However, when he eventually calls it a career, we'll most likely look back at his time in Los Angeles as wasted potential.

But the Lakers' shortcomings have nothing to do with the King's play. Instead, roster mismanagement by the front office possibly threw away multiple championships.

James' tenure with the purple and gold isn't nearly a failure. The Lakers' 2020 championship says so.

That Bubble lineup was special. The group finished as the top seed in the Western Conference and only lost five games on the way to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. In the following preseason, they were the clear favorite to repeat.

Unfortunately, that ring is pushing five years old, and the franchise hasn't returned to the big stage. So, what happened in the next four seasons that prevented another run?

Coming off a shortened 2020 offseason, the Lakers were poised to go back-to-back. They started 21-6, featuring the best defense in the league. But the injury bug got to Davis and James, dropping the team in the standings. Fortunately, the duo returned to good enough health at the right time, closing the regular season with five straight wins.

After defeating Golden State in the Play-In Tournament, L.A. had the eventual West champs, Phoenix, up 2-1. But Davis went down, and the Suns took the series in six games.

If the history books had to mark when the Lakers' title window started to close, the 2021 offseason would be the obvious choice.

The Lakers panicked that summer. After the AD injury, the front office disliked the lack of competitiveness in the postseason. So, management looked to make a splash move for a star to provide greater support when there are injuries.

General manager Rob Pelinka's focus was to upgrade from Kyle Kuzma. The forward left a bad taste in fans' mouths when he couldn't step up in Davis' absence.

However, the organization made a franchise-altering move by trading Kuzma for the worst star to pair with Davis and James: Russell Westbrook.

Reportedly, L.A. had deals lined up for other big-name players, but pressure from James forced the Westbrook move. However, Pelinka is the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. He has the final say in trade matters. He should've understood Westbrook was a bad fit with the two duo, especially concerning floor spacing.

Russ' time as a Laker was disastrous. The team had a 56-74 record with him. Of course, the duo missing time didn't help, but Westbrook was one of the worst three-point shooters in the league. Missing the postseason in 2022 was a far cry from their conference dominance just two seasons prior.

The organization has spent every last resource undoing the Westbrook trade in the last year. At the 2023 deadline, they shipped Russ out in a?three-team deal?to save that season.?

Pelinka has done a decent job rebuilding an adequate supporting cast around the duo. However, he has neglected the lack of 3&D talent on the roster for years.

As a result of bringing Russ in, the Lakers forfeited essential 3&D wings from the 2020 championship. The luxury of having players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who can hit threes consistently and guard at the point of attack, is vital to winning championships. This type of athlete is the best to put around Davis and James to maximize winning.

Possessing a talent like Alex Caruso comes with a price. But L.A.'s front office has been left with nothing but pennies and low-end draft capital to replace that skillset. And the defense has suffered dramatically.

This season's trade deadline allowed the organization to acquire a quality 3&D starter. The roster is filled with guys who can shoot or defend, no in-between for 30 minutes a night. Especially with Jarred Vanderbilt's health in question, the team has no answer for containing opposing permitter threats.

To everyone's surprise, the Lakers stayed put. Pelinka believed any available move at the deadline wasn't worth giving up the little assets they had. Instead, the organization plans to push for?a star player via trade in the offseason.?

L.A. didn't 'punt' on the season per se, but whatever improvements to be made in the coming offseason wouldn't be as impactful as Pelinka may think. James and Davis can't afford to wait till next season.

James turns 40 years old next season in December. It would be hard to compete for a championship when one of your most important pieces is at that age.

And for Davis, he's playing his best ball as a Laker. There's no guarantee he will continue to be this healthy next season. They needed Pelinka to go all in at the deadline to inch the team closer to contention when their window is still cracked.

The Lakers did do at least something recently. A few days after the deadline, the Lakers picked up former Brooklyn Net guard Spencer Dinwiddie fresh off the buyout market. Dinwiddie's not a bad player by any means. He can add scoring value off the bench.

But Pelinka's decision to wait and sign him instead of attacking the deadline is another example of him falling in love with castaway cheap ball handlers instead of solid 3&D rotational pieces.

It's absolutely inexcusable that the Lakers have been playing around .500 basketball since 2021. Champion contention should be consistent when an organization has two top 10 players.

James' L.A. arc isn't a failure. Unfortunately, the Lakers mismanaged the LeBron era by prioritized the wrong type of supporting cast around him when the 2020 championship laid out a blueprint.

The post How the Lakers Mismanaged the LeBron Era appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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There are several games on the NBA slate tonight. However, my picks will focus on two specific matchups, starting at 10 p.m. ET. The Washington Wizards (5-22, 3-14) will matchup against the Golden State Warriors (13-14,7-6 home) on the road. If you're looking to bet on this game, it will air on ESPN. The Phoenix Suns (14-13, 7-5 away) will play the Sacramento Kings (16-10, 10-4) in California. Also, will the Houston Rockets get the win with all the injuries to Dallas? ?In this article, I've provided my best picks for tonight. While I took them as straight bets, you can group them into a parlay.?Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Friday, Dec. 22.

TONIGHT’S NBA SLATE

Joel Embiid coming off his 3rd straight 40/10 game
KD looks to follow 40-point performance last time out

ESPN, NBA TV, NBA App
https://t.co/j7XaSJX9DR pic.twitter.com/BLZDrqmR5C

— NBA (@NBA) December 22, 2023

NBA Daily Game Odds for 12/22

^{*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook}
Raptors (+285) @ 76ers (-8.5) (-360): O/U 230.5
Nuggets (-4.5) (-180) @ Nets (+150): O/U 230
Hawks (-102) @ Heat (-1) (-118): O/U 238.5
Mavericks (+275) @ Rockets (-345) (-8.5): O/U 223
Wizards (+136) @ Warriors (-11.5) (-600): O/U 248.5
Suns (+136) @ Kings (-3.5) (-162): O/U 244

Bet #1 Kevin Durant 25+ Points

pic.twitter.com/32CvZBoe6n

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 22, 2023

Season Stats PPG: 21.1 | FG: 49.6 % | 3 PT: 42.4 % | FT: 75.7 % | REB: 2.3 | AST: 2.5 | STL: 1.1 | BLK: 0

Tonight, the Suns get the Kings on the road in Sacramento. With Bradley Beal out for Phoenix, Kevin Durant has been consistent, putting up incredible numbers' night in and night out. Averaging over 30 points per game, Durant is coming off a 40-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers.

One of the best to ever play the game, Durant has been durable and reliable from a betting standpoint. This prop not only hit the past few games, but it has a 95 percent hit rate this season, and 100 percent rate over the last ten games. More impressively, he's hit the over in 15 straight games. Tonight, Durant gets the Kings, who allow the 22nd most points (118), and 26th worst three-point percentage (38.6 %) in the NBA.

Most recent, Sacramento allowed Kawhi Leonard, Luguentz Dortz, Kyle Kuzma, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis to all hit over points props. In addition, they continue to be one of the least efficient teams in terms of defense.

Why I like this prop tonight

While the Suns don't have a home matchup, there is great news. In 10 games on the road, Durant is playing out of this world. Averaging 33 points per game, No. 35 is hitting 50 percent of his shots, and 42.6 percent from downtown in 38.2 minutes played. A true scorer from any level, Durant has a prime matchup tonight versus Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes. In terms of props, the over has hit in 9 straight away games, besides an 18 points game vs. Golden State. In terms of stats against Western Conference teams, Durant hit this prop in every single game besides against the Warriors and the Nuggets.

Their first matchup this season, Durant is notorious for balling out against Sacramento. In 40 career games, the forward has a career average 27.9 points and 7.1 rebounds against the Kings. Averaging the most points since the 2013-2014 season in Oklahoma City, Durant continues to carry this team on his back, along with Booker.

If you're betting on the NBA, I love this prop for one of two reasons: Durant is coming off a 28-field goal attempt night vs. Portland, and he's shooting an incredible 46.7 percent from downtown. As smooth as he is at jumpers, expect Durant to lead the way in scoring tonight. In his last matchup against the Kings in 2022, he finished with 27 points. It's important to note, this is Durant's second team in two years, and there are several members on the Suns injury report.

Bet #2: Klay Thompson 15+ Points

Klay Thompson has scored 24+ points and knocked down 4+ threes in each of the last four games.

He's one of only four players in the NBA this season to have such a streak

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 20, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?21.1 |?FG:?49.6 %?| 3 PT:?42.4 %?| FT:?75.7 %?| REB:?2.3?| AST: 2.5?| STL:?1.1?| BLK:?0

While Klay Thompson had a rocky start to the season, he's recently found his stride, as he was once known as one of the best shooters in the league. Tonight, the Warriors get the Wizards at home.

15 points seems low, especially for Thompson. Tonight, he has a great matchup against Washington, who allows the 30th most points per game (126.5) and assist rate (30). Coming of several fantastic outings, Thompson recently put up 24 points against the Celtics. Inconsistent with his shooting the first few months, the guard is coming off four consecutive matchups with 20 + points. No. 11 is averaging a season high 20.4 points on 40.2 percent three-point shooting in the month of Dec. alone.

If you're betting on the NBA, this prop hit the over in four of the last five games, and 88 % in the last ten. The guard had a season high 30 points on 66.7 percent three-point shooting against the Clippers on Dec. 14. A prop that has a 91 percent hit rate; Thompson has surprisingly had better numbers on the road. While that doesn't deter me, he's put up over 15 points in two consecutive road games, and in six of the last seven. For the 2022-2023 season, this prop had a 78 percent hit rate.

Klay Thompson has a prime matchup tonight

I love what the Warriors have done with the lineup amid the Draymond Green suspension, especially with Chris Paul coming off the bench. As Golden State finds their stride, they have elite playmakers with Curry and Paul. The addition of Podziemski in the starting lineup has created looks for Klay as well. After all, all Thompon needs is a decent screen from Kuminga or Looney, and a small amount of space.

Most recent, the Wizards allowed Anfernee Simons, of the Portland Trail Blazers, to drop 41 points. Additionally, Devin Booker, Cam Thomas, De'Anthony Melton, Jalen Suggs, Harrison Barnes, and Brandon Ingram all scored over 15 points. In 18 career games against Washington, Thompson has an average of 18.5 points per game, on 37.7 percent three-point shooting.

As the Warriors look to improve and move up in the standings, they will heavily rely on Curry and Thompson on a nightly basis. Once benched for his poor play against the Phoenix Suns, Thompson has showed signs of life. While Thompson wasn't happy with the decision, he's let his recent game play do the talking. If Podziemski is unable to start tonight, I like this prop even more in terms of points scored. Either way, he should have a solid matchup with Deni Avdija or Jordan Poole and should get a high volume of shots.

Bet #3 Daniel Gafford O 1.5 Blocks

Which was better: the swat or the slam? pic.twitter.com/jn6TEmMucN

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 22, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?21.1 |?FG:?49.6 %?| 3 PT:?42.4 %?| FT:?75.7 %?| REB:?2.3?| AST: 2.5?| STL:?1.1?| BLK:?0

I try not to be bias, but let's face it, this has been my favorite prop to play all season. No matter what matchup, bettors have been able to count on this play on a nightly basis. Tonight, the Wizards get Golden State, which may be a tougher matchup. However, as I stated in my Instagram Reel, I will continue to play this prop every single night until it doesn't hit anymore. I am fully on the over Daniel Gafford blocks train.

Gafford has been an unbelievable force for the Wizards, who are simply a bad team. Coming off a 6-block night against Portland, the big man is averaging nearly 3 blocks per game. A true bright spot on this team, Gafford has hit over 1.5 blocks in 12 straight games, and 83 percent of the matchups this season. While he might have a tough matchup since the Warriors play mostly beyond the perimeter, It's hard to full fade this tonight.

On the road, Gafford has been sensational, hitting the over in 8 straight away games, and 87 percent of them this season. Averaging 2.5 blocks on the road, Gafford has 9 in the last two matchups against the Trail Blazers and the Kings.

Daniel Gafford has been unstoppable

In their latest matchups, the Warriors have been staying afloat without their defensive playmaker, Draymond Green. While Al Horford and Deandre Ayton only had one block each, Nic Claxton had four, as well as Ivica Zubac, Drew Eubanks, and Chet Holmgren all 2+. Although he has all the momentum, they are coming off back-to-back road games.

If you're betting on the NBA, it's tough to fade a prop that's made me a lot of money and is an automatic cash out every night. The good news is that Kevon Looney doesn't shoot threes and won't likely pull Gafford out of the paint much tonight. Although he hasn't hit this prop line in the last two meetings against Golden State, the Center has five total blocks in four career games against them.

BONUS BET: Houston Rockets Money line

I made this decision with the Detroit Pistons last night, and it backfired badly. Yes, the Rockets are coming off three straight losses. However, their defense is elite, and one of the best in the league. Allowing only 108.4 points per game, the Rockets face the Mavericks who will be without Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Josh Green, and Derek Lively II. In another words, Dallas will be missing several of their key players. While the Rockets will play their second consecutive games, they are elite around the perimeter, allowing teams to shoot under 33 percent from deep. As much as I like the Rockets to win this game outright, I like the under, especially with a depleted Dallas team.

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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Sara Jane Gamelli

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There are eight games on the NBA schedule tonight, beginning at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. For the betting slate, The Spurs will get a rematch with the Lakers at home, while Dillon Brooks and the Houston Rockets will face his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies. ?I am picking my four favorite NBA plays of the day. You can bet them single, or group into a parlay, your choice.?Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Friday, Dec. 15.

NBA Daily Game Odds for 12/15

^{*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook}

• Pacers (-8.5 )(-340) @ Wizards (+270): O/U 259
• Pistons (+800) @ 76ers (-16) (-1350): O/U 235
• Pelicans (-7) (-285)@ Hornets (+230): O/U 231.5
• Magic (+190) @ Celtics (-6) (-230): O/U 224.5
• Lakers (-7.5) (-325) @ Spurs (+260): O/U 234
• Hawks (+110) @ Raptors (-2) (-130): O/U 241.5
• Rockets (-3.5) (-162) @ Grizzlies (+136): O/U 212
• Knicks (+164) @ Suns (-5)(-198): O/U 232

NBA Favorite Bet #1: Pacers vs. Wizards O 249.5

Friday night in the District pic.twitter.com/68HDmtFoVg

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 15, 2023

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers (13-9, 6-5 away) will matchup against the Washington Wizards (3-20, 1-8 home) on the road. With the original line at 256.5, I moved it down slightly to 249.5. How did I come up with this number? I took each teams game averages over the past ten matchups and divided that number by 2. While the Pacers average 251.6 game totals over the last 10, the Wizards average 247. While it comes out to 249, that's where the 249.5 came from.

