<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/3-best-stan-van-gundy-replacements-to-coach-zion-williamson-pelicans_copy.jpg"></figure><h1>3 best Stan Van Gundy replacements to coach Zion Williamson, Pelicans</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T13:39:59-07:00">June 16th, 1:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T14:06:54-07:00">June 16th, 2:06pm</time><address><a>Kousha Kangarloo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After just one season at the helm for the New Orleans Pelicans, Stan Van Gundy <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-new-orleans-fires-stan-van-gundy-1-season/" rel="noopener">got the boot.</a> This leaves a huge void at head coach for a young Pelicans <a href="http://foco.vegb.net/NrZZP">team</a> with a rising super star in Zion Williamson and a developing young supporting cast. With a busy offseason already in the fold for them, this now takes priority and adds to a huge list of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/roster" rel="noopener">roster</a> needs that must be addressed.</p><p>Let’s take a look at the three best coaching candidates to take the reins in New Orleans.</p><h2><b>Ime Udoka </b></h2><p>Currently an assistant for the Brooklyn Nets, Ime Udoka would make for an ideal hire given his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ime_Udoka" rel="noopener">extensive background in the NBA.</a> He was a rotational player on the San Antonio Spurs for years and later joined Gregg Popovich’s staff as an assistant coach and from there went on as an assistant coach for Brett Brown in Philly.</p><p>Having already worked with some of the NBA’s top stars as an assistant coach, Udoka has shown his strong relationship building and player development skills. These are both areas that are crucial for this young Pelicans team on the verge of postseason contention. In Udoka, the Pelicans could have a steal.</p><h2><b>Teresa Weatherspoon</b></h2><p>She’s considered of the greatest players in WNBA history and is currently an assistant for New Orleans. As a gold medalist and Hall of Fame inductee, Weatherspoon would bring a multi-faceted approach to this up-and-coming Pelicans team with her varied experiences as a player and coach, and <a href="https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2019/10/05/new-orleans-pelicans-zion-williamson-teresa-weatherspoon-assistant-coach-training-camp/" rel="noopener">she has already been acting as a mentor for Zion.</a></p><p>A former All-Star guard and WNBA leader in assists, Weatherspoon is the perfect replacement to bring this Pelicans team to the next level. She has earned this team’s respect as an assistant coach, which would only increase with her calling plays from the sideline. Bringing Weatherspoon into the fold as <a href="http://fanatics.ncw6.net/bRXMg">their</a> head coach would be a mutually beneficial hire and a well-deserved promotion for somebody who has seen the game from so many different angles and experienced winning on multiple levels.</p><h2><b>Jason Kidd </b></h2><p>Without question one of the greatest floor generals the game has ever seen, Jason Kidd has also seen a lot of success in his recent stint as the lead assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After getting axed by the Milwaukee Bucks, Kidd has not gotten much consideration for recent head coaching vacancies. However, he wants back in the head coaching game and is angling for another gig.</p><p>While Kidd had his issues with the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets before that, he can use those stints as important learning experiences. Kidd spent time with another young freak athlete in Giannis Antetokounmpo and could draw on that experience with Zion. During his time with the Lakers, he has definitely gained respect from their players and shown that he can bring an innovative approach to the game if he’s put in the right situation. With Kidd on the sidelines for the Pelicans, Zion and their young core could grow and develop even more than expected.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 best Stan Van Gundy replacements to coach Zion Williamson, Pelicans

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/heat-news-jimmy-butler-makes-decision-on-tokyo-olympics.jpeg"></figure><h1>Heat star Jimmy Butler makes decision on Tokyo Olympics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T13:28:15-07:00">June 16th, 1:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:28:15-07:00">June 16th, 1:28pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Miami Heat suffered a surprising sweep to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs after a marvelous run to the NBA Finals in the Orlando Bubble. With the Tokyo Olympics right around the corner, players are starting to make their final decisions. Heat star Jimmy Butler has made his decision and has decided to skip the Olympics and aim for more rest and recovery after a grueling couple of seasons, according to <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-sp-miami-heat-jimmy-butler-olympics-20210616-elz27hhhvfbihhvlgl3g47i4py-story.html">Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. </a></p><blockquote>“Jimmy Butler has opted to bypass an invitation from USA Basketball to participate in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.”</blockquote><p>It has been a difficult past couple of seasons and Butler has decided to rest up to prepare for the 2021 NBA season after a short ending to their playoff run. The Heat as a team were affected by injuries and COVID-19 issues in 2021– just like every other team in the league.</p><p>Participating in the Olympics would push them until mid-August and with the NBA’s return to a normal October-June schedule, it would give just a short amount of time for an offseason.</p><p>Boston Celtics <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-team-usa-plan-after-boston-playoffs-heartbreak/">star</a> Jayson Tatum is among one of the NBA stars expected to participate in Tokyo, and more decisions should come out within the next couple of days regarding the team headed to try and claim a gold medal.</p><p>Rest up, Jimmy Butler, and prepare for the 2021 season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Heat star Jimmy Butler makes decision on Tokyo Olympics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/kevin-durants-rank-in-pantheon-of-nbas-all-time-greatest-players.jpg"></figure><h1>Kevin Durant’s rank in pantheon of NBA’s all-time greatest players</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T13:17:23-07:00">June 16th, 1:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:19:13-07:00">June 16th, 1:19pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Durant is the talk of the town after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-lebron-james-reacts-to-kevin-durants-superhuman-game-5-vs-bucks/" rel="noopener">recording an impressive triple-double</a> in Game 5 between the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Durant finished the night with 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists while playing every single minute in the game. He proved to be the difference-maker, setting himself apart from Giannis Antetokounmpo in their playoff matchup.</p><p>KD has been in the NBA for 14 years now (this includes the season he just missed) and is still at the top of his game, which is incredible after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals. Instead of struggling, Durant picked up right where he left off. He only played 35 games for the Nets this year but put up an impressive stat line, averaging 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 53.7% from the field and 45.0% from deep.</p><p>Due to his recent success and continuing dominance in the league, it’s easy to conclude that Kevin Durant’s name should be amongst some of the best in league history. Even so, where exactly does Durant rank with the greatest of all time. He’s undoubtedly one of the best pure scorers we’ve ever seen hit the court, but is his overall game and accolades enough to put him in the top five?</p><p>It’s definitely an argument to be had. However, looking at the best players in league history, it’s hard to imagine Durant beats out Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Shaquille O’Neal to break the top five greatest ever.</p><p>So, where exactly does that leave Kevin Durant? He has earned a ton of accolades during his time in the league, so he doesn’t lack any awards or trophies. So far in his career, Durant has acquired two NBA championships, one MVP, two Finals MVPs, two All-Star MVPs, four NBA scoring titles, 11 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA nods, Rookie of the Year, and two Olympic gold medals.</p><p>With accomplishments like that, it’s tough to keep Durant out of the top 10 all-time. However, he seems to fit perfectly as the 10th-best player right now. Here is a quick list of our top 10 NBA players in league history:</p><ol><li>Michael Jordan</li><li>LeBron James</li><li>Kobe Bryant</li><li>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</li><li>Shaquille O’Neal</li><li>Tim Duncan</li><li>Magic Johnson</li><li>Larry Bird</li><li>Bill Russell</li><li>Kevin Durant</li></ol><p>Durant is there and has the potential to rise higher depending on what else he can accomplish before hanging it up. Each of the players ahead of him have at least three NBA championships under their belt, whereas Durant currently has two. Additionally, Durant can still rise up the scoring ranks and get extremely high. He’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/alltime-leaders/?SeasonType=Regular%20Season" rel="noopener">currently No. 26</a> in total points but is all the way up at No. 5 for points per game.</p><p>The 10th spot seems fitting for Durant, as he still has room to grow. He’s only 32 years old and is right at the tip of his prime. Based on how he plays the game, Durant likely still has three to four years of dominance before we start seeing his game fade. If he maintains his elite level of play for the next four years, Durant very well could raise the rankings.</p><p>For now, Kevin Durant sits comfortably at No. 10.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kevin Durant’s rank in pantheon of NBA’s all-time greatest players

