have any first-rounders it can move, and LeVert offers value in his own right and would give Atlanta more flexibility to trade Dejounte Murray. There’s also been suggestions the Cavaliers could consider blowing up their star core given the team bizarrely got rolling when both Evan Mobley and Darius Garland were sidelined, however seems more likely they wait and see how the team functions when healthy again before trying anything drastic.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Mavericks receive: Kyle Kuzma
Wizards receive: Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, Jaden Hardy, first-round pick
Whether it’s now or in the off-season, the Mavericks clearly need to make a move — namely an upgrade at power forward — so Kyle Kuzma should be their main priority in terms of who’s available. Kuzma would provide size, rebounding and another true scorer alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving who can create his own shot. Though Kuzma doesn’t exactly help the Mavericks’ defensive issues, he’d raise the overall floor of this team and a make it a bigger threat in the Western Conference. If the Mavs can get away with dealing Grant Williams, whose first season with the team has been underwhelming, instead of Tim Hardaway Jr. (they’d likely need to off-load at least one) for a meaningful addition to their rotation, that’d be a win.
After losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last off-season, there’s both a void of leadership and general veteran talent off the Denver bench. And so the Nuggets would ideally add another piece at little cost — both in terms of trade and salary — that can help them in the playoffs. Grimes ($2 million deal) ticks both those boxes, having shown promising signs at the Knicks as a clear upgrade on Strawther. Why would New York do it? Reports have claimed Grimes is disgruntled with his role, while they add other long-term assets to help make a move for a big-name superstar. It’s most likely the reigning champs stand still at the deadline given there’s not many levers they can pull. The Nuggets aren’t trading any of their starters, and Reggie Jackson’s $5 million deal is their next most movable piece. However Jackson has been an important sixth man for Mike Malone’s team this season and valuable insurance whenever any of their starters get hurt, plus the guard is on a modest deal. It’s also tricky for Denver to upgrade Jackson without also sending out one of its starters. If the Nuggets somehow finds a way to make a move, expect it to be on the periphery.
Maxey leads 76ers with 51-point haul | 01:16
DETROIT PISTONS
Pistons receive: Kevin Huerter, Davion Mitchell, first-round pick, second-round pick
Kings receive: Bojan Bogdanovic, Killian Hayes
The Pistons last trade deadline weren’t prepared to part ways with Bogdanovic, one of their few reliable and consistent performers. But amid another another horror season for Detroit, who has the worst record in the NBA and suffered the longest losing streak in the team’s history, you have to wonder if that might have shifted. If the Pistons can get a first-round pick for Bogdanovic, 34, a useful rotation player like Huerter or Harrison Barnes and a young player like Davion Mitchell, it’s a good deal for Detroit from a long-term perspective. There would of course be no shortage of suitors for the Croatian forward if indeed he was available. Killian Hayes meanwhile reportedly wants out of Detroit, and a fresh start elsewhere for the former Pick 7 is probably best for both parties. The Pistons should otherwise be open to anything and everything — perhaps bar moving Cade Cunningham — with an emphasise on adding long-term assets in a bid to dig the franchise out of its current mess.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Warriors receive: Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso
Bulls receive: Chris Paul, Terrence Jackson-Davis, two first-round picks
The last The Warriors are desperate for an upgrade at centre and shake-up at large, so here they get help in multiple areas in a final bid to make things work in Steph Curry’s prime. A line-up of Vucevic, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Caruso and Steph Curry would be fascinating, with Vucevic and Caruso providing big boosts both ends of the floor. The question is, would it be enough to make the 20-24 Warriors a genuine contender again? Giving up such draft capital and Paul’s $30 million contract — essentially an expiring deal — would be an all-out commitment to winning over prioritising the future. But so long as the Warriors have Curry, they’re committed to winning, aren’t they? If Golden State doesn’t try something bold, this season has arguably reached a point where the team is better off standing still and waiting until the off-season to reassess its direction instead of making a trade for the sake of it.
Reports state the Rockets asked the question of Mikal Bridges and made an offer of multiple first-round picks, however the Nets showed no interest in moving the star forward. But what if Houston made an offer the Nets couldn’t refuse? The Rockets could sell the idea of a combination of win-now pieces, long-term assets and avoiding the need to bottom out – which the Nets have wanted to steer clear from. Former Pick 2 Green is still just 21 and could be anything, Eason, 22, is one of the brightest young players in the NBA and Landale offers insurance behind Nic Claxton, who’s on an expiring deal. It’s some price, but would immediately raise the floor of Ime Udoka’s team with a potent big three of Bridges, Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet. Ironically, the Nets still owe the Rockets future picks from the infamous James Harden trade in 2021. Having reportedly been in the market for a backup centre, the Rockets already made a move last week. They off-loaded Victor Oladipo and a very of second-round picks for the injured Steven Adams, who will serve as Sengun’s backup next season, casting more uncertainty around Landale’s future in Houston.
The Pacers already made arguably the biggest splash of any team by acquiring Pascal Siakam. So are they done yet? ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski interestingly revealed after the Siakam trade that the Pacers tried to get both Siakam and OG Anunoby, but were unable to meet the asking price set by the Raptors. It means Indiana could yet look to make another big move by the deadline, plus they have the assets and trade-friendly contracts to make it happen. Portland’s Jerami Grant, despite talk he isn’t available, would be the ideal addition as an upgrade on the wing who could fit in as the Pacers’ third star – a role he’s most suited to – alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam. Given the Blazers’ reluctance to deal him (even though it makes sense), the Pacers would need to stump up in a deal. Grant would provide valuable two-way production on the wing, in particular on the defensive end, where the Pacers would be desperate to boost their No. 26 rating and become a legitimate contender in the East.
Much like Denver – there’s probably no necessity for the Clippers to make a move. For LA has virtually no draft capital to trade (next six first rounders are owed out from the Paul George/James Harden), nor do they need to do anything after taking their big swing on Harden in a move that’s paid massive dividends, having gone 24-6 over their last 30 games. Even the Clippers’ defence is ranked No. 8 in the NBA in their last 15 games, so it’s not like they need to address anything specific in a great spot to be. The Harden trade did however cost the Clippers a key chunk of their forward depth – they lost Robert Covington, Nic Batum, Marcus Morris Sr. and KJ Martin – so they could use some additional depth and a legitimate stretch five to play with their stars. It makes Washington an obvious target, with the Clippers here handing over their last remaining tradeable first-round pick and $16 million in expiring funds if PJ Tucker opts out of the last year of his $11 million deal (which you’d expect he did if he got traded to Charlotte). Tucker could also immediately reach a buyout with the Hornets to sign with a contender.
LA LAKERS
Lakers receive: Dejounte Murray
Hawks receive: Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Lakers’ two first-round picks
Pelicans receive: D’Angelo Russell
A three-team trade! The Lakers are the side that have reportedly been most active in talks for Dejounte Murray – talks that however hit a snag, with the Hawks wanting either Austin Reaves to be included in a deal or a third team to take on D’Angelo Russell. Enter New Orleans, who are in need of a more pure point guard despite CJ McCollum currently filling the position. The Pelicans substitute some of their depth to address that need, the Lakers, despite Russell’s strong play of late, get a clear upgrade at point guard and genuine two-way player, while Atlanta gets useful pieces and draft stock for Murray (and probably can’t expect too much more). Who says no? Despite the Lakers’ urgency to make another win-now move to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they could wait until the off-season given the team unlocks the option of trading three-first round picks to target an even bigger fish.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Grizzlies receive: Jonathan Isaac, two second-round picks
Magic receive: Luke Kennard
The soft tanking/asset building continues in what’s become a write-off season for the Grizzlies including campaign-ending shoulder injury to Ja Morant as well as Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart also facing long-term stints on the sidelines. And so everything Memphis does now should be with an eye towards the 2024/25 season, leaving veterans like Luke Kennard, John Konchar and Xavier Tillman Sr vulnerable in a trade if it can get draft capital back or cap space otherwise. The much-improved Magic should be prepared to stump up for a shooter given they have the worst three-point shooting efficiency in the NBA – making Kennard a natural target. Isaac’s $17 million deal is non guaranteed for next season, so the Grizzlies in this deal could open up sufficient cap space in the off-season and add to their chest of second-round picks – having landed three from Houston last week in the Steven Adams deal.
MIAMI HEAT
Heat receive: Alex Caruso
Bulls receive: Josh Richardson, Nikola Jovic, first-round pick
Is there a player who would be more suited to the infamous ‘Heat Culture’ than Caruso? The Terry Rozier was trade was supposed to take the Heat to another level, but the’ve in fact gone the other way and struggled badly since the guard’s arrival. While Miami could easily stand still and work things out as is, don’t be surprised if it has another move up its sleeve. Bringing in Caruso would not only be a big upgrade on Josh Richardson, but also provide more of a defensive balance in the backourt staggered with Rozier and Tyler Herro – and create a healthy dilemma of which two players get to start. Miami is fully committed to winning now, and adding Caruso to the playoff mix would only further make Erik Spoelstra’s side even more feared come playoff time. Seriously, no one would want to play them.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Bucks receive: Matisse Thybulle
Trail Blazers receive: Pat Connaughton, AJ Green, second-round pick
There’s been reports the Bucks are in the market for Dejounte Murray, but it feels unrealistic given their lack of trade capital – they have no control over their own first-round picks for the next season drafts and even limited second rounders to play with. As nice as Murray would be, bringing in a dedicated defensive perimeter stopper at a cheaper price to play alongside Damian Lillard feels the more likely – and arguably best – scenario to help off-set the loss of Jrue Holiday. Despite his offensive deficiencies, Thybulle makes plenty of sense for the Bucks to help boost their near bottom 10 defensive rating and to provide more versatility to their line-up. While it’s hard to gauge the dual American-Australian’s value, a team might be able to get Thybulle cheap-ish given his offensive issues.
NBA Wrap: Hot Curry dismantles Philly | 03:56
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Timberwolves receive: Monte Morris
Pistons receive: Shake Milton, Troy Brown Jr.
