His rant came after days-old comments regarding forward Zion Williamson’s weight ignited a social media war, with the Pelicans roasting Smith over his 1.5 points per game average at Winston-Salem State during the 1990-91 season.
“It doesn’t bother you that you troll me, I can take it,” Smith began in a 10-minute video shared Monday on his X page.
Warning: Explicit language
“You see, do you realise at Division II Winston-Salem State, I could have been on the court averaging 20-to-25 [points] a game and I still wouldn’t compare to a single one of y’all who made it to the NBA? Do you understand that I know that no matter how you gloss over anything, meaning myself or anybody else, I don’t compare to y’all?”
Smith then stated their stats “are wrong,” expounding on an injury during his college playing days.
“I was hurt … 1989, I cracked my kneecap in half. They told me I might never be able to walk the same again, and even though I maintained my scholarship, I was nothing more than a practice player because I couldn’t run up and down the court more than three or four times without limping. How do we know this? Because I’m 56 and I still limp after running for a little while.” Smith said.
The “First Take” host then pivoted back to the organisation and Williamson, 23.
Zion has been a constant point of attack for commentators. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I couldn’t shine Zion’s shoes, nor C.J. McCollum, nor Brandon Ingram, nor any of them, that’s what y’all in the NBA and I’m not,” Smith said.
He then dove into the franchise, which currently sits at 34-24, and their lack of postseason success.
“You are in your 22nd season in New Orleans, since your relocation from Charlotte. Ladies and gentlemen, do you know that by being named the Hornets and then the Pelicans, you have as many names as you do playoff series victories in 22 years?” Smith said.
“You have won two playoff series in 22 freaking years. You have the same amount of playoff series victories as you do names. And you talking about me? At least I’m not robbing the public by getting paid. For not doing what I’m supposed to be doing, which is win!”
Smith then circled back to Williamson while addressing former NBA player-turned-Pelicans analyst Antonio Daniels, who called the ESPN star’s initial remarks “inappropriate and lazy.”
Stephen A isn’t backing down. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)Source: Getty ImagesZion was the target of the initial attack. Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
“I was joking around about Zion Williamson not eating too much. We need him healthy, on a good diet so he’s strong and he’s powerful. I did not imply that he’s not doing it now, I said it as a concern, Antonio Daniels, I said it as a concern, New Orleans Pelicans. I was half-joking because I’m rooting for the kid and I’m rooting for the franchise,” Smith said.
Currently sixth in the Western Conference, the Pelicans have dropped two straight games since Friday, when the barb-fest with Smith began.
“Stop worrying about Stephen A. Smith, there were those before me, and there will be those after me, what do you think they’re going to say about you if you continue to be this futile? Get it together,” Smith said.
Despite Smith’s urging to focus on actual NBA adversaries, the Pelicans responded to his video Monday on X, posting a meme of three messages that read, “I ain’t watching all that,” “I’m happy for u tho” and “or sorry that happened.”
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
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.
Wemby cooks the freak in star showdown | 00:28
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.”
NBA media personality Stephen A. Smith has unleashed on injured Australian three-time All-Star Ben Simmons in a bizarre rant.
Simmons, who missed all of the 2021-22 campaign and was restricted to just 42 games with the Nets last season, has not played since early November after suffering a nerve impingement in his back.
The Australian’s agent Bernie Lee told The New York Post that he has entered the next phase of his rehabilitation and is looking at a return in a “matter of days to weeks, as opposed to weeks to months”.
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Hollywood star’s awkward Giddey response | 00:43
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s in-season tournament final on ESPN, Smith was asked how concerned he was that Simmons would not live up to his true potential after yet another stint on the sidelines.
Smith did not hold back in response, declaring he is “completely disgusted” with Simmons.
“I am completely disgusted with him. I am completely disgusted with Ben Simmons and I think we all should be,” he said.
“I don’t care at this point that he’s injured and the reason why is too much time went by when you were not injured when you were not playing. But you certainly made sure that you’re cheque was in your bank account every single month.
“We understand that mental health is a huge issue, it’s serious and not something to be diminished or maligned in any way. But you know something, you think about your money. Every time you turned around he thought about his money.”
The 76ers had initially withheld around $20 million of Simmons’ salary, arguing at the time that he breached part of his contract after holding out for the 2021-22 season, citing mental health.
Simmons and the National Basketball Players Association then filed a grievance and eventually settled with the Sixers, which saw him recoup part of the salary according to ESPN. The terms of the settlement, however, were not disclosed.
This July Simmons also received credit for a year of service for the 2021-22 season at Philadelphia.
Smith clarified he is a “fan” of Simmons but has grown frustrated with the constant interruptions that have disrupted his development since entering the NBA.
“I’m a fan of Ben Simmons. I like him genuinely as a person but I can’t measure my disappointment I have towards him,” he added.
“I watched this man blossom into a star and an All-Star calibre player in this league for years. As a youngster in this league at 6-foot-9, with his ball-handling and his passing and playmaking skills along with his defensive prowess.
“Even with the inability to shoot shots from the perimeter, he was still considered an elite player in this game and somehow some way he let the noise get to him in a way that prevented him from playing the game.”
Smith went on to question Simmons’ commitment, declaring he has shown an “unwillingness to have a passion to play the game of basketball”.
Davis dominates in mid season title win | 02:31
“Now that we’ve transitioned to this point, where he’s legitimately injured with his back… you’re not delegitimising the injury,” Smith said.
“You believe him and you understand not to sit up there and malign him as if you’re questioning the legitimacy of the injury. We’re not doing that. What we’re saying is we don’t care because if it was not that injury it’d be something else because over the last two to three years what you’ve shown us is an unwillingness to have a passion to play the game of basketball.
“I don’t think the United States should accept it, I don’t think Australia should accept it, I don’t think any place on the planet that loves the game of basketball should co-sign and condone Ben Simmons’ lack of commitment to the game of basketball. Enough is enough. It’s unacceptable.
“You’re too great, you’re too talented, you’re too gifted to be allowing your talents to be wasting away the way that it has. I’m not excusing it anymore. He’s lucky he’s injured because if he weren’t injured I’d be talking about him every chance I got until he gets on the court and shows us his greatness because he can be a great player, a very talented player.
