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    10May, 2024
    NBA’s ‘big man on the fringe’ wins third MVP award

    When the 2014 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft rolled around, Nikola Jokic (29-Serbia) was a largely unheralded player. He had great hardware, but he didn’t move smoothly, and the Serbian game he was born into wasn’t quite up to NBA standards and needed to be proven. Jokic, who stands at 6-foot-11 with a 221-centimeter wingspan, was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st pick in the second round of the draft, at which point the broadcasters stopped the game to cut to commercials and show little interest.

    Once labeled as a “tall player,” Jokic took off and became a “do-it-all” player. He developed the ability to shoot from mid-range, as well as find an undefended player to pass to after breaking through the paint. When he found space, he could shoot from the perimeter, pulling defenders out of the paint to create openings, and he also developed the ability to block shots with his long arms. Jokic was nicknamed “The Joker,” meaning “a card that can be used anywhere,” and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player 먹튀검증 (MVP) in 2021 and 2022.

    In 2023, Jokic had his best year yet. He led Denver to the top of the NBA and was named MVP of the championship game. However, Jokic failed to win the regular season MVP award for the third consecutive year. Jokic was forced to relinquish the MVP award to Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) due to public opinion that a stricter standard was needed to win back-to-back awards.

    However, Jokic’s unwavering and consistent play has finally earned him a third star. On Monday, the NBA announced that Jokic was named the league’s MVP for the 2023-2024 season. Jokic totaled 926 points, including 79 first-place votes (10 points) out of 99 possible votes. Second place went to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) with 640 points and third place went to Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks – 566 points).

    Jokic became the ninth player to win three MVP awards in the NBA since its inception in 1946. Only LeBron James (40-Los Angeles Lakers) and Jokic have won three MVPs since the 2000s, when the NBA began to be recognized as the undisputed center of world basketball.

    Despite winning the regular-season MVP, Jokic’s Denver is in trouble in the second round of the NBA playoffs (best-of-seven). The defending champions, who won the championship last season, dropped both Games 1 and 2 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    The Rookie of the Year honors went to French “rookie sensation” Victor Wembanyama (20-San Antonio Spurs). Wembanyama swept all 99 first-place votes and earned a career-high 495 points, easily edging out Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder). It’s the sixth time the Rookie of the Year voting has been unanimous, joining David Robinson in 1990 and Blake Griffin in 2011. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocked shots in 71 games in his rookie season.

    Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert (32-FR) won the Defensive Player of the Year award. It is Gobert’s fourth career award. The French native averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 74 games this season. Led by Gobert, Minnesota played a stingy defense that allowed 106.5 points per game, the fewest among 30 teams this season. Gobert joins Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the third players to win the Defensive Player of the Year award four times since it was established in 1983. This means that the MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the NBA this season have all been won by European players.

    30Mar, 2024
    ‘No Re-Signing?’ Paul George, Philadelphia Targets

    Paul George’s future is in doubt.

    According to Keith Pompei, a local reporter in the United States, “There is a feeling that the LA Clippers will not offer Paul George the contract he wants. The Philadelphia 76ers are watching closely.”

    George is a free agent after this season. Being a Los Angeles native and playing for his hometown team, 토토사이트 추천 he was expected to re-sign.

    The only stumbling block is the Clippers’ salary situation. The Clippers recently signed Kawhi Leonard to a three-year, $153 million max contract. Like George, Leonard was set to become a free agent after this season. The Clippers were in a hurry to hold onto him.

    However, the news of George signing an extension has been muted. Of course, there were rumors. Shortly after signing Leonard to an extension, George was rumored to be in talks as well.

    In an interview after Leonard announced his extension with the Clippers, George said, “I’m going to sign an extension too. Leonard and I have a really good relationship,” he said, hinting that he wanted an extension with the Clippers.

