Category: Basketball

Charlotte Hornets forward PJ Washington admires the way that rookie Brandon Miller impacts the game defensively.

(via QC-t):

Reporter: “The other day I asked Cliff (Steve Clifford) about how Brandon’s come along defensively. He said he’s an exceptional player for a rookie. What have you thought about him?”

Washington: “He pays attention, he’s locked in on that end, he knows who he’s guarding, he talks really well, he’s got a lot of length, he’s pretty tall. So, he’s going to be a really good defender in this league. We’ve just got to keep talking to him and keep helping him out.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpyNraXYt_4

Following the departure of the Nets’ Big 3 in recent seasons, including James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, who requested trades and subsequently left the team, there were expectations of a rebuilding phase for Brooklyn.

However, guard Spencer Dinwiddie emphasized that this approach isn’t feasible for the team, primarily due to the absence of future draft picks, a critical factor in their long-term strategy.

“I think it’s pretty simple because we have to look at the organization for a macro perspective. We don’t have our own picks, which means losing doesn’t really help us,” he said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

As the Nets set their sights on the 2023-24 season, Dinwiddie stressed the importance of aiming to secure a spot beyond the play-in tournament.

“Nobody that’s trying to win wants to be in the play-in,” he said. “Basically, avoid the play-in is the floor. And then whatever the ceiling is is as far as we can take it. We’re hopeful that we can be a 1-seed and then we can win a championship – all those things.”

Acknowledging the altered dynamics within the team, Dinwiddie highlighted the challenge of role expansion for the players, particularly without the presence of superstars.

“But there’s no guarantees,” he said. “We know that health is a factor in that, jelling is a factor in that, seeing how guys take on expanded roles, how they are able to cope with that over 82-game season.

“There’s one thing to do something for 25 games, it’s another thing to do for 82, day in and day out, back-to-backs, other teams scouting and taking your primary looks away and being able to handle that burden night in and night out.”

The Milwaukee Bucks unveiled their superstar duo as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard took the court together for the first time. Their preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers provided a glimpse of the potential that the Bucks now possess.

Milwaukee secured the victory with a final score of 108-97. Giannis made his presence known with a quick 16 points and 8 rebounds in just 5 minutes of play. Meanwhile, Damian Lillard contributed 14 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals in 22 minutes on the floor.

After the game, Antetokounmpo reflected on the experience of sharing the court with Lillard. He highlighted the newfound space and opportunities created by Lillard’s presence.

“I’ve never been this open the last five to seven years if I remember well. I’ve never been this open,” he said. “And first of all I’ve never seen anybody been double-teamed from the first possession of the game.”

Antetokounmpo also discussed the intense defensive attention Lillard drew from the Lakers, emphasizing how they doubled-teamed him right from the start.

This defensive focus on Lillard opened up opportunities for Giannis, allowing him to exploit the extra space and create scoring chances for his teammates.

“Obviously, I got to figure it out because with a guy like him sometimes you might not even have to screen the pick and roll because this guy is really not worrying about me,” the Greek Freak said.

“He’s so focused on him and he not getting a wide open three that that they just chasing him and sometimes it’s just going to allow me to be I think, we’ll see, I don’t know, I’m not sure yet, we got to keep on playing and keep on figuring out our offense, but I think it’s going to allow me to make plays a little bit more, not easy, I feel like with a little bit more space around me and not people trying to get in my feet or try to put their hands or try to double-team and crowd the space.”

Furthermore, Antetokounmpo explained that playing alongside a scoring threat like Lillard could lead to a different style of offensive play for him.

He noted that Lillard’s gravity as a shooter and playmaker may enable him to make plays more effortlessly with additional space to operate.

“It’s going to allow me to make more plays for myself going downhill or make plays for my teammates which is going to be wide open threes most of the time,” Giannis said.

Antetokounmpo expressed his admiration for Lillard’s game, emphasizing how the point guard’s scoring threat is already apparent from beyond half court.

The 2021 NBA champion praised Lillard’s ability to create opportunities for himself and his teammates and shared his aspirations of reciprocating that impact for the team.

“At the end of the day, man, he’s a threat coming down from half court he’s already a threat. I’ve never played with a guy like that and I hope I can make the game easy for him as much as he’s making it easy for me and for our team.”

Despite starting the season strong with three consecutive wins, LDLC ASVEL has experienced a downturn, losing five of their last six matches.

One notable defeat was against Nanterre in Round 7 of Betclic Elite, where they succumbed to an 85-81 loss.

In a game where Villeurbanne had a 64-60 lead entering the last period, they couldn’t maintain their advantage.

Nanterre mounted an impressive 11-0 run, securing a comeback victory.

Justin Bibbins and Benjamin Sene played outstandingly, each contributing 27 points to lead the hosts to a significant win.

Ibrahima Fall Faye also made an impact with 10 points and eight rebounds.

On the ASVEL side, Paris Lee stood out with 19 points and six assists, Youssoupha Fall achieved a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards, Mike Scott added 12 points, and Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot contributed 10 points.

As a result of their recent struggles, ASVEL now finds itself in the eighth position with a 4-3 record. Meanwhile, Monaco holds the top spot in the standings with an impressive 7-0 score.

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ASVEL falls to Nanterre to lose for the fifth time in the last six games in #BetclicELITE and #EuroLeague https://t.co/LtuprGfrKm pic.twitter.com/sRcXez4Iqd

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet faced a tougher challenge than anticipated, but Dusko Ivanovic’s team successfully returned to the winning column in Round 3 of the ABA League, overcoming Borac Mozzart with a 93-87 victory.