We’ve just about hit the quarter mark of the NBA season.
And the fortunes of several blockbuster trades — one in season — are proving to have a key impact on the title race and campaign at large, while significantly altering teams’ fortunes.
Below are foxsports.com.au’s winners and loser from the big moves that transpired.
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PG hits scintillating GAME-WINNING three | 00:43
CELTS RECONFIGURE IN THREE-WAY PORZINGIS SWAP
Celtics receive
Kristaps Porzingis (via Wizards), No. 25 pick in 2023 Draft (via Grizzlies), 2024 first-round pick (top-four protected, via Warriors)
Grizzlies received
Marcus Smart (via Celtics)
Wizards received
Tyus Jones (via Grizzlies), Danilo Gallinari (via Celtics), Mike Muscula (via Celtics), No. 35 pick in 2023 Draft (via Celtics)
Early winner
The addition of Porzingis to the Celtics has made the now title favourites even stronger and unlock a new level of Joe Mazulla’s side in the Jayson Tatum-Jalen Brown era. Having Porzingis at centre as a genuine floor spacer provides line-up flexibility and lanes the C’s haven’t had before, while the maligned Latvian big man has averaged a cool 18.9 points on 54 per cent shooting from the field, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Health is clearly the main concern with Porzingis — and he’s currently sidelined with a calf injury — but having him available at the business end of the season is clearly more important.
Early loser
Both Memphis and Washington have come away worse for wear. While the 5-14 Grizzlies can at least put their issues down to the absence of stars — including to Smart — they’re actually trying to contend, whereas the 3-15 Wizards are effectively in tank mode, even if J0nes has underwhelmed at his new side, and they could yet flip the guard for a long-term asset. So looking at it from a wider lens — and not necessarily a knock on Smart — Memphis has been the loser. And in Jones the Griz at least had a known quantity who knew how to run their system whenever Ja Morant was out. Memphis was of course simply trying to take itself to the next level to contend in the Western Conference, and while there’s ample time to turn things around, it’s been a grim first quarter of the season for the franchise.
Grayson Allen (via Bucks) Keon Johnson (via Blazers) Nassir Little (via Blazers) Jusuf Nurkic (via Blazers)
Early winner
A fair bit to unpack here. But any side that gets a multi-time All-NBA, All-Star guard has to be the winner, so it’s the Bucks (for now at least). Sure, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing integrating Lillard into the line-up amid a big drop off from the team on the defensive end of the court compared to having Holiday out front. But for all those concerns, Milwaukee sits third in the East at 14-6 and have claim of the league’s second-best net rating over the last 10 games. The Bucks are in the business of winning titles right now, so going all in on Lillard makes complete sense. The Suns are also a sneaky winner, with Nurkic in perhaps the ideal landing spot for his skill set as a throw in that’s proved to be an important piece — he just needs to stay healthy. Allen has also provided invaluable depth, particularly with Bradley Beal sidelined.
Early loser
The Blazers are the closest thing to a loser — not in terms of what they got in the Lillard deal, but more just from a holistic standpoint. When you trade a franchise superstar, you’re generally committing to a lengthy rebuild and accepting your current core doesn’t have what it takes to win a title, plus there’s no guarantees when going back to the draft. In terms of this deal specifically, Portland only got one first-round pick in addition to two-pick swaps, whereas the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert yielded much bigger hauls in terms of draft capital. Then there’s the DeAndre Ayton side of it, with the gun big man and former No. 1 pick still failing to live up to his enormous potential despite being in a opportunistic situation. In saying all this, the Blazers already have exciting young players in Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, so they’re well placed overall.
Ctrl+C+V for the above Porzingis point. Unlike Porzingis though, Holiday has taken more of a back seat in Boston and personally sacrificed the most of its four stars — at least offensively. No matter, the stud defensive guard remains a key piece that has it looking like the clear Larry O’Brien trophy frontrunner right now and will clearly provide a huge boost come the real stuff. He’s averaged 12.2 points, 5.1 assists and 0.7 steals per game, which would statistically be his worst season since his sophomore campaign. However the 33-year old provides elite defensively flexibility and a sturdy veteran presence, plus championship pedigree from Milwaukee.
Early loser
Can we say no one? It probably is Portland, but it’s not by a lot and more comes down to whether or not it could’ve got more for Holiday after acquiring him from Milwaukee in the Damian Lillard trade. There’s otherwise genuine concerns around Williams’ future after he suffered yet another knee injury likely to sideline the big man for the rest of this season. Missing him on the court aside — for Portland isn’t exactly trying to win games — the Blazers could’ve traded him to a contender for an asset ahead of the deadline, but that’s no longer an option really. Brogdon has been solid, but again, did they really want someone to help them now who will stand in the way of Scoot Henderson? And the picks of course compliment the Blazers’ direction.
Is Beal the piece that’s going to take Phoenix past any other team — or at least be the key factor to do so? That’s the big question here, and frankly, we still just don’t know as the star guard’s start to his Suns tenure has been ruined by injury. Considering the mega return Washington got for a player who’s never quite gotten back to his All-Star heights of several years ago and you’d have to give the Wizards the points right now. Plus Washington flipped Chris Paul for Jordan Poole (though more on the later) as another long-term piece to do add to its collection — even if he’s struggled to really ascend his game at his new team.
Early loser
To this point, it’s Phoenix, though it could change quickly. As mentioned, we just haven’t seen nearly enough of Beal yet in a Phoenix guernsey — only three times, to be specific. In fact, the team’s big three of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant have combined for a total zero regular season appearances together as Booker has also battled injury in a worrying factor. The Suns have still cruised to a nice 12-8 start to the season, and they could yet reach an even higher level when Beal returns. But the big swing move for the 30-year old hasn’t yet lived up to what Phoenix gave up. And what if Beal’s injury lingers throughout the season?
