NBA

NBA Sitrep – Nightmare for Timberwolves, Warriors strike back against Thunder and is Kawhi’s season over?

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

A weekly post wrapping up all the action from around the association over the last seven days.

Down, but not out.

As Jimmy Butler lay writhing in pain with his hands clasped around his knee, the Timberwolves season hung delicately in the balance.

With the possibility of a season-ending ACL injury looming, the diagnosis of a torn right meniscus was surprisingly good news.

Butler will undergo surgery and is expected to be available to return in the next four to six weeks, which sees him in a race against time to suit up for the Timberwolves first playoff appearance in 13 seasons.

Butler has been the stoic captain for the Timberwolves all season, guiding the budding stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins along Minnesota’s return to relevance.

Butler is averaging 22.2 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, but his impact on the Timberwolves is far greater than his impressive stat line.

The Timberwolves currently sit fourth in the West with a 37-26 record, only one game behind the Spurs on the losses ledger.

Mystery surrounds Spurs and Kawhi.

What is going on with Kawhi Leonard?

We have seen the Spurs superstar for all of nine games this season, with a strained quad tendon hampering him for the entire campaign.

After attempting to make a brief return through December and January, Kawhi was shut down indefinitely by the Spurs and last week Popovich conceded the worst.

https://twitter.com/SportsQuotient/status/966453002373599233

There have been un-Spurs-like rumours about tension between Kawhi and the organisation, possibly misdiagnosis about the injury and the underlying truth that Leonard has actually been medically cleared to play.

Whatever the case, it seems unlikely that the Kawhi will take the court for the Spurs again this season, which is a massive blow for the playoff aspirations of Popovich and his men.

Warriors revenge on OKC.

The Warriors were blown off the court by the Thunder in their first two meetings of the season.

They lost the first contest back in November by 17-points and the second clash went from bad to worse as they were handed a 20-point loss by Westbrook and co.

The pair squared off for the third time on Sunday and the result was decidedly different.

After leading by just seven points at half-time, the Warriors buried the Thunder in a third-quarter scoring avalanche and ran out victors by 32-points.

Kevin Durant dropped 28 points on his former squad, while Curry chimed in with 21 of his own.

Westbrook and Paul George combined for 5-29 shooting, while the Thunder shot just 33% from the floor and 26% from beyond the arc.

The Warriors found their electric ball-movement once again.

And when Nick Young is doing this, you officially can’t beat the Warriors.

Risers/Sliders

standings - week 7Photo credit: ESPN 

Riser

Houston, we do not have a problem! The Rocket are rolling, Harden is the front-runner for the MVP, Chris Paul is wearing rodeo outfits to games, and Houston has won 12 contests in a row and sit with the best record in the entire league. All is well in Texas.

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The Miami Heat are barely clinging to their playoff spot after winning just 2 of their last ten contests. Over their last ten, the Heat have lost to the Cavs by 2, Sixers by ironically 6, Pistons by 4, Magic by 2, Rockets by 8, Raptors by 3, Sixers by 2 and Pelicans by 1 in overtime. They need a go-to clutch scorer down the stretch, because that kind of record in close games usually doesn’t belong to a playoff-bound franchise.

Heat Check

LaMarcus Aldridge

vs. Nuggets – 38 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

vs. Cavaliers – 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

After logging just 4 minutes and 0 points in the All-Star game last week, Aldridge was well and truly rested to begin the home-stretch of the regular season. He may not be the flashiest of players, but Aldridge deserves credit for the season he is piecing together. He has almost returned to his Portland form, averaging just under 23 points and 8 rebounds per game, becoming the staple of the Spurs offense with Kawhi on the bench.

Dejounte Murray certainly appreciates what Aldridge brings to the team.

Highlights

Bam Adebayo is making a habit of hurting rims feelings.

First Dame did this…

Then he reminded us what time it was.

Westbrook called game.

https://twitter.com/All_SportNews/status/966968508289515520

Steph called range.

https://twitter.com/JaeAzizi/status/966887503356547075

Whoopsie Watch

Has Blake lost his superpowers since leaving LA?

