Devin Booker-Mike Budenholzer
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer told Devin Booker a few weeks ago to tone it down on the court and during huddles so the coach's voice could be heard, completely shocking Booker, according to Chris Haynes.
Without knowing what Booker was saying, it's impossible to evaluate the situation on the merits. Booker could have been saying toxic things. Or Budenholzer could be an unreasonable control freak.
But Budenholzer's directive clearly didn't resonate, and that's a MAJOR problem. Phoenix has lost 10 of 12, including a home loss to the lowly Pelicans last night. Haynes' report certainly provides context to Booker's post-game comments:
"I'd say just skipping over the details and always taking the get-'em-next-game mentality. At some point, you got to draw a line, and it should have been drawn a long time ago."
"It could be fixed with just a little bit more talking, I'd say. Things get tough, we get quiet as a team. And from my experience and what I've seen, that's not the way to get through it."
"It's ongoing communication. I'd rather two people say the wrong thing to each other out there than nobody talk at all and leave the gray area. So, it's like any job or any group project that you do. You have to do it together. Even once you have a game plan. You think everybody knows it. There's nothing wrong with reiterating it and just keep the conversation going throughout the whole game."
(Asked whether he should've handled things differently) "I always look at myself first. But I also talk a lot."
The Suns keep hitting new lows. It is UGLY in Phoenix right now.
Anthony Davis
Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss were reportedly the only people connected to the Lakers who knew of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade before it was agreed upon. Davis, via Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
"Everybody’s saying nobody knew and all this other s—. I just don’t believe it."
Is Davis accusing his own agent – Rich Paul – and LeBron James? Davis didn't directly say that. It's unfair to assume that's what he meant. But it is easy to wonder whether that's where his suspicions lie. The LeBron/Klutch influence is well-established.
Davis did say he FaceTimed LeBron just after learning of the trade. Davis, via Turner:
"Obviously, I know there are going to be a lot of political things in the front office when they talk to me. … I don’t know what’s true or what’s not, coming from upstairs. So, my thing is I’m gonna go to my counterpart who I’ve been running with and see what’s going on, get his reaction and that’s all it was. We had a conversation. That was it."
I can believe Buss and Pelinka didn't notify LeBron and Paul. The Lakers had a chance to get Luka Doncic! LeBron and Paul scuttling the deal out of loyalty to Davis would've been disastrous for the Lakers. Whatever odds of that happening were too high. Plus, LeBron was on record saying his favorite player in the league is Doncic. Even if he had initial misgivings about Los Angeles dealing Davis, LeBron almost certainly would've gotten over them.
But do I believe Buss and Pelinka negotiated this whole deal without looping in LeBron or Paul? I'm not sure.
Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis
The Timberwolves rejected the Mavericks' overtures about a Luka Doncic-Anthony Edwards trade, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Doncic is better than Edwards. But Doncic can become an unrestricted free agent next year. Edwards is locked in through 2029 and seems fond of Minnesota. I understand the Timberwolves saying no.
Also maybe a little – emphasis on "little" – credit to Nico Harrison for shopping Doncic more than we thought. Edwards would've been better return than Anthony Davis.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid will miss the rest of the season, the 76ers announced. However, the team indicated it hasn't yet been determined how to treat his left knee, underscoring how convoluted the situation is.
What a train wreck. Philadelphia entered the season with championship hopes. Instead, the 76ers are 20-38, and their franchise player could be finished as a star.
It's too soon to say definitively the window has closed around the 30-year-old Embiid. But in a career repeatedly sidetracked by health issues, his latest is just so exceptionally troubling.
Add 34-year-old Paul George's underwhelming play in the first season of his four-year max contract, and the situation looks so dire.
Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers will turn to trying to keep their top-six-protected first-round pick, which would otherwise go to the Thunder.
Philadelphia has the NBA's sixth-worst record – 2.5 games behind the Raptors for the No. 5 seed in the lottery.
If they finish sixth-worst, the 76ers would have a 46% chance of keeping the pick in the lottery. What a high-stakes coin flip that'd be!
(Unless Embiid is just washed, anyway, in which case Philadelphia – absent drafting Cooper Flagg or another superstar – is doomed for a bit, regardless.)
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry – the best shooter of all-time and among the best-conditioned players in the league – aging well is unsurprising. But the 36-year-old continues to exceed even high expectations.
Curry scored 56 points – including a back-courter to end the first half – in the Warriors' six-point win over the Magic last night.
He now has eight 50-point games after turning 32. Nobody else has so many after turning even 30.
Curry could even further distance himself from the field. Nobody else with multiple 50-point games after turning 30 has one in the last two years.
Even at 36, Curry is the only older player scoring in binges like this right now.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry does it his way, too. He shot 12-of-19 on 3-pointers, 12-of-12 on free throws and just 4-of-6 on 2-pointers against Orlando.
Most points while making four or fewer shots inside the arc:
- Stephen Curry 56 (last night)
- Stephen Curry 53
- Klay Thompson 52
- Stephen Curry 51
Hollinger & Duncan Live
Dunc'd On Live
Watch my facial-reactions debut on the last Dunc'd On Live:
Trades for lesser stars
Full list of trades we assembled to discuss the history of teams trading a star for a lesser star (rather than for prospects and picks), with ones we didn't discuss on the show italicized:
-Dan Feldman