Alex Kennedy

Associated Press

BasketballNews.com Staff

Chris Sheridan

Clipps and Drew

Corey Brewer

Dan Grunfeld

Danny Cunningham

Dishes & Dimes

Duane Notice

Etan Thomas

Ethan Fuller

James Posey

Jannelle Moore

Jeff Pearlman

Jonathan Concool

Jon Finkel

Katie Heindl

Kelsea O'Brien

Kenyon Martin

Matt Babcock

Moke Hamilton

Mo Speights

Nekias Duncan

Oliver Maroney

Quinn Cook

Scott Hale

Spencer Davies

Troy Brown Jr.

Vinny Del Negro

Yasmin Duale

Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo recently turned down a two-year, $45.2 million maximum contract extension, the most the franchise could offer him before the end of the regular season.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30981753/sources-victor-oladipo-turned-2-year-452-million-extension-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN </a>
ANALYSIS: Wojnarowski added that Oladipo is seeking a longer-term deal and Houston cannot offer him that until the offseason, due to the collective bargaining agreement. Oladipo is in the final year of a four-year, $85 million contract, and it remains unclear if the Rockets will choose to make him available in trade talks as the March 25th deadlines approaches.&nbsp;

Rockets' Victor Oladipo has recently turned down a 2-year $45.2M contract extension with the team.

Victor Oladipo turns down contract extension from Rockets

Alex talks with the Bucks' Bobby Portis about signing with the team, how he's matured, embracing his role as a reserve and more.

Bobby Portis on joining Bucks, taking less to play for a contender, more

They have the NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, a guy who has dropped 30 or more points in 20 of 29 games. They Russell Westbrook, who has posted a league-leading 10 triple-doubles in just 24 games.
Not only that, but being a quarantined league laughingstock not so long ago, the Washington Wizards have won six of their last seven games, including two victories over the Nuggets, one against the Lakers and another over the Celtics prior to a 16-point victory vs. the Timberwolves last night. They play Boston again on Sunday, followed by the Grizzlies and Clippers on the final night of a five-game, nine-night road trip. Sweep those three, and they go into the break 16-18.
In that case, we would be talking about a team that is just two games under .500 with only three teams sporting winning records in the East.
That&rsquo;s right, three: The Nets, Sixers and Bucks. Everyone else, more or less, is not at that level.
The Raptors and Knicks are tied for fourth at .500, the Heat and Celtics are a game under .500 and the Bulls, Heat and Pacers are two games under .500 as play begins Sunday. This is not imbalance; this is the conference normal right now -- three good teams.
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So &nbsp;there is room for a fourth, which means we have to start looking at unlikely candidates. We shall today, toward one team with two very good players.
The Wizards got hit hard by COVID and had six consecutive games postponed, which means their schedule is going to be extra tough from a wear-and-tear standard the rest of the way. They have eight remaining back-to-backs, but they will play six games in nine nights coming out off the All-Star break, including two with the Sixers, one with the Bucks and one with the Jazz. After that, they get a matchup with the Nets, then play three games in four nights four times over the remainder of the season.&nbsp;
This makes the strength and conditioning team 10-times more important than anyone in D.C. not named Biden. The franchise will not have Thomas Bryant this season, nor is the organization getting what it expected from five-year, $80 million man Davis Bertans. Still, Sheppard has gone blue in the face telling anyone who will listen that Bradley Beal is not being traded anywhere. &nbsp;
What Sheppard and Brooks need to try to do is find a third key player on the trade market before the March 25 deadline. They have a few decent role players in Rui Hachimura, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto and Deni Avdija, but this roster would be hard-pressed to win a single playoff series, much less two, as presently constructed. But if you assume that recently-starting center Moritz Wagner, Jerome Robinson and Isaac Bonga are expendable and their expiring salaries can be packaged, their salaries add up to roughly $7.5 million. If Troy Brown Jr. were to get added to the mix, that is roughly $11 million, which can get you something. And they have Detroit&rsquo;s second-rounder (likely No. 31 or 32) as a trade sweetener.
A big man would have to be prioritized, because you will need one to defend Joel Embiid if you face the Sixers, and to be used offensively in the low post if you play the Nets or Celtics. If you face the Bucks, you wish &ldquo;good luck&rdquo; to Hachimura and have Alex Len use all six of his fouls if Giannis gets anywhere near the rim.
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So what can $7.5 or $11 million get you? (And remember, the salaries will have to match because Washington has a $132 million salary, the league&rsquo;s ninth-highest, and is only $813,000 below the luxury tax.) Only a bad team would give up on a big, and among those who could be presumably acquired and fit into these two salary spaces include JaVale McGee of Cleveland, Mason Plumlee of Detroit, Jabari Parker, Hassan Whiteside or Richaun Holmes of Sacramento and Dwight Powell or Willie Cauley-Stein of Dallas (not on a bad team, but superfluous). DeMarcus Cousins is also a free agent.&nbsp;
Washington ranks 29th in defense in terms of points allowed per game (119.3), so a rim defender such as Whiteside could help, in the abstract. He was having a career season with Portland last year before Jusuf Nurkic returned in Florida and was All-Bubble material.
It has been three years since the Wizards won a playoff series, and Beal is the only holdover from then. Andrew Nicholson was on the team at that time, and he is putting up numbers in China (24.4 ppg on 66.9 percent shooting for Fujian, whose season ends April 13. Maybe a reunion could be in order afterward?
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Scott Brooks did not acquire Russell Westbrook in order for the Wizards to be a middle-of-the-road team, and the season-ending torn ACL injury to Bryant was devastating.&nbsp;
But the East is three deep right now, and therefore somebody has the opportunity to rise up and be a conference semifinal team. There are more likely candidates, but it has to be somebody. &nbsp;
Of the Wizards&rsquo; 41 remaining games, 11 are against the Pistons, Cavs, Hornets and Kings. They've got three more until the All-Star break; if they come out on top in those, the noise will start to get louder.
Why not Washington? They could be one deal away from being that team.

