The NBA has sustained some injuries to big-name players, changing the landscape of basketball for at least the near future. But that is just one of the top storylines, players and games to watch in this week of basketball.
Timberwolves Schedule
- Dec. 4 – @ Memphis Grizzlies
- Dec. 6 – @ Los Angeles Clippers
- Dec. 10 – vs. Dallas Mavericks
Timberwolves Should Grab a Perfect Week
The Minnesota Timberwolves are not staring down the barrel at a group of world beaters. The Clippers – who they also played Sunday – have four of their five starters injured. The Grizzlies have just flipped coaches and guard Mike Conley is out. The Mavericks are the Mavericks. There are definitely three wins in this week’s slate.
Tyus Deserves More Minutes
After filling in for an injured Jeff Teague, Tyus Jones has looked phenomenal with the rest of the starters over four starts. He averaged 11.3 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game. The offense ran well through Jones, who did good work with Jimmy Butler in the backcourt. On the other side of the ball, he was a pesky defender who created turnovers with his high motor. Now that Teague is back, he has earned the right to come off the bench for closer to 20 minutes, rather than 10.
Do Not Sleep on the Rookie Mitchell!
Less of an All-Star Cushion On-Call?
Some tight calls that usually land in the favor of players like Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and LeBron James ended up turning on them. This is something to watch throughout the week, as superstars spent time in the locker room after fouling out, or by receiving ejections.
Clutch Curry Still a No. 1 Warrior
With so many all-star talents on the same roster, point guard Stephen Curry has had a quieter season and a half – only by the ridiculous standards the two-time MVP set himself. However, he pulled the Golden State Warriors from a near-upset with 13 overtime points against the Los Angeles Lakers. Averaging 27.3 points in the three games Durant has been out, the sniper from outside is still the most devastating player on the roster for the Warriors.
Embiid/Drummond Rivalry
Philadelphia big man Joel Embiid has been talking smack to Detroit center Andre Drummond on Twitter, while Drummond decided to leave the talk for the court. However, in their next meeting, Drummond fouled out and was waved off by Embiid. Are these the makings of a big rivalry between two young stars? Hopefully.
Jaylen Brown Should Be In The Dunk Contest
Every week, the Boston Celtics forward puts up a highlight dunk. He would make a fantastic addition to the contest.
Injury Changing Some Teams in a Big Way Early
Players like Blake Griffin, Dani Gallinari, Patrick Beverly, Kawhi Leonard, Conley and John Wall are just a few injuries that are having a major effect on their teams. These are also all players that will eventually come back, but have left their team in a limbo until they return.
While some of these injuries are short-term, losing an All-Star is never easy. There are consequences, and there are injuries that will have a real impact on the playoffs. The Clippers’ barrage of injuries may knock them completely out, as could the Conley injury to Memphis, which started the sharp drop-off into disaster. The longer this slew of players stays on the pine, the more it will shape the playoffs this season.
Not only will some teams severely drop in playoff seeding or even miss the postseason, some may look to move for pieces in the future if their key players are out for a longer than anticipated stint.
Game To Watch: Philadelphia at New Orleans
The bigs in this game from Embiid, to Davis, to Cousins, will make for a show in the Big Easy. They are all versatile and will dominate the paint and stretch the floor.
Game To Watch: Rockets Clash with the Trail Blazers
The Houston Rockets have the second-best offense in basketball, averaging 113.9 points per 100 possessions. Now James Harden and company will face off with the firing squad backcourt in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
Listen to Colton on Locked On Wolves!