The Timberwolves would love a more reliable backup point guard – and some insurance behind the 36-year old Mike Conley. Tyus Jones would be the dream target, however the Timberwolves likely don’t have the draft capital required to satisfy Washington in a deal unless the asking price lowers. Minnesota likely needs to look a tier down, with Morris one of the best value backup point guards who’s gettable. Reports have linked Minnesota, whose general manager Tim Connelly drafted Morris in Denver, to the 28-year old, in the final year of a three-season $27 million deal. It feels like the Pistons are selling Morris cheap here – and they’d probably want a pick thrown – though he’s battle injury in recent times and about to become a free agent. Plus Detroit gets a couple of veterans to help nurture its young group.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
Pelicans receive: Tyus Jones
Wizards receive: Larry Nance Jr, Jose Alvarado, first-round pick
Could this be the move that tips the Pelicans over as a legitimate contender in the West? Though they could also use an upgrade at centre, adding a pure point guard could unlock everything for the Pelicans, given their array of weapons lack a true playmaker running the show. Jones is known to be on the trade block and feels like the most likely Wizard to be moved, on an expiring $14 million deal. Some reports have claimed Washington wants two first rounders back in a trade, plus there will be a host of teams ling up to land the 27-year old, so New Orleans would need to make a juicy offer despite Jones’ impending free agency status. There would however be obvious defensive deficiencies in the backcourt given the lack of size of a Jones and McCollum. Size is one of the Pels’ greatest strengths too, so Jones could also slot into a sixth-man role. Given New Orleans’ logjam of guards, it’d be pretty well be forced to give one back to Washington, with Alvarado seemingly the most expendable.
NEW YORK KNICKS
Knicks receive: Bruce Brown
Raptors receive: Evan Fournier, first-round pick
The missing piece? If the Knicks are serious about trying to win it all this season, which, based on form, they should be, but staying flexible long-term, this might just be their best play. Recent reports have claimed New York has cooled on Brown, who, like Fournier, has a team option for next season, and that the Knicks are eyeing a bigger fish. But who else is available that can really propel them? Perhaps Dejounte Murray – but is he worth the price when the Knicks could wait it out in hopes that a certain guard for the Cavaliers becomes available? DeMar DeRozan? Maybe, but he’d also come at a greater price and it’s hard to say if he’d genuinely take them to the next level or if they’d be wasting assets on a short-term rental. The Knicks are also reportedly circling Jordan Clarkson, but he’s got three more years to run on his deal and thus would give New York less flexibility to target a bigger fish down the line. It feels like Brown, who can play multiple roles and buys in on both ends of the floor, and New York could be an ideal match and is the type of player Tom Thibedou would love. It’d also be the second trade between these teams in as many months after the Anunoby for RJ Barrett/Immanuel Quickley swap, which was of course the Knicks’ big swing, so they might well stand pat this week. But it’s also opened the need for more scoring and playmaking, making Brown an obvious target.
Giddey’s Thunder succumb to Timberwolves | 00:36
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Thunder receive: Nic Claxton
Nets receive: Davis Bertans, two first-round picks
If the Nets aren’t keen to pay Claxton, who’s due for a bumper raise this off-season – when he comes out of contract – the Thunder should be ready to strike. There’s been calls for OKC to add more size and a seasoned body to pair with Chet Holmgren in the frontcourt, while the Thunder would ideally find someone who fits the age demographic of the rest of their budding core. It makes Claxton a natural target. Sam Presti is armed with a bounty of draft picks, and you’d think he’d need to hand over a minimum of two in exchange for Claxton. If pure picks didn’t satisfy the Nets, who don’t appear to be keen to rebuild, there could however be a potential issue in terms of making salaries match in a deal for the $9 million Claxton. Bertans’ $17 million deal is clearly OKC’s most movable piece and gets it done in a straight swap, but Brooklyn wanting other player/s would really complicate matters. Vasilije Micić ($7 million deal) and Tre Mann ($3 million) could also be used separately, while the Nets would probably prefer a package centred around Josh Giddey, but it’s hard to see the Thunder parting ways with the Aussie young gun just yet.
ORLANDO MAGIC
Magic receive: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Hawks receive: Jonathan Isaac, first-round pick
While Bogdanovic isn’t considered to be on the trade block, he’d be an ideal target for the Magic, who rank dead last in the NBA in three-point shooting efficiency. This is of course a much-improved Orlando side that is now looking to round its squad with veterans and would be desperate to add shooting alongside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Would say Isaac’s non-guaranteed deal (basically $17 million in cap space) and a first-round pick interest Atlanta if it was ready to waive the white flag on this season? It’s not far from the type of haul the Hawks would get back in a Dejounte Murray trade, so would they be better served instead moving a bench player then reassessing their direction in the off-season? Orlando has a host of other pieces it could dangle including Gary Harris and Cole Anthony.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Sixers receive: Bruce Brown
Raptors receive: Marcus Morris Sr., Jaden Springer, two-second round picks
Fair to say news that Joel Embiid requires surgery has changed everything for Philadelphia, who reports throughout the season linked the team to the likes of Pascal Siakam, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. You sense the Sixers would however now be keen to take all their assets into the off-season and gear up for the 2024/25 campaign, plus the team, as constructed, has space to sign a max contract-level star in a rare spot to be for one of the chief contenders. Some have argued Philly could target a starting calibre centre to replace Embiid, but that feels like a waste of resources from a bigger picture perspective. The Sixers could otherwise still consider trading a collection of their expiring deals for an upgraded player also on an expiring as something of a mini swing – provided it doesn’t cost many additional assets – if they’re confident Embiid can get back at some stage. If things continue to go south for the Raptors and Brown’s market cools down, could Philly pry him for effectively two second-round picks and give up Jaden Springer? Springer’s $4 million deal for 2024/25 and Embiid’s $51 million deal are Philly’s only guaranteed contracts for next season, so the team could talk itself into a deal it opened up more cap space (albeit $4 million) and kept all its first rounders. This is more food for thought though, as it feels more likely the Sixers stand still at the deadline and hold all their picks with their superstar centre’s season potentially over.
Bucks fall short in Rivers’ first game | 01:18
PHOENIX SUNS
Suns receive: Miles Bridges
Hornets receive: Nassir Little, Josh Okogie, three second-round picks
Scary areas for the rest of the NBA. It’s hard to think a trade like this could go through, but reports have stated the two teams are in active discussions over a Bridges trade, so all indications are a deal is looming. It comes despite Phoenix having virtually no assets other than a handful of second-rounders it picked up last off-season, so it’d literally be all-in on this roster. You suspect a Suns package would centre around Little and a collection of those picks, and the fact that’s the likely framework is a showing of how much Bridges’ value has dropped amid his off-court transgressions despite a strong season on the court, averaging over 20 points per game. The forward is playing on a one-year, $7 million deal and set to become a free agent at the end of the season. From a basketball perspective, it’s hard to say how Bridges would fit into Phoenix as juicy it sounds from a fantasy basketball mentality. The Suns would have some seriously potent small ball line-ups to double down on their high-octane offence, but the bigger question marks on them are on the other end of the floor. Plus it’d all come down to how Bridges buys into a different role than the one he currently has in Charlotte.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Trail Blazers receive: Even Fournier, Quintin Grimes, first-round pick
Knicks receive: Malcolm Brogdon
The deadline should be pretty simple for the rebuilding Blazers – trade Brogdon for the best possible package. Portland has done a great job building up his trade value by showcasing the always consistent Brogdon to potential buyers. But the Blazers priority should now be selling high and bringing in long-term assets – ideally a first-round pick and another young piece to put with their young core – while handing the starting point guard duties to Scoot Henderson. Here, the Blazers convince the Knicks to give up Fournier (to make salaries match), Grimes as well as a first-round pick, though New York would push to keep Grimes. But this deal is intended to favour to Blazers, who would also open up salary cap space with Fournier’s non-guanteed money for next season. There’s also been suggestions Portland should look to trade Jerami Grant, but the team doesn’t appear to be keen to.
SACRAMENTO KINGS
Kings receive: Kyle Kuzma
Wizards receive: Harrison Barnes, Davion Mitchell, first-round pick
Sacramento gets the forward upgrade it needs without selling the farm. Kuzma doesn’t solve all the Kings’ problems, but better than Barnes at both ends of the floor and would be well suited to Mike Brown’s up-tempo style. Sacramento would suddenly boast a starting line-up of De’Aron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Kuzma, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis in what would be a real handful for any team. Does this make the Kings a contender to come out of the West? Probably not. Does this make the Kings better overall and in a better position in the off-season with more talent on their roster? Almost certainly.
Simmons shines in explosive Nets return | 01:15
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Spurs receive: Chuma Okeke, second-round pick
Magic receive: Cedi Osman
While the Spurs have been linked to Dejounte Murray, they’re likely better served trusting the process – to steal a phrase from a rival organisation – and sticking with the youth movement. That means selling their veterans for long-term assets – either young players or picks – with the likes of Doug McDermott, DeVonte Graham, Cedi Osman, Zach Collins the types they should be willing to explore moves for. Though the aforementioned names likely wouldn’t yield the Spurs much more than second-round picks, the above idea would at least give San Antonio another draft asset, while Orlando brings in another shooter. Given both Okeke and Osman are on expiring deals, that’d be a win for San Antonio. Yes, not the most exciting deal, and the Spurs would ideally bring in a young player currently devoid of opportunities, but you sense this is the most realistic play the team should pursue.
TORONTO RAPTORS
Raptors receive: Davis Bertans, first-round pick
Thunder receive: Bruce Brown
Much like Portland with Brogdon, it’s operation get the best package available for Bruce Brown — or dance with whoever is willing to hand over a first-round pick. The Raptors only recently acquired Brown in the Pascal Siakam trade with the intention of forwarding him to a contender by the deadline. Assuming the reported key Brown suitors like the Lakers and Knicks pursue other moves, the Thunder could be a sneaky team to watch in the Brown sweepstakes given their bounty of picks, plus Bertans’ contract for next season is only $5 million guaranteed. And so the Raptors would open up a ton of cap space in the off-season and add a first-round pick, while the Thunder get another piece to help their playoff push at a cheap-ish price. A win-win.