Chris Sheridan believes that the Wizards could end up being the surprise team of the East, especially if they make one more move.

Sheridan: Why not the Wizards? Someone must be East’s dark horse

Sunday's contest between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls has been postponed, <a href="https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc/status/1366050212930854915/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the league said in a statement.</a>
According to the release, "Because of positive test results and ongoing contact tracing within the Raptors, the team will not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with the scheduled game against the Bulls."
Nick Nurse and five members of the Raptors' coaching staff are already in the NBA's health and safety protocols.

The Raptors do not have enough eligible players to proceed with the game.

Sunday's Bulls-Raptors game postponed due to COVID-19 protocols

Kyrie Irving's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/kyrie-irving-nba-logo-should-be-changed-to-kobe-bryant-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposal that the NBA change its logo</a> to an image of Kobe Bryant has sparked a conversation across the basketball community.
On Saturday, Devin Booker and Doc Rivers each shared their stances on the idea.
Booker, one of the league's young stars for the Phoenix Suns, <a href="https://twitter.com/ValleyoftheSuns/status/1365785342859616257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is all for the logo change</a>. He said of Bryant, "I love it. He built this game... I know he's inspired a lot more people than me and Kyrie."
Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, however, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wCoTANibEo&amp;feature=youtu.be">took a different viewpoint on Friday</a>. He has no problem with Jerry West remaining a logo, but if there were to be a change, he would pick Michael Jordan.
&ldquo;I have been asked that but I don&rsquo;t know the answer to that,&rdquo; Rivers said during an interview. &ldquo;I mean Michael Jordan would be the logo. Listen, if you want a logo, Michael to me, would be it. But I don&rsquo;t know if you change for change,&rdquo; he further explained.
&ldquo;You usually change things because of history and you find something out that doesn&rsquo;t fit. Jerry has been a deserving logo and I have no problem him continuing to be the logo. I mean what are we going to do, change the logo every 10 or 20 years? So, I like our logo and I think we should probably stick with it. I am probably in the minority in that thought.&rdquo;

Booker loves the idea of a Kobe Bryant logo, while Rivers disagreed.

Devin Booker, Doc Rivers comment on Kobe Bryant NBA logo suggestion

Nick Nurse and five members of the Toronto Raptors coaching staff who have entered NBA health and safety protocols could be absent for a number of weeks. This leaves Sergio Scarlio as the interim head coach.
Source: <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2021/02/27/sergio-scariolo-might-coach-the-raptors-for-a-couple-more-weeks-he-couldnt-be-more-ready.html?rf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Smith/Toronto Star</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Scariolo picked up his first win as a head coach when he stepped in to lead Toronto in a 122-111 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday. He has coached over 150 FIBA games and won the 2019 World Cup, as well as a silver medal in the 2012 London Olympic and bronze at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. So far, the players have taken kindly to Scariolo's interim leadership.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just really calm,&rdquo; guard Fred VanVleet said on Friday. &ldquo;Very serious, obviously. He&rsquo;s done it at a high level for a long time, so you can&rsquo;t really B.S. him. He really knows the game, he knows his stuff.&rdquo;

Scariolo picked up his first win as interim head coach on Friday.

