► NBA: The recap of the week

Welcome to a new recap of the week on the North American league! Notice to enthusiasts and the curious alike. If you want to know the major news and events of the past seven days as well as the dynamics, good or bad, of the various players in the league: you’ve come to the right place!

The + of the week

New Orleans is reviving in the race for the Playoffs: Still deprived of Zion Williamson, the Louisiana franchise has raised the tone at the end of the regular season and has completely reversed the trend. The Pels are now on a five-game winning streak. They can, more than ever, believe in a qualification for the postseason.
The Nuggets are getting back on their feet: After a worrying slump, Denver has pulled itself together. The team won in particular against the Bucks and the Sixers, two serious candidates for the title. A good reassuring dynamic which also allows Nikola Jokic to reposition himself as a favorite for the title of MVP.
Cleveland finds the Playoffs: Thanks to a new victory against the Rockets, the Cavaliers are now guaranteed to play the next postseason. A great accomplishment for an attractive team that hadn’t had this chance since 2018. We even have to go back to 1998 to see Cleveland in the Playoffs without having LeBron James in their squad.
Nicolas Batum ignites with the Clippers: Discreet this season with the other franchise of Los Angeles, the captain of the Blues continues the good performances. Following several injuries, he should even be promoted to the starting role until the end of the regular season. No doubt: he will be a valuable weapon off the bench for the rest of the season.

The – of the week

The endless nightmare continues for Lonzo Ball: Still not recovered from his knee injury, the Bulls point guard has undergone a third operation in fourteen months. Absent from the prosecution since January 2022, the operation he was undergoing consisted of a cartilage graft. Unfortunately, a return is not envisaged before…2024!
Damian Lillard still and always far too alone in Portland: While he probably had his best career season, the Blazers point guard will not see the Playoffs for the second consecutive season. The fault with a supporting cast once again far from being with the author. At 33, his loyalty to his franchise could well come to an end if no reinforcements are provided to him.
Dallas in great difficulty at the end of the season: While he was dreaming in his debut, the Luka Doncic / Kyrie Irving duo worried. When playing together, the Mavs have a three-eight loss record. The results and the level of play do not follow. The question, unthinkable a few months ago, arises: will they see the postseason?
Season over for Ben Simmons: An end to the image of his exercise. In great difficulty from start to finish, the former first draft pick failed to confirm the expectations placed on him after a white season. Affected by a new back injury, his future is more vague than ever. He was an All Star player two years ago…

Outside the league:

The basketball world mourns Willis Reed. Unfortunately, we learned that the New York legend had left us at the age of 80. Il had spent ten seasons in the NBA, all at the Knicks, between 1964 and 1974. The native of Louisiana had allowed the franchise to win the only two titles in its history. He was voted MVP in 1970.
The college season is coming to an end! the NCAA will know Kansas’ successor this Sunday. After a March Madness filled with surprises and exploits, the last four universities still in the running are meeting in Houston this weekend. Who from UCONN, Miami, Florida Pacific and San Diego State will win? The answer within a few days.
The McDonald All-American is happening this week! The annual event is held in Portland and features top players 18 and under. Several public training sessions and a match at the end of the week will allow fans but especially the many NBA scouts present on site to discover and gauge these potential future draftees. An edition that will inevitably be more followed than in previous years due to the presence of LeBron James Jr. Note that Zaccharie Risacher will represent the tricolor basketball at the event.