Lakers Notes: Trade Deadline, Christie, Reaves, LeBron
The Lakers have gone 8-3 since they moved Max Christie into the starting lineup last month, ranking sixth in the league in defensive rating over that span, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. That makes the third-year guard highly unlikely to be moved prior to the February 6 trade deadline, according to Woike.
In fact, Christie is just the type of player the Lakers should be targeting, someone who can provide off-ball shooting, athleticism and perimeter defense. However, people around the NBA are quick to point out that just about every team is looking for players in that mold, Woike notes.
As Woike writes, the Lakers have frequently been linked to centers like Jonas Valanciunas and Walker Kessler, but acquiring a big man seems less likely after the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith, a floor-spacing forward who is capable of defending multiple positions. Rival teams are skeptical that the Jazz would even trade Kessler, preferring to keep the 23-year-old.
Los Angeles would also like to get a look at a second unit featuring a healthy Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt — the latter is expected to make his season debut in January, while Vincent is currently dealing with an oblique injury.
Making an all-in move for a maximum-salary star seems very far-fetched, per Woike, as the failed Russell Westbrook experiment and the restrictions of the new tax aprons has made acquiring another massive contract unpalatable and impractical, if not impossible.
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to Brooklyn acquire Finney-Smith and Shake Milton wasn’t just about adding complementary role players — it was also a way for the Lakers to see if Austin Reaves can develop into the third offensive star they’ve long been searching for, contends Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link).
- As Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group details, Reaves’ usage rate has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, with the 26-year-old given more opportunities to run the offense. The Lakers have been far more efficient offensively when Reaves is on the court, especially lately, but he acknowledged there will be an adjustment period, Price adds. “I’m excited,” Reaves said. “I’m going to do dumb things. I’m going to mess up. I’m going to do dumb things and I’m going to learn from them. That’s all I can really do. I’m taking on this role on the fly, trading D-Lo, getting more on-ball reps. I’m just gonna learn. This is my fourth year in the league. Every day I can still learn something new. I’m really excited to continue to learn, to continue to grow and become a better player.”
- Anthony Davis jokingly pointed out that it took him seven more seasons to accomplish the feat, but LeBron James broke Michael Jordan‘s NBA record for the most regular season games (563) scoring at least 30 points in Friday’s victory over Atlanta, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “It’s very humbling,” James said. “Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super cool. It’s someone I idolized in my childhood, and I wear 23 because of him.”
Warriors Notes: Kerr, Curry, Kuminga, Payton, Santos
The Warriors won’t be in a hurry to make their next trade, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game, head coach Steve Kerr said he wants to take a month or so to evaluate the current roster before any big changes are considered.
“I’ve talked to [general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.] about that and I think that makes perfect sense,” Kerr said. “We’ve been up and down this year, but we like the group, we like the people we have and we really want to see how we play over the next month and then just keep our options open. Obviously, we’re a game above .500 [entering Saturday’s game], so we’re not in a position to say, ‘Hey, we’re good enough. Let’s just stand firm.’ We have to assess all the options. … [But] for me, it’s let’s see what we can do in these next few weeks and hopefully we settle into this rotation, start shooting the ball better.”
Golden State made a significant deal in mid-December by acquiring Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn. Dunleavy indicated at the time that the team will continue to look for ways to upgrade its roster, but Youngmisuk notes that he has said since training camp that it would take a major offer for him to part with Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski.
“I think with Dennis in the mix now we have a chance to really be a great defensive team again,” Kerr added. “Like we were early in the year. And if we can put it together, then we may not need to do anything (trade-wise). But we definitely need to take this next month and really see what we have.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry sat out Saturday’s game with Memphis due to tendinitis in his knees, Youngmisuk adds. Golden State also plays on Sunday, and Kerr said there are no plans for his star guard to skip one game of every back-to-back for the remainder of the season. “Not necessarily for the rest of the year but during this stretch where the knee tendinitis has been a factor,” Kerr said. “The training staff feels strongly that for right now it makes the most sense to not play him in back-to-backs. But that could change as we go.”
- Kuminga left tonight’s game with an ankle sprain that Kerr called “significant,” tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of the damage, but Kerr said it won’t be a “day-to-day” injury. Kuminga landed awkwardly on his right foot late in the second quarter and seemed to roll his ankle before crashing to the court.
- Gary Payton II, who suffered a left calf strain last week, has been cleared to begin individual on-court workouts, the Warriors announced (via Twitter). He will be reevaluated again next week.
- Tuesday will be an important day for Gui Santos and Lindy Waters, who will find out if their contracts will be guaranteed for the rest of the season. Santos, who was in the same position last year, recently talked to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle about staying ready to play even though he has only appeared in 10 NBA games this season. He has tried to make the most of his trips to the team’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. “I just do exactly what they ask me to do — play hard, play the right way, make the right plays every time,” Santos said. “I love when I go down there and get some reps and remember how to play basketball for real. That helped me when I came up here.”
Nets Notes: Thomas, Russell, Williams, December Trades
The Nets aren’t sure what caused Cam Thomas‘ latest hamstring strain, coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including Bridget Reilly of The New York Post, before tonight’s game. Earlier today, the team announced that Thomas won’t be reevaluated until after the upcoming West Coast trip, which means he’ll be out of action for at least nine games.
Thomas has only played twice since returning from his first hamstring injury, scoring 25 points in 25 minutes Monday at Orlando and 24 points in 22 minutes Thursday at Milwaukee. It’s believed that the hamstring issue reemerged sometime during that second game.
“I think it was discomfort,” Fernandez said. “Because at some point, I can see the difference between the first half and second half, energy-wise and efficiency. But I can also think, ‘Well, you haven’t played in a while, so, you know, you’re not as fresh,’ so I don’t know. I have no idea, but, you know, he did a good job getting back and being ready to play. He started great, the two games. Orlando, and being able to get back, both games were very efficient in the first stint he played. And now this injury is — I feel for him because obviously we want CT with us, and he was doing a great job scoring efficiently. And you know, day-to-day, we want to have him around, and we will have him around, it’s just not on the court. But we know he’ll be back soon.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets’ injury woes got worse in Saturday’s game against Philadelphia as D’Angelo Russell didn’t return after halftime due to a right shin contusion, Reilly states in a separate story. Russell was playing for just the third time since being acquired from the Lakers last weekend. Fernandez pulled his starters midway through the third quarter of the blowout loss, and Tosan Evbuomwan made his Nets debut after signing a two-way contract on Wednesday.
- The team got a lift this week with the return of Ziaire Williams, who missed nearly a month with a knee injury, Reilly adds in another piece. The 23-year-old forward, who was added in a trade with Memphis over the summer, could see increased playing time while Cameron Johnson is sidelined with a sprained right ankle. “He made winning plays all over,” Fernandez said after Williams helped to seal a victory over the Bucks. “His energy was contagious. His deflections. Obviously, he made a couple of big shots, 2-for-4 from three, and the six rebounds, being all over the place. He was amazing. A lot of times, it’s just thinking, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes for our team to win,’ and he did, and he was a big part of the win.”
- In his latest Substack column, Jake Fischer examines whether the Nets got sufficient value by trading Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith in December rather than waiting until closer to the deadline.
Magic Notes: Suggs, Da Silva, Harris, Joseph
Jalen Suggs will miss Sunday’s game against Utah after leaving Friday’s contest with severe back spasms, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs had to be wheelchaired to the locker room after collapsing to the court and writhing in pain late in the second quarter.
It’s the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries for Orlando, which was already playing without stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, along with Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Gary Harris. Beede said Suggs seemed to be in good spirits after the game, but “the concern level was real” about the injury, which was diagnosed as a lower back strain.
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looked out there,” Cory Joseph said. “It’s kind of been, unfortunately, a theme this season — we have guys going down. We just know ‘next man up’ mentality but definitely we wanted to pull this one out for him, as for Moe and Franz, Paolo, Gary and AB. Too many people, right? So, [we] never want to see that happen but we know he’s a fighter and whatever it is, he’ll overcome it. For us, we’ve just got to continue the course.”
There’s more on the Magic:
- Tristan Da Silva set a career high in scoring for the second time this week with 25 points Friday night, Beede adds in the same piece. The rookie small forward had 21 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday, but he has also been held scoreless in two of his last four games. “I’m just really trying to take it all in as a journey,” Da Silva said. “As a rookie, you’re obviously going to have ups and downs. There’s games where you might not play as well, where the shot is not falling. And you have games like tonight where you feel really good. But I’m just trying to stay even-keeled and trying to not let a single game kind of define my mental headspace.”
- Harris is dealing with another left hamstring strain, the same injury that sidelined him for 13 games earlier in the season, Beede tweets. Harris missed Friday’s contest and has already been ruled out for Sunday.
- Joseph, a native of Canada, scored in double figures for the first time with the Magic during Friday’s game at Toronto, Beede states in a separate story. It was part of a dominant night for Orlando’s reserves, who outscored Toronto’s bench, 43-18.
