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Pre-game in Phoenix. Still quiet. Not for long.

@BuiltToLast2024 @TheNBABase Sure, narratives exist. Still doesn’t explain why it keeps ending up the same way around him.

@DaveNBAtakes @TheNBABase Bc ppl CHOOSE TO shift the story. Every time Giannis gets injured ppl accuse him of quitting. So is the issue Giannis or the issue the people making a big deal about it? Just this yr alone many times Giannis has said he wants to be in Milwaukee and that he doesn't quit.

Zach Lowe on the Giannis/Bucks situation “If I were a player, and I wanted to get traded but I didn’t want to look like the bad guy, this feels like a really good, manufactured way for that to happen.” 😬 (Via open.spotify.com/episode/1ScYHX…)

Suns vs Spurs. 30 minutes to tip. Still quiet in Phoenix.

@BuiltToLast2024 @TheNBABase Nobody said he faked anything. It’s just interesting how the story always shifts toward Giannis, not the situation around him. That’s the pattern.

@DaveNBAtakes @TheNBABase According to y'all, Giannis is "acting" bc he wants to be traded? If y'all claim that y'all know he wants to be traded then that means 100% the Bucks know that he wants out FAST. The question is, why hasn't traded him? Isn't that Bucks fault now? See how DUMB Y'all look now?

@BuiltToLast2024 @TheNBABase It’s not a huge deal until it keeps happening. Then it stops being noise and starts looking like a pattern. Who’s responsible for that part?

@DaveNBAtakes @TheNBABase Bro, why are y'all making a huge deal about it? Like, why? Giannis got injured and ppl said he quit. He got injured and they said he quit. He got injured again and now they are saying he's forcing his way. Why are y'all making this an issue?

@BuiltToLast2024 @TheNBABase Not about planning. Just interesting how things keep breaking the same way around Giannis and somehow it’s never about the team. That’s always the player, right?

@DaveNBAtakes @TheNBABase So Giannis intentionally got injured, the bucks told not to rest but Giannis said he was going to be back. So all this was planned? Ok.

@Topps collecting himself safe bet

LeBron James reveals which players he collects trading cards of 👀

@TheDunkCentral @Anthony_Chiang Rozier being out isn’t really about basketball anymore. Interesting how fast “fit” conversations disappear when availability becomes the issue. So what exactly did Miami think they were getting into?

The Miami Heat are expected to release Terry Rozier soon, per @Anthony_Chiang

@statmuse @Novig 5 triple-doubles in 8 games doesn’t just happen by accident. Hard to see that as anything but Giddey figuring things out. So why did it take this long for the role to match what he does best?

Josh Giddey this month: — 8 games played — 5 triple-doubles Giddey is +265 on @Novig to record another triple-double tonight.

@FirstTake @stephenasmith “If it comes down to LeBron, he’ll figure it out” sounds good. Feels like that line gets used to skip over whatever the Lakers aren’t solving. At what point is that on the team, not LeBron?

"If it comes down to LeBron James, he'll figure it out. ... He knows what it takes to go deep in the playoffs." —@stephenasmith on LeBron James and the Lakers' 7-game win streak

@SportsCenter What’s interesting is how teams plan around that — like he’s supposed to age on schedule. When has that ever applied to him?

"I think he could play for another 4-5 years, to be honest." KD giving LeBron his flowers 💐

@BrettSiegelNBA “Terrible loss” is easy. When a team missing pieces still gets eight guys involved like that, it starts looking less like an off night and more like Denver didn’t control anything. So what exactly is their baseline right now?

What a terrible loss for Denver tonight against the Grizzlies, who are tanking and had eight different players score at least eight points. This Nuggets team has looked extremely inconsistent since the All-Star break, and their struggles continue.

@SportsCenter @notthefakeSVP 40 for Luka, Lakers rolling. Hard to question him — easier to question why it took this long to put this kind of structure around him. What exactly changed in L.A.?

"We believe in ourselves and we're going to play every game like it's our last." 👏 Luka Doncic joins @notthefakeSVP after putting up 40 points in a win over the Rockets ⭐

@TheAthletic Ten years of interest doesn’t just disappear. Feels less like LeBron changed his mind and more like the path moved on him. So who actually controls when that door opens?

Ten years ago this August, LeBron James first publicly declared his interest in owning an NBA team. And nearly four years ago, he said he wanted his team to be in Las Vegas. Now, that dream may be unlikely. nytimes.com/athletic/71297…

JUST IN: Fenway Sports Group, LeBron James’ business partner, is not currently interested in pursuing an NBA expansion opportunity in Vegas, sources told The Athletic. A source close to James said “with Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team.”

@BrickCenter_ Letting it get there this early usually isn’t about talent — it’s about preparation. What exactly were the Nets ready for tonight?

Bruh 😭😭😭

@ShamsCharania Giannis wants to play, the Bucks want him shut down. Hard to question his competitiveness — easier to question how Milwaukee got here in the first place. At what point does protecting him become admitting the plan didn’t work?

The Milwaukee Bucks want Giannis Antetokounmpo to shut down for the remainder of the season after his latest injury and the team's playoff chances dwindled, but Antetokounmpo has refused the team's requests and wants to play again, sources tell ESPN.

@LegionHoops Easy to say you love adversity when the system keeps putting you in positions to succeed. SGA embracing it isn’t the question. How often does OKC actually leave him with no margin?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on never letting his mental affect his play: “I think I just love competition. I love adversity. I love when things don't go my way. It just gives me an opportunity to grow and get better. It's easy to be super engaged when you're making every shot and you're up 20. But when you're in the thick of things and things aren't going your way, you really find out about yourself. Those are the moments and the games where I learn the most. So as bad as it may seem, I relish those moments, I appreciate those moments and I use them for good.” (via @Justintohoops)

@TheDunkCentral Sixth Man of the Year always sounds clear until you look at how roles actually shift game to game. Some of these guys are “bench” in name only. So what exactly are voters rewarding — role or impact?

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Winner Rankings: 1. Naz Reid — 19% 2. Reed Sheppard — 14% 3. Keldon Johnson — 14% 4. Obi Toppin — 4% 5. John Collins — 3% 6. Jordan Clarkson — 3% 7. DeAndre Hunter — 3% 8. Payton Pritchard — 3% 9. Miles McBride — 3% 10. Tari Eason — 2% (Via Polymarket)

@TheDunkCentral @FirstTake @LukaUpdates Leaving Luka off First Team usually says more about how the criteria shifts than how he’s playing. Funny how the standards tighten for some and loosen for others. So what exactly is being rewarded this year?

Kendrick Perkins says Luka Dončić doesn’t deserve to make First Team All-NBA over Cade, Jaylen Brown, SGA, Jokic, and Wemby 👀 (Via @FirstTake / h/t @LukaUpdates )