Sergio Scariolo could serve as Raptors coach for weeks with Nick Nurse out

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will likely remain out through the NBA All-Star break.
Source: <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/02/kevin-love-unlikely-to-return-before-all-star-break-sources-say.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Fedor/Cleveland.com</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Love continues to rehab a calf injury that has sidelined him since Dec. 27. He has played just two games all season for Cleveland. The Cavs have found some momentum in recent games, winning their last three, but they could use Love as a stretch big man. The 32-year-old averaged 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game last season.

Love has played two games all season for the Cavaliers.

Kevin Love likely out until All-Star break

With Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup, the Dallas Mavericks put an end to Brooklyn's eight-game winning streak Saturday night with a 115-98 win. Porzingis missed the team's previous three games due to a back injury, but the 7'3'' forward out of Latvia looked good in tonight's outing, putting up 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks in 25 minutes on the court. Porzingis shot an efficient 7-13 from the field despite just taking two shots from beyond the arc. Dallas now climbs back to .500 on the season with a 16-16 record, which is good for 9th in the West.&nbsp;
The Nets, who have been without Kevin Durant for the past eight games, were extra shorthanded tonight as they were without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Irving missed tonight's game due to 'right shoulder soreness', according to the team. And with only a few games left for the Nets before the All-Star Break, it's very likely Brooklyn could hold Irving out to ensure he is fully rested before the second half of the season kicks off.
Next up for Dallas is a matchup with the Orlando Magic Monday night at 7 PM ET.
The Nets will hit the road for a game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday, with tip-off coming at 8:30 PM ET.

With Porzingis back in the lineup, the Dallas Mavericks put an end to Brooklyn's eight-game winning streak.

Porzingis returns, Dallas ends Brooklyn's eight-game win streak

The Nets' Kevin Durant will act as an All-Star captain even though he is not playing in the game.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1365852421445066752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Marc Stein went on to say that no decision has been made yet on whether Durant will travel to Atlanta for the March 7th All-Star Game, but he will, in fact, be picking a Team Durant to oppose Team LeBron in the next week.
The All-Star player draft is planned for Thursday night on TNT.

Nets forward Kevin Durant will still act as an All-Star Team Captain despite not playing in the game.

Kevin Durant to still act as All-Star captain, despite not playing in game

After missing 10 consecutive games in the league's health and safety protocol, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday is likely to return to the lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1365833644007432192" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Milwaukee will be happy to welcome back their starting point guard Sunday afternoon, as the Bucks have struggled mightily since he went out due to the league's COVID protocols. The Bucks went 5-5 in the 10 games that Holiday missed, with the team suffering a season-high 5 game losing streak during that time as well.  
Holiday is averaging 16.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds per game and shooting 50% from the floor in his first season with the Bucks. The Bucks and Clippers kick-off NBA Sunday hoops with a 3:30 PM ET tip-off, and it remains unclear if Holiday will face a minutes restriction or not in his first game back.

Bucks Jrue Holiday is set to make his return to the court Sunday vs. the Clippers after a being held out for 10 games due to the league's health and safety protocols.

