NBA All-Star Friday Night

No dunk contest or All-Star game Friday night, but that is no problem with the Rising Stars game on deck.

Even the most casual NBA fan has been hearing about some of the rookie ballers this season. Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Kuzma, and Jayson Tatum anyone?

NBA Friday Night showcases this rookies in the 2018 Mtn Dew Kickstarter Rising Stars game. That is a mouthful. Yes Lonzo Ball will be there too, though he will be unable to play due to injury. There are plenty of noteworthy second-year players also, highlighted by NBA All-Star starter, Joel Embiid.

Once again, the game will be set up in a U.S.A. versus the World matchup, with foreign players taking on the "home team". The full lineups are as follows per NBA.com:

WORLD TEAM

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
8 | Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings) | G
24 | Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies) | F-G
21 | Joel Embiid (76ers) | C
24 | Buddy Hield (Kings) | G
24 | Lauri Markkanen (Bulls) | F
27 | Jamal Murray (Nuggets) | G
11 | Frank Ntilikina (Knicks) | G
11 | Domantas Sabonis (Pacers) | C-F
9 | Dario Saric (76ers) | F
25 | Ben Simmons (76ers) | G-F

U.S. TEAM

No. | Player (Team) | Pos.
2 | *Lonzo Ball (Lakers) | G
13 | *Malcolm Brogdon (Bucks) | G
7 | Jaylen Brown (Celtics) | G-F
20 | John Collins (Hawks) | F-C
32 | Kris Dunn (Bulls) | G
14 | Brandon Ingram (Lakers) | F
0 | Kyle Kuzma (Lakers) | F
45 | Donovan Mitchell (Jazz) | G
1 | Dennis Smith, Jr. (Mavericks) | G
0 | Jayson Tatum (Celtics) | F
12 | Taurean Prince (Hawks) | F
5 | De'Aaron Fox (Kings) | G

* = injured and will not participate

The game will kick off at 8:00 PM CST at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Celebrity All-Star game

Since the festivities are in LA, we cannot forget about the celebrity game that starts before the Rising Stars. A few former pros highlight the field such as Paul Peirce, Jason Williams, Nate Robinson, and Tracey McGrady.

Justin Beiber will be participating as well as Nick Cannon, Bubba Watson, and more. Here is to hoping Jason Williams and little Nate Robinson steal the show and give us some nice highlights. Not that we don't want to see one of the HGTV Property Brothers ball out.

Tune into the games tonight and remember to check back on The Basketball Movement tomorrow as we discuss more of the All-Star Weekend festivities.

 

Player movement - Cavaliers give up on Isaiah Thomas experiment

About six months after trading Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, the Cavaliers trade him away for role players

The NBA trade deadline is upon us and the player movement is in full swing. Isaiah Thomas was injured when the Boston Celtics first dealt him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving last August.

Since coming back from his injury, Thomas has played in 15 games for the Cavs averaging 15 and 5 on just 36 percent shooting from the field (per basketball reference). With the Cavaliers starting to slip in the win column, they were desperate to shake things up at the deadline.

Coming off an extended injury, rust was expected for the 5'9" point guard. Apparently the Cavaliers were expecting more - trading he and Channing Frye to the Los Angeles Lakers for Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, and a protected 2018 1st round pick.

The Cavs also dealt Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to Utah for George Hill and Rodney Hood in a three-team deal with the Kings and they are looking to send Dwyane Wade back to Miami per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Apparently the Cavs regret their Celtic and veteran acquisitions.

Crazy how quickly business can change the landscape of the sports world. We already learned about the business of basketball recently with the dealing of Blake Griffin.

Implications of the trade

For the Lakers, this trade makes sense. They lacked outside shooting and now get that in Thomas and Frye, though they also get older. They also cleared cap space for free agent acquisitions in the Summer (Paul George or... LeBron??). The pick is also valuable.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, the future is less clear. This makes the Irving trade look like a big loss, even with Boston's pick they acquired.

