NBA Notebook: James Harden, Joel Embiid and 76ers are the team for Celtics to beat

BROOKLYN -- Steve Nash faced the media earlier this month defiant that nothing would happen before the NBA Trade Deadline. James Harden sat out that night and watched his Brooklyn Nets go down 28-2 in a blowout loss to the Celtics. It marked Harden's final game with the team. Just over two weeks later, Nash played mostly the same group with Boston in town, a mix of young, inexperienced players, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond as new additions and oddly enough the team's lone staple announced last in Brooklyn's introductions -- Patty Mills. Same result. The Celtics piled up stops a blew the Nets away. 

Ben Simmons practiced the day before, working alongside Nets assistant and former NBA sharpshooter Kyle Korver. The two slowly worked through Simmons' release. The star seemingly wanted to be out of Philadelphia, and would jump back into action when his wish was granted. Brooklyn labeled his absence reconditioning, though Goran Dragic, the team's buyout addition who last played on Nov. 13 for the Raptors, needed only four days after signing to join Brooklyn's lineup on Saturday. Simmons, Nash noted, will remain out longer than Kevin Durant, who's expected back after his knee injury sometime this week. 

Durant alone makes the Nets formidable, as does the veteran ball mover Dragic, who will join Curry, a top-five accurate shooter in league history (43.8%), and a solid interior scorer and rebounder in Drummond. That's why Nash sounded calm before the Nets lost their 13th game over their last 15. He wouldn't comment on Simmons' mental state, after Simmons attributed his absence with the 76ers all the way through his introduction in Brooklyn on getting himself right off the court. Two days later, the team ruled him out indefinitely with back soreness. The Nets, now the east's No. 8 seed, have only 21 games left, including a trip back to Philadelphia on Mar. 10. The party is underway there, as whispers filled Wells Fargo Arena before Celtics-76ers weeks ago. Will Simmons return to face his old team? 

Joel Embiid chugged his water, squeezing it tight, and discarded it beside him with James Harden looking to his right confused, but jovial in his own right as they took the podium together post-game on Friday. The pair had just knocked off the Timberwolves, 133-102, posting a 143.3 offensive rating (+49 per 100 possessions) and aside from some occasional ball-stopping, had Minnesota's defense scrambling all night. Embiid and Harden freed each other up, Embiid shooting 4-of-5 following Harden passes, and Tyrese Maxey shook free for 28 points on 12-for-16 shooting. Embiid said he never felt more open. 

The Nets hoped they could pry Maxey or Matisse Thybulle from the 76ers in Harden negotiations, but Daryl Morey never wavered on retaining both players. Curry proved a significant shooting loss, though one worth it to pair Harden, noticeably slimmer and wearing PHILA on the front and No. 1 on his back, with Embiid as something of a Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal Lite. With their two stars meshing immediately and only 2.5 games back of the east's No. 1 seed (Miami/Chicago), the Nets are coming to terms with the fact that they might've created the NBA's new juggernaut and put themselves down until Simmons leaps over his hurdles needed to return to the court. While Nash sounded defiant, Doc Rivers weeks ago stressed urgency, with Harden then injured and the NBA schedule nearing its conclusion.

"I think it's a pretty easy combination," Rivers told Boston Sports Journal in Philadelphia. "James Harden and Joel Embiid in the pick-and-roll. James Harden coming off Joel Embiid. James Harden being a post passer to Joel Embiid, and then the next guy tries to trap. I don't think that part is going to be difficult. Having great rhythm. Great continuity. That'll be the toughest part for us. We don't have a lot of time, and we know that. You can tell, yesterday and even today, everybody's talking about doing extra work. James comes today, 'can I work with the second, third group even after shootaround to go over everything, to try and get my rhythm?' Everybody's motivated. That's good."

That night Harden sat and watched his new team obliterated by the Celtics worse than his old one, Boston building a franchise-record 51-point lead at the height of their 135-87 win on the night Harden was introduced to Philadelphia. The crowd roared pregame while Harden rung the ceremonial bell, before the Celtics' defense swallowed up Embiid, holding him without a field goal until midway through the second quarter. The win came as part of an NBA record streak of Celtics blowout wins on the road, five games by 148 points, which extended to six on Saturday in Detroit. 

Boston's emerged as an east contender while Philadelphia and Brooklyn, two of their biggest potential rivals in that pursuit, stood in flux negotiating their league-altering transaction. The Celtics didn't get to see either team at full strength this month. They'll face the Nets in Boston one week from today, but so far it's hard to compare Boston to its potential playoff opponents. Both teams handed the Celtics decisive losses earlier in the year, with the 76ers rising and Brooklyn fading since. Boston now appears sandwiched somewhere in the middle of the two, barring any changes from what we've watched recently from both teams. 

"I think just continued growth," Nash said Thursday. "The effort, intensity, I thought our guys have really played hard. They've been extremely focused, they've come together under a lot of duress. A lot of teams in adverse situations fall apart. Our guys have come closer together. The spirit is outstanding ...  there's so many technical things you can look at, but it's the spirit I'm most concerned with. The technical things are great, however, when you're missing your quote-unquote top four players, it's not fair to say 'I want you guys to fix A, B and C.' I want you guys to approach it with the right attitude, spirit, compete and continue to grow. That's what I'm looking for."

Nash also lauded the Celtics' defense as the best of 2022 -- discussing Robert Williams III's off-ball impact. Philadelphia projects to cause problems for Boston, and not just the team. The entire city would have to watch a hypothetical seven-game series between these two. The 76ers drew 25 free throws in the first half in Minnesota, 13 for Embiid and nine for Harden. The pair average 11.3 (first) and 8.0 (T-third) free throw attempts per game, physical players who embrace contact and make reaching the line central to their game. That inflicts foul trouble on opponents and Embiid alone imposed a college basketball-like feel on NBA games, where personal foul totals can swing games. Only a season-long reel emphasis on players leaning into shooting fouls saved us from a more extreme version of what's to come. 

Boston's emergence as the league's defensive giant stemmed from them rejoining their starting five after a string of injuries and COVID cases. They sustained Williams III sitting in Philadelphia, before Smart's absence led to a loss against the league-worst Pistons before the break. Foul trouble could cast a similar shadow over their success, with Smart and Cade Cunningham's availability through foul trouble dictating much of Boston and Detroit's rematch on Saturday. Derrick White is a newcomer, Grant Williams can fill at the four, while Daniel Theis hasn't consistently played since joining the team at the deadline. Payton Pritchard shined for the first time since early-January while Smart sat and White struggled on Saturday. 

Philadelphia would challenge Boston's depth. Fully-loaded, a series would be fascinating with Al Horford long an Embiid stopper and Smart able to guard Harden at the point of attack. The pair project to run a devastating pick-and-roll, but Thybulle's lack of offensive tools would play into Udoka's strategy of pairing Williams III on a non-threat to allow him to help in the lane. As much as Ime Udoka has benefited from staggering Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum's minutes throughout games, Rivers can now do the same with Harden and Embiid. 

“It will be a dynamic (pair),” Udoka said. “Obviously, two of the top players in the league. I’ve spent time with both of them over the past few years and James is a guy who’s used to having, not a dominant big like Joel, but bigs that he has made look really good. It will take some of the pressure off Joel and kind of spoon-feed him ... at the same time, Joel will do what he does and it won’t have to be in James’ hands as much either. I think it’s a good complement overall. Two dynamic players who can both score at the highest level, so it’s going to be a formidable duo for sure.”

Udoka knows the impact of piling too much responsibility and seeing Harden either fade or fall injured late in the postseason, as he did last year in Brooklyn. Embiid's conditioning came into question in a first-round sweep against the Celtics after Simmons fell injured during Udoka's lone season as an assistant in Philadelphia. The 76ers bet on Embiid and Harden, both partially defined by their playoff failures, lightening the load on each other, and it's a good one. When Wolves defenders swarmed Harden on the ball, he could reposition himself by playing through an improved post passer in Embiid. We even witnessed Harden reposition himself for a catch-and-shoot try. If he's that committed to adjusting his game to make this all come together -- look out. 

As for the Nets, a silver lining from a disastrous month plus emerged early last week when New York Mayor Eric Adams announced his intention to end the city's indoor COVID-19 vaccine mandate that has sidelined Kyrie Irving for all Nets and Knicks home games. Adams previously called the rule's impact on Irving unfair when it doesn't impact unvaccinated road players in New York. There's no timeline for the rule to officially end, but it could place Irving on track to play in entire playoff series this fall, unless Brooklyn faces Toronto. That's important if the Nets face do-or-die play in tournament games. 

As the bracket currently stands, Brooklyn would visit the Raptors in he first round of the play-in tournament, before hosting the winner of Charlotte and Atlanta if the Nets lost the first game. Irving would play in neither under current rules. Nash also indicated Irving's part-time status has prevented him from reaching mid-season form.

Irving's availability, Durant's 29.3 PPG on 52% shooting and the size he'd form along the front line with Simmons and Drummond would project to solidify the Nets's offense, and their defense -- ranked 28th since the new year began. Nash also called sharpshooter Joe Harris' return possible, as he's been out since Nov. 14 following ankle surgery. If any team could crack the Celtics' defense with isolation greatness, transition and size, it'd be that group. 

“They have size, length all over the floor,” Nash said of Boston. “Then they can put their rim protector on the lesser offensive perimeter player and be able to roam. We’ve seen other teams do it to great effect and, especially when you’re missing certain guys that can really eat up space offensively, it can be extremely effective. So it’s a great challenge for us to continue to play with pace, continue to move the ball, to not hold it where they can really load up, zone up and allow him to protect larger areas. We’ve got to get them on the move, including him and make him guard multiple actions so it’s not him just sitting there reading an easy book. He’s got to continually flip pages and figure out what’s going on and try to adjust to the pace and multiple actions.”

How long will they have to gel before a play-in appearance, if any? LeBron James climbed out of the east with the four seed on the Cavaliers only after winning a first-round Game 7 over the Pacers and coming back down 3-2 against Boston in the east finals. The long postseason run many predicted his Lakers to pull off out of the west play-in tournament last season only turned into a 4-1 loss to the Suns in the first round. Now we've learned that Los Angeles team could actually be as it appeared last regular season. Before we can project a Nets postseason charge, we have to see them. 

The trade can still work long-term for the Nets, even if they created a champion in Philadelphia this year. That's why it happened. Long-term Harden concerns ahead of his potential free agency balanced against the 76ers' first-round picks, Curry and Drummond addressing needs and Simmons' youth and long-term contract. A new NBA super team emerged 100 miles south, one that makes all efforts, from Chicago's pace and ball-sharing to the Heat's grittiness and Boston's switching moot. Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a word, but one glance at Philly's potential made the east all the more interesting. 

“It’s what I expected,” Embiid said. “Two smart basketball players, we want to win, and we got great people around us, whether it’s the coaching staff or our teammates ... seriously, the passes, I wasn’t even expecting it and it was just coming. We just gotta keep doing the same thing."

Here's what else happened in the NBA this week. 

Atlanta (28-31): Now only in the playoff picture by 0.5 games over Washington after dropping their first game after the break to Chicago, the latest team to fall victim to DeMar DeRozan's 30-point, 50% shooting streak. They're six games behind Boston, who holds the No. 6 seed, with 23 games to play. Their remaining schedule is ranked 26th (.476), playing Toronto, Boston, Chicago and Milwaukee in four of their next six before the schedule eases up next month. That makes it all the more make-or-break time for this group. 

“The front office’s job is to basically solve a puzzle and to put the best pieces together,” Bogan Bogdanovic told The Athletic. “They showed their trust at the trade deadline. We just have to perform at the expectation level we have. You can’t just blow up a team because of one season, but if we finish badly or do something that they don’t like, they’re for sure going to make changes."

Boston (35-26): Marcus Smart (ankle) and Robert Williams III (calf) returned to the starting lineup for the second blow out loss they handed the Nets in Brooklyn this month. The Celtics have won 17-of-22, 10-of-11 and inched 1.5 games behind Philadelphia and Milwaukee for the three seed. With an 11th-ranked schedule the rest of the way, they've avoided letdowns against bad and short-handed opponents, aside from Detroit, while playing up to MVP candidates like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. They'll continue to eye the buyout market, adding two 10-day signings in Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin to temporarily fill two of three empty roster spots before the Mar. 1 playoff eligibility deadline. 

Brooklyn (31-29): Now losers of 13-of-15, 3.5 games behind Boston for the No. 6 seed above the play-in line. 

Charlotte (29-31): They've lost 9-of-10, falling to 1.0 game ahead of Washington for a playoff spot. Their play alongside Gordon Hayward's (ankle) availability, or lack thereof, continues to trend across his first two seasons with the team. They're 13-28 when Hayward is out of the lineup and 50-42 when he's in. They scored a key win over Toronto led by Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrel's 23 points, and face the 23rd-hardest schedule (.489) the rest of the way. Hayward is out indefinitely after spraining ligaments in his left ankle, the one he broke in 2017. 

Chicago (39-21): Moved into the No. 1 seed in the east as DeMar DeRozan stakes his MVP claim alongside Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, whose teams both boast significantly worse records. The injury troubles Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine have faced could further aid DeRozan's case, as he's now led the Bulls to six straight wins with his NBA record ninth game scoring at least 30 points on at least 50% shooting. He's averaging 59.5% from the field on 24 shots per game over that stretch, the best volume scoring feat since Wilt Chamberlain. DeRozan is now averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game on 52.1% FG. 

Cleveland (35-24): Hosted the All-Star Game, where Jarrett Allen helped Team LeBron close its win, Darius Garland played alongside him, while Evan Mobley helped the pair win the Skills Competition. Isaac Okoro joined Mobley in a Rising Stars win to begin a victory lap for the Cavaliers. They'll have a difficult time stretching it deep into the spring in a packed conference, but they've put themselves in the same conversation as any other team. Garland (back) sat the first game out of the break, a loss to Detroit, while Caris LeVert (foot) and Rajon Rondo (toe) will miss 1-2 weeks. 

Dallas (35-24): We all missed out when Luka Dončić didn't start in the All-Star Game after showing his flame-throwing scoring we saw against New Orleans. Early season conditioning and ankle injuries have cost him from reaching his full potential, Dončić shaking off more ankle pain in his first game out of the break. Their No. 2 defense has the Mavericks 1.5 games back of Utah, while Dončić hit his stride in five games before the break, averaging 39.8 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 7.8 APG on 48.1% shooting. 

Denver (34-25): Nikola Jokic finished the first half averaging 26 PPG, 13.8 RPG and 7.9 APG on 57% shooting. In the All Star Game? Jokic put up 10 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, sitting in favor of Allen in crunch time, who helped seal the win for Team LeBron. 

“For me, it is actually (hard to play in the ASG),” Jokic said. “I don’t know what to do.”

Fewer fans saw Jokic's Nuggets than any other base viewed their local broadcasts each night, due to a strange rights issue in the region. Denver's 0.19 rating amid the blackout also ranks as the lowest NBA figure by a team in the past 15 years. 

Detroit (34-25): Carried their moment from an upset win in Boston before the break and Cade Cunningham's MVP performance in the Rising Stars challenge into a bench-led win over the Cavaliers on Thursday. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting, now averaging 10.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG in three games with his new team. 

Golden State (43-17): Recalled James Wiseman (meniscus) from the G-League with still no exact timeline for his return. As the stretch run approaches and Draymond Green (back) projects to miss 3-4 more weeks. Without Green to make a push for the Suns for the No. 1 seed and without ample time to integrate Wiseman into a role, the sooner he can return and try to fill some of that gap, the better. The Warriors face the fifth-hardest remaining schedule. 

“I’ve seen growth and maturity just talking to (Wiseman) every day,” Steve Kerr said recently. “Just sitting in film sessions with him, seeing him go through practice over the last couple weeks with our guys. He’s grown so much.”

Houston (15-44): They're enjoying the Dennis Schröder experience and are expected to keep him around for the rest of the season. He contributed 10 points and six assists off the Rockets' bench in a loss to Orlando. 

“I think the style of basketball we play, we’re either the fastest or top 3-4 fastest in the NBA,” Houston GM Rafael Stone said earlier in the month. “And he’s electric in the open court, and an above-average defender. I think it’s gonna be a good fit, both ways.”

Indiana (20-41): Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) returned for his first game since Jan. 19 with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting against Oklahoma City. T.J. Warren (foot) returned to practice, T.J. McConnell (wrist) had his cast removed and Myles Turner (foot) remains weeks away from playing again. The news on all four won't salvage this season, but serves as a reminder of how quickly this team could get back on its feet with Tyrese Haliburton already fitting like a glove since joining them after the trade deadline. They host the Celtics on Sunday at 5 p.m., with Chris Duarte (toe) questionable. 

