Lakers Slumped, Denver Nuggets Advised To Try To Get LeBron James Via Trade

 The LA Lakers were very disappointing at the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season. From the initial five games, Darvin Ham's team has not won.

This triggered the news that the Lakers star, LeBron James, was no longer at home in Crypto.com Arena.

In fact, there was a twitter account saying LeBron James had asked the Lakers to trade him.

Seeing that there are only four NBA teams whose salary amount does not exceed the salary cap makes the trade scenario against James a bit difficult to realize.

Moreover, James has a very expensive salary, reaching 44.7 million US dollars (around Rp. 694 billion) per season.

Former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl also posted a tweet on his twitter account regarding LeBron James' situation with the Lakers.

There is a figure who once coached the Seattle Supersonics, the Denver Nuggets can be a suitable port for LeBron James.

"The Denver Nuggets should have made a trade to get LeBron James," said George Karl.

But the problem is, the Denver Nuggets have over salary of 48 million US dollars (around Rp746 billion).

And of course, the Lakers will ask for players with high value but affordable salaries. But it's also not impossible for the Lakers to ask Jamal Murray.

Despite an 18-month injury, Murray remains an important player for the Nuggets. Moreover, his position is a point guard, very suitable to replace Russell Westbrook who floped at the beginning of this season.

The Lakers also certainly asked for a few more players so their team could be fit.

It could be that, if they don't ask Murray, the Lakers want Michael Porter Jr, plus low-paying players who have contributions to the Nuggets.

What is clear is that although George Karl is the legendary coach of the Nuggets, the team must carefully consider his suggestions

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The Main Purpose of Specific Motion Variations of Throwing the Ball in a Basketball Game

 The main purpose of the specific motion of throwing the ball in a basketball game is to feed and shoot.

A basketball player can direct the ball quickly as he wants.

This is the main purpose of the specific variety of movements of throwing the ball in a basketball game.

The specific motion of throwing the ball can be done when you want to feed or pass and shoot or shoot

1. Feeding

Reporting from the Breakthrough Basketball website, the definition of feeding or passing is to give or move the ball to teammates on the court by throwing the ball.

Basically, there are two techniques in passing, namely air pass and bounce pass.

Air pass is a feeding technique by throwing the ball at a teammate where the ball does not touch the floor.

As for bounce pass, it is a technique of throwing the ball on the floor so that the ball bounces to the receiver

2. Shoot

The definition of shooting or shooting in a basketball game is to release the ball into the basket of the opposing team to get points.

Two types of shooting techniques commonly used in basketball games are one-hand shoot and two-hand shoot.

One-hand shot is a shooting technique or shooting using only one hand, usually the one used to shoot the ball is the strongest hand.

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Various Mistakes That Often Occur in Basketball Games

 Learning basketball is not only a matter of technique, but also of the rules.

Not a few novice basketballers make a lot of mistakes in the game of basketball. What are those mistakes?

Here's an explanation of the various mistakes that often occur in basketball games:

Basketball Dribble Error

A common mistake that often occurs for both beginners and professionals is dribble or dribbling.

The dribble errors in the game of basketball are:

1. The bounce of the ball is too high.
2. Bouncing the ball too far away from the body.
3. Bounce the ball by patting the ball.
4. Less strong when bouncing the ball to the floor.
5. Dribble with both hands simultaneously.
6. Exceeding the step limit when performing a dribble.

From the above mistakes, it can be categorized into basketball dribbling offenses, namely:

1. Double dribble violation
2. Walking or traveling
3. Carrying

Common Mistakes in Basketball

Personal Foul

Personal foul is an individual offense. Personal fouls include hitting, pushing, and slapping opponents as well as making illegal physical contact to block the opposing player's path. Penalties for personal fouls are free throws and foul outs.

Intentional Foul

If the basketball player pushes the opponent so that the opponent eliminates the hope of the ball entering, then what happens next is the intentional foul.

Flagrant Foul

Flagrant foul is a type of unethical offense that is deliberately wanting to inflict an opponent injury or punching the opponent's body when scrambling for the ball/dueling.

The punishment for flagrant foul can be in the form of free throw, technical foul and foul out for the offender, and the most severe is suspension.

