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🏀 Good morning to everybody however particularly …

NIKOLA JOKIC

There is not a lot particular person historical past Nikola Jokic hasn’t made, however he discovered a means so as to add to his unimaginable resume but once more Thursday. With 21 factors, 19 rebounds and 15 assists in a 130-110 win over the Wizards, Jokic joined LeBron James and Russell Westbrook because the solely gamers in NBA historical past with a triple-double towards each group he is confronted.

Moreover …

• Jokic made all 10 of his photographs from the sector. It is the first 20/15/15 sport on 100% capturing in NBA historical past.
• It is his fourth profession triple-double with 100% capturing, which breaks a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for many all-time.

Ho hum, simply one other day on the workplace for the two-time MVP … besides probably not. This one got here with somewhat little bit of extra-special historical past. What an extra-special participant Jokic is.

😊 Honorable mentions

😦 And never such an excellent morning for …

MLB UNIFORMS

“Common concern is the pant.”

As MLBPA president, Tony Clark has to take care of a variety of points. He most likely by no means thought this could be certainly one of them. The new MLB uniforms are terrible, however the pants specifically are unacceptable. Why? They’re see-through.

I needn’t clarify why this is a matter. I do want to clarify how we obtained right here.

• Fanatics is manufacturing the Nike Vapor Premier spring coaching uniforms. The uniform weighs much less and has drawn compliments from some gamers.
• The overwhelming response, although, has been destructive. The gamers’ names are a lot, a lot smaller and there have been points with the match and really feel. Miles Mikolas stated they “look low-cost,” and it is exhausting to disagree.
• A number of gamers have taken their complaints to the MLBPA.

That is what prompted Clark to talk on Thursday. “A number of the rhetoric is affirmation that the pants are see-through,” he stated, and, uh, yeah … no kidding. 

An MLB spokesperson stated changes are being made. For the sakes of gamers and onlookers alike, let’s hope they’re finished sooner slightly than later.

😖 Not so honorable mentions

🏀 High 25 NBA gamers this season

Earlier than the season began, our wonderful NBA workers ranked its high 100 gamers for the 2023-24 season.

Now the season is about two-thirds of the best way finished, and with the previous few weeks upon us, Brad Botkin chosen the high 25 gamers of the season up to now. No. 1 was a extremely powerful name, however I believe Brad obtained it proper:

• Botkin: “1. Joel Embiid, 76ers — There is no minimal video games performed rule on this listing, and Embiid was monitoring towards his second straight MVP earlier than succumbing to meniscus surgical procedure earlier this month. … Embiid’s 49.8 factors per 48 minutes is tied with Wilt Chamberlain (1961-62) for the very best mark in historical past. … Embiid can be averaging a career-high 5.7 assists as a dribble-handoff visitors cone that Nick Nurse‘s offense, and all its trailing defenders, is consistently weaving round. His face-up jumper, the finesse to his post-up energy, has successfully rendered him indefensible.”

Here is the whole high 5:

1. Joel Embiid (preseason: 6)
2. Nikola Jokic (1)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2)
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11)
5. Luka Doncic (4)

Victor Wembanyama got here in 58th in our preseason rankings, and that appeared affordable for a thin rookie, even given the sky-high expectations. He is someway exceeded them, although, and he got here in at twenty fourth in Brad’s rankings.

• Botkin: “In a method I really feel like I am type of squeezing Wembanyama into this listing. In one other means, I really feel like he needs to be even larger. … Wemby leads the league in blocks by an considerable margin. However it’s not simply the blocks or the general rim safety; his bundle of size and agility shifts permit him to assist with out actually even leaving his man, and his restoration margin is large. He bends the geometry of an offense the best way Stephen Curry does a protection.”

🏈 SEC pushing to maneuver Early Signing Day up, make December useless interval

Amid a sea of change in school soccer, the SEC is main the cost for yet one more adjustment. Commissioner Greg Sankey is lobbying for an earlier early signing day and a December recruiting useless interval. The hope is to wash up the ultimate month on the calendar for coaches, staffs, high-school recruits and transfers alike. I am going to let Will Backus clarify …

• Backus: “[In 2023], the switch portal opened on Dec. 4 and the early signing interval commenced simply over two weeks in a while Dec. 20. So, on the identical time coaches try to maintain their roster collectively and consider potential areas of want by way of the portal, they’re additionally closing up the highschool recruiting ranks and tying up any unfastened ends on the path. On high of all that, teaching adjustments ceaselessly occur all through December as assistants and even head coaches will look to make a transfer as soon as the common season ends. For many groups that gained at the least six video games, there’s additionally bowl prep to fret about.”

The present overlap between high-school recruiting and switch recruiting is certainly one of a number of elements driving head coaches away, usually to jobs of lesser titles. That pattern is just not going away any time quickly, Dennis Dodd studies.

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

⚾ Padres vs. Dodgers, 3:05 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Cavaliers at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Bucks at Timberwolves, 10 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ USWNT vs. Argentina, 10:15 p.m. on Paramount+

Saturday

🏀 No. 2 Houston at No. 11 Baylor (M), midday on CBS
🏒 Blues at Crimson Wings, midday on ABC
🏀 No. 8 Duke at Wake Forest (M), 2 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Rangers at Flyers, 3 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 20 South Carolina at Ole Miss (M), 3:30 p.m. on SEC Community
🏀 No. 13 Alabama at No. 17 Kentucky (M), 4 p.m. on CBS
🏀 No. 10 North Carolina at Virginia (M), 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Texas at No. 9 Kansas (M), 6 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Villanova at No. 1 UConn (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Texas A&M at No. 5 Tennessee (M), 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 22 Colorado State at UNLV (M), 8 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
🏀 Celtics at Knicks, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 19 San Diego State at Fresno State, 10 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community

Sunday

🏀 No. 15 Creighton at St. John’s (M), midday on CBS
🏀 No. 13 LSU at Tennessee (W), midday on ESPN
🏀 Bucks at 76ers, 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Illinois at No. 4 Iowa (W), 1 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Lightning at Devils, 1 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Maryland at No. 2 Ohio State (W), 2 p.m. on BTN
🏀 North Carolina at No. 8 Virginia Tech (W), 2 p.m. on ACC Community
🏀 No. 10 Kansas State at Kansas (W), 2 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Lakers at Suns, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Flyers at Penguins, 3:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Ohio State at Michigan State (M), 4 p.m. on CBS
🏀 Xavier at No. 7 Marquette (M), 5 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 6 NC State at Duke (W), 5:30 p.m. on ACC Community
🏀 Nuggets at Warriors, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Kings at Clippers, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN