Author: Inside Hoops

InsideHoops.com has been a world leader in NBA basketball coverage for over 20 years. Read our blog, but also be sure to read our main website on www.insidehoops.com

Bradley Beal named NBA All-Star Game starter for first time

The National Basketball Association announced tonight that Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game on March 7 in Atlanta. Beal tallied 3,485,051 fan votes, the most among guards in the Eastern Conference, and finished first among guards in the media and player voting. He will be making his third career All-Star appearance and his first career start.

“It is truly an honor to be selected to start in the All-Star game for the first time in my career,” said Beal. “I want to thank the fans, media and players for selecting me to represent the Wizards organization during the All-Star festivities in Atlanta. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, the entire organization, and our fans who are still supporting us through this unprecedented season.”

Beal currently leads the NBA in scoring with a career-high average of 32.8 points per game to go along with a career-high 5.2 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 4.7 assists per game while shooting .473 from the field. He tallied a career-high and franchise tying high of 60 points on January 6 at Philadelphia.

The nine-year pro has posted 16 games of 30+ points, which ranks second in the league, and is tied for the league lead with three games of 40+ points. Beal began the season with a 17-game streak of 25+ points, which surpassed Michael Jordan’s streak in 1988-89, and ranks as the fifth-longest in league history and the longest streak to start a season since the 1976 NBA-ABA merger. He has scored 786 points in the team’s first 24 games, which marks the most points scored through a player’s first 24 games in franchise history.

Beal joins the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the Nets’ Kyrie Irving as Eastern Conference starters. Fans, players, and media determined the starters for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, with fans accounting for 50% of the vote while the players and media accounted for 25% each.

Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Kevin Durant who are the NBA All-Star Game starters who led their respective conferences in fan votes during NBA All-Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&T, will serve as team captains for the Team LeBron vs. Team Durant matchup and draft the rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference. TNT will air the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft on Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

And via the Washington Post:

Beal was named an all-star starter for the first time in his career Thursday, becoming the first Wizards player to earn a starting nod since John Wall in 2015. Beal will make his third career all-star appearance when the league holds the showcase in Atlanta on March 7 — he was named as a reserve in 2018 and 2019, one of seven players from each conference as voted by coaches, before being left out completely in 2020…

Beal’s continual growth in his ninth year in the league is part of what makes him such a fascination among fans and a headache among opposing coaches.

The guard’s scoring numbers have been on an upward trend for four straight seasons. Through 24 games this year, Beal is averaging a league-best 32.8 points — a career high — as well as 4.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds.

In his position as franchise cornerstone, he has made the extraordinary look routine. Beal had at least 25 points in each of his first 17 games this season, a stretch that eclipsed Michael Jordan’s record for the longest such streak to start a campaign since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976. In January, Beal dropped 60 points in Philadelphia to tie the Wizards’ single-game franchise scoring record Gilbert Arenas set in 2006.

Even though All-Star weekend will be condensed into one day I’m very glad it’s happening. And Beal probably is, too.

Mavericks flex-assign Josh Green to G League’s Salt Lake City Stars

The Dallas Mavericks have flex-assigned rookie Josh Green to the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars, a squad that currently features fellow Mavericks rookie Tyler Bey.

Green (6-6, 210) has appeared in 17 games (five starts) for Dallas this season, averaging 2.5 points (.472 FG%) and 2.3 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.

The former Arizona guard/forward was selected after his freshman season by Dallas with the 18th overall pick in this past year’s draft.

Following the move, all four Maverick rookies – Tyrell Terry (Memphis), Nate Hinton (Santa Cruz), Bey (Salt Lake) and Green (Salt Lake) – will now be on assignment with a G League club in Orlando, Florida.

The 2020-21 NBA G League season tipped off on Wednesday, Feb. 10, with 18 teams competing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, opted not to travel to the NBA G League’s campus. NBA teams without an NBA G League affiliate participating in Orlando have the opportunity to assign roster players and transfer two-way players using the league’s flexible assignment and two-way rules.