Jrue Holiday to return from 10-game absence Sunday vs. Clippers

Who are the most name-dropped NBA players in music history?&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.topratedcasinos.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TopRatedCasinos.co.uk</a> figured out the answer by seeing whose name appears the most across all of the songs on Lyrics.com.
Kobe Bryant has been name-dropped more than any other athlete, with 1,147 mentions in songs. In fact, Bryant has been name-dropped twice as much as anyone else; after Bryant's 1,147 mentions, the second-most-mentioned athlete is Lionel Messi with 553 lyrics.&nbsp;
Michael Jordan has the third-most mentions, with 439 shout-outs in songs.
Aside from Kobe and MJ, the NBA players with the most mentions are LeBron James (188), Stephen Curry (119), Magic Johnson (114), Larry Bird (84) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (32).
Basketball stars were the second-most name-dropped athletes with 2,123 mentions in songs, trailing only soccer stars (who had 2,738 mentions).
Here&rsquo;s a look at the top-30 most name-dropped professional athletes:
<ol>
<li> Kobe Bryant 1,147&nbsp;</li>
<li> Lionel Messi, 553&nbsp;</li>
<li> Michael Jordan, 439&nbsp;</li>
<li> Mike Tyson, 407&nbsp;</li>
<li> Cristiano Ronaldo, 280&nbsp;</li>
<li> Diego Maradona, 270&nbsp;</li>
<li> George Best, 269&nbsp;</li>
<li> Muhammad Ali, 236&nbsp;</li>
<li> Neymar, 230&nbsp;</li>
<li> Tiger Woods, 221&nbsp;</li>
<li> Zinedine Zidane, 216&nbsp;</li>
<li> Usain Bolt, 216&nbsp;</li>
<li> Jim Brown, 203&nbsp;</li>
<li> LeBron James, 188&nbsp;</li>
<li> David Beckham, 182&nbsp;</li>
<li> N'Golo Kant&eacute;, 160&nbsp;</li>
<li> Stephen Curry, 119&nbsp;</li>
<li> Magic Johnson, 114&nbsp;</li>
<li> Michael Phelps, 112&nbsp;</li>
<li> Babe Ruth, 107</li>
<li> Ronaldinho, 104&nbsp;</li>
<li> Bo Jackson, 94&nbsp;</li>
<li> Tom Brady, 94&nbsp;</li>
<li> Larry Bird, 84&nbsp;</li>
<li> Reggie White, 84&nbsp;</li>
<li> Luis Su&aacute;rez, 73&nbsp;</li>
<li> Chris Hoy, 56&nbsp;</li>
<li> Jerry Rice, 55&nbsp;</li>
<li> Mesut Ozil, 51&nbsp;</li>
<li> Eric Cantona, 47</li>
</ol>

Which professional athletes have been mentioned in the most songs over the years? A recent study provided the answer.

Which NBA players have been name-dropped in the most songs?

The Utah Jazz have been special to watch this season. They currently sit at 26 wins and only 6 losses, which is good for the best record in the league. When watching the Jazz, it&rsquo;s easy to see why: they exhibit a synergy between various roles that a team can only achieve through years of growth and culture-building that we don&rsquo;t often see in the age of perpetual tanking and player movement.&nbsp;
So what, specifically, is the reason for this team&rsquo;s newfound dominance? Two words: Mike Conley.
It&rsquo;s inaccurate to say the former Memphis Grizzlies guard is "finally" playing well. Conley is about as sound as a point guard can get. He&rsquo;s stable on the court, a threat both inside and outside on top of providing versatile and energetic defense. A single underwhelming season in Utah after being placed in a weighty role on a contender (following years alongside Marc Gasol in Memphis) seems to have required an adjustment period for the periodically All-Star-caliber guard. And judging by the Jazz&rsquo;s recent play, Conley has figured it out (as one should&rsquo;ve expected).&nbsp;
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Utah&rsquo;s dominance this season is supported by both the eye test and the subsequent stats one looks up to determine whether they're seeing things. To start with the eye test, the Jazz play with a comfort and confidence that stems from either knowing exactly what to expect of your teammates and their respective roles, or the knowledge that day in and day out, your team has the best player on the court. Although the latter may not be true on many nights, the Jazz have been winning regardless. This leads me to believe the connectivity the team has exhibited this season is linked to Conley&rsquo;s familiarity and knowledge of the current roster that he helps lead.&nbsp;
We don&rsquo;t often speak on the ridiculous responsibility that's frequently placed on point guards in contention. The expectation that these players help in coordinating entire offenses has even resulted in the accepted notion that the average point guard doesn&rsquo;t truly reach their fullest potential until their late 20s. Considering basic team infrastructure, all signs point to Conley smoothing the Jazz&rsquo;s kinks despite the fact that the other stars on the team, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, haven&rsquo;t seen drastic changes in their stat lines from last year to this season.
The same can&rsquo;t really be said for Conley. The lead guard has notched increases in points, assists, rebounds, two-point field goal percentage, three-point percentage and field goal percentage (duh) -- all topped with a slight increase in field goal attempts and a stabilized turnover rate even with the upped assist rate. Beyond these superficial stats, the lead guard is also holding a 116.6 offensive rating and a 100.1 defensive rating, which is good for a 16.5 net rating -- worlds better than the 2.1 net rating he held last season and also good for the highest of his NBA career. Not only is Conley acting as the rare, missing ingredient that the Jazz were hoping for when they initially acquired him from Memphis, he also happens to be playing his best team basketball in the third-lowest minutes per game of his career.&nbsp;
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One of the main critiques of Conley that was widely held last season was his virtually non-existent on-court chemistry with Gobert. After years of orchestrating an iconic two-man game with offensive brainiac Marc Gasol, Conley seemed to have a lot of problems adjusting to the alternative play style of Gobert. When you take into account how offensively juxtaposed the two big men are, it&rsquo;s no wonder why Conley required a prolonged adjustment period. With a 14.4 net rating, it almost seems as though Gobert has been the recipient of the cascading positive effects of the improved play. Considering the purported importance of heightened chemistry between small guards and the big men that act as extensions of them, Gobert has naturally eclipsed his offensive and defensive ratings of last season (and Gobert's offensive rating is also the best of his career).&nbsp;
The context in which we discuss Conley tends to be in the form of All-Star snub outrage. But instead of sitting in a stew of contrarianism and the perceived injustice of a packed Western Conference All-Star guard rotation, it&rsquo;s probably best to give him his flowers regardless.
Few things are more fun than seeing players figure it out in real time, especially when it significantly improves the roster that surrounds them. Soon enough, we&rsquo;ll see how he utilizes this newfound rhythm in the postseason, and how this resurgence allows him to stack up against the countless dominant guards in the West.&nbsp;

