Anthony Davis fractured his hand on Sunday.
Davis sustained a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his left hand. Davis was having a superb season, averaging 18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and a league-leading 3.6 blocks, with a 28.3 PER. This is a huge blow for the Pelicans, who are currently the 12th seed in the absolutely ridiculous Western Conference, as Davis will miss 4-6 weeks.
A plethora of Lakers are injured.
Bad news for the Lakers, as Pau Gasol sustained an ankle sprain last weekend, Steve Blake hyper-extended his right elbow, Kobe Bryant isn't yet ready to return and Jordan Farmar has a torn hamstring.
Blake, Gasol and Bryant participated in full practice (Bryant was even seen dunking); Blake and Gasol will play on Friday, though might be limited and presents a big problem for the Lakers in point guard depth because Farmar is supposed to miss 4 weeks and Steve Nash, despite participating in a short practice session on Tuesday, will not return in the next few days. Mike D'Antoni will likely play Xavier Henry as the back up point guard, pushing Shawne Williams over to small forward and giving some playing time to rookie Ryan Kelly.
J.J. Redick has a torn UCL and fractured hand.
The Clippers J.J. Redick tore his UCL and fractured his hand this past weekend. Redick will not require surgery, according to his hand specialist, but will still miss 6-8 weeks. The Clippers will certainly miss Redick's shooting, but should be able to replace his production with Doc Rivers' choice of Jared Dudley, Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has a left hand fracture.
Kidd-Gilchrist, the 2012 2nd overall pick, will miss 4-6 weeks with a left hand fracture, reports the Charlotte Bobcat's official website. Kidd-Gilchrist has improved defensively, but has still been an offensive disappointment for the Bobcats.
Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo make history.
In an absolutely insane game that ended after double-overtime in a 126-125 Philadelphia 76ers win over the Orlando Magic, Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo became the first rookies to record a triple-double in the same game. Oladipo finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on 8-18 shooting, Carter-Williams countered with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on 11-19 shooting. Both players are the early front runners to win the rookie of the year.
Standings:
Eastern Conference Standings
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Western Conference Standings
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|---|---|
1. Indiana Pacers (17-2)
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1. Portland Trailblazers (16-3)
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2. Miami Heat (14-4)
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2. San Antonio Spurs (15-3)
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3. Washington Wizards (9-9)
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3. Oklahoma City Thunder (13-4)
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4. Boston Celtics (8-12)
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4. Los Angeles Clippers (12-7)
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5. Atlanta Hawks (10-10)
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5. Houston Rockets (13-7)
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6. Detroit Pistons (9-10)
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6. Denver Nuggets (11-7)
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7. Chicago Bulls (7-9)
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7. Dallas Mavericks (12-8)
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8. Charlotte Bobcats (8-11)
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8. Golden State Warriors (11-8)
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9. Philadelphia 76ers (7-12)
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9. Memphis Grizzlies (9-8)
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10. Toronto Raptors (6-11)
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10. Phoenix Suns (10-9)
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11. Orlando Magic (6-12)
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11. Los Angeles Lakers (9-9)
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12. Cleveland Cavaliers (6-12)
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12. New Orleans Pelicans (9-9)
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13. Brooklyn Nets (5-13)
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13. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-10)
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14. New York Knicks (3-13)
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14. Sacramento Kings (4-12)
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15. Milwaukee Bucks (3-15)
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15. Utah Jazz (4-16)
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I think the Portland Trailblazers are the story so far. A huge turnaround from last years' disappointing 33-49 finish, the Blazers have a few very impressive wins over the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder and have taken to Western Conference's top seed. LaMarcus Aldridge has officially emerged as an early MVP candidate, averaging 23.5 points and 9.7 rebounds with a 22.4 PER. As has been the story, the West continues to dominate the East and it's not even close; only two teams over .500 basically guarantee's one of the worst conferences in recent history.
NBA Stats Leaders:
| Points per Game | Rebounds per Game | Assists per Game | Player Efficiency Rating | Win Shares | Win Shares per 48 minutes | True Shooting Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Kevin Durant - OKC: 28.5 | 1. Kevin Love-MIN : 13.6 | 1. Chris Paul- LAC: 12.0 | 1.LeBron James -MIA: 29.8 | 1.LeBron James - MIA: 3.9 | 1. LeBron James - MIA: .295 | 1. Kyle Korver-ATL : 71.6% |
| 2.Carmelo Anthony -NYK: 26.3 | 2. Andre Drummond DET 12.8 | 2. John Wall - WAS: 9.2 | 2. Anthony Davis - NOP : 28.3 | 2. Paul George - IND: 3.7 | 2. Chris Paul- LAC : .279 | 2. LeBron James -MIA : 69.0% |
| 3. LeBron James - MIA: 26.0 | 3. DeAndre Jordan-LAC: 12.8 | 3. Stephen Curry - GSW: 8.8 | 3. Chris Paul- LAC: 27.3 | 3. Chris Paul- LAC: 3.7 | 3. Paul George - IND : .256 | 3. Wesley Matthews-POR: 68.3% |
| 4. Paul George - IND: 24.6 | 4. Dwight Howard -HOU: 12.6 | 4. Ricky Rubio - MIN: 8.5 | 4. Kevin Durant - OKC: 26.6 | 4. Kevin Durant - OKC: 3.5 | 4. Kevin Durant - OKC: .256 | 4. Andre Iguodala-GSW: 65.6% |
| 5. James Harden - HOU: 23.8 | 5. Nikola Vucevic - ORL: 10.9 | 5. Brandon Jennings - DET: 8.4 | 5. Kevin Love - MIN: 25.6 | 5. Kevin Love - MIN: 3.4 | 5. Anthony Davis - NOP : .252 | 5. Ryan Anderson - NOP: 65.0% |