With the Pacers having a 71 percent chance to win this matchup per ESPN Analytics, Indiana is 2-2 in their last 5 matchups, which excludes the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship against the Lakers. Coming off a tough 140-126 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 22 points each. While they put up 126 points against Milwaukee, they allowed Giannis Antetokounmpo to score a career high 64 points. 13-9-0 against the spread this season, Indiana is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 matchups, covering versus the Pistons, Bucks, and Celtics. Overall, they are 18-4-0 against under/over totals, and the last two matchups hit the points over total.

Why I like this straight bet tonight

Having a 5-5 win/loss record in the last 10, the Pacers are 5-5 against the spread, and 6-4 against totals. Having hit the over against the Bucks and Pistons, Rick Carlisle's squad is averaging 127 points per game in the last 10. Additionally, the Pacers have a lethal offense, leading the NBA in points scored per game(128.4). One of my favorite teams to bet on, the under has only hit 4 times against the Celtics, Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Bulls. While three under total points hit since Nov. 27, I still have full confidence in tonight's matchup.

A fun, dynamic team, the Pacers play at a fast pace, and lead in several offensive statistical categories, including field goals made (48.1), field goal attempts (94.8), and field goal percentage (50.7). An electric offense led by Haliburton, the Pacers have a great amount of depth, and players that can strike from long distance.

The Washington Wizards lack stardom

For the Washington Wizards, they lack true super stardom, and to put it lightly, they just aren't a great team. With an unimpressive -11 point differential, they rank top 10 in points scored per game (115.9). While their overall offensive game lacks spark, they remain the worst defensive team in the league, allowing a league how 127 points per game. Although the Wizards have Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, the team lacks any sort of star power beyond that.

15-8-0 against over/under totals, the Wizards are 1-9 in their last ten matchups, and hit the over six times. With six straight losses against the Pelicans, 76ers (twice), Nets, and Magic (twice), the Wizards somehow managed to hit the over points total in two straight matchups.

Overall, I could give you every statistic why this should hit tonight. If you're betting on the NBA, tonight is a story of a top offense against the worst defense in the league. In fact, the Pacers and Wizards allow the most points per game in the league. 5-5 in head-to-head matchups, the Pacers last defeated the Wizards 143-120 on Oct. 25.

One of the best matchups of the week, both teams rank No. 1 and No.2 in pace. I am very confident in this pick tonight, and love it for several reasons, especially since minimal defense is played by both teams on a nightly basis. If you're betting the NBA, the best pick is over 249.5 points.

Injuries

Pacers:
Jalen Smith, F: OUT

Wizards:
Delon Wright, G: OUT
Ryan Rollins, G: OUT
Johnny Davis, G: OUT
Eugene Omoruyi, F: QUESTIONABLE
Jordan Poole, G: QUESTIONABLE

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

^{*ATS-Against the Spread}

Indiana Pacers

• Indiana Pacers: 3-2 in their last 5 games.
• 5-5 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record:?13-9-0
• O/U Record: 18-4-0
• 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 6-4 ATS?in their last?10 games.
• O/U?is?2-3 in the last?5 games.
• O/U:?6-4 in the last?10 games.
• 1st?in Offensive Rating (123)
• 28th?in Defensive Rating (120)
• 1st?in Points Per Game (128.4)
• 1st in Pace: 104.48
• Opponent Points Per Game:?125.5(29th)
• Three-Point Percentage:?37.9 % (6)
• Rebounds Per Game: 40.4 (29th)
• Indiana ATS won last 10 games:?Detroit Pistons (-9.5), Miami Heat (+4.5), Boston Celtics (+4.5), Milwaukee Bucks (+5.5), Detroit Pistons (-7.5)

Tyrese Haliburton tonight against the Bucks:

22 PTS
7 AST
5 REB pic.twitter.com/VvOJlPA8Uf

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 14, 2023

Washington Wizards

• Washington Wizards:?0-5 in?their last?5 games.
• 5-5 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record:?10-13-0
• O/U Record: 15-8-0
• 2-3?ATS?in their last?5 games.
• 5-5 ATS?in their last?10 games.
• O/U?is 4-1 in the last?5 games.
• O/U:?6-4 in the last?10 games.
• 24th?in Offensive Rating (111.3)
• 30th?in Defensive Rating (121.9)
• 10th?in Points Per Game (115.9
• 2nd in Pace: 104.11
• Opponent Points Per Game:?127 (30th)
• Three-Point Percentage:?35.1 % (22)
• Rebounds Per Game: 38.8 (30th)
• Washington ATS won last 10 games: Charlotte Hornets(+3.5), Milwaukee Bucks (+13.5), Detroit Pistons (+2.5), Orlando Magic (+10.5), Philadelphia 76ers (+10.5).

New court debuting tonight.

pres. by @RobinhoodApp pic.twitter.com/uF9K4VdX4I

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) December 15, 2023

NBA Favorite Bet #2: Orlando Magic +8.5

FRIDAY'S NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT FINAL SCORES

Mo Wagner's efficient (9/13 FGM) game propels the @OrlandoMagic to the top of East Group C and to their 6th straight win!

Paolo Banchero: 23 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST
Franz Wagner: 17 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST
Cole Anthony: 16 PTS, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/DLzmWDXcUF

— NBA (@NBA) November 24, 2023

This evening, the Orlando Magic (16-7, 5-5 away) will face the Boston Celtics (18-5, 12-0 home) on the road tonight. Right along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Magic are an impressive young squad, known for their defensive prowess. Although the Celtics favored at 73 percent to win by ESPN Analytics, they have several players listed on their injury report.

For Boston, Center Luke Kornet will miss his second straight game with left adductor tightness. While Al Horford will rest tonight, Kristaps Porzingis is listed as doubtful with calf tightness. Listed questionable is guard Jaylen Brown with a right knee hyperextension. If Porzingis is truly out, the Celtics will be extremely thin at the 5 position tonight. Goga Bitadze, who's filled in for Wendell Carter Jr., would have a prime matchup against Boston.

The Magic hold the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. Led by second year stud Paolo Banchero, Orlando has spent years building and developing this young core. Behind Banchero is Franz Wager, who's elevated his game in each of his three seasons with the Magic. From there, Cole Anthony, Mo Wagner, and Jalen Suggs have been key factors. If Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz were healthy right now, I could only imagine how nasty this Magic team could really be. After drafting defensive juggernaut Anthony Black, the Magic have the third best defensive rating in the NBA (108.7). While their offense lacks at times, it's their defense that keeps them in games more often than not.

The Magic have dominated the Celtics since 2022

A top six team in steals (8.6), Orlando hold opponents to just 108.9 points per game, a stat line that's tied with the Celtics. Excellent around the perimeter, the Magic hold teams to 35 percent from long range. While the Celtics are an elite team, the Magic will have advantage with some key injuries to Boston.

17-6-0 against the spread this season, the Magic face a Boston team, who is 10-11-1. With a win/loss record of 8-2 in their last 10 matchups, the Magic are 7-3 against the spread. Coming off two consecutive victories over Cleveland and Detroit, the Magic were able to cover the -2.5, and -10.5 point spread margins. With wins over Toronto, Denver, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, it's impressive the Magic covered the spread in every single one of those victories.

Why I like the Magic to cover tonight

Some way, some how, the Magic have won their past four matchups against the Celtics, dating back to Dec. 2022. With those wins, Orlando was able to cover large point spreads, including (+13, +11, +7.5, and +5.5). More impressive, the Magic defeated the Celtics on Nov 24, at home, which was considered a group play game. Snatching the 113-96 victory, they are the only team to keep Boston under 100 points scored this season.

I originally moved the line from +5.5 to +8.5 To be fair, this was booked before the full injury list was acquired, and given the fact Boston is undefeated at home. 13-1 against opponents with a healthy starting five, they will get a true test tonight with several players out. If you're betting on the NBA, I would even be okay with picking Orlando +5.5 to cover tonight. Plus, the C's are coming off back-to-back games.

Injuries

Magic:
Markelle Fultz, G: QUESTIONABLE
Kevon Harris, G: OUT
Wendell Carter Jr., C: OUT

Celtics:
Al Horford, C: OUT
Luke Kornet, C: OUT
Kristaps Porzingis, F: DOUBTFUL
Jaylen Brown, G: QUESTIONABLE

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

^{*ATS-Against the Spread}

Orlando Magic

• Orlando Magic:?3-2 in?their last?5 games.
• 8-2 in their last?10 games.
• ATS Record:?16-7-0
• O/U Record: 12-11-0
• 2-3 ATS?in their last?5 games.
• 7-3 ATS?in their last?10 games.
• O/U is 3-2 in the last 5 games.
• O/U:?7-3 in the last?10 games.
• 17th?in Offensive Rating (113.8)
• 3rd?in Defensive Rating (108.7)
• 16th ?in Points Per Game (114)
• 14th in Pace: 100.20
• Opponent Points Per Game:?108.9 (T-3)
• Three-Point Percentage:?34.3 % (26th)
• Rebounds Per Game: 43.5 (20th)
• Orlando ATS won last 10 games:?Toronto Raptors (-1.5), Denver Nuggets (+3), Boston (+5.5), Charlotte Hornets (-6.5), Washington Wizards (-10.5), Detroit Pistons (-10.5), Cleveland Cavaliers (-2.5).

Jalen Suggs is shooting 37% from three on 4.2 attempts per game this season pic.twitter.com/hUZgP0tajW

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) December 15, 2023

Boston Celtics

• Boston Celtics:?4-1 in?their last?5 games.
• 7-3?in their last?10 games.
• ATS Record:?10-11-2
• O/U Record: 10-12-1
• 2-3?ATS?in their last?5 games.
• 4-6 ATS?in their last?10 games.
• O/U is 3-2 in the last 5 games.
• O/U:?5-5 in the last?10 games.
• 6th?in Offensive Rating (117.9)
• 4th?in Defensive Rating (109.4)
• 7th?in Points Per Game (117.3)
• 22nd in Pace: 98.65
• Opponent Points Per Game:?108.9 (T-3)
• Three-Point Percentage: 38.8 % (3rd)
• Rebounds Per Game: 46.7 (4th)
• Boston ATS won last 10 games:?Atlanta Hawks (-7.5), Chicago Bulls (-12.5), New York Knicks (-7.5), Cleveland Cavaliers (-8.5)

TONIGHT Celtics vs. @OrlandoMagic

@tdgarden
7:30 PM
@NBCSBoston
@rock929ROCKS
Small Business of the Game: https://t.co/D8UdePzQpt#DifferentHere pic.twitter.com/u6Xc8Yexgh

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 15, 2023

NBA Favorite Bet #3: Buddy Hield O .5 steals

these are two different Buddy Hield buckets

he has 11 PTS (3 3PM) so far tonight. pic.twitter.com/mRmfEyq7vz

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 12, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?13.1 |?FG:?45.4 %?| 3 PT: 38.8 %?| FT:?90.9 %?| REB:?3.2?| AST: 2.6?| STL:?0.8?| BLK:?0.5

While I broke down the Pacers versus Wizards game earlier, tonight I like Buddy Hield to have 1+ steals. Hield, who's played 22 games this season, is averaging over 1.1 steals in the last 10 matchups. In one meeting against Washington, the guard had 14 points, one steal, one block, five assists, and two rebounds, in 25 minutes. Starting just 10 games this season, Hield is still averaging 25.7 minutes per game, grabbing two steals total against the Bucks and Pistons.

If you're betting on the NBA tonight, Hield has at least one steal in six of seven games. With a season hit rate of 64 percent, the guard has one steal in seven of ten games, and four of the last five. In fact, he has a total of six steals in the last three matchups against Washington, including one on Oct. 25.

Unfortunately, there aren't many positive aspects about this Washington team. Ranking 23rd in turnovers, Indiana is a top 10 team in terms of steals per game (7.9). While the Wizards allow 8.2 steals per game, this is a prime matchup for Hield tonight.

Why I like Hield to hit 1+ steals tonight

Likely the No.2 guard to start next to Tyrese Haliburton, Hield averages 0.9 steals on the road. Although the Pacers aren't the best defensively, this prop has hit 80 percent in the last five road games, and 70 percent in the last 10. For Washington, they've allowed 11 straight shooting guards to hit over their steal props. These players include De'Anthony Melton, Cam Thomas, Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Pat Cannaughton.

While the stats are great, Hield is likely to face Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones at the guard position. While it should hit based off all the statistics, if it's a blowout, Carlisle may choose to rest some of his starters. Even so, if you're betting on the NBA, I like this prop for tonight.

NBA Favorite Bet #4: Victor Wembanyama 2+ blocks

Vic block Cedi for threeee! pic.twitter.com/fGqV174iA7

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 14, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?19.3 |?FG: 43.7 %?| 3 PT:?27.4 %?| FT:?79.2 %?| REB:?10.7?| AST: 2.5?| STL: 1.3?| BLK:?3

The San Antonio Spurs will face the Los Angeles Lakers in back-to-back games on prime time national Television (ESPN). Averaging 3 blocks a game, I feel this prop could be free in a way, and I hope I didn't just jinx myself. Rookie Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 6 block game against the Lakers, and has grown into his own.

In the past two matchups, Wembanyama has 11 blocks total against the Rockets and Lakers. With the line originally at 2.5, I moved it to 2. Whether that makes a difference or not, I expect the rookie to be a factor defensively tonight.

Coming off three straight games with 2+ blocks, the Spurs big man has a hit rate of 65 percent this season, and seven of the last eight games. While San Antonio gets the Lakers at home, Wemby has been even more impressive, averaging more than 3 blocks a game in front of their home fans. All over the court, Spurs Head Coach Greg Popovich stated he doesn't classify No. 1 has a center. With no set position, Wembanyama is capable of blocking anyone on the court, especially with his wingspan.

Why I like Wembanyama for 2+ blocks tonight

If you're betting on the NBA, this is one of my favorite props tonight. As of right now, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both listed as questionable for tonights matchup. While the Lakers allow 4.4 blocks per game, the Spurs are top 8 with 6 blocks per game.