Blocking Foul

Blocking fouls is an illegal personal offense by blocking the opponent's path so that the opponent does not get the right position to put the ball in the basket.

Charging Foul

Charging foul is an offensive offense (attacking situation) that is carried out by pushing or hitting the opposing team's defensive players.

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How to Perform a Two Hand Overhead Pass Movement in Basketball

 Two hand overhead pass is one of the passing techniques in the game of basketball.

The meaning of a two hand overhead pass is to make a pass with both hands on top of the head.

Overhead passing in basketball games is called overhead pass.

The two hand overhead pass technique is usually used for long feed.

Quoted from Breakthrough Basketball, here's how to do the two-hand overhead pass movement:

1. When applying overhead pass, the starting position of the passing body or the throwing of the basketball through the top of the head is facing the direction of the throw.
2. Then, the movement of the passing arm or throwing the basketball through the top of the head is to swing in the direction of the throw until the elbow is straight.
3. Then, the release of the ball from the hand when passing or throwing the basketball through the top of the head is when the arm is in a straight position.
4. The end of the movement of the body position after passing or throwing the ball when going through the top of the head is the weight carried forward.

To use this technique, the pitcher must be alert when the ball is behind the head because it has the potential to be snatched by the opposing player from behind.

The use of overhead passes is more appropriate when a player is closely guarded by the opponent or when the distance with the pass receiver is far enough.

The overhead pass technique is used to escape the opponent's guard by taking advantage of the presence of comrades in the low post area.

One-Handed Long Feed Technique

Unlike the two hand overhead pass, another type of long feed that uses one hand is the baseball pass.

Still quoted from the Breakthrough Basketball page, baseball pass is an attempt to throw the ball with one hand to give it to a squad player in a long enough distance.

For example, when the intended player stands free from the opponent's control at the end of the playing field is different, from the team member who is holding the ball.

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Nash hopeful Nets' Simmons regains 'joy of playing the game'

 The three-time All-Star hasn't scored more than seven points in any of Brooklyn's first four games as the Nets have staggered to a 1-3 start. 

Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash says he wants to see Ben Simmons regain "that joy of playing the game" as the three-time All-Star tries to bounce back after missing all of last season.

Simmons hasn't scored more than seven points in any of Brooklyn's first four games as the Nets have staggered to a 1-3 start. He had four points, nine assists and five rebounds in 28 minutes on Wednesday night as the Nets fell 110-99 to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Nets are counting on Simmons to make a successful return from back surgery as they attempt to contend in the Eastern Conference. They acquired Simmons at the trade deadline last season in a move that sent 10-time All-Star James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Ben and I work every day at this, trying to give him the confidence to go out there and be aggressive and try to get back to at least the feeling of joy on the court," Nash said before Wednesday's game.

Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, said he's feeling better with every game. That's not apparent from his statistics thus far.

He's averaging 5.3 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds. He fouled out of two of Brooklyn's first three games. The Nets host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday in the first of four straight home games

"I definitely feel each game I'm progressing a little bit in terms of my physicality and aggression," Simmons said after the Bucks game.

Nash said he just wants to see Simmons playing hard, fast and aggressively. The coach said he isn't worried if Simmons makes mistakes early on in his comeback, as long as he's showing that energy.

Before this season, Simmons hadn't played a game since the 76ers' Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Atlanta Hawks in June 2021. He didn't play last season due to mental health concerns before his trade to Brooklyn, as well as his back issue.

He underwent back surgery in May.

Simmons' teammates are encouraging him as he works his way back from the long absence.

"He has the skills to be a great professional," Nets guard Kyrie Irving said. "He's done it in the past, and he hasn't played in two years. You guys keep coming in here and asking me like, 'What about Ben? What about Ben? He hasn't played in two years. Give him a... chance."

The Nets are prepared to offer him that chance.

"We're just here to give him positive affirmation while he's out there and just let him hoop," Irving said. "While he's hooping and getting back into it, we're going to have to really jell as a team in order to learn how to win as a group."

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Russian court rejects Brittney Griner's appeal against 9-year sentence

 The court in the Moscow region ruled to uphold the sentence handed down to WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner in early August.