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Nets-Kyrie-Irving-James-Harden.jpeg"></figure><h1>Steve Nash reveals Kyrie Irving, James Harden statuses for Game 6 vs. Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T13:16:21-07:00">June 16th, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:16:21-07:00">June 16th, 1:16pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash revealed the designations for Kyrie Irving and James Harden as his team prepares for Game 6 against the Bucks.</p><p>Irving, who missed the Nets’ victory in Game 5, remains out with his ankle sprain. Nash said the star point guard will not travel to Milwaukee, but instead stay in Brooklyn to receive treatment.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kyrie Irving remains out for Game 6 between the Nets and Bucks, Steve Nash says. The plan is for Irving to stay back in Brooklyn and get treatment.</p><p>— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/malika_andrews/status/1405217753850695693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>However, the Nets will have James Harden as they try to close out the Bucks in Milwaukee. Nash said Harden is “available” and feels good despite playing 46 minutes on a bad hamstring, per <a href="https://twitter.com/malika_andrews/status/1405217951146467340">ESPN’s Malika Andrews</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Steve Nash says James Harden is available to play in Game 6. Adds that both Harden and Durant feel good after playing 46 and 48 minutes respectively on Tuesday night in Game 5.</p><p>— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) <a href="https://twitter.com/malika_andrews/status/1405217951146467340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s not a big surprise to learn Irving is still out. Prior reports suggested the Nets were prepared to play the remainder of the series without him.</p><p>However, Harden reportedly feeling good after such a heavy workload is a good sign for the Nets.</p><p>Harden was a non-factor in the scoring department on Tuesday night, shooting just 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. Still, he gave the Nets another ball-handler and playmaker, finishing with eight assists and soldiering on for his team as Brooklyn stunned the Bucks.</p><p>Ultimately, the onus will be on Kevin Durant to once again provide the scoring, while the Bucks will search for answers. Durant was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpos-candid-reaction-to-kevin-durants-49-point-explosion/">unstoppable</a> on Tuesday, scoring 49 points on 16-for-23 while also pulling down 17 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. It was one of the most remarkable performances in NBA history in a game the Nets really needed to win.</p><p>The Bucks still have a good opportunity to push the series to a Game 7 with Irving out and Harden still essentially on one leg, but Durant might have other plans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steve Nash reveals Kyrie Irving, James Harden statuses for Game 6 vs. Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Jazz-Donovan-Mitchell-Jordan-Clarkson-Mike-Conley.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers-Jazz: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, June 16th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T13:00:03-07:00">June 16th, 1:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:00:03-07:00">June 16th, 1:00pm</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers (47-25) take on the Utah Jazz (52-20) at Vivint Arena.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 10:00PM EDT/7:00PM PDT on Wednesday, June 16th</p><p><b>TV:</b> TNT</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. With a subscription, you can watch the live stream on <a href="http://www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch TNT</a>. You can also follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Clippers Active Roster:</b> Jay Scrubb, Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac, Daniel Oturu, Marcus Morris Sr., Patrick Patterson, Reggie Jackson, Yogi Ferrell, Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann, Nicolas Batum, Amir Coffey, Kawhi Leonard, DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George</p><p><b>Clippers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Serge Ibaka (Out For Season – Back): The Clippers announced Serge Ibaka underwent season ending back surgery.</li><li>Kawhi Leonard (Out – Knee): Leonard is expected to miss Wednesday’s playoff game (June 16) against the Jazz and may miss the rest of the series as well, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.</li></ul><p><b>Jazz Active Roster:</b> Jordan Clarkson, Elijah Hughes, Matt Thomas, Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Udoka Azubuike, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jarrell Brantley, Ersan Ilyasova, Derrick Favors, Juwan Morgan, Donovan Mitchell, Trent Forrest, Miye Oni, Georges Niang</p><p><b>Jazz Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Mike Conley (Out – Hamstring): The Jazz have listed Conley as OUT for Wednesday’s playoff game (June 16) against the Clippers.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/ClipperNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@ClipperNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JazzNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@JazzNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LAClippersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Los Angeles Clippers</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheJazzNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Utah Jazz</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers-Jazz: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, June 16th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/suns-news-devin-bookers-all-nba-snub-draws-4-word-response-from-monty-williams.jpeg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker’s All-NBA snub draws 4-word response from Suns HC Monty Williams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:54:11-07:00">June 16th, 12:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:54:11-07:00">June 16th, 12:54pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday, the All-NBA teams were released and– as always– there were quite a few <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/devin-booker-donovan-mitchell-and-the-all-nba-snubs-team/">snubs</a>. One of the snubs was Devin Booker, a player many believed deserved a spot on one of the teams but got overlooked. Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams gave a rather <a href="https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1405241285871427584">blunt answer</a> to Booker’s exclusion from the All-NBA teams after a marvelous season for the young shooting guard.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"It's just a joke." Monty Williams on Devin Booker not making any All-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#NBA</a> teams. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#NBAPlayoffs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Suns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#Suns</a></p><p>— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1405241285871427584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The former 1st round pick out of Kentucky has been a huge part of the Suns’ meteoric rise to the top of the Western Conference. On the year Booker averaged 25.6 points with 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while the Suns finished with the 2nd best mark in the West.</p><p>His playoff performance has been masterful, including a 47-point outburst against the Los Angeles Lakers in a clinching Game 6 that sent them to the 2nd round. While Booker more than likely deserved a spot on the All-NBA teams, Phoenix has other things on their minds as they are just four wins away from a trip to the NBA Finals.</p><p>Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Bradley Beal, and Kyrie Irving took home All-NBA honors from the guard position, so the competition is tough for Booker. Donovan Mitchell– who has led the Utah Jazz to the top mark in the NBA and was named an All-Star– also got left off of the All-NBA teams.</p><p>However, their path might be a little tougher now after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-out-indefinitely-covid-19-protocols/">news</a> that Chris Paul has entered health and safety protocols. Nonetheless, the Suns are waiting for the conclusion of the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz, so they have some time to sit back and relax.</p><p>Booker will have to wait at least one more season before earning All-NBA honors, and a deep run and a trip to the NBA Finals might be enough for people to finally take notice.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker’s All-NBA snub draws 4-word response from Suns HC Monty Williams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Bucks-Nets-Kevin-Durant-Giannis-Antetokounmpo.jpg"></figure><h1>2021 NBA Playoffs Odds: Bucks vs. Nets series odds, schedule, prediction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:35:03-07:00">June 16th, 12:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:40:21-07:00">June 16th, 12:40pm</time><address><a>Josh Fisher</a>Bringing you daily picks with detailed analysis and the latest news.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets get set to square off in what should be the most competitive series of the second round. Milwaukee took the season series 2-1, which may be a bit misleading because the Nets weren’t at full strength for any of those games. Both teams looked great in the first round and this will be a may the best man win type of series that certainly has potential to go the distance. Let’s continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-championship-odds/">NBA odds series</a> and make a Bucks Nets prediction and pick.</p><p>Here are the <a href="https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/sports/navigation/830.1/10107.3">odds from FanDuel</a>:</p><h2><b>Bucks-Nets Series Odds (Updated 6/16)</b></h2><p><b>Bucks-Nets Series Winner</b></p><p>Milwaukee Bucks (+198)</p><p>Brooklyn Nets (-240)</p><h2><b>Bucks-Nets Series Schedule</b></h2><p>Game 1: MIL 107-115 BKN</p><p>Game 2: MIL 86-125 BKN</p><p>Game 3: BKN 83-86 MIL</p><p>Game 4: BKN 96-107 MIL</p><p>Game 5: MIL 108-114 BKN</p><p>Game 6: 6/17 @ TBD (IF NECESSARY)</p><p>Game 7: 6/19 @ TBD (IF NECESSARY)</p><h2><b>No. 2 Brooklyn Nets</b></h2><p>The Brooklyn Nets showed in the first round that when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden are all on the court together, this team is deadly. They shot at a ridiculous rate from deep and seemed to play very well off of each other. The big three averaged a whopping 85.2 points per game during the first round and showed a willingness to play unselfish basketball. They were truly riding the hot hand through the whole series.</p><p>The importance of James Harden can’t be underestimated. Since coming over to the Nets via trade, Harden has embraced the role as the point guard on this team, which is all that they were missing heading into the season. Kyrie Irving has stepped into the shooting guard role and has been a scoring machine since doing so. Kevin Durant rounds it out with an elite level of offense and an ability to anchor the defense. With elite shooters like Joe Harris and Landry Shamet, this team has all of the tools to get past the Bucks and role to the NBA Finals.</p><h2><b>No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><p>The Milwaukee Bucks were almost certainly the best team in the first round. They led the league in offensive efficiency this season and continued that success as they averaged 115 points per game during their four-game sweep of the Miami Heat. Miami had been on a tear to end the season and Milwaukee made them look awful. The Bucks played the best defense of the first round, which is very promising for a team that didn’t play very well on that end of the floor this season. Brooklyn really struggles on that end, which is why Milwaukee may actually have the edge in this series.</p><p>With all of the talk surrounding the Nets big three, many have forgotten about the fact that the Bucks arguably have the best player in this series in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis absolutely dominated the first round series against Miami and with Jrue Holiday and Kris Middleton by his side, this Bucks team has the tools to knock off a juggernaut Nets club. Milwaukee will counter Brooklyn’s outside shooting with one of the best long-range attacks in the league and if they can continue their defensive dominance, Milwaukee should be able to steal home court advantage and the series from the Nets.</p><h2><b>Bucks-Nets Series Prediction and Pick</b></h2><p>Although the Bucks were the better team in the first round of the playoffs, Brooklyn seems to be the best team in the entire NBA. It all lies on the offensive end, but this team has the looks of one of the best offensive teams in NBA history. The big three shot the lights out in the first round and averaged over 80 points per game. With that sort of production at the top, there won’t be much that the Bucks can do to stop them. Milwaukee went through some serious struggles through periods of the regular season and are more susceptible to lapses in play for stretches.</p><h2><b>FINAL BUCKS-NETS PREDICTION AND PICK<br></b></h2><p><b>Bucks-Nets Series Winner</b>: Brooklyn Nets (-196)</p><p><b>Bucks-Nets Series</b><b> Spread</b>: Brooklyn Nets -1.5 (+110)</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2021 NBA Playoffs Odds: Bucks vs. Nets series odds, schedule, prediction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nba-playoffs-odds-clippers-vs-jazz-game-5-prediction-odds-pick-and-more-publish-on-6-16.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA Playoffs Odds: Clippers vs. Jazz Game 5 prediction, odds, pick, and more</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:34:19-07:00">June 16th, 12:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:35:24-07:00">June 16th, 12:35pm</time><address><a>Noam Bernstein</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Betting</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-clippers">Los Angeles Clippers</a> take on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/utah-jazz">Utah Jazz</a> on Wednesday night looking to win their third straight contest. It’s time to continue our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2021-nba-championship-odds/" rel="noopener">NBA Playoffs odds</a> series and make a Clippers-Jazz prediction and pick.</p><p>The Jazz are now 6-3 in the postseason after dropping two straight games to the Clippers. Utah is 5-3-1 against the spread after failing to cover in both games in Los Angeles.</p><p>The Clippers stand at 6-5 in the postseason overall, with an ATS record of 6-4-1. They are 3-2 on the road in the playoffs after losing both road games to the Jazz so far.</p><p>Here’s how <a href="https://www.betonline.ag/sportsbook/basketball/nba" rel="noopener">sportsbooks</a> have set the Clippers-Jazz odds for Game 5.</p><h2><b>NBA Odds: Clippers-Jazz Game 5 Odds</b></h2><p>Los Angeles Clippers +7.5 (-110)</p><p>Utah Jazz -7.5 (-110)</p><p>Over 220.5 Points (-110)</p><p>Under 220.5 Points (-110)</p><h2><b>Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>The Clippers were dealt a huge blow with the news that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/kawhi-leonard/af27097c">Kawhi Leonard</a> is out indefinitely with a knee injury and will be joining Serge Ibaka on the sidelines for Game 5.</p><p>While there is really no way to fully recover from losing your best player, the good news for the Clippers is that they have some of the best depth in the NBA.</p><p>Paul George has looked like a legitimate star in the last two matchups, averaging 31.0 points on 47.7% shooting from the field and 50.0% from 3. Marcus Morris snapped out of a shooting slump emphatically in Game 4, dropping 24 points. The Clippers are getting meaningful contributions on the defensive end from Patrick Beverley and on the offensive end from Luke Kennard. Los Angeles will rely on a group effort in Game 5, and if the role players’ recent play is any sign, they’ll have a chance to make this game competitive.</p><p>It’s not like the Clippers are in unfamiliar territory here. Kawhi only played 52 out of 72 regular-season games, giving the role guys plenty of time to get experience in games without their superstar.</p><p>Additionally, the Clips didn’t fare <i>that</i> badly with Leonard sidelined. They went 11-9 in the regular season without The Klaw, showing they are more than capable of  holding their own.</p><p>Expect the Clippers’ role players to make this a competitive game for the first three quarters, at the very least.</p><h2><b>Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread</b></h2><p>Playing a Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard will certainly make the Jazz’s job easier on both sides of the floor, even with Mike Conley still out with his hamstring injury.</p><p>Leonard is averaging 27.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game in the series, and he frequently matched up with Donovan Mitchell on the defensive end.</p><p>After absolutely torching the Clippers in the first two games, Mitchell was slowed by a slew of defenders and frequent matchups with Leonard.</p><p>Mitchell shot 52.5% from the field in Utah, but his field goal percentage dropped to 40.0% in Los Angeles. The Jazz star was the subject of hard traps and pest-like defense as the Clippers made a concerted effort to make anyone but Mitchell beat them.</p><p>That strategy worked in Games 3 and 4. It’s unlikely to work in Game 5. The Clippers are down their best perimeter defender, and Mitchell gets to play in front of an electric home crowd. There’s a good chance Spida goes for 35-plus again in front of the Utah faithful to lead the offense.</p><p>Defensively, the Jazz are now free to key in on Paul George, the last remaining star on the floor for the Clips. George has been good of late, but his recent track record is not convincing. George’s shooting has been mediocre at best on the road this postseason, hitting at a clip of 41.4% from the field and 36.3% from deep.</p><p>PG is great as a sidekick, but it’s tough to see him leading the Clippers to victory against a hostile Jazz crowd. With Leonard’s 30 points off the board and George’s numbers likely to come down to earth, it’s tough to see how Los Angeles produces enough firepower to keep up with Utah in this one.</p><h2><b>Final </b><b>Clippers-Jazz </b><b>Prediction &amp; Pick</b></h2><p>The Clippers have struggled to beat top teams without Leonard in the lineup. Los Angeles matched up with 10 over .500 teams without Leonard, including the Jazz once. They went 4-6, losing their Jazz matchup by 18 points. Down two starters now to a Jazz team that gets to play on their home floor, it’s hard to see LA making this one close. Mitchell and company should have a field day, and Paul George has not played well enough to put my confidence in him to lead the Clippers. The Jazz will win by double digits.</p><p><b>FINAL CLIPPERS-JAZZ PREDICTION AND PICK: UTAH 114, LAC 103 (UTAH JAZZ -7)</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA Playoffs Odds: Clippers vs. Jazz Game 5 prediction, odds, pick, and more

