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Shoutout to Kevin Harlan and his daughter, Olivia Harlan Dekker, for being the first father-daughter duo to call the Super Bowl.
MVP Conversation
How many players are in it?
Let’s discuss two talking points I’ve recently heard/seen in the last week or so. I heard Cleveland’s announcers wondering why Donovan Mitchell isn’t in the MVP conversation, and people in Los Angeles are wondering the same about Kawhi Leonard.
To these questions I ask … what conversation are you really talking about? This is usually a way for people to mention a player’s good season without saying directly this player should definitely win the award.
On SiriusXM NBA Radio a few years ago, Amin Elhassan and I created the concept of the MVP Conversation Bar. It’s a fictional bar where players in the MVP conversation hold court and discuss their seasons. Not just any player gets in, though. And the leading MVP candidate is holding court with the other candidates surrounding them in the middle of the bar.
This year, we know Joel Embiid will not be allowed. His missed games will put him below the 65-game threshold for qualifying for the award. Most people have discussed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić as this season’s leading candidates. But who else is invited to the club? Here’s the MVP Conversation Bar invite-only list, as of right now:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: He’s averaging 31.1 points (64.9 percent true shooting) and an NBA-high 2.2 steals per game. OKC has the NBA’s third-best record (36-17).
- Nikola Jokić: The Joker is averaging 26.3 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists. His 15 triple-doubles are second in the NBA – and he’s just coasting. The Nuggets are 1.5 games behind No. 1.
- Kawhi Leonard: Scoring a team-high 24.1 points per game (63.8 percent true shooting). The Clippers (35-17, third in West) are 10-3 when he scores 30 or more.
- Luka Dončić: The NBA’s second-leading scorer (34.1, behind Embiid) is enjoying the best shooting of his career. Dallas (31-23) is a game behind fifth in the West.
- Jayson Tatum: He’s the best player on the best overall team. The East-leading Celtics (41-12) are 16-4 when Tatum drops at least 30 this season.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: The two-time MVP is averaging 30-11-6 and shooting 61.1 percent from the field for the third-best team in the East (35-19).
- Donovan Mitchell: Mitchell is leading the East’s second-best team (35-17, second in East) while tying his career high in points per game (28.3).
- Anthony Edwards: Ant Man is the best player on the best team in the West. Minnesota (37-16) leads the West by a game.
And that’s it for now. We’ll see if this bar gets more or less crowded in the next two months.
The Latest From Shams
Backcourt updates for Miami, New Orleans
Two injury updates for the Miami Heat:
- Point guard Terry Rozier has avoided any major injury as an MRI on Monday showed a sprained right knee, and he will be evaluated week-to-week, sources tell The Athletic. Rozier suffered the injury Sunday vs. Boston. He’s averaged 12.6 points in 10 games with the Heat after being traded from the Hornets last month, with whom he averaged 23.2 points in 30 games.
- Josh Richardson has suffered a dislocated right shoulder and is expected to be re-evaluated in a few weeks. The guard has averaged 10 points in his return season to Miami, including 40% from 3-point range over last two months.
In the West, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels has suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee and is sidelined indefinitely. Daniels has been a key rotation player for the Pelicans, averaging 21.9 minutes, 5.5 points and 1.4 steals a game (leads team).
About Last Night
Wemby’s triple-double, Wolves No. 1 in West
Monday night gave us 10 big games in the Association as All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis approaches. The NBA gave us no shortage of drama and action. Here’s what you need to know:
Wolves 121, Clippers 100: With first place in the West on the line, the Wolves absolutely pulverized the Clippers in the second half. Karl-Anthony Towns led them with 24 points, and a 40-19 third quarter broke this open.
Bucks 112, Nuggets 95: We’ve all been making jokes about Doc Rivers and the Bucks the last week or two, so it’s only right Milwaukee went out there and demolished a mostly healthy Nuggets team behind 36 and 18 from Giannis.
Spurs 122, Raptors 99: In 29 minutes, Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks and five assists. He became the fifth player in NBA history to put up 25-10-10-5 in a game. Hakeem Olajuwon did it four times! Wemby is the youngest player by nearly three years.
