With several high-profile players already ruled out tonight, let’s take a look at the top options at each position on DraftKings for tonight’s big 10-game slate. The games with the highest implied point totals are the Blazers-Grizzlies, Pelicans-Nuggets and Lakers-Wizards matchups. Those three games are also expected to be extremely close. Heavily target those three contests if possible. Lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST. Now let’s get down to business and look at the best option at each position on DraftKings.

Point Guard

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (DK: $8,200) vs. POR

Morant gets to play in what is expected to be tonight’s highest-scoring affair against a Trail Blazers defense that is allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing point guards. With four of the most expensive five point guards injured on tonight’s slate, many will spend the extra cash to roster Russell Westbrook, yet I think Morant makes much more sense. The second-year guard is coming off a 27-point performance against the Nuggets in which he also chipped in six rebounds, six assists and a steal for 44 fantasy points. Over his last five outings, the young stud is averaging 29.2 points, 7.6 assists, 6.6 boards and 1.6 steals per contest. Portland will have trouble keeping the playmaker at bay. Morant is a safe bet to produce 50-plus fantasy points.

Other Options: Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, Coby White

Shooting Guard

Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks (DK: $7,600) @ PHI

Atlanta was already shorthanded with Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter sidelined, but they will also most likely be missing Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Brandon Goodwin. That means Bogdanovic is the only ball handler left in Atlanta’s backcourt. Not to mention, the sharpshooter has been dominating all over the court. Over his last 16 games played, Bogey is averaging 40-plus fantasy points per game in 36 minutes of action a night. Bogdanovic will be leaned on heavily tonight against a solid Sixers team. Expect him to let it fly, especially from deep. I love Bogey’s upside tonight.

Other Options: Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Derrick Rose

Small Forward

Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah Jazz (DK: $6,400) @ SAC

I don’t think I’ve ever recommended both Bogdanovic brothers on the same night, but that is exactly what I am doing on this massive 10-game slate. With Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell both out, Bogdanovic will continue to fire plenty of shots as one of Utah’s premier shooters. Considering Mitchell averages 25 shots per game himself, Bojan has been able to average 15 shots per contest over his previous eight fixtures, averaging 30-plus fantasy points per game over the span. Plus, the Kings happen rank dead-last in the NBA in defensive efficiency, yet they also play at a fast pace, which means plenty of offensive possessions and conversions for the Jazz. Look for the Bogdanovic brothers to light it up tonight.

Other Options: Brandon Ingram, Tobias Harris, Gary Harris

Power Forward

Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets (DK: $8,800) vs. NO

MPJ is coming off a dominating performance, in which he dropped 31 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 36 minutes of action in Monday’s victory over the Grizzlies. Tonight, he will be one of the best players on the floor in the game that is expected to produce the second-most points. Porter has seen an increase in opportunity with teammates Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Monte Morris out of the lineup. The second-year forward has tallied 43-plus fantasy points in each of his previous three contests. Expect that trend to continue against a Pelicans defense that ranks in the bottom-third at defending opposing forwards.

Other Options: Zion Williamson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Robert Covington

Center

Andre Drummond, Los Angeles Lakers (DK: $7,400) @ WAS

As long as Anthony Davis and LeBron James remain out of action, Drummond should be a key piece to the Lakers’ production on both sides of the floor. It has taken some time for Drummond to adjust to life in Los Angeles, but he is definitely beginning ti find a groove. The big man is averaging 40 fantasy points per game over his last five outings, which is actually less than what he averaged during his time with the Cavaliers earlier this season. Still, he is capable of producing plenty of fantasy points and is practically a guaranteed double-double. It also doesn’t hurt that Washington plays at the fastest pace in the NBA. The Wizards are also extremely generous to opposing centers, allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing big men. Drummond is going to feast tonight.

Other Options: Bam Adedbayo, Rudy Gobert, Nerlens Noel

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is matthbrandon) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on games and strategies, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may deploy different players and strategies than what I recommended. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors game got physical heated Tuesday night.

The Raptors were hosting the current NBA Champions, and near the end of the first quarter, there was a physical altercation. The altercation occurred during a Toronto fast-break opportunity. Toronto’s OG Anunoby received a long pass during the fast break but was fouled by Lakers guard Dennis Schröder. After the foul was called, Anunoby proceeded to slam Schröder to the floor. Montrezl Harrell immediately came to the defense of Schröder and shoved Anunoby, but Gary Trent Jr. got in front of Harrell. Both Trent and Harrell exchanged shoves with one another as more of their respective teammates came to separate them.