I love the matchup Wembanyama has against the Lakers tonight. With the 5th best defense against blocks, Los Angeles allowed Wembanyama, Dereck Lively II, Alperen Sengün, and Jarrett Allen all to hit over their block props in the last two weeks. I loved seeing the Spurs big man matchup with Anthony Davis, in which he locked him up several times. Averaging 3.9 blocks over the last 10 games, betting tonight, I'll take the over tonight.

We now are partnered with Prize Picks and Props.Cash! Use code ‘BIL’ on the Props.Cash mobile app or website for a 25% discount on your first month’s subscription! Research Props Tool to help you find everything you need FAST for your bet. When you sign up for Prize Picks, use the code LIFE.?

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

The post NBA Betting: Daily Odds & Predictions for Dec. 15 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The Bucks are currently 13-6, winning three of the last four games. It's true that all wins look the same in the standings. However, given the competition, their recent way of winning is concerning.

Milwaukee entered the 2023 season slightly behind the Boston Celtics as the NBA championship favorite. But squeezing out wins against some of the league's worst is inexcusable.

Last Friday, the Bucks were 13.5-point favorites against the then 2-12 Washington Wizards. The Bucks won by three. Two days later, the then 4-11 Portland Trail Blazers came to town as 12.5-point underdogs. The Bucks needed to pull off a 26-point comeback to win by six.

The following two games are even more alarming. The 4.5-point favored Bucks visited a Miami Heat team without its best scorers, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. Milwaukee trailed for most of the fourth quarter but won by seven. Once again facing a team without its two stars, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the 10.5-point favored Bucks lost by seven in OT to the Bulls.

Any team can win on a given night because basketball is a make-or-miss sport. So, the Bucks' loss to the dysfunctional 6-11 Bulls would not be as big of a deal in a vacuum. However, four-straight games playing bad or injured opponents down to the wire is concerning.

So, what's wrong with Milwaukee? The team no longer has one of the league's premier defensive units.

From the 2018 to 2022 seasons, the Bucks's defensive rating ranked 1st, 1st, 9th, 14th, and 4th in the league. In 2023, they have the 20th-best rating.

When the Bucks shocked the league by trading for superstar Damian Lillard, the team sacrificed their perimeter defense. The deal included shipping out three-time All-Defensive First-Team guard Jrue Holiday. Holiday held down opposing perimeter players for the Bucks. Now, he's in Boston.

The Bucks have zero defensive talent on the outside. Lillard is a liability in the pick and role. Offseason pickup Malik Beasley looks lost whenever on an island. And Kris Middleton is having his worst season regarding defense rating.

The Wizards are awful. But the Bucks allowed an embarrasing 70 combined points from a Jordan Poole, Tyus Jones, and Kyle Kuzma trio.

In place of injured Tyler Herro, Miami's Josh Richardson started alongside Kyle Lowry against Milwaukee. Before the match, Richardson and Lowry averaged around eight points per game on low efficiency. The Bucks gave up an efficient 41 points to that backcourt.

Last night, Chicago's Nikola Vucevic had his way in the paint, dropping 29 points. The last time the big man scored at least 20 points was against who else but the Bucks over two weeks ago.

The Bucks shouldn't hit the panic button because they're the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The franchise can thank the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard for the success.

The duo has combined for at least 60 points in five of their last seven games. The Bucks lost the two contests the duo fell short.

The 60-point threshold seems like the Bucks' only way to win. Without Dame in an early November matchup in Indiana, Giannis had 54 points himself. But the Bucks lost by two, surrendering 55 total points to the Pacers starting backcourt.

Sometimes, Dame and Giannis recording more than 60 total points isn't enough. In the particular game against Washington, the Bucks needed 35-year-old Brook Lopez to turn back the clock by tying his career-high of 39 points.

Still, the Bucks are a great team. With a duo as excellent offensively as Dame and Giannis, the team should win most games. However, defensive issues are holding them back from being the near-championship favorite, as projected in the preseason.

People don't say "defense wins championships" for no reason. Only one Finals winner in the last 43 years had a defensive rating ranked 20th or below: the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq and Kobe combined for nearly 60 points a night to hide the Lakers' inabilites.

If Milwaukee doesn't make a move at the trade deadline for a perimeter defender, the Bucks' duo should prepare themselves to handle a historic workload. If not, they'll continue to find themselves in games like the recent ones.

The post The Milwaukee Bucks Are Concerning appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

NBA Daily Game Odds for 11/15

^{*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook}

Mavericks (-198) (-6) @ Wizards (+164): O/U 244.5
Celtics (-218) (-4) @ 76ers (+180): O/U 224.5
Bucks (-125)(-5) @ Raptors (+105): O/U 224.5
Knicks (-112) (-1) @ Hawks (-108): O/U 230.5
Magic (+102) @ Bulls (-122)(-1.5) : O/U 215.5
Timberwolves(+195) @ Suns (-238)(-6) O/U 224
Cavaliers (-485) (-10.5) @ Trail Blazers (+370): O/U 219
Kings (-102) @ Lakers (-118) (-1.5): O/U 236.6

8-game slate of Wednesday hoops

Sixers, Celtics top 2 East seeds square off
DBook, KD, Beal take court together for first time
Kings vs. Lakers as both teams seek 4th-straight win

: Watch on ESPN and the NBA App
: https://t.co/x0DNPls50S pic.twitter.com/SGL2beGvsP

— NBA (@NBA) November 15, 2023

NBA Daily Parlay #1: +381 .5u

Bet #1: Kevin Durant O 3.5 Assists (-130)

Drew slam part pic.twitter.com/7iZWZiaDvn

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 13, 2023

Season Stats PPG: 30  | FG: 49.8 % | 3 PT: 42.8 % | FT: 85.1 % | REB: 7.1 | AST: 4.6 | STL: 0.9 | BLK: 1.2

Career Stats vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: PPG: 27.2 | FG: 50.8 % | 3 PT: 44.2 % | FT: 92.8 % | REB: 7.4 | AST: 4.2 | STL: 1 | BLK: 1.2

Tonight, the Phoenix Suns (4-6) will matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-2) at home. With Bradley Beal and Devin Booker ready to go, Suns guard Eric Gordon is listed as a game time decision tonight. While Minnesota doesn't report any injuries, they've won five consecutive games. For the Suns, they are coming off back to back losses, against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In his first full year with Phoenix, Kevin Durant will receive more depth and talent in the lineup tonight. Averaging 4.6 assists this season, Durant, faces a very tough Timberwolves team. First in opponent points per game (102.9), Minnesota is an elite defensive team. They lead the league in opponent three-point percentage (31.5 percent), and are backed by Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards, and rim protector, Ruby Gobert.

The Suns have their star players back

Scoring won't come easy for the Suns tonight, who are ranked middle of the pack in points per game (111.8). If you're betting on the NBA tonight, I'd like to point out Kevin Durant has been averaging over 3.5 assists, and that's mainly been without both Booker and Beal.

We all know Durant is a natural born scorer, but he's also notorious for making big plays. With talent back on the weak and strong side of the ball, It's hard to fade a prop thats hit in four straight games. For a Timberwolves team that allows on average 24.6 assists per game, Durant hit this prop 100 % percent in 2022-2023 against Minnesota. In March of 2023, Durant had 4 assists against Minnesota as a member of the Sun.

Why Kevin Durant can hit over 3.5 assists tonight

Overall, over 3.5 Durant assists hit the over in six of the last ten games, and four of the last time. A prop that hit over 70 percent last season, Kevin Durant certainly loves to dish the ball at home tonight. In the last ten home games, Durant over assists hit in 90 percent of the last ten games, and four of the last five. Although Phoenix isn't a particularly deep team, I trust that there will be enough ball movement between the new big 3.

If you look at the statistics against Minnesota in the last week, Cory Joseph, Kevin Looney, Dario Saric, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, Scottie Barnes among others all hit over their prop lines. In the 2023-2024 campaign, Durant is averaging 36.7 minutes per game. In fact, this prop has a hit rate of 80 % when the forward plays over 35 minutes, and Durant is dishing out nearly five assists at home this year.

If you're betting on the NBA, your best bet is Kevin Durant over 3.5 assists.

Bet #2: Trae Young O .5 Steals (-235)

Trae Young buries a triple from downtown, Murray follows with a sneaky steal!

The Hawks are rolling early pic.twitter.com/m0bDtEULbX

— NBA (@NBA) October 14, 2023

Season Stats PPG: 24.4  | FG: 35.7 % | 3 PT: 29.4 % | FT: 89.9 % | REB: 2.9 | AST: 10.2 | STL: 1.6 | BLK: 0

Career Stats vs. New York Knicks: PPG: 26.3  | FG: 41.3 % | 3 PT: 34.6 % | FT: 83.2 % | REB: 3.2 | AST: 9.1 | STL: 1.3 | BLK: 0

The Atlanta Hawks (6-4) will matchup against Eastern Conference Rival New York Knicks (5-5) at home tonight. Trae Young will be back in the lineup after missing last matchup due to personal reasons. For the Knicks, RJ Barrett is a game time decision tonight. Without star Trae Young, the Hawks are coming off a 126-120 win over the Detroit Pistons, why the Knicks dropped their previous matchup to the Boston Celtics, 114-98.

If you're betting on the NBA, the Hawks are a top team that average 8.8 steals a game, in large part to Trae Young. Tonight, they face the Knicks who have the least turnovers in the NBA. In nine games this season, Trae Young has at least 1 steal in every single one of them. Averaging 1.6 steals per game, Young has a career average of 1.8 steals against New York, and has 6 steals in the past four games. Better yet, this prop hit 100 % in the past ten games, and and hit 72 percent of the time in the 2022-2023 season.

Why Trae Young can cover over .5 steals tonight

Tonight, Young gets a prime matchup at home, where over .5 steals has hit 100 percent in home games this year, and 90 % of the last ten games in Atlanta. Young, who's averaging 35.8 minutes per game, has nearly 1.8 steals in home games, and has a 100 percent prop hit rate when he hovers around 35 minutes played.

If you're betting on the NBA, it's hard to fade a prop that's hit the over in ten straight games. Most recently, the Knicks allowed LaMelo Ball, Tre Jones, Bones Hyland, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, and Trae Young all to have at least one steal since Oct. 27.

In their last matchup in October 27, Trae Young finished with three steals.

Bet #3: Dallas Mavericks vs. Washington Wizards O 244.5 Points (-110)

The Dallas Mavericks (8-3) will face off against the Washington Wizards (2-8) on the road tonight. For Dallas, both Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber are game time decisions. On the Wizards side, guard Delon Wright is listed as out.

The Mavericks are 3-2 in their last five games, and the Wizards 1-4. These are two teams that have potent offenses, especially Dallas. Second in the league, the Mavericks are putting up 122.8 points per game. Although they lack a true identity and super star, the Wizards are 8th in total points per game (115.3).

If you're betting on the NBA, you're probably wondering why I am confident in the over. These are two of the worst defensive teams, both ranking in the bottom 25 in opponent points per game. If Kyrie Irving is able to suit up for tonight's game, I will be even more confident in my decision.

Why these teams can cover the over points scored

8-3 on the season, Dallas is 9-2-0 against totals, and the 2-8 Wizards 7-3-0. In their last ten matchups against each other, Washington holds a 6-4 win loss record, and the Over hit 7 of the last 10 games. Dallas is coming off four straight games that hit the over against the Pelicans, Clippers, and Raptors. For Washington, they are 3-2 versus totals in their last five games.

This is a shocking stat, the Wizards lead the NBA in pace (105.05), while the Mavericks rank 6th (102.14). Given the amount of high scoring on both sides, plus a higher pace, I am confident in this prop tonight. While Washington has emerged as one of the worst teams, Kyle Kuzma leads the team in scoring. Bilal Coulibaly, the 7th overall pick, should improve his game as the season goes on. For Dallas, they have stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead the backcourt.

Although the model is leaning towards the under, I don't expect either team to play any sort of stellar defense tonight. My safest bet is the over here.

Stay tuned for more NBA betting related articles. Click here

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

The post NBA Betting: Daily Odds & Predictions for November 15 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Will the Celtics continue to be a power threat in the East? Will the Bucks finally find their stride if Damian Lillard is able to suit up? Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Wednesday, November 8.

Monday's slate of NBA hoops

Celtics (7-2) look to continue hot start
Cavs coming off big win at Golden State take on the Kings

: NBA TV, NBA App
: https://t.co/j7XaSJWBOj pic.twitter.com/pYwTWQUkzZ

— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2023

NBA Daily Game Odds for 11/13

^{*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook}

The NBA Slate and Odds for 11/13

• Knicks (+310) @ Celtics (-9)(-395)
• Wizards (+360) @ Raptors (-10) (-470)
• Bulls (+310) @ Bucks (-9) (-395)
• Cavaliers (-2.5) (-142) @ Kings (+120)

NBA Parlay +380

Bet #1 : Kristaps Porzingis O 20.5 Points and Assists (-110)

lk out below pic.twitter.com/uoAxUMRjY4

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 12, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?19.6 | FG:?55.8 %?| 3 PT:?39.5 %?| FT:?82.7 %?| REB:?6.2 | AST: 1.8?| STL:?0.4?| BLK:?1.3

Career Stats vs New York Knicks:?PPG:?22.1?| FG:?42.5 %?| 3 PT:?41.2 %?| FT:?92.2 %?| REB:?9?| AST:?1.4?| STL:?0.2 |?BLK: 2.1

The Boston Celtics (7-2) will matchup against the New York Knicks (5-4) at home tonight. Boston is coming off a two game win streak, while the Knicks have won three straight. Although Kristpas Porzingis is on a loaded Celtics roster, he's been fairly consistent in terms of point production.

If you're betting on the NBA, Porzingis hit over points and assists in four of the last five games, and 60 percent in the last ten. Even better, this is a prop that hit 78 percent over the last thirty games. The Boston Center is averaging 19 points a game, which is nearly what the line is at tonight.

The Celtics have a tough matchup against the New York Knicks tonight, who rank 2nd in opponent points scored (103.2), and 4th in assists allowed (22.7). Although this will be a true test for Boston, Porzingis has the ability to space the floor, drawing out either Randle and Mitchell. In addition, there is too much talent on this team to fade the assists part.