UTAH JAZZ
Jazz receive: Markelle Fultz, first-round pick
Magic receive: Jordan Clarkson
Are the Jazz buyers or sellers? It’s to hard to tell. But unless they can make a move for another genuine star who will help take them to another level, which, it doesn’t feel like there’s one out there, their best option is flipping one of their parts to add to their suite of picks. Sure, Utah has turned its season around to sit well and truly in the playoff mix, but it’s also created strong trade appeal with the team’s veterans. Taking on Fultz’ expiring $17 million deal would also open up cap space for the off-season. It’s worth noting that the Jazz owes the Thunder a first-round pick this year (top 10 protected), so unless Utah is really bad, its top pick this year is likely going out the door.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
Wizards receive: Gabe Vincent, Maxwell Lewis, first-round pick
Lakers receive: Tyus Jones
If the Wizards can move Jones for a useful player like Gabe Vincent, and most importantly, a first-round pick, they should pull the trigger. It’s worth noting Jones, despite being one of the most sought after players at the deadline, is on an expiring deal and due to become a free agent, so it’s unlikely teams get silly and overpay for the guard (though this is the NBA) with much more than this. If the Lakers fail to land a bigger name, you’d expect something like this to interest them and have Jones come in and run their second unit. Kyle Kuzma is on also on the trade block, but Washington would only part ways with the forward for a big price.
Despite finally snapping their losing streak, there’s drama in the Lakers’ locker room as pressure mounts on Darvin Ham.
Plus the Warriors’ identity crisis and Milwaukee’s big issue it needs to solve amid the championship race.
That and more in our latest NBA Talking Points!
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Heat demolish Lakers without Butler | 01:10
‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: STARK REALITY AMID LAKERS’ LOCKER ROOM DISCONNECT
While Darvin Ham remains calm – at least on the surface – a storm is brewing in the background and, if you believe multiple reports, it could result in the Los Angeles Lakers coach losing his job.
The Lakers did what they needed to by making a statement against the Clippers – and a few more wins will do a whole lot of good when it comes to silencing the noise surrounding Ham’s future.
For it seems like an eternity ago the Lakers were crowned the inaugural winners of the NBA’s in-season tournament (IST), when Anthony Davis made a statement in a 41-point, 20-rebound performance against the Indiana Pacers.
Funnily enough, it was only a fortnight prior to that win that the Lakers had suffered a 44-point blowout loss to the 76ers, which prompted LeBron James to declare “a lot” needs to change.
The way the Lakers quickly turned things around before the IST could lend some weight to Ham’s argument that Los Angeles may not be too far away from looking like Western Conference contenders once more.
There is a difference though. The Lakers had won eight of their last 10 games before that match-up with the Pacers.
Can the Lakers turn around their season? (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Right now, L.A. has lost 10 of its last 14 games.
“I’m tired of people living and dying with every single game we play… it’s ludicrous… this is a marathon,” Ham said after the Lakers’ latest loss to the Grizzlies.
He has a point. People can be too reactionary, too quick to overreact to one loss or one bad play. But this isn’t that.
This is a losing skid that has the Lakers 10th in the Western Conference. A losing skid that had a clearly frustrated James admitting “we suck right now” after the 127-113 defeat to Memphis.
On the other hand, Ham said it “seems to be” a “pattern” of rival players “stepping their game up when they come into our building”.
Or maybe the real pattern is there for everyone to see in the numbers, with the Lakers allowing more wide-open 3-point attempts a game (22.5) than any other team in the league.
That is despite having a defensive stopper like Davis that should naturally allow the Lakers to more heavily crowd the 3-point line and force opponents to beat them in the paint.
Whereas Ham has consistently called for patience and pointed towards the team’s injuries to explain their recent string of losses, the messaging from the Lakers’ players has been very different.
“We’ve got to do better as players to affect them to miss shots,” Austin Reaves said after the Memphis loss.
“They shot 51 per cent from three tonight. That’s not acceptable. We have to take it upon ourselves to do better.”
The Lakers were supposed to be in a strong position to take a swing for the title this season after making shrewd moves in the summer while also finding a way to keep five key players in James, Davis, Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura together.
Giddey guides Thunder to statement win | 01:38
They added some much-needed outside shooting while maintaining enough continuity to set up the offence for a smooth transition from the 2022-23 season.
Injuries have played their part, with the loss of Gabe Vincent (knee) in particular proving a tough blow, but more important than anything else in recent years has been the health of James and Davis.
That has been hard to rely on in the past but so far this season the superstar duo have only combined to miss five games.
It is part of the reason why Ham needs a greater sense of urgency and understanding of why people are “living and dying with every game we play”, as he put it.
If multiple reports are to be believed Ham himself could be “living and dying with every game” he coaches too, with The Athletic claiming there is a “deepening disconnect” between the Lakers coach and the locker room.
That is according to six different sources, who “described that the disjointedness between the coach and team has stemmed from the extreme rotation and starting line-up adjustments recently from Ham”, according to The Athletic.
That is consistent with reporting from Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, who said on a recent episode of the No Cap Room podcast that player agents have even started voicing their concerns about Ham.
“I think this is the tip of the iceberg of this guy being legitimately on the hot seat right now,” Fischer said.
“There’s just a lot of chatter from people around the organisation that he’s not the guy that’s going to be able to get this thing over the hump. Now, look, they were able to overcome a 2-10 start last season to make the Western Conference Finals so he’s proven the ability to right a ship and steer them out of stormy waters to some beautiful island somewhere else in the postseason picture.
“But the noise is very loud. There’s a lot of people very frustrated. A lot of agents calling the front office frustrated about their guys not getting the right opportunities.”
If there is anything working in Ham’s favour it is his relationship with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, with The Athletic revealing she sent the Lakers coach a “lengthy text message of support” in the wake of the publication’s report detailing the team’s locker room disconnect.
IDENTITY CRISIS AT THE HEART OF WARRIORS’ WOES
Speaking of coaches under pressure, while Steve Kerr isn’t in the hot seat just yet he is certainly seeing plenty of criticism for his role in Golden State’s slow start to the season.
Most notable has been Kerr’s misuse of young forward Jonathan Kuminga, with a report from The Athletic last week claiming he had “lost faith” in the veteran coach allowing him to “reach his full potential”.
“(Thursday night) was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” one of the sources told The Athletic.
Thursday night, in that instance, referred to Kuminga spending the final 18 minutes of Golden State’s 130-127 defeat to Denver on the bench despite having scored a productive 16 points to go with four rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes of action.
Kuminga was not the only one to be frustrated with a lack of consistent playing time, with Jason Dumas of KRON4 also reporting that people around Moses Moody are “frustrated with the lack of having a role and the lack of consistency”.
The issue for Kerr is the fact that Kuminga and Moody’s reported frustration speaks to a broader problem for the Warriors, who for a few years now have been trying to delicately balance their championship ambitions while also looking forward towards the future.
A two-timeline strategy is always hard to pull off and while the Warriors did win a championship that was largely on the back of their already established superstar trio Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Plus, Jordan Poole also had a breakout year while Andrew Wiggins was a hero in the NBA Finals.
Now Poole is no longer on the team while Wiggins struggled earlier in the season. Then you have the ticking time bomb that has been Green and the reality that Thompson is not the player he once was.
And that is at the root of Golden State, and specifically, Kerr’s dilemma right now. He does not seem completely willing to accept that this Warriors team as a whole is not what it once was.
Younger players like Kuminga aren’t just pieces for the future, they are the team’s best options right now and need to be given more minutes to reflect that.
There was an interesting contrast in the loss to Denver which spoke to just where Kerr is going wrong and where a Western Conference contender like the Nuggets are going right.
Whereas Kerr opted to leave Kuminga on the bench, Denver coach Michael Malone showed no hesitation in pulling the more experienced Michael Porter Jr. from the line-up to play second-year wing Peyton Watson.
It proved the right call too as the 21-year-old made a clutch 3-pointer and then grabbed an important defensive rebound before Nikola Jokic tied up the game down the stretch.
There’s been frustrations from the Warriors younger players (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Malone had the confidence in Watson and even if it didn’t pay off the Nuggets have shown a willingness to give their young guys opportunities, with Christian Braun repaying them for it in the NBA Finals after seeing consistent minutes off the bench throughout the regular season.
To his credit, Kerr has leaned more heavily on impressive rookies Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski, rewarding them for strong early season form with more minutes.
It may take time for Kerr and the Warriors to tighten up their rotations and given the competitive nature of the Western Conference, time isn’t something that is on Golden State’s side at the moment.
Perhaps the Warriors will make a big swing before the trade deadline in a desperate attempt to stay in the championship hunt.
Or maybe they will move some veteran pieces to further plan for the future in an admission that this indeed is the end of Golden State’s dynasty and start of a new chapter.
As Curry said himself last week, more than anything else the Warriors need to figure out who they are before anything else.
“It’s the nature of this team,” Curry said.
“It’s kind of materialised throughout the year. We’ve experimented a lot. Some for forced reasons. Some for us searching for an identity of what are our strengths and playing into that, and we haven’t found that.
“It’s frustrating for sure – we’re 32 games in and any team that is a seriously competitive contender, a good team, can usually answer that question. So, we have to get to that point for sure, before it’s too late.”
Maybe it already is for the old version of the Warriors. But it doesn’t have to be that way for the next one.
ISSUE BUCKS ‘NEED TO SOLVE’
Defence was a key question mark hanging over the Bucks after their big off-season moves … and it remains.
It was always going to take a hit after Damian Lillard took over from Jrue Holiday as the starting point guard, not to mention Adrian Griffin replacing Mike Budenholzer as head coach and implementing a whole new system.
But Milwaukee’s defence is ranked bottom third in the NBA over the course of the season.