Clippers (31-31): Beat the Lakers for the sixth straight time and moved to 3-0 against their Staples Center rivals this season, despite Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's absences. Both players' returns remain in question, but their constant competitiveness, particularly at the defensive end, remains a feather in Ty Lue's cap. Los Angeles remains hopeful both players can return this season, though neither have a timetable. 

Lakers (27-32): Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker and Austin Reaves all built a sturdy second-half lead, before LeBron James and Russell Westbrook crumbled late. James complained to Richardson Jefferson and the ESPN broadcast live as officials reviewed his out-of-bounds call, before another absurdly long official's review gave the Lakers an extra chance down by one point that Carmelo Anthony took into his own hands by launching a three. It was another comical loss for an LA team with hope waning due to Anthony Davis' injury, the third-hardest (.540) remaining schedule and LeBron turning heads by not ruling out a Cleveland return and forecasting his future playing with his son Bronny, a high school junior.

Memphis (41-20): Ja Morant (hip) faced another injury in the Grizzlies' first game out of the break, exiting the game in the third quarter and returning for the fourth. Morant expressed optimism he only dealt with some pain, but if he does need to miss time, Memphis is 12-2 when Morant sits thanks to Tyus Jones and quality scoring depth. They visit Boston on Thursday, now a TNT special flexed over Miami-Brooklyn. Morant looked fine on Saturday night. 

Miami (39-21): Victor Oladipo (quad) could join the Heat in mid-March, a potential swing player in the east few have thought about since he last played a handful of games in the spring. Multiple quad injuries have limited him to 88 games in the past three seasons. He's long removed from his best player, but in a smaller, complementary role off the bench he could make a deep Heat roster even more dangerous in rotation. They remained No. 1 in the east by knocking off the Knicks by 15 in New York on Friday. Tyler Herro's 25 points led the way. 

Milwaukee (36-24): They'll work out Tyreke Evans, 32, who last played in the NBA with the Pacers in 2018-19 before his drug suspension got lifted earlier this month. The Bucks continue to try to piece together wing depth after trading Donte DiVincenzo, Semi Ojeleye and Rodney Hood at the deadline and seeing Pat Connaughton fall with a broken hand. Milwaukee also ranks 17th in defense since the new year, going 12-11 since then. 

Minnesota (32-29): Smashed by James Harden and Joel Embiid in their Philadelphia debut. The Wolves still stand in a decent position as the top seed in the west play-in tournament, 1.5 games over the Clippers and 4.0 games over the Lakers. Still, their defensive inconsistency leads to some frustrating nights. 

New Orleans (24-36): Weirdly one of the stories of the all-star break when C.J. McCollum announced he hadn't heard from Zion Williamson since joining the team. J.J. Redick, a former Williamson teammate in New Orleans and now podcast host, blasted Williamson's detachment on his show, particularly challenging the star's investment in the franchise and teammates, among other areas. Williamson (foot) continues to work toward a return away from the team in Oregon, while rumors circulate about his long-term standing with the franchise. 

Williamson has a 2023 qualifying offer worth $17.6-million he can opt into to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Although he'd need to meet the starter criteria next season, since he's all but lost his chance to hit 41 games or 2,000 minutes two years before free agency. That would slash his qualifying offer by roughly half if he doesn't reach that threshold. His max extension this summer is worth five years, $181 million. 

New York (25-35): Bad news -- they're running out of time to make a run at the play-in tournament, 3.5 games back of Atlanta for the No. 10 seed with 22 games to play after a Friday-night loss to the Heat. They'll finish the season without Kemba Walker (knee), who was officially ruled out to finish the first of a two-year deal with his hometown team. He played 37 games after appearing in 43-of-72 with the Celtics last season.

"We fully support Kemba's decision to shut it down for the remainder of the season and use this time to prepare for next season. His long-term success on the court remains our priority," team president Leon Rose said. 

Good news -- R.J. Barrett is emerging in the new year as a 23.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.2 APG player on 40.8% shooting. He scored 46 points on 13-of-22 FG against the sturdy Heat defense in Friday's loss. 

Oklahoma City (19-41): Thunder GM Sam Presti had to be the oddest recipient of non-Lakers praise thrown around by LeBron James at all-star weekend. 