All-Star or not, Mike Conley is making his presence felt on the Utah Jazz and is a huge reason for their dominance, writes Yasmin Duale.

All-Star or not, Mike Conley is reason for Jazz's dominance

The Toronto Raptors received some unfortunate news on Friday when it was revealed that head coach Nick Nurse and five other assistant coaches would be placed in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol and miss an undetermined amount of time. On Saturday, that news reportedly worsened for the team.
According to ESPN, the Raptors will be without star forward Pascal Siakam for the remainder of the first half of the season, as he is also in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol. Siakam missed Toronto's game on Friday night as part of this.&nbsp;
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Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam is expected to remain in the league&rsquo;s Health and Safety protocol through the All-Star break, missing the final three games of the first half, sources tell ESPN. Siakam sat out Friday&rsquo;s victory over Houston in the protocol.
&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1365727573448286213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

So far this season Siakam has averaged 20.1 points per game to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Raptors.&nbsp;

Siakam missed Friday's game as he was in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol.

Pascal Siakam out until after All-Star Break

The Boston Celtics snapped a sour three-game losing streak on Friday night, earning a 118-112 win over the Indiana Pacers. Kemba Walker, who has struggled to consistently produce since returning from a knee injury, dropped a season-high 32 points in the victory.
The 30-year-old shot 10-of-19 from the field while adding six assists.
"Kemba helped will us to a win in a lot of ways," Brad Stevens <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianTRobb/status/1365503018620375040">said postgame.</a>&nbsp;
Walker is slowly rounding into form. He is averaging 18.1 points per game while shooting 35 percent from the field, but is at just a 38 percent clip overall. Friday's big performance could be an indicator that Cardiac Kemba is settling in.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t put our heads down. We just kept building each other up,&rdquo; <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredWeissNBA/status/1365513109469863938" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walker said.</a>

The Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.