Why Kristaps Porzingis will hit this prop

Although Porzingis only hit this prop 25 percent of home games, he faces his former team, where he's hit this prop in four straight games dating back to early 2023. A prop that hit 77 percent over the 2022-2023 season, I am confident KP will be heavily involved tonight.

In the month of November, the Center is averaging 29.3 minutes, and anywhere from 6.2-11.3 shot attempts per game. Averaging 19 points this month, Porzingis has five assists in the past two games, including three against the Toronto Raptors. In the season opener against New York, No. 8 finished 30 points on 8-15 shooting in 38 minutes against the Knicks.

Statistically, this isn't the most favored prop tonight. However, Julius Randle couldn't figure a way to stop Porzingis in their first matchup, and I have no doubt he will be a large role in the offense tonight at home.

Bet #2: Khris Middleton O 3.5 Assists (-135)

Khris keeping us close. pic.twitter.com/OMy9vrzp49

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 10, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?11.1 | FG:?48.3 %?| 3 PT:?34.6 %?| FT:?78.6 %?| REB:?3.1?| AST: 4?| STL:?0.6?| BLK:?0.1

Career Stats vs?Chicago Bulls?PPG:?15.6?| FG: 43.8 %?| 3 PT:?37.2 %?| FT:?84.9 %?| REB:?5.1?| AST:?3.8?| STL:?1.3 |?BLK: 0.

The Milwaukee Bucks (5-4) will matchup against the Chicago Bulls (4-6) tonight at home. Bucks guard Damian Lillard is listed as probable for tonight's game, after missing the last two matchups. Although Lillard is most likely to have most of the ball handling responsibilities, having him back in the lineup makes me more confident in this prop.

If you're betting on the NBA, Khris Middleton has mainly been healthy this season, and consistent in terms of assists. Over assists has hit in six of the last seven games, and 90 percent in the last ten. In fact, Middleton has dished out over 3.5 assists in four straight games, against New York, Brooklyn, and Indiana. Although the Bucks didn't have Lillard, Middleton had seven assists against the Orlando Magic last matchup.

I am full confident in this pick tonight, as this is a prop that hit 80 percent last season. While the Bucks are playing at home tonight, Middleton has over 3.5 assists in all home games this season, including the last five games in Milwaukee.

Why Khris Middleton can hit over 3.5 assists

Tonight, Jae Crowder and Chris Livingston are listed as OUT for the bucks. Although losing Crowder will be one less scoring option, Milwaukee still has plenty of scoring options in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cameron Payne, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Malik Beasley.

The Bucks will play a Bulls team who allows the 16th most points per game (113.3), and ranks 29th in opponent assists (28.6). Most recently, Chicago allowed Detroit players Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley III to hit over assists props. Additionally, NBA Players Jusuf Nurkis, Kevin Durant, Grayson Allen, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Clarkson, and Lauri Markkanen hit over assist props this week.

Averaging 4 assists per game this season, Middleton has a career average 3.8 assists against Chicago. Having played an average of 19.8 minutes per game in the month of November, he has 11 assists in the past two games.

If you're betting on the NBA, go with Middleton over assists tonight.

Bet 3: Scottie Barnes O .5 Blocks (-225)

YA BOY SCOTTIE BARNESSSSS pic.twitter.com/bskLRNfq9i

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 9, 2023

Season Stats?PPG:?20.2?| FG:?46.3 %?| 3 PT:?35.3 %?| FT:?75.7 %?| REB:?9.8?| AST: 5.8 | STL:?1.4?| BLK: 2

Career Stats vs?Washington Wizards:?PPG:?14.8?| FG:?47.6 %?| 3 PT:?0 %?| FT:?73.3 %?| REB:?5.7?| AST:?3.3?| STL:?0.8|?BLK: 0.3

Tonight, the Raptors will face the Washington Wizards at home. At times, the Wizard have played small ball, occasionally putting Kyle Kuzma at the five. Tonight, the Raptors will have the size advantage, especially with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl.

If you're betting on the NBA, Raptors sensation Scottie Barnes has over .5 blocks in 89 percent of the games this season, and nine of the last ten. In addition, Barnes has six blocks in the last three matchups against Boston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Although the Raptors struggle to find rhythm offensively, they've been tough on the defensive end. Averaging 4.7 blocks per game, Barnes hit this prop against the Wizards last at home in March of 2023. Tonight, the Raptors face a Wizards team who rank near last in points scored, rebounding, and assists. On average, Washington allows opponents to get 5.3 blocks per game, and Barnes is averaging two blocks a game this season. You could argue Barnes will hit over rebounds, however he has been consistent with blocks.

Scottie Barnes is a defensive juggernaut

Barnes has incredible versatility and strength, and this newly constructed Washington team does not. Scottie Barnes has incredible defensive prowess, and his shot blocking has not gone unnoticed.

While most teams have found their stride against the Wizards, I fully expect Barnes to be a force on the defensive end tonight. Averaging 35.9 minutes this season, look for Barnes to continue this streak for the fourth straight game.

Bonus Bet: Washington Wizards +9 (-110)

A solid performance yesterday from @Bilaal_6.

20 PTS, 7 REB, 4 3PT, 4 STL pic.twitter.com/qHEeq2E4u6

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 13, 2023

Yes, the Washington Wizards aren't a great team. They've acquired several new pieces this offseason, and struggle to find an identity. Lacking that true super star, Washington sits at 2-7 on the season. Tonight they face the 4-5 Toronto Raptors on the road.

Overall, Washington is 4-5-0 against the spread, and Toronto 5-4-0. They rank 28th in the league in point differential at -7.5, where the Raptors rank 17th at -1.5. To me, +9 is a large spread, especially for two teams who have poor offensive rhythm and flow.

The Raptors rank second to last in points per game, while the Wizards are surprisingly sixth in the NBA in points per game (116.2). Conversely, the Raptors are a top seven team defensively, while Washington allow 123.8 points per game.

In their last ten matchups, Toronto is 7-3 against Washington, and covered the spread five times. Despite losing to Brooklyn 102-94 on Saturday, the Wizards have four players who average points in double-figures, including Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, and Corey Kispert. Although the Wizards dropped four of their last five games, they've been able to cover the +8.5 and +9 spread against Miami and Atlanta. Toronto is coming off a 117-94 loss against the Celtics, where they shot just 27 percent from long range, and under 40 percent from the field.

While I expect the Raptors to take this game outright, I fully expect Washington to cover the spread tonight. They also received a breakout performance from rookie Bilal Coulibaly, who finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals against the Nets. If you plan to make this bet, the Wizards are 3-2-0 against the spread on the road this season.

Stay tuned for more NBA betting related articles.?Click here

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

The post NBA Daily Betting Odds & Predictions for November 13 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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There are seven games on the NBA betting slate today. With the season just beginning, thirty teams are set to compete for an NBA title. If you're looking to bet on the NBA, I will discuss the straight betting odds, statistics, information, trends, and my best predictions. The matchups today will air on NBA TV and local markets.  If you are looking to bet on the NBA, here is some information to know.

Saturday night hoops #KiaTipOff23

Knicks visit Zion and the Pelicans
Suns host the Jazz as KD looks to follow 39-point performance in LA

: NBA TV, NBA App
: https://t.co/DqR5UWE862 pic.twitter.com/jYM2SzJy7I

— NBA (@NBA) October 28, 2023

Full slate and odds:

Knicks (+124) @ Pelicans (-148) O/U 224
Grizzlies (-112) @ Wizards (-108) O/U 228
Bulls (-125) @ Pistons (+105) O/U 214.5
76ers (-166) @ Raptors (+140) O/U 214
Pacers (+124) @ Cavaliers (-148) O/U 224
Heat (+164) @ Timberwolves (-198) O/U 218
Jazz (+185) @ Suns (-225) O/U 224

Cavaliers -3.5 (-110)

The Indiana Pacers (1-0) finished 35-47 last season, and made several acquisitions in the off season to bolster their roster. Indiana signed veteran Bruce Brown on a two year deal, and acquired Obi Toppin from the New York Knicks. Additionally, Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith agreed to five and three year extensions with the franchise. Tonight they will matchup against a Central Division rival, Cleveland Cavaliers on the road.

The Pacers made a statement in their opening 143-120 win over the Washington Wizards. Ranking first in offensive efficiency, the Pacers had eight players with points in double figures, including three from the bench. They finished the night shooting 52.3 percent from the field, and 46.5 percent from long range. I will say, they did play the Washington Wizards, who are projected to be one of the worst performing teams, and have the worst odds to win an NBA title.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are 1-1 on the season, including a 108-105 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Max Strus joining Cleveland in free agency was huge, along with the resining of Caris LeVert. Led by Donovan Mitchell, this is an extremely talented core, which includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro, and Strus.

While the Pacers scored 145 points on the Washington Wizards, they allowed Kyle Kuzma to score 25 points. Darius Garland is officially out for tonights game, which LeVert should be able to suit up in the starting slot. Tyrese Haliburton is also listed as questionable for the Pacers with an illness.

Why the Cavaliers will cover

With such a small sample size with the season just getting underway, this is a slightly risky pick, especially given the injuries. Dating back to last season, Cleveland won the series 3-1, in which Indiana covered in three of them. This a Cavaliers team who had just 10 losses at home last season, and Indiana who finished 15-26 on the road.

Although there aren't many statistics to base my decision of off, the Pacers will keep things close, especially with Allen out with Garland. If Halliburton can't suit up for tonight's game, I will be slightly more confident in my decision. Cleveland is the the superior defensive team, and Donovan Mitchell should feast tonight against the Pacers who rank 15th in defensive rating.

If you're betting on the NBA, it's a slight risk, however, Cleveland money line at home is the best play. They finished the top defensive team last season (109.9), and finished in the top eight offensively.

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

*Includes 22-23 season*

Indiana Pacers

• Indiana Pacers: 2-3 in their last 5 games.
• 3-7 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 1-0-0
• O/U Record: 1-0-0
• 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 4-1 in the last 5 games.
• O/U: 6-4 in the last 10 games.
• 1st in Offensive Rating (128.8)
• 15th in Defensive Rating (109.1)
• 1st in Points Per Game (143)
• 1st in Pace: 110.50
• Opponent Points Per Game: 120 (25th)
• Three-Point Percentage: 37.5 % (17th)
• Rebounds Per Game: 45 (T-9th)
• Indiana ATS won last 5 games:  OKC (+6), Cleveland (+13),New York (+9.5), Washington(-4.5)

gameday in The Land. pic.twitter.com/yNNSxh6ouV

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 28, 2023

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Cleveland Cavaliers: 1-4 in their last 5 games.
• 4-6 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 0-2-0
• O/U Record: 1-1-0
• 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 1-4 in the last 5 games.
• O/U: 2-8 in the last 10 games.
• 20th in Offensive Rating (107.4)
• 12th in Defensive Rating (107.8)
• 13th in Points Per Game (107.8)
• 15th in Pace: 102.25
• Opponent Points Per Game: 110.5 (T 12)
• Three-Point Percentage: 33 % (17)
• Rebounds Per Game: 43
• Cavaliers ATS won last 5 games:  Orlando (+5.5), New York (-6)

Back to back for Opening Weekend.

7:30PM ET
@BallySportsCLE
@wtam1100, @wmms, @Power891
https://t.co/SqqDVmdgsp@RocketMortgage | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/5KZSbwjfR7

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 28, 2023

Head-to-head stats: Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Season Matchups: 2022-2023

Game 1: Cleveland 118, Indiana 112 (Indiana +8, Over 222.5)
Game 2: Indiana 135, Cleveland 126 (Indiana +3.5) Over 225.5
Game 3: Cleveland 122, Indiana 103 (Cleveland -3.5, Under 227.5)
Game 4: Cleveland 115, Indiana 105 (Indiana +13, Under 231)

• Cleveland won the season series 3-1
• Indiana average points last 10 games: 106
• Cleveland average points last 10 games: 104

Raptors vs. 76ers U 214 Points (-110)

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a season opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks 118-117. Without James Harden, the 76ers leading scorer was Tyrese Maxey with 31 points, followed by Joel Embiid with 24 and Kelly Oubre Jr. with 27. Having played against a top team in the east, the Sixers finished 45.7 percent from three and over 50 percent from the field. Philadelphia Head Coach Nick Nurse will face his former team, who won the NBA Championship in 2019.

Considering Harden is out of the picture, the 76ers continue to show why they will be a force in the East. The Toronto Raptors are 1-1 on the season, including a heartbreaking 104-103 loss against the Chicago Bulls. With the loss of Fred VanVleet, the Raptors starting lineup consists of Dennis Schroder, Jacob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam. For a team that ranks first in defense (99.8), the Raptors rank 29th in offensive efficiency (101).

Why the under will hit tonight

In the loss, Toronto struggled on offense, shooting only 25 percent from deep. Scottie Barnes led all team scorers with 22 points, and Siakam with 18. Playing with grit and heart, the Raptors defensive has kept them in games, although turnovers were an issue last game. They will now face a Philadelphia team that ranked third in total offensive (117), and eighth in defense (112.7) in 2022-2023. Last season, the 76ers won the regular season series, 3-1, in which the under hit two of four games.

If you're betting on the NBA, I am fairly confident on the under, as both of these teams have shown out defensively. The Raptors are 0-2 against totals, and the 76ers 1-0. In the last ten matchups between these two teams, the under hit six of ten games, including once on their home floor. Having finished 14-27 on the road last season, Toronto has proven they aren't efficient at the free throw line, shooting under 70 percent through two games.

It's unknown whether the 76ers will get 27 points from Kelly Oubre Jr. and 20 points from Tobias Harris. The Raptors were held to under 100 points against the Timberwolves, and barely passed over 100 against Chicago. The under is the best play here.