Kings topple Warriors for Group C throne | 00:57
WARRIORS LAND CP3
Warriors received
Chris Paul
Wizards received
Patrick Baldwin Jr., Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, 2027 second-round pick, 2030 first-round pick (top 20 protected), Cash considerations
Early winner
Not that the Poole-Wizards era is necessarily going well, but the Washington is at least accruing long-term assets and what it’s doing makes sense, so it’s a soft winner. And there’s the potential for him to turn things around from an individual standpoint — or the Wizards move him elsewhere. As mentioned earlier, the franchise has gone into all-out tank mode and its No. 1 ambition might just be finishing with the worst record in the league, of which it’s not far off.
Early loser
The CP3 era in Golden State is off to a rough start. Nor does it appear to be the lever the team should’ve pulled given it’s clear need for a second offensive star alongside Steph Curry as opposed to solidifying its bench, plus you’d argue it was better off with Poole to Paul, who’s already suffered his first injury setback of the season and is hard to trust to stay healthy. There’s still the potential for the Warriors to trade Paul or one or more of their young players to change up the rotation. Because right now, instead of Golden State going to another level, it seems to have gone backwards in concerning signs for Steve Kerr and company.
‘Wait a minute!’ Smith blasts ‘idiots’ | 02:01
CLIPPERS PULL TRIGGER ON HARDEN
Sixers received
Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, 2029 pick swap, (all via Clippers), 2026 protected first-round pick (via Thunder)
Clippers received
James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Filip Petrusev
Thunder received
2027-first-round pick swap (via Clippers)
Early winner
Not only did Philadelphia rid itself of the Harden drama, it gave Maxey a clear runway to be a superstar and got better in the process. Usually it’s the team that acquires the superstar in a trade that wins — and while that could yet be the case — it’s been addition by subtraction for the 12-7 Sixers to consolidate their roster with other useful pieces as well as assets they could use to acquire another star by the deadline. Some now believe they can not only compete with the likes of Boston and Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference, but could be the premier team. It’s also crucial the team keeps winning games to convince Joel Embiid to stick around long term.
Early loser
Yes, the Clippers are starting to work things out with Harden after a gloomy 0-4 start to his tenure with the team. But if it hadn’t already, LA has now gone completely all-in with this roster and has basically no draft picks remaining for the decade as a result. Even if Harden has made the Clippers a better team overall, the deal simply has to take them over the top of the likes of Denver, Phoenix and potentially Minnesota and Oklahoma City to be considered a success — or at least even with such West powerhouses. From what we’ve seen so far, that’s not the case. While it could be argued the team was already chips in during the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, the franchise could’ve dealt both and pushed the reset button, but it’s gone all out the other way ahead of the opening of its new arena in 2024. It’s still a long season ahead though, and the Clippers are nearly back at .500, with the health of the aforementioned stars paramount to everything.
Giddey is under investigation by the Newport Beach Police Department in California and the NBA over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Police have not laid any charges in the matter.
The allegations first arose via an anonymous social media post last month, which has since been deleted, but the incident actually took place right back in his rookie season in 2021, as CODE Sports reports.
According to the article published on Saturday morning, Giddey had a very short relationship with the woman, with suggestions it was a one-night stand.
Giddey was 19 at the time and the report states he believed the girl was the same age, but that she was allegedly 15 and had lied about her age.
The article stated that the female’s family has remorse about the situation and the impact it is having on Giddey and his career.
Josh Giddey has played every game so far this season. (Photo by Ian Maule / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP
The teenager’s family has reportedly been reluctant to co-operate with police.
The situation has now taken another twist with the family linking up with lawyer Gloria Allred, a powerful women’s rights lawyer.
Allred has made headlines for her roles in previous high profile cases surrounding women’s rights and her Allred, Marko and Goldberg firm claims she handles more women’s rights cases than any other private practice in the United States.
“I confirm that I do represent the family, and we have no comment,” she said in a statement.
Allred has been described as a “pitbull lawyer” when TMZ first reported her involvement with the teenager’s family.
Part of the NBA investigation will reportedly centre on how the videos were leaked to social media.
One of the social media posts.Source: News Corp Australia
Boomers star Giddey is currently in the third year of a four-year, $41m rookie contract with the Thunder, but could command significantly more in his next contract given his performances to date in the NBA.
The allegations against Giddey emerged when pictures and videos were posted to social media featuring the Australian with a young woman.
One of the images is of a shirtless Giddey standing behind the woman.
There are videos which feature Giddey supposedly talking to the girl’s brother, in which he says: “I’m here with your beautiful sister.
Giddey helped OKC snap a two-game losing skid against the Lakers on Friday. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Good luck for your season. I hear you’re going to Sacramento soon for a game so best of luck. We’re going to come up and watch you take care of business.”
In another video, where she appears to be standing in the background outside a nightclub, Giddey says: “What’s up my man? We’re at the front of the club, me and my girl, about to head back to mine.”
Giddey has only addressed the media once since the posts were made to social media, stating last Saturday: “I understand the question, obviously, but there is no further comment right now.”
Pushed on the matter again, he said: “I get the question guys. I completely understand you guys want to know about it. But, just for right now, I don’t have anything to say.”
Startling details have emerged in the Josh Giddey saga, with reports the Australian’s alleged encounter with an underage female happened two years ago.
Giddey is under investigation by the Newport Beach Police Department in California and the NBA over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
The allegations first arose via an anonymous social media post last Thursday, which has since been deleted, but the incident actually took place right back in his rookie season in 2021, as CODE Sports reports.
According to the article published on Saturday morning, Giddey had a very short relationship with the woman, with suggestions it was a one-night stand.
Giddey was 19 at the time and the report states he believed the girl was the same age, but that she was allegedly 15 and had lied about her age.
Josh Giddey has played every game so far this season. (Photo by Ian Maule / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP
“It’s understood the girl lied about her age to gain access to a nightclub, where she interacted with Giddey, which has been confirmed via social media videos,” the report states.
“Multiple sources have confirmed it was a one-night encounter and was ended the next day when Giddey was made aware she was at high school.
“All parties involved thought the situation had been dealt with until about two weeks ago when the 21-year-old NBA star was made aware that videos and photos of the pair together may soon be leaked online.”
The article states that the female’s family has remorse about the situation and the impact it is having on Giddey and his career.