Utah is likely tanking the best they can in the loaded Western Conference.

The Cavs were running out of patience with their team underperforming and Isaiah Thomas appears to have been their scapegoat. They look much different now with the Laker and Utah trades.

We will see if this shake-up re-energizes the Cavs for a push to convince LeBron James to stay. If not, they may have paved him a path to leave for Los Angeles.

With the trade deadline forcing teams to make moves, be sure to keep it locked to The Basketball Movement here and on Twitter @BBall_Movement.

 

Lakers fined $50,000 for tampering

Here is a weird one: The LA Lakers were fined because Magic Johnson complimented Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In an interview with ESPN, LA Lakers Team President Magic Johnson praised Giannis Antetokounmpo, earning himself a fine... for some reason. Johnson's quote is as follows:

“With his ball-handling skills and his passing ability. He plays above the rim; I never could do that. But in his understanding of the game, his basketball IQ, his creativity of shots for his teammates ... that’s where we [have the] same thing. Can bring it down, make a pass, make a play.

...I’m just happy he’s starting in the All-Star Game because he deserves that. And he’s going to be like an MVP, a champion. This dude, he’s going to put Milwaukee on the map. And I think he’s going to bring them a championship one day.”

This certainly seems like a harmless, even thoughtful gesture by Johnson. However, the league seems to think otherwise.

Magic Johnson's Lakers have already been hit with a tampering fine, the last one for $500,000 last August. It was discovered that they had been engaged in talks with Paul George's agent outside of the appropriate times.

The league is clearly demonstrating the seriousness with which they see these kinds of dealings. Be careful who you compliment, people.

Follow along with all of the latest basketball news on Twitter @BBall_Movement or here at The Basketball Movement.

Who is da real MVP... so far?

LeBron, KD, Steph, the Beard, Westbrook - there can be only one NBA MVP.

Many say the LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet. That is tough to argue against, though we still seem to have a bunch of potential NBA MVP candidates on our hands.

If the season ended today, who would win the MVP honor? The Basketball Movement weighs in.

How about LeBron? He has spoiled us for years with a combination of size, strength, and skill unlike anything we have seen. He has been putting up big numbers this season, but the Cavs have been a dissapointment.

Kevin Durant is in the debate for greatest basketball player alive as well. He continues to score like crazy and has improved his defense this year, contributing to the Warriors NBA-leading record. However, he is splitting that accomplishment with another former MVP.

We are all familiar with what Stephen Curry can do. He is on pace to be the best shooter in NBA history and continues to lead his team to the top year after year. His play has been stellar, but it is tougher to gauge his value playing alongside Durant.

The reigning MVP anyone? Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double last season, earning him the MVP honor. He is less than a rebound away from doing it again this year, though his scoring is down.

James Harden is likely leading in this conversation at this point in the season. He is averaging 31 points, 9 assists, and 5 boards a game while powering his team to the second best record in the league. He has been doing it without CP3 for much of the season. All highlighted by his recent 60 point triple-double.

There are certainly other players worth naming such as DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, and Giannis Antetokounmpo being the standouts.

Who would you give the honor to if you had to pick today? Comment below or let us know on Twitter @BBall_Movement

All stats from basketball reference

Player movement - Blake Griffin and the business of basketball

You might've heard: Blake Griffin has been traded, despite a seemingly mutual desire for his legacy to be as a Clipper.

If you follow pro sports, you have already heard by now that Blake Griffin has been dealt to the Detroit Pistons. You may also recall during the free agency period last Summer how badly he and the Los Angeles Clippers seemed to want to stay together.

Griffin had a tough decision on his hands last Summer when he met with the Clippers. They raised his jersey into the rafters at the Staples Center and talked about his lasting legacy as the greatest Clipper. Griffin was convinced and bought in, signing a 5-year $173MM contract.

Jump forward about seven months and Blake Griffin is headed to the Detroit Pistons with Los Angeles looking to rebuild.