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Timberwolves-Anthony-Edwards-LaMelo-Ball.jpeg"></figure><h1>Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards reacts to LaMelo Ball winning Rookie of the Year</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:30:28-07:00">June 16th, 12:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:30:28-07:00">June 16th, 12:30pm</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/minnesota-timberwolves">Minnesota Timberwolves</a> rookie guard Anthony Edwards had a strong reaction to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/charlotte-hornets">Charlotte Hornets</a> guard LaMelo Ball <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-2020-21-nba-rookie-of-the-year/">winning</a> Rookie of the Year.</p><p>Edwards <a href="https://twitter.com/HanaHoops/status/1405239567326892033">reposted</a> an Instagram story he was tagged in suggesting the young Timberwolves star was “robbed.” The initial post also tagged Ball, demanding the Hornets star “Give the trophy back and tell the truth!” in addition to some other choice words.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ANTHONY EDWARDS INSTAGRAM STORY 💀 <a href="https://t.co/CthjkOxAHe" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/CthjkOxAHe</a></p><p>— Hana 🏀 (@HanaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/HanaHoops/status/1405239567326892033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Well, “Ant” clearly feels some type of way, as is his right.</p><p>This race was a tough one to call in part because of Ball’s wrist injury that cost him a chunk of time at the end of the season as well as Edwards’ strong showing for the Timberwolves after the All-Star break.</p><p>Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, was tremendous. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest and led all rookies in player efficiency rating (PER). However, he also played just 51 games, whereas Edwards played all 72 games in his debut campaign with the Timberwolves.</p><p>Edwards’ advanced offensive numbers are not as Ball’s. His PER (13.9) lagged well behind Ball (17.5), and he was also worth -0.3 in value over replacement player.</p><p>Context matters, though. Edwards played for a woeful Timberwolves squad, one that played long stretches of the season without <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/karl-anthony-towns/abec099d">Karl-Anthony Towns</a> and D’Angelo Russell. He provided offense for Minnesota, leading all rookies in scoring at 19.3 points per contest while also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest.</p><p>Most notably, Edwards was terrific after the All-Star break. He averaged 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the second half, and his true shooting percentage saw a 10-point rise. That’s a substantial rise in production.</p><p>Needless to say, Edwards has reason to feel some type of way especially given he played all 72 games.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards reacts to LaMelo Ball winning Rookie of the Year

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/lebron-james-anthony-davis-james-harden-kawhi-leonard.jpeg"></figure><h1>Lakers star LeBron James goes off on NBA for not listening to him on injuries</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:19:20-07:00">June 16th, 12:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:52:55-07:00">June 16th, 1:52pm</time><address><a>Michael Corvo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James excoriated the <a href="http://fanatics.ncw6.net/YrDmj" rel="noopener">NBA</a> for the onslaught of injuries that have defined the 2020-21 season and playoffs, claiming the league ignored his advice in electing to start the season too early.</p><p>LeBron fired off a <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405236532215095301">series of tweets</a> on Wednesday in the wake of the news that another All-Star, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-knee-injury-could-force-him-out-for-rest-of-series-vs-jazz/">suffered a knee sprain</a> in Game 4 and will miss Game 5 vs. the Utah Jazz, and possibly beyond:</p><blockquote>“They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season,” James wrote. “I knew exactly what would happen. I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT &amp; BENEFIT of OUR GAME! These injuries isn’t just ‘PART OF THE GAME’. It’s the lack of PURE RIM REST rest before starting back up. 8, possibly 9 ALL-STARS has missed Playoff games(most in league history). This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing a ton of our fav players. It’s insane. If there’s one person that know about the body and how it works all year round it’s ME! I speak for the health of all our players and I hate to see this many injuries this time of the year. Sorry fans wish you guys were seeing all your fav guys right now.”</blockquote><p>“And I know all about the business side too/factors so don’t even try me! I get it,” James <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405236971417456640">added</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🙏🏾 to the 🖐🏾Klaw</p><p>— LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405237139374166017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>As Marc Stein of The New York Times <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1405208046306013186">communicated</a> (via Elias), Leonard will be the eighth All-Star to miss at least one playoff game this season — a new NBA record — joining LeBron’s Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. </p><p>James didn’t miss any playoff games, but the high ankle sprain he suffered in March cost him 26 regular-season contests and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-2-biggest-problems-all-season-are-costing-them-vs-suns/">derailed the Lakers’ season</a>. He was clearly compromised in Los Angeles’ first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>It was the longest injury absence of his insanely durable 18-year <a href="http://foco.vegb.net/dbKJk" rel="noopener">NBA</a> career.</p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31592404/data-shows-nba-injuries-condensed-season">ESPN’s Kevin Pelton reported</a> that injury rates, particularly for stars, were at a record high in 2020-21, due to a combination of the short offseason, condensed schedule, and debilitating COVID-related protocols and restrictions.</p><p>The NBA and NBPA <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-nbpa-approves-december-22-start-date-for-2020-2021-season/">controversially negotiated</a> a Dec. 22 start date to the season after initially indicating a start in January or February. The Lakers and Miami Heat wrapped up the 2020 NBA Finals in mid-October in the bubble.</p><p>The bumped-up date was agreed upon in an effort to recoup a few billion dollars lost to the pandemic, finish the 2020-21 season before the Tokyo Olympics, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-the-2021-22-season-will-be-back-to-normal/">return the league calendar to normalcy</a> for 2021-22.</p><p>Chris Paul, the president of the NBPA, is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-chris-paul-out-indefinitely-covid-19-protocols/">facing missed games</a> in the Western Conference Finals due to COVID-19 protocols.</p><p>LeBron voiced his opposition to the December start date when it was announce and expressed similar displeasure at the All-Star Game money grab, calling the decision a “<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-rips-nba-for-slap-in-the-face-all-star-game/">slap in the face</a>.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bron’s reaction to the NBA having the shortest offseason 😅</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@KingJames</a>) <a href="https://t.co/4jDVizgGSH" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/4jDVizgGSH</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1324851915402829824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">November 6, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>James served four years as a VP of the NBPA but was <a href="https://twitter.com/_michaelcorvo_/status/1405238857495285760">replaced</a> in 2019 by Andre Iguodala.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers star LeBron James goes off on NBA for not listening to him on injuries