After the altercation was broken up, Anunoby and Harrell were ejected. Despite throwing shoves, Trent was not ejected because he was not an instigator in the altercation.

The Lakers were able to take care of business despite missing sidelined All-Stars LeBron James, Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis. Toronto was missing Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet, both of whom are sidelined due to injuries.

By the end of the first half, Los Angeles led 68-42, and it seemed to be a blowout victory. However, Toronto slowly closed the gap in the fourth. The Lakers continued to hold a 20-point lead in the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter, the Raptors slowly clawed their way back.

Toronto outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the fourth quarter but fell short of a comeback. The Lakers held on to a 110-101 victory.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed All-Star center Andre Drummond.

This is exciting news for the Lakers, who are currently without All-Stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The Lakers are hoping to repeat as NBA champions again, but they have a major obstacle right now. Both of their superstars are currently sidelined with injuries. The Lakers have been without Davis for over a month now, and James was recently injury during their March 20 game with the Atlanta Hawks.

Since then, the Lakers have tried to stay competitive without their stars anchoring them. So far, the team has won two games and lost three. The team is currently fourth in the Western Conference. Now there is hope for the team with the latest signing of Drummond.

Earlier this season, Drummond was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers after being traded to them by the Detriot Pistons. The All-Star center played in 25 games with Cleveland before being bought out by the team on Friday. Once the announcement of him being an available free agent hit the market, teams were instantly interested in the All-Star.

Fortunately for Los Angeles, Drummond was interested and decided to sign with them. The team announced on Sunday that the All-Star officially signed with the team.

“Andre Drummond gives us powerful, anchor-point skills on both ends of the court,” said general manager Rob Pelinka in a statement. “We feel extremely fortunate to add a player of his caliber and magnitude to our core group at this stage of our journey to defend the NBA title.”

The All-Star center will provide a big boost and the star power the team is lacking right now. This season Drummond is averaging 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Drummond is expected to start at the center.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are actively looking to trade Andre Drummond. The team has decided that they are no longer going to play the center until a trade is found.

The Cavs have already made Jarrett Allen their franchise center. In order to avoid any reduction in minutes, General Manager Koby Altman discussed the move with Drummond and his agent, Jeff Schwartz. All three parties agreed that it would be unfair to reduce the two-time All-Star’s minutes, so it would be better to no longer be active for games.

When the team traded for the 22-year-old Allen, it seemed that Drummond’s future with the team was in peril. However, Cleveland tried an experiment by starting both Allen and Drummond together, which did not pan out as the team went on a losing streak.

The two-time All-Star averaged 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds this season in 25 starts. Those numbers are enticing for playoff teams, and there are multiple teams interested, including the Toronto Raptors.

The 27-year-old center is currently on an expiring $28.7 million contract. For the Cavaliers to trade the center, they must get around $23 million in contracts in return.

One of the biggest names on the trading block prior to the NBA Trade deadline was Pistons’ center Andre Drummond, who was acquired on Thursday by the Cavaliers in exchange for John Henson, Brandon Knight and a 2023 second-round pick. Drummond had an opt-out option for next year and the team feared they would lose him in free agency and decided to pull the trigger because something is better than nothing.

The two-time All-Star is in his eighth season with Detroit averaging 17.8 points (a career-high),15.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game through 49 games and is on pace to win his fourth rebounding title after leading the league three of the last four seasons. Drummond apparently wasn’t notified of the trade and took to Twitter to voice his frustration.

Senior Advisor for the Pistons Ed Stefanski commented on Drummond’s frustration telling Detroit News, “The worst thing in the world is have to trade someone who’s been here (for a long time). This is the only place he’s been in. Emotions are raw. Dre knew he was in trade talks and I was talking to his representatives about different things. Cleveland came in late. I guess you’d have to talk to Dre what exactly he meant. But again, emotions are raw when this stuff happens. I understand that.”

He was the ninth overall pick by the Pistons in 2012 and is definitely an above-average post player and rebounder but never really had enough help to make noise in the Eastern Conference. In his eight seasons with the Pistons, the team only made the playoffs twice while Drummond was a starter and they were swept both times. Now, he joins a last place Cavaliers team that is searching for an identity and going through a massive rebuild. There’s also no guarantee Drummond will resign with Cleveland.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

The NBA Trade Deadline ends in 24 hours on February 6 at 3 p.m., but one of the biggest questions is whether or not Derrick Rose will still be in a Pistons’ uniform on Friday night.  The 31-year-old has played well this season averaging 18.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting a career-high 49.8% from the field through 44 games with only ten starts after signing a two-year deal worth $15 million this past July.