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

Toronto Raptors

*Includes 22-23 season*

• Toronto Raptors: 2-3 in their last 5 games.
• 5-5 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 2-0-0
• O/U Record: 0-2-0
• 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 3-2 in the last 5 games.
• O/U:5-5 in the last 10 games.
• 29th in Offensive Rating (101)
• 1st in Defensive Rating (94.3)
• 29th in Points Per Game (100)
• 5th in Pace: 99.8 (22)
• Opponent Points Per Game: 99 (3)
• Three-Point Percentage: 32.4 (18)
• Rebounds Per Game: 50 (8)
• Toronto ATS won last 10 games: Miami (-6), Charlotte (-15.5, -15.5), Milwaukee(-4), Minnesota (-1), Chicago (+1)

Back at it tonight

It’s @TangerineHoops Raptors Game Day pic.twitter.com/3A0tDQejAi

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 28, 2023

Philadelphia 76ers

• 76ers: 2-3 in their last 5 games.
• 5-5  in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 1-0-0
• O/U Record: 1-0-0
• 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 5-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 2-3 in the last 5 games.
• O/U: 5-5 in the last 10 games.
• 12th in Offensive Rating (112.5)
• 18th in Defensive Rating (112.4)
• 8th in Points Per Game (117)
• 17th in Pace: 104.5
• Opponent Points Per Game: 118 (21)
• Three-Point Percentage: 45.7 (3)
• Rebounds Per Game: 39 (29)
• Philadelphia ATS won last 10 games: Brooklyn (-2), Boston (+10.5, +1, +8),Milwaukee (+6)

Head-to-head stats: Raptors vs 76ers.

Season Matchups: 2022-2023

Game 1: Toronto 119, Philadelphia 109 ( Toronto +1, O 212.5)
Game 2: Philadelphia 112, Toronto 90 ( Philadelphia +3.5, U 215)
Game 3: Philadelphia 104, Toronto 101 OT ( Toronto +6, U 219.5)
Game 4: Philadelphia 117, Toronto 110 (Philadelphia -4, O 223.5)

• Philadelphia won the season series 3-1
• Raptors average points last 10 games: 105
• 76ers average points last 10 games: 109

Chicago Bulls ML (-125)

The Chicago Bulls decided to run it back after their loss to the Miami Heat in last year's play in tournament. At 1-1, the Bulls had an exhilarating 104-103 victory over the Raptors last night. They remain 0-2-0 against the spread, and 1-1 versus totals this season.

The Detroit Pistons have a youthful young core, consisting of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, amongst others. Cunningham was out most of the season last year, in which the Pistons were swept by the Bulls, 4-0. With the addition of Thompson and Cunningham, Detroit definitely poses a threat to the Bulls tonight. The Bulls are 10-0 in their last ten meetings, and 8-2 against the spread.

The x-factor will be if Zach LaVine suits up tonight, who's listed as probable with a back injury. With his health in question, this could be a risk pick for NBA bettors. A top 5 defense through two games, the Pistons will face a Bulls team with a solid core around LaVine and DeRozan. Last year Detroit finished as the worst team in the east at 17-65, and will face a Bulls team that finished 40-42.

If you're betting on the NBA, the Bulls have won their last 15 matchups, and tonight won't come easy for Detroit. With LaVine underperforming this season, Chicago has managed to stay afloat. It's hard for me to fade Chicago, especially given their previous matchup statistics.

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

*Includes 22-23 season*

Chicago Bulls

• Chicago Bulls: 3-2 in their last 5 games.
• 6-4 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 0-2-0
• O/U Record: 1-1-0
• 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 2-3 in the last 5 games.
• O/U: 5-5 in the last 10 games.
• 27th in Offensive Rating (100)
• 14th in Defensive Rating (108.6)
• T 27th in Points Per Game (104)
• 25th in Pace: 99.09
• Opponent Points Per Game: 113.5 (17)
• Three-Point Percentage: 24.7 (30)
• Rebounds Per Game: 47 (11)
• Bulls ATS won last 10 games: Charlotte (-11.5), Memphis (-2), Dallas (+2), Detroit (-8), Toronto (+6)

Last night was fun. Let's do it again in Detroit.

6 pm CT
@NBCSChicago
@670TheScore pic.twitter.com/9rwXgDJZ7V

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 28, 2023

Detroit Pistons

• Detroit Pistons: 2-3 in their last 5 games.
• 2-8 in their last 10 games.
• ATS Record: 2-0-0
• O/U Record: 0-2-0
• 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
• 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
• O/U is 2-3 in the last 5 games.
• O/U: 6-4 in the last 10 games.
• 22nd in Offensive Rating (104.9)
• 5th in Defensive Rating (99.5)
• 22nd in Points Per Game (106.5)
• 17th in Pace: 101.50
• Opponent Points Per Game: 101 (4)
• Three-Point Percentage: 33.9 (16)
• Rebounds Per Game: 44.5 (8)
• Pistons ATS won last 10 games: Milwaukee (+11.5), OKC (+9.5), Miami (+13.5), Indiana (+6.5), Miami (+9.5), Charlotte (+4.5)

I know you missed us

? HOME
? @BallySportsDET
? @971theticketxyt
#DetroitBasketball pic.twitter.com/Cnu02CEscx

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) October 28, 2023

Head-to-head stats: Bulls vs. Pistons

Season Matchups: 2022-2023
Bulls won the season series 4-0

Game 1: Chicago 132, Detroit 118 (Chicago -7.5, 0ver 230.5)
Game 2: Chicago 126, Detroit 108 (Chicago -7.5, under 236)
Game 3: Chicago 117, Detroit 115 (Detroit +7, over 233)
Game 4: Chicago 103, Detroit 81 ( Chicago -8, under 221)

Stay tuned for more NBA betting related articles. Click here

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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The 2023 NBA season is set to begin on Tuesday October 24. With an extremely talented draft class, 30 teams are set to compete for an NBA Championship. With several off season moves by various teams, the Denver Nuggets will look to defend their title. For the next 82 games, we will give you the odds, statistics and our best predictions for the 2023 Most Valuable Player, Most Improved, Rookie of the Year, and more. Let's take a look at the books and discuss which team is most likely to win a title this season. Can the Denver Nuggets run it back? Will Jokic win back-to-back MVPs? Here's some information to know:

We may come from different cities and we may root for different teams, but one thing we'll always have in common: EVERYONE'S GAME

The NBA is BACK on Tuesday, 10/24! #KiaTipOff23 pic.twitter.com/YRlxApyWhK

— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2023

Most Valuable Player

The 2023-24 NBA MVP will be ______!

NBA Tip-Off 2023 is presented by @HisenseCA. pic.twitter.com/oAAkPfaUEK

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) October 23, 2023

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: +450

Ready for the regular season

25 PTS / 14 REB / 8 AST / 1 STL pic.twitter.com/lpDNUa0H32

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 20, 2023

2022-2023 Season Stats :PPG: 24.5 | FG: 63.2 % | 3 PT: 38.3 % | FT: 82.2% | REB: 11.8 | AST: 9.8 | STL: 1.3 | BLK:0.7

Nikola Jokic certainly had himself a season last year. Falling just short of his third MVP title, the big man led the Denver Nuggets to their first Championship title in franchise history. The Joker had an incredible season, in which some would say he was deserving of the award. Looking to win the MVP award for the third time in four seasons, Jokic led the league in triple doubles, and player impact estimate. The first player with 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season (2022), the Joker averaged career highs in field goal percentage (62.3 percent), and assists.

Named Finals MVP, for Jokic to win again, he simply needs to play his game. In his Prime, No. 15 is one of the most dominant Centers in the league, next to Embiid. The favorite to win it all, the Nuggets star will have to rely on the health of his teammates, which has been a past issue. Although the Nuggets regressed slightly in their roster, Nikola Jokic should have plenty of talent around him, including Jamaal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon. Given he hasn't played less than 69 games in his eight-year career, Jokic is a prime candidate for MVP this season.

Luka Don?i?, Dallas Mavericks: +500

Magic from the first pic.twitter.com/06Fz2hUgcJ

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 10, 2023

2022-2023 Season Stats: PPG: 32.4 | FG: 49.6% | 3 PT: 34.2 % | FT: 74.2% | REB: 8.6 | AST: 8 | STL: 1.4 | BLK:0.5
Never having won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Luka Don?i? remains one of the most prolific point guards in the league. With the addition of Kyrie Irving, and several key pieces, Don?i?'s chances of MVP may decrease. In his first full season with Irving, we will see if Don?i? gravitates more on than off ball. With Kyrie resigning with Dallas, the world is waiting to see the full chemistry between him and Don?ic, especially with two ball dominant guards. That in itself is a huge factor in determining whether he is capable of the award.

Averaging a career high 32.4 points last season, Don?i? shot a career best 49.6 percent from the field, and recorded 1.4 steals a game. Extremely talented, and one of the best in the game, the health of No. 77 remains an issue. Having missed the 2022-2023 playoffs, Don?i? has yet to play a full season, averaging 66 games played his five-year career. Just one game above the threshold to be considered for awards, he hasn't played over 70 games since the 2018-2019 season.

Through 66 games played last season, Don?i? finished second in points, behind Embiid, and fourth in field goals made per game (11.1).

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: +550

Thanks for coming out and see you Thursday! pic.twitter.com/FqxtP98lQQ

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 22, 2023

2022-2023 Season Stats : PPG: 31.1 | FG: 55.3 % | 3 PT: 27.5 % | FT: 64.5 % | REB: 11.8 | AST: 5.7 | STL: 0.8 | BLK:0.8

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the "Greek Freak" remains one of the best players currently in the NBA. More than just a scorer, Antetokounmpo was named All-NBA First Team, alongside Luka Don?i?, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Three years removed from winning an NBA Championship, Milwaukee conceded to the Miami Heat 4-1 in last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. With Giannis mainly hurt for the series, along with injuries to Khris Middleton, the Bucks gave Antetokounmpo an early Christmas present. The acquisition of veteran Damian Lillard should provide tremendous spacing for Giannis, making them a top duo in the league.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo have the capability to dominate the pick and roll, and Damian Lillard will give Giannis a healthy, consistent option to pass out to. Although unclear if the addition will help or hurt his stats, Giannis should create opportunities for Dame. With Lillard taking attention away from Antetokounmpo, I expect a monumental shift on offense for the big man. Haven't played over 70 games since the 2018-2019 season, Antetokounmpo has mainly spent the offseason healing a knee injury.

Coming off a career season in points per game (31.1), No. 34 has a real shot of winning MVP, and has averaged a double-double the past six seasons.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: +650

the big fella. @SternCohenLaw1 pic.twitter.com/Ki9yLbzqRg

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 20, 2023

2022-2023 Season Stats :PPG: 33.1 | FG: 85.7 % | 3 PT: 33 % | FT: 85.7% | REB: 10.2 | AST: 4.2 | STL: 1 | BLK: 1.7

Joel Embiid is the reigning 2022-2023 NBA MVP, his first in his seven-year career. One of the most dominant big men in the game, Embiid averaged highs in minutes played (34.6), three-throw percentage (85.7), points (33.1), and field goal percentage (54.8). As dominant as he is inside, Embiid is a true center, who can stretch the floor, remaining a threat beyond the perimeter. One of the best defensive threats in the league, No. 21 finished with over 1.7 blocks and one steal per game.

If you recall, Embiid finished the season on a tear, including a 52-point performance against the Boston Celtics towards the end of the season. With the fourth best odds to win the award, Embiid finds himself yet again in the middle of a disheveled franchise. Having dealt with a similar issue prior with Ben Simmons, Sixers guard James Harden has requested a trade out of Philadelphia. His absence from training camp primarily leaves Maxey and Embiid as the core pieces of the team.

While he's managed to stay healthy the last two seasons, Embiid hasn't played over 68 games in his entire career. Deemed healthy, the big man will have the task of carrying the 76ers while they fill the Harden void under new coach Nick Nurse.

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: +800

DefenseOffense pic.twitter.com/bMwyMkqIum

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 19, 2023

2022-2023 Season Stats :PPG: 30.1 | FG: 36.6 % | 3 PT: 35 % | FT: 85.4 % | REB: 8.8 | AST: 4.6 | STL: 1.1 | BLK:0.7

After six seasons under his belt, it seems as though it's championship or bust for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, am I right? On a fully loaded roster, Tatum averaged career highs in points (30.1), assists (4.6), rebounds (8.8), and minutes played (36.9). Although it seems like a long shot, Tatum is entering the prime of his career, alongside Jaylen Brown. Appearing in nine straight playoffs, the Boston Celtics have high expectations this season, and also for Tatum.

As well as Tatum performed with Brown in the lineup, Brad Stevens acquired Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, among others. Knowing what it takes to sacrifice to win, it's unclear if the additions to the Celtics roster will hinder Tatum's MVP case. We've seen Tatum elevate his game, and rise to the top, although his shot selection can improve. One of the healthier candidates, No.0 has played over 70 games in two straight seasons.

Fully healthy, can Jayson Tatum lead the Celtics to their first banner since the 08 season? If so, it may take sacrifice from all players to achieve their championship goals.

Dark horse candidate: Shai Gilgeous Alexander: +1600

Our Prediction: Nikola Jokic: +450

Rookie of the Year

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs: -125

We can't stop watching Wemby

He's +100 to win ROTY

15 points| 4 blocks | 1 steal | 3 rebounds

(via @KevinOConnorNBA )pic.twitter.com/8o3CQd4OzU

— Ballislife Bets (@BallislifeBets) October 21, 2023

Back in June, Victor Wembanyama was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs. Considered the biggest generational talent since LeBron James, Wembanyama hasn't disappointed in the preseason. Standing at 7' 4, Wemby is incredibly athletic for his size, and can stretch the floor, shooting from long range. With a shaky summer league debut, the French sensation has lived up to the hype ever since, giving fans a glimmer of hope post Duncan and Ginobili era.

Favored the win the MVP at -125 odds, it's hard to fade that here. I will go ahead and make a bold prediction Wembanyama could possibly be included in the MVP conversation. Surrounded by a young Spurs core led by Greg Popovich, Wembanyama is the best player in this draft class, by a mile. No. 1 is a player that will have an instant impact on both sides of the floor and has already show cased talents which question if he's even human. With an eight-foot wingspan, it's going to be nearly impossible for players to score over him on a nightly basis.

In four preseason games, Wemby is averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and one steal. He's eight overall in the preseason rankings, leading all rookies.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trailblazers : +240

Shaedon Sharpe
Anfernee Simons
Scoot Henderson

The Blazers young core is fun

( @IQfor3) pic.twitter.com/stxUjA1m8p

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 17, 2023

The Portland Trailblazers stunned the NBA world when they drafted Scoot Henderson third overall from G-League Ignite. The apparent heir to Damian Lillard, Portland eventually traded their superstar to the Milwaukee Bucks. Henderson now joins a fun Blazers young core, and a crowded backcourt of Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe.