Sure, it’s only January and the Bucks sit second in the East at 25-11 and look primed to go deep in the playoffs behind their potent offence that’s ranked third overall. However there’s legitimate concerns around whether or not they a defensive system that can win a championship – and it’s very much championship or bust for Griffin, Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and company.
The Bucks have had defensive issues (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
After all, regular season records only mean so much and it’s also important to look at other data and teams’ process in assessing their overall profile, and in the Bucks’ case, championship credentials.
So how much do we read into it as we near the midway point of the season? With a juggernaut offence led by Lillard and Antetokounmp, can they simply score their way to a title if they become at least solid defensively? They might have to if they’re any chance of going all the way.
This was basically the model of 2023 champion Denver last season – it was ranked fifth in offence during the regular season, but ranked only 15th defensively (though the latter improved in the playoffs). It seems to be the direction the NBA is heading in, where defence is no longer seen as the be-all and end-all
It’s worth noting the Bucks’ current profile is the complete opposite to previous seasons where they were known as a stingy defensive team. Last season they were ranked fourth in defensive rating but were just middle of the road on offence.
And in losing Holiday, they lost the frontline of their defence that at times compensated for others, while Lillard’s backourt partner Malik Beasley, like Lillard, is also not regarded for his defence.
In saying this, Milwaukee has improved to the point where it has the 16th-best defensive rating since November compared to it being among the worst few teams in the first few weeks of the campaign. There was always going to be an adjustment made by Griffin, plus more data painting a clearer picture of where they sat.
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And so it’s not time to ring the alarm bells, but it’s something to monitor.
Because, again, when the Bucks come up against the best teams in the post-season, they’ll at least need to be able to hold their own defensively to contend for the major prize.
“They’re not dominant like they were last season, but they’re not at the complete bottom of the barrel like they were in the first couple of weeks of the season,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor said on The Mismatch Podcast.
“It’s partially schemes still and partially personnel – obviously you lose Jrue Holiday and replace him with Damian Lillard and you have Malik Beasley, that’s not great point of attack defence. (Pat) Connaughton is not the same guy right now.
“Part of it is a lack of hustle – last season they were eighth best in points allowed in transition, this year they’re eighth worst in points allowed in transition.
“I think it’s a lot of little things adding up to make them average since they made the switch (to playing tighter and higher up). I don’t think it’s unfixable by any means … but they definitely do have to solve it.”
SLEEPING GIANT … OR A WASTED SEASON?
Are the Memphis Grizzlies the sleeping giants in the championship race? Or is this a mountain too tall to climb?
One thing’s for sure – the clock is ticking on their season.
It was always going to be a slow start out of the gates for Memphis while Ja Morant served his 25-game suspension. Then things became even more tough when Steven Adams suffered a season-ending injury on the eve of the campaign followed by Marcus Smart’s nasty ankle setback in the opening weeks.
It all added up to a disastrous 3-13 start to the season for Taylor Jenkins’ team to make for a worse scenario than most anticipated. It included the Griz sitting 6-19 prior to Morant’s return to the court, however when he did, the dynamic quickly shifted.
Memphis has gone 7-4 with Morant back in the fold to look much more like the title contender of recent seasons compared to the lottery side of the first quarter of the campaign.
“It’s a competitive team with Morant … I’m starting to see what their team could actually look like,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe told The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“Morant, Bane and Jackson – we know that’s a good foundation.
Grizz net biggest score to down Lakers | 00:39
But has too much damage already been done?
The Grizzlies currently have a 13-23 overall record as we approach the midway point of the season, sitting 13th in the West and 4.5 games outside a play-in spot.
That mightn’t seem like much, but Memphis would need to make up a fair bit of ground in the always tough and competitive Western Conference.
Based on current standings, the Griz would need to jump both the Jazz and Warriors plus at least one of the Lakers, Suns, Rockets or Pelicans, who currently sit 7-10th, to just feature in the play-in.
Both teams that finished 10th in either conference (OKC and Chicago) at the end of last year’s regular season notched 40 wins. Based off those numbers, Memphis would need to go a minimum of 27-19 for the rest of the way to just make the play-in.
Locking in a guaranteed playoff spot is an even harder road and appears unlikely right now.
Of course, if Memphis was to limp into the playoffs, it’d likely be on the road for any series it plays in in anything key factor in its overall prospects.
No matter, the Grizzlies have enough talent and time on their side in a marathon NBA season, even if the clock is ticking. They frankly can’t afford many, if any, more bumps along the way – and they might need other teams in their conference to experience a couple.
UNSUNG HERO IN KNICKS’ RISE
From “some dude named Hartenstein” to the heart of the Knicks’ surge.
Nobody has played more minutes on the Knicks since the OG Anunoby trade than Isaiah Hartenstein, who has aptly replaced Mitchell Robinson while leaving every game looking like he went through a meat grinder.
The German-American draws blood regularly these days, showing off the latest scratches on his arm and hand following Sunday’s blowout triumph over the Wizards.
And while Hartenstein isn’t quite the same height as Robinson or as proficient an offensive rebounder, he does hold a very large and important advantage over the frequently injured starting centre.
Hartenstein is crazy durable.
Despite absorbing an inordinate amount of gashes and blows, Hartenstein is riding a consecutive games played streak of 157 — by far the most on the Knicks.
He was one of only 10 NBA players last season to log all 82, a point of pride and probably a prominent bullet point on his résumé for free agency negotiations this summer (yes, his contract is expiring).
But now his role is expanded and a lot more strenuous. When Robinson was around, Hartenstein was playing less than half the game.
But Tom Thibodeau doesn’t have much faith in the other centres on the roster — Jericho Sims and newcomer Precious Achiuwa — which means Hartenstein rarely leaves the floor.
He acknowledged that was an adjustment.
Brunson, Knicks beat 76ers, Embiid hurt | 00:50
“I think I had a slight little period on the road — I think it was at Orlando, at OKC, that road trip (last week) — where I kinda felt my body kind of going down a little bit,” Hartenstein said. “But I think now my body has gotten used to it. I take care of my body pretty good. So now, it’s just keep getting better in that role, and I think that’s something I can do on a consistent basis. … Now, my body is used to it. I don’t really get tired.”
In Sunday’s game, for instance, Thibodeau subbed out Hartenstein in the fourth quarter and tried to go small with Julius Randle at centre.
It lasted 65 seconds.
The Knicks gave up five points and Thibodeau quickly summoned Hartenstein.
“I just sat down. I put a towel around my shoulders and Thibs was like, ‘Isaiah,’ ” said Hartenstein, who finished with eight points and 19 rebounds, one short of his career high. “So I got back up.”
It’s hard to argue with the results. In the four games since the trade, Hartenstein is averaging a double-double (10.5 points, 13.5 rebounds) while leading the Knicks in steals (2.3) and blocks (3.0).
He’s also increased his play-making role, finding cutters such as Anunoby from the elbow while dishing out 2.8 assists per game since the trade. It has made ESPN analyst and Knicks fan Stephen A Smith look irrational for dismissing the centre on air when he said recently, “I got to deal with some dude named Hartenstein.”
“It’s fun,” Hartenstein said about his new responsibilities. “I think it’s definitely a role that I always envisioned myself being in.”
As we reach the quarter-way mark of the NBA season, it’s the perfect time to hit the pause button and reflect on how all 30 teams have fared.
It’s been a campaign filled with epic match-ups, big breakouts, incredible superstar performances, drama and entertainment including the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, while a host of shock contenders have emerged and others have endured a tumultuous start.
Taking into account the expectations for every team, their front office decision-making and generally what each franchise is hoping to achieve this season, here’s how we’ve graded the entire league through the first quarter.
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Grades for all 30 teams at the quarter-way mark of the season.Source: FOX SPORTS
ATLANTA HAWKS (9-13) — C-
Contending for a Play-In spot and hovering around .500, the Hawks are pretty well on pace to what most expected, if not slightly underwhelming. One thing’s clear — Quin Snyder’s team is just a middle of the road team and not a contender to come out of the East as constructed. Atlanta will at least score a ton, however is ranked among the worst teams defensively. And what’s the splash move they can make without breaking up Trae Young and Dejounte Murray? Jalen Johnson was enjoying a breakout season prior to getting struck down with injury in an untimely setback for both the third-year forward and Hawks at large.
BOSTON CELTICS (16-5) — A+
The clear frontrunner in the title race. It’s been a hot start to the season for a Celtics powerhouse that has gotten even stronger after the additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis — even if their true worth will be determined at the business end of the season – to boast the clear best starting five in the NBA. The early signs couldn’t be much better, with Porzingis in particular helping take Joe Mazulla’s team to another level at both ends of the floor as a rim protecting shot blocker and floor stretching five. Boston has the best record in the league, No. 4 defensive rating and No. 7 offensive rating. Full marks.
BROOKLYN NETS (12-10) – C+
Despite arguably battling the worst injury toll of any side in the league, the Nets sit just a game behind the sixth-seeded Cavaliers, and when healthy, have shown they can be a real handful. It’s largely been built around Brooklyn’s high-octane offence – ranked eighth in the league – as Cam Thomas has shined in a bigger role and Mikal Bridges has flourished as the true leader of the team. Ben Simmons’ ongoing back issue is however getting alarming. The Aussie could help the Nets improve offensively to give them a more well-rounded game. But when, or if, Simmons returns remains very much up in the air.
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CHARLOTTE HORNETS (7-14) – D+
Yes, the Hornets sit third-last in the East, but there’s a few things to factor in, largely their injury situation. Charlotte was without Miles Bridges for the first 10 games due to his suspension, while Terry Rozier also missed a key stretch. Since the aforementioned duo returned, LaMelo Ball suffered a nasty ankle injury, so we haven’t gotten a proper look at this Hornets team as constructed at full strength — a core that had the potential to contend for a Play-In spot. In saying all this, the Hornets have been a mess on the defensive end and have the fifth-worst net rating in the league, so they have a ways to improve, and injuries can’t be solely to blame for a team with the longest active playoff drought in the league dating back to 2016.
