Category: Basketball

Report: NBA Announces 283 Players Have Declared for the 2022 NBA Draft

The NBA announced Thursday that 283 players have declared for the NBA draft; 247 players are from colleges, and 36 players are international.

Players have until 5 PM on Monday, June 13, to withdraw their names from the draft pool. Players who want to retain College eligibility have to withdraw no later than June 1st.

The NBA draft combine will begin from May 16th-May 22nd, and the NBA Draft will be held in Barclays Center Thursday, June 23.



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Victor Oladipo Leads Miami to Series Closing Winning Over Atlanta

Victor Oladipo has come a long way since missing the majority of the last four seasons due to reoccurring issues with a torn quad he suffered during the 2018-19 campaign. Since initially injuring his knee, Oladipo has played 96 games for Indiana, Houston, and Miami.

Through it all, Oladipo has worked hard to regain his All-Star form and provide some production to the No. 1 seeded Miami Heat. In their 97-94 Game 5 win, the resilience of Oladipo paid dividends after the two-time All-Star finished the elimination game with a team-high 23 points, three assists, and three steals.

His big-time performance helped lift a Heat team that was missing Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler due to hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.

“There’s nothing I can’t handle,” Oladipo told NBATV. “At the end of the day, I feel like I can come back and get through anything. So when they told me I needed to start tonight, I just stepped up to the plate and did everything I could to help my team win.

“I credit my coaching staff and my teammates for believing in me, my family, my God in heaven for getting me through. It’s only the beginning.”

The Heat also relied on their fourth-ranked defense to bottle up Trae Young (11 points, eight rebounds, six assists on 2-12 shooting from the field, 0-5 from the three-point line) and secure the series-concluding win on Tuesday. Miami was down for most of the first half before the Heat went on a 17-0 run late in the second quarter, never surrounding their lead.

However, the Hawks still put their head down and kept making pushes to make a comeback, going on 8-0 and 10-0 runs. Atlanta closed a deficit as large as 15 to within 95-93 before Oladipo closed the door on the comeback after diming Bam Adebayo for a clutch dunk with 59 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Heat advanced to the second round and will play the winner of the 76ers-Raptors series.



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REPORT: Ben Simmons Sitting Out Game 4 Caused ‘Frustration’ in Nets Organization

On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported there was ‘frustration and disheartenment’ in the Nets organization towards Ben Simmons after he sat out Game 4 due to re-tweaking his lingering back issue.

The return of the injury came after positive reports of Simmons surfaced all week. Charania reported a meeting took place between Simmons’ camp and the Nets on Monday.

“Sunday’s events triggered frustration and disheartenment throughout the organization, multiple sources said. The fallout of Simmons being ruled out Sunday led to a meeting among franchise officials, Simmons, and his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, on Monday in Brooklyn.”

Charania also reported that Simmons explained his reoccurring back issue to his teammates and team executives:

“According to sources, Simmons told those in the room that a mental block exists for him, dating in part to last summer’s postseason, which is creating stress that could serve as a trigger point for his back issues. He added that he does want to play basketball and play for the Nets as he works on solutions in regard to his well-being.”

Charania reported that it was not only the front office but also the players and coaches frustrated with the situation:

“On Sunday, Simmons informed the team his back was sore. For Nets players, the confusion was not centered around Simmons’ ailment but with the perceived lack of attempt to play, effort to be in uniform and push his body in these high-stakes playoffs, sources said. Nets players and coaches wanted to see Simmons show resolve and enter this series to start his on-court Brooklyn tenure, even if it was for limited minutes on Monday or none at all, while still dressing for the game.”



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Ja Morant Sends Minnesota To the Brink of Elimination With Game Winner

Ja Morant came into this game as the new recipient of the NBA Most Improved Player Award. After the Grizzlies superstar’s performance in the final quarter bringing Memphis back from an 11-point deficit, questions of why he’s not in the running for MVP will be asked.

By the end of this game, Morant had the entire arena, along with any NBA fan that loves this game screaming at the top of their lungs. The Murray State product officially put his name in the hat of the undisputed future superstars after finishing Game 5 with 30-point, 13 rebounds, and nine assists to lift Memphis to a shocking 111-109 victory as time expired.

