Hes still a top-level defender and a 40 percent three-point shooter, and his scoring didnt even suffer that much in his first season with the Thunder. That was tied for the leagues third biggest post-break jump. 2. Despite an injury-riddled season, Anthony Davis and the Lakers still managed to be the best defensive team in the league. For the third straight season, Valanciunas was one of exactly five players who shot 65% or better on at least 200 attempts in the restricted area and 50% or better on at least 100 attempts elsewhere in the paint. Millsap finished his career at La. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. Dallas is coming off of an eight-game run that only consisted of one win a huge step backward compared to where they were a couple of weeks ago. WebConference: Team: International Format Former Nevada Players Currently In The NBA * NBA stats from the 2022-2023 season. Warriors Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? If you were a fan of college basketball in the late-2000s or early-2010s, the last name Plumlee probably rings a bell. Here are five enticing non-Pacific-related matchups primed to grace your screens this week. Discovery. 20) Donovan Mitchell, Jazz It may seem Regular Season standings At the All-Star break last season, the Warriors were No. Finals MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo(35.2/13.2/5.0), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 8:19PM. They embarked on a three-game winning streak capped by a 27-point comeback against the Dallas Mavericks. 2. During the Buckeyes 2017-2018 campaign, Bates-Diop led Ohio State in points and rebounds per game averaging 19.8 points and 8.7 boards. He shouldnt be forgotten in the discussion of the NBAs best big men. With Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins still out, getting Green back on the court meant so much. Pelicans, Playoffs first round: All Rights reserved. The 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament will include teams with the 7th through 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference and take place April 11-14. Random stat: out of the top 50 players in total points all-time, Stephen Curry is the only player with a career TS% greater than 62%. 7. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereandfollow him on Twitter. 5. Sportradar; Mar 1, 2023 The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. Jazz over Trail Blazers 6. Ranked fifth in ball movement (345 passes per 24 minutes of possession), but 30th in player movement (10.5 miles traveled per 24 minutes of possession). 4. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. 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This showdown could be fun and special. Opponents shot 50.3% at the rim when Jakob Poeltl was there to protect. LaMarcus Aldridge (since traded and retired) played in all three games for the Spurs, who were without Derrick White in the first meeting (the first game of the season for both teams). Do you have a sports website? Morant told police he did throw the first punch but did so in self-defense after the boy threw a basketball that hit him in the head and stepped toward him aggressively. Ranked 29th in clutch 3-point percentage (23.6%), but third in clutch free throw percentage (85.0%). Saw the leagues sixth biggest drop in winning percentage (-0.149) and its eighth biggest drop in point differential per 100 possessions (-2.7). Photo By - USA TODAY Sports. Warriors vs. Grizzlies. Beyond James, you have a Golden State Warriors team that will eventually be able to start five All-Stars if they choose to do so. Mavericks Allowed 11.4 fewer points per possessions with Gay on the floor (103.9) than they did with him off the floor (115.3). Their loss against the Celtics was unfortunate with Boston having the ability to double-team Leonard. 94% of their 3-point attempts, the leagues highest rate, were open or wide open, according to Second Spectrum tracking. WebThe 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 201516 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs.The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors four games to three in a rematch of the That was the tied for the fifth biggest differential among 233 players who played at least 1,000 minutes for a single team. 3. Kevon Looney accounted for just 9.1% of the Warriors field goal attempts while he was on the floor, the third lowest rate among 362 players who played at least 500 minutes. The Pelicans are another team that has been so inconsistent these past two weeks. Here are the NBC Sports NBA writer predictions for the West this season, plus our Finals picks (our East predictions came out yesterday). DeRozan had the highest (4.5/1). LeBron James and Stephen Curry will square off Wednesday for a slightly different prize -- the No. Dennis Schroder scored a game-high 26 points, helping the team beat the Thunder 123:117, and the Lakers also rose to 11th in the Western Conference. KLAY FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/Iaee5Xdo7r, Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 1, 2023. He died aged 67. Their ability to knock down those shots is another reason the Suns can be a dangerous playoff team. 11. Grizzlies rout Nuggets in showdown of top two teams in West, Three things to Know: 76ers comeback to beat Grizzlies showed playoff resilience, Watch Jayson Tatum drain game-winner, complete Celtics comeback win vs. 76ers, Five storylines to watch down stretch of NBA season, Watch Klay Thompson make history with 12 3-pointers in Warriors win. The Clippers have gone 19-19 against Western Conference opponents. 3. 3. Were just a few opponent free throw attempts short of ranking in the top 10 in all of the four factors on defense. One of the best players on the floor at any given time lands here at the No. KCP made the SEC All-Freshman squad and continued his success in his sophomore campaign when he was named the 2012-2013 SEC Player of the Year. Its amazing how quickly those on the PGA Tour have done a 180 regarding cuts in tournament golf. 10 today, but is well within striking distance of the conference lead. Selecting the All-Stars for the guard position in the West is often a tough task, and the 2022-23 season is no different. That was the seventh biggest differential among 233 players who played at least 1,000 minutes for a single team. 2021-22 NBA Western Conference team-by-team preview capsules. 9. The Grizzlies field goal percentage (54.5%) and 3-point percentage (45.7%) over the three games were both their best marks against any opponent. That said, few players in the NBA have more talent, and that alone keeps him ranked highly. Still, they keep slipping against teams they should theoretically also be beating like San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The better LA team for now, with this team, finally playing like an actual team. 10. We know all too well what Dame can do when he gets rolling, coach Steve Kerr said. So much could go wrong for the Lakers and Nets. In another incident, he allegedly threatened a mall security guard, according to police reports uncovered by Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post. NetRtg: +1.1 (15), vs. Lakers: Team stats | Advanced splits | Player stats | Player shooting | Lineups. In 2024, for their designated events, they are planning to have fewer, Has Aaron Rodgers made a decision about his future with the Green Bay Packers? 6. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets In leading the Nuggets to the third-best record in the Western Conference with averages of 26.4 points, 10.8 The Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and T.J. Warren right before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Andre Drummond led the league in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 33.6% of available defensive boards while he was on the floor. Were 19-8 with both LeBron James and Anthony Davis and outscored their opponents by 11.2 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor, better than their mark of +8.0 (in more than twice as many minutes) last season. Selecting the All-Stars for the guard position in the East could prove to be a difficult task in 2023. Golden States strength hasnt been on offense, but defense this season. He and Poole began a combined 6 for 22 as the Warriors trailed 65-48 at halftime. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Utah brings back the same roster that had the best record in the West last season. The Lakers and Nets are the best teams in their conferences when healthy, but when you look at the age and injury histories of their stars and rosters, it seems unlikely that both will make it through the marathon of the NBA season and be 100% ready to go in the postseason, but if they do those are the teams to beat. Join our linker program. 1 in NBA history ahead of Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in total games (87) by a center in which they led the team in points, rebounds and assists. This episode also features interviews with Tennessee's Yves Pons and John Fulkerson, as well as Rutgers' Ron Harper Jr. Katz also released his latest edition of his Power 36 rankings. Starting every game from his sophomore year through his senior year, Morris increased his scoring average each year finishing with 16.4 points per game his senior season, which was paired with 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 2. Ranked fourth in deflections per game (16.3), but last in charges drawn per game (0.22). Key numbers to know for each of the four teams in the West set to compete for the final two playoff spots. With the NBA's Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers well underway, Andy Katz took a trip down memory lane and ranked the top 10 college careers of players in the series. Draymond Green returned from a two-game absence with a bruised right knee, then injured his left wrist at the 9:15 mark of the second in a collision with Drew Eubanks and went to the locker room before returning about four minutes later. In 27 games, Sabonis has tallied 19 double-doubles, and after Wednesdays 124-123 win at Toronto, the 26-year-old ranks No. He remained great in all categories last season, averaging 27 points per game. DeMar DeRozans 15.7 points per game were tied for his lowest scoring average against any opponent this season. 2. Had the leagues biggest home-road differential, both for winning percentage (25-11 at home, 14-22 on the road) and for point differential per 100 possessions (+5.1 at home, -3.0 on the road). He also allowed just 0.46 points per possession on isolations, the best mark among 86 players who defended at least 50, according to Synergy tracking. This offseason, he spoke with, A half-decade after winning the World Series with the Boston Red Sox, one veteran player is heading to a very different situation. 7. Green as a key piece to that 2008-2009 North Carolina squad as he stuffed the stat sheets on both ends of the floor averaging 13.1 points, 4.7 boards, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game his senior season. NetRtg: +1.2 (14), vs. San Antonio: Team stats | Advanced splits | Player stats | Player shooting | Lineups. Teams seeded 7-10 in each conference will compete in a play-in Among 230 players with at least 100 field goal attempts in the paint and at least 100 field goal attempts outside the paint, Anthony Davis had the third biggest difference between his field goal percentage in the paint (64.1%) and his field goal percentage outside the paint (31.8%). Jazz For more details, review our, not that anyones expecting him to leave anyway, Patrick Cantlay shares why no-cut golf is a good thing. The Grizzlies won the first quarter in all three games, but were outscored, 36-20, in the second quarter of the Dec. 23 meeting. Required fields are marked *. 2. Wiggins made his first All-Star Game in 2022 as a starter, and then validated the nod with a stellar showing in the 2022 NBA Finals en route to a title. The Lakers 31-point, Mar. Suns over Clippers The Lakers Feb. 28 win was the Warriors second worst offensive game of the season (91 points on 108 possessions). Katz noted his basketball IQ as his biggest asset, as he transformed himself into an NBA-caliber player between his junior and senior seasons. His three-point shooting regressed a bit, but not significantly, and his defense was better. Pace = Possessions per 48 minutes USA TODAY. Lakers over Suns The Western Conference sent six frontcourt players to the NBA All-Star Game in 2022, and theres a chance four of them wont be back for the 2023 contest on Feb. 19 at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Lauri Markkanen says 1 of the goals he made for himself this season is to make the All-Star Game in Utah. PLAYERS | INJURIES. The reigning two-time Kia MVP should be another lock having followed up a 31-point triple-double in Saturdays win against Utah with 43 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a 141-128 win against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. He also threw a little bit of shade at the Celtics, You can unsubscribe anytime. Sacramento has a 98.9 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 96.7 percent chance to be a top-six seed in the conference, per Basketball References playoff probabilities report. Drew Eubanks had the seventh best mark (50.8%) among 247 players who defended at least 100 total shots at the rim. Saw the leagues fourth biggest drop (-1.9) in points scored per 100 possessions, from 111.7 (11th) last season to 109.8 (24th) this season. Youre not going to find many seven-footers who have a mixture of power and finesse, the ability to play in the paint while also knocking down the occasional three-pointer. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. All rights reserved. He is 9-10 games in the West, with links to let you dive in and explore more. The team captain for five All-Star Games, and the MVP of the contest on three occasions, James, 38, still seems impervious to age in Year 20, grinding out strong showings against the NBAs best competition. Jordan Poole had an effective field goal percentage of 53.5%, up from 40.6% last season. Anthony Edwards, who got a lot of hype, and ended up being the second draft pick this year, has lived up to his potential.