Although Rose had a terrific streak of scoring at least 20 points in 14 straight games, the Pistons are having a dreadful season which makes it surprising to hear that Rose prefers to stay in Detroit. The team is 18-34 but just five games out of the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They’ve had to endure a terrible season stat-wise from Blake Griffin who has been injury riddled appearing in just 18 games while averaging a career worst in points(15.4), rebounds(4.7) and field goal percentage(35.2%). Andre Drummond has also been in trade rumors throughout the season which makes us wonder why Rose would want to stay with a franchise that is facing so much uncertainty, but the former MVP seems to be enjoying his time there.

“I love it here, it’s close to home (Chicago),” Rose said. “Of course, I wish we had more wins. I love the staff, I love the front office, I love being in Detroit. I probably need you to tell them that,” Rose told Detroit News with a smile. “Of course I want to stay here. I’ve been in this league 12 years, and it’s just all about being happy. I gave Arn my word and told him I’d hear him out, and they gave me a chance. I want to see what happens. I know I’ll get a call or a message, and they’ll tell me whatever direction they’re going.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Detroit fans have been chanting “MVP, MVP” at several games this season and perhaps they’re just a blue-collar city that appreciates Rose’s hard work and determination to be an impact player at this stage in his career, but there’s no question he could be a great addition to the Lakers, Clippers and other contenders that are looking to add depth before the playoffs start.

Pistons’ coach Dwane Casey mentioned the impact Rose has had on the team this year. “We’d love for him to be a Piston for a long time. He’s such a big contributor to our team, how hard we play, the style we want to play, getting to the paint. I’ve said this numerous times: He’s what our league should be about,” Casey said.

He might be past his prime but the Chicago native feels he can still contribute at a high level. “I’m older and much wiser now,” Rose said. I know how to take care of my body and I think it’s all coming full circle. I’m not playing reckless like I used to, I’m picking and choosing. When I was younger, I was on go all the time. I’m not gonna be the last Derrick Rose, so I want to be the example of a guy that went through a lot of struggles and persevered.”

The NBA trade deadline is less than three weeks away as teams look to create salary cap room and contenders search for a final piece that could put them over the hump. The deadline is February 6.

On of the biggest names on the trading block is Pistons’ center Andre Drummond. The two-time all-star is in his eighth season with Detroit averaging 17.3 points,15.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game through 40 games and is on pace to win his fourth rebounding title. League sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski the Hawks are interested in trading for Drummond to give themselves more depth in the frontcourt as Hawks’ center Alex Len is out with an ankle sprain and is mostly a role player who averages 18.7 minutes per game. Atlanta hopes to build around second year standout Trae Young who’s in desperate need of a boost to get the Hawks out of the basement of the Eastern Conference.  They are in last place with a 9-32 record and are 3-7 in their last ten games, but Young is having a terrific year ranked third in the league in scoring with averages of 29.8 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44% and 36.9% from three.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

Shifting to a Western Conference contender, the Utah Jazz may look to get more help on offense. They are coming off a ten-game winning streak that ended in New Orleans Thursday night and they’ve won 15 out of their last 16. Last June they landed former Grizzly Mike Conley to take pressure off Donovan Mitchell, but that plan hasn’t exactly worked out yet. The former All-Defensive Second Team player has been out since December 17, when he re-aggravated his hamstring and his numbers have been below par. In 22 games, Conley is averaging just 13.6 points and shooting a career-worst 36.5% from the field. The question is whether or not they’ll keep the 32-year-old point guard past the deadline.

Lakers’ forward Kyle Kuzma has been in trade talks this week and the team may be wondering if they have enough to win when the playoffs begin. Kuzma is averaging 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 24.4 minutes, all career-lows. The Lakers are first place in the Western Conference standings at 33-8, four games ahead of second place Denver, but they need the third-year player to be more consistent if the franchise hopes to win its 17th championship.

D’Angelo Russell has been linked to the Timberwolves who plan to“intensify their pursuit” of Russell, according to Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic. When the Warriors made a sign-and-trade to land the all-star point guard many experts didn’t think it was a good fit but the former Net is picking up right where he left off averaging 23 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Golden State’s season is over, but Minnesota is just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot and they have to make a move to keep Karl Anthony-Towns happy.