Kemba Walker scores season-high 32 in Celtics win vs. Pacers

If you have League Pass or an equivalent, turn on the Sixers-Mavericks game from Thursday night. Completely ignore the box score if you haven&rsquo;t already seen it -- not in a way that would spark a needless debate that has been rehashed into oblivion, but simply don&rsquo;t look at it.&nbsp;
Get through the first three quarters. Who pops the most on your screen, and why is it Ben Simmons?
Now, peep that <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/dal-vs-phi-0022000498/box-score">box score</a>: 15 points, three boards, seven dimes in 32 minutes. The plus-15 is dope, but he ranks behind Seth Curry (plus-17) among starters, and behind Shake Milton (plus-17) and Mike Scott (plus-16).&nbsp;
(Not that individual game plus-minus is an all-encompassing stat, of course.)
Why did I put you through that thought exercise? It&rsquo;s to hammer home the notion that the analysis around Simmons -- good or bad -- has always been more about the process than the results.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s why taking a glance at Simmons&rsquo; year-by-year stats and concluding he hasn&rsquo;t gotten better since his rookie year is faulty; it&rsquo;s also partly why Simmons has underwhelmed as a number two on a team with title aspirations.&nbsp;
There were and are obvious limitations to his game (hello, jumper), but I&rsquo;d argue the way that he played was just as much of an impediment as those limitations. This is what makes Simmons&rsquo; run in February a fun one: the process has gotten much better. Turning that corner has led to a more dangerous version of Simmons, which has helped lead to a more dangerous version of the Sixers.
If I were tasked with simplifying the biggest shift in Simmons&rsquo; game from last season to this one, I&rsquo;d say that he&rsquo;s driving with more purpose. There&rsquo;s more verve, more oomph. That aggression shines through in transition, but also in the half-court as a driver or cutter from the slot.&nbsp;
Keeping up with the theme of process-related subtlety, I present to you Simmons&rsquo; driving stats, per NBA.com:
2019-20: 12.1 drives per 36 minutes, 54.1% pass-out rate, 10.2% assist rate
2020-21: 12.0 drives per 36 minutes, 49% pass-out rate, 10.2% assist rate
Those numbers aren&rsquo;t super <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?sort=DRIVES&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;TeamID=1610612755&amp;Month=5&amp;PerMode=Totals">different in February</a> either. There&rsquo;s obvious context to add, like the fact that Simmons is playing with better spacing than he was last year. But Simmons deserves credit for maximizing his chances. Having better shooters doesn&rsquo;t mean much if you aren&rsquo;t creating good looks for them.
Simmons is taking his drives a little deeper than he was last season. It&rsquo;s a testament to improved spacing, but also Simmons looking to compromise defenses more effectively. Take this play from last season:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/simmons-no-pressure.gif" alt="" width="630" height="AUTO" />
This is a possession coming after a made basket. Simmons brings it up, drives to his left, pitches it to Joel Embiid while running directly into Jonas Valanciunas&rsquo; close-out path (smart!) and the Sixers get three points.
It&rsquo;s relatively mundane on the surface, but it&rsquo;s a &ldquo;bad process, good results&rdquo; possession in my view. It&rsquo;s worth noting the lack of exploration here. There is a huge driving window to Simmons&rsquo; right, exacerbated by the fact that Ja Morant has his back turned to the action.&nbsp;
Simmons&rsquo; driving profile from last year is littered with possessions like these. Perimeter-to-non-restricted-area attacks that move the defense without truly bending it. Things ended well in the possession above, but enough of those decisions can (and did) hinder an offense that needed any additional advantage it could create in the half-court.
Compare that possession to this one against the Mavericks on Thursday:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/simmons-assist-w-pressure.gif" alt="" width="630" height="AUTO" />
Not a highlight play by any means, but one that shines a light on Simmons&rsquo; progression this season. Instead of stopping at the left elbow -- Embiid was open at that point -- Simmons drives to the left block. It draws the attention of Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic on the drive, while also putting Tim Hardaway Jr. in a &ldquo;split the difference&rdquo; scenario between Embiid and Tobias Harris.&nbsp;
From the Mavericks&rsquo; perspective, they&rsquo;re probably okay with the half-stunt from Hardaway Jr. and ultimately letting Embiid fire. Harris is a more dangerous shooter. But again, it&rsquo;s about the process: Simmons didn&rsquo;t just generate an open three, he drew two defenders and forced a third to rotate.&nbsp;
That type of aggression, and tapping into it early, has led to better opportunities for himself later in possessions.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/simmons-dunker-spot.gif" alt="" width="630" height="AUTO" />
This is ultimately bad off-ball defense from Josh Richardson, but Simmons deserves credit for forcing the issue. He had already established himself as a downhill threat a couple of possessions prior; that threat ultimately garnered extra attention. Seth Curry was able to attack a scrambling Richardson, and Simmons made himself available by hanging in the dunker spot.
Of course, Simmons can and has taken matters into his own hands with this newfound mean streak. He&rsquo;s a freakin&rsquo; menace once he builds a head of steam. A common theme from Thursday night&rsquo;s win was setting screens a little higher so he has more space to drive into. But even when those screens are set lower, Simmons has been more intentional about powering through whatever cracks are available.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/simmons-downhill.gif" alt="" width="617" height="AUTO" />
Simmons has also looked more comfortable on the block this season. He isn&rsquo;t doing it as often -- 9.3 percent of his possessions have ended via post-up this season, per Synergy, down from 11.3 last season -- but he&rsquo;s hammering dudes whenever he taps into that well, ranking in the 88th percentile as a scorer.
He can use quickness and guile to beat like-sized defenders:
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Or straight up punk smaller dudes that get in his way:
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To the latter point: the low-hanging fruit for Simmons&rsquo; post-ups was getting better against smaller players. Per a source with access to Second Spectrum tracking data, Simmons is generating nearly 1.3 points per possession on post-ups against guards, up from 0.87 points per possession last season.
Even minor shifts in Simmons&rsquo; approach -- taking an extra dribble to touch the paint, lowering the shoulder a little more often -- has made all the difference. That&rsquo;s been reflected in the per-game numbers: Simmons is averaging 20.7 points, attempting 7.3 free throws, and posting a 65.8 True Shooting percentage in February.
If Simmons is suddenly a 21-8-8 guy like he&rsquo;s been this month, the Sixers would certainly take that development. But even if some of those numbers regress, the aggression must remain for Simmons and the Sixers to be the best version of themselves.