The Clips were hovering around the 9th position in the West with no real hopes of seriously contending. Griffin has been in MVP discussions before, but only when healthy. His health has been a concern for a very long time.

The Clips have been big with he and DeAndre Jordan for a while, and decided to blow up what wasn't working and gear towards the future. With draft prospects so bright over the next few years, you can see why.

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Still, why string Griffin along only to dish him now?

Basketball (especially at the pro level) is a business above all-else. This is a tough lesson for many players and superstars like Blake Griffin are no exception.

The Clippers have had a taste of success and want to rebuild to get back into contention in the future. The Pistons need a star to get fans to brave the cold weather and attend games. So, a deal was made, regardless of player feelings.

This sends a message to all players that loyalty is not valued in all organizations. When your contract is up or free agency rolls around, do what is best for you, your family, and your career. Don't count on generosity in the business of basketball.

Follow more player and basketball movement at thebasketballmovement.com

New NBA All-Star format

The NBA is at it again trying to mix up the format of the All-Star game. Starters and reserves have been selected, but how are teams determined?

The line that divides conferences will be blurred this year as East and West All-Stars will be mixed into two different teams. The Basketball Movement is here to fill you in on how it is all going down.

LeBron James (top vote-getter in the East) and Steph Curry (top in the West) will be team captains, selecting players for their squads.

The starters and reserves are now set, barring any injuries. The starters are as follows:

East: Kyrie Irving, DeMarr DeRozen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.

West: Steph Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and DeMarcus Cousins.

Starters must be picked first

LeBron and Steph will take turns selecting from the pool of starters, regardless on conference affiliation. LeBron gets the first pick, giving him a chance to steal Curry's Golden State teammate, KD.

Once the starters have all been selected, they move to the reserves, which are as follows:

East: Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Love, Al Horford, Kyle Lowry, Bradley Beal, John Wall, Victor Oladipo.

West: Karl-Anthony Towns, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Russell Westbrook.

There you have it. The teams will be mix-and-match, though we will likely see Kevin Love on LeBron's team and as many Warriors on Curry's as he can get. Unfortunately, the selection won't be televised as Commissioner Adam Silver says "It could put the captains in a compromising position".

Big snubs this year?

Cases could be made for a lot of players to get in, as usual. Paul George and Lou Williams are on the outside looking in in the West. Andre Drummond is likely feeling left out in the East.

As always, it is tough to try and find spots for all those that are deserving. Please let us know in the comments below what you think of the new format or which players you feel should have made the cut. You can also let us know on Twitter @BBall_Movement

Jason Kidd fired from head coaching job

There was some basketball movement in the NBA yesterday, as the Milwaukee Bucks oust Jason Kidd

The blog for The Basketball Movement is here to give you all the details on what's happening in the basketball world. There was a big surprise yesterday when the Bucks announced the firing of head coach Jason Kidd.

Kidd had been with the organization for the last three and a half seasons with 139 wins and 152 losses. The Bucks had high hopes this season of being an elite contender in the East. Jabari Parker's injury and a recent skid in the standings have the team currently sitting in the 8th spot.

Parker is due back soon, but the leaders in the organization clearly believed change was needed to address the recent mediocrity. Giannis Antetokounmpo was just named as an All-Star starter, but the team around him isn't helping enough to light up the win column.

Reports show that the 23 year old Antetokounmpo was not happy with the firing of coach Kidd.

Antetokounmpo clearly doesn't have as much pull as other stars such as LeBron James or even Marc Gasol who seem to have a say in the coaching situations.

Going forward

This leaves a pretty desirable job opening in the NBA. Even after a so-so start, Milwaukee is a team that will surely be in the playoff mix. With Parker coming back, a legitmate star in the "Greek Freak" Antetokounpo, and a solid young cast, this is a team on the rise.

It could be tough for Jason Kidd to find work this late in the season, but the (relatively) young coach should bounce back soon. It will be interesting to see how the Bucks respond to this shift going forward.

Keep it locked to The Basketball Movement for everything NBA and everything basketball.