CHICAGO BULLS (9-15) – D
Are the Bulls … better without Zach LaVine? After a really grim start to the season, Chicago has curiously improved to 4-1 since LaVine was struck down with injury … time for a trade? You’d think Chicago has to pull the trigger on a move for either (or a collection of) LaVine, DeMar DeRozan or Nikola Vucevic at some stage to bring in long-term assets and continue to expose the likes of Coby White and Patrick Williams to bigger roles, as they have in recent times. Because what they have right now is the profile of a near enough lottery team despite being built to win now, so it desperately needs a reboot as the franchise arguably in the worst position of any. A big few months ahead for the front office.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (13-10) – C+
The Cavaliers have been simply solid this season. But for whatever reason, something has been off, while they haven’t had the same spark as last campaign and continue to struggle offensively. As good as Donovan Mitchell has been, just about every other Cleveland player bar Max Strus has struggled to take a step forward … plus is the Jarrett Allen/Evan Mobley froncourt viable long term? A team that was considered to be on the rise with a ton of potential has underwhelmed, even if its 13-10 record is far from disappointing. It comes in a particular crucial period with the franchise hoping to convince Mitchell to re-sign.
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DALLAS MAVERICKS (14-8) – B
Another team that has probably surpassed expectations, sitting fourth in the West as an offensive powerhouse, even if the Mavs have struggled defensively. Luka Doncic has done Luka Doncic things, but beyond the Slovenian superstar and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs lack consistent production from the rest of their squad and have really struggled on the defensive end — even with exciting rookie Derek Lively providing a real presence as a centre. And how much do we trust Irving to stay healthy and/or to not act up? It’s been an overall positive season, but until they fix their defensive issues, Jason Kidd’s side can’t be considered a true contender to come out of the West.
DENVER NUGGETS (15-9) – A-
The defending champs are in cruise control, though Nikoka Jokic has somehow gotten better to really cement himself as the consensus best player in the league/world. With Jokic running the show in the Mile High City, it’ll always be a dominant force, but they’ve at times been too reliant on him, particularly when Jamal Murray was sidelined despite Reggie Jackson stepping up in a starting role. Of course, prioritising health and peaking come May and June is the prime concern for Mike Malone’s squad as opposed to regular season wins and finishing as high as possible, with things ticking along just fine despite a recent three-game skid and some question marks about their bench and depth as a whole following the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green.
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DETROIT PISTONS (2-21) – F
A season from hell. Things can’t get much worse than what they are right now for the Pistons … can they? They’ve dropped a franchise record 20 games on the trot and have a league-worst 2-21 record. Monty Williams is constantly changing the line-up in hopes of finding a spark – but that in itself has been a problem as nothing has felt settled or stable. The sporadicness of Jaden Ivey – both the guard’s form and how he’s being used by Williams – has personified the team’s struggles. And while Bojan Bogdanovic recently returned to give them some veteran leadership, it’ll take more than that to turn things around.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (10-12) – D+
Is the dynasty Warriors era finally over? It certainly appears to be amid a rough stretch with just four wins from their last 14 outings. Steph Curry is doing everything he possibly can right now, but where’s the help? And what would happen if he got injured? Veterans Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have underperformed and Chris Paul already suffered his first injury setback, while Andrew Wiggins looks a shadow of the star that helped guide the team to the 2022 championship. Meanwhile Jonathan Kuminga has struggled to evolve into the player the team would’ve hoped for, and their other youngsters don’t appear capable to take on bigger roles – or at least Steve Kerr hasn’t been willing to give it to them – so there’s more issues than answers right now. A shake-up could be coming, either to the rotation or via trade.
HOUSTON ROCKETS (11-9) – B+
There’s been some hiccups along the way, but it’s been an overall promising season for the West’s seven seed. Ime Udoka has brought an intensity, defensive focus (ranked second in the NBA) and professionalism to the team we haven’t seen in years — boosted by the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks as well as Alperen Sengun taking his game to another level. Some cracks started to appear over the last month or so and it felt like things could fall apart, but the Rockets have since steadied the ship in signs of genuine maturation. Houston does need to replicate its home form on the road, with just one away win so far (over reigning champ Denver), but there’s so much to like overall at the moment.
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INDIANA PACERS (13-8) – A
That In-Season tournament run felt massive including taking down Eastern Conference powerhouses Boston and Milwaukee en route to the championship game. Even if they didn’t raise the trophy, the Pacers would’ve gained a ton of confidence and respect. Plus, not only did it give Indiana playoff-like atmosphere experience against some of the best teams in the league, it was the coming out of a superstar in Tyrese Haliburton under the bright lights. Can we finally admit the Pacers won the Sabonis trade? There’s simply a ton of excitement surrounding Indiana right now as one of the most fun teams to watch and best stories of the first quarter of the season that current sits fifth in the East. It’s largely been because of the Pacers’ potent No. 1 rated offence, though they’ve leaked points on the other end.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (12-1o) – B-
Should the league be officially on notice? The Clippers are two games above .500 after winning nine of their last 12. The slow start in the James Harden era is a thing of the past as Tyrone Lu’s side is figuring things out and looking a genuine threat with a new starting line-up after Russell Westbrook’s move to the bench. We’re also seeing all of their big three, Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, playing well in the same games more consistently, while the Clippers have the NBA’s No. 8 defensive rating and No. 8 net rating. It comes in a crucial season for the franchise, having gone all-in with this roster ahead of the opening of its new stadium next year. You still can’t help but think, as quickly as things have come together, they could again fall apart, with the health of their injury-prone stars key.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS (14-9) – A-
They have to get extra marks for winning the In-Season Tournament, even if it ultimately counts for nothing from a bigger picture perspective. It’s otherwise been a similar-looking Lakers to last season — a robust defence but lacklustre offence and need for more consistent scoring alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, with Austin Reaves struggling to step up in a bigger role and having more success as a sixth man. Through it all, LA is still 14-9 and getting close to full strength, with the likes of Jared Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent missing key time, while Cam Reddish has been a solid addition. The evergreen and soon-to-be 39-year old James is ageing like a fine wine and doing straight up freakish things at his age. Between James and Davis, who’s having one of his best defensive seasons, this team will always be a threat, plus you sense this Lakers team has room to grow with more continuity and could go on a run at some stage like last season.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (6-16) – D-
Operation keep their head above water until Ja Morant returns next week has been a fail for the Grizzlies, who’s also been without Marcus Smart and lost Steven Adams on the eve of the season to leave a bunch of key voids. Tyus Jones’ departure also can’t be understated as a guy who knew their system so well and how to run it whenever Morant was out. With that in mind, you can’t be too harsh on Taylor Jenkins’ crew. Morant will clearly provide a much-needed boost on the offensive end, but they also can’t expect him to return and magically solve all their problems. Not many lesser Memphis players have otherwise really stepped up with extra responsibilities, while Jackson Jr. hasn’t looked like the same defender without Adams there. The Griz have at least showed better signs in recent times to creep closer to having a somewhat respectful record and look capable of turning around its season with Morant and Smart back in the fold.
MIAMI HEAT (13-10) – B
You can be glass half full or half empty on the Heat depending on what your expectations are. But never sleep on Erik Spoelstra and company — and this season has proven no different despite Miami being without Tyler Herro for a key chunk of the season (though it’s becoming increasingly hard to trust the team to ever be consistently healthy). Miami just finds useful pieces to surround Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo with including draftee Jaime Jaquez Jr., while Duncan Robinson has enjoyed a bounce back season and the returning Josh Richardson has been a useful addition. There’s still a few question marks, with the Heat rated average on both ends of the floor amid a stretch of five losses from their last eight, but they’re in a good spot when Herro and now Adebayo return from injury all things considered.
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (16-7) – A-
It’s all kind of just going according to script for any team that lands a superstar in the off-season. Sure, the Bucks still have to improve significantly to just become an OK defensive team as they adjust to life with Damian Lillard. But through what’s felt like a slow start to the season under new coach Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee sits equal second in Eastern Conference and just a game behind Boston with the equal-third best record in the entire league. Not only are the Bucks figuring out how to best integrate Lillard with the rest of the team — most importantly, alongside star teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo — as well as other new pieces, but Khris Middleton is still (very slowly) being ramped up to full minutes. Reports of locker room drama involving Bobby Portis and Griffin is also a worry so early in the campaign. In some ways, all the apparent concerns make their .696 winning percentage even more impressive, but it’s very much is championship or bust season in Milwaukee, so expectations are rightfully high.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (17-5) – A+
Ticks all around for the team with the fourth-best net rating in the league. Seemingly the most improved team in the NBA this season, or at least, the team that’s made the jump from a playoff side to a true contender. Indeed, what the Timberwolves are doing feels real, built around the league’s No. 1 ranked defence led by Rudy Gobert getting back to some of his best form at that end of the floor. Minnesota has elite size otherwise that’s really worried opposition teams, while Karl-Anthony Towns is playing at a high level to function effectively alongside Gobert in the frontcourt, while Anthony Edwards just keeps getting better and better. And all of this despite Jaden McDaniels only appearing in roughly half their games due to injury.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (13-11) – B-
Are they good or not? The opinion on this team seems to flip-flop quicker than any either — and the Pelicans are an enigma of sorts. But when they’ve been at full strength, there’s an argument the Pelicans can compete with anyone in the Western Conference. The Pels have in recent times shown what they can do with all their pieces on the court together including winning seven of their last 11 games. Willie Green’s side has weapons at both ends of the floor and is deep, while Zion Williamson has looked fantastic at times despite some queries around his overall professionalism and commitment to his craft. Though a blowout loss at the hands of the red-hot Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semis was a misstep, there’s reason to be bullish about how far New Orleans could go this season if things click.