In what proved to be a close finish, the Detroit Pistons (9-14) defeated the Indiana Pacers (14-8) 108-101. The Pistons sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, led by stars Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.

GET DEALS ON DETROIT PISTON’S TICKETS HERE!

Coach Dwane Casey knew his team would have to be physical to compete against the Pacers. “We knew this was going to be a playoff-style game, and the way we played down the stretch was indicative of how we wanted to approach this one. We were boxing out, we were hitting guys and if we got a foul, it was a hard foul. It wasn’t anything dirty, just good physical basketball”, Casey said.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Detroit’s physical style of play forced Casey to defend his team against accusations of dirty play from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks superstar, after the Pistons lost to the Bucks (20-3) by a final of 127-103. Drummond echoed his coach by saying, “I think we definitely played tough tonight. Everybody one through 12, the guys that played, sustained the same toughness.”

Drummond capped off a big game scoring 25 points with 22 rebounds and an assist. Griffin added with 25 points and a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 41 seconds left. Bruce Brown Jr. had five points, eight rebounds and six assists. “We were great on the boards tonight, me and Dre combined for 24 or 25,” Griffin said.

The Pacers managed to stay close as T.J. Warren led with 26 points with a rebound and an assist. Malcolm Brogdon had 21 points with five rebounds and five assists, and Domantas Sabonis chipped in with 18 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Pacers coach Nate McMillan said, “It’s always about execution. We didn’t get stops when we needed them and when we did force a miss, they got the offensive rebound.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The Pacers look to bounce back as they take on the Knicks (4-18) in New York tonight, while the Pistons head down to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans (6-16) on December 9.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced that they are declining to match an offer sheet signed by restricted free agent point guard Tyus Jones earlier this week, ESPN confirms. The Memphis Grizzlies, who are signing Jones, offered him a three-year, $28,000,000 contract. That price, which averages out to $9.3 million per season, is too steep for the Timberwolves to match.

The Timberwolves had two days to match the offer sheet and are declining to do so in favor of saving salary. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Timberwolves are attempting to pursue max-salary cap space for next summer’s free agency class. The list of elite free agents who could be available includes Eric Gordon, Montrezl Harrell, Demar Derozan, Draymond Green and Andre Drummond.

“We sincerely thank Tyus for his contributions on the court and Tyus and the entire Jones family for their genuine impact on the Twin Cities community,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said in a statement Tuesday night. “We wish them nothing but the best in Memphis.”

Jones, 23, averaged 6.9 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Timberwolves last season. The 24th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft out of Duke University has averaged 5.1 points and 3.3 assists per game for his career, which has been played entirely for the Timberwolves after being traded to Minnesota from the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night for a pair of second-round draft picks. With the Grizzlies, Jones will get the chance to develop playing actual minutes behind the 2nd overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, “Ja” Morant. Something that was a rarity often in Minneapolis.

The Grizzlies, who have a $9,300,000 mid-level exception, are using just about all of it to sign Jones.

Andre Drummond recorded season highs of 26 points and 22 rebounds Monday night to propel the Detroit Pistons to a 118-108 road victory over the Boston Celtics. 

Pistons vs. Celtics Game Score

The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (18-4) had a 16-game winning streak to start this season until Wednesday’s 104-98 loss to the Heat in Miami.

Tobias Harris added 31 points for Detroit (13-6), who is second in the East.

“They’ll remember it. That’s one of those memorable games,” said Drummond, the 2012 ninth overall pick out of Connecticut. “We came in, them being the No. 1 team and us getting a lot of points. Me being the hometown kid, having the night I did, that’s something they’ll have to remember.”

Reggie Jackson scored 20 points with seven assists for the Pistons. Avery Bradley, who is in his first campaign with Detroit after playing his first seven NBA seasons with the Celtics, received a standing ovation from the TD Garden crowd during pre-game introductions. He finished with 13 points.

”For them to show that respect to me means a lot to me,” Bradley said. ”This will always be my second home.”

Marcus Smart had 23 points, including 6 of 9 from three-point range, and Kyrie Irving added 18 points and nine assists for Boston. Irving was wearing a mask because of a broken bone in his face, but did not need to leave the game.

”They tried to take the ball out of Kyrie’s hands, and they did so pretty successfully,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.

The game was tied at 100 with 5:36 remaining before Detroit pulled away thanks to Drummond.