A Russian court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession, a step that could move her closer to a possible high-stakes prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington.

The eight-time all-star center with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

Griner, 32, was not at the Moscow Regional Court hearing but appeared via video link from a penal colony outside the capital where she is held.

At her trial, Griner admitted to having the canisters in her luggage but testified she packed them inadvertently in her haste to make her flight and had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements saying she had been prescribed cannabis to treat chronic pain.

The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years, and Griner's lawyers argued after the conviction that the punishment was excessive. They said in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole.

On Tuesday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued the following statement: "Today's decision while unfortunate, was not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained. We greatly appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Administration and U.S. Department of State in leading the negotiations. It is time to bring this case to an end and bring BG home."

While upholding the sentence, the court said Griner's prison time will be recalculated to reflect what she has already served in pre-trial detention. One day in pre-trial detention will be counted as 1 1/2 days in prison, so she still will have to serve about eight years in prison.

Griner's lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in an email that they were "very disappointed" with the decision because they still believe "the punishment is excessive and contradicts to the existing court practice."

"Britthey's biggest fear is that she is not exchanged and will have to serve the whole sentence in Russia," they said. "She had hopes for today, as each month, each day away from her family and friends matters to her."

They said they had to discuss with Griner what legal steps they should take next.

Griner's arrest in February came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At the time, Griner was returning to play for a Russian team during the WNBA's offseason.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the decision "another failure of justice, compounding the injustice of her detention," adding that "securing her release is our priority."

Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be "wrongfully detained" — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

The White House said it has not yet received a productive response from Russia to the offer.

Russian diplomats have refused to comment on the U.S. proposal and urged Washington to discuss the matter in confidential talks, avoiding public statements. But some Russian officials have said a deal is more likely once appeals have been exhausted.

In September, Biden met with Cherelle Griner, the player's wife, as well as her agent, Lindsay Colas. Biden also sat down separately with Elizabeth Whelan, Paul Whelan's sister.

The White House said after the meetings that the president stressed to the families his "continued commitment to working through all available avenues to bring Brittney and Paul home safely."

The U.S. and Russia carried out a prisoner swap in April. Moscow released U.S. Marines veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for the U.S. releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was convicted in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Moscow also has pushed for the release of other Russians in U.S. custody.

One of them is Alexander Vinnik, who was accused of laundering billions of dollars through an illicit cryptocurrency exchange. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the U.S. in August.

Vinnik's French lawyer, Frederic Belot, told Russian newspaper Izvestia last month that his client hoped to be part of a possible swap.

The newspaper speculated that another possible candidate was Roman Seleznev, the son of a Russian lawmaker. He was sentenced in 2017 to 27 years in prison on charges from a hacking and credit card fraud scheme.

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Pelicans edge Mavericks without Ingram, Jones, Williamson

 New Orleans entered the game missing 2 of their top 3 scorers in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, as well as Herb Jones, their top defensive player.

Trey Murphy III scored 22 points and the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans overcame Luka Doncic's latest prolific performance to beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-111 on Tuesday night.

The Pelicans entered the game missing two of their top three scorers in Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) and Zion Williamson (hip bruise), as well as a third starter, Herb Jones (hyperextended knee), who is their top defensive player.

Available Pelicans responded with an all-hands-on-deck effort in which eight players reached double figures in scoring.

That included rookie and first-round pick Dyson Daniels, who scored his first career points on a jump hook in the second quarter and finished with 11 points in 22 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting.

Murphy hit all eight shots he took, including four 3s. He also mixed in some baskets on the drive, including a soaring dunk in the third quarter and a tip-in with six minutes to go.

Doncic scored 37 to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists, but his 3-point attempt at the final horn bounce off the front rim.

Ingram entered the NBA's concussion protocol after a collision during Sunday night's loss to Utah. He will have to clear a series of steps to ensure he is symptom-free before resuming basketball activities.

Williamson bruised the back of his hip later in that same game when he was knocked off balance in mid air by Jordan Clarkson's clean block of a transition dunk attempt. Williamson crashed to the court on his lower back.

Jones also was hurt against Utah, hyperextending his right knee as he took an awkward step in traffic near the basket.

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