Central Notes: Rollins, Beauchamp, I. Jackson, Nesmith, Cunningham
Point guard Ryan Rollins has been a valuable addition for the Bucks, but the team will eventually have to make a decision on his contract status, writes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Rollins’ two-way deal allows him to be on the active roster for 50 games. Even though he’s only played in 18 games, he’s been active for 25, which means he’s already used up half his eligibility. If Milwaukee wants to keep him on the court past 50 games and make him eligible for the playoffs, he’ll have to be converted to a standard contract.
“I don’t think about it, but it does come into play eventually,” Rollins said. “Hopefully I just continue to play and best of best they convert me. That’s what I’m hoping for. Praying for that, so just gotta keep rolling with what I’m doing right now and just stick with it. Everything works out how it’s supposed to work out at the end of the day. I’m a true believer in that, so I’m not really worried about it too much.”
Selected with the 44th pick in the 2022 draft, Rollins had short stints with Golden State and Washington, but didn’t see much playing time with either team. After the Wizards waived him, Rollins signed with the Bucks last February on a two-way deal that carried over into this season. He’s averaging 4.4 PPG in 11.6 minutes per night, and coach Doc Rivers has been impressed by his athleticism and defensive intensity, according to Owczarski.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks have a full 15-man roster, so someone would have to be waived to create an opening to give Rollins a standard contract. That could wind up being small forward MarJon Beauchamp, who has seen his playing time drop significantly in his third NBA season, Owczarski adds in the same piece. Beauchamp was a first-round pick in 2022, but he’s slipped far outside the rotation, averaging just 3.9 minutes in 15 games. “I feel like the work I put in is keeping me confident, you know? Having the right approach and mindset,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better – not saying that I don’t support my teammates – but just being a better teammate (with) high energy, supporting my team, just learning different aspects I feel like I can grow in.”
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who underwent surgery in November for a torn Achilles tendon, was back with the team for its December 31 game, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Agness notes that Jackson and James Wiseman, who suffered the same injury on opening night, were able to accompany their teammates on a flight to Miami this week as they continue their rehab.
- Meeting with reporters before tonight’s game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said injured forward Aaron Nesmith has been able to take part in five-on-five scrimmages, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Nesmith has been sidelined since November 1 with a sprained left ankle, and Carlisle said it will take time for him to get reconditioned because he’s been out of action for so long.
- Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been experiencing knee soreness this week, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “He’s run a ton for us and is carrying a heavy burden for us,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who added that he’s working with the medical staff to alleviate the condition.
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Kornet, Tatum, Udoka, Brown
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis overcame early foul trouble in his return to the court Friday night at Houston, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Porzingis, who missed the previous four games with a sprained left ankle, was able to play 28 minutes, posting 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.
“I felt all right,” he said afterward. “Still haven’t been in my best shape this season yet, so it’s a little bit tough. But I’m happy to be healthy and working my way toward feeling better and better each game.”
The Celtics have been careful with Porzingis, who sat out the first month of the season while recovering from foot surgery. He has appeared in just 12 of the team’s 35 games so far and has talked about the frustration of trying to establish a rhythm with such an erratic playing pattern. Coach Joe Mazzulla and the training staff are focused on keeping him healthy for the start of the playoffs in April.
“It’s tough for him because he’s going through a transition of coming in,” Mazzulla said. “But I thought his defense in the second half was tremendous. I thought we went to a couple things that kind of got him going a little bit on some pin-downs and got him comfortable. I thought for his first game back, I thought he was great. He really helped us, especially defensively, in the second half.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- After Rockets center Alperen Sengun scored 14 points in the first half, Mazzulla switched to a double-big lineup to shut him down, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Luke Kornet started the third quarter alongside Porzingis, with Neemias Queta rotating in 0ff the bench. All that size clearly bothered Sengun, who went scoreless in the second half while missing all four of his shots from the field. “Kind of make it hard to play in a crowd,” Kornet said. “And then I think that length, having that be the help person, can make kickouts a little more difficult. But I feel like especially in the second half our physicality was great and just trying to match that and make things difficult.”
- The Celtics improved to 3-0 against their former head coach, Ime Udoka, who led them to the NBA Finals in 2022, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Jayson Tatum talked about the experience of playing for Udoka and how it benefited the team. “I think Ime, he’s big on toughness and physicality and taking on the challenge and going at people,” Tatum said. “And that’s what we did that year, right? We had a tough start. But him as our head coach, he never wavered and we turned out season around. We was hungry. And got to the Finals and came up short. We loved to have him around. He’s an amazing person, amazing coach.”
- Jaylen Brown, who missed the past two games with a shoulder strain, is the only Celtic listed on the injury report for Sunday’s game at Oklahoma City, Robb adds in a separate story. Brown is expected to be a game-time decision, with Sam Hauser continuing to replace him in the starting lineup if he’s unavailable.
Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Rozier, Riley, Porter Jr.
Jimmy Butler‘s standoff with the Heat is the NBA’s hottest story and has overshadowed everything else going on with the team, but Butler’s teammates will have to take the court without him beginning on Saturday vs. Utah as he begins serving his seven-game suspension. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters at today’s shootaround about the awkward spot he and his teammates find themselves in.
“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head to head like that,” Adebayo said. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games. So for me as captain, it’s worrying about the other guys and getting them locked in and ready to go to try to compete and win a game.”
Butler has been one of the Heat’s leaders since joining the team in 2019, but his days in Miami appear numbered. He won’t play in the next seven games and may have suited up for Miami for the last time. That means the rest of the roster has to prepare to move forward without him while leaning on its other veterans for stability.
“Obviously, we still have a great opportunity, a good basketball team. So we don’t want to get caught up in all the news that’s been going around,” Terry Rozier said. “But we have a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin Love), a vet who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there. So we move on and we’ll find out what’s best.
“It’s tough because that’s one of your locker room guys, that’s one of your teammates,” Rozier added. “So it sucks to see that he won’t be around. But our main focus is to try to win games and control what we can control. Obviously, that’s out of our control with the guys in the locker room. But we got a lot of love for him and we wish him the best. We’re just trying to win games now.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Team president Pat Riley may want to reconsider his trademark candor in the wake of the Butler situation, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. After the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Riley reacted to Butler’s claim that they could have beaten the Celtics and Knicks if he hadn’t been injured by saying it’s best to “keep your mouth shut” if you’re not able to play. Riley has become known for direct statements during his long NBA career, but Winderman says that trait may have become counterproductive in player relations.
- The Heat have given Butler special treatment for years, but now they’re calling his behavior “conduct detrimental” after he became unhappy about not receiving an extension, Winderman adds in a subscriber-only story.
- Excessive pride from Butler and Riley has led to the current situation, but a change is also necessary because the current Heat roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title, argues Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
- Although Butler suggested during his comments to the media on Thursday that his role and his lack of “joy” playing basketball were the reasons for his dissatisfaction, it all comes down to money, contends Chris Mannix of SI.com. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Butler – who was upset about not being offered a maximum-salary extension by the Heat during the offseason – wouldn’t want to sign that extension if it were offered now. That’s a moot point, since Miami certainly doesn’t intend to put it on the table at this point, but it’s a reflection of how much the relationship has deteriorated.
- Exploring possible trade scenarios involving Butler, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald states (via Twitter) that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who would need to be included in any deal with Denver, was flagged by the Heat “long ago” for medical reasons. Porter, who had back problems earlier in his career, has been healthier in recent years, and Jackson notes that his talent would be “enticing,” though Miami’s appetite for taking on multiyear salary is unclear.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Nets’ Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson To Miss Time With Injuries
Nets guard Cam Thomas, who missed over a month in November and December due to a left hamstring strain, sustained a new strain in the same hamstring during the team’s game on Thursday vs. Milwaukee, the Nets announced today (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).
According to the club, Thomas will be reevaluated following Brooklyn’s upcoming West Coast road trip. That trip begins next Friday in Denver and runs through January 19 in Oklahoma City. So even if Thomas is ready to make his return after that trip – which is hardly a lock – he’d miss the Nets’ next nine games.
It’s a discouraging setback for a player who is looking to build his case for a significant payday as a restricted free agent next summer after not agreeing to terms on a rookie scale extension with the Nets prior to the 2024/25 season. Thomas has been Brooklyn’s leading scorer when healthy, averaging 24.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 32.3 minutes per game across 19 outings (17 starts), with a shooting line of .448/.375/.876.
In addition to not having their top scorer available, the Nets will be missing their second-leading scorer for the next few games as well. According to the club, forward Cameron Johnson is expected to be out for at least the next three contests due to the right ankle sprain he sustained on Thursday against the Bucks.
Brooklyn’s next three games are at home, vs. the Sixers on Saturday, the Pacers on Monday, and the Pistons on Wednesday. According to today’s announcement, Johnson will be reevaluated before the team heads out West next week for its six-game trip.
Johnson is the Nets’ top trade candidate, so making sure he’s fully healthy in advance of this season’s February 6 deadline will be a priority for the team.
In addition to their updates on the two Cams, the Nets stated that Trendon Watford, who is on the shelf with a left hamstring strain, has resumed individual on-court workouts and will be reevaluated in one week. Watford hasn’t played since December 16.