Kelly Oubre just went all school-yard petty on Rodney Hood

https://twitter.com/MusikFan4Life/status/966928210096046080

The Kelly Oubre appreciation show continues…

NBA Sitrep – The All-Star game is back! Donovan’s dunking delight and the red-hot Utah Jazz

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

A weekly post wrapping up all the action from around the association over the last seven days.

Defense in the All-Star game?

This was the final play of the 2018 All-Star game.

For the first time in recent memory, the All-Star game was decided by defense.

Curry was locked up by LeBron and then Durant, leading to a desperation shot from DeRozen that was released after the buzzer.

Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145, while LeBron secured his third All-Star MVP with a 29 point, 10 rebound and 8 assist master-class.

Let’s get this straight, there were still stretches of the game where defense was minimal and the offense consisted of open dunks and deep three balls.

But overall, the defense was much better, the players seemed to slightly care and the result was a genuinely entertaining game of pick-up basketball between the world’s best.

The game wasn’t short on highlights either.

This Embiid and Westbrook rivalry is the gift that keeps on giving.

He couldn’t finish the move, but this was just sick by Kyrie.

Next year televise the draft, don’t let Fergie sing the national anthem and just scrap the ridiculous pre-show snore fest.

But other than that, give us more of the same.

The All-Star game is officially back!

Donovan the Dunk King

The All-Star game may have returned to former glory, but the Dunk Contest left much to be desired.

Donovan Mitchell took out the Dunk Champ crown, which was judged by basketball legends such as Mark Wahlberg and Chris Rock.

The only thing stupider than that would be to get DJ Khaled to judge as well.

Oh wait, they did.

There were a few decent dunks here and there, but overall it was another forgettable Dunk Contest.

Dennis Smith Jr. had the best dunk of the night in my non-qualified opinion. So basically, I should be a judge as well.

Larry Nance Jr. tried to spice things up with this double-tap throw down.

Donovan’s final dunk, which according to our esteemed judges handed him the win.

Booker takes out Three-Point crown

Devin Booker took out the three-point contest, which gave the Dunk Contest a run for its money on the disappointment scale.

Booker finished with a record 28 points in the final, eclipsing the previous record of 27 held by the Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.

The most interesting point of note from the event.

The LA rims don’t seem to love Paul George as much as he loves the city.

Spencer Dinwiddie took out the Skills Challenge, becoming the first Nets player to win something in a very long time.

Joel Embiid was knocked out before the final, but not before he bent every rule to stay alive in the competition.

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/965035868154224641

Technically after three attempts at the chest pass, you are free to advance, regardless of a miss or make.

Embiid is the first contestant in the history of the Skills Challenge to actually read the rules.

He also forgot to take the tag off his shorts.

Earlier in the weekend, the World Team rolled to an easy 155-124 victory over Team USA.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was named the MVP of the game, dropping 26 points along with seven triples off the bench.

Sweet, sweet music for Jazz

Back to the real basketball, where the Jazz have rolled off eleven straight wins to race into playoff contention.

After entering January five games below .500, the Jazz have knocked over the likes of the Warriors, Raptors, Trailblazers and Spurs on the way to their current 30-28 record.

Donovan Mitchell has upped his already incredible level of play, Rudy Gobert has anchored the defense superbly and the Jazz’s role players have provided the perfect complement to Mitchell’s instant offense.

In the Jazz’s comeback win over the Spurs last week, it was the relatively unknown Royce O’Neale who shut down Kyle Anderson and then Manu Ginobili to seal the win.

Moments earlier, Derrick Favors had blocked Manu Ginobili and saved the ball to give the Jazz possession.

It’s plays and efforts like these which have pushed the Jazz back up the standings and only one and a half games out of the eighth seed.

Risers/Sliders

standings - week 6

Photo credit: ESPN

Riser

The Utah Jazz may own the league’s largest current win streak, but Houston is right behind them with their own ten game win streak. Led by CP3 and Harden, the Rockets have leapt above the Warriors and currently hold the number one seed in the West. They have also set themselves up for the second half of the season by signing free agents, Joe Johnson and Brandan Wright to their roster.

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The Nets have lost seven straight games, and are just one from their last ten contests. Only one game currently separates the Nets from the likes of the Magic, Hawks, Kings and Mavericks in the win column, which will have the Cavaliers front office excited about the prospect of a high lottery pick (The Cavs will receive the Nets first-round pick, which was acquired in the Kyrie Irving deal).