“I don’t understand this guy’s eye for talent," James said in Cleveland. "(Presti) drafted KD, Russ, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Josh Giddey, and the list goes on, and on, and on. This guy is pretty damn good.”

Perhaps the praise extends to James' angling for Bronny James to make the NBA so he can play alongside him in his final season. The Thunder own seven draft picks in 2024, when Bronny could potentially declare for the league. 

Orlando (14-47): Markelle Fultz is back. The guard appeared on the team's podcast and announced he'll make his first appearance in a game since tearing his ACL last January on Monday against the Pacers. Fultz, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, had been averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.4 APG with the Magic last season. He's 23-years-old entering his fifth season. 

Philadelphia (36-23): The prohibitive east favorite. No one-two punch rivals James Harden and Joel Embiid when they're right. Daryl Morey could hardly contain his excitement over their 61-point debut on 17-of-30 shooting with 18 rebounds and 15 assists. They're an interesting duo, Embiid's goofiness paired with Harden's serious demeanor, but the guard looked slimmer and at home following the break, pulling out his step-back jumper and signature physicality in the lane -- along with some new tricks mentioned above. 

"James is a basketball genius," Morey told ESPN. "And he's been wanting to play with Joel for a long time. I think he's always thought Joel was, like, the perfect guy to pair with him."

Phoenix (49-11): The Suns stunned the basketball world minutes before the All Star Game announcing Chris Paul would miss 6-8 weeks with a fractured thumb, perhaps eliminating him from the remainder of the regular season. Paul briefly appeared in the showcase to try to earn an honorary assist and play some one-on-one with Devin Booker, which at least indicates Paul can take the court and gut it out come playoff time. Phoenix had won 47-of-54, building a 6.5 game lead over the Warriors for No. 1 in the west before losing by 15 to New Orleans to begin life without the star.

Portland (25-35): Hanging on to the No. 10 seed in the west and keeping hope of a youth-led playoff run alive, though Jusuf Nurkic (plantar fasciitis) could miss four weeks ahead of his unrestricted free agency this offseason. With Drew Eubanks in his place, the Trail Blazers lost by 37 to the Warriors on Thursday. 

Sacramento (22-39): Domantas Sabonis' 33 points and 14 rebounds could only pull the Kings within 18 points of the Nuggets in their first game out of the break. They've now lost three straight since the Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox two-win honeymoon ended, facing the eighth-hardest (.508) remaining schedule and now 3.5 games back in the west behind three teams for the final play-in spot. 

San Antonio (24-36): Little sign of Josh Richardson (two games, 40 minutes, four DNP) and Romeo Langford (six DNP, 0 minutes) since joining the Spurs at the deadline from the Celtics. Richardson (shoulder) and Langford (adductor) are also dealing with injuries in the way of their full integration to San Antonio. 

Toronto (32-26): OG Anunoby fractured his ring finger, Fred VanVleet exited the break with knee soreness and the Raptors got crushed by a desperate Charlotte team in their first game back, 125-93. Scottie Barnes led the team in their absence with 28 points and five rebounds on 13-for-18 shooting, but Toronto's assist rate has dipped to 30th in the new year by over three percentage points. That means they're chasing difficult baskets. 

"I’m not really concerned about it, as long as there isn’t a drop once the playoff starts," Nick Nurse said. "That’s the real key. Does your assist rate fall off when the playoff starts? I see us playing a half-court kind of game a lot of nights in the guts of games and a lot of games. I kind of like the style of game we’re playing.”

Utah (37-22): This feels like at least the second or maybe third time this season this section is dedicated to Rudy Gobert responding to someone disrespecting his game. No player has been more largely divided along "eye test" and analytics lines, with many metrics still ranking him among the MVP contenders averaging 15.6 PPG, 14.6 RPG and 2.3 BPG on 71.6% shooting. 

Washington (27-32): They're in no rush to court Kristaps Porzingis for his Wizards debut, perhaps a sign of where they're headed despite only trailing the Hawks by 1.0 game for a spot in the play-in tournament. The team did add Tomas Satoransky as a buyout pick up from the Spurs though. Porzingis (sore knee) hasn't played since Jan. 29 and still hasn't progressed toward five-on-five work.