Just days after a shooting struggle in Kaunas, Shabazz Napier delivered a strong performance, leading the Belgrade team to its third ABA League win with 18 points.

Rokas Giedraitis followed closely with 16 points, displaying remarkable accuracy with just one missed shot from the field, particularly excelling with a 4/5 record for three-pointers.

Nemanja Nedovic contributed 13 points, while Joel Bolomboy and Milos Teodosic each added 10 points, coming close to double-doubles.

Bolomboy, the Ukrainian-born Russian-American center, secured seven boards, while the Serbian maestro Teodosic recorded eight assists.

Despite displaying tremendous fighting spirit against Zvezda’s EuroLeague squad and experiencing their first defeat of the season, Borac had notable individual performances.

Ronaldo Segu led with 23 points, Tylan Birts added 18, Javon Franklin finished with 11, and Uros Carapic contributed 10 points to the team’s effort.

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Crvena Zvezda fights off Borac to secure third straight #ABAliga win, with Shabazz Napier and Rokas Giedraitis leading the scoresheet, and Milos Teodosic on the verge of a double-double.https://t.co/LhTveXgTQm

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023

Fenerbahce Beko bounced back from two consecutive losses with an exhilarating 113-98 victory over Bahcesehir Koleji in Round 3 of the Turkish BSL, reclaiming their winning momentum.

In a high-scoring match, Johnathan Motley led Dimitris Itoudis’s team with 25 points, supported by Tarik Biberovic with 17 points.

Nick Calathes showcased a double-double performance, contributing 15 points and 10 assists.

Nigel Hayes Davis also reached double figures with 14 points, while Marko Guduric added 12, and Sertac Sanli scored 10 points.

In Bahcesehir’s camp, Philip Scrubb emerged as the leading scorer with 26 points, followed by Axel Bouteille with 18 and Muhammaed Baygul with 16 points.

Jerry Boutsiele added 11 points, and Tyler Cavanaugh narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points, falling short by one rebound.

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High-octane showdown in Istanbul, as Fenerbahce triumphs over Bahcesehir in a 211-point game #BSLhttps://t.co/tOJa5MMX3B

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023

More 2023 NBA preseason lineup notes.

• The continued development of Payton Pritchard to go along with proven veterans like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White should be tough to stop on both ends for the 2023-24 Boston Celtics. Through three preseason games, Pritchard is putting up 21.3 PPG/2.0 RPG/4.0 RPG/1.7 SPG/52.2% FG/42.0% 3-PT/100% FT.
• Hopefully Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaden Springer can have a similar year as big man Paul Reed last season where he isn’t getting much minutes, but still plays enough of a role to make a difference and show off his talent. The former Tennessee Volunteer has averaged 12.0 PPG/4.0 RPG/1.5 APG/69.2% FG/80.0% 3-PT in two preseason games.
• New York Knicks guard Miles McBride and Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor have crucial third seasons coming up, as both need to find consistency/efficiency (McBride- 33.7% FG/28.2% 3-PT, Thor- 40.6% FG/30.7% 3-PT career shooting numbers).

Despite beginning their EuroLeague season with losses against Valencia and Virtus Bologna, Monaco has maintained an undefeated streak in the French Betclic Elite, securing a 78-67 victory against JL Bourg in their home game.

Sasa Obradovic’s team was led by Mike James, who scored 17 points, supported by Elie Okobo with 12 points and Petr Corneli contributing 10 points along with five rebounds. Kemba Walker and Jordan Loyd are still recovering on the sidelines.

In the opposing team, Isaiah Mike was the only player to reach double figures with 12 points, while Bryce Brown added nine points, and Godwin Omeneka came close to a double-double with eight points and boards.

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Defending champions Monaco secured their seventh straight win in #BetclicELITE, defeating JL Bourg at home.https://t.co/6xF4NJWb5w

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023

In June, Kristaps Porzingis experienced a trade from the Washington Wizards to the Celtics, secured a contract extension with his new team, and unfortunately had to sit out the 2023 FIBA World Cup due to plantar fasciitis.

Despite not being part of the team, he supported his teammates and celebrated their remarkable accomplishment of securing fifth place in the nation’s inaugural appearance in the tournament’s final stage.

“It was very tough,” Porzingis recalled being ruled out from the World Cup held in Asia during the offseason. “The day I made the decision, not me, as a group we made a decision. I had to tell the coach that I was not going to be able to play. It was very tough.

“It has not bothered me at all,” he provided an update on his present well-being after participating in the international competition and gearing up for the NBA Regular Season.

“The medical staff did an incredible job of loading slowly. I wanted to go right away as soon as I got here to play pick-up the first day. But they held me back a little bit. I listened to them and it’s been going perfect, ready for training camp and ready to go.”

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Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis: “At this point in my career, this is what I really wanted, to be able to try to win it all” #NBAhttps://t.co/KIwH2gDNUR

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023

Opting to align himself with a team vying for the NBA championship was the optimal move for Kristaps Porzingis as he embarks on his ninth season in the league.

As the 2023-24 Regular Season approaches, Porzingis is geared up to pursue the championship alongside notable teammates Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford.

“At this point in my career, this is what I really wanted, to be able to try to win it all,” the Latvian forward told Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

“Especially wearing these colors and this organization, which is, as I keep saying, if not the most iconic than top two most iconic franchises there are. And I’m playing for this team. So it’s absolutely incredible. An incredible opportunity for me, and I’m just grateful for it all.”

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Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis: “At this point in my career, this is what I really wanted, to be able to try to win it all” #NBAhttps://t.co/KIwH2gDNUR

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 15, 2023