On Sunday while everyone around the country was winding down from a busy weekend, with some watching the NFL flag football Pro Bowl, one of the biggest NBA trades in NBA history was announced. The Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers announced a blockbuster trade.
The Mavericks traded their 25-year old superstar Luka Doncic to the Las Angeles Lakers for big-man Anthony Davis. The trade sent shock waves through the league with videos capturing disbelief from players around the league. Sunday’s trade prompted Dallas fans to take to the streets in protest of the move.
Executives and fans showed their displeasure with how the trade took place, not allowing any other team that such a superstar was on the trading block.
Doncic has been out with a calf strain and could debut in Lakers yellow and purple as early as February 10th against the Utah Jazz.
While the trade seems heaven sent for Lakers fans the biggest glaring issue they’ve had over the past several years is defense. The offensive heavy Lakers have taken a backseat in the Western Conference to the Denver Nuggets as a result of poor defense and adding yet another defensive player to their roster begs the question, was this move just to keep ticket sales and merchandise sales up?
It’s hard to think that the Lakers are in need of revenue boost but the trade doesn’t make a whole lot of sense other than to thrust L.A. back into the spot light.
In other news the Denver Nuggets have won three straight after losing three on the road last week. On Monday night the Nuggets hosted the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena. The Nuggets led through four quarters but were outscored in the third 35-25. Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III had his best game of his career with 41 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds, while Denver’s Nikola Jokic recorded his 23rd triple double.
Jokic’s triple double production has increased over his past 16 games and is on pace to record 39 or more triple doubles. Russell Westbrook holds the current NBA record for most triple-doubles held in a single season at 42. Denver beat New Orleans 125-113.
Denver will play the Pelicans again on Wednesday (results of the game not available at the time of this writing) and the Orlando Magic on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
Denver Broncos Nik Bonitto, Marvin Mims and Pat Surtain all participated in the NFL’s Pro Bowl game in Orlando Florida on Sunday afternoon. Denver fans would have loved to see defensive lineman Zach Allen who recorded 61 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 19 stuffs.
The Colorado Avalanche have won three of their last four with shutout wins over the St. Louis Blues last Friday and a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. This week the Avs are on the road in Canada to face the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames before heading to Edmonton to face the Oilers.
