Bad news for the Clippers, James is first in the league, the deal is about to be reached, and the Warriors miss a good opportunity?
Halfway through the NBA regular season, the Nuggets have 28 wins and 13 losses in the first 41 games of the season, which is the same record as their regular season record in the first half of last season, but, with the same record, the Nuggets are only third in the West this season. Both the Timberwolves and the Thunder have better records. The Clippers officially announced a bad news, James defense is still the first in the league, the Raptors and Pacers are about to reach a new deal, and the Warriors may be missing the opportunity. Bad news for the Clippers, James is first in the league, the deal is about to be reached, and the Warriors miss a good opportunity?
Bad news for the Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have publicly announced the bad news that center Zubac will be out for at least four weeks due to a right calf strain, and he will be reviewed in four weeks. This season, Zubac is averaging 12.5 points + 9.7 rebounds + 1.3 assists + 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 65.5% from the field and his defensive efficiency of 111.4 (75th in the league). Since Harden partnered with Zubac to block and dismantle, Zubac has obviously played better: 19 points + 8 rebounds + 2 blocks in a single game, 22 points + 19 rebounds + 1 block in a single game, 15 points + 20 rebounds + 2 blocks in a single game, 18 points + 16 rebounds in a single game and other data. With Harden partnered with him, Zubac has had an easier and easier time scoring a double-double, and he's become an interior mainstay for the Clippers.
Harden is ready to stay with the Clippers for the long haul
NBA Haynes officially reported that James Harden wants to stay with the Clippers for a long time, and he hopes to get a long-term contract, win the championship with Leonard George, and end his career with the Clippers. Previously, Leonard had signed an early contract extension with the Clippers for $152.4 million over three years. Paul George is also in talks with the Clippers about an early contract extension. Clippers owner Ballmer is confident of keeping the Big Three system of Leonard + Paul George + Harden at the same time. Harden averaged 17.2 points + 4.6 rebounds + 8.5 assists + 1.3 steals + 0.9 blocks per game this season.
James is No. 1 in the league
This season, the Lakers' record is not good, and many fans have publicly questioned James not doing a good job of defense, and Lao Zhan's strength is no longer good? American media NBA reporters released statistics that this season, the shooting rate of players defended by James is only 40.7%, the lowest in the league (at least 250 shots defended). James' single defense ability is still the strongest in the league, and his ability to defend top stars is very strong. For example, in the game between the Lakers and the Clippers, James focused on Leonard, who shot 0-of-6 from the field and had 2 turnovers under the defense of the old James (Leonard only scored 15 points on 6-of-17 shooting in that game).
This season is the 21st season of James' career, and he is averaging 24.7 points + 7.2 rebounds + 7.5 assists + 1.4 steals + 0.6 blocks per game, shooting 52.4% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
The deal is about to be closed
NBA Register Shams reported that the Pacers and Raptors are actively discussing a deal for Siakam, and the two sides have reached a general deal structure, involving three first-round picks and Bruce Brown (the final agreement has not yet been fully finalized). The Kings had previously courted Siakam, but Siakam refused to renew his contract. Siakam is averaging 22.2 points + 6.3 rebounds + 4.8 assists + 0.8 steals per game this season while shooting 52.2% from the field. From the Raptors' point of view, Siakam's contract is about to expire, and being able to trade Sika back enough chips is definitely bloody. From Siakam's perspective, Sika himself is eager to get a long-term contract with a maximum salary, and the Pacers have plenty of salary space.
Warriors missed opportunity?
Originally, the Golden State Warriors, Kings and Mavericks were all interested in pursuing Siakam. However, Warriors management is reluctant to trade Kuminga and Podemski away in favor of Wiggins, a chip that will certainly not satisfy the Raptors. The Warriors have been losing more and winning less recently, and they are in dire need of a big trade to adjust their roster. The Pacers are interested in bringing in Wiggins, and NBA expert reporters from the American media suggested that the Warriors management used Wiggins + draft picks to exchange for Pacers interior center Turner, which is a very good opportunity to strengthen.