All-Star Teams Drafted By LeBron, KD
All-Star team captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant have each finished picking their squads for the March 7 All-Star game, via a live broadcast on TNT.
For the first round of the All-Star draft, the two former MVPs alternated picks among their fellow starters. With the first pick, James drafted reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. James’ Lakers frontcourt mate Anthony Davis will of course be absent as he continues to rehabilitate strained right calf injury.
A strained left hamstring will keep Durant off the floor during the actual All-Star game on Sunday, as well, but he still had the honor of making picks by benefit of being one of the two players receiving the most fan votes, along with James. Durant chose his fellow Net Kyrie Irving with the No. 2 pick.
When it came time to make picks for the second round of 2021 All-Star reserves, Durant drafted his other All-Star Nets teammate, James Harden. Meanwhile, James chose Damian Lillard, also his first pick from among the reserves in 2020.
Rudy Gobert (Team LeBron) and Donovan Mitchell (Team Durant), both players for the team with the best record in the NBA, the 27-9 Jazz, were the last two picks of the draft. James addressed the decision from his perspective on the broadcast, as recounted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“I just want to say something, because there’s no slander to the Utah Jazz,” James said. “But you guys got to understand, just like in video games growing up, we never played with Utah. Even as great as [Hall of Fame Jazz power forward] Karl Malone and [Hall of Fame Jazz point guard] John Stockton were, we never would have picked those guys. Never.”
Here’s a full recap:
Team LeBron
- Starters:
- 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- 3: Stephen Curry, Warriors
- 5: Luka Dončić, Mavericks
- 7: Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
- Reserves:
- 11: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
- 13: Ben Simmons, Sixers
- 15: Chris Paul, Suns
- 17: Jaylen Brown, Celtics
- 19: Paul George, Clippers
- 21: Domantas Sabonis, Pacers
- 23: Rudy Gobert, Jazz
Team Durant
- Starters:
- 2: Kyrie Irving, Nets
- 4: Joel Embiid, Sixers
- 6: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
- 8: Bradley Beal, Wizards
- 9: Jayson Tatum, Celtics
- Reserves:
- 10: James Harden, Nets
- 12: Devin Booker, Suns
- 14: Zion Williamson, Pelicans
- 16: Zach LaVine, Bulls
- 18: Julius Randle, Knicks
- 20: Nikola Vučević, Magic
- 22: Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
MCW, Ross Fined $15K After Arguing With Refs
The NBA has fined Magic guards Michael Carter-Williams and Terrence Ross $15K apiece after altercations with referees in their 115-112 Wednesday home loss to the Hawks, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.
Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter) shared an official NBA press statement on the penalties. The league listed the charges as “verbal abuse of game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner.”
Ross, who scored 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting in the loss, and Carter-Williams, who logged 20 points, six assists and six rebounds, were upset about two late-game referee decisions. Carter-Williams was irked over a foul call that went against him while defending a Trae Young layup attempt with 18 seconds left in regulation.
Carter-Williams was called for hitting Young in the head. Magic head coach Steve Clifford debated the foul in postgame remarks (video link), saying in part, “In my opinion that’s not a foul, particularly at that point in the game. I’ll tell you with 100% certainty there was no contact to the head.”
On the other end of the floor, Ross was upset over not receiving a foul call in his favor while being guarded by Solomon Hill with eight seconds remaining in regulation.
Northwest Notes: McDaniels, McCollum, Jokic, Nuggets
Rookie Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, the No. 28 pick out of Washington in the 2020 draft, has emerged as a potential keeper for Minnesota, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Though his counting stats are currently modest, the 6’9″ McDaniels’ defensive upside and corner three-point shooting have earned him a spot on the Timberwolves depth chart. He is averaging 19.1 MPG across 30 contests.
“Just trying to help them out as many ways as I can, rebounding as hard as I can, playing defense, just I feel like that does help a lot,” McDaniels said of his first NBA season. “You can come in fresh and nobody knows who I am and they don’t know what I can do.”
There’s more out of the Northwest:
- There have been some minor updates on the health status of key Trail Blazers starters CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. Shooting guard McCollum continues to rehabilitate the left foot he broke in January, and has been cleared to participate in contact practices, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Center Nurkic, who underwent a right wrist surgery earlier this season, is gradually progressing in his on-court workouts, Quick noted in a separate tweet. Both players will be re-evaluated next week.
- Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN assesses All-Star Nuggets center Nikola Jokic‘s atypical path to MVP candidacy. Youngmisuk tracks Jokic’s rise from overlooked No. 41 pick in the 2014 draft to one of the best-passing big men in the history of the NBA. Fellow MVP contender LeBron James recently praised the center’s court vision. “The guy has an unbelievable talent of seeing the floor and seeing plays happen before they happen,” James said.
- In an extensive Nuggets mailbag, Mike Singer of the Denver Post examines a variety of trade options for Denver ahead of the March 25 deadline. The fits of Rockets vets Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker, plus Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica, are assessed.
Southwest Notes: Harden, Johnson, Gabriel, Spurs
Nets guard James Harden will have his No. 13 jersey retired by his former team, the Rockets, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. In a 132-114 victory tonight, Harden recorded a triple-double in his first game against his Houston since being traded earlier this season. The loss marks Houston’s 13th straight.
“James Harden will always be a Rocket,” team owner Tilman Fertita said via text message. “Of course, we will retire his jersey. He made my first three years of owning this franchise unforgettable. The success he brought this franchise over eight years and the memories he created for our fan base/community (are) truly remarkable.”
In postgame comments made tonight, Harden revealed that he discovered the news of his impending jersey retirement online, per Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). “My reaction was hopefully I did something right,” he said.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Second-year Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson returned to the floor for San Antonio yesterday after clearing the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- The Pelicans sent forward Wenyen Gabriel to join their G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, according to a team press release. The BayHawks clinched a spot in the upcoming NBAGL playoffs thanks to their play on the Orlando “bubble” campus.
- Even with key Spurs rotation players Derrick White, Rudy Gay and Devin Vassell unavailable, a thinned-out San Antonio roster has proved resilient against opponents, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “They have dug down deep all year,” head coach Gregg Popovich said. “They never give in.” Trey Lyles, in his second year with the club, has flourished as a starter in his last four games for San Antonio, averaging 11.5 PPG and 6.0 RPG.
California Notes: Harrell, Walton, Caruso, Oubre
With All-Star Lakers big man Anthony Davis sidelined through at least the All-Star break, fans may have expected to see more of reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell soaking up minutes at the power forward and center positions. Instead, his minutes are trending in the opposite direction. Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines why that might be the case.
Harrell had been averaging 24.8 MPG through February 14, but in the intervening eight games, his minutes average has declined to 20.3 minutes. “He can play against big lineups and small lineups,” head coach Frank Vogel said. “I have confidence in Trezz in both of those situations. But there’s situations where sometimes a small lineup might be better than him out there.”
There’s more out of California:
- Current Kings head coach Luke Walton could be the next NBA head coach to be axed. He is currently in the second year of a four-year contract he signed with the Kings. Though local Sacramento broadcasters wondered whether the final year in the deal was a team option, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee hears that there is no option year. “I feel very connected with [the Kings’ front office] and very locked in as far as where we’re at and where we’re trying to go as a group,” Walton said.
- Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso was one of the players who rejected an invitation to compete in the dunk contest during the All-Star festivities on March 7 in Atlanta, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. Knicks rookie Obi Toppin, Pacers shooting guard Cassius Stanley, and Trail Blazers forward Anfernee Simons have been selected for the contest.
- Warriors swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. sprained his left wrist in a team practice yesterday and had to sit out tonight’s contest against the Trail Blazers, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. The injury is not expected to be a long-term problem, though head coach Steve Kerr indicated that the team did not yet know whether or not it will require an MRI.
Central Notes: Sexton, Karnisovas, Holiday, Doumbouya
Amidst a four-game win streak, Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton has been out-dueling a series of recent All-Star guards in Trae Young, Ben Simmons, John Wall and Victor Oladipo, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Sexton, frequently called the “cultural backbone” for the club by members of its front office, is averaging 29.7 PPG during the run.
The Cavaliers have a game in progress tonight against the Pacers, a club that boasts another high-level guard in Malcolm Brogdon, though he has yet to make an All-Star team. With a 14-21 record, Cleveland is currently two games behind the 10-seeded Bulls and the 9-seeded Pacers for a play-in slot in the East. Should the Cavaliers make the cut, Sexton will surely be leading the way.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago analyzes recent comments from tight-lipped new Bulls team president Arturas Karnišovas. Johnson discusses the growing mutual respect between Karnišovas and his new coaching hire, Billy Donovan, and how Karnišovas’s comments would seem to indicate his belief in Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen as long-term building blocks.
- The big new addition to the Bucks roster this offseason, new starting point guard Jrue Holiday, has had a major positive impact on the club, writes Michael Pina of Sports Illustrated. Pina examines how Holiday’s two-way impact could be the key to getting Milwaukee to its first NBA Finals with All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Holiday is available, the Bucks rank in the top-four on both sides of the ball.