10-Day Contract Window Opens Sunday; Salary Guarantee Deadline Looms
As of tomorrow – Sunday, January 5 – NBA teams can begin signing free agents to 10-day contracts.
A 10-day contract, as we outline in our glossary entry, allows a team to add a player to its roster for either 10 days or three games (whichever occurs later) without any commitment beyond that. A player can sign up to two 10-day deals with the same team in a single season — after those two contracts, the team must decide whether to sign him to a rest-of-season contract or part ways with him.
For some teams, the 10-day contract provides an opportunity to take a flier on a young player to see if he deserves a longer-term look. Other clubs may utilize 10-day deals for short-term injury fill-ins or simply to meet minimum roster requirements.
The NBA’s 10-day signing window always opens just ahead of the league-wide salary guarantee deadline. If a team wants to let go of a player on a non-guaranteed contract to avoid being on the hook for his full-season salary, it must release that player on or before Tuesday, January 7 to ensure he clears waivers prior to the guarantee date of Jan. 10.
The start of the 10-day contract period and the salary guarantee deadline go hand in hand, since teams cutting players before their salaries become fully guaranteed often sign players to 10-day contracts to fill those newly opened roster spots. In some cases, the same player who was waived at the salary guarantee deadline returns to his team on a 10-day contract, as clubs looks to maximize their roster flexibility.
The Timberwolves waived PJ Dozier last week before his full-season salary could become guaranteed. No other players on non-guaranteed deals have been cut since then, but we’ll likely see at least a small handful released by Tuesday evening.
Eleven teams, including Minnesota, currently have an 15-man roster opening, though most of those clubs won’t rush to fill their open roster spots with 10-day signees. Nine of the 11 teams with roster openings are in luxury tax territory and a 10th (Detroit) has cap room, so they won’t be eager to add even a modest 10-day cap hit to their books, since it would increase their tax penalty or cut into their cap room. The Rockets are the only team with an open roster spot that doesn’t fall into either category.
Teams may also want to maximize their roster flexibility in advance of the trade deadline — the majority of 10-day signings during a typical season occur after the deadline has passed.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Hartenstein, Clingan, Jokic
With Karl-Anthony Towns no longer in Minnesota, rising Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is going through some growing pains this year, expressing frustration about receiving so much attention from opposing defenses, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Edwards admitted that he’s sometimes not sure how to handle traps and double-teams and admitted that it’s “not fun” to have his scoring opportunities limited and the ball taken out of his hands. As Krawczynski details, Edwards’ “trademark spirit” seems to be lacking as of late, and it didn’t help matters that fellow stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum has big games in wins over Minnesota this week.
“He’s doing a really good job. It’s tough,” teammate Julius Randle said. “I know it’s frustrating. But that’s just the player that he is. He’s that special that nobody is going to guard him straight up. We gotta continue to try to help him out.”
As Krawczynski points out, players like Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum are a few years ahead of Edwards on the developmental curve, so there’s plenty of optimism that the Timberwolves guard will eventually figure out how best to attack defenses by balancing his scoring and play-making.
“I think everybody has been playing good on my team besides me,” Edwards said. “I got to figure it out, figure out ways to help them. They have been hitting shots lately. I got to figure out a way to get myself involved in the offense by not letting the double-team take me out. I’ll figure it out.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Knicks tried their best to retain Isaiah Hartenstein over the summer, but the veteran center believes the outcome of his free agency – he signed with the Thunder, while New York replaced him by trading for Towns – has been “perfect” for both sides, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I’m in a situation here (in OKC) where it’s going really good. They got a great center, one of the best centers in the league,” Hartenstein said before facing his old team on Friday. “So I think for both parties it was perfect. Knowing (Knicks president of basketball operations) Leon Rose, he’ll always find something. He’s been doing a great job, so he made the right adjustment.”
- Besides helping to anchor the defense, Hartenstein has added a new dynamic to the Thunder‘s offense with his passing, as Rylan Stiles of SI.com outlines.
- Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan admitted that he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game and that he may have hit the rookie wall “a little bit” during the first few months of his professional career. Head coach Chauncey Billups said he’s got to “do a better job” of putting Clingan in the best possible position to succeed, but noted that the team anticipated it would take the big man some time to get comfortable going up against the best players in the world. “He’s playing against players that are better than players he’s ever seen every single night, to be honest with you,” Billups said. “So the mobility of some of these guys and the versatility of some of these guys have been tough for him.”
- Entering the 2024/25 season, Nikola Jokic was a 35.0% three-point shooter across nine years in the NBA. This season, the Nuggets center is making a league-leading 47.9% of his triples. Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a closer look at how Jokic’s work in the offseason and preseason helped the three-time MVP become an even more dangerous offensive player.