Part of the investigation will centre on how the videos were leaked to social media and the motivation behind them.
The report states the woman’s family are not believed to be associated with the leaking of the photos and videos to social media.
One of the social media posts.Source: News Corp Australia
With the woman’s family understood to be reluctant to co-operate with police, a Californian legal experts said that would make any prosecution extremely difficult.
“You don’t see a lot of filings where the age gap is narrow,” Stephen Sitkoff, a defence lawyer who previously prosecuted sex crime cases in California, told CODE Sports.
“They’re the only two who know. If she’s uncooperative, it’s going to be difficult.”
Boomers star Giddey is currently in the third year of a four-year, $41m rookie contract with the Thunder, but could command significantly more in his next contract given his performances to date in the NBA.
The allegations against Giddey emerged when pictures and videos were posted to social media featuring the Australian with a young woman.
One of the images is of a shirtless Giddey standing behind the woman.
There are videos which feature Giddey supposedly talking to the girl’s brother, in which he says: “I’m here with your beautiful sister.
Giddey helped OKC snap a two-game losing skid against the Lakers on Friday. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“Good luck for your season. I hear you’re going to Sacramento soon for a game so best of luck. We’re going to come up and watch you take care of business.”
In another video, where she appears to be standing in the background outside a nightclub, Giddey says: “What’s up my man? We’re at the front of the club, me and my girl, about to head back to mine.”
Giddey has only addressed the media once since the posts were made to social media, stating last Saturday: “I understand the question, obviously, but there is no further comment right now.”
Pushed on the matter again, he said: “I get the question guys. I completely understand you guys want to know about it. But, just for right now, I don’t have anything to say.”
He received an extremely hostile reception in his first road game in Minnesota last Wednesday, while a smattering of boos could also be heard when he was introduced before Friday’s win over the Lakers in Oklahoma City.
Josh Giddey has been removed from Weet Bix promotional material. Picture: FacebookSource: Supplied
The young Thunder line-up has opened with an excellent 12-6 record, good for third in the Western Conference standings, although Giddey’s individual averages are all down compared to his career numbers.
While the age of consent in California is 18, someone accused of statutory rape is able to escape conviction if they reasonably believed the alleged victim was an adult.
Criminal defence lawyer Neil Shouse, a former prosecutor, told CODE Sports this could be successfully argued if the other person “claimed and appeared to be over 18”, carried a fake ID showing they were over 18, or was present in an adult venue like a bar or club.
The company has since clarified the move was to limit negative comments towards the young Aussie and no decisions have been made about its association with Giddey.
Former NBA standout and Boomers star Andrew Bogut spoke about the situation on his Rogue Bogues Podcast, claiming his understanding the girl had lied to Giddey about her age.
The outspoken Bogut also felt the allegations would damage Giddey’s reputation, regardless of the final outcome.
“The damage has been done to his PR profile regardless of what the result is,” Bogut said.
“We have had trial by media over the last 30 years, now we have trial by social media, which is 100 times worse.”
As the Bulls continue to crater, rumours persist that the former model franchise turned cellar-dwellers might start selling its top players and embrace a rebuild.
DeMar DeRozan, along with Zach LaVine, is one of the players Chicago could look to move and the veteran reportedly has two preferred teams: the Knicks and Heat.
“When it comes to possible destinations, the Heat and Knicks are known to be preferable to DeRozan if he winds up getting moved,” according to the Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Amick says DeRozan is “considered very likely” to be dealt with the Bulls sitting at 6-14.
DeRozan, 34, is averaging a team-best 21.3 points, 4.6 assists and shooting 45 per cent this season, and the small forward could help contending teams.
Making him all the more attractive is his expiring contract, worth $28.6 million.
Teams can acquire him for a playoff run, see if he hits and perhaps have a leg up on re-signing him if the partnership worked.
The Knicks and Heat both make sense as Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls who could use another piece or two.
Kings topple Warriors for Group C throne | 00:57
The Knicks have plenty of draft picks at their disposal, and could use Evan Fournier’s contract to help make the money work.
The Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference with their 11-7 record, and most projections have them outside the top three teams in the conference.
The Heat, who eliminated the Knicks in the playoffs, are seemingly always on players’ potential trade lists.
Miami just missed out on Damian Lillard this off-season, with the Blazers ultimately dealing the star guard to the Bucks.
A winning culture, great weather and no taxes make for an attractive destination.
Miami enters Saturday’s games (AEDT) in the sixth spot in the East with its 11-8 mark.
The Heat do not have the trade assets the Knicks do, but the Knicks may prefer to hold off on using them until a bigger star becomes available.
This story originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reported with permission
On Nov. 22 the team said in a statement that he would have his status updated in “7-10 days.”
There was no information forthcoming before Friday’s tilt and they have Saturday off.
“We’re gonna give you something on Sunday probably, overall of where Ben is at,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. “He has been included in all our meetings, film, and all that stuff. We’ll give you something on Sunday about what he’s been doing on the court.”
After the injury, a specialist told The Post that Simmons would likely need two weeks of rehab, and another two weeks before he could play.
Backup point guard Dennis Smith Jr. was out after being questionable with a lower back sprain.
The defensive specialist told The Post he was feeling better and nearing a return.
“Yeah he’s ramping up,” Vaughn said. “He’s getting close to being back on the floor for us.
“I think overall, you always hear me say I want the athlete to be mentally and physically ready to play when he gets back on the court. Dennis is trending definitely still towards that direction, no setbacks, and hopefully we’ll see him soon.”
LeBron suffers WORST loss in NBA career | 00:51
The starting line-up remained the same for the eighth time in nine games.Leading scorer Cam Thomas, on a minutes restriction in his first game back from a sprained ankle, came off the bench to score 26 points in 25 minutes.
Wing Royce O’Neale was scratched after having initially been listed as questionable with a left hip contusion.
The veteran was 12 of 22 (54.5 per cent) from behind the arc in his prior two games.
LaMelo Ball was out with a right ankle sprain suffered in Monday’s loss to Orlando.