76ers 123, Cavaliers 121: No Embiid for Philly, which let Donovan Mitchell go off for 36 points (now that’s how you stay in the MVP Conversation Bar). And the Sixers (32-21, fifth in East) still managed to break the Cavaliers’ nine-game win streak. Cleveland (35-17, second in East) is a game ahead of Milwaukee.
Warriors 129, Jazz 107: The Warriors won their fifth straight behind 51 combined points from the Splash Brothers. Utah (26-28, 11th in West) is 1.5 games behind Golden State (26-25) for 10th.
Hornets 111, Pacers 102: As you’d expect, the worst defense in NBA history held the best offense in NBA history to just 102 points.
Mavericks 114, Wizards 106: A dominant fourth quarter by the Mavs secured the victory because they’re good or because the Wizards are the Wizards? Why not both? Washington (9-44) is half a game ahead of Detroit (8-44) at the bottom of the NBA.
Bulls 136, Hawks 126: Four Bulls starters scored at least 20 points. Chicago (26-28, ninth in East) is two games ahead of Atlanta (24-30) in the Play-In.
Pelicans 96, Grizzlies 87: These two combined for 24 fourth-quarter points. Need I say more?
Rockets 105, Knicks 103: See below for just an atrocious ending of a game that should have gone to overtime.
Confusing Comments
Ed Malloy, Spencer Dinwiddie give head-scratchers
At the end of the Knicks’ 105-103 loss to the Rockets last night, Jalen Brunson was called for a foul that never happened. Aaron Holiday chucked the ball as regulation was expiring, Brunson challenged, and the referees called a foul on the All-Star.
Holiday made the first two attempts and purposely missed the third before the game was over. No. 1 Knicks fan Ben Stiller (you’re out, Spike Lee), was incensed on Twitter. Here’s the play:
Our own Fred Katz was the pool reporter who was able to ask referee Ed Malloy questions about the controversial call after the game. This is what Malloy had to say about the foul in question.
“After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor. The contact which occurred after the release of the ball, therefore is incidental & marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”
It’s pretty rare you see a ref in these situations cop to a bad call. What will be hilarious is if the Last Two Minute Report calls it a good call. The refs reviewed this to make sure time didn’t expire before the contact. They clearly see no foul was committed. Let them reverse bad calls in these situations even without a challenge.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles …
The Lakers (28-26, ninth in West) have introduced Spencer Dinwiddie as their latest addition, signing him for the remainder of the season after he was bought out by Toronto. Dinwiddie was essentially choosing between the Mavs and Lakers for the rest of the season. He played roughly two half seasons with the Mavs from 2021-22. But this was his reason for choosing the Lakers. See if you follow him on it.
“The two situations kind of felt like this, right? Let’s say you were a kid and you got your ass whooped by the bully. Dallas would’ve been like your momma being like, ‘It’s OK, baby. Don’t worry about it.’ Lakers are like your dad: ‘Nah, you better go out there and fight till you win.’ You feel me? And I just felt like that was what I needed at the time.”
Totally get it. One question, though: What? I know there was an analogy in there somewhere, and I get he’s trying to say the 28-26 Lakers (ninth in West) know how to win more than the 31-23 Mavs (eighth in West), but that didn’t make any sense at all. Some real Michael Scott vibes.
Bounce Passes
John Hollinger says the 2024-25 season actually begins now.
Tom Haberstroh believes the Mavericks are the new Lob City.
Quentin Grimes is the exact role player the Pistons need.
Josh Robbins details Kyle Kuzma nearly becoming a Maverick.
Screen Game (All times Eastern)
- Main Screen: Thunder-Magic (7:30 p.m. TNT). Two of the best young teams in the league who are looking to ruin someone’s postseason and then some.
- Second Screen: Kings-Suns (10 p.m. TNT). We might get 280 combined points in this one – in regulation.
- League Pass Game of the Night: Heat-Bucks (8 p.m.). This is not as fun with Jimmy Butler out, but the Bucks are on a back-to-back, so maybe it’ll be good. Full schedule here.
(Top photo: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
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