Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic Leads List of Top-Ranked Players for 2024 Olympics
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.
Nikola Jokic is at the core of everything good happening for the Denver Nuggets. The Serbian big man has played well for the Nuggets this season and was a key reason why the team managed to force the Minnesota Timberwolves to a Game 7.
The Nuggets have made moves to better help Jokic make a run for the Finals next season.
They brought over exciting rookies and signed Russell Westbrook to add firepower to the second unit, though some are openly criticizing the decision to acquire him.
While the Nuggets are still figuring out if they can make any further moves to improve the roster, Jokic is focused on helping Serbia win Olympic gold.
While many NBA fans believe that Team USA are the overwhelming favorites to win, their recent performance against South Sudan brings plenty of questions on whether they actually have what it takes.
Moreover, Jokic is recently recognized as the best basketball player among the trove of NBA talent that will show up in Paris.
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell put together a list of the 50 best cagers who will suit up for their respective countries in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The number of top-tier NBA talents in the games would make it tough for any fan to rank them accordingly.
However, O’Donnell didn’t hesitate to put Jokic ahead of everyone else as the best player in these games.
He explained his logic when he named him #1 on his list:
Jokic is a basketball mastermind in every way.
He is at once the passer in the world, best post-scorer in the world, and arguably the best rebounder in the world.
He has a special ability to produce a good shot for his team every time he touches the ball.
Serbia won a silver medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup without Jokic on the floor. Adding the best player in the world makes them the tournament’s biggest sleeper for another medal run.
His stats during the 2024-25 campaign corroborates O’Donnell’s arguments. The Joker averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in 79 starts last season, and no one in the league could find a way to stop him.
While FIBA rules would make things more interesting, it’s hard to deny that Jokic would still shine against the opponents Serbia will face in the games.
Whether the rest of the team manages to step up to the plate and help him is an entirely different matter, though.
This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.
According to NBA reporter Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, DeMar DeRozan was the “buffer” between Zach LaVine and Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.
LaVine doesn’t have a good relationship with Donovan. With DeRozan now on the Sacramento Kings, the Bulls want to trade LaVine ASAP.
According to an NBA source attending Summer League play, not only does Arturas Karnisovas want to trade guard Zach LaVine because of the three years and $138 million left on his contract, but also because he is concerned the distrust LaVine has with the front office — and specifically with coach Billy Donovan — might lead to a ‘dysfunctional’ locker room,” Cowley reported.
When LaVine and Donovan have been asked about their icy relationship the last few seasons, both have downplayed just how bad it is, maintaining public professionalism throughout.
But the source said a key buffer between the two, especially as far as LaVine is concerned, was veteran forward DeMar DeRozan.
With DeRozan now with the Kings after a sign-and-trade, that buffer is gone.” LaVine and the Bulls want to part ways, but Chicago hasn’t found a taker for the guard due to his injury history and contract.
LaVine played in only 25 games in 2023-24. He underwent season-ending right foot surgery in February.
A two-time All-Star, LaVine averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 45.2% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 85.4% from the free-throw line. LaVine signed a five-year, $215 million contract with the Bulls in July 2022.
A UCLA product, LaVine has career averages of 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bulls. He has a 216-364 record.
A source told Hoops Wire that LaVine “would like” to get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
LaVine, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the same agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group).
However, the Lakers are not expected to pursue a LaVine trade, sources said.
LaVine’s trade value is essentially non-existent. He’s coming off surgery and has three years and $138 million left on his contract.
As Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors are as hot as ever, a new team has entered the mix to trade for him.
The Las Vegas Raiders, who are currently undergoing a mini rebuild, could greatly benefit from a young superstar such as Aiyuk, and they have a certain player who they may be willing to part with to get a deal done.
Davante Adams, who has been one of the league’s premier receivers for about a decade now, could greatly benefit from joining the San Francisco 49ers’ stacked roster.
With Aiyuk recently requesting a trade and Adams boasting veteran presence and experience, here is how a trade between these two receivers could play out for both teams involved: For the Raiders Aiyuk is a young receiver with immense potential.
At , he has improved every single year he has been in the league. Last season, though, he broke out and took his game to a new level; with 75 receptions, he accumulated 1,342 receiving yards and scored seven touchdowns.