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/lakers-news-lebron-james-reacts-to-kawhi-leonards-feared-acl-injury_copy.jpeg"></figure><h1>Lakers star LeBron James reacts to Kawhi Leonard’s feared ACL injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T12:18:20-07:00">June 16th, 12:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T13:00:34-07:00">June 16th, 1:00pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Wednesday has been filled with breaking <a href="http://fanatics.ncw6.net/YrDmj" rel="noopener">NBA</a> news one after another. Perhaps the most notable was the injury to Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-suffers-sprained-acl-vs-jazz/">feared</a> to have an ACL injury. This puts a huge damper on the Clippers’ chances of making a run at a title, especially with them being in a tied series with the Utah Jazz and Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday night. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James showed his <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405237139374166017">respect</a> and offered up his condolences for Leonard after the news of the injury surfaced.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🙏🏾 to the 🖐🏾Klaw</p><p>— LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1405237139374166017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Plain and simple, LeBron is all of us. Leonard remains one of the most enjoyable and likeable athletes in the <a href="http://foco.vegb.net/dbKJk" rel="noopener">NBA</a> and was rounding this Clippers team into form before the devastating injury.</p><p>Now the attention shifts to Paul George, who has the tall task of putting the burden on his shoulders and finding a way to top the Jazz and head to the Western Conference Finals.</p><p>Leonard was just named to an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-stephen-curry-luka-doncic-lead-all-nba-first-team-selection-chris-paul-in-second-team/">All-NBA team</a> and the Clippers won back-to-back games after going down 0-2 to the Jazz. Now, this injury happens.</p><p>Of course, LeBron and the Lakers are watching from home, and all everybody wants is the best players healthy for the playoff stretch.</p><p>Game 5 between the Clippers and Jazz is on Wednesday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers star LeBron James reacts to Kawhi Leonard’s feared ACL injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-named-rookie-of-the-year_copy.jpg"></figure><h1>BREAKING: Hornets’ LaMelo Ball named 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T11:46:45-07:00">June 16th, 11:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:05:08-07:00">June 16th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has been named 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year, <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1405233734446682119" rel="noopener">according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.</a></p><p>Ball beat out Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton to win the award.</p><p>LaMelo Ball was the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft behind Edwards and James Wiseman. While he started the season coming off the bench, Ball soon made waves and earned a starting spot.</p><p>The 19-year-old missed time with a wrist injury, but he still helped the Hornets earn a spot in the play-in tournament. Charlotte finished with a 33-39 record to get the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference, but the play-in tournament game against the Indiana Pacers didn’t go well.</p><p>Still, the Hornets now have a franchise player in LaMelo Ball <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-takeaways-from-lamelo-ball-rookie-season-with-hornets/" rel="noopener">who gives them a very promising future.</a> The young guard showed off his transcendent playmaking ability throughout his rookie season while also showing his potential as a scorer. He averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 43.6% from the field and 35.2% from 3 in 51 games.</p><p>Anthony Edwards came on strong as the season went on for the Timberwolves to finish with 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 41.7% overall and 32.9% from 3-point range. Tyrese Haliburton was rock solid all season for Sacramento, averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds while shooting an efficient 47.2% from the field and 40.9% from 3-point range.</p><p>However, that wasn’t enough to beat out LaMelo Bell for this award. It will be fun to watch these guys develop as their careers go on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

BREAKING: Hornets’ LaMelo Ball named 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/jazz-news-mike-conley-reveals-exact-reason-hes-still-not-back-from-hamstring-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Jazz guard Mike Conley reveals exact reason he’s still not back from hamstring injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T11:31:41-07:00">June 16th, 11:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T12:30:11-07:00">June 16th, 12:30pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will miss Game 5 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night due to a nagging hamstring injury. Conley <a href="https://twitter.com/andyblarsen/status/1405224856145174533" rel="noopener">spoke to the media</a> ahead of the game and revealed he suffered a “small setback” during his attempt to return.</p><p>The setback occurred before Game 3:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jazz guard Mike Conley says he has a small setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.</p><p>“If I could play, I would.”</p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1405224861115453441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mike Conley says he was prepared to come back for Game 3 vs. the Clippers that morning, but the setback has obviously changed that. Says he had another pull lower on his leg.</p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1405227408232353794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Conley <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1405225156130140163" rel="noopener">wouldn’t rule out returning in this series</a>, but time is running out as the Jazz and Clippers get set to do battle in the pivotal Game 5. The veteran guard hasn’t played since suffering the injury in Game 5 of the first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.</p><p>Injuries are taking over as the major storyline of this series. Not only is Conley not ready to return, but Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell has been playing through pain of his own. Plus, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is now expected to miss the rest of the series <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-suffers-sprained-acl-vs-jazz/" rel="noopener">with an ACL injury.</a> Serge Ibaka was also recently ruled out for the season with a back injury.</p><p>This is turning into a war of attrition. One would think the Jazz have the edge with home-court advantage and no Leonard, but don’t count out Paul George and the rest of the talented Clippers roster. George has plenty to prove and could carry LA to victory, so Utah needs to be on point with Conley still out of the lineup.</p><p>When healthy, the 33-year-old Conley was a key cog in the regular season after struggling in his first campaign in Utah. The Jazz guard averaged 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 44.4% from the field and a career-high 41.2% on 3-pointers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz guard Mike Conley reveals exact reason he’s still not back from hamstring injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Mavs-Donnie-Nelson.jpeg"></figure><h1>Dallas parts ways with Donnie Nelson shortly after ‘shadow GM’ report</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T11:21:27-07:00">June 16th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T11:21:27-07:00">June 16th, 11:21am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks and general manager Donnie Nelson have parted ways just days after it was reported a “shadow GM” was exerting influence on the Mavs.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1405222947258785797">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a> reported Wednesday the Mavs and Nelson are headed in separate directions. Nelson spent 23 years in the organization.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and the franchise have decided to part ways, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Stadium</a>.</p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1405222947258785797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">After 23 years in the Mavericks organization, Donnie Nelson is out as GM. <a href="https://t.co/Qua4UaFBZB" target="_blank">https://t.co/Qua4UaFBZB</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1405224222797058056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The timing of the news is conspicuous, to say the least.</p><p>Tim Cato and Sam Amick of The Athletic dropped a bombshell <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavs-rumors-luka-doncic-beef-with-shadow-gm-dallas-worried-about-long-term-future/">report</a> Monday suggesting sports gambler Haralabos Voulgaris–who was serving as director of qualitative research and development–was gaining influence in the Mavs organization.</p><p>The report went on to detail Voulgaris as a “shadow GM” figure who allegedly figured into head coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation decisions. It also stated the relationship between Voulgaris and Mavs star Luka Doncic was becoming a bit contentious.</p><p>Mavs governor Mark Cuban immediately <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavs-news-mark-cuban-clarifies-what-he-thinks-is-bs-about-explosive-luka-doncic-story/">refuted</a> the report and suggested he was in constant contact with players, coaches and members of the front office. Yet, just days later, the team finds itself in need of a new lead executive.</p><p>Without being overly speculative, it’s certainly worth wondering whether the report in The Athletic played a role in Nelson and the team deciding to split. Indeed, Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Nelson “lost power” after Voulgaris’ hiring.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Source confirms that longtime president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson is parting ways with the Mavs, as reported by The Athletic. </p><p>Nelson had lost power since the hiring of Bob Voulgaris, creating internal tension.</p><p>— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1405224306515218433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There appears to be some tension within the organization, whether Cuban chooses to acknowledge it or not.</p><p>The new Mavs GM will come into a challenging situation. Doncic figures to accept a supermax extension, but Dallas will have to figure out Kristaps Porzingis’ role with the franchise and navigate some potential cap issues as the Mavs try to climb the ladder in the Western Conference.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Dallas parts ways with Donnie Nelson shortly after ‘shadow GM’ report

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Paul-George-Clippers-Kawhi-Leonard.jpeg"></figure><h1>Paul George can rewrite his narrative by beating Jazz without Kawhi Leonard</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T11:18:43-07:00">June 16th, 11:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T11:19:26-07:00">June 16th, 11:19am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In Game 4 between the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-clippers">Los Angeles Clippers</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/utah-jazz">Utah Jazz</a>, Kawhi Leonard fell to a knee injury that will reportedly keep him out the remaining of the Western Conference Semi Finals (<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1405205626180059143" rel="noopener">and far longer</a>). If that’s the case, the Clippers are going to have to lean on Paul George even more so, as having Leonard out of the lineup is a key missing piece in LA’s success.</p><p>George is one of the best players in the league, there is no doubt about that. However, he has received some flack over the years. First it was the melt down while he played for the Indiana Pacers, blaming his teammates and not taking responsibility as a leader. Then he went to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> and played beside Russell Westbrook, which was nothing more than a two year stint with the organization. While with the Thunder, Paul George nicknamed himself “Playoff P,” during a press conference before playing the Utah Jazz in 2018.</p><p>Since then, George’s nickname has become a bit of a joke amongst NBA fans. Not only did he give himself the name, but George hasn’t lived up to expectations. For that reasons, fans call him Playoff P ironically whenever he makes a mistake on the court, or has an off night.</p><p>He joined the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2019-20 season to play as the second superstar alongside Kawhi Leonard. It seems to have been Kawhi’s team from the beginning, while George serves as a high-end secondary option for the organization. He plays well in his role in Los Angeles, as he and Leonard have become a deadly duo in the NBA.</p><p>Now, in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Kawhi Leonard has fallen to injury and Paul George is left as the lone superstar in Los Angeles. This isn’t something new to George, as during his time with the Pacers, he was viewed as the superstar for the team to lean on. That was early on in Paul George’s career. He’s grown since then and now plays for a team where the spotlight is even larger.</p><p>The series between the Clippers and the Jazz is currently tied at 2-2. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/2-reasons-jazz-should-cruise-past-clippers-to-western-conference-finals-with-kawhi-leonard-injured/" rel="noopener">Utah entered the</a> NBA Playoffs as the first seed, while Los Angeles came in as the fourth. The Clippers are the underdogs for the remainder of this series, which has created a career changing opportunity for Paul George.</p><p>After spending years being viewed as someone who vanishes in the playoffs, George now has a chance to change that narrative. If he can lead the Clippers to advancing to the next round by defeating the Utah Jazz, the perception of Paul George would become vastly different. He suddenly becomes a superior leader on the court once again. Fans would no longer see Paul George as Kawhi Leonard’s sidekick, but rather, his equal. Playoff P would turn from ironic, to legitimate.</p><p>Considering the Clippers don’t have perennial scorers outside of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the supporting cast will have to elevate their game to a new level as well. However, George is even more in the spotlight than ever before and must raise his game to new heights. If he does, the Clippers could find themselves advancing and George’s narrative changes completely.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paul George can rewrite his narrative by beating Jazz without Kawhi Leonard

