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NBA Corridor of Famer Bob Pettit turns 93 years outdated in the present day. He’s the 14th-oldest residing NBA or ABA participant. I used to be going to checklist the entire accomplishments of the champion and a number of MVP Pettit on this house. Then I noticed his nicknames on Basketball Reference. I’d quite checklist these:
“Huge Blue,” “The Bombardier from Baton Rouge,” “Bombardier,” “Dixie Dandy” and “Slim.” I can’t consider a a lot cooler nickname for a scorer than Bombardier. Glad birthday, Bombardier!
New Embiid?
Sixers’ star heart now not an inside man
For the Philadelphia 76ers to achieve their full potential, they want Embiid on the courtroom. Let me rephrase that. They want a special model of Embiid on the courtroom. What we’ve seen to this point on this season hasn’t been what they want. After profitable the 2023 MVP, Embiid has performed 67 video games in two-and-a-quarter seasons.
To start this season, the Sixers appeared like they have been going to attempt to redefine load administration. With Embiid coming off of knee surgical procedure (once more), Philly was limiting him to not more than 25 minutes in his first six video games. He was brazenly pissed off in regards to the minutes restriction. However the Sixers didn’t get an opportunity to see if that might assist him long-term, as a result of he shortly missed 9 straight video games.
Now Embiid is again, and he’s performed in three of the workforce’s final 5 video games. It’s sort of ugly … however possibly just a little efficient? Simply having him out there was principally good, however his manufacturing has been tough:
Loss to Atlanta: 18 factors, 4 rebounds, two assists, 6/14 FG, 0/3 3FG, 6/8 FT, minus-11 internet differential
Win over Warriors: 12 factors, six rebounds, three assists, 5/13 FG, 0/5 3FG, 2/2 FT, plus-2
Loss to Lakers: 16 factors, seven rebounds, two assists, 4/21 FG, 0/6 3FG, 8/8 FT, plus-11
He performed 30, 25 and half-hour in these three video games. As The Athletic’sTony Jones wrote about Embiid’s current play, he’s adjusting to a brand new actuality:
“Watching him tells a special story. The telltale signal of a participant nearing the purpose of now not being dynamic revolves across the capability — or incapacity — to get to spots. Embiid, when he’s been within the lineup, can nonetheless try this. He’s nonetheless attending to the place he needs on the ground. He’s nonetheless getting the standard photographs that he’s used to. He’s nonetheless creating high quality photographs for others.”
Tony is correct. There are some positives from Embiid. His presence defensively can deter photographs from even approaching the rim. His presence within the paint as a sentient, shifting constructing eliminates house naturally. Tony began that piece speaking a couple of transfer Embiid normally scores on, however the rust hasn’t allowed him to complete.
I can also’t assist however discover how a lot Embiid is being pushed out farther and farther from the basket. Check out his shot distribution, beginning along with his MVP season in 2022-23 to the 2023-24 marketing campaign and now to this point this season.
I’m not even nervous in regards to the share of makes right here. He’s declined severely in makes an attempt within the restricted space, going from 31.8 % of his photographs occurring there to twenty-eight.8 to now 22.2. Pictures in the important thing outdoors of the RA are down from 26.5 % to 24.7 to fifteen.6. And the most important indicators of his incapacity to get to spots constantly are the midrange and 3-point makes an attempt.
These photographs have been a mixed 41.9 % of his makes an attempt within the MVP season. Then they have been 46.6 % of his photographs in 2023-24. To date this season? 62.2 %. Since getting back from lacking 9 straight, 19 of his 48 photographs have come within the paint. Eight of these have been on the rim. Which means 60.4 % of his makes an attempt are outdoors the paint.
Embiid remains to be attempting to work his manner again into conditioning, and also you hope he can regain a number of the constant mobility to get to these spots like Tony wrote about. Since you see the flashes. However the regarding development is that he’s turning into extra of a leap shooter and fewer of a monster within the paint. He’s clearly not going to get to the MVP-level physicalality he had. I suppose him simply being on the courtroom as a leap shooter is healthier than not having him in any respect?
The final 24
Ought to the NBA Cup go world?
🏆 Repair the tourney? The reception to the NBA Cup has been lukewarm, particularly in Las Vegas. How can the league give it some juice? Our Marcus Thompson II suggests opening it as much as the world.
🤷 Why now? The Warriors have had turnover points for years. It’s extra detrimental now.
💪 Steph main. Jonathan Kuminga is in one other rotation-ousting. Steph Curry is encouraging him.
🏀 Not clutch. The Clippers maintain tripping over themselves on the finish of shut video games. On Thursday, it was a blown in-bounds play.
🩼 Huge man, massive harm. Zach Edey has a stress response in his left ankle. He’ll miss at the least 4 weeks.
🙏 Horrible information. Lengthy-time NBA massive man Jason Collins has a horrible prognosis: Stage 4 mind most cancers.