Henderson should slide into the starting role as point guard, although the acquisition of Malcom Brogdon may challenge him for minutes. With the departure of Lillard, Portland also gained center Deandre Ayton alongside Jerami Grant. The magnitude of the guard's role is unclear this year, especially with such young talent around him.

Out due to an injury in the Summer League, Henderson had underwhelming preseason. Averaging only 13.5 points per game, the point guard dished out more than 5 assists, and finished under 30 percent from three. Notorious for his explosiveness, Henderson should get plenty of attacks to the basket.

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder: +280

The BEST PLAYS from Chet Holmgren's 2023 #NBAPreseason

OKC opens their season against the Bulls on Oct. 25 (8pm/et on the NBA App) pic.twitter.com/o8hqiaD8MR

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2023

Center Chet Holmgren stands at 7 foot 1 and was drafted 2nd overall in 2022 draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.  This is a crucial time for Holmgren, who was out for the entire 2022-2023 season due to a Lisfranc injury on his right foot. Much like Wembanyama, Holmgren has an extremely versatile skill set, especially for his size.

Holmgren will join a young, talented Thunder team, led by Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams among others. Ready to make an immediate impact, Holmgren impressed in preseason, especially against Wembanyama. There's no doubt Holmgren will join a Thunder team that desperately needs a big man who can defend. In four preseason games, the center averaged 16.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Seen going head-to-head against Wemby, the league should be in for a real treat with Holmgren. As much as I love Holmgren as a Rookie of the Year Candidate, SGA is my dark horse MVP winner, and will be scoring a majority for the Thunder. I believe it will take a few years for Holmgren to truly showcase all of his capabilities.

Dark horse candidate: Cam Whitmore: +2500

Our Prediction: Victor Wembanyama: -120

Most Improved Player

Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets: +800

Mikal Bridges finishes the BEAUTIFUL fastbreak pic.twitter.com/qUVIZ5BzHZ

— Nets Nation (@NetsNationCP) October 19, 2023

Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges is the overwhelming favorite to win most improved player after he was included in the Kevin Durant trade. A lockdown defender, Bridges finished the season with 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. After spending his first five seasons in Phoenix, the forward exploded in 27 games with the Brooklyn Nets. No. 1 averaged 26.1 points, 2.7 assists, 1 steal, and 4.5 rebounds with his new team. Effective from long range, Bridges showed large production in such a short amount of time. With one day until tip off, Bridges is expected to be focal point of this team and is expected to take away the award.

Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers: +1000

TYR3S3. pic.twitter.com/8xCZ4gcYpN

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 21, 2023

Tyrese Maxey seems to have the full green light by the Philadelphia 76ers organization. Under new coach Nick Nurse, the 76ers refused to include Maxey in any trade negotiations. With a disgruntled James Harden, Maxey will be left carrying this team, along with Joel Embiid. That's if Harden is traded, he's technically still a member of the 76ers. Truly a rising star in the NBA, Maxey averaged career highs in points (20.3), and three-point percentage (43.4).

This is a monumental opportunity for Maxey, who didn't receive a contract extension, and in the wake of Harden holding out. Now will be his time to shine and prove why he's one of the most elite shooters and rising stars in the league. For the most part, players typically play with a little bit more tenacity on contract years.

Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards: +1100

JP in just 27 minutes tonight. #ForTheDistrict | @CapitalOne pic.twitter.com/pJ1e3ZTehp

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 19, 2023

Jordan Poole finally got a fresh start, after a tumultuous time with the Golden State Warriors. Averaging over 20 points with the Warriors, Poole will join a Washington Wizards team, where he will be a starter. With various injuries to the Warriors, Poole was able to average over 24 points as a starter for Steve Kerr, which is extremely impressive. On a revamped Wizards roster, look for Poole to lead the way, with the departure of Bradley Beal. Not a finalist after filling for the injured Klay Thompson, look for Poole to lead this core, along with Kyle Kuzma.

Dark horse candidate: Desmond Bane

Our Prediction: Mikal Bridges

2023 NBA Championship

Boston Celtics: +400

2022-2023 Standings: 57-25 2nd in Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics haven't won an NBA Championship since 2008 and have made nine straight postseason appearances. On Media Day, Boston Celtics Management mentioned they are all in on banner 18, and well beyond this season. After a heartbreaking game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was apparent Boston needed to reconstruct their lineup.

The Celtics eventually parted ways with Marcus Smart and Grant Williams and acquired Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Signing Jaylen Brown to a multiyear extension was crucial for the Celtics, as Brown and Jayson Taytum continue to grow alongside each other.

Head Coach Joe Mazzulla will now have a full season under his belt, after taking over the firing of Ime Udoka. With a very top-heavy roster, the Celtics will rotate between a double-big lineup, and a smaller lineup of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. If the Celtics can stay healthy and develop chemistry, they have a real shot of winning it all.

Milwaukee Bucks: +400

2022-2023 Standings: 58-24, 1st in Eastern Conference

The Milwaukee Bucks finished first in the Eastern Conference, despite an injury riddled season. Giannis Antetokounmpo unfortunately suffered an injury in the Eastern Semifinals against the Miami Heat, in which they lost the series. With the acquisition of Damiam Lillard, the Bucks will receive a natural born scorer, in addition to Giannis and Khris Middleton. To me, the Bucks and the Celtics are the clear-cut favorites in the East, with both favored at +400 to win the NBA title.

Denver Nuggets: +550

2022-2023 Standings: 53-29, 1st in Western Conference

It's been a little over 130 days since the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat to win their first NBA Championship. For the most part, the Nuggets kept their core roster, with the exception of Bruce Brown. With an exceptional amount of talent in the West, Denver is likely to face either the Suns or Lakers, or possibly Warriors in the playoffs. As long as the Nuggets have Jokic and are healthy, I see them competing for another title this year.

Phoenix Suns: +650

2022-2023 Standings: 45-37, 4th in Western Conference

The Phoenix Suns vastly disappointed last year, after trading for Kevin Durant mid-season. After losing game 5 and 6 against Denver in the playoffs, it was apparent Phoenix needed to work on their chemistry. This offseason, the Suns decided to move on from veteran guard Chris Paul and acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. Moving on from center Deandre Ayton, the Suns will challenge the Western Conference with a new big three. Given Devin Booker played with Chris Paul in the past, it will be interesting to see if he plays more off ball with Beal now in Phoenix.

With Jusuf Nurkic at center, will the Suns be able to keep up with Jokic in the west? In a top-heavy rotation, Phoenix is thin in depth. We've seen Kevin Durant play with superstars in the past, is this the year he finally gets his third championship?

Dark horse candidate: Los Angeles Lakers : +1200

Our Prediction: Boston Celtics (+400)

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

Stay tuned for more NBA and betting related articles. Click here

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It wasn’t long ago. Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal signed a five-year $251 million-dollar supermax contract in 2022. At 29 years old, Beal's loyalty has been to the Wizards, despite never winning a championship in his 11-year tenure. With the NBA Draft coming up next Thursday, there have been reports surrounding Bradley Beal’s future with the Washington Wizards.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, rival franchises have reached out to the Washington Wizards, and according to ESPN. they are ‘exploring the possibility of trading for three-time All-Star, Bradley Beal.

?Shams Charania of the Athletic and stadium, reports, the Wizards are in “serious talks” with two finalists, the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. Let’s break down Beal’s contract, stats, and the odds for another team to acquire him.

Bradley Beal’s Contract

Year? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Age? ? ? Base Salary? ? ? Cap Hit % of league? ? ? ? Team
2022-2023? ? ? 29? ? ? ? $43,279,250? ? ?$43,279,250 35.00 %? ? ? ?Wizards
2023-2024? ? ? 30? ? ? ? $46,741,590? ? ?$46,741,590 34.88 %? ? ? ?Wizards
2024-2025? ? ? 31? ? ? ? $50,203,930? ? ?$50,203,930 35.11 %? ? ? ?Wizards
2025-2026? ? ? 32? ? ? ? $53,666,270? ? ?$53,666,270 34.12 %? ? ? ?Wizards
2026-2027? ? ? 33? ? ? ? $57,128,610? ? ?$57,128,610 33.02 %? ? ? ?Wizards

*All stats provided by Spotrac.com*

Beal has two previous contracts in his 11-year career. From 2012-2015, Beal signed a 4-year, $18 million dollar contract with the Wizards. In fact, it was his rookie contract which included an $8 million guaranteed at signing. From 2016-2022, Beal signed a 5-year contract with up to $127 million, which was a maximum contract. From 2021-2022, Bradley Beal signed a maximum extension worth $70 million and 2 years.

Although Beal has never won a championship with the Wizards, he’s been one of the most productive guards in the league. He shot a career-high 50.6 Percent from the field this past season, and is a career 46 percent field goal, and 37 percent three-point shooter. In fact, from 2019-2021, Beal was averaging over 30 points per game in back-to- back seasons.

In his most recent extension, Bradley Beal has a full no-trade clause, meaning the Wizards cannot trade him to any team, and Beal would have a final say. According to ESPN Bobby Marks, Beal was the only player to receive a full no-trade clause at the signing of the extension, and he received a 5th year option, as well as a 15 % trade kicker.

What is a Trade Kicker?

According to basketball-reference.com, a trade kicker is the percentage of a player’s salary that is awarded as a bonus in the event of a trade. This essentially means that if Bradley Beal is traded to another team, he will make more money. One would assume how much value and loyalty Beal has to the Wizards and vice versa.

2023-2024 NBA Championship Odds

For more information about futures, we will provide you will all the information about NBA futures betting right here.

Phoenix Suns: +850
Miami Heat: +1800
Washington Wizards: +30000

Bradley Beal’s Next Team Odds:

Washington Wizards: +140
Miami Heat: +550
Phoenix Suns: +3000

Washington Wizards:

The Wizards finished 12th in the Eastern Conference and failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year. In addition, Bradley Beal hasn’t played close to 80 games since the 2018-2019 season due to injuries.? In fact, he’s played 60 games and under the past four straight years. After finishing 35-47, and 3rd in the Southeast Division, we must question whether the Wizards are better off building around Beal, or completely rebuild the team.

Although Kristaps Porzingis revitalized is career in Washington, both him, Kyle Kuzma, Kendrick Nunn, Taj Gibson, Quenton Jackson, and Jay Huff are all free agents. With the retention of Beal, the Washington Wizards are over the cap -$65,915,924. The Wizards will have to find some cheaper options if they want to rebuild around Beal. However, it sounds like new GM Michael Winger is ready to implode this roster.

Miami Heat:

The Miami Heat, in my opinion, are a piece or two away from becoming NBA Champions. The Heat made it to the 2023 NBA Finals without players Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo. With the declining play of Kyle Lowry, Miami lacked a true guard that could lead this team in conjunction with Jimmy Butler. The Miami Heat are over the cap -$67,381,252, and their average roster age is 28.4.

Furthermore, Max Strus, Kevin Love, Victor Oladipo, Gabe Vincent, Udonis Haslem, Omer Yurtseven, Jamal Cain, and Orlando Robinson are all now free agents. With Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin in the books until 2024, do the Heat package a deal including them? The big question will be, are the Heat willing to part ways with shooting guard Tyler Herro along with a few draft picks. The Heat currently hold the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. If Miami acquires Bradley Beal, he will make an instant impact on this Heat team. Jimmy Butler, along with Bam Adebayo, would finally have a third star that would provide immediate scoring.

Phoenix Suns:

The Phoenix Suns acquired All-Star Kevin Durant in the 2023 NBA Trade deadline, and it was a disappointment when it came to the playoffs. Durant was limited by injuries and had less than 30 games to develop chemistry with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and veteran Guard Chris Paul. The Suns survived the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers, however, were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in the next round.?The Suns lost guard Chris Paul to injury, and couldn’t get it done with Durant, Booker, and Ayton.

Players such as Torrey Craig, Terrence Ross, Saben Lee, Damion Lee, Bismack Biyombo, Josh Okogie, Darius Bazley, Jock Landale, and Ish Wainright are all now free agents. Although the Suns Cap Space is $-74,247,919, it’s clear they would have to part ways with Chris Paul, who’s on the hook from $28-$30 million until 2025. The Phoenix Suns lost their 21st overall pick from their trade with the Brooklyn Nets and have the 52 overall pick this Thursday.? Although the Suns have two stars in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, much like the Heat, they are looking to make another championship run.

According to NBA Insider Chris Hayes, Beal expressed the terms in which he would go to the Suns. For him to waive his no trade clause, that includes Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, however, it would not include DeAndre Ayton.

Overall, Bradley Beal is a tremendous player who's under the age of 30.? He would make an instant impact for any championship content team. The question is, who has the assets to acquire Beal, and are they willing to pay over 50 million dollars annually for the next three to four seasons.

Stay tuned for more NBA odds, stats, and predictions for the NBA Draft and WNBA, and NBA Free Agency. Click here for more ?NBA betting strategies.

For More NBA Betting Info & Game Predictions,?Follow us at @BallislifeBets.

Sara Jane is a full-time content creator,?focusing on both college basketball, the NBA, NFL, and writer of www.ebooksnet.com.?Don’t forget to follow her on Twitter/YouTube/Kick/Twitch/Instagram: @GGirlSports.

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The 2017/18 season had it's share of great dunks: Larry Nance Jr adding Kevin Durant to his Warriors' poster collection, season 15 LeBron putting Jusuf Nurkic in a casket, (true) Rookie Of The Year Donovan Mitchell with a nasty putback between fellow rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, and Giannis doing his best Vince Carter impersonation by jumping over Tim Hardaway Jr to throw down the alley-oop of the year. All of those dunks were featured in the NBA's Top 10 Dunks of the 2018 regular season.

Missing from the compilation video was Giannis' teammate, Thon Maker, being made into a poster by Russell Westbrook a day before New Year's eve.

Are you really going to tell me Dwight Howard dunking on Muscala was better than this dunk?

Just as good as the facial was Russell Westbrook's post-game response to a reporter asking about it: "I do that, this what I do."

THE BEST DUNK OF THE YEAR

If we included dunks from the playoffs, the dunk of the year would easily go to rookie Jayson Tatum, who posterized LeBron James six years after asking him for a follow on Twitter.

LeBron finally followed Jayson Tatum back! It only took 6 years.

(via @World_Wide_Wob) pic.twitter.com/YZz2eOro7r

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 28, 2018

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The NBA is full of ballers that are part-time rappers. Most know about Damian Lillard, Lou Williams, Iman Shumpert and Lonzo Ball (who dropped a diss song about Kyle Kuzma earlier in the week), but not many know about Kyrie Irving. Word around the league is everyone's favorite Uncle is also one of the nicest emcees.

On Thursday, the Uncle Drew YouTube channel released a new song called "Ridiculous" that doesn't show off Irving's rhyming skills but does show off his vocals, which his followers on social media are probably familiar with.

You can check out the full song as well as a behind the scenes feature and a few other tracks off the Uncle Drew soundtrack below.

Before we get to the rest of the songs on the soundtrack, here's a Kyrie Irving video that's really "ridiculous" and a few other videos of him showing off his vocals.

SOUNDTRACK

The post Listen To Kyrie Irving's New Song "Ridiculous" Off The "Uncle Drew" Soundtrack appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Remember that awful video of Kyle Kuzma, dressed like a pimp, roasting teammate Lonzo Ball for the "Player Haters Ball?" Well, Zo responded by channeling Pusha T and treating Kuzma like Drake on a new diss record called 'Kylie Kuzma.'

I'm kidding about comparing the young (possible future teammates of LeBron on the) Lakers to the popular rappers but this is the best basketball player-to-player diss since Shaq asked Kobe "Tell me how my ass taste?" a decade ago (this month is actually the 10-year anniversary of the infamous freestyle). The big difference is Zo and Kuzma are friends and Shaq and Kobe actually hated each other more than most people know (I have stories from former teammates I wish I could share).

It didn't take long for Kuzma to respond. Less than an hour after the release, Kuzma left this comment on Zo's IG post: "No Pusha T. No comeback. I'm whoopin' yo ass Wednesday."

????????? @ZO2_ pic.twitter.com/uUmXwtMANa

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) June 11, 2018

So @ZO2_ really made a diss track to his own teammate ???? I’m really dead! @kylekuzma you gotta respond ???

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 11, 2018

LYRICS

(Via SportingNews.com)

Who are you without ZO2?

Just another dude with a bunch of tattoos

You ain't got no shoe Nike wins, Kuz lose

Claiming that I can't shoot, but all these words is hitting you.

Boy you talking crazy, why you try to play me?

You ain't on my level, you ain't famous as my baby

I'm working out daily, but I ain't posting it

And I would never stop a workout just to post a pic

They let 'em gas you up, thinking that you can't be touched

Coming from the outskirts of Flint, boy you ain't tough

Big Baller Brand getting bread, little Kuz is getting crumbs

We thumbing through that money, look at y'all, y'all is playing with your thumbs

Don't know who your daddy is, well your ass is getting sonned

We both taking shots, the only difference is you ain't hitting none

Usually do this s— for fun, but trust me boy I'm not the one

If you the bullet, I'm the gun, If you the pot, I'm cooking some

You want smoke, you can get it, dressing for attention

Trying to be Russell Westbrook, you just honorable mention

I killed you with a sentence, to me you just a peasant

Triple Bs is independent, Kuz (???), can't reinvent it

Cause you ain't got the people, and you ain't got the sources

Put all your money in a Porsche, I dropped a check on horses

You better join the forces, with them main enforcers

Triple Bs is for the culture, your squad is a bunch of vultures

I'mma stop, you losing focus, reason why you dropped your courses

Need some more endorsements, one fleece, you think we didn't notice?

ZO AND KUZMA ROASTING EACH OTHER

If you follow Kuzma, Zo, his brothers, and other Laker teammates on social media, then you know they are always roasting each other. Below are some of the best and funniest moments between them and that awful Kuzma roast I mentioned.

The post Lonzo Ball dropped a diss record about Kyle Kuzma called 'Kylie Kuzma!' appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

There's been a few interesting tweets from NBA Draft Combine vets over the past couple days about the importance of shining and being a professional at the event.

2017 Draft Combine participant and Rookie Of The Year candidate Donovan Mitchell tweeted this PSA: "For all the guys in the combine… just remember you may jump the highest run the fastest or score the most… but you can mess everything up with how you behave off the floor! Eyes everywhere. My PSA for the day."

Teammate Jae Crowder retweeted the PSA and said, "THAT'S REAL!!" while Slo-Mo Joe Ingles sarcastically replied, "You are so inspirational."

Fellow rookie surprise Kyle Kuzma also had a message for the future pro players, mainly the ones who probably wont last long in the league.

"Sheesh, a lot of dudes at the combine not playing 5-on-5." Tweeted the 27th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. "No hiding at this level, if you can’t hoop you will be exposed."

2011 NBA Draft Combine vet Isaiah Thomas also tweeted about his experience and players getting exposed.

"Oh yeah. That combine shit doesn’t mean anything!!!" Thomas said. "I remember preparing myself and killing every drill & being at the top in every category. Still picked last! Don’t get discouraged. They can’t HIDE out forever. At some point the “top” guys gotta compete."

Jason Terry confirmed IT's statement about "killing every drill" by saying, "Yeah, I seen you with my own eyes. Best pre-draft workouts I ever seen by a guard."

There's a couple of cameos of Thomas in this 2011 NBA Draft combine recap video that mainly focuses on Jimmer Fredette, who was drafted 10th in the draft and lasted five years in the NBA with a career average of six points a game. There's also an interview with Derrick Williams, who was picked second in the draft and bounced around to six teams in six years while only averaging 10 points once in his career. Other notable names from this combine include Klay and Tristan Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, Iman Shumpert, the Morris twins and Enes Kanter.

Here's how they finished among the leaders in the major Combine fitness tests.

MAX VERT

• Iman Shumpert 42
• Josh Selby 42
• Travis Leslie 40.5
• Isaiah Thomas 40
• Kemba Walker 39.5
• Jimmy Butler 39
• Shelvin Mack 39

BENCH PRESS

• Derrick Williams 19
• Justin Harper 19
• Iman Shumpert 18
• Shelvin Mack 18
• Greg Smith 17

LANE AGILITY

• Norris Cole 10.07
• Andrew Goudelock 10.33
• Jimmer Fredette 10.42
• Scotty Hopson 10.47
• Isaiah Thomas 10.49

MODIFIED LANE AGILITY

• Norris Cole 5.05
• Jimmer Fredette 5.11
• Andrew Goudelock 5.13
• Brandon Knight 5.27
• Cory Joseph 5.27

3/4 COURT SPRINT

• Jeremy Richmond 3.02
• Tyler Honeycutt 3.07
• Brandon Knight 3.07
• Malcolm Lee 3.093
• Isaiah Thomas (10th) 3.14

You probably noticed the majority of guys still playing in the NBA didn't make any of those lists. Jimmy Butler only made the vert list, ended up being the last first round pick in the NBA Draft and is now one of the best players in the league. Not only did Kawhi Leonard fail to make the top of any of these tests, his three bench press reps landed him in the bottom five for that test. He ended up being drafted 15th by Indiana and traded for GEORGE HILL!

As for Thomas, he did 13 reps and in this Combine interview with DraftExpress, he talked about his strength and how he believes it will make up for his 5'10" height (actually measured at 5'8" without shoes) when it comes to playing defense on taller players.

The most interesting part of this interview is Thomas saying he sees himself coming off the bench like a JJ Barea. Thomas did spend some time as a 6th Man early in his career but was putting up 20 points a game by his third season, became an All-Star in his fifth and MVP candidate in his sixth. Not bad for a guy picked last in his draft.

Here's a few more great interviews with current stars when they participated in the 2011 NBA Combine (with a lot less hair on their face and head). Make sure you go to the end of the Kawhi interview to watch him giggle while talking about his Mom ordering shoes for him.

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We live in a sugar rush world where everything  -- the latest song by an artist, latest film by an actor or director, the latest video with Tristan Thompson in it -- is "the best ever." It's the "best" until that person makes another one for people on social media to over hype. With that said, this year's crop of rookies -- from dunk champ Donovan Mitchell to Ben "I'm still a rookie" Simmons to the Lakers group of young Lonzo Ball, old for a rookie Kyle Kuzma & Josh Hart to old as hell for a rookie Andre Ingram -- might go down as one of the best and most exciting ever.

Future potential stars not mentioned above include Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Dennis Smith Jr, Markelle Fultz, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Josh Jackson, De'Aaron Fox, Dillon Brooks, OG Anunoby, Terrance Ferguson, Milos Teodosic, Bam Adebayo, Frank Ntilikina and Malik Monk. In the following 14 minute mix from the NBA, these talents along with more talented first year players I didn't mention are featured.

And here's a few highlights that should have made the cut.

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If the Andre Ingram story was a fictional screenplay being shopped around Hollywood, I would have said "toss that shit in the trash" because it's ridiculous and too unrealistic. I don't even think BET or the Lifetime network would green light a story about a 32-year-old baller who has spent the past decade playing in the G-League and tutoring middle and high school kids in math, getting signed by the Lakers and having one of the most impressive NBA debuts in recent memory. It's just too crazy to be made. But, Andre Ingram made it happen...in reality.

On April 10th of 2018, "The Real Ingram (as Lonzo Ball would jokingly say)" made 6-of-8 shots for 19 points in his NBA debut. The 19 points were the most points by a rookie in a Lakers debut since Nick Van Exel put up 23 in 1993; this means Ingram scored more in his debut than Eddie Jones, Kobe Bryant, D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram!

The NBA version of Rudy also had everyone from players on opposing teams to Oscar winner and Lakers legend Kobe Bryant talking about his storybook performance, which I'm calling the sequel to La La Land.

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After making just 6-of-36 threes over his last seven games, Lonzo Ball attempted 12 threes against the Pelicans on Thursday. He made one of those 12 threes.

After the game, teammate Isaiah Thomas defended (no pun intended) Ball's shooting by saying, "He doesn't just score, that's not what he does. He makes plays, he rebounds the ball, he does a little of everything. The next step is him getting that jump shot. And once he's consistent with that, he's going to be a complete player and be even harder to guard. The main thing about that is just having the confidence to shoot it and not shying away from the moment or opportunity. And like I told him tonight, 'keep taking them shots.' If you get the opportunity, the only thing you can do is miss. He works on it, so he's going to be alright."

Coach Luke Walton was just as optimistic when asked about Zo's poor shooting.

“I want him taking it,” Walton said. “I want a point guard that’s got the courage to step up and take those, even after making a few. None of those were forced. They were open threes in rhythm. We believe in what he’s going to do for us in our future.

“We’re very confident that as he grows and continues to mature in this league, he’s going to be a consistent knockdown shooter, so I’m fine with those."

My issue isn't Zo's shooting percentage from three, it's the amount of threes he's taking. 12 is what the entire Pelicans' starting line-up attempted. 12 is one more than the amount Kentavious Caldwell-Pope attempted but KCP made eight of them. 12 is twice as many as Kyle Kuzma's attempts and Kuz made four of his six. If you looked around the league last night, the only player who attempted more threes than Zo was Kemba Walker and he made 10-of-14!

I'm not asking Zo to avoid the three-point line like Ben "I'm great at scoring off the court (Tinashe!)" Simmons but he's averaging over eight three-point attempts a game over his last 10; the only players in the league averaging that many thee-point attempts this season are James Harden (10.3), Steph Curry (9.9), Eric Gordon (8.8) and Damian Lillard (8.5). I also wouldn't mind seeing his 1.3 attempts from the free throw line go up a little. He did try to throw down on Anthony Davis and got blocked but I love the idea of him attacking the rim.

Here's an encouraging stat for Lakers fans: Birthday boy Jason Kidd had the nickname Ason Kidd as a rookie because he didn't have a J. He left the league 3rd (now he's 9th) in all-time made 3-pointers for the regular season & 8th in Playoffs. Granted, he played a lot of seasons (19!) but when people look back at Kidd's Hall of Fame basketball career, no one is pointing out how poor his shooting was during his rookie season. They point at his ring and mention how he's second all-time in assists (no one will ever catch Stockton's record) and third in triple doubles. The only black eye (no pun intended) on his resume is his coaching.

UNDISPUTED ON ZO'S SHOOTING

ESPNLA

The post Luke Walton & Isaiah Thomas Are Not Concerned With Lonzo Ball's Shooting Slump appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

For 32 minutes, Boston Celtics fans were happy with the play of Marcus Smart and his 22 points and 8 assists. Yeah, he got a little embarrassed when Kyle (17 fourth quarter points) Kuzma got him with a spin move midway in the fourth, but Celtics fans were still happy with him, especially when he knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to two points with 19 seconds left in regulation.

Then, with 5.7 seconds left in the game, Smart put Kentavious Caldwell-no-longer-in-jail-Pope at the free throw line with the Lakers up by one. Pope pulls a Nick Anderson. Smart gets the rebound and instead of passing to a wide-open Terry Rozier or trying to get the ball into the hands of Kyrie Irving -- who had 33 points on the night and is known for breaking hearts (on and off the court) -- he dribbles down the court, imagines he's Kobe and pulls up for a 26-foot game-winner, even though they were down by just one. No confetti. Celtics fans collectively screamed their favorite curse words before yelling, "Why didn't you pass the ball."

"If felt good when it left my hands," Said Smart after the game. "I thought it was going in."

Here's what Kyrie had to say about the final shot.

"We have end-of-game plays that we're prepared for but, in basketball, decisions are made and, as a team, we collectively have to live with the results. Tough shot at the end. Marcus took one and that's that."

The post Internet Reacts To Marcus Smart Attempting A Game Winning Three Instead Of Passing To Kyrie Irving appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Maybe LeBron's (not so) secret pep talk last week boosted Ball's confidence.

On Friday night, Lonzo Ball knocked down five-of-six threes (9-16 FG) and finished with 24 points, five assists and five rebounds in a near shocker vs the Warriors. The five threes was a career-high and among this year's impressive crop of rookies, only OG Anunoby has shot a higher percentage (.857) with five or more made threes.

“He likes to shoot against us,” said Steve Kerr about Lonzo, who had 15 points and 10 assists against the Warriors last month. “Apparently he can’t shoot against anybody else but he shoots against us.”