NEW YORK KNICKS (13-9) – B
It’s been a solid, but unspectacular start to the season for the Knicks, who have struggled against the best teams but are rated top 10 in all three of offensive, defensive and net rating. Despite this, New York still appears to be a move away from being a true contender that’s capable of hanging with the likes of Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia out East. Mitch Robinson being ruled out for at least the next two months after ankle surgery is clearly a big blow, while the wing/guard rotation feels crowded after New York brought in Donte DiVincenzo. Quintin Grimes even expressed frustration over his role given so much of the team’s offence is predicated around Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. How far can a team go that leans so heavily on those three on the offensive end?
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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (15-7) – A+
The rebuild couldn’t be going much better. In fact, could the Thunder be sneaky contenders in the West? They’ve exceeded expectations this season to surge ahead of their time as the third-youngest team in the NBA. OKC is the only team in the NBA with a top six offensive and defensive rating, while it’s third in net rating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legit MVP contender, Chet Holmgren has been Rookie of the Year good to provide another dimension to Mark Daigneault’s squad and Jalen Williams has taken a leap forward in his second season. Plus, whoever Daigneault puts on the court, which can at times be fluid, always competes hard and buys in on the defensive end. All of this with a mountain of draft picks at their disposal to further upgrade their roster, there’s perhaps no team better positioned overall. The only real negative has been Josh Giddey’s underwhelming form on the court — not helped by the off-court investigation — as the Aussie struggles to find his role in an altered system.
ORLANDO MAGIC (16-7) – A+
The unexpected dark horse in the Eastern Conference behind it’s No. 2 rated defence and budding young guns. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are blossoming into stars, leading a team with killer instinct that’s taken several big scalps including the Nuggets and Celtics – arguably the best two teams in the NBA. It’s been all the more impressive considering Marklette Fultz has been limited to only five games due to an ongoing knee injury, though the guard’s absence has at least opened up more opportunities for the likes of Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony to really take their games to the next level. Meanwhile Joe Ingles has added an invaluable veteran presence off the bench.
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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (15-7) – A
You’ve got to respect the way the Sixers consistently remain in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference, particularly after overcoming the James Harden drama that was. With Joel Embiid leading the charge in another MVP-calibre season and Tyrese Maxey emerging as a superstar, anything feels possible with these Nick Nurse-led Sixers. A faster-paced offence (ranked second in the NBA) and still rock solid defence (ranked ninth) under Nurse’s system has so far equated to the best net rating in the league. Veterans Nicholas Batum and Robert Covington have meanwhile been valuable additions on the wing from the Harden trade and provided better depth — plus Philly has a bounty of draft picks it can use to further bolster its roster. Should again be one of the key contenders to come out of the East, if not go a step further.
PHOENIX SUNS (12-10) – B-
It’s hard to get a proper read on Frank Vogel’s Suns given their new big three is still yet to share the court together this season. That was set to change this week with Bradley Beal’s imminent return, but now Kevin Durant is out, so the trio staying healthy will always be a concern. But Beal’s absence doesn’t completely let Phoenix off for a near .500 start given the franchise has gone all-in on a title with this roster, particularly given the defensive concerns have so far been validated. While it hasn’t been all smooth sailing, the Suns have still managed to stay in touch with the top teams in the Western Conference and shown they can compete with anyone. Though Durant has wound back the clock, this team will go as far as Devin Booker takes it in a new point guard role, while their role players have stepped up to fill voids.
Celtics reign top of the East | 00:59
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (6-16) – D+
To no great surprise, it’s been tough goings for the new-look Blazers this season as they move into rebuild mode after trading away Damian Lillard – but still have a blend of veterans in key roles. That slow start has been exasperated by Anferne Simons being sidelined for most of the season to date due to injury, while a host of other key names have also missed time. Portland has actually been solid on the defensive end, however is ranked second-last offensively in an area Simons will improve it. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before Scoot Henderson is handed the keys as the starting point guard role, with the Pick 3 draftee, Simons and Shaedon Sharpe the future of this franchise.
SACRAMENTO KINGS (13-8) – B+
After a slow start to the season, the still heavily offensive-focused Kings have gotten a roll in recent times with five wins from their last seven to make a charge in the Western Conference standings. De’Aaron Fox just keeps getting better and better, in the best form of his career and playing at an MVP level with a much-improved three-point stroke, while Malik Monk might be the most underrated player in the NBA as a sneaky Sixth Man of the Year candidate. The issues on the defensive end remain a problem though and have halted Sacramento from making the jump from being a fun – but potent – team last season to a legit West contender to be taken more seriously.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (3-19) – D-
Expectations recalibrated. A team some thought was capable of making a run for the Play-In with the addition of Victor Wembanyama has been a mile off and is in contention for having the worst record in the league. They’ve dropped a franchise record 17 straight games and … well, look like a young team still figuring things out and their identity as a whole. The Spurs have been a mess at both ends of the floor – rankled dead last offensively and sixth-last defensively for the league’s worst overall net rating. The Jeremy Sochan point guard experiment has been abandoned, and right now, outside of Wembanyama, there’s not a heap to be bullish about on the roster for the future (though Wembanyama might be more than enough). But again, this is a team that was always going to suffer from some type of growing pains and can at least say they planned for such pain by committing to a rebuild — even if they weren’t expected to be this bad. Hard to give a team a fail that just landed a generational talent, who’s looked as a good as advertised.
‘Not who we are!’ Pop BURNS home crowd | 00:30
TORONTO RAPTORS (9-14) – C-
A contender for most confusing team in the NBA in terms of what it’s trying to accomplish, currently sitting outside the Play-In qualification. The Raptors have dropped four in a row amid struggles at both ends of the floor under new coach Darko Rajaković. If they can’t get things together soon, a trade involving Pascal Siakam and/or OG Anunoby by the deadline seems likely given both can become free agents at the end of the season. It very much feels like Scottie Barnes’ team now in a brilliant third season from the forward as the franchise cornerstone they should build around, while every other Raptor feels expandable.
UTAH JAZZ (7-16) – D
How long until the Jazz commit to all-out rebuild mode? Despite having a surplus of draft picks from the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades, Utah has attempted to regenerate its roster on the run and stay competitive in the always loaded West — evident by its off-season move for John Collins. However the team has really struggled this season compared to last. While the absence of Lauri Markannen in recent times hasn’t helped and Walker Kessler has also missed a key chunk of the season, the Jazz have dropped five of their last six games and are plummeting quickly in the West standings in campaign getting away from it. Given Utah owes OKC a top-10 protected pick, don’t be surprised if Will Hardy shakes things up soon and puts his younger players into bigger roles, while the Jazz could also be sellers ahead of the trade deadline to ensure the franchise takes something away from this season.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (3-19) – F
It’s been bad. The Wizards have just one win from their last 15 games to remain anchored in a bottom two seed with Detroit in the East. While it’s been by design after Washington off-loaded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in the off-season for long-term assets, there hasn’t been much get excited about by the way of young players impressing. And so there’s not many positive takeaways for this season outside of the Wizards potentially ending up with a top draft pick. This year’s Pick 7 Bilal Coulibaly figures to move into a bigger role as the season goes on, while Washington’s other high-end draftees look like misses that haven’t warranted increased opportunities. Jordan Poole has been a big disappointment, while the ex-Warrior and/or Tyus Jones could find themselves in another jersey by the deadline.
While we may only be a couple of weeks into the new season, there’s enough data points to make (unnecessarily early) takeaways from what we’ve seen so far.
And so foxsports.com.au has below dived into some bold predictions, hot takes and general overreactions for the marathon season ahead.
A team built to win now is nowhere near it and currently closer to the other end of the standings at 3-6.
In fact, the Bulls are probably the most disappointing team in the NBA so far for that reason, with sides below them either sitting where they’re supposed to be or with a valid reason to be struggling.
Caught in basketball purgatory — where no team wants to be — Chicago isn’t contending nor rebuilding as one of the league’s most confusing sides.
And so it’s time to trade Zach LaVine, who’s contracted until 2028, while the 28-year old guard still holds value.
But where could he land?
Philadelphia looms as a potential landing spot — or at least have the assets to make a deal — loaded with draft picks and expiring contracts after trading James Harden to the Clippers.
Could LaVine get traded? (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
LaVine would slot in as Philadelphia’s third star alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and help give it the firepower top contend with Boston and Milwaukee in the East (despite sitting above both right now), while the Bulls commit to a regenerating their roster and bringing in young talent.
Of course, the Sixers might be happy to stay put, and you could argue they got better from last season with Nick Nurse at the helm and the Harden dark cloud lifted — sitting first in the East with the NBA’s second-best record at 6-1. But there’s also a fair argument they’re one more major piece away from being formidable.
They could simply wait to lure a star free agent next off-season for no cost from a trade perspective, though would ultimately want to do something before Maxey is due to sign a max contract extension.
Could say an OG Anunoby be a better fit?
As for the Bulls, don’t be shocked if DeMar DeRozan and/or Nikola Vucevic followed LaVine out the door, too.
JOKER ADDS THIRD MVP, NUGS GO BACK-TO-BACK
As much as things change, they stay the same — Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are still really freakin’ good.
Jokic has been at his dominant best, if not better. The superstar dual MVP winner has averaged a career-high 29.1 points to go with 12.9 rebounds and eight assists, recently moving past LeBron James with the fourth-most triple-doubles in NBA history.
You have to wonder if Jokic missing out on MVP last year, then leading the Nuggets one of the most dominant title runs in recent memory, will earn him sympathy votes in this year’s ballot for the game’s top individual unless there’s another clear standout player on a top side.
The Serbian centre has powered the Nuggets to an NBA-best 8-1 start to the season, with the reigning champs ranked second in the league in offensive rating and ranked seventh in defensive rating.
Nuggets withstand Warriors to top group | 01:34
The Luka Doncic led-Dallas Mavericks look much improved and the Golden State Warriors will always be a force with Steph Curry, but no other team in the West has looked on the same level as Denver through the early part of the season.
While Jamal Murray will miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, the Nuggets have the depth to cover the star guard, getting solid production from the likes of Reggie Jackson, Christian Braunn and PJ Watson off the bench as well as rookie Julian Strawther.
