It’s award race season in the NBA. The regular season is winding down, and ballots for honors like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year will be due in a few weeks. There’s also the significant task of picking All-NBA Teams (which is done by a panel of writers and broadcasters).
Before we dive into predictions, let’s get this out of the way. Both of the following things about All-NBA selections are true:
In practical terms, there is no honor more important for the NBA than the All-NBA selections. There is only one MVP. There is only one Defensive Player of the Year. But there are 15 All-NBA choices. Those players all get the same practical benefit for their achievement: eligibility for a better contract. For younger players, it’s a bump from 25% of the cap to 30% of the cap in the first year of a rookie extension via the Derrick Rose rule. For older ones, it’s a bump from 30% to 35% through the designated veteran exception. This is the honor that dictates how much money a player can make, and therefore means quite a bit to all 30 teams. The field for All-NBA selections has never been smaller. The 2023 CBA instituted a 65-game minimum for awards consideration. Fewer players reach 65 games now than they did in the past due to a combination of greater wear and tear from the modern game and the load management teams employ to protect against it. The best players have plenty of chances to make All-NBA Teams, but their absence on specific ballots opens the door for lesser players to make it and earn the financial benefit that comes with it. With both of these factors in mind, there’s suddenly quite a bit of pressure on voters to get these picks right. Put the wrong player on one of the teams and he could become eligible for a contract that his team doesn’t want to give him. That creates an awkward standoff if they elect not to or an overpay if they decide to do so. Most voters would prefer not to have this power, but, well, that’s not the world we live in.
So let’s dive into the All-NBA Teams and predict who actually makes the cut. This will include the three actual teams that will be chosen, of course, but given all of the injuries that could keep certain candidates below 65 games, we will also include a hypothetical fourth team to represent the next five players up should any slots become available. With that in mind, we’ll begin with the First Team, which was relatively easy to pick.
First-Team All-NBA prediction Nikola Jokić, Nuggets Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Thunder Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks Jayson Tatum, Celtics Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers Let’s knock the two MVP candidates out of the way quickly. Jokić is having the second-best season in NBA history by PER and Gilgeous-Alexander is having the 21st-best season in NBA history by that same metric. Turn to Win Shares per 48 minutes and Gilgeous-Alexander jumps to 10th while Jokić sits just a hair below him in 11th. Jokić is again second in BPM while Gilgeous-Alexander is 15th. This is more or less what you’re going to find if you look at any all-in-one metric: Jokić having one of the greatest statistical seasons in NBA history with Gilgeous-Alexander right behind him on a team that figures to win 60-plus games. If you don’t think they’re two of the five best players of this season, well, you’re probably fighting a lonely battle.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum are similarly easy choices, though Antetokounmpo is the first player for whom we must mention the 65-game minimum. The Bucks have 17 games remaining and Antetokounmpo needs to play in 12 of them to be eligible. We’ll assume for now that happens.
Antetokounmpo has made been chosen to the First Team six years in a row, and there is no marker to suggest it shouldn’t be seven. His numbers are more or less identical to where they were a year ago, but with meaningful improvement in one key area: mid-range shooting. He currently ranks seventh in the NBA with 4.3 mid-range attempts per game and he is making 46.7% of them. That’s encouraging for Milwaukee’s postseason hopes, and it should lock up yet another All-NBA selection.
The rafters inside the United Center will look more barren than usual for the remainder of the Chicago Bulls’ 2024-25 season. That’s because all six Bulls championship banners were damaged during a Disturbed concert on Saturday night, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Pyrotechnics fired off during the show created such extreme heat that it warped the banners. United Center staff discovered the damage and removed them from the rafters, but they are expected to be back up by next season.
Other banners honoring division and conference titles weren’t damaged, and the Chicago Blackhawks championship banners also escaped unscathed.