Lonzo is shooting a not-so-impressive .333 from the field and .286 from downtown for the season but over his past five games, he's made 31-of-66 shots and 16-of-34 threes, while averaging 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Those are impressive numbers, especially for a rookie who made a total of 17 threes on 24% shooting in November, and especially for a rookie half of the internet is unfairly calling a bust just because they really just want to bust LaVar Ball's ass.

He is still is struggling from the free-throw line, making just 1-of-4 against the Warriors, 8-of-16 during the five game stretch and .556 for the season (.429 in the month of November). I'm expecting those numbers to rise because he shot 67% from the charity stripe in college and I just can't imagine a starting NBA point guard shooting that poorly from the line.

Back to rookies shooting threes, worth mentioning is Donovan Mitchell has made five threes in four games so far during his Rookie of the Year campaign and Zo's teammate, Kyle Kuzma, had a seven-for-10 night a couple days ago.

POSTGAME VIDEOS

THE LOGO

In other Lonzo news, a silhouette of him dunking is the logo for the basketball league his father created for top high school players not interested in spending a year in college or playing overseas (like Lithuania!).

“We don’t need a logo of a guy dribbling,” Said LaVar Ball, referencing the NBA logo with Lakers great Jerry West. “Nobody does that anymore.”

BREAKING DOWN LONZO'S SHOT

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On Sunday, Oklahoma freshman and NCAA leading scorer Trae Young had Jay Williams saying "Young is the best player in college basketball. He is the Steph Curry of college” and Fox Show host Doug Gottlieb tweeting, “I’m not saying Trae Young is Jesus but has anyone seen them in the same room?” after putting up 21 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds…in the FIRST HALF against No. 3 Wichita State.

On Tuesday, Young Jesus with the shot had everyone from Dwyane Wade ("If you haven't tuned in you better") to Jayson Tatum ("Chill out lil bro!!!") to Kyle Kuzma ("Young is a top 5 pick, don't overthink it scouts) after scoring 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting and tying a near three-decade old NCAA Division 1 record for assists (22) in just 29 minutes in a 105-68 beatdown on Northwestern State.

The assist record was previously set a decade before Young was born (1989) by Charleston Southern's Tony Fairley (1987), Southern's Avery Johnson (1988) and Syracuse's Sherman Douglas (1989). The previous Big 12 record (18) was set by Oklahoma's Michael Johnson (1997) and Oklahoma State's Doug Gottlieb (1998).

"I just wanted to open people's eyes," Young said to ESPN after the first 20/20 game in two decades. "This is why I came here, to be able to play my game. I'm really not doing anything different than what I did in high school -- it's just on a bigger stage. I'm just so happy to be winning with my teammates."

Take it from the people who watched, filmed and put out a lot of videos of him in high school, as great as he's been playing in the NCAA, we have seen him do tricks in high school he hasn't pulled out of his hat yet; just wait until he hits a game-winning three and bows to the crowd like Reggie Miller used to do.

"I'm really not surprised by what I've been able to do so far this season," Young said. "I put in a lot of work, a lot of preparation."

BONUS VIDEOS

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I learned a few interesting things about Lakers' rookie sensation Kyle Kuzma during a random Thanksgiving Q&A session on Twitter. The most interesting being is he's a student of the game. I could tell because his favorite European player ever was the underrated Lithuanian Warrior Sarunas Marciulionis, he had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (with Magic, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron) on his all-time starting five, he prefers #8 Kobe over #24 (this reminds me of a funny Daniel Tosh joke) and he's a fan of Magic Johnson's Showtime era Lakers of the 80s (in case you were wondering, Kuzma was born in 1995 -- one year before Magic made his NBA return and played for the pre-Shaq & Kobe era Lakers).

During the session, the NBA Rookie of the Year candidate and steal of the draft also called Big Baller Brand "genius" and said fellow rookie Lonzo Ball is a good teammate because he "only cares about winning."

Besides hearing he bought his mom a crib with his first paycheck, my favorite answer from the Q&A went to future NBA lottery pick Miles Bridges. The former Ballislife All-American Game standout asked Kuzma, "When you gone stop ducking the 1s?" Kuzma responded by saying, "You can't guard me. I have proof as well" and pulled up a three-year old video of him scoring on Bridges at a YMCA in Flint.

Bridges replied with a few laughing emojis and his highlight reel of threes, dunks and blocks from the same game.

Assuming Bridges doesn't stay for another year at Michigan State (make sure you check out the latest SI with Bridges on the cover), it's going to be fun to see the two go at it again on the same court next year.

In the meantime, here's some of Bridges best dunks from the 2017 NCAA season and a throwback Ballislife Mixtape.

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RELATED: Boopie SHUTS DOWN Pangos Midwest!

By Ronnie Flores

As is the case with many showcase events, play during camp games at the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp in La Grange, Ill., got a bit lackluster at times. This was particularly ture for the elite talent when matched up with other young players who weren’t quite as gifted. Playing down to the level of competition is something gifted young players must learn not to do in any setting, so it was refreshing to see the level of play dramatically rise up during the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star game designed for the camp’s elite prospects.

Fittingly the game came down to the wire after the White Team had opened up a sizeable lead in the second half. Trailing by three-points with just under thirty seconds remaining, the Black Team had a chance to tie the game, but an errant 3-point attempt led to a lay-up in transition for 6-foot-4 sophomore (2020) guard Adam Miller of Morgan Park (Chicago) to give the White club a five point (92-87) lead in its eventual 92-89 victory.

Miller, a physically strong off-guard with a variety of offensive skills, finished with 13 points, three assists and two steals for a White Team that had a balanced scoring attack. Other statistical standouts for the winning team included 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Katrell Raimey of Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.) with 12 points, 6-foot-5 sophomore power guard Chris Grubbs of Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) with seven points and four rebounds and team MVP Tyler Beard, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Whitney Young (Chicago) who put on an excellent all-around display of skill to finish with 13 points, four rebounds and six assists. Grubbs and Beard likely helped their overall evaluation the most out of the White Team standouts with their all-star game performances.

Statistical standouts for the Black club included skilled 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Even Brauns of Regina (Iowa City, Iowa) with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists, physical 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Ty Foster of Lincoln (Denver, Col.) with 10 points, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard D.J. Steward of Fenwick (Ill.) with 15 points and 6-foot-1 freshman (2021) guard Ahmad Bynum of Simeon (Chicago), with 13 points. Steward and Bynum, the latter who was named team MVP, led the Black Team comeback with their excellent offensive play in transition and defensive instincts and pressure. Bynum is a confident shot maker and Steward was arguably the fastest player in the open guard at the camp and also displayed the ability to rebound the ball.

Named camp co-MOPs were two forwards, one a freshman who helped the White Team to victory with nine points and two rebounds and a sophomore who actually didn’t have the opportunity to play in the top Cream of the Crop game. The talented freshman was 6-foot-8 Patrick Baldwin of Hamilton (Milwaukee, Wis.), who was one of the top 25 talents at the same camp last year as an eighth-grader and left no doubt he’s one of the best overall freshman in the country with his multitude of skills, excellent footwork and feel for the game. Baldwin is also an excellent passer in both the open court and the half court set with a mix of Ben Simmons and Kyle Kuzma in his game.

Isaiah Jackson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward from Old Redford (Detroit) wasn’t able to participate in the top all-star game, but had already made his mark with his athleticism and shot blocking ability. He was a standout for The Family 15U on the EYBL circuit and still has a great ceiling for improvement in terms of physical strength. When Jackson fills out, he could develop into a legitimate McDonald’s All-American candidate.

Remember These Names

Kamari Lands and A.J. Casey were the only two eight-graders (2022) to earn a spot in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 all-star game. Not only were they deserving of selection and showed they belong, they were arguably two of the top five overall performers in camp based on skill level and production. The eighth-grade duo is that good.

Lands, a 6-foot-6 forward from Indianapolis, already has an advanced feel for the game and knows how to find his spots in the half court. It’s still early in the evaluation process, but it’s hard to imagine there are five better eighth-graders around the country than this talented combo forward. As for Casey, he has a big reputation in hoops-crazed Chicago and to say the city’s basketball powers would love to have his services is a gross understatement. Casey showed well for the winning white club in the top all-star game because of his activity level. He finished with seven points and four rebounds.

Keshawn Williams Shines

At last week’s All-South Camp, there was a bit more depth in terms of overall talent and plenty of players had legit arguments to be included in one of the two all-star games or be bumped up from the second game to the top one. At this week’s camp, however, there was clear separation between the two games. It was clear the selection committee put together by camp director Dinos Trigonis had picked the 30 best players in camp for the top game with few exceptions.

The one player who had first game talent and separated himself from the pack in the second game was 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Keshawn Williams of Bloom Township (Chicago Heights, Ill.). Williams had a standout game with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, 5-of-5 shooting from the line while adding two steals. Williams’ quickness stood out and he also displayed a nice crossover dribble.

Williams played for the Black club while the game MVP for the winning White club (73-62) was 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Xavier Bell of Andover Central (Wichita, Kan.) with 11 points and five rebounds.

For more Pangos All-Midwest high school basketball highlights and mixtapes watch and subscribe to all the Ballislife youtube channels and follow @scottballislife on Instagram and @BallislifeCHI on Twitter. Thanks for watching and subscribing!

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RELATED: Pangos Midwest All-Star Highlights! 

Young players attend events such as the Pangos Frosh/Soph Camps to get exposure and to be evaluated by national scouts. As talent evaluators and members of the media, we stress to campers to respect the game and play it the correct way, or attempt to, the best they can. We strive to cover the standouts at grassroots events and give our audience a feel of what transpired in entertaining fashion.

What adults tend to forget at times, however, is kids still want to be kids, meaning they want to have fun and create memories, especially if free of restraint from adults. What happened on Saturday evening at the Park District of La Grange was a great example of that.

Two small and offensive minded-point guards, 5-foot-7 Kevin "Boopie" Miller and 5-foot-4 Kendall Martin went at it in a classic playground-style "battle" after "Boopie", a freshman (2021) from Morgan Park (Chicago), went through the legs, ripped a crossover in front of Martin and hit him with a step back jumper that got the other campers and crowd into a frenzied state. The play actually shut down the game after players rushed the court to mob Miller.

Before that transpired, there was a growing crowd as the two guards exchanged scoring blows while attempting to guard one another. After order was restored and play resumed, Martin, a freshman (2021) from Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) got the crowd going again with long range threes from near half court. Eventually the camp game got back to normal, but the buzz about the battle continued as the players left the court.

Our Take On Camp Battles

When players go one-on-one to try to out-do each other, it usually leads to zero ball movement and unnecessary dribbling, two things that generally hinder an individual evaluation. Miller and Martin are guards of small stature and need to be ultimate team-first, pass-first lead guards who play bulldog defense in order to become quality high school guards (considering both play at two of the perennially better programs in Chicago) and to have a chance to play at the next level.

The battle definitely wouldn't be positive from an evaluation standpoint, but it also happened organically, the sequence was not scripted. It's when it's scripted, or thought of strictly for the cameras and social media, that we have a problem with. The other campers and their experience has to be of importance when two players dominate the ball and a camp game for an extended period of time.

Two other major factors also need to be mentioned: Sometimes the unexpected can and will happen, as it did when "Boopie" and Martin went at it, and fans love the small guard who can handle the rock. There is just something about the small man in basketball who makes things happen on the court that makes fans go crazy.

Standout Campers  

While the small guys at camp got the attention of fans and the other players, it was skilled players with a bit more size so to speak that got the attention of veteran scouts in attendance. Here are five that stood out to us:

Patrick Baldwin (Hamilton, Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-8 2021: This combo forward has a multitude of offensive skill that had scouts looking for comparisons. He resembles Los Angele Lakers standout rookie Kyle Kuzma with his body type and footwork, but his passing skill had veteran scout Frank Burlison mentioning Ben Simmons, the 2016 No. 1 NBA Draft choice.        

Ahmad Bynum (Simeon, Chicago) 6-1 2021: The nephew of former Crane of Chicago standout Will Bynum (Arizona/Georgia Tech/NBA) has many of the same physical and mental toughness of his uncle. Bynum knows the game and was shooting at a high clip on Saturday.
 
Kamari Lands (Indianapolis) 6-6 2022: He's only an eight-grader, but oh my, is he skilled! Lands can handle the  ball and usually makes the correct basketball read. He executed a pick-in-roll on the left side elbow extended with another forward that was a thing of beauty in timing and execution.

Darius Hannah (Milwaukee Academy Science, Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-7 2020: One of the best long-term prospects in attendance displayed the ability to run the floor and quality defensive instincts. His game and body frame reminds us plenty of former high school All-American and NBA player Brandon Wright out of the University of North Carolina.

Isaiah Jackson (Old Redford, Detroit) 6-8 2020: Athletic forward had two standout camp games and is one of the better finishers in attendance.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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It's just Lakers rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma showing off their long range shooting skills in a half-court shootout. Lonzo also shows off his trash-talking (I wonder where he gets it from) and catwalking skills (around the one-minute mark) in the amusing video that I guarantee will have anti-Ball Family people talking trash about Lonzo's not-so-pretty shooting form and/or saying the No. 2 pick isn't as good as the 27th pick because of how great Kuzma played during the preseason. I love chanting Kooz as much as any other Lakers fan but I can guarantee Lonzo Ball is going to be a star for the franchise.

Speaking of Lakers and stars, I'm going to use this as an opportunity to remember the now retired Shooting Stars Competition from NBA All-Star weekend. The event started in 2004 and ended in 2015 when people got tired of watching Team Bosh (Chris Bosh, Swin Cash, Dominique Wilkins) win every year (three in a row) of the not-so-exciting event that was won or lost based on how quickly a team could hit a half-court shot. I also brought this up because the inaugural event was won by Team Los Angeles with Lisa Leslie and former Lakers Magic Johnson and Derek Fisher.

Back to Lonzo and all of his skills (minus the rapping ones). Here's a hilarious video of him dunking, working on his runway walk and twerking....followed by him and Kuzma having a three-point competition during practice. His form might not be Sidney Deane worthy but the results aren't bad.

In case you were wondering how well (or poorly) Ball and Kuzma shot during the preseason:

• Ball: .333 FG%, .250 3PT%, 1.000 FT%
• Kuzma: .514 FG%, .306 3PT%, .760 FT%

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