The rebound newsletterr | It is Athleticism daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce straight to your inbox.
I’d offer my calf muscle to Giannis, but it’s technically just a soft cheese at this point.
You can buy tickets for every NBA game here.
About last night
Giannis injury seems very concerning
First of all, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury is a bit worrying. If you missed the Bucks (48-31, second in the East) victory over the East-leading Celtics (62-15), 104-91, last night, then you probably missed a scary moment in during which the two-time MVP went to the floor simply steps onto the floor without any contact. Here is a link to seeif you choose to view.
Normally, this moment would instantly cause fear of a ruptured Achilles tendon, because that’s what it feels like. The Bucks announced Tuesday night that Antetokounmpo strained his left soleus, which is a calf muscle. But Antetokounmpo managed to avoid damage to his left Achilles tendon — a best-case outcome — and his return will depend on the treatment and rehabilitation response to the strained calf, league sources said. Athleticism Shams Charania Wednesday morning.
Damian Lillard had a grade 2 muscle strain last season and ended up missing about two weeks. If this is the case for Giannis, he could return a little earlier in the first round. I hope it’s nothing worse than that, but you’ve been getting notifications for Tweets from Shams on your phone so you don’t miss any news. The Bucks’ victory allowed them to stay one game ahead of the Knicks (47-32, third in the East) for the No. 2 seed in the East.
1-3 in the West position: Anthony Edwards dropped a career-high 51 points against the Wizards to keep pace with Denver, who beat the Jazz in Utah. The Thunder stayed one game behind Minnesota and Denver by beating Sacramento (45-34, eighth in the West).
51.
All-NBA this man. pic.twitter.com/x1M1hOmBOK
– Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 10, 2024
The Western playoff spots have been clinched: The Clippers (51-28, fourth in the West) avoided losing a 33-point lead at halftime to beat the Suns (46-33, seventh in the West). Dallas (49-30, fifth in the West) hammered Charlotte. Both teams have clinched the top six seeds and don’t have to worry about the Play-In.
Pelicans ⬆️| Suns ⬇️: New Orleans (47-32, sixth in the West) beat Portland to move into sixth place while Phoenix fell to seventh.
8-10 held in the West: The Kings are eighth, half a game ahead of the Lakers (45-35). The Lakers lost to the Warriors (44-35, tenth in the West), who are now one game behind them for ninth place.
5-8 in the East position: Cleveland (46-33, fifth in the East) has the same record as Orlando (46-33, fourth in the East) but is still fifth. Indiana (46-34) is a sixth seed and just beat Charlotte to move a half-game behind the Cavs. The Sixers (45-35, seventh in the East) remain one game behind Indiana at seven after a victory against Detroit. Miami (44-35, eighth in the East) is half a game behind Philadelphia after beating Atlanta (36-43, 10th in the East) in double overtime. Traffic jam! 🚗🚗🚗🚗
Knicks ⬆️| Magic ⬇️: New York and Orlando exchanged places in the East, thanks to the Knicks’ victory over the Bulls (37-42, 9th in the East) and the Magic’s defeat against the Rockets (39-40, 11th in the East). ‘West). It’s hard to say why the Bulls couldn’t beat the Knicks last night. I can’t really put my finger on it. 🤔🤔🤔
The latest news from Shams
KAT close to return
Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return from a torn meniscus for one of the Timberwolves’ final regular-season games, league sources tell me. In addition to Denver tonight, they face Atlanta on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday. Towns has attacked his rehab process and impressed teammates and coaches with his recovery after suffering an injury in early March.
As I noted in yesterday’s newsletter, Towns participated in a team scrimmage Sunday, his first since his knee injury, league sources said, and there was optimism that Towns would play before the playoffs.
Towns is averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return in one of the Timberwolves’ final regular season games, sources say. @ShamsCharania.
Towns has been recovering from a torn meniscus since early March.
Updates ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/l7YUuYn8mI
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 10, 2024
DPOY worthy?
How close is Wemby to price?
Right now, one of the hottest things in the social world of basketball is the aggregation of accounts comparing the stealing and blocking numbers of rookie alien Victor Wembanyama and other defenders high level. The Spurs rookie was SO prolific at blocking shots and collecting steals, people are wondering if he could be the first rookie to win Defensive Player of the Year.
- For example, Wemby has been compared to Jaren Jackson Jr. (last year’s winner). Last season, JJJ had 189 blocks (3.0 per game, leading the league) and 65 steals in 63 games (1,787 minutes).
- Entering today, Wemby has 252 blocks (league-leading 3.6 per game) and 87 steals in 70 games (2,069 minutes).
