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Random dribbles ahead of the Cavaliers’ home game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
1. This is what is known as a test. Luka Doncic, old friend Kyrie Irving, and the Mavs had won seven straight before losing on the road to Indiana the other night.
2. Dallas (33-24) has been reborn, courtesy of some deals at the trade deadline. The additions of center Daniel Gafford and power forward P.J. Washington may have been the most underrated moves of the season.
3. Meanwhile, the Cavs had lost three of four before pulling it together to beat the lowly Washington Wizards on Sunday. The Cavs haven’t been as sharp as they were when they won 17 of 18, but this is the NBA. It ebbs and it flows.
4. What the Cavs want is to really get flowing again and a win here could assist the cause. These teams are about as evenly matched as you can get. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are facing a backcourt that everyone thinks is better than they are. Let’s see what Mitchell/Garland do about it.
5. The Cavs (37-19) remain in first in the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference, but the Milwaukee Bucks are picking up steam. At 37-21, they’ve equaled the Cavs in victories. Not a big deal, but something to watch.
6. To give you some idea of the second and third seeds in the East, if the playoffs started today, the No. 2 seed would face either Indiana, Atlanta, Chicago or Orlando, depending on the play-in tournament. The No. 3 seed would face the defending conference champion Miami Heat.
7. I know, I know. “Amico, you’re getting way ahead of yourself … it’s February.” If you’re thinking that, you’re right. But I love talking about the Cavs, and that’s a good thing since it’s part of my job. So I tend to think out loud and talk about the Cavs even when no one is listening.
8. Speaking of which, more people have been approaching to do just that over the past two or three weeks. One guy came up to me in Panera and said he enjoys watching this team MORE than the most recent LeBron James era, which also featured Irving, of course. I certainly enjoy covering them more. A whole lot less drama.
9. In case you missed it, one NBA executive told Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com that one of LeBron’s greatest achievements was keeping Kyrie focused when the two were with the Cavs. Our Ashish Mathur has the full post here.
10. I won’t be able to attend the game tonight as I have some business affairs to wrap up and then am on child duty. I hope it’s my last home miss of the season. But I’ll be watching and will have more Dribbles after. Talk to you then.
More must-reads:
- Bulls sign HC Billy Donovan to multiyear extension
- Nikola Jokic’s agent sparks LeBron James to Denver speculation with Instagram post
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Kyrie Irving shares ridiculous practice story about Luka Doncic
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic spent about a year together as Dallas Mavericks teammates, and that was more than enough time for Irving to collect some incredible practice stories about his former teammate. During a recent Twitch stream, Irving opened up about some of the things he saw Doncic do during Mavericks practices. He revealed that Doncic would put up absurd stat lines against his teammates, and once scored 24 points against someone in a three-minute span. “He’s giving you probably 60, 18, and 18,” Irving said. “I witnessed him give somebody 24 points in three minutes.” Based on Irving’s description, the big numbers feel like a fairly common occurrence. That might not quite be Caitlin Clark-levels of dominance, but it is pretty impressive all the same. There are some indications that Doncic is also starting to get his fitness in order. That might spell very bad news for opposing teams, and even opposing players in Los Angeles Lakers practices.
Shedeur Sanders gets new chance after Browns QB injury
Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following the troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
Fever Coach Stephanie White Has Given One Player the Green Light Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury
Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
Major Update Emerges in Dylan Samberg's Contract Negotiations With the Winnipeg Jets
A big development has emerged in the Dylan Samberg-Winnipeg Jets contract negotiations, and there appears to be mutual interest in a long-term deal. The Winnipeg Jets and defenceman Dylan Samberg have a lot of work to do if they are going to avoid a July 30 arbitration hearing, which is now only two days away. Dylan Samberg was one of three Jets players who filed for arbitration earlier this summer, along with forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Morgan Barron. Though both forwards signed brand new contracts well in advance of their respective hearings, Samberg is still unsigned with the deadline looming large. Now at the age of 26, Samberg is coming off a two-year contract that paid him $1.4 million per season and is in line for a substantial increase. Samberg had the sixth-best plus/minus rating in the entire NHL He was a vital contributor on Winnipeg's blue line last season, recording six goals, 14 assists, for 20 points in 60 games, but what really stood out was his +34 rating, which was sixth-best in the entire league. His consistent play and growing responsibilities on the back end have established him as an integral component of the Jets' top-four defensive corps, and the team will want to do whatever they can to retain him for the long haul. There's a lot of interest in getting a long-term agreement done on both sides. NHL insider Murat Ates doesn't see why it wouldn't get done, and believes the Jets need to value Samberg's defensive game, rather than just his point totals. 'Lots of interest in a long term deal. I don't see why it wouldn't get done. That said, a lot of people assume it will be easy. In practice, it's tough to price such a positive defensive impact. Pay Samberg for points+TOI and you don't pay him enough. Big day.' - Murat Ates Elliotte Friedman also revealed that should it actually get to arbitration, the two sides will only be allowed to agree to a one-year deal, which will essentially walk Samberg to unrestricted free agency. This is why hammering out a long-term deal now is so important. Arbitration has a tendency to ruin relationships between teams and players. Former Jets Jacob Trouba and Andrew Copp both abandoned the organization following really rough hearings. Winnipeg will certainly be hoping to avoid the same result with Samberg, whose consistency and value continue to increase with each passing game.
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