Aiyuk’s ability to create separation, his speed and his playmaking skills after the catch make him a valuable asset, especially for a young and still-improving quarterback.
For a Raiders team looking to build for the future, acquiring Aiyuk could provide it with a cornerstone player for years to come. As everyone knows by now, Aiyuk will not be cheap.
The Raiders, however, are in a prime position to pay a player like him, especially if they part ways with Adams and his large contract. The Raiders hope their rebuild can go quickly and effectively.
Aiyuk could be a crucial part of that, not only through his play on the field, but also by building long-term chemistry with the young quarterback and head coach duo of Aiden O’Connell and Antonio Pierce.
For the 49ers Adams is widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and has had success on both teams he has played for.
His route-running, hands and ability to make contested catches set him apart from almost every other receiver in the league.
For a 49ers team in a win-now mode, acquiring a proven superstar like Adams could be the final piece needed to push it over the top.
While Aiyuk is talented, Adams offers a different kind of production that the Niners should quickly benefit from.
Aiyuk is less consistent as a pass catcher and more of a deep threat, while Adams is as good of a volume pass catcher as there is in the entire league.
For quarterback Brock Purdy and head coach Kyle Shanahan, adding another workhorse who can rack up yards after the catch to this offense could play directly into this team’s strength.
In addition, Shanahan has gotten so much out of less talented receivers than Adams throughout his career — it would be interesting to see what he could get from Adams if given the chance.
As it continues to look less and less likely that Aiyuk will be on the 49ers next season, Adams would be a strong replacement who very well could bring this team over the final hump and it win the Super Bowl.
A trade involving Adams and Aiyuk would be one of the most intriguing moves of this offseason.
For the Raiders, acquiring Aiyuk could mean building a young, dynamic core for the future, while the 49ers would get a proven superstar to help them win now.
Some four years after we last heard him on a national network, Thom Brennaman is officially back.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported on Sunday that the former Cincinnati Reds broadcaster has landed a big new gig.
He has been hired by The CW as their lead voice for nationally televised college football games.
There are no words to describe how grateful I am that they’re rolling the dice,” Brennaman said of The CW.
They don’t have to do this.” Marchand notes that Brennaman will debut for The CW on Aug. 31 during a game between Oregon State and Idaho State.
While he will kick things off as part of the network’s package, Brennaman will mainly be assigned to ACC games, Marchand adds.
The has nearly four decades of sportscasting experience.
He called football, baseball and basketball for Fox Sports from 1994-2020 and also served as the TV play-by-play announcer for multiple MLB teams over the years.
That included the Cincinnati Reds, whom Brennaman’s father Marty used to be a sportscaster for as well.
But Brennaman was exiled in 2020 after being caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur.
Though Brennaman issued a public apology on Fox Sports Ohio (which Nick Castellanos infamously homered in the middle of), he was suspended indefinitely by the network and eventually resigned from his position.
Brennaman was promptly replaced from his national TV work on Fox Sports as well.
Since then, Brennaman has done smaller-time broadcasting work as a play-by-play announcer for the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico as well as for local high school sports streaming service Chatterbox Sports.
Now Brennaman is landing back on his feet in a big way, returning to the national airwaves beginning with the 2024 college football season.
Kyle Larson won the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, but it didn’t come without a little bit of controversy.
With Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski lined up for an overtime restart, Ford Mustang, which was low on gas, started sputtering, forcing Keselowski to take his car down pit road.
Larson, who was originally lined up third suddenly found himself on the front row.
On restarts, NASCAR designates the race leader as the control car meaning the car that is supposed to accelerate first in the restart zone.
With Keselowski being the leader before coming to pit road, Blaney only had a matter of seconds to realize that he was now the control car.
On what turned out to be the race’s second-to-last restart, Larson appeared to accelerate early and ended up grabbing the lead before the caution came out in turn one.
On the next restart, Larson pulled away from Blaney, who had to yield the second spot to Tyler Reddick.
Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five, while Todd Gilliland and Daniel Suarez finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson and Chase Elliott rounded out the top 10.
Other notable finishers from Sunday’s race include Ross Chastain in 15th, Keselowski in 21st, in 22nd, Denny Hamlin in 32nd and William Byron in 38th.
Only four races remain in the Cup Series regular season, with the series’ next race taking place at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11.
