Hey we’re back after not having time to write this for a few weeks. We’re in the month of March, which is one of the least competitive months on the NBA calendar for a lot of teams. Teams at the bottom of the standings are actively trying to lose while teams at the top are searching out opportunities to rest their stars and make sure their whole roster is healthy for the playoff push. That also means that teams are reshuffling deck chairs and doing other things that will be forgotten about before long. On that note…
The 76ers are working out Kai Jones
Shams Charania reported that the 76ers are planning to bring Jones in for a workout, and he’s a candidate to be signed into their open roster spot. One thing that was interesting about this news is that Shams alluded to Jones getting clearance to play. I’m not sure what he needs to be cleared for. If he were to sign, he’d join Kelly Oubre to create an eccentric pair of former Hornets on the roster.
Luka is going nuts
On Saturday, Luka Doncic was left in the game late to chase his triple double. He ended that game against the Pistons with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. That’s his fifth straight 35 point triple double and sixth straight 30 point triple double. Both are NBA records. In the last five games, he’s tallied no more than 12 rebounds/assists and no fewer than 10. Remarkable consistency that surely has nothing to do with him slowing down the chase for those stats after hitting 10.
Bismack Biyombo collapsed during a game, but he’s okay
Thunder center and two-time former Charlotte Hornets great collapsed to the floor during a timeout in what was a very scary moment the other night. Fortunately he’s okay now. He cited dehydration as the source of the incident since he was fasting at the time. I don’t know the specifics the fasting, but it’s apparently something he’s always done, but this is the first time it’s given him any issues. He’s already been cleared to resume playing and all of that good stuff.
Ben Simmons is not playing again
In a shocking bit of news, Nets point center forward Ben Simmons is not going to be playing any more games this season. With his season over, Simmons has now tallied a total of 57 games played in the last three seasons. He’s had one of the most precipitous drops we’ve ever seen for a player in the prime of his career. He had that disastrous stretch of games as the 76ers lost to the Hawks in the 2022 playoffs, and now that is looking like the start of the end of his career.
Isaiah Thomas is playing professional basketball again
Thomas signed with the Salt Lake City Stars of the G League on Tuesday. He’s appeared in two games for them so far and scored 32 and 30 points. It’s not unlike when he briefly signed on with the Grand Rapids Gold a couple of years ago and averaged 41 points per game before the Hornets signed him. In case you forgot, he played really well in 17 games with the Hornets, who elected to make no attempt to re-sign him and instead flailed around looking for backup point guard production on minimum contracts. But I digress.
No one knows what the Pistons are doing
The Detroit Pistons, who are in a neck and neck battle for the worst record in the league, elected to use a 10 day contract to sign 38 year old Taj Gibson. I think the idea is to put a role model for the young guys in the locker room, but I don’t know how much influence a veteran can have when he’s brought in for the last stretch of a season that was lost long ago.
Meanwhile, Pistons general manager got in a verbal altercation with a fan at a game the other day. It sounds like the fan was being a nuisance, but Pistons fans have every reason to be frustrated with a team that’s been a laughingstock for a couple of years and doesn’t seem to have a clear direction or plan to go forward–they only have one pick in the top 50 of this upcoming draft.