Brandon Miller (left ankle), Nic Richards (concussion), Frank Ntilikina (leg) and Cody Martin (knee) were all also out for the Hornets, who’d lost six of eight.
Charlotte’s Miles Bridges was booed during introductions, but the welcome was nowhere near as vitriolic as it had been Wednesday at the Garden.
The small forward came in averaging 19.8 points and eight boards since returning from suspension.
He had been arrested on a felony domestic violence charge last November.
This story originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reported with permission
What are the Power Rankings? This is our attempt to rank every NBA team from best to worst. We take wins and losses into account, but also the quality of opposition faced and whether teams are likely to get healthier or improve going forward. It’s a little bit ‘who’s hot and who’s not’; part predictive, part analysis of what’s happened. If Team A is above Team B, we’d probably tip A to beat B at a neutral venue.
Every NBA team analysed in our Power Rankings.Source: FOX SPORTS
1. BOSTON CELTICS (14-4)
Who else but? Continuing on from last campaign’s dominant regular season, the Celtics appear to have gotten even stronger with the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Integrating such key pieces to a rotation can take time for teams to adjust, but not Boston, having posted a top eight offensive rating and top three defensive rating. Still undefeated at home, the Celtics’ +9.6 point differential is the best in the league. Not only do they have top-line stars, most notably Jayson Tatum, who’s having another MVP-calibre season, but Joe Mazulla’s rotation is arguably the deepest and most talented in the NBA. It’ll help them mitigate injuries (provided they don’t come at the business end of the season). Can anyone stop them? The clear best team in the league right now.
2. DENVER NUGGETS (13-6)
The reigning champs have been in cruise control in the early parts of the season, while Jamal Murray has been limited to eight games due to a hamstring injury … yet they still sit second in the West standings at 13-6 and have a top 10 offensive and defensive rating. It included a particularly strong start to the season before the Nuggets hit a lean patch, dropping four of five games as their less experience and depth compared to last season showed. But a road win over the Clippers on the second half of a back-to-back without Murray, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon displayed championship DNA at its finest and would build huge belief in the second unit and team as a whole. Jokic remains out-of-this-world good as the current frontrunner for the MVP in what’d be his third overall. Oh and they’re also the only other team still unbeaten at home.
‘Wait a minute!’ Smith blasts ‘idiots’ | 02:01
3. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (13-4)
One of the big surprise packages so far, Minnesota is emerging as a legitimate contender before our eyes. In fact, it’s the Wolves we thought we were getting last season after three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert joined the team, as his twin tower frontcourt pairing with Karl Anthony-Towns is starting to flourish. Sitting first in the West with the best defensive rating in the entire NBA – built around Gobert, and great size and flexibility that’s really troubled opposition – the Wolves have taken the leap into the top tier of teams. Then there’s the Anthony Edwards piece, with the star guard evolving into a MVP-level superstar that plays both ends of the floor and has a certain dog and killer instinct about him that reminds you of some of the game’s all-time greats.
4. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (13-5)
The new-look Bucks are starting to figure things out – and that’s a scary prospect for the rest of the NBA. After a slow start, Milwaukee has won eight of its last nine games and is beginning to live up to the hype after recruiting Damian Lillard to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo and create one of the most dominant one-two offensive punches in the NBA. Though the Bucks have the fourth-best offence in the league, there’s still issues at the other end of the floor, with a bottom 10 defensive rating. Brook Lopez is starting to rediscover his dominant defensive form from last season, but misses having Jrue Holiday out on the perimeter, while Khris Middleton is still ramping up to full health after off-season knee surgery. If they can make improvements on the defensive end to at least be middle of the road, the Nuggets showed last season you don’t necessarily need to have an elite defence to win it all. Could they simply score their way to a title?
5. PHILADLEPHIA 76ERS (12-6)
Couldn’t have navigated the James Harden trade saga much better. It was addition by subtraction for the Sixers, with Harden’s departure paving the way for Tyrese Maxey to evolve into a superstar – even if he’s cooled off from his epic early-season heights – while Joel Embiid continues to do Joel Embiid things. The star centre has also improved as a facilitator, averaging a career-best 6.6 assists per game. Philly also added a host of handy role players in the Harden trade plus assets it could use to recruit another star by the trade deadline. They sit top four in the East and have the second-best points differential (+8.7) in the NBA, having shown a ruthlessness to really crush teams. Nick Nurse’s team has the second-best offence – playing with more movement and freedom than last season – to go with a top 10 defence. A team with all the tools to make another deep playoff run.
6. ORLANDO MAGIC (13-5)
The other shock riser – and this one has been even more unexpected – including riding a current seven-game winning streak. Orlando was seen as a fun, budding team on the rise, but not many could’ve predicted Jamahl Mosley’s side would be this good, this fast. The Magic have the third-best record in the East and their improvement has largely come behind a more robust defence – currently the second-best in the league. They simply have guys who compete hard every game like Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, while Paolo Banchero has taken his game to new heights alongside co-star Franz Wagner, an elite running partner who’s still somehow underrated. Joe Ingles has also provide invaluable leadership and stability off the bench. The Magic, who’ve taken down arguably the best two teams in the NBA in Boston and Denver, have done all of this with Markelle Fultz missing most of the season with a knee injury!
Booker torches the Garden with dagger 3 | 00:37
7. PHOENIX SUNS (11-6)
The Suns are coming. Despite Bradley Beal being restricted to three games due to a back issue and Devin Booker also battling injury, they’re still sitting in the upper echelon of the always competitive West. Kevin Durant has wound the clock back to look like… well, prime Kevin Durant, while Booker too has had some monster performances top really ascend his status to the top-line superstars. What’s also been encouraging is how recruits Eric Gordon and Grayson Allen have stepped up with more opportunities and Jusuf Nurkic might have found his perfect landing spot. It’s the defensive end of the floor where there’s still some issues, but sitting 11-6 despite their new big three having never played together yet and there’s huge reason for optimism in the Valley of the Sun.