Smart made a long, leaning 3-point attempt with 34 seconds left as the scoreboard read 114-108, but it was too late by then.

The Pistons next host Phoenix on Wednesday night, while the Celtics will host Philadelphia on Thursday night.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 20: Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons reacts to a foul call against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on October 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

It is far from official, but according to several reports, the New York Knicks are nearing an agreement with free agent center Joakim Noah with terms in the neighborhood of $72 million on a four-year deal.

And with that, in a week’s span, much-maligned Knicks President Phil Jackson has turned New York from Atlantic Division doormat to legitimate playoff contender.

OPINION: With Noah Signing Knicks Earn Shot To Dethrone King James

While no deal can be made official until the NBA moratorium period closes July 7, reports have been circulating for weeks that Noah was looking to return home.

Now New York is staring at the possibility of a front line that features Noah, Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

JOAKIM NOAH CAREER MIX

Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champs, but the only other threat in the Cavs frontcourt is Tristan Thompson. Cleveland’s center is a pro, who seems to shine in the postseason, but his numbers are no better than Noah’s for their respective careers.

I don’t want to hear about Kevin Love.

I respect the defense he played on Steph Curry in Game 7 and he was effective in areas that didn’t show up in the boxscore, but I would take Porzingis over Love any day of the week.

James obviously takes Anthony, but Melo can score with anyone. And Thompson vs. Noah is a wash.

Derrick Rose versus Kyrie Irving?

The book is still out on Rose as far as his health and agility are concerned, but it’s safe to say he will be a productive player with superstar talent around him.

Noah, too, should return to form upon reuniting with Rose. The pair made the playoffs five years in a row in Chicago and in Rose’s MVP season of 2010-2011, Noah put together one of the best campaigns of his career, averaging 11.7 points and 10.4 rebounds.

ROSE SAYS HE WANTS NOAH AND EVERYBODY KNOWS IT

Since, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for the big fella.

His last two seasons have been marred by injury and poor play, but a return to his place of birth could be just what the doctor ordered.

The near 7-footer was born in New York City, then moved to Paris for an extended period, before returning to the city that never sleeps at the age of 13.

Noah spent a post-graduate year in New Jersey at the Lawrenceville School where he was ranked a 4-star recruit by rivals.com. He played college ball at Florida, where he won two national championships under current Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan, leading the Chicago Bulls to select Noah as the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

From 2009-2011 and 2012-2014, Noah averaged a double-double for the Bulls. In the 2011-2012 season he scored 10.2 points and pulled down 9.8 rebounds per game.

Last season was a forgettable one for Noah. He played in just 29 games dues to injury and ineffectiveness, starting only two contests.

Not so coincidentally, his best performance came on what could be his home floor, in his hometown.

Noah lit up the Garden with 21 points and 10 rebounds in his first start of the season Dec. 19. Six of Noah’s boards came on the offensive glass, making him the Bulls All-Time Leader in offensive rebounds, surpassing Horace Grant.

And nine months earlier Noah recorded his fifth career triple-double with 13 points 14 assists and 12 rebounds against, you guessed it, the New York Knickerbockers.

NOAH RIPS KNICKS FOR 21 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS

Noah is not Kevin Durant. He won’t showcase the athleticism of a DeMar DeRozan and he doesn’t have the youth of an Andre Drummond either, but he is a good fit for the Knicks roster as its currently constituted.

His presence alongside Anthony and K-stop will reignite the fire at MSG, the electricity we only see when New York is a winning games.

Lookout Eastern Conference, there’s a new frontcourt in town.

One that may have fans whispering next season: Noah, Porzingis and Melo, Oh my!

During his annual address before Game 1 of the NBA Finals — a rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that he would use his “bully pulpit” to seek the end of the intentional fouling of bad free throw shooters.

Silver Seeks The End Of Hack-a-Shaq

Commonly called the Hack-a-Shaq strategy due to Shaquille O’Neal‘s poor free throw shooting during his career, the tactic was first used by former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson against Dennis Rodman before it was utilized to neutralize O’Neal’s dominance in the post.

In the modern NBA, teams have occasionally used the Hack-a-Shaq to throw opposing offenses out of rhythm and limit their scoring.  Centers Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets and DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers are the most high profile victims of the Hack-a-Shaq strategy.  For the 2015-16 season, Howard shot 49% from the free throw line, while Jordan shot 43%.

Silver mentioned that the league saw a two-and-a-half times increase in intentional fouls this season from 2014-15, and  has seen a 16-fold increase over the past five years.

