Daily Dunks: 8/17-8/23

                                                   (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source). 

     This is my Daily Dunks page for Monday, August 17, 2015 through Sunday, August 23. Throughout the week this page will be updated with all the key news and happenings from across the NBA until a new Daily Dunks page is created for the following week.

Monday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Bucks signed forward Marcus Landry to a non-guaranteed contract (Click here for details).

#2. The Utah Jazz signed small forward Treveon Graham to a non-guaranteed deal (Click here for details).

#3. Toni Kukoc is reuniting with the Bulls as a special advisor to the team president (Click here for details).

#4. The Raptors and center Jonas Valanciunas are closing in on a 4-year, $60M extension (Click here for details).

#5. The Cavaliers signed point guard Quinn Cook to what is likely a training camp deal of sorts (Click here for details).

#6. The Lakers signed guard Michael Frazier to what is likely a training camp deal of sorts (Click here for details).

#7. There's a report saying that most people in the Kings' front office want to trade DeMarcus Cousins (Click here for details).

#8. The Wizards and Bradley Beal are not close to an extension (Click here for details).

#9. Dorell Wright signed in China (Click here for details).

Tuesday's NBA daily Dunks: 

#1. Some crazy person was stalking Stephen Curry (Click here for details).

#2. The NBA promoted Kiki Vandeweghe to executive VP of basketball operations (Click here for details).

#3. Michael Jordan makes more money in endorsements than any player in the NBA (Click here for details).

#4. 76ers center Joel Embiid underwent surgery on his foot. His season is over  (Click here for details).

#5. The Nuggets waived Joey Dorsey who has since signed with Galatasaray in Turkey (Click here for details).

#6. Jason Terry re-signed with the Rockets for one year (Click here for details).

#7. The Knicks are interested in Jamal Crawford (Click here for details).

#8. The Grizzlies signed center Michael Holyfield for at least training camp (Click here for details).

Tuesday's WNBA Final Scores: 

Shock 74 Mercury 59. Fever 79 Sparks 68.

Wednesday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Free agent guard Darius Morris is out for a few months with an injured foot (Click here for details).

#2. The Wizards signed center Jaleel Roberts for training camp (Click here for details).

#3. David Stern is being urged to run for mayor of New York City (Click here for details).

#4. Tim Duncan has won an award for being the best teammate in the NBA (Click here for details).

#5. The Clippers and Timberwolves may be interested in Jose Calderon (Click here for details).

Wednesday's WNBA Final Scores: 

Mystics 79 Lynx 61. Liberty 73 Stars 45.

Thursday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. J.R. Smith re-signed with the Cavaliers for two years, $10+M. Second year is a player option and deal includes a no-trade clause (Click here for details).

#2. Warriors rookie forward Kevon Looney is out 4-6 months after undergoing hip surgery (Click here for details).

#3. The Utah Jazz made some promotions in their organization (Click here for details).

#4. Jonas Valanciunas has signed a four-year, $64M extension with the Raptors (Click here for details).

#5. The Timberwolves officially signed Tayshaun Prince (Click here for details).

#6. Al Horford: "I'm very happy in Atlanta" (Click here for details).

#7. Blake Griffin says 66 games is the ideal NBA season length (Click here for details).

#8. Heat rookie Justise Winslow signed with Adidas (Click here for details).

#9. The Suns signed guard Terrico White for training camp (Click here for details).

#10. The Hornets signed center Jason Washburn for training camp (Click here for details).

Friday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Heat signed former UC Davis guard Corey Hawkins for training camp (Click here for details).

#2. Ricky Rubio believes the Timberwolves can make the playoffs (Click here for details).

#3. The Raptors and Terrence Ross have discussed a contract extension (Click here for details).

#4. The 76ers don't have any idea when Joel Embiid will be healthy. He may not be ready to begin the 2016-17 season (Click here for details).

#5. The Warriors signed shooting guard Jarrell Eddie for training camp (Click here for details).

#6. The Suns signed former Harvard forward Kyle Casey for training camp (Click here for details).

Friday's WNBA Final Scores: 

Liberty 78 Dream 67. Shock 84 Sun 76. Lynx 78 Stars 61. Sky 87 Mystics 85. Sparks 78 Mercury 68. Fever 75 Storm 63.