Ben Simmons is being more aggressive and showing progress in a number of areas, which is huge for the 76ers, writes Nekias Duncan.

Ben Simmons is driving success in Philadelphia

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.&nbsp;
Sabonis has earned his second straight NBA All-Star selection.&nbsp; He is averaging a career-high 21.5 points, 11.7 rebounds (fifth in the NBA) and a career-high 5.7 assists in 30 games this season.&nbsp; He joins NBA All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets and Julius Randle of the New York Knicks as the only players who are averaging at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.&nbsp; A five-year NBA veteran from Lithuania, Sabonis ranks second in the league in double-doubles with 24 and has recorded three triple-doubles.&nbsp;
Durant will not play in the NBA All-Star Game because of a left hamstring strain, which has caused him to miss the last six games.&nbsp; He is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 19 games.&nbsp; Durant was named an NBA All-Star Game starter and team captain, his 11th&nbsp;All-Star selection.
According to NBA rules, when a player selected to the All-Star Game is unable to participate, the Commissioner shall choose a replacement from the same conference as the player who is being replaced.&nbsp;&nbsp;Durant and Sabonis both play for Eastern Conference teams.
Durant will be replaced in the starter pool for the NBA All-Star Draft by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who was selected as an All-Star reserve.&nbsp; According to NBA rules, an injured All-Star Game starter is replaced in the starter pool for the NBA All-Star Draft by the All-Star reserve from the same conference and of the same position group who received the highest ranking in the voting for All-Star starters.&nbsp; Tatum will be selected with the starters in the first round of the NBA All-Star Draft, while Sabonis will be selected with the reserves in the second round.&nbsp; The NBA All-Star Draft will air on TNT on Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET.
The 70th NBA All-Star Game is part of NBA All-Star 2021, which will take place on one night, March 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This is the second All-Star appearance for the Indiana Pacers' star.

Domantas Sabonis named an All-Star, replacing Kevin Durant

On Friday the Brooklyn Nets announced that Kevin Durant will not play again until after the All-Star Break as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury sustained earlier this month.&nbsp;
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Medical update on Kevin Durant: <a href="https://t.co/2NG9PExjJp">pic.twitter.com/2NG9PExjJp</a>
&mdash; Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1365399064783839234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The Nets have three games remaining prior to the break, with contests against Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston before All-Star Weekend.&nbsp;
This season, Durant is averaging 29 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, but has only played in 19 games due to time in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocol and his injured hamstring. Since All-Star guard James Harden was acquired via trade from Houston, Durant has only played in seven games.&nbsp;

Durant will miss a total of 18 games prior to the All-Star Break.

Kevin Durant sidelined until after All-Star Break

Jeremy Lin has nine years of NBA experience and is currently playing in the NBA G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, and he says that he's been the victim of racism as of late.&nbsp;
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues on, Asian-Americans have continued to be the victims of racism, including as Lin alludes to, being called, "coronavirus" on the court. Lin went in depth with an Instagram post, as seen below, on Friday detailing some of his recent experiences.&nbsp;
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This post comes after Lin appeared on a segment with <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/jeremy-lin-calls-unity-after-violence-against-asian-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC Sports Bay Area's 'Race in America: A Candid Conversation'</a> earlier this week.&nbsp;

Lin eludes to being called 'coronavirus' on the court by others.