It’s why losing gun sixth man Bruce Brown last off-season and not adding — or having the flexibility to add — any other meaningful pieces to their roster hasn’t been as dramatic a loss.
Scary times for the rest of the league.
WOLVES ARE LEGIT CONTENDERS
Minnesota is ready to swim with the big boys.
The 5-2 Timberwolves look like one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season that’s capable of making a deep playoff run, with everything starting to fall into place for this budding side.
They did of course end both Denver and Boston’s unbeaten runs and have a certain killer instinct about them.
Anthony Edwards just keeps getting better and is worthy of at least being in the MVP discussion, with the former No. 1 draft pick averaging a career-best 27.9 points per game.
The Karl Anthony-Towns-Rudy Gobert twin tower frontcourt pairing is finally beginning to work as intended, helping the Wolves post the No. 1 defensive rating.
The Wolves have started the season hot (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Towns still isn’t quite performing at his best individually — or at least to the level of a second star on a genuine contender — but there’s time to figure that out and even potentially deal him for another valuable piece.
The Wolves otherwise have great size and flexibility — including one of the game’s premier defenders in Jaden McDaniels — and depth at every position.
Minnesota ultimately doesn’t really want for anything, and if it can improve a touch offensively, has all the tools to contend with Denver in the West.
BUT LAKERS AREN’T A LOCK
It was easy to be a Lakers believer this season.
After going on an epic surge in the second half of last campaign all the way to the conference finals, LA arguably got better over the US summer by topping up its roster with Gabe Vincent, Christian Wood, Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish and re-signing Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
But just like last season, LeBron James and company have started slow out of the gates at 3-5 and have one of the worst offensive ratings in the NBA.
This isn’t to write the Lakers off in any way shape or form — and seeding and regular season form isn’t necessarily the priority — but are we sure they’re a certainty to again go deep in the playoffs?
‘Psychologically warped’ Smith slams LBJ | 02:13
Despite nearing 39, James is ageing like a fine wine, but is still ageing, with Darvin Ham admitting he’s likely to be managed more this season. Anthony Davis has already had his first setback of the season, and the health of he and James is clearly central to LA’s success, which has been hard to rely on.
This speaks more to the fact that several teams in the West appear to have gotten stronger including the Mavericks, Timberwolves, Warriors and Thunder, plus Phoenix hasn’t had its new big three share the court together yet this season.
It’s early days, but the Lakers might just feel the crunch of a stronger Western Conference.
PORZINGIS THE BEST OFF-SEASON ADDITION
Boston was bold in upgrading its roster in the off-season, and boy does it look like a force as a result.
Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have helped unlock a new level of the Celtics, who had the second-best record in the NBA last season, to now look stronger than ever before in the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era.
Boston boasts the NBA’s sixth-best offensive rating and third-best defensive rating, with the addition of Porzingis in particular providing line-up flexibility lanes on offence Joe Mazzulla’s side didn’t have last season.
Porzingis has at times been maligned during his time in the NBA, so his move to the Celtics was arguably undersold amid a host of other blockbuster trades and signings.
Porzingis and Holiday have been strong additions to the Celtics (Photo by Maddie Schroeder/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
But it’s arguably gotten to the point where Porzingis is underrated, with the Latvian centre averaging 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this season to emerge as the most valuable addition for any side.
Chris Paul has been a significant upgrade for Golden State’s bench as perhaps the next best claim. However of the other big moves, there’s been defensive issues in Milwaukee integrating Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal has only played one game for Phoenix.
Plus all Boston gave up to get Porzingis was Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscula and Pick 35.
It’s early days, and Porzingis does have a history of injury concerns, but the trade is so far paying dividends for the C’s.
HEAT’S DAME REGRET
While the Celtics are prospering from their big swing, the Heat missed a trick by not getting Damian Lillard.
The seven-time All-Star was there for the taking for the Heat as the team he nominated to join before talks with Portland ultimately fell through and Lillard instead joined the Bucks.
But with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in their primes and Miami coming off an NBA Finals appearance, what exactly are the Heat hoping to achieve by not getting Lillard?
If there was a time to strike and go all-out for a championship push, it was now, with Lillard’s trade request coming at the ideal time. If not, what are we doing here?
Bucks outlast Knicks in tight finish | 00:44
It still feels like Miami is another piece short, particularly after the top of the East got stronger in the off-season and it lost Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
Even if it meant parting ways with Tyler Herro, the Heat just had to pull the trigger on a Lillard trade. As exciting as Herro is, Lillard is a clear upgrade for a similar type of player, whereas the Bucks swapping out Jrue Holiday changes the dynamic and their identity as a whole.
Miami must’ve thought adding Lillard wasn’t the move that would’ve pushed it over the top and that it’d prefer to continue on the path of grooming Herro with Adebyayo. But even if Herro develops into the best version of himself, you’ve got yourself a Lillard.
Sitting 4-4 to start the season after overcoming a 1-4 start, Miami is going to have to again embrace the underdog tag, and wonder what could’ve been watching Lillard in a Bucks jersey.
SIMMONS IMPROVED … BUT TIME TO END ALL-STAR TALK
Both of these statements can both be true …
Simmons has gotten back to being a valuable player this season.
Simmons won’t ever be the All-Star Simmons of old again.
It seems every off-season we see the highlights video of a healthy Simmons working out and hype that he’ll get back to his dominant best in the forthcoming campaign.
That same story played out in recent months, and so far the results have been more promising than ever.
Simmons has looked better this season (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
The Aussie has averaged a career-best 10.8 rebounds per game to go with 6.7 assists, impacting the game in multiple ways like he’s made a career of — like something of a poor man’s Draymond Green — to be a strong contributor for the Brooklyn Nets.
But his days as an elite — or even solid — scorer have long gone, with Simmons averaging a career-worst 6.5 points per game. Not only does Simmons’ jump shot remain non existent, he’s not attacking the basket like he used to.
Health is clearly key for Simmons, so the 27-year old missing the Nets’ last game is of concern.
Perhaps with more continuity on the court and he can yet reach another level, but those still clinging to the idea he can be an All-Star again need to accept reality.
NOT EVEN JA CAN SAVE THE GRIZZLIES
We knew it was going to be tough goings for the Grizzlies to start the season sans Ja Morant.
But no one thought it was going to be this bad, with Memphis desperate to get its superstar guard back on the court (and so is my fantasy team).
The Griz the worst record in the entire NBA at 1-7 including losses to the lowly ranked Wizards, Jazz and Trail Blazers.
While Taylor Jenkins’ side’s defence has fallen away dramatically — ranked middle of the road after being ranked third last season — it’s the other end of the floor where it’s having major issues — ranked dead last offensively
The Grizzlies are desperate for Morant to return (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)125-85Source: FOX SPORTS
In the past Memphis, has gotten by without Morant just fine, but his absence has exposed other holes in their roster this time round. A season-ending knee injury to Steven Adams has clearly been a significant blow, too.
Part of the issue has been the void left by Tyus Jones, who’s historically provided elite level production when filling in for Morant or in general running the second unit, after he was traded to Washington.
Not a knock on Marcus Smart, it’s just an adjustment period for the Grizzlies playing with an entirely near point guard compared to the two they’ve had for several seasons.
Memphis will have December 20 firmly marked in its calendar for the date Morant is eligible to return, but even then there will be a ramp up period, and it’ll likely take some time for the two-time All-Star to hit his straps.
The Grizzlies just need to keep their head above water until them, but right now they’re sinking.
WIZARDS TO HAVE WORST RECORD
It’s going to be a long season in Washington (though by design).
After trading away Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, the Wizards have made their intentions for this season clear even if they brought in useful pieces in Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole.
But the Wizards’ rotation thins out quickly including Daniel Gafford being their only capable centre, hence the team’s second-worst defensive rating in the NBA.
Outside of maybe Portland, who’s been competitive so far this season and has a solid spread of contributors, there’s no team better placed to finish with the worst record — and thus have the best lottery odds — than Washington.
NBA Wrap: LeBron’s Lakers fall short | 02:32
Fellow bottom dwellers like San Antonio and Houston seem to have gotten better, while Charlotte and Detroit have already gone to the draft and will also be looking to build.
And frankly, the Wizards need more young talent with a lack of exciting youth coming through.
It’s just unfortunate they got the tanking memo a year late.
WEMBY WINS ROTY, LEADS SPURS TO PLAY-IN
That leads directly into the next point, with the French phenom and No. 1 draft pick as good as advertised, if not better.
Wembanyama is simply doing things on the court we’ve never seen from a rookie, at least not in recent times. The 19-year old blocking shots all over the court with unprecedented defensive versatility and has incredible shooting range for a 7-foot-4 giant.
The Spurs sensation has been the clear premier rookie despite Chet Holmgren’s stellar form. Despite being eligible for Rookie of the Year, the Thunder big man is technically in his second season after missing the 2023/23 campaign through injury.
Wemby drops career high 38 against Suns | 00:58
And so Rookie of the Year is a clear two-horse race between the two, but the hype and excitement of Wembanyama should ultimately be overwhelming for the voters.
Wembanyama has averaged 18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest and led the Spurs to a solid 3-5 start to the season to have them in contention for a play-in appearance.
Something of a wildcard team going into the season, the addition of Wembanyama could literally be the difference between San Antonio making the play-in. Yes, he’s that good.
Sure, it’s going to be a bump road along the way, and winning games mightn’t be the Spurs’ main priority right now. But you sense they’ll be hovering around the 10 seed or close enough to for much of the season under the might of Wembanyama.
TIME TO MOVE WESTBROOK TO BENCH
The Clippers having four primary ball handlers — Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and James Harden — in the one unit was always going to be the big question mark after Harden’s blockbuster move from Philadelphia.
And two games into the Harden era — for two losses — the Clippers clearly need to tinker with their starting line-up to get the best out of this roster.
While it’s too early to even overreact to what sort of impact Harden can have on the Clippers, it’s clear one of the team’s four stars needs to move to the bench — and the odd man out is Westbrook.