The 2022 All-Star’s poster at the end of the third quarter would impact national headlines even if the Grizzlies lost.

But it was his 18-point 4th quarter that set the League on fire. He overcame six missed free throws to lead Memphis on a 23-7 run to make the game close. Morant then took the game over late in the fourth quarter.

First, with a little over a minute left in the game, Morant received a tap back rebound from Brandon Clarke to knock down a huge three-pointer to give his team the lead.

Then after Anthony Edwards knocked down a clutch corner three-pointer to tie the game at 109, Morant closed the game out in spectacular fashion.

Memphis now owns a 3-2 lead in this first-round Western Conference series, with Game 6 being Friday night in Minnesota.



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Joel Embiid on James Harden: ‘He Needs to Be Aggressive’

The 76ers have lost two straight in their first-round series with the Raptors but still hold a 3-2 lead going into Game 6 on Thursday.

With Joel Embiid somewhat hampered by a torn thumb on his shooting hand, his former MVP teammate, James Harden, had a chance to carry the Sixers to a Game 5 win to close out the series.

It looked that Harden had every intention to do so, scoring the first four points and giving the Sixers their only lead of the day when he sank a midrange jumper 18 seconds into the game and slammed home a fast-break dunk. Harden went 2-for-9 over the final 46 minutes, finishing Game 6 with 15 points (4-11 shooting, 2-6 from three-point territory), seven assists against five turnovers on 36 percent shooting from the field.

Freshly minted Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes led a stingy defensive effort as he stepped in at point guard while Fred VanVleet sat Game 5 out due to a strained hip flexor. Against the Raptors’ athletic, lengthy defense headlined by Barnes, Philly shot just 38 percent shooting from the field and shot 10-37 from long distance. Toronto also forced the 76ers into 16 turnovers; the Raptors scored 20 points off those turnovers.

Postgame, Embiid put the onus on Harden and Coach Doc Rivers to create a game plan where Harden can be more aggressive with the ball in his hands.

“I’ve been saying all season since he got here, he needs to be aggressive, and he needs to be himself,” Embiid said. “That’s not really my job. That’s probably on Coach to talk to him and tell him to take more shots, especially if they’re going to guard me the way they’ve been guarding. But that’s really not my job.”

Embiid also took accountability for the tough loss to the Raptors as the Sixers faced mounting pressure to close out their first-round matchup. Whoever wins the 76ers-Raptors series will take on the winner of the Heat-Hawks series in the second round.

“But we all need to be better offensively. We missed a bunch of wide-open shots. At times, I just felt like we just invited; when I was getting doubled, we were not aggressive attacking the ball. We just kept moving the ball around the perimeter, and that gave them time to recover, and that’s why we’re not able to get anything out of it.”

“So if that’s what they want to keep doing, we’ve got to take advantage of it.”



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Pro Baller Carla Cortijo is Inspiring Others to Dream Big

Puerto Rico is mostly known for its picturesque beaches and vibrant cobblestone streets, but beyond the swaying palm trees are countless outdoor basketball courts filled with kids hoping to one day fulfill their hoop dreams. And the island’s young girls have an amazing example to look up to: Carla Cortijo. 

Cortijo is the first Puerto Rican woman to ever play in the WNBA and she led the Island’s national team to the 2011 Pan American gold medal. She’s currently coaching in the men’s Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) of Puerto Rico for the famed Santurce Cangrejeros, the team co-owned by native son and Grammy winner Bad Bunny and where JJ Barea currently plays.

Born and raised in a pueblo just outside of San Juan called Carolina, Carla was gifted her first basketball by her grandmother. After that, she never put it down. 

“I started in a boys’ team because there were no women’s teams at that time,” Carla shares with SLAM. 

The lack of developmental programs for girls on the Island wasn’t something that stopped her though. 

Carla made waves in the basketball scene as early as her freshman year at Maria Auxiliadora High School, when she helped them go undefeated and led them to back-to-back commonwealth championships. She continued making Boricua nation proud while playing at the University of Texas. She then ultimately played overseas before getting the call-up to the W.