Jeremy Lin speaks on Asian-American hate he's received

The Toronto Raptors have reportedly been dealt a blow to their coaching staff as head coach Nick Nurse will be entering COVID-19 protocol and missing time on the sideline, the team announced on Friday. The news was first reported by The New York Times.&nbsp;
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Raptors coach Nick Nurse and five other members of the Toronto coaching staff are entering the league's health and safety protocols and will not coach tonight, <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYTSports</a> has learned
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1365375586697420801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Five other members of the Toronto coaching staff will also be entering the NBA's health and safety protocols and unavailable to coach.&nbsp;
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Houston at Toronto (in Tampa) tonight will be the first instance in the NBA that a head coach and multiple staff members have been forced to miss a game due to the league's health and safety protocols. The team has now formally announced it: <a href="https://t.co/adYJvci1Aq">pic.twitter.com/adYJvci1Aq</a>
&mdash; Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1365378111978807301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Nurse and five other Toronto coaches will not be available due to COVID-19 protocols.

Nick Nurse and other Toronto coaches enter COVID-19 protocol

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Damian Jones to a 10-day contract, the team announced on Friday.
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OFFICIAL: Welcome to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LakeShow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LakeShow</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/dameology?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dameology</a>! <a href="https://t.co/q7Zyf8toL5">pic.twitter.com/q7Zyf8toL5</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1365366656478846984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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So far this season Jones has played in 14 games for the Phoenix Suns, averaging 1.6 points per game in 6.7 minutes per game.&nbsp;

Jones has appeared in 14 games this season for the Phoenix Suns.

Lakers sign Damian Jones to 10-day contract

After it was reported recently that the WNBA's Atlanta Dream would be sold by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, the deal was publicly announced today by the league that it has been completed.&nbsp;
The league said the following in a press release:
"The WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors have unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener, Chairman of Northland, an industry-leading national real estate&nbsp;firm. The three-member investor group is comprised of former Dream star Renee Montgomery, Northland President and Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Abair, and Gottesdiener.&ldquo;With the unanimous WNBA and NBA votes, today marks a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization and we are very pleased to welcome Larry Gottesdiener and Suzanne Abair to the WNBA,&rdquo; said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. &ldquo;I admire their passion for women&rsquo;s basketball, but more importantly, have been impressed with their values.&nbsp;I am also thrilled that former WNBA star Renee Montgomery will be joining the ownership group as an investor and executive for the team.&nbsp;Renee is a trailblazer who has made a major impact both in the game and beyond.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;It is a privilege to join a team of inspiring women who strive for excellence on the court and equity off the court,&rdquo; said Larry Gottesdiener. &ldquo;I would like to express my gratitude to Commissioner Engelbert, Commissioner Silver, and the WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors for the opportunity.&rdquo; Two-time WNBA champion Renee Montgomery will be the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA team. Montgomery sat out the 2020 season to focus on social justice issues and recently announced her retirement from the league after 11 seasons. &ldquo;My Dream has come true,&rdquo; said Renee Montgomery. &ldquo;Breaking barriers for minorities and women by being the first former WNBA player to have both a stake in ownership and a leadership role with the team is an opportunity that I take very seriously. I invite you to join me as the Dream builds momentum in Atlanta!&rdquo; Founded in 2007, the Dream has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs eight times and has reached the WNBA Finals three times. The team&rsquo;s former owners, Dream Too LLC, the Atlanta Dream ownership group, purchased the team in 2011.Mary Brock and Kelly Loeffler commented on the transaction saying, "Ten years ago we stepped up to keep the Dream in Atlanta, as an important asset for a vibrant and diverse city. It was also important to us to help level the playing field for women's professional sports. We are proud of what we accomplished and wish the team well in their next chapter. We will always value the hard work and dedication, and the memories, fans and friendships that sustained our commitment to the Atlanta Dream over the last decade.&rdquo;The Dream will play the 2021 season at the Gateway Center Arena at College Park, a multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue. The 2021 WNBA regular season schedule will be announced at a later date.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; About Larry Gottesdiener Larry Gottesdiener, Founder and Chairman of Northland Investment Corporation, a $10 billion real estate private equity firm, charts Northland&rsquo;s long-term strategy, oversees innovative mixed-used developments, and guides philanthropy, engagement, and activism. Northland has been recognized by the industry in lists that include Best Places to Work in Multifamily and Best Places to Work in Multifamily for Women. Northland&rsquo;s philanthropy is focused on empowering women, combating racism, and ending homelessness."
Loeffler came under scrutiny this past year as she opposed the Black Lives Matter movement that the league, and her players openly embraced. Loeffler was a Republican representing the State of Georgia in the U.S. Senate, but was recently defeated in a runoff election by Rev. Raphael Warnock, the candidate whom many WNBA players openly campainged for.&nbsp;

One of the new owners of the team is former WNBA player Renee Montgomery.