Heat Check

Anthony Davis

vs. Pistons – 38 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks

vs. Lakers – 42 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals

A huge week for the Brow, who led the Pelicans to their third straight win and helped them cling to their playoff spot in the eighth seed. If New Orleans is to hold off the Clippers and Jazz down the stretch, Davis will need to continue to stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis.

Highlights

The pass was nice and the finish was just nasty.

Westbrook wasn’t coasting into the All-Star break.

Back-to-back huge blocks by Jimmy Butler.

https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/964353142505771008

Eric Bledsoe finishing with authority.

Jabari Parker putting two Hawks on a poster.

Whoopsie Watch

Dwight Howard – 0 / Orlando Rim – 1

Okafor with the thirteen-second violation!

Steve Kerr is so bored that he is now letting the players do his job.

https://twitter.com/Devin_Walker5/status/963267527643148290

The Give and Go (Ep.2) – Welcome to the Cavs 2.0

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

It’s all coming up rosy early days for the new Cavs outfit, with defense, smiles and wins aplenty. However, do the new additions catapult the Cavs back into the front-runner for the East and make them a genuine contender against the Warriors? (1:00). We then debate whether the Thunder have found the blueprint to beat the Warriors (11:20), before breaking down the Jazz’s ten game winning streak (19:40). Finally, we discuss the impact of Isaiah Thomas’ move to LA on Lonzo, the Lakers and IT himself (24:30).

NBA Sitrep – Fresh faces for Cavs, the fall of Porzingis and every other non-Cleveland trade

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

A weekly post wrapping up all the action from around the association over the last seven days.

Cavs hit Control-Alt-Delete

The 2018 trade deadline was seemingly quiet, so Koby Altman dialed up the phone and decided to spice things up a little.

What followed was an avalanche of trades resulting in a complete roster rebuild in the middle of February.

Only six other teams in the last ten years have dealt away six players in the same month as the trading deadline.

Cleveland became number seven and has given LeBron the pieces for what could possibly be his last title run with the Cavs.

Clarkson, Nance, Hood and Hill all made their Cavs debut against Boston today and the immediate results were promising.

The Cavs trounced the Celtics 121-99, but more impressive was the enthusiasm and energy displayed throughout the game.

George Hill had 12 points, Nance provided a spark off the bench, Hood dropped 15 and Clarkson left LeBron in raptures on the bench with his entertaining 17-point outing.

LeBron sat for the entire fourth quarter for the first time since late November in a clash against Miami.

Yes, it was only one game. But for a franchise that was limping towards the All-Star break broken and bruised, it was a much-needed dose of hope.

The after-thought trades

The Cavaliers held a monopoly over trade deadline talks, but there were numerous other deals that slipped through the cracks before the Thursday deadline.

Elfrid Payton and his hair made their way to the Suns for a 2018 second-round pick. The former first-round pick made his Phoenix debut on Sunday and finished with 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a loss to the Nuggets.

Emmanuel Mudiay joined Payton as another first-round point guard to find a new home before the trade deadline. Mudiay made his debut for his new club today, scoring 14 points and dishing out 10 assists for the Knicks.

https://twitter.com/theknicksblog/status/961679601238986755

Jameer Nelson joined the Pistons, who also secured James Ennis from the Grizzlies. Former Clippers Brice Johnson and Willie Reed both departed Detroit, Johnson to Memphis and Reed to the Bulls.

Dante Cunningham joined the Nets, Noah Vonleh was shipped to Chicago and Sheldon Mac joined the Hawks as we start scraping the bottom of the trade deadline barrel.

Isaiah Thomas impressed in his debut game for the Lakers, scoring 22 points, dropping six assists and four three-balls along the way.

Thomas’ former teammate, Dwayne Wade received a standing ovation from the Miami faithful as he returned to his former playground.

Who shot Bambi?

You could almost hear a pin drop inside Madison Square Garden as Porzingis lay in agony, slamming his fist into the hardwood.

https://twitter.com/TheRenderNBA/status/961048066622197761

An MRI confirmed the worst, Porzingis has torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

He was having a career year, averaging 22.7 points and an NBA-high 2.4 blocks per game for the Knicks faithful.

