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20. Minnesota Timberwolves (18)
Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 27 rebounds in a head-to-head matchup with Anthony Davis on Saturday, but that big night produced Minnesota’s only victory in a 1-2 week. And really, it was hard to be positive about that result after watching the Wolves roll over during Tuesday’s 149-107 loss to the Sixers.
Robert Covington still has no timetable for a return from his ankle injury, which means Minnesota’s defense won’t be in top form for a while.
19. Sacramento Kings (21)
Harry Giles III has logged double-digit minutes in every contest since Jan. 1, and he’s teamed with Marvin Bagley III as a net-positive duo in that same span. That’s impressive growth for a twosome that got crushed when sharing the floor through Dec. 31. Giles’ passing and improving defense pair well with Bagley’s bounce and energy.
The Kings hounded Charlotte into 18 turnovers Saturday, giving them three consecutive contests with at least that many forced giveaways. Activity like that is part of the reason Sacramento is in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency over the last month.
18. Washington Wizards (22)
Bradley Beal and Oscar Robertson are the only players to post more than one game with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a season. Beal has needed multiple overtimes to eclipse those marks both times this year, with the most recent coming in a 140-138 double-OT loss to the Raptors on Sunday.
Tomas Satoransky looks good in a larger role (for the third year in a row, basically), and Washington took down Milwaukee this past Friday to start its week. The ending was even better, as Thomas Bryant’s last-second layup counted when Allonzo Trier batted it from above the cylinder, giving the Wiz a 101-100 win over the Knicks in London and a 6-3 record in their last nine games.
17. Los Angeles Lakers (15)
This is your regularly scheduled “how good are the Lakers without LeBron James?” blurb. And this week, the answer is (still) “not very.”
L.A. is 5-7 since James went down with a groin injury on Christmas and had only beaten non-playoff teams in that stretch until taking out the reeling Thunder 138-128 in overtime Thursday. With James back at practice but unlikely to play until after Monday’s meeting with the Warriors, the Lakers will have to make do for a little longer.
16. Miami Heat (17)
Erik Spoelstra has a tough job.
The Heat’s roster is deep but short on stars, which inherently creates tension around roles and minutes—especially when you’ve got outspoken players who are itching for action. Last year, the Heat fined Hassan Whiteside for using some choice language when he requested more playing time, and Dion Waiters got into the act after he saw just a dozen minutes in Tuesday’s 124-86 blowout loss in Milwaukee.
“[Expletive] patience,” Waiters told reporters. “I want to play. I’ve been patient long enough. What do I got to be patient for? Come on man. I’ve been patient. I think everybody knows that. It’s time. What are we waiting for? If I’m out there, play me.”
That earned him a fine on Thursday.
Waiters is averaging 15.4 minutes per game and shooting 36.8 percent from the field in five contests since returning from an ankle injury that shelved him for a year. Can’t imagine why Spoelstra wouldn’t want a 36.8 percent volume shooter on the floor more often…
The Heat went 1-1 in a light week.
from Viral News Show http://bit.ly/2MlFRlD
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