The Bulls racked up those six banners in short order during the 1990s. Michael Jordan led the franchise to three straight titles from 1991-93, and he did the same thing from 1996-98. Chicago hasn’t been back to the NBA Finals since that dynasty ended.
While those banners undergo repairs, it doesn’t appear as though the Bulls will be adding any new ones between now and then. A four-game winning streak has created breathing room for the Bulls in the race for the Eastern Conference’s fifinal play-in spot, but going from 10th place in the East to winning an NBA title would be a tall task.
Despite having the NBA’s most expensive roster, the Phoenix Suns are 30-36, 11th in the Western Conference and 2.5 games out of the final play-in spot. They are 5-14 since the beginning of February, they’ve lost three of their last four games, and they have the most difficult late-season schedule in the league, as their remaining opponents have a cumulative winning percentage of .592.
This is bleak. It’s certainly not what the Suns were expecting this season, and they can’t even blame it on injuries. When their Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have shared the court, they’ve been outscored by 3.3 points per 100 possessions.
Assuming the story more or less stays the same for the next month, major changes are expected in the offseason. “They’re gonna trade [Durant], and he knows that,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on Feb. 26. There is an argument that Phoenix should also trade Booker — perhaps to the Houston Rockets, who own its unprotected 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks and swap rights in this year’s draft — so it can rebuild in earnest.
In an interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Suns owner Mat Ishbia acknowledged that they have not come close to meeting internal expectations and they could “pivot and reload” in the summer. He also maintained that Booker is completely off the table in trade talks.
ESPN reported that the Rockets have “repeatedly expressed interest” in trading for Booker, a four-time All-Star who will turn 29 in October. Ishbia interrupted a question about potentially trading him and starting over by saying it would “never happen.”
“It’s silly,” Ishbia told ESPN. “So here’s what I’ll tell you: I have Devin Booker in the prime. In order to win an NBA championship, you got to have a superstar. You got to have a great player.”
Ishbia’s win-now mentality has not changed whatsoever.
“It’s surprising to me that other people, other fans, they actually like the rebuild process,” Ishbia told ESPN. “Like, ‘Oh, let’s rebuild it.’ Are you crazy?! You think I’m going to go for seven years and try to get there? You enjoy the 2030 draft picks that we have holding? I want to try to see the game today. I want us to win today, and we’re going to try.”
Ishbia then went a step further, promising that “we will win championships here in Phoenix.”
Booker has consistently said that he would like to spend his entire career in Phoenix and reiterated to ESPN that he wants to win a title there. “It might not look the most pretty right now,” he said, but we got to get it done and I’m going to do it.”
The front office explored trades involving Durant (who turns 37 in September) and Beal (who turns 32 in June) before last month’s trade deadline. A Suns source told ESPN that, while Durant has had “an amazing year,” they are “not in a position to not look at everything” and “there’s always been conversation with everyone on our team minus Devin Booker.”
“I’ll just say that we’re going to evaluate in the offseason,” Ishbia told ESPN. “We’re going to find a way to win, and it’s probably a lot easier winning with Kevin Durant than without him. But at the same time, yes, if we’re not good enough in this iteration of the Phoenix Suns, we’re going to find a way to be better next year.”
Beal has a no-trade clause and is owed $110.8 million in the two seasons that follow this one. He didn’t want to change teams during the season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll finish this contract in Phoenix.
“It is a different deal in the summer,” Beal told ESPN. “Everything is kind of more laid out on the table. You got more options.”
Ishbia told ESPN that he still believes in the roster and in coach Mike Budenholzer, and that, if the Suns manage to make the playoffs, “I don’t think we’re an easy out for anybody.” At the same time, he said that the season has been “really disappointing,” and, when it’s over, they’ll make decisions based on the results.
For now, that seems to mean that the Durant-Booker-Beal era is likely near its end, and the front office will try to build a different kind of team around Booker. Given how Phoenix has operated during Ishbia’s tenure as owner, though, putting together a contender will be enormously difficult. The Suns have either traded or swapped all of its first-round picks through 2031, and they have extremely limited flexibility because of their payroll.
