Zion Williamson’s debut is tonight, versus the San Antonio Spurs.
The long-awaited debut of No. 1 pick Zion Williamson will be tonight against the visiting San Antonio Spurs at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The 9:30 p.m. tip-off may be later than most people on the east coast would have liked, but true fans will be glued to their flat screens to see how the vaunted pick will mesh with his fellow Pelicans, who have jumped up in the win column and standings since starting the season so rough.
January 29th
Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo is slated to return to the Pacers’ lineup a week after Williamson’s debut, on Wednesday January 29th, against the Chicago Bulls.
Big men on the block?
Andre Drummond has been mentioned in trade rumors, everywhere from Atlanta to New York. Word on the street in The ATL is that the package was to have included Chandler Parsons, Damian Jones, Allen Crabbe and a pick. But Crabbe is now a Minnesota Timberwolf in exchange for bringing Jeff Teague back to Atlanta, and Parsons’ recent injuries in a car accident appear to be career ending, so the Hawks will have to redirect their focus on free agency this summer, or take another route.
But a new big man is reportedly being eyed by the Miami Heat, where LaMarcus Aldridge is being considered as a running mate for Jimmy Butler. Miami has a wealth of young talent to offer and some of those kids I know Gregg Popovich would salivate over and begin a new generation of championship Spurs.
Who gets traded before February 6th?
- Andre Drummond
- LaMarcus Aldridge
Hit me in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter here.
********************
Los Angeles Clippers 110
Dallas Mavericks 107
If you took the time to watch the lone game in the NBA last night, you were treated to a very competitive game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. A very competitive first quarter opened the game, tied up after one. But the Clippers took control in the second, outscoring Dallas 36-25 to create just enough distance to sail to the win, and sole possession of second place in the Western Conference, with the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets idle for the night. Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic played to a near wash, each’s 36 points and double digit rebounds cancelling one another out. So it was up to the role players; L.A.’s bench was outscored by Dallas’ 39-38, but the Clippers got just enough from their starters. The win was L.A.’s fourth in a row and stopped the Mavericks’ win streak at four as well.
| CLIPPERS (31-13) 2nd in the West | MAVERICKS (27-16) 5th in the West |
| Kawhi Leonard 36 points – 11 rebounds – two assists – three steals – two blocks | Luka Doncic 36 points – 10 rebounds – nine assists – two blocks |
| Landry Shamet 18 points – three rebounds – one assist | Tim Hardaway, Jr. 13 points – three rebounds – one steal |
| Lou Williams 16 points – five rebounds – four assists – one steal – one block | Boban Marjanovic 12 points – seven rebounds – one steal – two blocks |
NEXT GAMES
Clippers at Hawks – Tonight
Mavericks at Blazers – Thursday
********************
WEDNESDAY’S LINEUP
(All Times Eastern)
| 7 p.m. Sacramento Kings Detroit Pistons Fox Sports Detroit | 7 p.m. Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Fox SportsNet Oklahoma | 7 p.m. Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors ESPN |
| 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles Clippers Atlanta Hawks FSN Prime Ticket | 7:30 p.m. Memphis Grizzlies Boston Celtics Fox Sports Southeast | 7:30 p.m. Washington Wizards Miami Heat NBA Sports Washington |
| 7:30 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks Spectrum SportsNet | 8 p.m. Minnesota Timberwolves Chicago Bulls NBC Sports Chicago | 8 p.m. Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Altitude |
| 9 p.m. Indiana Pacers Phoenix Suns Fox Sports Midwest – Indiana | 9:30 p.m. San Antonio Spurs New Orleans Pelicans Fox Sports Southwest | 10 p.m. Utah Jazz Golden State Warriors ESPN |
********************
Tracy Graven is a Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA, and done NBA radio, for the last two decades for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, and HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show and NBARadioShow.com, and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and will be pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City.
A corporate trainer by day, he currently resides in Tennessee.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