With their captain fallen, the Knicks slight playoff dreams seem crushed along with the hearts of their loyal fans.

Risers/Sliders

standings - week 5

Photo credit: ESPN

Riser

The Utah Jazz are flying up the standings behind a nine-game winning streak that has seen them knock off contender after contender. The Pistons, Raptors, Spurs, Pelicans and Trailblazers have all fallen to the Jazz, who also just happened to hand the Warriors a 30-point thumping. The Jazz have the second best defensive rating in the league over their nine-game winning streak and are using their defensive calling card to make a genuine late push for the playoffs.

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The New York Knicks are 0-2 without Porzingis and are have slumped into a six-game losing streak. Unfortunately, the Knicks are likely to struggle for the remainder of the season with Porzingis looking on from the sidelines. It’s time to hand the keys to Frank Ntilikina and attempt to unearth another young talent to play alongside Kristaps when he returns next season.

Heat Check

Paul George

vs. Warriors – 38 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals, 6 three-pointers made

vs. Lakers – 29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 three-pointers made

vs. Grizzlies – 33 points, 8 assist, 3 steals, 5 three-pointers made

Is Paul George the best two-way player in the NBA right now?

It’s a contentious question, but George’s recent stretch has seen him dominate teams on both ends of the floor with a ‘Kawhi’ like tenacity. Westbrook may be the OKC’s Batman, but George is the perfect Robin to challenge the Warriors in the playoffs. The Thunder have handled the Warriors comfortably in both their regular season matchups, which is largely due to George’s ability to guard every Warrior on the floor. The Thunder may still be having a roller-coaster season, but George has certainly found his groove after struggling early days.

Highlights

Dunk of the Year. Giannis is just absurd.

He actually just jumped clean over a 6-foot-6 Hardaway.

It’s been a big week for Zach LaVine, who not only led the Bulls to a win over his former team, but also did this to Jakarr Sampson.

Moments after blocking Jimmy Butlers game-winning attempt, LeBron showed him how it was done with this step-back dagger.

Now would be the time to look away Julius Randle.

Here comes the Bam!

Whoopsie Watch

Cedi Osman with the wide open …

Someone is getting the dreaded call to Mark Cubans office this week.

No chair is safe around an angry Robin Lopez.

NBA Sitrep – Blake to Detroit, injuries savage the East and a thriller in the Mile-High City

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

A weekly post wrapping up all the action from around the association over the last seven days.

Welcome to Detroit

Just months ago, the Clippers went all out to re-sign Blake Griffin as the face of their franchise.

Last week they shipped him and his $171 million dollar contract off to the Detroit Pistons and in doing so, signaled the end of Lob City.

Blake recorded a double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) in his first game with the Pistons, before dropping 16 points and 9 boards in his second game for the team.

The Pistons are 2-0 with Griffin in the line-up and have climbed to just half a game out of the playoff seeding in the East.

The Clippers are 1-1 since the departure of their superstar, with Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley both impressing in their debut game for LA (Harris had 24 points, Bradley tallied 8).

Nikola Mirotic was dealt to the Pelicans in a deal that saw Omer Asik (and his unattractive contract), Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson and a first-round pick join the Bulls.

Mirotic has been a spark-plug for the Bulls this season, averaging 16.8 points per contest and striking from beyond the arc at an impressive 43%. In his debut game, he put up 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Pelicans loss to Minnesota.

Team LeBron curse?

First DeMarcus Cousins and now Kevin Love and John Wall.

Team LeBron has been decimated by injuries, however the Pelicans, Cavs and Wizards have been left to deal with the real headaches.

Kevin Love suffered a fracture in his left hand that will see him miss six to eight weeks.

Love doesn’t require surgery, but will be racing the clock to return and re-integrate into the Cavs disheartened line-up before play-off action begins.

Fellow All-Star John Wall will also miss six to eight weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic cleanup of his left knee.

Wall banged knees with Dennis Smith Jnr in early November and has been bothered by the niggling injury ever since.

The Wizards are 4-0 since Wall’s surgery, which has put John and his teams ‘supposedly’ strained relationship back into the spotlight.

The Bucks will be without Malcolm Brogdon for six to eight weeks after he suffered a left quadricep tendon injury against the Timberwolves.