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Joel-Embiid-Ben-Simmons-have-been-using-practice-facility.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks-76ers: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, June 16th)</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T11:00:04-07:00">June 16th, 11:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T11:00:04-07:00">June 16th, 11:00am</time><address><a>ClutchPoints</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA Game Time</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks (41-31) take on the Philadelphia 76ers (49-23) at Wells Fargo Center.</p><p><b>Game Time:</b> 7:30PM EDT/4:30PM PDT on Wednesday, June 16th</p><p><b>TV:</b> TNT</p><p><b>Betting Odds:</b> <a href="https://www.bovada.lv/sports/basketball/nba" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBA Odds</a></p><p><b>Live Stream:</b> Watch the game <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408&amp;bgvideo=NBATV.mp4" rel="noopener noreferrer">online with fuboTV (free trial)</a>. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. With a subscription, you can watch the live stream on <a href="http://www.tntdrama.com/watchtnt" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch TNT</a>. You can also follow the game live on the <a href="http://bit.ly/CPAppNow" rel="noopener noreferrer">ClutchPoints app</a>. <br> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/adamsilver4live/comments/ezi3xz/games_will_be_posted_here/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reddit Thread.</a></p><p><b>Hawks Active Roster:</b> Lou Williams, Tony Snell, John Collins, Bruno Fernando, Danilo Gallinari, Kris Dunn, Nathan Knight, Onyeka Okongwu, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Skylar Mays, De’Andre Hunter, Brandon Goodwin, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Trae Young, Solomon Hill</p><p><b>Hawks Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Cam Reddish (Out – Achilles): Reddish is closing in on a return and starting to do full five-on-five full-court scrimmages, according Kevin Chouinard of the Hawks.com.</li><li>De’Andre Hunter (Out For Season – Knee): The Hawks announced De’Andre Hunter will undergo season-ending meniscus surgery.</li><li>Brandon Goodwin (Out For Season – Illness): Goodwin will miss the rest of the season due to a respiratory condition.</li><li>Trae Young (Day To Day – Shoulder): Young is listed as PROBABLE for Wednesday’s (Jun. 16) game.</li></ul><p><b>76ers Active Roster:</b> Seth Curry, Gary Clark, Ben Simmons, Anthony Tolliver, Isaiah Joe, Danny Green, Shake Milton, George Hill, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Rayjon Tucker, Matisse Thybulle, Dwight Howard, Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, Mike Scott, Furkan Korkmaz</p><p><b>76ers Injured Players:</b></p><ul><li>Danny Green (Out – Calf): Green is expected to miss two-to-three weeks with right calf strain, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.</li><li>Joel Embiid (Day To Day – Knee): Embiid is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday’s (Jun. 16) game.</li></ul><p><b>Follow us on Twitter</b> at <a href="https://twitter.com/HawksNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@HawksNationCP</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SixersNationCP" rel="noopener noreferrer">@SixersNationCP</a>.</p><p><b>Follow us on Facebook</b> at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaHawksNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlanta Hawks</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaSixersNation" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philadelphia 76ers</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks-76ers: Game Time, Odds, Schedule, TV Channel, Betting Odds, and Live Stream (Wednesday, June 16th)

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/NBA-Joel-Embiid-James-Harden-Chris-Paul.jpg"></figure><h1>The 2021 NBA Playoffs have been an absolute travesty</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T09:47:18-07:00">June 16th, 9:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T09:47:53-07:00">June 16th, 9:47am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Freelance Sports Journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Playoff time in the NBA is always a thrilling ride. 2021 has been no different, with numerous different matchups living up to the hype. But, there’s been one clear difference this time around. The ridiculous number of injuries that have ripped through various clubs in the postseason, with Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving being the latest casualties.</p><p>It all started with the Lakers in the first round, who already dealt with their health issues throughout the course of the regular season. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missed a ton of games and clearly weren’t at full strength against the Suns <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-playoffs-ranking-the-5-greatest-underdog-runs-this-century/">in the NBA playoffs</a>. While LeBron toughed it out despite playing on a bummed ankle, AD ultimately got hurt again. He sprained his knee which then led to also straining his groin. At that point, it was game over for the defending champions. Would they still be chasing another ring if their superstar duo were healthy? Most likely.</p><p>Although the injury happened back in January, the Denver Nuggets definitely felt the absence of Jamal Murray. While Nikola Jokic was able to push his team past the Portland Trail Blazers in round one of the NBA postseason, not having Murray against the Suns proved to be costly. Their backcourt was a glaring weakness, never mind the lack of help for the MVP offensively. The Nuggets already knew they were going to be without their Canadian guard. But it’s just another reason why the NBA playoffs have been a huge disappointment when it comes to star players going on the shelf. With him playing, Denver could’ve made a serious run again.</p><p>Shift over to the East. Joel Embiid is literally playing through a partially torn meniscus for the Sixers. He refuses to sit out, which stands to reason. Philly is trying to chase a title and without their best player, it’s a lost cause. But Game 4 against the Hawks was the perfect example of how beat up Embiid is. He even voiced post-game just how brutal he’s feeling after posting just 17 points. Yet, the big man continues to fight. But without him at full strength, it’s hard to imagine the 76ers actually making a run to the NBA finals, especially when one of their best shooters in Danny Green is also out.</p><p>The Nets have been hit with the injury but all season long. Their big 3 barely played together during the regular season and unfortunately, that’s been the case again in the playoffs. Although Kevin Durant has been on another level, including a 49-point performance to lead Brooklyn to a huge win on Tuesday over the Bucks, James Harden is basically playing on a beat-up hamstring, while Irving’s sprained ankle from Game 3 is a huge blow to the lineup. The worst part is that we don’t even know when Kyrie will be able to return at this point.</p><p>Then, there is the latest. Wednesday brought a flurry of news across the NBA, with <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31644076/sources-la-clippers-kawhi-leonard-miss-rest-series-knee-injury">Kawhi Leonard’s knee sprain grabbing the headlines</a>. After he and Paul George absolutely torched the Utah Jazz across the last two games to even things up, Leonard is now potentially out for the rest of the series. It’s common knowledge the Clippers frankly can’t beat a team like Utah without the heartbeat of their rotation on both ends of the court. It’s likely game over for LA. Oh, and did we mention that Mike Conley also hasn’t played at all in this round for the Jazz because of a hamstring injury? While Quin Snyder’s team does have enough other weapons to still win ballgames, Donovan Mitchell’s backcourt partner is still a key piece.</p><p>Now, for possibly the worst news of the lot. Chris Paul and the Suns have been lights out in the NBA playoffs and look poised for a run to the finals. It’s been revealed however that CP3 will need to enter the league’s health and safety protocols for 7-14 days, which is going to keep him out for the first few games of the conference finals, at the very least. It’s unknown if he’s actually tested positive for COVID-19, but regardless, this could be the straw that breaks Phoenix’s back. Without their floor general, it’s hard to imagine them getting past Utah. However, if the Clippers somehow advanced without Kawhi, the Suns would probably have better luck beating them.</p><p>Nevertheless, you can see that the NBA playoffs have been an absolute mess. Sure, there’s been entertaining basketball on a nightly basis but the amount of star players that are either playing through injuries or being sidelined for other reasons is a joke. The limited offseason after last year’s bubble is most likely playing a factor, but there’s really nothing the NBA can do about it.</p><p>This has just been a huge unfortunate turn of events.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The 2021 NBA Playoffs have been an absolute travesty

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Suns-Chris-Paul-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns star Chris Paul tests positive for COVID-19</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T09:44:04-07:00">June 16th, 9:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T09:44:33-07:00">June 16th, 9:44am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Freelance Sports Journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Everything was looking peachy for the Phoenix Suns <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/phoenix-suns/schedule">after sweeping the Denver Nuggets</a>. Then as of Wednesday morning, it took a turn for the worst. Superstar guard Chris Paul has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols and now, it’s being reported that he has tested positive for COVID-19, <a href="https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/1405197790750199809">per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Paul did have a positive test.</p><p>— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gambo987/status/1405197790750199809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Welp. This is absolutely brutal news for the Suns. Being without their floor general is a huge blow and definitely hurts their chances of potentially making it past the conference finals. Phoenix has truly been a two-headed monster on both ends of the court in the playoffs, with numerous players stepping up alongside CP3 and Devin Booker.</p><p>Mikal Bridges, Cam Payne, Jae Crowder, and Deandre Ayton have all been brilliant, but Paul is the glue that brings the Suns together. Aside from his ability to elevate everyone around him, the veteran brings experience and moxie to Phoenix.</p><p>The Suns are still awaiting their opponent but it’s looking as it’ll be the Utah Jazz after Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was diagnosed with a knee sprain on Wednesday which is putting his status for the rest of the series in doubt.</p><p>Hopefully, by the time Chris Paul returns, Phoenix won’t be in too big of a hole.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns star Chris Paul tests positive for COVID-19