Ishbia is right that winning a championship generally requires a superstar, and that’s why no team wants to trade a player of Booker’s caliber in his prime. There are plenty of examples, though, of teams that have employed elite players and fallen far short of championship contention. When that happens year after year despite the front office going all-in, there usually comes a time when the franchise has to trade that player. Often, it regrets not doing it sooner.
We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Toronto Raptors will visit the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is 24-31 overall and 13-15 at home, while Toronto is 20-36 overall and 8-20 on the road. The Hawks have won four of the last five matchups, including three straight at home. Atlanta is an NBA-worst 17-38 against the spread, while Toronto is 27-29 versus the number.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Hawks are favored by 7 points in the latest Raptors vs. Hawks odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 246 points. Before entering any Hawks vs. Raptors picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Toronto vs. Atlanta. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Raptors vs. Hawks:
Hawks vs. Raptors spread: Hawks -7 Hawks vs. Raptors over/under: 246 points Hawks vs. Raptors money line: Hawks: -282, Raptors: +227 Hawks vs. Raptors picks: See picks at SportsLine What you need to know about the Raptors The Raptors can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Brooklyn Nets with a sharp 121-93 win. The Raptors got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Immanuel Quickley out in front who scored 24 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Gary Trent Jr., who scored 25 points.
Toronto has had several roster changes this season due to various trades, but a constant with the offense has been ball movement. The Raptors rank third in the NBA in assists, with Dennis Schroder averaging 6.1 dimes, and Scottie Barnes averaging 5.9 assists. Quickley is one of those newcomers, and the former Knicks guard is averaging 5.7 assists in Toronto after putting up just 2.5 per night in New York. The Raptors are going for their third straight ATS victory, which would tie a season high. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Hawks Meanwhile, it’s hard to win when your 3-point shooting is a whole 16.8% worse than the opposition, a fact the Hawks found out the hard way last Wednesday. They suffered a painful 122-99 loss at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Hawks in their matchups with the Hornets: they’ve now lost four in a row.
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray struggled in the defeat as they combined to shoot just 9 of 27. However, Atlanta is deep and has eight players averaging in double-figures. One of those in Clint Capela (11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds) will return on Friday after missing the last six games before the All-Star break. Despite having the worst ATS record in the NBA, Atlanta has managed to cover in six of its last nine games. See which team to pick here.
Key Betting Info The Hawks will be relying on another big game from Young to pull off a victory. On the year, Young has averaged 26.7 points, 10.9 assists, and 1.4 steals.
Some of the betting trends to consider are:
The Hawks are 8-20 against the spread in their last 28 home games. The Hawks are 4-10 against the spread in their last 14 games vs teams that win less than 45% of games. The Raptors are 14-14 against the spread in their last 28 road games. How to make Hawks vs. Raptors picks The model has simulated Raptors vs. Hawks 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Back on Dec. 12, Klay Thompson was benched down the stretch during the Warriors’ 119-116 loss to the Suns. It was a big deal, symbolic of Steve Kerr’s slow capitulation to the realities of old names having to be thought of and subsequently deployed in new ways.
Thompson was not, is not, the player he used to be. The old rules couldn’t continue to apply. Thompson had never been benched in closing time, but he had scored just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting (1 of 8 from 3) and was running out of career equity to pay his mounting debts (at that point, he was converting less than 40% of his total shots and 26% of “open” 3-pointers on career-low scoring marks).
We wondered if it would be the new way; if Thompson would be out of closing lineups for good and more judiciously deployed in general. But the very next game, he went for 30 points, knocking down eight of his 12 3-pointers in a win over the Clippers. It started a six-game stretch over which Thompson averaged 25 points on 50% 3-point shooting (33 for 66).