Giddey starts for OKC amid investigation | 00:50
8. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (11-6)
Another big improver and team that looks genuinely ready to contend, perhaps slightly ahead of its time. OKC is ranked top seven both offensively and defensively and doesn’t seem to fear anyone. The impact of former Pick 2 Chet Holmgren has been significant, with the gun big man emerging as the unlikely frontrunner for Rookie of the Year over Victor Wembanyama, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be crazy good to back up his breakout 2022/23 season. Mark Daigneault is generally getting better production across the board from the likes of Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, allowing him to be more flexible with his line-ups. The hovering allegations about Josh Giddey have been the only real downside amid an indifferent start to the season for the Aussie, but there’s so much to like about what the Thunder are doing. And all of this with a mountain of draft picks at their disposal to upgrade the roster when they see fit. Look out.
9. DALLAS MAVERICKS (11-6)
The forgotten contender in the arms race following last season’s big disappointment, even after they acquired Kyrie Irving. But Luka Doncic looks like a man on a mission – with a better roster around him including a barrage of three-point shooters. It’s the offensive end of the floor where Dallas has really excelled – boasting the No.3 offensive rating – while they do have a ways to improve defensively to be taken more seriously as a legit contender. But the Doncic-Irving duo has proven to be a real handful, plus in Dereck Lively II the Mavericks have a promising big man for the first time in several years. It’d be nice to see more consistency from Josh Green, though the Aussie remains an important member of the rotation and has had some bright moments.
Kings topple Warriors for Group C throne | 00:57
10. SACRAMENTO KINGS (10-7)
The beam is starting to come alight. After a 2-4 start to the campaign where the Kings looked like a big regression contender, they’ve rediscovered their spark, going 8-2 over their last 10 games including 4-2 over a recent road trip. The offence from last season is starting to come back too, led by De’Aaron Fox amid a spectacular start to the season from the star guard, who’s averaged a career-best 3.1 three-pointers per game. And Mike Brown’s team has improved at the other end of the floor to become middle-of-the-road defensively. Keegan Murray hasn’t quite taken the second-year leap in what could really propel the Kings to another level, which might be more likely to come in the forward’s third season.
11. LA LAKERS (11-8)
It’s been an up and down start to the season for the Lakers — and perhaps they’re ultimately not the contenders we thought they were amid a host of other Western Conference sides improving. While it’s still early days, LA has had issues at both ends of the floor — mainly the offensive end (ranked bottom three in three-point shooting) — as Darvin Ham works through finding his best line-ups after a few off-season changes to the roster. They’ve also been affected by injury and have struggled on the road (3-6). Beyond Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who’s still freakishly good at near age 39, there’s a lack of other consistent production, even if D’Angelo Russell has bounced back from a disappointing playoff series, while Austin Reaves hasn’t had the breakout season come expected in year three and has been moved to the bench.
LeBron suffers WORST loss in NBA career | 00:51
12. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (10-8)
The Cavs have overcome a slow start to the season to get on a roll in recent times, having won six of their last eight games. We frankly haven’t seen Cleveland at full strength enough yet this season to get a real grasp of where this team is at – a team that finished top four in the East last season. The core remains as talented as some of the top sides and the addition of Max Strus has been a big win to add much-needed three-point shooting on the wing. The Caves don’t really want for anything, though there’s question marks of whether the Even Mobley-Jarrett Allen frontcourt is viable long-term given the spacing issues. It comes in an important juncture and season at large for the franchise as it’ll be hoping to convince Donovan Mitchell to stick around long-term, in one of the potential trade narratives to keep an eye on.
13. NEW YORK KNICKS (10-7)
When it’s all clicking for the Knicks, they’re a strong unit. Jalen Brunson proved last season was no aberration, backing up his breakout campaign to again lead this team, while Julius Randle and RJ Barrett haven’t been quite as consistent even though the latter has shown an improved three-point stroke. New York does have a top-five ranked defence and the 11th-best offence, but Tom Thibodeau’s squad has struggled against the best teams in the league. From that perspective, how far can a Brunson-Randle-Barrett trio go — even with an improved roster around them? Might be one big move away from seriously contending.
Knicks stun Heat with comeback in NY | 01:16
14. INDIANA PACERS (9-7)
With Tyrese Haliburton in this kind of form, anything might be possible. Haliburton is putting together an All-NBA level season, averaging stupidly good numbers across the board (25.9 points on 51 per cent shooting, 3.8 triples and 11.9 assists per game). It’s been key to the team’s promising 9-7 start to the season, with claim to the league’s No.1 offensive rating while averaging 127 points per game. It’s completely opened the Pacers up defensively though …and where’s Haliburton’s help coming from? Myles Turner’s minutes are down, while Rick Carlisle seemingly can’t decide if he wants to develop Benedict Mathurin as a starter or just play veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield heavy minutes, with the latter more of a win-now move. Bruce Brown has been a handy addition, but he’s more a role player than anything. Another team to watch ahead of the trade deadline.
15. MIAMI HEAT (10-8)
Another team that’s hard to figure out, albeit hampered by injuries, As if coming off an NBA Finals appearance as the eighth seed didn’t already make it tricky enough! The Heat have at least navigated the majority of the opening weeks without star guard Tyler Herro, who looked set for a huge breakout season as Miami’s leading scorer, and they’ve clearly missed his offence. The good has been good — including a seven-game winning streak and Bam Adebayo rolling in a career-best season to take on the mantle as Miami’s alpha. But the bad has been bad — opening the campaign 1-4 and currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak, while there’s question marks of the team’s depth.
16. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (10-9)
One of the biggest enigmas in the NBA … are still an enigma? There’s been some good and some bad — including a five-game losing streak — and they’ve all-round just been an average side. It’s a somewhat disappointing return for a franchise that spent parts of last season as the No.1 seed in the West and could be so much more with Zion Williamson. But the former No.1 pick hasn’t yet lived up to expectations and has appeared frustrated at times with how the team is going and his role. Frankly, we haven’t seen Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum on the court together enough to get a proper gauge of how good they can be. McCollum’s lung injury did open the door for Dyson Daniels to play more minutes though and show a glimpse of the Aussie young gun’s promising future.