“It was such a difficult process, and coming from Puerto Rico, we don’t have this kind of exposure or opportunities, especially women,” she says. “We have to work twice or thrice as hard to achieve what we want. Reaching the WNBA was a relief.” 

After three BSNF (Baloncesto Superior Nacional Feminino) championships, two successful WNBA seasons and almost two decades playing around the world, Carla took on a new role: coach. 

Working with Cangrejeros, Cortijo was recently mistaken for a cheerleader by media personnel, and while she took it in stride, her goal is to change that tired narrative.

“It shouldn’t be like, Oh, wow, a woman coaching,” she says. “It’s just a part of it.”

Photos via Getty Images.



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WSLAM’s New Podcast, ‘Get With It’ Celebrates Women’s Hoops

WSLAM, the home of all things women’s basketball, is launching “Get With It,” a new podcast on the Tidal League Podcast Network. Hosted by Camille Buxeda, Director of WSLAM, with WSLAM’s Jianni Smith, “Get With It” will celebrate the game of basketball and the women who make it special.

Covering everything from the nation’s top high school prospects, college’s biggest stars and the WNBA’s most compelling storylines to exclusive behind-the-scenes stories from WSLAM photo and video shoots featuring some of biggest names in the game, “Get With It” will offer unique takes on the all parts of the world of women’s basketball. Check out the first episode below and subscribe here.

“I’m extremely excited about the launch of our first-ever women’s basketball podcast. WSLAM has always served as a platform meant to cover, celebrate, appreciate women’s basketball at all levels and this podcast is another extension of just that,” said Camille Buxeda, Director of WSLAM. “Since 2019 we’ve created content with an abundant amount of the greats in the game and now, we’ll have the opportunity to speak about those experiences and feature some of the top-tier athletes we’ve worked with as well.”

The premiere episode goes behind the scenes of SLAM 237’s cover shoot with South Carolina’s
Coach Dawn Staley and stars Aliyah Boston, Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke. Buxeda and
Smith also recap the 2022 WNBA Draft, WSLAM’s Draft Event and more.

The show “Get With It” isn’t meant to convince you why you should tune into the women’s game because the legends of the game have already shown you. It’s simple, the girls that get it, get it. So, if you don’t know, it’s time to “Get With It”.



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Zach LaVine in Health and Safety Protocols, Bulls Say

The Bulls announced that they would be playing Game 5 without Zach LaVine, who has entered the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols.

The Bulls are down 3-1 to the defending champion Bucks.

LaVine has emerged as a go-to option for the Bulls, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 47.6 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent from long distance. Through the first round, LaVine has put up 19.3 points per game.

Without LaVine in the lineup, the Bulls will have to rely on DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to anchor the Bulls.



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Miami Heat Announce Kyle Lowry Out For Game 5

The Miami Heat announced that Kyle Lowry had been ruled out for Game 5 against the Hawks on Monday.

Miami also stated that P.J. Tucker and Caleb Martin were questionable for Game 5 due to calf and ankle injuries, respectively. Gabe Vincent is probable to play on Tuesday as well.

It will be Miami’s second straight game without Lowry in the lineup after the 2019 champion missed Game 4 due to the same hamstring issue. He initially suffered the injury during Game 3.

The Heat is up 3-1 in their first-round series with the Hawks.



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Ime Udoka Following Sweep of Nets: ‘We’re Not Scared of Anybody’

Following a series sweep of the Nets Monday night, Coach Ime Udoka gave a clear message to the rest of the teams still alive in the NBA playoffs:

“The overall message that I’m going to give to the team and that they relied back to me is — we’re not scared of anybody, we’re not going to run from anybody. If you’re going to win, you’ve got to go through certain teams at certain times anyway, so might as well get a really good test early, and I think it’ll help us going down the line.”

Being the only team to sweep their first-round opponent in the entire playoff bracket, the Celtics await the winner of the Bucks versus Bulls series, which is currently 3-1 in Milwaukee’s favor.

With a Wednesday tip-off for Game 5 of that series slated for Wednesday, the Celtics have time to rest and prepare with a boost of confidence surging through their veins.



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