Around the League: Week 3 10/30-11/5

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week

Monday: San Antonio @ Boston 7:30 PM EST NBATv, Golden State @ L.A. Clippers 10:30PM EST NBATv
Tuesday: Oklahoma City @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM EST NBATv, Detroit @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM EST NBATv
Wednesday: Houston @ NY Knicks 8:00PM EST ESPN, Dallas @ L.A. Clippers 10:30PM EST ESPN
Thursday: Golden State @ San Antonio 8:00PM EST TNT, L.A. Lakers @ Portland 10:30PM EST TNT
Friday: Cleveland @ Washington 7:00PM EST ESPN, Boston @ Oklahoma City 9:30 PM EST ESPN
Saturday: None
Sunday: None

NBA News

Draymond says NBA rulings just don't add up: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2122 ... s-nba-fine

Fultz out at least 3 weeks: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2121 ... der-injury

Westbrook first to trip-doub versus all teams faced: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2120 ... team-faced

Celtics granted an $8.4M exception for Hayward: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2119 ... on-hayward

More when it's not 6 a.m.

[Mori Chu]

Glad Philly is shutting down Fultz. It was looking worse to have him out there diminished than to just sit the guy.

[carey]

Glad Philly is shutting down Fultz. It was looking worse to have him out there diminished than to just sit the guy.

Can you check your Twitter DMs & hit me back?

[carey]

https://twitter.com/McCallum12/status/924857088924295169

[Superbone]

Wow, condolences to the D'Antoni family. 103 is very impressive.

[Mori Chu]

Fitting that a D'Antoni would run up the score to 100+. RIP.

[In2ition]

RIP Mr. D'Antoni. 103 is winning.

[carey]

Morning Tip: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/10/30/m ... inessman#/ and http://www.nba.com/article/2017/10/30/m ... enholzer#/

[O_Gardino]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

[carey]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

Ok, forget keeping Cousins. Boogie and AD have grown tight, but the real worry is keeping AD. In fact, I would strongly consider moving Cousins for pieces that fit a more modern day NBA offense were I them.

[The Bobster]

Ben Simmon's first 7 games - 35.0 Min, 53% FG%, 9.1 Reb, 7.7 Ast, 18.4 Pts

Could the media pull their heads out of their asses and realize that Simmons is the top rookie story this year, not Lonzo Ball?

[O_Gardino]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

Ok, forget keeping Cousins. Boogie and AD have grown tight, but the real worry is keeping AD. In fact, I would strongly consider moving Cousins for pieces that fit a more modern day NBA offense were I them.

Sure, but what do they think?

[bajanguy008]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

What was also very interesting was in the 7 Inter Conference games last night, the East went 6 - 1. Sixers, Hornets and Raptors all winning on the road against potential playoff teams. Anybody else realise that Dwight actually looks like a force again

[Split T]

Ben Simmon's first 7 games - 35.0 Min, 53% FG%, 9.1 Reb, 7.7 Ast, 18.4 Pts

Could the media pull their heads out of their asses and realize that Simmons is the top rookie story this year, not Lonzo Ball?

It's not close right now. Simmons is gonna run away with the award.

[O_Gardino]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

What was also very interesting was in the 7 Inter Conference games last night, the East went 6 - 1. Sixers, Hornets and Raptors all winning on the road against potential playoff teams. Anybody else realise that Dwight actually looks like a force again

Can it last? Howard and the Hornets are better than they "should" be.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Ben Simmon's first 7 games - 35.0 Min, 53% FG%, 9.1 Reb, 7.7 Ast, 18.4 Pts

Could the media pull their heads out of their asses and realize that Simmons is the top rookie story this year, not Lonzo Ball?

It's not close right now. Simmons is gonna run away with the award.

I've watched a lot of the Sixers so far since most of their games come on around 8-8:30am for me, which is right about when I settle into my office in the morning. Unless he gets injured, Simmons is the ROY and it's not even close. I'm really curious how much the year on the bench helped him or if he would've been this good last year.

[Flagrant Fowl]

NOP lost big to Orlando last night, despite a monster night from Davis. Do they think they have to make the playoffs this year to keep Cousins? I wonder if they panic at some point and offer up draft picks for Bled.

Ok, forget keeping Cousins. Boogie and AD have grown tight, but the real worry is keeping AD. In fact, I would strongly consider moving Cousins for pieces that fit a more modern day NBA offense were I them.

When they're clicking on the same night, it's devastating. The problem is the rest of that roster is complete garbage. Holiday is pretty good, but his contract makes him an overall negative because he's eating up too much of the cap relative to what he's producing on the court.

The smart thing to do would be trade AD or Cousins for a package of young players and picks. They could get a kings ransom for either player. As it is now, it's like they have two Ferraris while living in a studio apartment. Sell one and use it as a deposit on a house.

[Split T]

Ben Simmon's first 7 games - 35.0 Min, 53% FG%, 9.1 Reb, 7.7 Ast, 18.4 Pts

Could the media pull their heads out of their asses and realize that Simmons is the top rookie story this year, not Lonzo Ball?

It's not close right now. Simmons is gonna run away with the award.

I've watched a lot of the Sixers so far since most of their games come on around 8-8:30am for me, which is right about when I settle into my office in the morning. Unless he gets injured, Simmons is the ROY and it's not even close. I'm really curious how much the year on the bench helped him or if he would've been this good last year.

Gonna become a walking triple double soon. I'm sure he's learned a bit, but I think he would have been pretty good last year as well.

Interesting thought, take the last 5 drafts, pick the players one by one, how many picks before you pick one from the US?

1. Antetekounmpo
2. Towns
3. Pozingis
4. Gobert
5. Embiid
6. Simmons
7. Jokic

McCollum, Turner, and Booker are probably next. Hard to know where this year's rookies fit in at this point.

[Split T]

Hezonja and okafor both had 4th year options declined.

[carey]

I do not understand why you decline the Okafor option. It makes him less tradable now.