It’s been an up-and-down week for the Bucks, who saw Jabari Parker play his first game since February 2017, but then saw Giannis Antetokounmpo leave the court early after an ankle injury against the Nets today.

Giannis is expected to be available for selection in the Bucks next game.

Unleash the Beard

With Chris Paul and Eric Gordon on the sideline, James Harden had the spotlight all to himself as the Magic came to town.

60 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists later and the NBA had its first ever 60-point triple-double.

Throw in four steals and a block and you have one of the most complete single game performances of all time.

It was the most points ever scored by a Rocket, the most by any player in the NBA this season and the ninth-time Harden has topped the 50-point barrier in his career.

Game of the Year?

There have been plenty of classics this season, but the Nuggets vs Thunder clash deserves its place amongst the top echelon of 2017-18 contests.

The Nuggets threw the first swing, posting an incredible 40-point first quarter that led them to a commanding 72-57 half time lead.

Jamal Murray was on fire, dropping 33 points and Steven Adams with this vicious step-back three.

https://twitter.com/ComedyWorIdStar/status/960320827941154816

Nikola Jokic played the role of Robin to perfection, working seamlessly with Murray and tallied his third triple double of the season (29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists).

Enter Paul George.

George took over the game, dropping 43 points on ridiculous 73% shooting, culminating in a nasty step-back three to tie the game with mere seconds remaining.

Then come the finale, and what a finish it was.

Harris called game, Jokic called Westbrook out for falling asleep on the final play and Russell retaliated by shoving an overly eager fan.

https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/959306032282349569

What a game.

Sliders/Risers

standings - week 4

Photo credit: ESPN

Riser

No Wall, no worries.

The Wizards have knocked off the Hawks, Thunder, Raptors and Magic without their All-Star point guard and currently sit in the fourth seed in the East. Rumours of a rift between ‘Wall and Beal’ and ‘Wall and the entire Wizards team’ have been rife this season, which hasn’t been helped by the team’s success without their point guard. Despite Wall averaging 9.3 assists per game, the Wizards lead the league in assists since Wall’s absence began and the results speak for themselves.

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The Miami Heat were always going to hit adversity at some point. For a team led by consistent, all-around effort and devoid of superstars, this slump was just par for the course. After falling to the Cavaliers by two points, consecutive losses to the 76ers and Pistons have seen the Heat slump from the fourth seed to the seventh seed. They are 4-6 over their last ten and will likely need to fend off the Griffin led Pistons if they want to hold onto their playoff spot.

Heat Check

CJ McCollum

vs. Clippers – 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

vs. Bulls – 50 points, 5 rebounds, 6 three-pointers made

vs. Raptors – 21 points, 2 assists, 1 block

vs. Celtics – 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

CJ McCollum had an average week, until you glance at his box score against the Chicago Bulls. He became the first player to reach 50 points in under 30 minutes since Klay Thompson scorched the Pacers for 60 in 29 minutes back in 2016. McCollum had 28 points in the first quarter, setting up his first career 50-point game and leading the Trailblazers to an easy win over Chicago.

Highlights

Mike Muscala, welcome to your Kodak moment.

Dwight making his second appearance for all the wrong reasons.

The Greek Freak added to his collection of game-winners with this dagger against the Knicks.

Al Horford called game with one of the rare highlights for Boston on Super Bowl Sunday.

As if he hasn’t made it obvious enough, Jaylen Brown is angry he isn’t an All-Star.

Whoopsie Watch

Nobody loves Lance more than Lance.

Except maybe for Nikola Jokic. This was Lance’esque.

This man is just living all our dreams.

 

Boban > Blake

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

Blake Griffin is gone.

After just coming to terms with losing Chris Paul, Clippers fans now have to face the harsh reality of life without Blake.

This means life without State Farm and Kia commercials, life without never ending injuries, life without first-round playoff exits, life without whinging like babies and life without Kendall Jenner.

It’s a cold, bleak future for the baby brother of LA.

Except, there is a beacon of hope in the distance.

The Clippers have acquired Tobias Harris, who is averaging an impressive 18.1 points this season, in addition to Avery Bradley, one of the leagues premier defensive guards.

Neither of them are the shining light the Clippers desperately need though.