Saturday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Cavaliers have signed center Sasha Kaun to a two-year contract (Click here for details).

#2. The Pacers want a new training facility (Click here for details).

#3. Kobe Bryant has begun shooting (Click here for details).

#4. Ricky Rubio thinks Andrew Wiggins will one day win an NBA MVP award (Click here for details).

#5. The Raptors signed guard Shannon Scott (Click here for details).

#6. Kawhi Leonard wants to be an all-star and win league MVP (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA Daily Dunks: 

#1. Stanley Johnson wants to bring big things to Detroit (Click here for details).

#2. Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry recognizes the challenge and excitement of coaching Anthony Davis (Click here for details).

#3. Jazz point guard Trey Burke knows he needs to make the most of this season (Click here for details).

#4. The Timberwolves are still trying to unload Anthony Bennett (Click here for details).

#5. Small forward Tomas Satoransky may join the Wizards (Click here for details).

Sunday's WNBA Final Scores: 

Sky 66 Mystics 64. Sparks 90 Stars 59. Dream 102 Sun 92. Fever 80 Liberty 79. Mercury 79 Lynx 67.


---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news 

Why The Utah Jazz Shouldn't Be Worried About Winning Games

                                                  (Image from USAToday.com) 

As the 2013-14 NBA season began, the Utah Jazz were viewed as one of the teams bound for the draft lottery and likely a top three pick in the NBA Draft. That was viewed as a good thing since this upcoming draft is beyond stacked with talent. But while they are still lottery bound, they don't appear to be heading for the very bottom of the standings either, which means that they likely will not get a top three pick in the draft. After starting the season 1-14, the Jazz have played just about .500 ball since, with a 15-16 record over their last 31 games. But while this may seem terrible for the Jazz since they are likely missing out on Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins, I will argue why it is actually good that they are winning games, and not losing games to rack up ping-pong balls for the lottery.

The first reason why it is good that they are winning games is the fact that they are winning games with their young and promising players leading the way. This isn't like last season where Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap were leading the way to victories, rather it is the young group of Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks, Trey Burke, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter. According 82games.com, that lineup is the most successful unit for the Jazz, which means that the Jazz already have a quality young core of guys to build around. It appears as though the addition of Trey Burke at point guard was all that this young Jazz team needed in order to become competitive for the long haul.

Secondly, the Jazz have already built this team through the draft. At some point, you no longer need more draft picks, but you just need your young players to grow and develop. That seems to be the case here. I mean, what do the Jazz need now? They don't need a point guard, a shooting guard, a small forward, a power forward, or a center. What they actually need is a more quality bench to back those guys up, not another super talented rookie to develop. Don't get me wrong, the Jazz would welcome Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, or Dante Exum with open arms, but they aren't in the same level of crisis mode as the Milwaukee Bucks, who are doing everything in their power to tank. The Bucks need somebody to have hope for the future in, whereas the Jazz already have five guys in Burke, Burks, Hayward, Favors, and Kanter!

Finally, the Jazz are still going to miss the playoffs, which last I checked still gives them a shot for a top 3 pick. Teams with the worst record in the NBA have only a 25% chance of winning the #1 pick, and it isn't any higher than that. The lottery is designed to help the bad teams out, but also discourage tanking in the process. Teams with the worst records frequently get burned and don't end up with the #1 or even #2 pick. Heck, the Chicago Bulls won the 2008 NBA Draft lottery to get Derrick Rose with a 1.7 percent chance of winning!! So if the Jazz go into the lottery with even a 15 percent chance of winning the lottery, they still could win it or at the very least get a top three pick.

The bottom line is that the Jazz should be happy with how the season is going. They're winning games with their young players, building for the future, and still giving themselves a chance to get a high lottery pick. What would better than for the Jazz than to actually win some games, build confidence in these young guys, and in the process get the top pick? That would be the best outcome, and that outcome could very well happen. So while many people around the league and people in the state of Utah are grumbling about the Jazz winning, just remember that this winning is good for the development of these young players who are the future of the franchise. The future of the Jazz is on the court right now and it looks pretty pretty good as it is. Jazz fans really shouldn't be fretting about not getting a high pick in this year's draft unless they know that the next LeBron James is in this draft, which doesn't appear to be the case.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord