Monday: Houston @ Washington 7:00 PM EST NBATv, Miami @ L.A. Clippers 10:00 PM EST NBATv
Tuesday: New Orleans @ Memphis 7:30 PM EST TNT, Brooklyn @ Phoenix 10:00 PM EST TNT
Wednesday: Houston @ Philadelphia 7:30 PM EST ESPN, Miami @ Golden State 10:00 PM EST ESPN
Thursday: Toronto @ Milwaukee 7:30 PM ESTTNT, Brooklyn @ L.A. Lakers 10:00 PM EST TNT
Friday: Chicago @ Philadelphia 7:30 PM EST ESPN, Utah @ L.A. Clippers 10:00 PM EST ESPN
Saturday: San Antonio @ New York 1:00 PM EST NBATv, Miami @ L.A. Lakers 8:30 PM EST ABC
Sunday: Boston @ New Orleans 3:30 PM EST ABC, Brooklyn @ L.A. Clippers PM EST ESPN
NBA News
KOC casts some ALL-Star ballots & the 17-9 Suns only get Paul as a wildcard - https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/2/15 ... s-reserves
The 2021 NBA Trade-Season Primer - https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/2/10 ... adley-beal
Jalen Green, from Nowhere, USA, to the top of the NBA draft (ESPN+) - https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/ ... -nba-draft
Sources: Cleveland Cavaliers won't play Andre Drummond, will try to trade star center before deadline - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/309 ... r-deadline
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant to miss at least two games with hamstring strain - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/309 ... ing-strain
Even Dame is tired of the shit officiating -
Don't dunk on Valanciunas -
Power Rankings Roundup
NBA Power Rankings: Utah Jazz top the charts, Kevin Durant wins in the Bay Area - https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/308 ... s-bay-area
NBA Power Rankings: Red-hot Jazz clear No. 1; Lakers drop after lackluster week; Suns, Blazers making moves - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba- ... ing-moves/#5 - Suns The Suns have won nine of their past 10 games and are on a six-game winning streak after Sunday's win over the Magic. The current run is tied for their second-longest such streak in the past 10 seasons, behind only last season's 8-0 bubble performance. Devin Booker has been on fire the past four games, averaging 32.3 points while shooting 56.3% overall. He had three consecutive games of at least 30 points for the first time this season and started Sunday's game outscoring Orlando by himself in the first quarter (17-16) before finishing with 27. -- Lopez
Power Rankings, Week 9: Jazz jump Lakers for No. 1 spot; Suns enter Top 5 - https://www.nba.com/news/power-rankings-2020-21-week-9#3 - Suns The Suns won all four games this week, making it six in a row and eight of their last nine. It's safe to say this team has found its stride, evident in big wins over the Bucks and 76ers. Devin Booker exploded this week, averaging 32.3 points on 48 percent 3-point shooting, while Chris Paul put up 19.3 points and 8.7 assists on 57 percent from deep. Phoenix also added another weapon with the return of Dario Saric, who scored 15 points in 20 minutes and was a plus-18 against his former Sixers.
NBA Power Rankings Week 9: Clippers climb, plus trade targets for every team - https://theathletic.com/2375626/2021/02 ... ba-trades/#4 - Suns The Suns have won nine of their last 10 games and picked up a couple of more Ws for the resume last week. They scored 126 points per 100 possessions over their wins over the Bucks and Sixers, perhaps demonstrating that it’s good to be a jump-shooting team against Defensive Player of the Year candidates whose primary concern is protecting the rim. The Suns shot 40-for-70 (57%) from between the restricted area and the 3-point line and 25-for-56 (45%) from 3-point range over the two games. For the season, Chris Paul (52.2%) and Devin Booker (50.8%) are two of the 11 players who have shot better than 50% on at least 100 shots between the restricted area and the 3-point line. (“Analytics” would not tell them to stop shooting from the mid-range.)
The Suns’ defense has suffered a little bit of slippage, but their bench, with Dario Saric returning to face his former team, came up big in the win over Philly. They outscored the Sixers, 47-31, in a little more than 17 minutes with Saric, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson on the floor together.
The Suns have the third best record (7-4) in games played between the 14 teams that are currently at or above .500. And on Tuesday, they’ll host a team that’s tied for the best record (9-3) in those games.
#4 - Suns Trade target idea: Mason Plumlee
I know the Phoenix Suns don’t really need to have a traditional big man behind Deandre Ayton most nights, but this team needs to start making sure it has an answer for every team in the postseason. Rolling out there with Frank Kaminsky as the other center isn’t going to cut it. With Plumlee, the Suns would have an athletic big man behind Ayton, and one who can give them quite a bit defensively. Against teams like the Lakers and Denver, that is extremely necessary. Plumlee isn’t an easy contract for the Suns to match without giving up their young guys they want to keep. So you’re probably looking at something like Kaminsky, E’Twaun Moore and Langston Galloway to make the contracts work. But there might need to be a second-round pick involved too.
Why are they ranked here? Two easy wins and two great wins for the Suns this week. Most impressively? That game against Philly. Ben Simmons made life hell for Devin Booker for like a quarter, then Booker cooked one of the best defenders in the league.