While Wembanyama has the second-best odds for this season’s DPOY honor (plus-850), according to BetMGM.com, Wolves center Rudy Gobert sits at minus-3000 for those betting odds. It’s an overwhelming favorite. Let’s compare the two players:
- Gobert totals 250 blocks and 103 interceptions… over the last two seasons combined. He played 143 games and 4,633 minutes during that time.
- On a nominal basis, Gobert is averaging 1.7 blocks and 0.7 steals per game over the past two seasons. As a rookie, Wemby averaged twice as many blocks while nearly doubling Gobert’s steal rate over the aforementioned span.
Many of these comparisons began circulating after Mike Monroe wrote an excellent article about Wemby’s case for DPOY almost two weeks ago. Wemby’s raw steal and block numbers are certainly ridiculous for anyone, let alone a rookie. And the Spurs have a very good defense with Wemby on the court, boasting a defensive rating of 110.9 when he plays. That figure would rank fourth in the NBA over a full season. When Wemby sits? Their rating drops to 118.2, which would be the 27th best defense in the league. It’s a massive Gulf, and the defense gets better with him on the field as the season progresses.
Of course, I think Gobert’s consistency gave the Wolves a boost all season long, as they had the best defense in the league almost wire-to-wire this season. Even though Wemby’s defense has been more exciting, Gobert’s consistency beyond the numbers certainly matters. Additionally, Minnesota had the second winningest season in team history thanks to Gobert. And Wemby even said a few weeks ago that Gobert do deserve this season’s award before adding this:
“Let him win now because then it’s not his turn.”
Wemby isn’t expected to win the DPOY this season, but this could be the last year for one long the time he returns home without the equipment. I mean, just look at that 3-on-1 fast break he prevented last night!
Questions and answers about nugget wolves
Jon K. on tonight’s battle for No. 1 in the West
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets are both tied for the best record in the Western Conference (55-24). Both are one game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-25). And tonight, the Wolves and Nuggets play for the fourth time this season. The winner will likely take the No. 1 seed in the West, so we tap Wolves reporter Jon Krawczynski to ask three tough questions about this matchup.
Question: The Wolves just won in Denver almost two weeks ago. What is the key to reproducing this match tonight?
Krawczynski: First of all, don’t let this be the second night in a row at this altitude. But they played Denver under similar circumstances – but at home – without Towns, Gobert and Naz Reid on March 19 and only lost by three points, so a close game is definitely on the line tonight. The Wolves seem to be a good match for the Nuggets. No one can stop Jokić, but the lineup of bigs they can throw at him at least makes him work for what he can get. Surprisingly, Reid played it very well in Denver a few weeks ago, with Gobert serving as a backup defender and challenging Aaron Gordon to make shots. It’s a strategy that has bothered the Nuggets, and I’m sure we’ll see the Wolves try it again tonight. If they are as usual on defense and Edwards makes shots, they will be in good shape.
Question: Why have the Wolves been successful (2-1) against the Nuggets so far this season?
Krawczynski: Much of the above applies, but let’s focus on one pretty important factor: Edwards. If the 22-year-old has a weakness, it’s that he doesn’t take his lesser opponents seriously. You’ll see him make blunders against Washington, Charlotte or Portland, but he has deep respect for the Nuggets. He wants to beat them. The intensity is generally there from the start, and the Nuggets don’t really have an answer to give him on defense. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope usually gets most of the work, but Edwards is too strong for him. Now he also sees the floor, making the simple but devastating pass much earlier. This makes him so difficult to keep. When you have a star like that and a defense that doesn’t give up, it’s a tough combination.
Question: Do you think the Wolves need that No. 1 seed more than Denver or OKC?
Krawczynski: They certainly need it more than Denver. The Nuggets know exactly who they are and exactly what they need to do to get to the Finals. They can win at home or away. The wolves can’t act like they’ve been there before because they’ve never been there before. They’re trying to advance to the first round of the playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s 35-year history. Even their veterans, Gobert and Conley, haven’t had much success in the postseason. OKC is also unproven, but the team just seems to have some composure late in the game. The wolves are more excited. They defend better at home and have turned Target Center into a noisy environment. Having a home court throughout the Western Conference playoffs would be a big advantage for them.
Bouncing passes
The Sixers climbed A LOT in my latest Power Rankings!
Will Billy Donovan coach Kentucky?
Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart talk about it an argument they had at university.
Screenplay (all times Eastern)
- Main screen: Wolves-Nuggets (10 p.m. ESPN). See section above.
- Second screen: Spurs-Thunder (8 p.m.). All we need is Wemby versus Chet.
- League Pass Game of the Night: Soleils-Clippers (10:30 p.m.). Let’s see if the Suns can avoid a 30-point first quarter deficit. Full program here.
(Top photo: Joe Murphy/Getty Images )