It shouldn’t be treated as a demotion, it’s just hard to see how a Leonard-George-Westbrook-Harden line-up can function with all four at their optimum.
Westbrook had success as the Lakers’ sixth man last season before being traded across town, and he and Harden in the same starting five just doesn’t make sense — nor did it work for Houston all those years ago.
Harden playmaking for Leonard and George then Westbrook coming on to run the second unit as a sparkplug seems more logical from an offence perspective, and that may well be the plan when Terance Mann returns from injury.
The Clippers paid up for Harden and have gone chips in with this roster, so they’ll be desperate to make it work.
A former England international was left raving about a key tactical tweak from Ange Postecoglou that already looks to be paying dividends for Tottenham Hotspur while the three promoted teams are learning the hard way about life in the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Liverpool fans are wondering if their star striker has finally turned a corner in what could prove to be a scary warning for the rest of the division.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at the weekend that was in Premier League Talking Points!
THE KEY ANGE TWEAK THAT HAS EX-ENGLAND STAR DROOLING
With every Tottenham game that passes, English pundits are slowly but surely turning into Ange Postecoglou fans.
The Postecoglou era began with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Brentford but it was a 2-0 win over Manchester United that really got the UK media to sit up and take notice.
A comfortable 2-0 win over Bournemouth continued Tottenham’s unbeaten start to the season and, for at least a few hours, Postecoglou’s side was top of the Premier League.
James Maddison’s opener left fans drooling as Dejan Kulusevski’s second-half strike sealed the three points.
Yet it was none of the midfielders or attackers that caught the eye of former England international Joe Cole during the game.
“The fullbacks in particular was an area of concern last year,” Cole said on TNT Sports’ broadcast.
“I looked at that and thought they never looked quite comfortable. But the (second) goal in particular came from (Destiny) Udogie in midfield.”
Destiny Udogie has been a shining light under Ange Postecoglou. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Cole asked Postecoglou if there was “some kind of trigger you’re using” for the fullbacks to tuck into the midfield.
“Because he’s in midfield, the ball comes out to (Ivan) Perisic and he just goes. It almost seems like they’ve been together forever. He went straight away and attacked that space.
“They look like they’re playing with freedom.”
However, Postecoglou refused to give any of his secrets away and had a brilliant response.
“I’m just copying Pep, mate,” Postecoglou replied.
Udogie, who operates on the left flank, hadn’t played for Tottenham until this season but has taken to Postecoglou’s style of play like a duck to water.
On the right, Pedro Porro has also impressed in his ability to get up and down the touchline while also adhering to the Aussie’s tactical instructions.
Who knows what element of Postecoglou’s game will be noticed in Tottenham’s next fixture, but it seems the English pundits are finally seeing ‘AngeBall’ for what it really is.
Pundits are waking up to ‘AngeBall’ (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
REDS’ ‘PERFORMANCE FOR THE AGES’ AS STAR FINALLY ARRIVES
What a performance from Liverpool. After conceding an early goal and playing with 10 men for an hour, Jurgen Klopp’s men showed remarkable grit and tactical intelligence to fight back and claim a smash-and-grab win.
Klopp was asked after the game what the comeback said about his team’s spirit. He replied: “Absolutely everything. In my more than 1,000 games as a coach, I never had a game like this, that is the truth.
“There have been other games, but with 10 men in an atmosphere like this against an opponent like this … It’s not that I can’t remember, I’m pretty sure it never happened because these moments are rare and super-special.”
“It was unbelievable, something very special,” captain Trent Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sport. “You come here with a game plan, dictate the play and kill the atmosphere as that’s an advantage for them.
“But we had to do it the hard way, a very hard way. We dug deep and pulled together. A performance for the ages, one of our best performances. There was some outstanding performances.”
Klopp now has 11 wins in a row against opposite manager Eddie Howe – the longest win streak between any two Premier League managers. The German mastermind was a class above Howe on the day – his reshuffle after the red card narrowed Liverpool’s formation and stifled Newcastle’s attack, before his substitutes Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez had an ideal impact.
Nunez had a tough first season after his club-record arrival for £85m last year, scoring 15 times in all competitions from 42 appearances – but missed plenty of chances with a lack of composure in front of goal. Per Opta Stats, he scored 12 big chances and missed 28.
Has Darwin Nunez finally turned a corner? (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
That lack of consistency saw him drop down Liverpool’s pecking order in attack – and he was clearly ‘fired up’ by that demotion, having not started any of Liverpool’s matches this season.
Klopp told Sky Sports it was a ‘super performance’ from Nunez: “We calmed the game down and brought on Darwin, he was obviously fired up from not starting.
“It’s clear he’s not happy. It’s early in the season, we need to find stability and results. He will play, there’s no doubt about that. We need everyone. We need to find a way of playing. This is a new team with new key players. It needs time.
“He scores two goals and can’t get the smile off his face. For the team, it was super important. You need these things together. You cannot force it. I enjoyed that in the last second.”
There was plenty of pressure on Nunez last season given his price tag, but his maiden Premier League season began by losing his head and copping a red card. A year later he made himself the team’s saviour after Van Dijk was red.
As Manchester United great Gary Neville told Sky Sports of Nunez’s first goal: “It’s a huge moment in this match but an even bigger moment for Darwin Nunez.”
At 24, this might be the turning point in the gifted Uruguayan’s Premier League career. If he can develop the consistency and clinical edge that was lacking last campaign, he could play a key role in lifting Liverpool back into the title picture.
Nunez’s stoppage-time winner secured a vital three points for Liverpool. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
BRUTAL REALITY FOR TRIO OF PL NEWBIES
For the newly-promoted trio of Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United, they would have gone into this Premier League season with varying levels of optimism.
Burnley steamrolled the Championship last season to finish top of the ladder, Sheffield United also went up via automatic promotion while Luton Town did it by winning the playoffs.
But it’s taken just a handful of games for the three to remember just how brutal life in the Premier League is.
All three teams have failed to gain at least a point from their opening games and it is only Everton’s miserable start that is preventing them from being in the relegation zone.
In fairness, Burnley have faced defending champions Manchester City and Aston Villa in their opening two games, losing 3-0 and 3-1 respectively.
Same goes for Luton Town who lost 4-1 to Brighton and 3-0 to Chelsea in a rough start.
Sheffield United have also faced one of the Premier League’s big hitters and came up short, losing 2-1 to Manchester City on Sunday.
Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom has a big job on his hands to avoid relegation. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
However, the Blades had two fixtures which they felt they had a chance in but ultimately ended in defeats against Crystal Palace (0-1) and Nottingham Forest (1-2).
As Burnley boss Vincent Kompany pointed out after his side’s loss to Aston Villa on Sunday, the step up from the Championship to the Premier League is a big one.
“Learning comes at a price in the Premier League,” Kompany said.
“When you get punished you have to learn from it really quickly.
“You play against the good sides and everything happens a little bit faster.”
There is still a long, long way to go this season so it is far too early to write off any of these teams.
Luton are yet to play at their famous Kenilworth Road ground, Burnley’s new signings will take some time to gel while Sheffield United have proven they won’t roll over for anyone.
But the longer these teams go without a win, let alone a draw, the pressure could quickly become insurmountable.
Vincent Kompany has learned life as a Premier League manager is not easy. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
LUCKY LIVERPOOL AS CAPTAIN EXPOSED AGAIN
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the finest attacking fullbacks in the world, with his creativity on the ball delivering record assists in recent years. That’s why both Liverpool and England have experimented with playing him as a midfielder – with the Reds having him make underlapping runs to overload the midfield and get him on the ball as much as possible.
But his defensive deficiencies were badly exposed last year and he was given nightmares by Anthony Gordon against Newcastle. First he was given a yellow card for throwing away the ball after being shoved by Gordon – who appeared to have fouled him. Then he escaped a second yellow and a sending-off when he collected Gordon with a stray arm on a counter-attack.
Alexander-Arnold was also at fault for Newcastle’s opener, when he failed to control a Mohamed Salah pass and allowed Gordon to race through and score.
But the fact that the Liverpool fullback – and the team’s new captain – was even on the field caused significant debate.
Asked about the second Alexander-Arnold infringement, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said: “For me, yes. You don’t want to see a player sent off but, for me, that’s a clear red card.”
He added there were “two moments that are key in the game [Van Dijk’s red being the other] and the referee got the first one wrong. We’re not looking at that as the reason we didn’t win the game – that has to fall on our laps.”
Legendary former player Alan Shearer declared: “I think referee John Brookes had a really poor start to the game. The first 10 minutes, I think he got two big decisions wrong.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was perhaps a little fortunate to escape a red card against Newcastle. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I thought it was a clear foul from Anthony Gordon on Trent but he gets a yellow card for time wasting or chucking the ball away and rightly so, that was the right decision but that should have been a foul on Trent.
“And then a couple of minutes later, he’s on a yellow card and that should have been another yellow card. The only thing I can say for the referee is he probably thinks it’s too early in the game to be giving another yellow but that’s not right.”
And Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “The first booking is a needless one, we’re still getting used to the new rules. He just throws it away, which is now a standard booking. He feels hard done by and is pushed and throws the ball away.
“The second incident is too big for him [the referee]. He doesn’t want to make the decision.
“Alexander-Arnold is lucky. He steps out to the left and puts his arm across Gordon. He knows one more and he’s done. I’m convinced that if he wasn’t on a yellow card, he would get one for that.”
Liverpool had Alexis MacAllister’s red card against Bournemouth overturned. For the second week running they had a sending off – but they could have easily have seen Alexander-Arnold off the park as well.
Asked after the match if he thought he would be sent off, Alexander-Arnold said: “It’s always difficult. Especially when you’re away from home, they [decisions] can go against you. It was a bit of a mistake from me and it didn’t help with the crowd on top of me and the team.”
While his attacking ability is unquestionable, there’s no doubt that opposition teams will be putting the fullback firmly in their sights as a potential weakness to exploit.
