Page 28 - John Schuhmann News Today

Andre Drummond (left) has helped the Lakers stay afloat with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined. Each week during the season, NBA.com writer John Schuhmann surveys the league to compile stats and notes for his in-depth Power Rankings. Before the next rankings drop on Monday, here are some of the storylines he’s keeping an eye on this weekend. It’s been four weeks since the trade deadline, so let’s check in with the teams that made significant moves with an eye on the playoffs. 1. To...

Power Rankings, Week 17: Spurs survive FIGASENI but still have work to do It could have been better, and it could have been worse. Share this story Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports There’s two ways to look at last week’s FIGASENI, dubbed the most difficult week of the season: either it’s a success considering they went 3-2 despite four road games and three games against teams with winning records, or it’s a negative considering arguably could have gone 5-0 since both losses were against ...

Reply The Phoenix Suns currently have the second-best record (37-15) in the 30-team NBA and jumped to the top of NBA.coms latest batch of power rankings. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) PHOENIX, AZ — The Phoenix Suns unlocked another accolade in what has been a historic 2020-21 regular season Monday. The Suns currently have the second-best record (37-15) in the 30-team NBA and jumped to the top of NBA.coms latest batch of power rankings. The ranking is important when you remember that th...

On the method in T.J. McConnell’s craftiness Share this story Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Buzzing here, there, and everywhere, much of what T.J. McConnell does on a basketball court mirrors the chaotic flying pattern of a bumblebee. From probing for passing angles to playing the role of full-court pest, the plucky guard gives and takes away in the most literal sense of the words, snatching steals while also keeping the offense moving. And yet, his flurry of erratic movements, zig-zaggin...

Nets can’t overcome deficit late as Nets fall to Bulls, 115-107; Tyler Johnson hurt Share this story It was more than a loss for the record books for Brooklyn Sunday. Without James Harden and Kevin Durant, the Nets fell behind early and couldn’t overcome the deficit, losing to the Bulls, 115-107. The Nets, who entered the fourth trailing by 17, made it a seven-point game on a late push in the fourth with their eyes set on escaping with a win, just as did twice last week. No such luck this...

NetRtg: -0.5 (20) Carmelo Anthony continues to have big games off the bench, Enes Kanter continues to grab offensive rebounds, and Damian Lillard continues to be Damian Lillard. Robert Covington (10-for-17 from 3-point range since the break) is on a hot streak. But the Blazers are splitting two-game series with the Timberwolves (with both games going down to the wire) because they can’t get stops. They ranked 28th defensively before the break and they rank 30th defensively since the break, ha...

Spurs Power Rankings, Week 12: A complete roster still evades the Spurs With Aldridge out and DeRozan away, the starless Spurs had an up and down week. Share this story Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images If there was ever a week for the Spurs to start working on setting rotations for the marathon that is the second half of the season, this was not it. With the team and LaMarcus Aldridge mutually agreeing to part ways as they shop him on the trade market, DeMar DeRozan missing two games...

Mazzeo: James Harden is more than just numbers Share this story Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images James Harden’s numbers since joining the Nets are astounding. He’s averaging 25.5 points, 11.4 assists and 8.7 rebounds with a shooting line of 56/42/85 and eight, count ‘em, eight triple doubles in 23 games. Even though the “Big Three” has started only six games out of 37, they are on track for the best offensive rating in NBA history! In fact, ALL the punditry on him was wrong. D...

Our scribes chime in on which player has stood out as the top defensive player midway through the 2020-21 season.

Our scribes chime in on which player has stood out as the Sixth Man of the Year midway through the 2020-21 season.