Nets sign guard/forward Andre Roberson

The Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday signed free agent guard/forward Andre Roberson.

Limited by injury in recent seasons, Roberson recognized as a very good defensive player with limited offensive ability.

Roberson (6’7”, 210) spent the first seven seasons (2013-20) of his NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, appearing in 302 games (269 starts) and averaging 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game. Returning from a left knee injury, the San Antonio native saw action in seven games in the 2019-20 season, recording averages of 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest.

An NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2017, the 29-year-old Roberson has also made four playoff appearances with the Thunder, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2016.

Roberson was originally selected with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft by Minnesota before being traded to Oklahoma City on draft night. Prior to beginning his NBA career, Roberson spent three years (2010-13) at the University of Colorado, earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors twice (2012 and 2013) and garnering the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.

Pelicans running offense more through Zion Williamson

“Over the past two weeks, the Pelicans have increasingly let Zion Williamson take the reins to their offense. He is dribbling the ball up the floor and getting them into their sets. To say he inspires fear when he attacks from the middle of the floor is like saying Michael Jordan was a decent dunker…

Over the past month, the Pelicans are a hair away from ranking first in the NBA in offensive efficiency. On the season, they have vaulted all the way to seventh in points scored per 100 possessions. Putting the ball in Williamson’s hands and giving him the freedom to create has made them more dynamic than almost anyone imagined they could be.

“I was always trained to be a point guard,” Williamson said. “A point guard can’t get rattled. You always have to make the best play and find the best option. It just goes back to that.”

– Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Pelicans Analysis: It’s no surprise that if you give Zion Williamson the ball more, good things will happen. He’s a matchup nightmare for most of the league’s defenders. He’s also super fun to watch, which makes this an even better move.

Unfortunately for the Pelicans, they still have a lot of work to do in the standings department. At just 12-15, they’re tied with the Kings for the West’s 11th best record. They’ve won a most five of their last 10 games. So there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell injured, out 4-6 weeks

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury updates on guards D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Culver:

Russell, who has missed the last three games due to left leg soreness, will undergo arthroscopic surgery tomorrow to remove a loose body from the left knee. Russell will remain out between 4-6 weeks and further updates to his progress will be issued when available.

In 20 games (19 starts) this season, Russell is averaging 19.3 points on 42.6% shooting and 5.1 assists.

In the third quarter of the Monday, Jan. 25 game at Golden State, Culver sustained a left ankle sprain. As part of his ongoing rehab and reconditioning, Culver has been upgraded to on-court activity this week. He is expected to be reevaluated next week with potential to return to play late next week. Updates on his progress will be issued when available.

In 16 games (7 starts) this season, Culver is averaging 8.1 points on 45.9% shooting and 5.0 rebounds.

Kings’ Chimezie Metu injured, out at least four weeks

Sacramento Kings forward-center Chimezie Metu underwent X-ray imaging in Sacramento on Monday which confirmed a right wrist fracture sustained during Sunday’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Metu will be re-evaluated in four weeks and further updates will be provided as appropriate.

During the 2020-21 season, Metu is averaging 3.4 points (.500 FG%, .667 FT%), 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 blocks, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, and 6.5 minutes per game through 11 games (no starts) for the Kings.

Next three Spurs games, two Hornets games postponed

The San Antonio Spurs’ next three games (Wednesday, Feb. 17 at Cleveland; Saturday, Feb. 20 at New York and Monday, Feb. 22 at Indiana) and the Charlotte Hornets’ next two games (Wednesday, Feb. 17 vs. Chicago and Friday, Feb. 19 vs. Denver) have been postponed in accordance with the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols.

The games are being postponed due to four Spurs players testing positive and additional contact tracing for players on both San Antonio’s and Charlotte’s rosters, and in order to ensure the health and safety of players on both teams.