Stream the NBA on Fubo (attempt it without cost!) and catch out-of-market video games on League Go.
NBA Cup preview
What occurs in Vegas …
We’re headed to Las Vegas! The NBA Cup is in Sin Metropolis for the third straight 12 months, and we’re all the way down to our closing 4 (I do not know if the NCAA will sue me if I capitalize these Fs, so we’re preserving it actual chill with the lowercase) groups within the event: the Orlando Magic vs. the New York Knicks in a single semifinal, and the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the different. These are the sorts of matchups that make you react like this:
The semifinals are tomorrow, and even with the Thunder on a roll for 16 straight wins, I really consider we’re going to get two nice video games. The NBA Cup closing is on Tuesday, and every participant on the profitable workforce will probably be awarded $500,000. Let’s preview tomorrow’s matchups and make some predictions:
Magic vs. Knicks. 5:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video: We get the outstanding protection of the Magic in opposition to the ridiculous offense of the Knicks. Types make fights in Vegas.
Who ought to carry the Magic? Paolo Banchero. He’s had two tough ones in opposition to the Knicks this season. However in his second season, Banchero dominated the Knicks. He has to get again to forcing his will, attending to the free-throw line and placing the New York frontcourt in foul hassle.
Who ought to carry the Knicks? Jalen Brunson. This one isn’t onerous to determine. He lit up the Raptors for 35 factors and 6 3-pointers within the quarterfinal. He’s going to face a tricky, bodily protection with Orlando. Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black are going to check him. However he succeeded in opposition to an analogous Detroit protection within the playoffs.
Who’s the X-Issue for each groups? Mitchell Robinson. The Magic are a very good defensive rebounding workforce. However Robinson preserving possessions alive on the offensive boards crushes Knicks opponents. For Orlando, it must be Suggs. His main job is to maintain Brunson in examine, however the Magic will want him to knock down some photographs and push it in transition too.
Who wants this NBA Cup title shot extra? This might assist Orlando (15-10) lastly get absolutely on observe to what it was alleged to be this season.
Who wins? I’ll roll with Brunson and the Knicks.
Spurs vs. Thunder. 9 p.m. ET on Prime Video: I don’t ask for a lot, however it could be legendary if Victor Wembanyama might be wholesome for this recreation.
Who ought to carry the Spurs? De’Aaron Fox. He has to deal with the Thunder’s swarming protection and discover his manner into an enormous scoring night time. The extra he will get into the paint and makes the protection collapse, the extra San Antonio can hearth from 3-point vary.
Who ought to carry the Thunder? Jalen Williams. Clearly, we may go along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, however I wish to see Williams exploit some benefits, assuming Wemby doesn’t play. Williams is a nightmare to match up in opposition to. He can get guys like Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell into some hassle by getting again to what we noticed final season.
Who’s the X-Issue for each groups? Dylan Harper for the Spurs. He’s solely a rookie, however his capability to interrupt down the protection will probably be crucial in attempting to resolve the Thunder’s plan. For OKC, it’s Cason Wallace. He leads the league in steals and will probably be hounding Fox.
Who wants this NBA Cup title shot extra? Clearly, the Spurs (17-7). The Thunder are nearly as good because it will get proper now.
Who wins? I’m not choosing in opposition to OKC till like 2032.
He Stated, CP3 Stated
Did Chris Paul and Ty Lue communicate or not?
Because the LA Clippers despatched Paul dwelling, there was a whole lot of chatter about why this factor fell aside. CP3 spoke up about why the workforce has been struggling, possible in his standard grating manner. It was reported that Lue hadn’t talked to Paul in weeks, which Lue rebuffed:
“We have been speaking,” Lue stated when requested if he was on talking phrases with Paul all through November. “The way you gonna play if I’m not speaking to him?”
On SiriusXM NBA Radio’s “Offers & Dunks” on Wednesday, I spoke with Chris Haynes about this topic. Haynes relayed this from CP3:
“Chris Paul did attain out to Ty Lue. I do know he did textual content him. Ty Lue responded again, ‘Pay attention I don’t wish to meet.’ So they didn’t have a gathering. Have been they speaking from time to time once they needed to put Chris Paul in a recreation about, ‘Hey, go guard such and such once you get in there,’ ‘Hey, go run this play once you get in there?’” Issues like that, sure. However Chris Paul wished a sitdown with Ty Lue to debate the issues that have been occurring.”
Possibly it’s like a failing relationship, the place you don’t ever truly talk about your issues, however legally you’re nonetheless speaking to one another when one particular person says, “Hey, I’m going to go examine the mail.” These sorts of semantics. Regardless, Paul will both be traded or launched from the workforce within the subsequent month or two.
We’ll maintain you up to date on whether or not he talks to his subsequent coach, whoever that’s.