- Promising Pistons power forward Sekou Doumbouya is grappling with second-year growing pains according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “To his bad luck, he’s been playing behind Blake [Griffin] and Jerami [Grant],” head coach Dwayne Casey said of Doumbouya’s limited action thus far. “We need to get him some more minutes some kind of way, but he’s got to be ready to get out once he steps in there condition-wise, physically and I love his approach, attitude and seriousness about the game.”
David Nwaba To Undergo Wrist Surgery, Out 6 Weeks
Rockets wing David Nwaba is set to undergo wrist surgery and will miss a minimum of six weeks of game action, head coach Stephen Silas announced today (link via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle).
Nwaba strained his wrist while dunking in a lopsided 133-84 loss to the Grizzlies this past Sunday.
The absence of Nwaba is yet another blow to the reeling Rockets, losers of a league-worst 12 games in a row. Nwaba will join starting center Christian Wood and reserve guard Dante Exum as the third Rockets player to be currently sidelined with a long-term injury.
In 28 games for the Rockets, Nwaba has proved a valuable role-playing contributor. The 28-year-old swingman, an athletic defender out of California Polytechnic State University, is averaging 9.4 PPG (a career high) and 3.7 RPG.
Seven New Positive COVID-19 Tests Among Players In Last Week
There are seven new positive coronavirus test results among the 456 league players tested since February 24, per an announcement from the NBPA. It’s the highest number of positives the NBA has had in a week since mid-January.
Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets that several of these positive results stemmed from the Raptors, who have had to postpone two games after an outbreak on their team.
Pascal Siakam will have missed at least four games as he continues to quarantine through the All-Star break. The Raptors forward returned an inconclusive result on a coronavirus test a few days ago — it’s unclear if he has subsequently tested positive. Several Raptors coaches tested positive as well, though they wouldn’t count toward the seven cases announced by the league today.
Sources are blaming the COVID-19 spread among the club on erratic face mask use by coaches, Charania adds. Toronto can finally field enough players to return to the court this evening against the Pistons.
The league is surely hoping that it will be able to curb these outbreak-prompted game postponements as it looks ahead to a packed post-All Star break home stretch. Thus far this season, 31 games have been postponed due to health and safety protocol-driven absences.
Hornets Notes: McDaniels, Collins, Center Issues, Martin
Second-year Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, fresh off a recent assignment with the club’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, may be able to stick with Charlotte’s rotation thanks to his improving defense, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
The 6’10” McDaniels’ wingspan and positional fluidity will be key in helping the Hornets on defense. “Knowing my rotations, and being in the right spots,” McDaniels said of the solution to finessing his skill set guarding the opposition. “Being the best defender (possible) is going to keep me in the league for a long time.”
There’s more out of Charlotte:
- In another piece, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer weighs the pros and cons of a possible Hornets trade for Hawks restricted free agent-to-be John Collins. The talented power forward/center, who will probably command a maximum salary – or close to it – in the offseason, could be one of the best players on the freshly-exciting Charlotte. He is averaging 17.6 PPG and 7.5 RPG while posting a stellar slash line of .538/.383/.849 for a middling Atlanta club.
- While a trade for Collins may not be realistic, it’s clear the Hornets need some level of upgrade at the center position, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Their vulnerabilities protecting the paint were exposed most recently in a 130-121 loss to the Warriors Friday. Even if Charlotte has to sacrifice a young prospect like Devonte’ Graham or Malik Monk, Bonnell posits, it may be worth it for the upgrade at the five.
- Hobbled by injuries, the Hornets got some welcome availability news today, announcing that guard Caleb Martin is out of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and can suit up against the Kings tonight, the team announced on Twitter.
R.J. Hampton In COVID-19 Protocols Through All-Star Break
Rookie Nuggets point guard R.J. Hampton will be placed in the league’s coronavirus-related health and safety protocols, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Denver anticipates that Hampton will be away from the team through at least the All-Star break, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The Nuggets have three road games scheduled ahead of the NBA’s five-day All-Star pause. The All-Star break concludes on March 10.
More Nuggets absences may be on the horizon, as Woj tweets that the club is conducting supplemental contact tracing to determine if other players or Denver personnel could have been exposed to COVID-19.
Hampton, who was selected with the No. 24 pick after spending his year of college eligibility with the New Zealand Breakers, has seen limited playing time with Denver thus far. In 24 games, the 6’4″ 20-year-old is averaging 2.5 PPG and 2.0 RPG across 9.2 MPG.