Was he back? Not so much. Over his next three games, he missed 26 of 34 shots. He scored nine points in a loss to Denver. Three points in a loss to the Mavericks in which he missed 10 of his 11 shots. Look at his numbers overall and they’re plenty acceptable: 17 PPG, 37% from 3. It’s just that the swings, particularly the lows, are far more extreme these days.
So when Thompson was removed from the starting lineup for the first time in his career and proceeded to score 35 points in Golden State’s final game before the All-Star break, a win over the Jazz, Warriors fans had to be skeptical that this “Thompson thrives off the bench” narrative would stick. Sure enough, in his second game coming off the bench, Thompson scored three points on 1-of-9 shooting in Golden State’s first game out of the All-Star break.
It came in a solid win over the Lakers, so nobody’s going to make much of a fuss about Thompson’s dud. And they shouldn’t. This is the way of the Klay rollercoaster these days. The extreme drops are always waiting right around the corner.
Don’t be surprised when the ride suddenly shoots back up. Just when things start to look their worst, he has a way of playing his best. He did it after he was benched to end the game against Phoenix. He did it when he was benched to start the game against Utah. Making just 30% of his 3-pointers on less than 15 PPG over his last nine games, he’s due for a good stretch as the calendar approaches March.
If it comes, the Warriors will gladly ride it. But they can’t depend on it anymore. His performances have become something of a coin flip. He might come out and score 30 off the bench, or he might lay the egg that he did on Thursday when didn’t make his first shot — his only shot — until the 44-second mark of the third quarter.
In truth, the Warriors, who have won nine of their past 11 games and are starting to at least resemble a team that could put a scare into someone in the playoffs, are a team of timing now. If they catch a heater at the right time, they can beat anyone. They just have to hope that whatever heaters Klay has left in him come, indeed, at the right time. Or, looked at another way, that the inevitable plunges don’t come at the wrong one.
The majority of NBA teams made their returns to game action from the All-Star break on Thursday, but with a 10-game slate on Friday that includes multiple teams playing the second halves of back-to-backs, the NBA DFS player pool is stacked with elite options again. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points against the Clippers, one of the best defenses in the NBA, on Thursday and will take the court tonight against the Wizards, who have the worst-scoring defense. Would it be a wise NBA DFS strategy to spend up on Gilgeous-Alexander for NBA DFS lineups?
The Bucks play the Timberwolves in one of the most notable games on the evening with options such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns to consider when making NBA DFS picks. The Wolves have the best-scoring defense in the NBA, and the Bucks are allowing seven points fewer under head coach Doc Rivers than before he was hired. How should these stronger defenses factor into your NBA DFS strategy on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a DFS and betting expert for SportsLine, who won a DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest in 2022. He uses a combination of his background as a former college and professional athlete and his keen eye for statistical trends when making his picks and locking in his DFS lineups. Kaylor enters the 2024 calendar year with multiple five-figure tournament cashes on his DFS resume.
Kaylor’s approach allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares on SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Wednesday, Feb. 14 (when Kaylor last made picks), Kaylor highlighted Spurs power forward/center Victor Wembanyama as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Wembanyama finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal, returning 52.75 points on DraftKings and 54.3 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Kaylor has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, February 23 For Friday, one of Kaylor’s top NBA DFS picks is Thunder center Chet Holmgren ($7,600 on DraftKings and $8,200 on FanDuel). Holmgren had 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 129-107 win over the Clippers on Thursday. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft missed all of last season due to a foot injury sustained before the year, and he’s averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in his first season on the court. He has at least eight rebounds in four of his last five games as he continues to take on a more prominent role for the Thunder as the season progresses.
The Thunder play the Wizards, who are allowing a league-high 124 points per game this season. The Wizards are coming off a 130-110 loss to the Nuggets on Thursday, dropping their ninth straight contest. Washington has allowed at least 130 points in four of its last seven games as there’s little sign the defensive unit is getting any stronger any time soon. Holmgren had 31 points in their first meeting of the season and could be in store for another huge performance.
