Here’s the best news from week 12 in the NBA, and other news from around the world of basketball.
🔥RJ Barrett’s rebirth in his native Canada? (08/01)
✅Canadian RJ Barrett joined the Toronto Raptors squad last week after spending four full seasons with New York. The transfer comes at the perfect time, as both teams, with their new line-ups, appear to have strengthened solidly.
🙂 Barrett’s arrival in Toronto seems to have completely liberated him, as he never really exploded with the Knicks. Born in Toronto, Barrett has come full circle by playing for the Raptors. Beyond the symbolism, the team is adapted to the profile of the former Duke player. Indeed, 3 wins for the Raptors in the first 4 games with their new squad.
🔥 37 points at 65% shooting for the left-hander last night against the Warriors, who had his best game of the season. He adds to that 6 rebounds and 6 assists and above all RJ’s impact is nothing like it was with the Knicks.
⭐️ Let’s hope it continues for him, but RJ Barrett looks great in his red and white jersey!
🚨 Draymond Green has reportedly been considering retirement! (08/01)
🗣️ Draymond Green, in his podcast, has just revealed that he wanted to retire following his suspension which kept him away from the courts. But NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has reportedly talked him out of it!
📌 We came within a whisker of monumental breaking news with Green potentially retiring at the very start of this year 2024. Plagued by almost psychological problems, Green did some work with professionals during his suspension to get back into shape mentally. The day before yesterday, the NBA deemed that his progress was satisfactory enough to reinstate him to his Golden State team.
✅ A return is expected next week for the four-time NBA champion, who will hopefully not be playing his last season for the Warriors!
🤕 Tyrese Halibruton is injured (09/01)
❌ Tyrese Haliburton, star point guard of the Indiana Pacers, had to leave his teammates last night during the game against the Celtics. In a trivial action, Haliburton slipped and appears to have hurt his left hamstring. Hopefully it’s not too serious, but it’s not the first injury to an Indiana player.
🙁Since 2014, two Pacers players have suffered major leg injuries. Paul George, of course, with a double tibia-fibula fracture during a training camp with Team USA. More recently, Victor Oladipo suffered a ruptured quadriceps in January 2019. Unlike Paul George, Oladipo never regained his pre-injury form.
👨⚕️Tyrese Haliburton will undergo an MRI in the next few days to determine the precise nature of his injury… Let’s hope it’s not as serious as George and Oladipo, who lost a season of their careers to recover from this incident!
👌 Mike James leads the Roca Team (10/01)
🥶Monaco’s American proved once again that he is Europe’s most clutch player with an outstanding offensive performance last night against Spanish club Vitoria.
🔥 MJ55 is off to a flying start this season in the EuroLeague, averaging 20 points and 5 assists. He is also 2nd in the polls to win this season’s MVP award.
🏆 Monaco are currently 8th in the EuroLeague, and therefore qualified for the play-in, which was developed for the first time this year on the basis of the NBA format. The Roca Team, third last year, is aiming for its first title this year!
🤔 Can Scoot Henderson become a good NBA player? (13/01)
❌ 3rd in the 2023 NBA Draft, the American point guard was heralded as Portland’s new saviour after Damian Lillard left for Milwaukee. After 29 games played by the rookie, the results are mixed.
😱 With a -56 +/- against OKC on Thursday night, the second-worst total in NBA history, Scoot had his worst game of the season. With a 4/21 shooting mark, one wonders if he was actually wearing his glasses on his nose. He averaged 36.5% from the field and 29.3% from 3-point range over the season, which is cause for concern.
🤷♂️ Being injured for around twenty days at the start of November didn’t help him find his rhythm, but he did manage to get his scoring back on track. In addition to his scoring, he recorded 4 double-doubles in points and assists. A valuable achievement for a player who is currently 8th in the race for Rookie of the Year!
😳 Trade involving Gallinari and Bagley! (14/01)
😱 The Washington Wizards send Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala to the Pistons in exchange for Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers and two second-round draft picks!
Eliott Caillot 