Just when all hope seemed lost, Stan Van Gundy relented and handed the Clippers the keys to their future.

Introducing Boban Marjanovic.

Casual NBA fans may have never heard of his name, let alone witnessed his incredible abilities, but Boban is the future of the Clippers next championship roster.

He is the hero that the Clippers don’t deserve, but the one they so desperately need.

Here are ten reasons why Boban will become the first Clipper to have his jersey raised up amongst the rafters.

To share the honour with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Taylor Swift.

10. Boban is an actual giant

Boban stands at 7-foot-3 tall, with a standing reach of 9-foot-7! To put that into perspective, thats a higher standing reach than Yao Ming and Wilt Chamberlain.

This means that he can basically put the ball into the basket without even leaving his feet.

9. Boban has big feet, big ears and even bigger hands

Boban has size 19 shoes, which is dwarfed only by the size of his ears, which is once again dwarfed only by the size of his hands.

Honestly, look at them!

8. Boban is already ready for those Blake Kia commercials

boban

Someone give this man an Oscar already!

7. Boban can dance

No words, just no words.

6. Boban is the most efficient scorer in NBA history

No, I’m not making this up.

Screenshot 2018-01-31 11.27.22

No player in the history of the entire NBA has been able to match Boban in points per shot attempts.

Nobody.

5. Boban can break a rim.

Alright, so it’s not as dramatic as a Shaq ring break, but it still counts.

4. Boban can make grown men wet their pants.

3. Boban is a three-time MVP

Boban won three straight Serbian League MVP awards between 2013-15.

Has Blake won an MVP award. No, didn’t think so.

Boban > Blake.

2. Pain is no barrier to Boban

Jordan may have had his flu game, but it pales into insignificance when compared to Bobans heroics.

boban.0.0.jpg

Boban had a broken foot, but still played for the Red Stars in the 2015 Serbian Championship and led his team to its first title since the 1997-98 season.

1. Get you a man who can do both

Boban is a man of many talents.

He can put in the work and finish with strength.

Or he can dazzle you with his skills and craftiness.

The dawn of the Boban era has just begun.

Remember the name.

Bye, Bye Blake

/ Daniel Freeman / Leave a comment

It was looking bleak as the clock ticked towards the February 8 deadline, but the silence has been broken on the trade-deadline watch.

Blake Griffin has been traded to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjonovic, a 2018 first-round and 2019 second-round draft pick.

The Pistons 2018 first-round pick is protected, while the Clippers are including Brice Johnson and Willie Reed in the trade.

Griffin had spent his entire eight-year career in LA and just signed a five-year contract to stay with the Clippers as the face of the franchise.

Blake is averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists through his 33 games this season.

Detroit will be hoping the pairing of Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson can push them into contention in an open Eastern Conference.

The ‘Big 3’ will have to wait though, as Reggie Jackson is still recovering from an ankle injury and isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break.

The Pistons currently sit in the ninth seed in the East, largely behind an eight-game losing streak that has seen them plummet down the standings.

While the Clippers and Pistons both sit in the ninth seed in their respective conferences, the two teams have taken different approaches to their immediate and long-term future.

Despite currently sitting just one game behind the eight seeded Nuggets, the Clippers have clearly taken the rebuild option.

DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams have both been linked to possible trade rumours, which will surely now be thoroughly explored by the Clippers front office.

In the space of one season the Clippers have blown up their entire roster, with DeAndre Jordan the only remaining starter from last season’s starting line-up.

Chris Paul and Luc Mbah a Moute are now both in Houston, J.J. Redick is casting up three balls for The Process and Blake Griffin will be hoping Kendell Jenner likes Detroit.

Not to mention that Jamal Crawford, Raymond Felton, Mareese Speights, Brandon Bass, Paul Pierce, Alan Anderson, Diamond Stone and Brice Johnson are no longer on the roster.

DeAndre Jordan, Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson are the only Clippers from last season’s roster remaining.

DeAndre will likely find himself at a new home in the coming weeks, while Rivers is currently doing his best work from the sideline in a moon boot.

With Chris Paul at the helm and Brake Griffin as his sidekick, the Clippers had won over 50 games in its previous five seasons.

Before those five seasons, they had never passed the 50-win count in their franchise history.

How quickly things change.