Another part of Kaylor’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Raptors guard/forward Scottie Barnes ($8,800 on DraftKings and $9,100 on FanDuel). Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in a 121-93 win over the Nets on Thursday fresh off his first NBA All-Star Game appearance. Barnes is averaging career highs across the board, averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
The Raptors play the Hawks, who are allowing the second-most ppg (123.9) in the NBA. Atlanta is playing in its first contest since the All-Star break and is coming off allowing 128.6 ppg over its final seven games before the time off. Opposing teams are shooting 50.2%, the second-highest in the league, against the Hawks, and that will favor Barnes. The 22-year-old had 24 points and eight assists in their first meeting of the season as the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year has scored at least 23 points in five straight contests against Atlanta. See Kaylor’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, February 23 Kaylor is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to host the San Antonio Spurs in a Western Conference matchup on Friday at Crypto.com Arena. Los Angeles is 30-27 overall and 19-9 at home, while San Antonio is 11-45 overall and 6-24 on the road. Both teams are coming off losses on Thursday. Los Angeles fell 128-110 to the Golden State Warriors, while the Spurs lost to the Sacramento Kings 127-122. LeBron James (ankle) is listed as probable, but is expected to play.
Tip-off in Los Angeles is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET. The Lakers are favored by 10 points in the latest Lakers vs. Spurs odds, and the over/under is 239.5 points. Before making any Lakers vs. Spurs picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Spurs vs. Lakers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for the game:
Lakers vs. Spurs spread: Lakers -10 Lakers vs. Spurs over/under: 239.5 points Lakers vs. Spurs money line: Lakers: -462, Spurs: +354 Lakers vs. Spurs picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Spurs The oddsmakers set the bar high, but the Spurs and the Sacramento Kings didn’t disappoint and broke past the 243.5 point over/under on Thursday. San Antonio fell to the Kings 127-122. The Spurs’ loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Devin Vassell, who scored 32 points along with seven assists, and Victor Wembanyama who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama entered the league as the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, and the 20-year-old hasn’t disappointed. Wembanyama enters Friday’s matchup averaging 20.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. Devin Vassell leads San Antonio’s supporting cast, averaging 19.1 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Lakers Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, the Lakers’ good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They took a hard 128-110 fall against Golden State. Anthony Davis put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 27 points and 15 rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted 14 or more rebounds in each of the last three times he’s played.
LeBron James is expected to return to action after missing Thursday’s game with an ankle injury. James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game this season. The Lakers are 13-18-1 against the spread in their last 32 games when favored. See which team to pick here.
How to make Lakers vs. Spurs picks The model has simulated Lakers vs. Spurs 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in 60% of computer simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
The Denver Nuggets hit the road to take on the Portland Trail Blazers in a Northwest Division matchup on Friday at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Portland is 15-39 overall and 9-17 at home, while Denver is 37-19 overall and 15-14 on the road. Denver currently holds the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, and is coming off an impressive 130-110 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday. The Trail Blazers are looking to snap a six-game losing streak in their first game since the All-Star break. Jamal Murray (leg) has been ruled out for the Nuggets.
Tip-off in Portland is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. The Nuggets are favored by 9.5 points in the latest Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets odds, and the over/under is 218.5 points.Before making any Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 60-36 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Nuggets vs. Trail Blazers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for the game:
Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets spread: Trail Blazers +9.5 Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets over/under: 218.5 points Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets money line: Trail Blazers: +339, Nuggets: -441 Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets picks: See picks here What you need to know about the Nuggets The Nuggets can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Washington Wizards with a dominant 130-110 win. Nikola Jokic was nothing short of spectacular. He dropped a triple-double on 21 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Jokic continues to separate himself from the pack in the race for this season’s MVP award. He enters Friday averaging 26.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game. The Nuggets have four other players averaging double-digit points per game, led by Jamal Murray (20.4) and Michael Porter Jr. (16.1). Denver is 10-18-1 against the spread in road games this season. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Trail Blazers Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Thursday after their sixth straight loss. They took a serious blow against Minnesota, falling 128-91. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for the Trail Blazers in their matchups with the Timberwolves: they’ve now lost three in a row.