Silver dove into the NBA’s research to tell how the fouls effect the game.  “Not only is that something that is bad for our network partners, but for all the fan research we have shows the fans hate it,” Silver said.  “There may be a compromise in there where we can cut it down significantly.”

Should the NBA get rid of intentional fouls?  If they do, it feels like like a cop out.  Howard earned over $22 million this season and is expected to opt-out of his contract to enter free agency, where he wants around $30 million per year.  Jordan signed a 4 year/$88 million deal this past offseason.  Another target of the Hack-a-Player, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, shot 36% from the line this season and is expected to receive a max deal as a free agent this offseason.

These players are making millions of dollars for playing a game, and you’re telling me that Adam Silver wants to change the rules of the whole league cause a handful of players can’t hit an uncontested shot from 15 feet away?  Most of the NBA players are able to go to college for free because of their ability to play basketball (out of Howard, Jordan, and Drummond, only Howard entered the league from high school).

Not everyone in the league shares Silver’s view on the strategy.  Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban said, “If Adam wants to get rid of Hack-a-Shaq, he’s wrong. Dead wrong,”

In a similar view, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant said:

I definitely share Durant and Cuban’s view, by banning the Hack-a-Shaq, Silver would be bailing out players with a significant flaw in their game. If coaches and players want the hacking to end, then learn how to make a free throw. The rules shouldn’t be changed to help out a few players in the league.

PISTONS’ ANDRE DRUMMOND SETS NBA RECORD WITH 23 MISSED FREE THROWS

Detroit Pistons Center Andre Drummond set a new NBA record for missed free throws on Wednesday after he missed 23 out of 36 attempts during the Pistons’ victory over the Houston Rockets.

Former Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers Center Wilt Chamberlain held the previous record in 1967 with 22 misses. The Rockets’ Dwight Howard currently holds the record for attempts with 39, and Drummond comes in at third with 36.

Detroit defeated Houston 123-114 to improve their record to 23-19. Drummond led the Pistons with 11 rebounds and scored 17 points.

“It didn’t work,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, according to ESPN. “That’s it. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Drummond also commented very little regarding the record. He merely said, “We won the game today.”

The Pistons lost to the Pelicans 115-99 in New Orleans on Thursday. They will next face off against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday.

In basketball, one of the timeless strategies to slow down a big man is to intentionally foul him; this will force him to earn his points at the free throw line, a place where centers tend to struggle. While there are some obvious flaws to the play–each player is only allotted six fouls in a game and, if the opposition makes their foul shots, you are essentially giving away points–that doesn’t stop coaches from trying it in drastic situations.

That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday night, when the Houston Rockets targets Pistons’ big man Andre Drummond. He went to the charity stripe 36 times, but only converted 13 of his free throws which set an NBA record for the most misses in one game.

The Rockets even inserted a substitute, K.J. McDaniels, to foul Drummond five times in nine seconds, ensuring that subsequent fouls would send him to the line. Unsurprisingly, the box score looked surreal after the game.

When push came to shove, however, the strategy failed. Even with his misses, Drummond still finished the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds in a win.

“It didn’t work,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, according to ESPN. “That’s it. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Photo:  Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons shoots over Thabo Sefolosha #25 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on October 27, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

This season, there was a conspicuous absence in Detroit: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s shooting touch. Through the Pistons’ first 20 games, the guard averaged 12.7 points on 38.2 percent shooting in Detroit’s first 20 games, including just 29.2 percent on 3-pointers. Wednesday night was a different story though as he led his team to a narrow victory over the Boston Celtics.

Caldwell-Pope scored a career-high 31 points while going 10-16 from the floor; he also hit three of four shots from three-point range. “I’d say his shot is definitely back,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We were pretty comfortable that he would start making shots again, but it is definitely nice to see them going in.”

“I never lost confidence in myself, because I know offense is one of those things that comes and goes,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I just kept playing hard on defense and stuck to my routine. I knew I would start hitting shots at some point.”

The Pistons would need everyone of the guard’s points to survive the night; they were leaky defensively, especially in a 34-33 fourth quarter. They were also helped by 16 points from Andre Drummond, including a half-court buzzer beater.

“This is the second game in a row where we haven’t been able to stop anyone down the stretch,” Van Gundy said. “We were lucky that our offense was good all night, because they were scoring at will.”

Photo: Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons shoots over Thabo Sefolosha #25 of the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on October 27, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)