NBA Click & Roll: Holiday advice from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
Welcome to Paste BN Sports' NBA Click & Roll newsletter.
We'll bring you exclusive content from Paste BN's NBA reporters Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt, including updates on all their exploits on the NBA beat. Plus, you'll have all the top NBA moments spoon-fed to your inbox.
QUICK DISH: THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
The holiday season is about giving. When you're "rich as hell," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says charity is a must. When in doubt, listen to Pop. There's also no reason parents can't have a bit of fun as well. One LeBron fan thought his parents stuck him with a Steph Curry jersey. Oh, how he was mistaken.
- He probably wouldn't appreciate Draymond Green's Arthur-themed Christmas shoes, either.
- What does one get for the Biggest Baller in a family full of Balls?
- John Wall has the money to get whatever he wants, but he still can't get a pair of Kyries from Kyrie Irving. At least he got his entire Washington Wizards team personal Rolexes.
- Fans are usually on the receiving end of autographs or gifts from players. One Bucks player had the roles reversed.
- LeBron's daughter gets whatever she wants ... even if it's candy during a game.
- The holidays are also about forgiveness. Dare we ask: Are .. are .. are Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic friends again?
POWER RANKINGS
Have the Oklahoma City Thunder righted the ship? They've won six in a row and eight of nine. Maybe they won't be sellers at the trade deadline, after all. Their massive jump into the top 10 shows how voters were eager to see signs of life. When is Isaiah Thomas coming back, and can he vault the Cavs ahead of the Warriors? Check out the full rankings here.
NIKE'S NEW THREADS
The NBA unveiled their brand new City Edition uniforms, and they are beautiful. Inspired by each individual city and team's culture, the NBA spared no detail. Here's the full story behind the jerseys, and how much players (cough, cough Kobe Bryant) had a say in the design. Check out each team's unique design.
FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS
Sam spent some time with Steve Kerr, touring what will become the Warriors' new arena in San Francisco. Though the move is coming for the 2019-20 season, the Chase Center is vital to keeping their budding dynasty intact. As for Kerr, a veteran of moves like these, he's hoping the new arena still maintains an "intimate" feel.
SEASON'S BEST SURPRISES
We can safely say no one predicted Michael Beasley would be earning MVP chants at MSG, but that happened. No, seriously, it happened.
The better Beasley story, though, comes from Jeff, who revealed an introspective, thoughtful side to the former No. 2 overall pick. Beasley had two stints in China and, at one point, thought his NBA career was over.
"It's ironic," he said. "You have to go halfway across the world to a place you've never been to find yourself."
Aside from Beasley, here are the rest of the NBA's best surprises this season.
JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
Don't sleep on the Raptors ...
As part of our weekly feature, Paste BN Sports' NBA insiders will offer exclusive opinions right here.
Conclusion: DeMar DeRozan is more versatile than you think
DeRozan is keeping team’s honest with his three-point shooting. No one will confuse Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan with Klay Thompson or even J.R. Smith. DeRozan is more Dwyane Wade with his mid-range and inside game. But in Toronto’s past 10 games, DeRozan, who is having another All-Star season, is shooting 42.4% on three-pointers. There were even three consecutive games in which he made 13-for-20 from that range. For the season, DeRozan is shooting 32.3% on threes (not far from his career-high of 33.8%) and attempting a career-high 2.8 threes per game. - Zillgitt
The rest of this week's conclusions? The Warriors will set another NBA record, and Isaiah Thomas won't return from his hip injury vs. the Boston Celtics.
Week 10 of Jumping to Conclusions.
MVP RANKINGS
A couple 50-point outings were more important to James Harden's MVP candidacy than a few Rockets losses. He remains atop our MVP rankings, but LeBron, setting all kinds of personal records, isn't far behind. Full MVP rankings here.
ROOKIE POWER RANKINGS
The Rookie of the Year award has been Ben Simmons' to lose all year, but maybe, just maybe, there's a rookie in Los Angeles who could give him a run for his money. Full rookie power rankings here.
Check back next week for everything you missed from around the Association.