    The problem is the Clippers‘ position. By signing Leonard to an extension, the Clippers will not only have George, but also James Harden and Russell Westbrook as free agents at the end of this season, meaning all three of their bigs will be free agents except Leonard.

    Even though the Clippers have the full support of owner Steve Ballmer, there are limits to how much they can offer due to the NBA’s salary cap rules. Unless the players voluntarily take a pay cut, it seems unlikely that the Clippers will be able to re-sign all three players.

    Of Harden, George, and Westbrook, George is arguably the most valuable. George is still going strong, averaging 22.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season. The encouraging part is the injuries. After struggling with injuries since joining the Clippers, George has proven to be healthy enough to only miss six games this season.

    If he were to hit the free agent market, George would be one of the most sought-after players. Especially since Philadelphia has salary cap space for free agency after this season.

    Joel Embiid and Paul Reed are the only players left under contract after this season. Philadelphia has enough salary cap space to sign two big free agents at the same time, depending on the situation.

    The problem is selling. Philadelphia was rumored to be targeting Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, but both players found new homes via trade, making it likely that they will stay put.

    With Philadelphia desperate to find a complementary piece for Embiid, they could be open to any offer if George hits free agency.

    George is expected to want to stay with the Clippers, his hometown team and a championship team. It will be interesting to see if the Clippers offer him a Leonard-like deal to stay or let him leave in free agency.

    14Aug, 2023
    “Harden trade conditionally aborted”. Declaration from Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey. US media “Harden’s joining camp a risk, Embiid’s prime wasted”.

    In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers couldn’t find a solution.

    ESPN and CBS Sports reported on the 13th (ET) that ‘Philadelphia has ended trade talks for 바카라사이트 James Harden. The team negotiated with the Los Angeles Clippers, but could not reach a meaningful agreement. Philadelphia will keep Harden for training camp.

    It was expected.

    James Harden is a free agent next summer. He’s making $35.64 million this season. That’s a lot of money. However, his skills are declining. His market value isn’t very high.

    Harden has publicly requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers. He’s already done this before, when he was with the Houston Rockets. At the time, he wanted to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets and didn’t join the team during the season. He was eventually traded to Brooklyn. However, he didn’t win a championship ring in Brooklyn either. He eventually moved to Philadelphia. He formed a one-two punch with Joel Embiid last season, but was not well-received due to his up-and-down scoring and inefficient field goal percentage.

    American media reacted negatively to Harden’s public trade request. ESPN wrote, “Harden is not easy to trade to the Clippers. Philadelphia wants a replacement for Harden. One that can form a strong core with Embiid. The best fit would be Paul George or Kawhi Leonard, but the Clippers can’t give up either player.

    Philadelphia general manager Daryl Morey told local Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic earlier in the day: “James Harden is a good player. Unfortunately, he prefers to be elsewhere. We’re pursuing a trade because we respect him. But realistically, Philadelphia and Harden have two options. One is that we trade for a player who can be a running mate with Joel (Embiid). We’re also looking at draft picks. Or, Harden stays in Philadelphia and does everything he can to win a championship with us.” He made a significant comment at the end. “We’re not going to pursue a trade unless we get a very good player, or something that could be a very good player,” he said.

    In other words. Philadelphia’s position is clear. If they trade Harden, they’ll either get an All-Star caliber player or an equivalent rookie draft pick. Otherwise, Harden would have no choice but to stay in Philadelphia.

    According to CBS Sports, “Looking specifically at the LA Clippers‘ roster, there are no cards that fit general manager Daryl Morey’s needs. You’d have to trade Paul George or Kawhi Leonard for Harden, and the Clippers want to win a championship with those two. Furthermore, there aren’t enough young players or draft picks to entice Philadelphia. It’s not easy to get a deal done between the two teams,” he said.

    There are also concerns. The outlet notes that “Philadelphia has a potential risk. Harden could show up to camp out of shape in the weeks leading up to the season opener and be irritable. The team could get dizzy.