The Blazers are a team that is clearly in rebuilding mode in their first season following the Damian Lillard era. Anfernee Simons leads the team in scoring, averaging 22.9 points per game to go with 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds. His supporting cast includes veteran forward Jerami Grant, who averages 21.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. See which team to pick here.
How to make Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets picks The model has simulated Trail Blazers vs. Nuggets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
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On the 18th anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, two of today’s stars gave that iconic number a run for its money.
We’ll start with Joel Embiid, who scored a franchise-record 70 points in the 76ers’ 133-123 win over the Spurs.
Embiid is the ninth player to reach the 70-point mark, and it’s the 14th 70-point game in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain has nearly half of them with six, but Chamberlain’s career high with the 76ers was 68. Embiid also had a career-high 18 rebounds. He joins Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players to have a 70-point, 18-rebound game. Embiid is now up to 21 consecutive 30-point games; only Chamberlain and James Harden have had longer streaks. While Embiid throttled the Spurs from inside the arc, Karl-Anthony Towns did it from all over en route to a Timberwolves franchise-record 62 points against the Hornets.
Towns became the first player in NBA history to make 10 2-pointers, 10 3-pointers and 10 free throws in a game. Towns had 44 points by halftime, the most first-half points in the play-by-play era, which dates back to 1996-97. Minnesota needed a little more in the second half, though, as the Hornets actually pulled out a 128-125 win. Towns joins a surprisingly long list of players to score 60 — in a loss. It’s the fourth time in NBA history — and first time since David Thompson and George Gervin in 1978 — that multiple players had 60+ points on the same night. Here are more crazy numbers from a crazy night.
😃 Honorable mentions C.J. Stroud joined Ohio State’s NIL collective. Zach Ertz joined the Lions’ practice squad. The Bears hired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator. The Panthers promoted Dan Morgan to GM and president of football operations. The Pirates signed Aroldis Chapman. After winning the American Express, amateur Nick Dunlap withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open. Here’s the 18-player USA women’s basketball minicamp roster. The ACC released its football schedule. The Oilers signed Corey Perry. 🏈 Titans plan to hire Brian Callahan as head coach untitled-design-2024-01-23t000748-320.png Getty Images As the Bengals offensive coordinator, Brian Callahan helped turn one of the NFL’s young, exciting quarterbacks into a star. Now, he has the same opportunity as the Titans head coach. Tennessee became the second team this offseason to fill its head coaching vacancy, making Callahan, 39, the sixth-youngest coach in the league.
Callahan spent five years as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator, the last four of which have been with Joe Burrow. In Burrow’s two healthy seasons (2021, 2022), Cincinnati ranked first in passer rating and second in yards per attempt. The Bengals made the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. Before Cincinnati, Callahan coached the Raiders and Lions (quarterbacks coach with both) and won a Super Bowl as an offensive assistant with the Broncos. He is the son of Bill Callahan, a longtime coach in several capacities and current Browns offensive line coach. While Burrow is the most recent headliner, Brian Callahan has also worked with Peyton Manning, Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford. When Burrow went down this year, Jake Browning stepped in and went 4-3 as starter, led the league in completion percentage (70.4%) and tied for fourth in yards per attempt (8.0).
But that’s all in the past, and his newest pupil is Will Levis. The 2023 second-round pick had ups and down in his rookie year but showed plenty of promise in nine games. As head coach, though, Callahan has much more on his plate, too.
While the Mike Vrabel firing was a bit of a surprise, it came with the Titans in as big of a transition as any team. Tennessee went 41-24 in Vrabel’s first four years but 13-21 thereafter. The offensive cornerstones of those successful days are free agents: Derrick Henry bid adieu after Week 18, and Ryan Tannehill is likely on his way out, too. A once-dominant defense has several holes to fill. Callahan’s fit with GM Ran Carthon, who is entering his second year, is paramount. When parting ways with Vrabel, owner Amy Adams Strunk said she was seeking an “aligned and collaborative team across all football functions.” Tennessee has the No. 7 overall pick. In his latest mock draft, Josh Edwards has the Titans selecting tackle Joe Alt. 😬 Not so honorable mentions Todd Bowles’ explanation for not using a timeout makes no sense. Chiefs players apparently didn’t have hot water for showers in Buffalo’s stadium after beating the Bills. DePaul fired men’s basketball coach Tony Stubblefield. Tulane is investigating a fan for pushing Memphis forward David Jones. Anthony Rendon thinks the MLB season is too long; a former teammate says Rendon “hates baseball.” 🏀 NBA midseason grades and Rivals Week preview untitled-design-2024-01-23t000222-874.png Getty Images Happy Rivals Week, NBA fans! The second annual stretch of notable matchups tips off tonight, and there are plenty of exciting matchups. Jasmyn Wimbish ranked the top five, and No. 1 is so, so good. (Hint: It includes a guy who scored 70 points last night.)
Rivals Week also coincides with the season passing the halfway mark, and as such, James Herbert, Brad Botkin and Jack Maloney handed out midseason grades. Seven teams landed in the “A” range, but only two earned an “A+”: the Celtics and 76ers. On the other end, it’s been rough sledding for the Warriors, who landed a “D” from Colin Ward-Henninger.
Ward-Henninger: “Draymond Green’s suspension, Andrew Wiggins’ inexplicable disappearing act and injuries to Chris Paul and Gary Payton II headlined Golden State’s first half. It’s about as close to a complete disaster as it gets. The defense has been atrocious, due to too much fouling and a general lack of athleticism. Offensively, the Warriors have turned the ball over excessively and have been unable to find a consistent second option next to Stephen Curry, who has endured a recent slump.” If you’ve been football-focused so far, I don’t blame you. But if you’re looking to add basketball to your viewing rotation, Rivals Week and these grades are great places to start.
⚾ Baseball Hall of Fame predictions usatsi-8595086-adrian-beltre-rangers-2015.jpg USATSI The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced tonight, and we’ll finally find out who’s joining Jim Leyland, who was voted in by the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee in early December.
The first guy to join him is an easy call, based not only on the publicly released ballots so far but also the fact that Matt Snyder said “there’s … a pretty damn decent case he’s one of the top three” third basemen of all-time: Adrián Beltré.
So that’s two. Will there be more? Matt says yes:
Snyder: “Joe Mauer was one of those candidates where I wasn’t sure if the voting body would favor him highly enough for a first-year induction, but the returns right now look like he’s going to make it in. He’s been polling with around 5/6ths (83.3%) of the vote since ballots were sent out. The biggest drops between public and private ballots are in the 7-8% range, so it’s entirely possible that Mauer ends up in the low-70s and misses induction this season. The odds are in his favor at this point, though.” Mauer is far from the only one set for a stressful Tuesday, though, with Todd Helton and Billy Wagner also expected to be right near that required 75% mark.
Matt has done an excellent job examining the candidacies one year before he becomes a voter himself.
Joe Mauer Todd Helton Billy Wagner Gary Sheffield Andruw Jones Alex Rodriguez Carlos Beltrán Chase Utley You can see Matt’s full class of 2024 prediction here.
📺 What we’re watching Tuesday 🏀 No. 6 Kentucky at South Carolina (M), 7 p.m. on SEC Network 🏀 Texas at No. 11 Oklahoma (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN 🏀 Knicks at Nets, 7:30 p.m. on TNT 🏀 Lakers at Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT
Everyone loved the OG Anunoby trade for the Knicks, but nobody could’ve seen this coming. Over 11 games since the deal, in which the Knicks are 9-2, New York has outscored opponents by a preposterous 190 points during Anunoby’s minutes.