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Pelicans-Brandon-Ingram-Stan-Van-Gundy.jpeg"></figure><h1>Brandon Ingram potentially responsible for Stan Van Gundy’s firing after one season with Pels</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T09:38:45-07:00">June 16th, 9:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T09:38:45-07:00">June 16th, 9:38am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-new-orleans-fires-stan-van-gundy-1-season/">fired</a> head coach Stan Van Gundy after just one season on Wednesday. Brandon Ingram might have played a role in SVG’s dismissal.</p><p><a href="https://www.nola.com/sports/pelicans/article_a42c8c30-c970-11eb-80a3-4317f063a7bb.html">Christian Clark of Nola.com</a> reported Ingram’s relationship with Van Gundy was on unstable ground for the majority of the season:</p><blockquote>Van Gundy’s relationship with All-Star forward Brandon Ingram was strained for a majority of the season, multiple sources said.</blockquote><p>Zion Williamson might be the true franchise cornerstone in New Orleans, but Ingram is every bit as important to the Pelicans organization.</p><p>Ingram seemed to finally realize his immense potential in his first season with the Pelicans, averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest during the 2019-20 season. He made his first All-Star team and promptly signed a five-year max extension this past November.</p><p>Ingram and the Pelicans entered the 2020-21 season with playoff expectations, but they struggled to build any momentum in a crowded Western Conference.</p><p>On the surface, Ingram had another strong season. He averaged 23.8 points for the second straight season and also had an identical effective field goal percentage (.531). However, there were times where he appeared downright passive and hardly seemed to touch the ball in big moments.</p><p>The Pelicans face some questions in the offseason, notably what they will do with Lonzo Ball, who is a restricted free agent. Ball might not be back in New Orleans next season, but Ingram remains as one of the two franchise centerpieces.</p><p>It seems likely the Pelicans will seek out Ingram’s input after failing miserably in their last search for a new head coach.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brandon Ingram potentially responsible for Stan Van Gundy’s firing after one season with Pels

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/mikal-bridges-and-the-x-lowkey-great-nba-card-investments-from-nbas-round.jpg"></figure><h1>Mikal Bridges and 3 other low-key great NBA card investments from 2nd round</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T09:37:12-07:00">June 16th, 9:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T09:38:25-07:00">June 16th, 9:38am</time><address><a>Julio Luis Munar</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cards</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a month or so into the postseason, there have been quite a number of players who have stood out from the crowd. There are those who need no introduction, like Kevin Durant after his 49-point masterpiece, but there are some who are flying below everyone’s radar, even if they’re performing well in the NBA Playoffs.</p><p>We take a look down below at some of these names and why they’re great low-key investments for NBA card collectors.</p><h2><b>Mikal Bridges</b></h2><p>In an impressive display of dominance, the Phoenix Suns swept the Denver Nuggets in the second round. While eyes have been on Chris Paul and Devin Booker, part of the credit belongs to third-year wing Mikal Bridges.</p><p>During that series against the Nuggets, Phoenix’s starting forward notched 16.0 points per game on 53.0% shooting from the field. He also posted 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.</p><figure><img src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9bUAAOSwYOlgyECS/s-l1600.jpg"></figure><p>With the Suns advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in over 10 years, Bridges’ role will be more important than ever. The same goes too for his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/invest-everything-in-a-mikal-bridges-card-now/">stock on the card market</a>. As the month started, Bridges’ PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card was valued at <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/174784245088?hash=item28b1f3ed60:g:gVcAAOSw3LpgsJou">$40</a>. As of this writing, its price has jumped up to <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/373615202061?hash=item56fd338f0d:g:9bUAAOSwYOlgyECS">$105</a> after the Suns masterfully dominated Denver in four games.</p><h2><b>Matisse Thybulle</b></h2><p>It’s pretty easy to overlook Matisse Thybulle when most of the attention goes to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. While he has only averaged 20.1 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round, the sophomore’s worth is more than what numbers can actually measure.</p><p>Thybulle’s main draw isn’t his offense. Rather, it’s his defensive skill that makes him so valuable. Throughout the playoffs, he’s leading the league when it comes to defensive box scores with a 4.2 Defensive Box Plus/Minus. Thybulle is also averaging 1.6 steals and a block per game, making him effective in disrupting opposing players.</p><figure><img src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/L8EAAOSwW71gxynX/s-l1600.jpg"></figure><p>Thybulle’s PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card is also on an upward trend lately. Right before May ended, prices for his gem-mint slab were at <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/373587985945?hash=item56fb944619:g:1BEAAOSwHr9gp7kt">$34</a>. After being named to the All-Defensive Second Team, that figure has risen to <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/384211882047?hash=item5974d0103f:g:Q~4AAOSwfKBgv8sP">$46</a>. This makes Thybulle an ideal buy-low candidate with a good ceiling ahead of him.</p><h2><b>Ben Simmons</b></h2><p>With Embiid’s health in question against the Hawks, Simmons needs to step up. While the job hasn’t been done yet, the NBA All-Star’s two-way game can seal the deal for the Sixers in the second round.</p><p>In four games against Atlanta, Simmons is averaging 12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. Apart from being Philadelphia’s primary playmaker, he also grinds it out on the other end of the floor by defending Trae Young, the Hawks’ main offensive weapon.</p><figure><img src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/biwAAOSwaRpgqxtM/s-l1600.jpg"></figure><p>While Simmons’ two-way game has been priceless for the Sixers, his stock is trending down. At the start of June, his PSA 10 Prizm rookie card was at <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/363410820489?hash=item549cf90d89:g:Qc8AAOSw1cZgrU5O">$285</a>. Now, it’s valued at <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/224488883265?hash=item3444948441:g:djIAAOSwDs5gvcGe">$185</a>. Keep in mind, though, that this drop gives collectors a better chance of buying Ben Simmons rookie cards at a good price more than ever.</p><h2><b>Paul George</b></h2><p>Last year, Paul George was on the receiving end of so much hate and criticism after his lackluster playoff performance. After eliminating the Dallas Mavericks, PG-13 is continuing to prove his doubters wrong as the Los Angeles Clippers try to beat the Utah Jazz in the second round.</p><p>In the four games George has played, he’s posting All-Star numbers of 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He’s also shooting 41.8% from the field, 44.1% from deep, and 90.3% from the free-throw line. With these stats in mind, George’s Pandemic P reputation is slowly dying away with each impressive performance, and he has a chance to make a statement with Kawhi Leonard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-suffers-sprained-acl-vs-jazz/" rel="noopener">now hurting.</a></p><figure><img src="https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/lE4AAOSws7dgx-Hh/s-l1600.jpg"></figure><p>Like Simmons before him, George is also another good buy-low candidate. His PSA 10 2012 Prizm card commanded at least <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/133746706750?hash=item1f23ecc93e:g:CPMAAOSwgotgjD9-">$500</a> at the start of May. That price has gone down to <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/224497822964?hash=item34451cecf4:g:lE4AAOSws7dgx-Hh">$170</a> this week, making him an incredibly great bargain to look out for.</p><p>With the second round wrapping up soon, the list of low-key players NBA card collectors can invest in grows smaller. Keep an eye out for those who are performing well on the court, like the guys listed above. Doing so will give hobbyists a good idea of where to invest their money on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mikal Bridges and 3 other low-key great NBA card investments from 2nd round