17. LA CLIPPERS (8-9)
Still adjusting to life with James Harden, the Clippers might’ve worked things out. After starting the Harden era 0-5, Tyronn Lue’s side has since won five of its last seven games as it starts to move up the West standings. There were always to be growing pains with Harden and a need to fine-tune rotations, which has ultimately seen Russell Westbrook move to the bench. Well, over their last six games, the Clippers have the best defensive rating in the league, while Harden is coming off his best game yet as a Clipper with a season-high 26 points, five triples and five steals. Paul George’s hot start to the season hasn’t been talked about enough too amid the team’s struggles.
18. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (8-10)
It’s hard to know what to make of Golden State at times and how much we judge Steve Kerr’s team on reputation. Some predicted the addition of Chris Paul would take the Warriors to the next level, but right now they’re sitting just inside the Play-In qualification. It’s been the same story as last season — they rely too much on Steph Curry, Klay Thompson has been inconsistent and unreliable, Draymond Green has been engulfed in drama and the young players haven’t stepped up (but haven’t necessarily had opportunities to). Andrew Wiggins has meanwhile fallen off a cliff to leave a big scoring void, but Kerr doesn’t quite seem prepared yet to pass the baton to the next crop. They’ve gone 2-8 in their last 10 games and Paul has already suffered his first injury setback of the season.
Curry tops Wemby in battle of the stars | 01:11
19. HOUSTON ROCKETS (8-8)
Ime Uodka has done some sort of job in his first 16 games as Rockets coach. A team considered a potential improver looks like a genuine playoff team. It’s been a bit of a seesaw — with revolving winning and losing streaks — but this team is highly disciplined defensively, helped by the addition of Dillon Brooks, is deep and has beaten reigning champion Denver twice. Having an established point guard in Fred VanVleet has provided more overall structure and Alpereen Sengun looks like a mini Jokic in a brilliant breakout season from the 21-year old centre. And to think the Rockets tried — and failed — to land Brook Lopez in the off-season in what would’ve almost certainly prevented Sengun from doing what he’s doing now. A really impressive start in H-Town in a big tick overall. Now just to replicate their home form (8-1) on the road (0-7) — and more Jock Landale too please!
20. ATLANTA HAWKS (8-9)
One thing you can count on with Atlanta — it’s going to score in bunches. The Hawks have the No. 5 offensive rating this season while averaging 122.5 points per game — trailing only Indiana — driven by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Jalen Johnson’s emergence has offset John Collins’ departure, and so the forward’s injury leaves a big hole in Quin Snyder’s streamlined rotation — that has featured Patty Mills for all of five total minutes this season. After a promising start to the season, the Hawks have gone 2-5 over their last seven games, so they have a few things to figure out ahead of tough upcoming schedule including playing Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Denver in their next five games. Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu remain locked in a minutes split at centre, but you sense it’s only a matter of time before Okongwu is given full rein.
21. BROOKLYN NETS (9-8)
The Nets have managed to keep their head above water despite battling a host of injuries to the likes of Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Cameron Johnson and Cam Thomas. Considering the amount of changes to the line-up, Brooklyn would be happy to currently be sitting ninth in the East including currently riding a three-game winning streak. The team has also had the sixth-toughest schedule in the league, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, while Mikal Bridges hasn’t quite had the breakout season some anticipated yet. With all that in mind, there’s a fair bit of upside when — or if — the Nets get fully healthy.
22. TORONTO RAPTORS (9-10)
Offence has been the main concern for the Raptors — in particular their bottom-five ranked three-point shooting. As good as Scottie Barnes has been in a breakout season from the forward, it’s hard to get a grasp of this team’s identity. One game it’s Barnes leading the charge, the next it’s Pascal Siakam, while OG Anunoby has struggled amongst it all and Jakob Poeltl has been used sparingly despite costing the team a first-round pick and getting a juicy contract extension. Could they be sellers at the deadline? Dennis Schroder has at least enjoyed a strong season as the team’s new point guard to get back to some of his best form of years past.
23. UTAH JAZZ (6-12)
Lauri Markkanen is doing everything he can, but fair to say this season hasn’t started nearly well as last for the young Jazz. You could see it going either way in Utah — but it’s been tough goings for Will Hardy and company. After struggling in the opening games before getting injured, Walker Kessler now finds himself coming off the bench, though that should change soon, while Keyonte George has moved into the starting line-up in Hardy’s bid for more playmaking and movement in that opening five. The Jazz however still have major issues at both ends of the floor, and at some stage, they’ll need to commit to a path of either competing for the playoffs or rebuilding, as right now it feels like they’re trying do both but failing to achieve anything.
24. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (5-11)
Just when the Hornets were starting to turn their season around, the near worst possible thing happened – LaMelo Ball suffered another setback to his troublesome ankle that required surgery earlier this year. At full strength, Charlotte has a solid roster that could contend for the playoffs, but it hasn’t had all its key pieces on the floor together at once, with Ball central to everything. Controversial forward Miles Bridges has taken no time to get up to speed since returning from suspension, and now he and Terry Rozier in particular will need to take on a much bigger load with the Hornets’ franchise superstar sidelined for the next several weeks.
25. CHICAGO BULLS (5-14)
If it wasn’t already clear, it’s time to blow it up. Things are a mess for the Bulls right now — a team built to win now is a ways off and is sitting all the way down as the Eastern Conference 13th seed amid a five-game losing streak — including dropping eight of their last nine. If Chicago’s situation doesn’t improve, which, right now, it’s hard to see how it does, expect one — or both — of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to be wearing a different jersey by the trade deadline. At least then Chicago can start building with a new nucleus, because the current one is stuck in NBA purgatory — where no team wants to be.
26. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (5-12)
Going according to script after the Damian Lillard trade as the Blazers prioritise developing their emerging crop of youngsters including Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, who should eventually take over the starting point guard job. Portland recently snapped an eight-game losing streak, with its offence the key area letting it down. Anfernee Simons having only played one game due to a thumb injury clearly hasn’t helped. Elsewhere, Aussie duo Matisse Thybulle and Duop Reath are getting more opportunities in the rotation to show their worth, with the former’s defensive prowess again proving valuable.
27. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (4-13)
When is Ja Morant free to return again? It’s the question the Grizzlies would be repeatedly asking themselves amid a grim 4-13 start to the season as perhaps the most disappointing team. Because sure, having no Morant for over a quarter of the season is significant, but the Grizzlies have looked like a lottery team without him. It includes the Griz being ranked dead last in three-point shooting with the second-worst rated offence. Unlike Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. has struggled to step up with extra offensive opportunities. And as if it couldn’t get any worse, Marcus Smart is now sidelined for the next several weeks after suffering a nasty ankle injury. They did finally end their 0-8 winless drought at home — the last team to do so — after beating Utah on Thursday.
28. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (3-14)
The Spurs are probably lucky they’re not even lower (not that there’s much scope). But it’s been the very definition of growing pains and teething issues for the rebuilding team in welcoming Victor Wembanyama into its young core despite the No.1 pick’s sensational start to his career. San Antonio is in the midst of a 12-game losing streak to sit dead last in the West, while its -12.9 point difference is the worst in the NBA. Maybe expectations were simply set too high amid the hype around ‘Wemby’ — but just because they’re not playing well doesn’t mean their future isn’t bright. The Spurs are simply in experiment and trial and error mode — so even a Play-In appearance feels unlikely right now. Devin Vassell missing five games due to an adductor injury hasn’t helped their cause.
Spurs fall short despite Wemby heroics | 00:51
29. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (3-15)
Not that the Wizards were expected to be any good this season, but it’s probably been even worse than imagined, with Kyle Kuzma the sole shining light. It took for Washington to play the Pistons to end a nine-game losing streak and pick up its fifth overall win nearing the quarter-way mark of the season. Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones have underwhelmed, though neither have played big minutes amid some curious rotation decisions from Wes Unseld Jr. Ranked bottom 10 at both ends of the floor, the Wizards are officially in all-out tank mode and could be sellers ahead of the trade deadline.
30. DETROIT PISTONS (2-16)
Perhaps the most alarming thing is that the Pistons started the season 2-1 and looked like a sneaky improver! Well, they’ve since lost 15 on the trot to hold the worst record in the NBA, with the eighth-worst defence and fourth-west offence. This is a team some thought could start climbing the standings after spending years going to the draft. But Detroit is still behind newer rebuilding teams like Portland, San Antonio and Washington, while Monty Williams can barely figure out his rotation and which players will help take this franchise forward. Having Cade Cunningham back has been important and rookie Ausar Thompson and second-year centre Jalen Duren have both impressed, but it looks set to be another long season in the Motor City — even if Bojan Bogdanovic’s imminent return will help.
Arguably Australia’s biggest basketball agent, Daniel Moldovan, has reportedly been sacked from prominent management company Octagon over a social media post.
Moldovan, who is the manager of under-fire Aussie NBA star Josh Giddey, among others including the Sacramento Kings’ Davion Mitchell, New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels and Boomers star Aron Baynes, was reportedly stood down over a social media post.
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However, while the Giddey allegations have been dominating the Australian NBA coverage over the past week, former writer for The Athletic Ethan Sherwood Strauss reported that the reason behind the move was over an Instagram post attacking a Black Lives Matter post supporting the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.
Newscorp have reported the post was in relation to a post from a Black Lives Matter chapter in Chicago, which shared an image of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag and a caption reading: “I stand with Palestine.”
Moldovan, a modern Orthodox Jew, replied to the post on Instagram, writing: “72 hours after terrorists’ paraglided into a music festival and slaughtered 260 young people. This is how BLM chose to symbolise where their support lies. F*** BLM and anyone who supports them.”
News.com.au have contacted Octagon for comment but the company has provided a statement to The Athletic.
“Octagon became aware that Daniel Moldovan made divisive, disparaging and corrosive remarks that do not represent our values or what we stand for,” the statement read, via the Herald Sun.
“We immediately launched an investigation into the reported incident. It was determined that Daniel’s comments and actions were a gross violation of our policies that are in place to protect the longstanding integrity of the company, its employees and clients, and we promptly terminated his employment.”
Daniel Moldovan with Josh Giddey. Picture: SuppliedSource: SuppliedGiddey in action for OKC. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
The news comes as the NBA and Newport Beach police department launch investigations into the allegations levelled against Giddey.
The allegations of the 21-year-old having an inappropriate relationship with a minor first arose via an anonymous social media post last Thursday, which has since been deleted.
“The Newport Beach Police Department is aware of information being circulated online involving an alleged relationship between professional basketball player Josh Giddey and a female minor,” the statement read.
“The Newport Beach Police Department is actively seeking additional information related to these allegations and pursuing all leads and evidence to obtain the facts of the case.
“The Newport Beach Police Department aims to ensure a fair and thorough investigative process while maintaining the privacy and dignity of everyone involved. At this time, NBPD Detectives are still conducting an active investigation.”
The investigation has reportedly hit a major hurdle, however, as police work to gather further information.
TMZ Sports is reporting that the “alleged minor and her are family refusing to co-operate with officials” and that law enforcement officials have tried to gather further information relating to social media claims surrounding Giddey, but at the moment “no one is talking”.
“I understand the question obviously, but there’s no further comment right now,” Giddey said.
Asked about the matter again, he said: “I get the question guys. I completely understand you guys wanna know about it. But just for right now, I don’t have anything to say.”
The ongoing investigation has seen Weet-Bix remove all traces of Giddey from their social media channels.
Giddey, born and raised in Melbourne, burst onto the scene as part of the NBL’s Next Stars program which put him on the radar of NBA scouts.
In April 2021 he became the youngest Australian in NBL history to record a triple-double while playing with the Adelaide 36ers.
Josh Giddey is playing despite the investigations. Photo: Joshua Gateley/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
His career exploded after he was taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The first round draft selection saw him put pen to paper on a four-year deal worth $41m.
His first year in the league saw him claim the Western Conference rookie of the month four times before he succumbed to injury in the later stages of the season.
Giddey missed out on selection for the Australian Boomers squad for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, being selected as one of three emergency players.
He represented Australia at the 2023 FIBA World Cup where he finished the tournament with averages of 19.4 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
