The AllStar is proud to present The Daily Swish, a digest of what’s shaking and baking in your favorite basketball league. This is the place to help you start your day (or end it) with notable newsy nuggets from around the association.
Today we hear the latest on the Ben Simmons situation and learn which players will go unpaid if they remain unvaccinated.
Making Headlines
The Ben Simmons Saga continues to drag on. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne floated speculation that Simmons would be happy to sit out the entire season if needed. The Philadelphia 76ers want him back before the season begins but it appears both parties have reached an impasse.
Unvaccinated players won’t be paid if they are forced to miss games due to local executive orders. New York and San Francisco require local athletes to be vaccinated. Out-of-market players won’t be impacted by the orders.
The Los Angeles Clippers are mourning the death of video assistant Assane Drame. The 26-year-old New Jersey native had just worked at the team’s media day before tragically being killed in a car accident.
A new procedure for out-of-bounds replays will be trialled this season. Coaches can now challenge an out-of-bounds ruling in the last two minutes of regulation or overtime. The previous rule prevented coaches from making challenges in the final two minutes.
#What’sTrending
The Greek Freak appears to be enjoying the perks of wearing a mask.
The Lakers big three have a nickname!
Klay Thompson returns after missing two full seasons. The NBA landscape has certainly shifted since his last appearance.
Best of r/NBA
Vaccine protocols is the talk of NBA Reddit. Unvaccinated players will go unpaid if they miss games due to local orders. The rule will only impact unvaccinated players who live in New York and San Francisco.
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic took aim at unvaccinated players on Instagram, much to the delight of the Reddit community.
Who knew one question could completely demolish a contender? u/killedBySasquatch decided to shoutout the reporter who asked if Ben Simmons was a championship point guard. The question kicked off a summer of drama that looks to linger on no matter what the Sixers do or say.
The Bet
Coach of the Year futures could pay big dividends this year. Steve Nash is the frontrunner to win the award at +833. Eastern Conference coaches Erik Spoelstra (+931) and Billy Donovan (+980) round out the top three favorites. The Daily Swish expects all three to remain in contention if their teams stay healthy.