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/3-ideal-trade-destination-for-cavs-collin-sexton.jpg"></figure><h1>3 ideal trade destinations for Cavs’ Collin Sexton</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-15T15:34:08-07:00">June 15th, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-15T19:51:43-07:00">June 15th, 7:51pm</time><address><a>Robbie Stratakos</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Collin Sexton <a href="https://cavsnation.com/">is the best thing</a> the Cleveland Cavaliers have going for them. However, there appears to be some friction and uncertainty <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/news">about their marriage</a> moving forward.</p><p>Recent reports have suggested and stated that the Cavaliers could be open to moving Sexton this offseason (<a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2021/05/whats-next-for-cavaliers-koby-altman-collin-sexton-dan-gilbert-hey-terry.html">Terry Pluto</a> of the Plain Dealer brought up this possibility). The University of Alabama product is coming off his most productive season in the NBA, as he averaged 24.3 points per game while shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.</p><p>The idea of trading Sexton derives from him potentially being a restricted free agent in a year and the Cavaliers drafting a pair of guards/wings over the last two years <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-clevelands-cornerstone-stud-of-the-future-revealed-and-its-not-collin-sexton/">in the first round </a>(Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro). There has also been buzz about Sexton at times holding on to the ball a bit too much.</p><p>One way or another, Collin Sexton is a proven scorer and an impact player. No one puts up 24-plus points per game by accident. Here are three ideal trade destinations for the point guard if the Cavaliers look to make a move.</p><h2><b>Collin Sexton trade destinations: </b></h2><h2><b>Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><p><i>Lakers receive: Collin Sexton</i></p><p><i>Cavaliers receive: Kyle Kuzma, Lakers’ 2021 first round draft pick (22), and Lakers’ 2025 second round draft pick</i></p><p>The Lakers will attempt to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with players who can complement and take some pressure off them. Sexton would give coach Frank Vogel another legitimate scorer.</p><p><a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-collin-sexton-reveals-biggest-influence-on-his-game/">Sexton would go from the focus of defensive attention</a> to a secondary thought. He’s efficient from the field, can attack the rack, and would benefit from the attention James and Davis attract. In their first round series loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers’ offense was a mess when Davis was off the floor. They relied too much on James and few stepped up in a profound way to aid the scoring cause. If that scenario presents itself again, they’d have someone who can play in isolation in Sexton, who’s a bit of an upgrade over impending free agent Dennis Schroder.</p><p>Los Angeles moves on from Kuzma, whose career continues to stagger, as well as a first- and second-rounder for the sake of getting quicker and deeper in the backcourt (the Lakers had plenty of frontcourt depth this season). From the Cavaliers’ perspective, they can attempt to make Kuzma one of the driving forces of their offense and add a player of their choosing in the mid-to-late first round to go along with their lottery selection.</p><p>The knock on the Lakers making such a move is them having the option to instead re-sign Schroder without surrendering picks or pursue a cheaper route while keeping Kuzma in the fold.</p><h2><b>Boston Celtics</b></h2><p><i>Celtics receive: Collin Sexton</i></p><p><i>Cavaliers receive: Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford, and 2021 first round draft pick (16)</i></p><p>The coach became the president, the coaching position is vacant and the Celtics have to make some tough decisions with their roster this offseason. Sexton would add a spark to their rotation.</p><p>Jayson Tatum and a healthy Jaylen Brown make for a sturdy one-two punch, but it’s not enough for the Celtics to overcome Eastern Conference powerhouses like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Brooklyn Nets. With Sexton present, the Celtics would have three bonafide scorers. Traditionally, the Celtics have been a defensive-minded, halfcourt team. While he perhaps lacks a bit defensively, Sexton adds a new dimension to their offense. It would be difficult to double-team either one of the team’s new Big 3 if you will, given how the trio is efficient from the field and can all get to the rim off the dribble.</p><p>This trade allows the Celtics to clear out some of the lottery selections that either haven’t panned out or won’t get the playing time to blossom into a productive rotation fixture. If all goes well and the Celtics become a conference contender again, they should have the cap room to pay Sexton handsomely (at least a $20 million average annual salary). <a href="https://cavsnation.com/cavs-news-cleveland-targeting-lakers-guard-alex-caruso-in-free-agency/">From the Cavaliers’ perspective</a>, they get another first-rounder this year and can experiment with a pair of talented lottery selections in Nesmith and Langford while lowering future payroll.</p><p>Why wouldn’t the Celtics trade for Sexton? Well, they could run it back with Kemba Walker at point guard for another year. Speaking of Walker, there’s talk of the Celtics having to attach draft picks to him via trade to move his salary. There would be a lot of moving pieces.</p><h2>New York Knicks</h2><p><i>Knicks receive: Collin Sexton</i></p><p><i>Cavaliers receive: Kevin Knox, 2021 first round draft pick (19), 2022 first-round draft pick, and Detroit Pistons’ 2021 second round draft pick (32)</i></p><p>The Knicks need another prominent scorer and a facilitator. They could potentially get two-for-one by trading for Sexton.</p><p>Julius Randle had a breakout campaign and needs someone to score at a high level alongside him. Sexton would handle the rock, serving as coach Tom Thibodeau’s number two scorer. His ability to attract attention off the dribble and in general would create open looks for RJ Barrett and other perimeter players. Sexton would help Randle, and Randle would help Sexton. Neither player would have to be the focal point of an offense, like they’ve respectively been in each of the last two seasons.</p><p>The Knicks would trade Knox, who has been unable to gain traction in the NBA, and a boatload of draft picks. They have four selections in this year’s draft and five first-rounders over the next three years, giving them the arsenal to surrender a few enticing picks. With minimal payroll commitments for the 2022-23 season, the Knicks would have no problems forking over the money necessary to ink Sexton to a long-term deal past next season. They’ll also still have in the ballpark of $50-60 million in cap space to toy with after trading for Sexton. The 22-year-old could be the start of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ranking-the-primary-kelly-oubre-jr-free-agent-suitors-based-on-fit/">a vibrant, transcendental offseason for the Knicks</a>.</p><p>From the Cavaliers’ point of view, they get two draft picks this year, that being the better of the Knicks’ two first-rounders and the Pistons’ second-rounder, which is an essential late first-rounder. They also get the Knicks’ first-rounder next season and keep their payroll down for the long haul. All the while, they can attempt to get Knox on the right path. He was drafted in the top 10 for a reason: He has talent and can be a big-bodied scorer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 ideal trade destinations for Cavs’ Collin Sexton

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Clippers-Jazz-Kawhi-Leonard-Paul-George.jpeg"></figure><h1>3 reasons Clippers can still beat Jazz without Kawhi Leonard</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T08:47:56-07:00">June 16th, 8:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T08:48:27-07:00">June 16th, 8:48am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers are set to take on the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, where the winner will take a 3-2 series lead. It’s a pivotal game with everything on the line, so we should see a spectacular performance from both squads. For the Clippers, they’re now facing an uphill battle after Kawhi Leonard suffered a knee injury in the last game. <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/1715792/kawhi-leonard">According to CBS</a>, Leonard is expected to miss Game 5, which could prove to be detrimental to the Clippers’ postseason run.</p><p>Not all is bad for LA though, as they still have the pieces to upset the Jazz. Losing Leonard is not ideal, but they can survive without him. The Clippers have an incredibly deep rotation, which should help them in the long run. They’re also well-coached and know how to play to their strengths. After falling to the Jazz 0-2 to start this series, Los Angeles has tied it back up, proving they can compete with the league’s top-seeded team in the Western Conference.</p><p>The Clippers will likely look to Paul George more often, as he’ll be the focal point of LA’s offense. This team also utilizes stellar defense, which has played a huge role in their success throughout the year. Additionally, if the Clippers can control the glass, then they can control the game. With that said, here are three reasons why the Clippers can still beat the Jazz without Kawhi Leonard.</p><p><b>They can still lean on Paul George</b></p><p>The Clippers are losing a superstar player, but luckily for them they have another one on the roster. Los Angeles will be leaning on Paul George throughout the rest of the series, as he’s undeniably the best scorer on the team now. He’ll need his teammates to step up as well, but George will have to be main guy for the rest of this series.</p><p>Look for Paul George to have a big night in Game 5. His performance is key to the Clippers’ success. If he can get things going early and often, then Los Angeles should be fine without Kawhi Leonard in the rotation. George is at his best when he gets physical and attacks the rim, which should be in the Clippers’ game plan.</p><p><b>Their phenomenal defense will keep them in it</b></p><p>The Clippers have one of the best defensive teams in the league, and even with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, LA still holds an advantage defensively. With the likes of George, Patrick Beverley, and Rajon Rondo, the Clippers can guard almost everyone at the perimeter.</p><p>LA’s defense has kept them in most games. In fact, they can credit the defense for staying within striking distance with the Jazz during the first two games of the series. They’ll have to be at their best, as Utah is one of the best scoring teams in the league this year. Even so, the Clippers have all of the tools necessary to keep up with the Jazz.</p><p><b>Win the battle of the boards, win the series</b></p><p>The battle of the boards has been a fun one to watch in this series, as Rudy Gobert has gone toe-to-toe with the entire Clippers team. LA was able to gain the advantage in rebounding in Game 4, which gave them an edge throughout the game. With Leonard out of the lineup, the Clippers must control the glass to maintain possession of the ball.</p><p>More possessions leads to more scoring opportunities. This can give the Clippers the boost they need to overcome the Jazz for the remaining of the series. Look for Los Angeles to become ultra aggressive, as their postseason lives are on the line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 reasons Clippers can still beat Jazz without Kawhi Leonard

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Jazz-Clippers-NBA-playoffs-Kawhi-Leonard.jpeg"><figcaption>Yikes! 😬</figcaption></figure><h1>2 reasons Jazz should cruise past Clippers to Western Conference Finals with Kawhi Leonard injured</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-16T07:26:46-07:00">June 16th, 7:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-16T07:26:46-07:00">June 16th, 7:26am</time><address><a>Mitchell Widmeier</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The news the Los Angeles Clippers revealed on Wednesday as they prep to take on the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of the NBA playoffs is about as bad as it can get for LA. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-knee-injury-could-force-him-out-for-rest-of-series-vs-jazz/">Their superstar forward Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for Game 5 and could miss the rest of the series against the Jazz.</a></p><p>Injuries have taken over this NBA playoffs and have affected players like Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Mike Conley and plenty of others. All missed at least a game in the postseason and now Kawhi Leonard finds himself as part of that group.</p><p>Utah is legit. Even without Mike Conley so far this series, the Jazz found ways to win Games 1 and 2. It’s a different beast for LA to face and it gets even tougher without Kawhi Leonard. Here are two reasons why the Jazz should cruise past the Clippers to the Western Conference Finals with Kawhi Leonard injured.</p><h2>Kawhi is the pulse and engine of this Clippers team</h2><p>With all due respect to Paul George, the Clippers go as Kawhi goes. <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4251/paul-george">George is a great player in his own right, but he’s much more suited to be a Robin than a Batman</a>. Batman is Kawhi Leonard.</p><p>Missing a role player is one thing when it comes to the NBA playoffs. Missing your franchise cornerstone is another. The Jazz have found ways to win without Mike Conley but a large part of that has been that their own superstar, Donovan Mitchell, is healthy.</p><p>The Clippers don’t have the luxury that the Brooklyn Nets do. Sure James Harden missed a couple of games against the Bucks but, they still had Kyrie Irving and Kevin freaking Durant. And when Irving missed Game 5, Harden was back in the lineup alongside KD. LA doesn’t have a Durant or a Harden to help cope with an injury that is sidelining Kawhi Leonard.</p><p>This is even worse than the Lakers missing Anthony Davis. AD missed nearly two full games against the Suns in round one but guess what, the Lakers still had LeBron James. Kawhi is the LeBron of the Clippers, missing him is disastrous for LA. And it opens up the door ever so widely for the Jazz to slide right in and scoop up this series.</p><p>There’s never a good time for an injury to be dropped upon a team, but the Clippers really seemed to have gained momentum winning two straight against the Jazz with the series heading back to Utah. Now, with Leonard out for at least one game and likely more, it might be time to pull the curtains down on LA’s season.</p><h2>The Jazz are built to withstand an injury, LA is not</h2><p>Again, this depends on who exactly the injury occurs to but, the Jazz have so much depth on their roster.</p><p>A lot of the attention goes to the superstar Donovan Mitchell and rightfully so. But Quin Snyder’s squad has so much more.</p><p>Rudy Gobert won another NBA Defensive Player of the Year award this year. Jordan Clarkson was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Joe Ingles was a finalist for the award as well. Sprinkle in a healthy Mike Conley when he’s available, the sharpshooting of Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neals and Derrick Favors and it’s a jam-packed Jazz lineup.</p><p>Having validated roster depth is so critical when injuries pop up. Mike Conley is a tremendous point guard but his absence has gone somewhat unnoticed because the Jazz showed and beat the Clippers twice without him. It’s because they are built to withstand an injury. LA is not.</p><p>The Clippers have nice pieces on the roster outside of Leonard and George, but it’s not a roster that is going to blow you away. Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson can heat up like a microwave, Marcus Morris had a really good season shooting the three ball but again, it doesn’t stack up to what they Jazz have behind Donovan Mitchell.</p><p>LA will need a herculean type performance from Paul George for every game that Leonard misses and then those secondary pieces will have to play better and more consistent. Morris will have to be better as will Batum, Jackson, and Patrick Beverley. Even then, it may not be enough against the Jazz.</p><p>The Kawhi Leonard injury is the worst of the worst for the Clippers and it comes at a time where they seemed to have pieced the puzzle together against the Jazz. Now, without their superstar, they will need some of their ordinary players to be extraordinary to help out Paul George as he tries to go into Batman mode without Leonard.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 reasons Jazz should cruise past Clippers to Western Conference Finals with Kawhi Leonard injured

