Day: March 24, 2023

Jett Howard will declare for the 2023 NBA draft, leaving Michigan after his freshman season.

Howard is the No. 16 prospect in ESPN’s draft rankings.

“This was a great learning year for me,” Howard told ESPN. “It’s what I needed. It taught me how to play within a pro-style offense and be effective, to get out of my comfort zone, and play with other good players.”

Howard says he relished playing for his father, Juwan Howard, a former NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion who won Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2021 after taking Michigan to the Elite Eight.

“Playing for my dad was a beautiful experience,” Howard said. “It was a little rough at first, as he wants things done a certain way, but overall it was easy playing in his offense. He’s a fun person to be around on a day-to-day basis.”

The state of Anthony Davis’ relationship with LeBron James came under scrutiny when James broke the all-time scoring record while Davis showed a lack of emotion. Davis had just returned to the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench after letting out a scream

“From the outside looking in, they don’t know,” Davis said of his perceived bad body language. “It’s not for them to know seriously, but me and Bron are fine. You can tell when we had our moments, for sure. But I think it’s people just looking for a story.”

Davis was unwavering in describing his bond with James.

“Me and Bron have one of the best relationships I think in the NBA as far as duos or teammates, regardless,” Davis said. “But they don’t see that. They don’t see the stuff we do off the court and time we hang out with each other. They see on-court stuff.”

Dennis Schroder sees a change in Davis now compared to his first stint with the Lakers.

“It’s better than the first time I was here,” Schroder told ESPN. “More vocal. … I mean, I didn’t know him the first time I was here. But this year he’s doing a great job. I think he learned from LeBron as well. Talking to his teammates, especially on the defensive end. It’s a big growth from that first year to this year.”