Through a point-differential prism, no player in NBA history has had a greater impact through his first 11 games with a team. Anunoby has been incredible. No question about it.
But he’s not the only reason for this defensive run the Knicks are on. In fact, I wouldn’t even call him the biggest reason. For my money, that distinction goes to Isaiah Hartenstein, followed closely by the super-soft offensive schedule the Knicks have faced over this stretch.
Other than the 76ers, the Knicks haven’t beaten a team in January that ranked higher than 17th (Raptors) in offensive rating entering play on Monday. Minnesota was 19th. Houston, Orlando, Washington and Chicago all rank in the bottom 10. Portland and Memphis are the two worst offensive teams in the league. New York is feasting on some pretty weak prey.
That’s not to diminish what the Knicks have done in registering as the league’s second-best defense since Anunoby arrived. That’s just proper perspective. They are likely not the second-best defense in the league. That said, they are a potentially elite defense if this kind of multi-level effort continues.
It starts with Anunoby and New York’s gang of perimeter defenders — Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride, Quentin Grimes, even Jalen Brunson — who are consistently committed to fighting over screens, containing penetration and flying around in rotation. It finishes with Hartenstein protecting the rim, where teams are converting just 58.2% of their shots against the Knicks since the Anunoby trade, per Cleaning the Glass, and 61.3% dating back to December 9 when Mitchell Robinson went down.
Those are the second and third stingiest marks in the league, respectively.
And Hartenstein deserves much of the credit.
Consider that through the first seven weeks of the season, the Knicks, despite Robinson by most accounts being on his way to an All-Defense nod, ranked 26th in rim protection, per Cleaning the Glass, surrendering more than a 68% rim conversion rate. To lose Robinson and jump almost seven percentage points into the top three over a pretty large sample? That’ll raise some antennas.
And it should. Hartenstein doesn’t get any of the ink, but his numbers are right in line with a who’s who of rim protectors. Rudy Gobert. Victorm Wembanyama. Joel Embiid. Chet Holmgren. Look up any defensive contest number you want over any span of time, and Hartenstein is right there on all of them.
For the season, scorers are converting 45.7% of their shots when defended by Hartenstein, the sixth-best mark in the league among centers who’ve defended at least 500 shots. Since Robinson’s injury, that make rate is 46.9%, fifth-best in the league and notably better than the likes of Gobert, Anthony Davis and Brook Lopez. Hartenstein’s 1.6 blocks per game since December 9 are tied with Gobert.
And Hartenstein isn’t just a rim protector. He’s a monster rebounder, nearly as impactful as Robinson. New York is rebounding a league-best 73.9% of its opponents’ misses this season — which leaves room for just 12.2 second-chance points per game, the second-lowest mark in the league. They commit the fifth fewest fouls per game.
Washington Wizards v New York Knicks Getty Images Hartenstein, in particular, has lowered his foul rate from 5.6 per 36 minutes prior to Mitchell’s injury to 3.4 after. To protect the paint like he has while also dropping your fouls by two per 36 minutes is unbelievable. You can see him being more calculated knowing the center depth behind him is thin. He keeps his hands high and moves his feet well. He doesn’t take wild swings for blocks. He plays vertical, and when he has the choice between over-contesting what is already going to be a tough shot and laying back, often as a lob deterrent, he is forcing guys to make the difficult floaters rather than bailing them out with a foul.
The percentages are playing out in his and the Knicks’ favor. If Robinson can make it back by the playoffs, New York will have the best defensive-center rotation going. Throw in Anunoby, who is able to defend the best scorers in the world straight up and is a monster helper, too, and this cohort of committed perimeter harassers the Knicks have put together, and this is a defense that can cause serious problems come the playoffs.