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-16_140550.png"></figure><h1>Does Kevin Durant own the crown for best player in the world?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-15T23:11:15-07:00">June 15th, 11:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-15T23:12:59-07:00">June 15th, 11:12pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a hot minute since the media went crazy over Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. For much of the 2020-21 NBA regular season and the earlier part of the playoffs, fans and analysts have talked about LeBron James or Luka Doncic. But lo and behold, the media favorites are nowhere near the title chase. After Durant’s 49-point explosion against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, fans and analysts declared him the best player in the world right now.</p><h2><b>Is Kevin Durant wearing the crown for NBA’s best player?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/kevin-durants-legacy-if-he-leads-nets-without-kyrie-irving-james-harden_copy.jpg"></figure><p>Even if you’re a Durant hater, you’d still nod your head to this statement. James has held this crown for a long while. But the Lakers’ early exit was a clear sign of his decline to lead. Among those still in the postseason, perhaps Giannis Antetokounmpo is the one who can challenge for this title. After all, he’s a two-time MVP and has a Defensive Player of the Year trophy on his shelf. The Bucks also look as hungry as ever after several disappointing playoff campaigns.</p><p>However, all the hype surrounding Giannis and the Bucks went down the drain after Durant’s explosion. Let’s not forget that the Bucks are the number one defensive team in the playoffs with a <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1">102.1 defensive rating</a>. Do they say defense wins titles? It seems that that adage doesn’t apply when Durant is around.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A 49-point triple-double. Just incredible.</p><p>📼 <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@KDTrey5</a> 📼 <a href="https://t.co/nRNmDN2qaC" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/nRNmDN2qaC</a></p><p>— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1405013514167668737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>There’s really no other player like the Slim Reaper. Here you have one of the smoothest strokes in the game, laced with incredible handles, all in a seven-foot frame. It’s hilarious how head coach Mike Budenholzer assigns PJ Tucker to guard him. Yes, the veteran guard can get physical and get into his mind. But there’s no way Tucker can stop Durant when he rises up for those perimeter jumpers. Even if Tucker fully extends his arms, his hands still can’ reach Durant’s head.</p><p>Enough about his offense because it’s pretty much common sense that Durant is the best scorer in NBA history. Let’s talk a bit about his defense which has been vastly snubbed over the years. It was actually Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr who first pointed out how great of a defensive presence Durant is. His wingspan has not only enabled him to swat shots but also deflect passes. In fact. Durant averages <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/hustle/?sort=DEFLECTIONS&amp;dir=1">2.8 deflections</a> in the playoffs which falls within the top 10. In terms of contested 3-point shots, he averages 4.1 per game which ranks ninth in the playoffs.</p><p>It’s unfortunate that fans only noticed Durant after his 49-point outburst in Game 5. The truth is, Durant has always fallen within the Top 2 of the Best Player in the World crown. The series of injuries which caused him to miss some games might’ve washed him away from our consciousness. And of course, his questionable move to the 73-win Warriors squad will forever be brought up when discussing his legacy.</p><p>But at the end of the day, we watch basketball mainly for entertainment. And every time Kevin Durant steps onto the hard court, it’s almost a guarantee that we’ll have our money’s worth. We are witnessing an athlete who has perfected his craft and is still getting better. This after all the criticism thrown at him for joining a powerhouse squad. We should be thankful that Durant is still playing at the highest level. It’s a cliche but there a lot of truth in it when we say we may never see another one like Kevin Durant.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Does Kevin Durant own the crown for best player in the world?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/image_2021-06-16_134851.png"></figure><h1>Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell and the All-NBA Snubs Team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-06-15T22:49:52-07:00">June 15th, 10:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-06-15T22:49:52-07:00">June 15th, 10:49pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA just named its All-NBA Teams and as usual, fans went irate on social media. The All-NBA First Team includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Kawhi Leonard. The All-NBA Second Team is comprised of Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Julius Randle. Finally, the All-NBA Third Team is comprised of Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Rudy Gobert, and Kyrie Irving.</p><p>If this is the first time you’re seeing the list, then you’re probably scoffing at the names, too. Some players definitely deserve to be there. But there are also those who don’t. We’ll leave it up to the fans to pluck out the players who they feel are not worthy. But for this article, we’ll list down the All-NBA Snubs Team led by Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell.</p><h2><b>2021 All-NBA Snub Team</b></h2><p><b>Devin Booker</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Devin-Booker-Suns.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><p>Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is the obvious snub here. The fact that Booker and the Suns are now in the Conference Finals speaks volumes of how the guard was disrespected in the voting. If you’re a fan of Booker, you’re well-aware of h0w he’s been snubbed for most of his NBA career. He’s been in the league for six seasons but he’s only been selected into the All-Star team twice. In the recent All-Star game, he was inserted into the team as a mere replacement. It’s hard to believe that a player like Booker — who’s been often compared to Kobe Bryant for his scoring prowess — is not being recognized time and time again.</p><p>It’s difficult to figure out why voters did not receive an ample amount of votes to be included in the teams. Perhaps much of it has to do with the Chris Paul narrative over the past two seasons. Last year, he guided the young Oklahoma City Thunder to the playoffs. This season, he took things up a notch by leading the Suns deep into the postseason. There’s no doubt that Paul is indeed the Point God. But sticking to this narrative disregards Booker’s accomplishments, not to mention the guidance of Monty Williams as well.</p><p> </p><p><b>Donovan Mitchell</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Donovan-Mitchell-_fired-up_-alongside-teammates-for-long-awaited-start-of-2020-21-season.jpg"></figure><p>The voters must’ve been blind or weren’t really watching NBA basketball. The Utah Jazz are practically the best team of the 2020-21 NBA regular season. And contrary to All-Star Team selections which are based on a player’s popularity, a player gets selected into the All-NBA teams with respect to their team’s standing.</p><p>Mitchell caught the attention of analysts and fans since he entered the league in 2017. He came out the gates as an athletic guard with much offensive prowess. Now in his fourth year in the league, he’s continuing to play his style of basketball, albeit more sharp and mature in his decision-making. The results pretty much speak for themselves. Mitchell’s statistics has been pretty much consistent all these years. As noted, what’s more important is how he’s guided his team to the best record in the NBA. Apparently, these facts weren’t enough to please the voters.</p><p><b>Jayson Tatum</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Celtics-news-Jayson-Tatum-Boston-still-getting-wrecked-by-COVID-19-Thumbnail.jpg"></figure><p>Boston Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum is another name that was brought up by the legions of NBA fans upon the release of the All-NBA Teams. The man dropped 60 points in the regular season (tied with Bradley Beal for second-most points in a game in the 2020-21 season), as well as a couple of 50 and 40-point outbursts for good measure.</p><p>It was unfortunate that the Celtics didn’t perform that well though. They qualified for the playoffs as the seventh seed and got booted out in five games by the mighty Brooklyn Nets. However, this doesn’t take away the fact that Tatum should be in the All-NBA squad. Some fans believe that he should at least be a member of the All-NBA Third Team. In particular, Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler — given his inconsistencies all season long — should be booted out. Besides, Butler has never been the type of player who carries his team night in and night out — one of the major prerequisites to considered a member of the All-NBA Teams.</p><p> </p><p><b>Clint Capela</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Hawks-news-Atlanta-big-man-Clint-Capela-out-for-season-opener-vs.jpg"></figure><p>Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela might be the odd-man-out here. After all, when we think of the Hawks, our minds drift to Trae Young and what he’s done this season. What the voters missed is how Capela has been instrumental in the Hawks’ offense and defense. The man led the league in rebounds with <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/capelca01.html">14.3 per game</a>. He also averaged 2.0 blocks per game in the regular season which ranked third. These types of statistics won’t grab your attention. But as mentioned, the All-NBA Teams are not so much a matter of popularity, but a matter of a player’s contribution to his team’s success.</p><p>As of writing, the Hawks are still battling it out with the powerhouse Philadelphia 76ers. They’re tied at 2-2 and from the looks of it, the Hawks have a real chance of upsetting Joel Embiid and crew. And if you’ve seen the games, it’s crystal clear that Capela has done a stellar job at defending the Cameroonian.</p><p> </p><p><b>Domantas Sabonis</b></p><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Domantas-Sabonis-scheduled-to-return-to-NBA-bubble.jpg"></figure><p>The NBA is pretty stacked with talented big men which have made it extra-difficult for the likes of Clint Capela and Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis to be selected into the All-NBA squad. Both players received six total points. Sabonis himself received three All-NBA Third Team votes (worth three points) and one All-NBA Second Team vote (worth three points).</p><p>Sabonis’ unfortunate case isn’t really his fault. To recall, the Pacers had to endure massive changes to their roster. They lost star guard Victor Oladipo to a trade, endured controversies involving head coach Nate Bjorkgren, among others. This pretty placed the Pacers under the shadows. But Sabonis himself had a pretty good season with <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sabondo01.html">20.3 points</a> and 12.0 rebounds per game. There’s no question he would be at least a member of the All-NBA Third team if it wasn’t for the Pacers’ misfortunes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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